Hostage

I hope you like the story, and that you tell me your opinions, through them I know if I'm on the right path.

Remember English is not my native language, I hope the translation is correct, check it, but sometimes I miss some incorrect personal pronouns for the phrase, sorry.

I reiterate, I do not own the characters of Friends I only rely on them for the pure pleasure of writing stories without any economic interest, and Monica and Chandler they inspire me

CHAPTER 2

Monica was terrified.

She couldn't determine how long she had been sitting there when she heard the ringing of a phone coming from an office she assumed was the manager's desk.

The boss said, "There they are, they want to negotiate," and left, closing the office door.

The man in the red jacket seemed to be second in command and ordered two of them to bring water for the hostages. Each one was given a plastic bottle. They were clearly prepared for anything and for as long as necessary.

Monica drank the water greedily. Her mouth was dry and her body was cold from having to be motionless in that position.

The man in the gray jacket left the office. "Okay, boys, you know what we want. As expected, they tried to dissuade us. Waste of time. Then they asked me for the name and age of all the hostages, so they could notify their families, but I plan to give it to them tomorrow. We set the time and conditions."

Each one wrote their name and age on a piece of paper that two of the henchmen picked up. -

The light coming through the glass at the entrance had gone out and now it was totally dark.

Monica wanted to know the time, but she didn't dare ask, she didn't even dare move her wrist to look at her watch, but she was sure that the restaurant would be worried about her absence and maybe her friends had already discovered that she was nowhere to be found. Maybe the news of the bank takeover was on television, but it was difficult for her friends to watch the news programs, and maybe they wouldn't associate her disappearance with the news about the bank. At that moment she realized that nobody knew that she would pass by the bank on her way to work, she had left before Rachel arrived.

The boss approached the hostages, "lie down where you are, without talking to each other, try to sleep because this will last a long time and I repeat, anyone who tries anything is a dead man or woman."

Obviously sleeping was impossible, scared, cold, lying on a hard floor and trying not to move, desperate hours awaited them.

It was already dawn when they heard the office phone ring. The men shouted at them "everyone stay still, without talking and very carefully you will sit with your back against the wall like yesterday."

The boss, along with the man in the red jacket, entered the office.

The boss came out first and several minutes later the man in the red jacket came out. "That's it boss, I'll give you the list of all these guys."

At that moment three of the henchmen appeared, they gave each one a plastic cup with coffee and a piece of bread. The hot coffee hit Monica's stomach like an elixir. She didn't feel like eating the bread, but she knew she couldn't get weak, so she started eating it.

One of the cashiers vomited on her skirt. The boss ordered one of the men, the one who looked older, "Take her to the bathroom to clean herself up, otherwise the smell will be unbearable."

The cashier stood up with difficulty and then Monica realized that she was 4 or 5 months pregnant and thought, "God, poor girl, this stress could affect the baby... God, take care of them."

When the cashier came back, the boss ordered the hostages to be accompanied to the bathroom. There were two bathrooms, so they had to be taken two at a time, but with a gun at their back.

Until that moment, Monica hadn't realized that she hadn't urinated for hours, and now she suddenly had a tremendous urge, but she managed to get to the bathroom.

She returned to her place, in the bathroom she could see the time, it was almost 7 am, she had been in that hell for more than 12 hours and she didn't know when it was going to end or if he would be alive in the end.

In apartment 20 everyone was desperate, they had spent the night without sleep, they had heard nothing about Monica, Ross was determined to call his parents when someone knocked on the door.

Rachel flew to open the door and found Treeger with a disfigured face, "Did you hear the news?"

"No" shouted Ross "Do you know anything about Monica, we haven't found her since yesterday"

"There's a bank taken, there are hostages, on the news they gave the list of the hostages and among them they said Monica E. Geller"

Everyone stood paralyzed.

"Turn on the television" ordered Chandler

Everyone sat on the couch, the news was alarming, they found out about the death of the two guards, apparently they entered a few minutes before closing and according to reports in addition to the bank staff several clients were trapped, the journalists said that it was not known exactly how many people they had as hostages, since the list given by the kidnappers was not reliable.

The news continued, the police had surrounded the building, not much was known, only that they were violent and dangerous. -

As the day went by, the media reported that the kidnappers wanted the release of their leader, a certain Ivanov, apparently they were members of a gang that robbed trucks, their leader was in prison and they wanted his release.

Chandler thought he remembered having read something about these guys in the newspaper.

Around 6 pm they reported that the negotiator had managed to get four people released, three hostages over 60 years old and one of the cashiers who was 5 months pregnant.

The news continued without giving clear news, only that they were very violent people.

Ross said that surely the police did not want to report on their movements so as not to alert the kidnappers.

"This can last hours or days" commented Ross, "the police have to weaken them and see how they enter the place"

Rachel intervened "but if they break in the hostages could die"

Chandler jumped up and headed for the door

"Where are you going?" Ross asked

"Monica can't stay there; I'm going to ask to be exchanged" Chandler exclaimed firmly.

"In that case I should go since I'm her brother" Ross protested

"You can't go, you have Ben, I don't have anyone."

"That's crazy Chandler, they could kill you" Joey shouted

"I don't care, I'd still be dead, if something happens to her I wouldn't be able to survive"

"You love her so much…" Phoebe exclaimed with her eyes wide open

"More than you can imagine, much more" Chandler answered with emotion in his voice and wet eyes as he walked out the door.

Joey yelled at him, "Wait, I'll go with you."

When they were in the taxi, Joey asked him, "What are you going to say? Why would they trade you? You're just a friend. They must have other priorities, other problems. I don't think it was easy for them to free those people, but Monica doesn't fall into those categories. She's not old and she's not pregnant."

Chandler remained silent. He was quick-minded. Something was going to occur to him. What he did know was that no matter what, he had to make the exchange happen.

When they were arriving, the taxi dropped them off several blocks away, since the police had surrounded the area to keep the press and the curious at a distance. They walked to the bank while Chandler couldn't help but buy cigarettes despite Joey's protests.

Chandler, smoking, and with Joey behind him, was dodging the curious and the journalists, managing to get close to a policeman.

With tears in his eyes, which were not fake at all, he explained to the police that his wife was among the hostages, that she is three months pregnant and also has a heart condition that requires calm and medication, "Please, I beg you, tell the negotiator, I only ask that, that you go and tell him, I need to explain to him, if something happens to the baby or to her, I will die," Chandler begged.

Joey was surprised by Chandler's performance, although he had already realized that it hadn't all been an act, he had made up an excuse, but when it came to his feelings for Monica, they were genuine.

They waited several minutes, during which Chandler was smoking one cigarette after another and did not stop moving.

Joey saw the police coming, "Chandler is coming, we'll see what he says"

"OK, you can come in, an inspector and the negotiator will receive you"

Chandler and Joey walked quickly until they reached a food place a few meters from the bank, where the police command was, immediately a policeman who said he was Inspector Dawson approached them and took them to the area where the negotiator was,

Chandler explained again through tears the problems of his wife "Look, I know it will be difficult to let her out, surely they don't want to reduce their pressure by releasing hostages, that's why I comes to offer me for an exchange"

The Negotiator looked at him raising one of his eyebrows. "Look sir, I don't know if that's possible, they'll probably think it's a trick to get a policeman into the bank."

"I'll give you my information, where I work, where I live with my wife, I'll do everything you tell me to show those men that I'm sincere." Chandler spoke in a desperate voice. -

The negotiator and two of the policemen who accompanied him went to another place to deliberate, and came back, "OK, we'll try."

The negotiator took the phone and began to speak in a calm and conciliatory tone. Chandler didn't know who was speaking and what they were saying on the other end. He only heard the negotiator say at one point:

"No man, I'm not stupid, I'm not going to expose a man of mine for you to kill him, he's just a desperate husband who wants to take care of his wife and his baby, you'll see he'll be totally unarmed, you'll be able to check it before the exchange. I'm sure you have children, if you're doing this for your friend, how much wouldn't you do for your children?"

They cut off communication, the negotiator told Chandler "I guess they are analyzing it, they will take their time"

After 20 minutes without any news the phone rang. The negotiator answered and the head of the kidnappers said "OK, who is the woman…"

The negotiator gave a smile to Chandler who was waiting expectantly, "Her name is Monica Geller"

"Mr. Bing, they accepted the exchange, you have to take off your jacket, belt, shoes, your cell phone, you will approach the door of the bank with your hands up, when the doors open you must enter, they will search you, do not speak unless you are asked, once the exchange is made stay calm, I repeat do not talk to anyone, go as unnoticed as possible, strictly comply with everything they order you."

Inside the bank the boss approached Monica, "Stand up, come with me," Monica was shaking, she didn't know what was waiting for her, he took her to the front of the bank, one of the henchmen stayed with her, pointing the gun at her.