Nick tossed the paper on the hood of the car. "You actually want me to say this? You want me to stand there on national television and act like I stole this man's home out from under him? You want me to make him out to be some kind of martyr?"
"This isn't about the facts right now, Mr. Newman. It's about getting everyone out of this situation as quickly and as safely as possible. Right now, Mr. Brooks feels like he's been treated unfairly. He feels like everything he's doing right now is in response to the wrongs that were committed against him. If you go up there and admit to doing everything he's accusing you of doing, it gives him a little bit of credibility."
"He doesn't deserve any credibility. Nothing that happened to him could make what he's doing to Phyllis okay. She's got to be scared to death in there." He looked back towards the house, hoping to get another glimpse of her through the window. Even as hard as it was to see her there, it gave him a bit of assurance just knowing that she was still there, alive, and reasonably alright.
"I'm sure she is and that's why we need you to do this for us. We've got to brief the media. A statement from you could go a long way towards keeping him calm. That's what we need right now. We need him calm and as relaxed as possible while we work on figuring out a way to get into the house and get Ms. Summers out of there." The Commander waited for Nick's response. It was obvious he wasn't thrilled about giving Cameron any allowances, but he wanted this over and he was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen.
Nick was silent for a moment, his eyes steely blue as he stared into those of the Commander. "If I do this, you're gonna figure out how to do in there? You'll figure out how to get her out?"
"You have my word," the Commander said gruffly. He hated making promises in his line of work. It wasn't something he felt he had the right to do. Things changed far too quickly and the individuals with whom they dealt were too erratic to accurately predict. "We'll do our best."
He huffed as he picked up the paper again. "I guess I'll have to take that then, won't I?"
"I didn't mean to upset you," Phyllis said quietly. She stood up slowly taking a step before stopping herself and reconsidering her decision to approach him. "And I wasn't trying to manipulate you. I just … I could see that you miss your family and if there was something I could do to help."
"Help yourself you mean …" Cameron turned back towards her quickly. He watched as she flinched and backed away from him. She was afraid of him and although that had been the intended purpose, it didn't feel good. He didn't want people to fear him. That wasn't who he was. He just wanted his life back. He let the gun drop by his side as he watched her walk back to the sofa and silently sit back down. He joined her after a moment, his words finally breaking the silence. "It's funny, you know?"
"What's funny?"
"You hear people say all the time that they didn't know how good they had it until it was all taken away from them, but I did know. I knew how lucky I was. I never took Gwen and Maxton for granted. I loved my job and my family and I always appreciated them. I didn't lose them because I didn't take care of them. I didn't lose them because they didn't feel important. I lost them because I fought too hard to try and keep everything. When things at work really started to fall apart, I did what I thought I had to do. I didn't think I had a choice. They wanted me to find out the information and so I did. I gave them what they wanted and instead of being grateful and protecting me the way they promised me they would, they rolled over on me and left me high and dry."
"So you lost your job?" Phyllis watched as the story seemed to play out across his face. There was a mix of embarrassment, pain, and anger all mixed together there.
"I lost my job. I lost my reputation. They charged me with all of these crimes that I didn't even know existed. I was all of sudden some mastermind in this scheme that I wasn't even aware of. All I was doing was following my boss' orders and now I don't have a job. I don't have a resume. I can't ever work for a financial institution again and …" He watched as she shook her head. If he didn't know better, he'd swear her expression was genuine, but he'd fallen prey to that before. No one really cared about what he felt. "Don't give me that look," he grumbled. "I've seen it before. The people that interviewed me in the police station. The lawyers at the hearings … all of them. They all seem so nice and compassionate as they're writing you off for the rest of your life."
"That's not the kind of person I am. I certainly don't have any room to be judging you. You know that saying, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones? Well, let's just say, I've built myself a glass castle over here and I've learned not to toss anything larger than pebbles." She felt a small wave of relief pass over her as she watched a small smile curve across his lips. "Is that why your wife left you? Because you lost your job?"
Cameron shrugged. "That would have been too easy," he sighed. "That was just the beginning of the story."
"Good evening. We're here at Woodridge Court where there is hostage situation underway at the home of Nicholas Newman. In just a few moments, Sergeant Brunson of the Genoa City Police Department will be issuing an official statement about the case. Nicholas Newman will also be speaking for the first time about this tragic situation. And I see Sergeant Brunson is stepping up now, so let's listen in …"
"Hello everyone. I'm Sergeant Brunson of the Genoa City Police Department. We will be providing the media with limited details and we will not be answering any questions at this time. We ask that you please respect the investigative process as we work hard to resolve this situation in the safest manner for everyone involved. At approximately 8:30 pm this evening, Genoa City Emergency Services received a phone call indicating a possible intruder in the residence. Officers were dispatched to respond. Upon arrival, officers found the car of Cameron Brooks on the scene and upon further investigation, this was deemed to be a hostage situation. Specialized teams have been called in to deal with this. The hostage inside the home is Phyllis Summers. She is thought to be unharmed. Nicholas Newman, the owner of the home, would like to make a brief statement regarding the situation and what is currently being done to resolve it. Mr. Newman?"
"I'm Nicholas Newman. Most of you are probably familiar with my family. I'm sure many of you would expect me to stand here and offer money for a reward if anyone can help or do anything, but that's not what I'm here to do. I want Mr. Brooks to know that I understand why he's doing this. This house once belonged to him and it still should. Mr. Brooks is in this situation because I took advantage of his misfortune. He fell upon hard times and instead of stepping in and helping him when I had the opportunity to do so, I chose to manipulate the situation and use my money and power to abuse the system. Mr. Brooks doesn't deserve to be in this situation. I want him to know that I understand what I did and that I take responsibility for it. Phyllis Summers had nothing to do with the incredibly cold hearted decisions I made. I am begging him not to ask her to answer for choices I made." Nick turned and looked at the Sergeant who nodded in approval. "That's all I have to say."
Nick stepped down as the flurry of questions were lobbied at the Sergeant.
"That's your plan?"
Nick looked up. "What?" He felt sick after saying the words, few of which he'd actually meant. "You think you could have done better?"
"I think I wouldn't have sat up there and pretended that the man in there torturing Phyllis was some poor, unfortunate soul."
"I didn't want to do it," Nick said defensively, "but they said it was the only way to keep him calm and they need to buy some time so they can figure out a way to safely go in."
"It's your house," Billy said gruffly. "If anyone would know how to get in, isn't it you?"