Chapter 2 More Human
The silence was palpable as the hostages stood waiting for one of the gunman to speak.
"What's your name?" the voice could be heard coming from the phone in the second gunman's hand. The first gunman kept his gun aimed at Bogg's chest as the second brought the phone to his ear.
"Lucas," he said.
Bogg stood his ground though his insides were shaking. He was trying to remember everything he had learned at Voyager Academy about hostage situations. This was a considerable amount since Susan hadn't been in that class with him and he'd always been more interested in human interactions than historical dates. He knew the negotiator on the phone would be trying to get to know the hostage taker. That the idea was to make them all, hostages and hostage takers seem more human. This was why he'd stepped in front of the mother and son, her pleading and his action together, made the child seem more human, harder to kill. Those you never interacted with could be killed much more easily. He remembered studying a hostage situation on a train, where the hostage had prayed for his wife and son as he knelt in front of the gunman, waiting to be shot. The hostage takers threw him and his family off the train instead, and then shot and killed the other hostages. The man and his family survived, the hostage takers later revealed that it was too emotional for them to kill that family. However, the remaining hostages were killed without a second thought, or later remorse.
Bogg was also pretty sure there was a sharpshooter or two with rifles aimed at the window, ready to kill if they could get a clear shot at both of the gunman. He didn't think they'd just shoot one, because the remaining one might kill the hostages if that happened. There may even be officers already inside the building making their way toward the room they were in. He remembered learning that the longer a hostage situation lasted, the better the outcome was likely to be. If they could just postpone any more bloodshed, Bogg knew their odds of survival would improve.
"If I send out the kid, what'll you do for me?" Lucas spoke into the phone. There was silence. "We need food, and water," another pause. "After we get the food and water," he finished and hung up. "In one hour we get some food and water, then we'll send out the kid," he said.
"Are you sure about that?" the first gunman asked, his gun still pointed at Bogg's chest.
Lucas nodded, he motioned to Bogg, "he's right Ray, nobody wants to see a kid get killed."