The Negotiator

by Madison-Writer

Hostage Negotiator, Anna-Marie Darkholme, has seen all sorts of hostage situations and overcome them all. When a hopeless man blows himself goes into his workplace and holds everyone isode hostage, she is called in, and there she meets Remy Lebeau, and F.

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men.

Prologue.

The bank did not give a damm, his boss did not give a damm and neither did his insurance company. He was mountain deep in debt with no way of paying it off. Those S.o.b's were stinking rich and would not spare him some cash at all. They would all see. They would all pay

He crawled through the tiny tunnel with practiced easy, stopping to switch on his flashlight as he turned the comer. The weak light shone through the murky darkness, illuminating the dusty wooden crate wedged into the corner. Grinning triumphantly, He used to edge of his shirt to wipe away the loose dust around the crate and then reached into the pocket of his jeans for the screwdriver, using it to unscrew the crate from its bolted position on the floor. When the crate was free, he secured a rope to one side of the crate attaching the other end to his waist.

Cinching the rope tight, he turned back and started back out of the tunnel. Huffing and puffing from the heavy weight around his waist. Finally, he reached the end of the surface, gratefully gulping the fresh summer air after so long in the dark damp tunnel. Standing up he lifted the crate and headed for the pond nearby where he had parked his truck. The afternoon sun shone down fiercely, highlighting the word FRAGILE! EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL! written in bold red letters on top and around the four sides of the crate.

It was too bad the government had not listened to him when he had asked for help. Now they would have to listen, too little, too late. Was his last thought as he drove away from the abandoned lumberyard.