As Robbie sat in the waiting area, he could feel his heart beating faster. He normally prided himself on being more composed under pressure, but between that and his tapping of his foot, it was clear that the weight of what he was about to do was starting to get to him. Still, this was what he felt was necessary, so he took a breath through his nostrils and closed his eyes, slowly opening them as he released the air back out slowly, his foot finally ceasing its tapping as a result.
He had to trust his instincts; before becoming Editor-In-Chief, Robbie had been a reporter in situations like this many times over the years. Okay, maybe not quite to this extent, but still, he had investigated dangerous men before, so he knew how he would need to handle himself going in. He would be firm and straightforward, but if the heat got to heavy, he would get out of there. Plus, he had the detective as well as the chief of police waiting right outside; they would be listening to every word that was said during the meeting, so if things got too hot, they would step in.
To be fair, he also had Spider-Man on speed dial, but Robbie didn't want to involve Peter any further just yet. He wanted this to be as official and proper as possible, and any interference by a vigilante like him could complicate matters. He knew his former employee's heart was undoubtedly in the right place, but he had to go about this in as honest a way in the eyes of the justice system as possible. Besides, this was his battle at the end of the day, so directly involving as few people as possible was the way he felt it should be. He had a feeling that, if he didn't find a way to deal with Lonnie one way or the other, the man would always be a thorn in his side one way or another, so he needed to be the one to handle it.
The woman he'd spoken to when he'd first arrived then came back into the room.
"Mr. Lincoln will see you now," she said.
"Thank you, ma'am," he said, rising from his seat. He then followed her as she led him to a pair of large doors, the woman opening one for him. He thanked her before stepping in, observing as Lonnie turned from the window that he'd been looking out of to face him.
"Good to see you again, Straight Arrow," the man said with a smile. "I wondered when you might be stopping by."
Robbie said nothing initially, instead walking up to the man's desk, setting down a manilla envelope on it.
"What's this?" Lonnie asked, seemingly amused by the scenario.
"Open it," Robbie insisted. "I'll think you'll find what's in there very interesting."
Lonnie did so, taking the folder in his hands and opening it, sifting through its contents. He then let out a huff, closing it and tossing it back on his desk.
"What is this, Joe?" he questioned. "This that dirt you were talking about finding on me the last time we met?"
"This is me telling you that I will no longer be intimidated by you," Robbie insisted.
A smile curved up the side of Lonnie's mouth, a couple of chuckles escaping his throat.
"I've never said it, but that's what I've always liked about you, Joe," he said. "You always go after what you want, and you don't let anything stop you. However, I'm also a little surprised you would do something so foolish, considering what's at stake here."
"I told my wife and son everything, Lonnie," Robbie explained. "They know the full truth now, and you know what? I didn't lose them. They are still my family, they still love me, and now, you have no hold over me anymore."
Lonnie just shook his head.
"Just when I thought I'd finally found a way to get through that Straight Arrow mindset of yours," he said.
"I guess you didn't know me as well as you thought you did," Robbie replied.
"Maybe not," Lonnie conceded, "however, I said something the last time that we met that is still true today: I know how to get what I want."
"Yeah, by pushing people around and intimidating them," Robbie countered. "But you can't do that to me anymore. I won't let you."
Lonnie then came up to him, a more serious look on his face as the man stared down at him. Robbie refused to back down, determined not to show an ounce of fear.
"Yes, you will," Lonnie insisted, his voice more authoritative than before, "that is, unless you're prepared to make some, shall we say, personal sacrifices."
"Are you directly threatening my family now?" Robbie questioned. Lonnie was being very careful with his words still, but if he could get him to outright admit to the meaning behind what he'd just said, those listening in might just have what they need, which would also protect his loved ones in the long run.
"I'm simply stating how things will be," Lonnie replied, "how you interpret that is up to you."
This whole thing was starting to feel like a chess game between the two of them. Robbie's mind raced; he was scared not only for his life, but even more for his family's lives, but he had to stay focused and steer the conversation back on track to its original purpose.
"Okay then," he said, opting to shift gears and feign concession. "Tell me what it is that you want."
A smile came over Lonnie's face, and Robbie had to resist the urge to clench his fist in anger, fighting to maintain his composure. If he could just make Lonnie believe he was really in control right now, maybe he'd let his guard down just enough...
"It's like I always told you, Straight Arrow," Lonnie said, "we're the same, and I want us to work together. You'll keep making sure your reporters, well, report on the Allan trial in the way I need them to."
"Yes, because of your 'vested interest'," Robbie remembered. "I still don't understand why you care so much about the trial of the CFO of a women's fashion company though? It doesn't make sense."
Lonnie chuckled.
"Oh Joe, you still think so small," he said. "The woman is simply a means to an end, nothing less."
"How could someone like her be of any consequence to you?" Robbie questioned.
"I needed a way to steer the authorities away from some of my more... questionable business practices," Lonnie explained. "Elizabeth Allan seemed like she would be the one to ser..."
Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by a few men bursting through the doors of the office. Robbie turned to see a man with a domed shaped head with two others at his side.
"Don't say another word, boss," the man with the oddly shaped skull said. He then quickly began searching Robbie, frisking him until he reached his hand inside the top of his buttoned-up shirt, tearing the wire he'd been wearing out of it. He then dropped it on the ground, crushing it under his foot.
"A couple of our guys found the woman who'd been looking into you in a car outside, along with the chief," the domed figure explained. "When the secretary explained who was here, I suspected they were using him, and I was right."
Robbie met eyes with Lonnie, who was shooting a nasty glare his way.
"So, you were trying to play me, huh Straight Arrow?"
Robbie didn't respond, allowing only subtle, steady breaths to be the only sound he would make.
"What do you want to do, boss?" the domed headed one questioned.
"I'll take this one; meet me at our rendezvous point in Harlem," Lonnie instructed. "Oh, and Hammerhead... I have a special guest I'd like to be there when we arrive."
Peter carefully poured the last ingredient into the vial, watching as his concoction changed color, which was exactly what he was hoping for. With any luck, this would be the solution to the city's latest drug problem before it could actually become that large an issue. Having analyzed the compound he'd taken from the doctor's lab he and Matt had come from, he'd quickly deduced that it was some kind of performance enhancer, though it appeared to be altered in some way from however it was originally made. Using a small portion of it, he'd created this antiserum in the hopes of making things easier for the police as much as anyone else. With any luck, he could give it to the detective, who could put it to proper use.
Speaking of the detective, Peter's phone suddenly went off, and he took it out to see that it was actually the detective herself.
"What's the latest, detective?" he questioned as he answered.
"We need your help," the woman replied, an urgency in her voice. "We had someone come forward to help us with Lincoln, but now he's been taken hostage and we've lost track of them."
"Wait, slow down," Peter said. "Who was taken?"
"Joseph Robertson of the Daily Bugle."
Peter's heart felt as though it had stopped at this news. Robbie had gotten involved in the investigation? Why? How?
"Okay, where do you know they were last?" he asked, forcing himself to refocus. He couldn't let on to her that he knew the man.
"Lincoln's main office building in Midtown," the detective replied. "The chief and I are pulling any information we have on known criminal activity spots he might be at."
"He probably wouldn't go somewhere that obvious," Peter said. "Look for places that he owns that aren't being used right now."
"We're already doing that too," the woman clarified. "I just thought having someone with a more eye in the sky approach might help things. I'll send you some locations as soon as I can."
"Got it," Peter said. "Don't worry, we'll find him."
That last part might have been to reassure himself as much as her.
Peter then hung up, running through what he needed to do in his mind. For starters, he needed to bring something to properly contain the antiserum he'd made to take with him into the field. He would also need to call Matt, as another party scouring the city would be helpful.
Above all else, he needed to find Robbie.
As the car ride continued, all Robbie could do was stare out through the window and into the city. When he'd first been escorted down the private elevator and out towards the car, he'd pondered what it might look like if he made a break for it. However, every scenario he'd run through his head only led to the same result: his death. He wasn't afraid to admit that he was still in good shape for his age, but he was no action character or superhero. Even if he could break away from the hired help, Lonnie had remained at his side the entire time, seemingly in order to personally make sure they both arrived to wherever he was taking him.
Therefore, it seemed all Robbie could do was wait.
Eventually, however, his wait came to an end as the car came to a stop outside of some factory building. The place certainly didn't look as old as many in the surrounding area, but at the same time, it looked surprisingly deserted, at least on the outside. He was then instructed to get out of the car, so he did so, with his old friend grabbing him and escorting him inside the building. They made their way up to the third floor of the building, where Lonnie opened an office door and tossed Robbie into the empty room, shutting the door behind him.
Suspecting that it would likely be pointless to try and escape now more than ever, Robbie simply walked over to a nearby wall, leaning his back against it. He shut his eyes, fighting hard to keep fear from winning. At this point, he had no idea if he was even going to make it out of this alive. They'd taken his phone, so he had no way of contacting the police or Peter, which meant it was likely going to come down to how he played whatever game Lonnie had in mind. What concerned him most of all though was what his old friend had said before they'd left about having a "special guest" meet them here. Who could he have been referring to? Would it be someone to use against him, or would it just be one of his hired hands to threaten him with?
Robbie pushed back against all these thoughts though, once again fighting to stay collected. It was pointless to let his mind dwell too much on all the different possibilities; he could try and plan for anything Lonnie did, but ultimately, he would just have to play whatever situation came about at that time. In the meantime, he thought of his family, picturing the faces of Martha, Randy and his son's family. He imagined his wife's sweet expressions and acts of kindness, and he thought of his and his son's shared enthusiasm for sports. He kept these images in the forefront of his mind, desperately holding onto them so that he would remember what he was fighting to get back to. The thoughts were so vivid that he almost believed he could actually hear his wife... wait, was he actually...
Suddenly, the door shot open, and in came Lonnie, with Robbie's wife held by her arm in his grip.
"Martha!" he shouted. The man then tossed her down in front of him, and he quickly got down to help her. He asked if she was okay, slowly aiding her in standing once again.
"Now," Lonnie said, taking out a gun and pointing it directly at them, "let's talk about how this is going to go..."
Hope you're enjoying it! Hard to believe we are almost there!
Continuing to pray for you all; stay safe and healthy!
"'I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from Me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,' declares the Lord, 'that I am God.'" Isaiah 43:11-12