Chapter Two

"My name is Greg Parker, I'm with the Police Strategic Response Unit." The voice echoed around the shop, making everyone start. Jules' eyes flickered to the gun held just inches from her face. In spite of the danger she faced, she felt a warm relief flood through her body. Her team was outside.

.

The subject's eyes had widened in horror when Greg spoke through the megaphone, and now they were darting around the shop, looking for a potential escape route.

"We want to help you resolve this situation, but we can't do that unless you talk to us. I'm going to ring the store phone in a second, and I'd like you to pick it up."

"No. This wasn't supposed to happen," she muttered. "In and out again. No one sees, no one knows."

"It sounds like this hasn't gone to plan." Jules paused, trying not to talk like someone who did this for a living. "I don't think you want to use that gun, you don't want anyone to get hurt. So how about you lower it a bit, huh?" Jules spoke softly, knowing that if the woman became any more tense, she could pull the trigger whether she meant to or not. After a second, the phone chirped behind the counter.

"Don't answer it!" The woman turned to face the shopkeeper and as the gun left her face, Jules released a breath she didn't know she had been holding. "That bag had better be full." He nodded dumbly, and held it out her. She snatched it from his grasp and checked the contents. The phone rang again, and Jules saw the woman shoot it a nervous glance.

"Look, they're with the police right? If you answer, maybe there's something they can do to help." Jules knew that line of negotiation was closed before she had finished the sentence. It was clear the woman was not going to give in that easily.

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Greg hung up the phone with a sigh – it was obvious no-one was going to answer.

"Have we got CCTV yet?"

"On it now, boss." Spike hit a last button and a grainy security video filled the computer screen. He frowned. "Boss?"

"What's up, Spike?" He pointed to a blurry black and white figure, standing with a man at the counter.

"That's Jules."

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The subject walked to the door at the back of the shop.

"What's through here?" she asked the shopkeeper.

"Nothing," he stammered. "Just the stockroom and my workshop."

"Isn't there a back way out?" He shook his head silently. Pressing the gun into his chest, she peered through the door. From the expression on her face, Jules could tell that she didn't like what she saw. The woman closed the door again.

"Listen, why don't you put the gun down, and we can try and work this out together. Maybe there's a way for all of us to get out without anyone getting hurt."

The woman swung the gun round to face Jules.

"No-one is leaving this building right now. I'm not going to let some cop negotiator talk me into giving myself up, so I won't be answering that phone, either. Now just sit down against the wall and stay quiet while I figure out what to do. All of you!" She shoved Sean back towards the wall, and he quickly sat down. Jules and the shopkeeper joined him.

"Isn't there something your team can do?" Sean whispered to Jules.

"If she won't answer the phone, and won't let anyone out, then there's no way for them to find out what she wants. They'll need to find a way in first."

"Can't you phone them?"

"You think she won't notice? And my earwig is at the office. Didn't think I'd need it in Hawaii."

Sean had a point though. Someone needed to get the woman to talk to them, to tell them what she wanted so they could all go home sometime today. It looked like they wouldn't be making that 9.30 flight anyway, Jules thought ruefully. She'd been so looking forward to some time away from the office, just her and Sean.

.

"So, is this your shop" Jules tried to sound matter-of-fact: the old man was sitting on the floor, shaking visibly, and she needed him to stay calm.

He looked up at her. "Ye-yes. I'm Tom Morgan."

"I'm Jules, this is Sean."

"What are we going to do? Are we going to die here?"

She shook her head. "No-one's going to die, Tom. We've got to stick together, we can find a way to work this out."

She looked at the subject. A glint of gold caught her eye. A chain hung over the collar of the hoody, with a fragile-looking 'A' hanging from it.

"What's with the necklace?"

"You just don't shut up do you?" After a short pause she said: 'A' is for 'Artemis'. Satisfied?"

Jules decided it would be safest to stay quiet.

.

The silence stretched on.

"Hey." Jules called across the store. 'Artemis' turned to face her. "I need to pee, real bad."

"There's a toilet out back, next to my workshop," Tom said.

The woman hesitated, and Jules tried to look desperate. "Please?"

"Hurry up. If you're not back in five minutes, I'm coming in to get you."

Jules stood up and made her way hurriedly to the bathroom. She locked the door behind her and quickly pulled out her phone.