Chapter 166

Everything was too coincidental. Will gets wrapped up in some crazy bombing mess, and then the land grab goes up in smoke, possibly securing the demise of Stewart Industries. It lined up a little too well. It all bothered Alex. The questions swirled around him, and he feared the answers were close. Too close.
“Spencer was right,” Sabrina said, walking into the dining room. The once pristine, and ornate room was now their base of operations. Papers littered about every inch of the grand table. Rolling dry erase boards invaded the walkways and were covered with more papers, photos, and clues. The energy was loud and chaotic.
“Right about what?” Alex asked.
“About the landowners wanting plans for the land. But now that want a fully formed plan with models, figures, contractors… They want everything.”
“Shit,” Emma swore. She had been working nonstop on the design for the building. “The design would be enough.”
“No. It won’t,” Alex added, rubbing his eyes. “Em, how soon can you throw a model together?”
“I can have one finished tonight. But it’ll be incomplete. If they want details, I can’t design for that without knowing what the actual plans for the building are. Those meetings take weeks. I’d need Will and Spencer here.” Emma let her head fall into her hands. Until then, she was feeling confident about what they could do. But now, despair was taking hold of her. “Why did I think I could pull this off?”
“Hey,” Alex soothed. He walked over to her and knelt beside her. “Don’t do that. Don’t give up before we’ve even gotten started.”
Sabrina smiled. The sibling relationship that was growing between her man her best friend warmed her heart. Without realizing it, they had begun to form a bond, and they cared for each other like family. It was adorable. Alex teased and picked on Emma like older brothers do. But then would turn around and hug her and encourage her. Just like older brothers do.
“Yeah, we can figure this out,” a voice said from the doorway. They all turned to face the doorway. A worn out, disheveled Will stood there with a tired smile across his face. Captain Whitlock and Sam Weaver stood behind him.
“Will!” Emma shouted. She leapt from her seat and launched herself at him. He captured her in his open, waiting arms and held her in a tender embrace.
“About damn time!” Sabrina laughed. “Please have a seat,” she said to the two older gentlemen. “Can I get you anything.”
“We won’t be staying long,” the captain said.
“We just wanted to ensure that William arrived safely,” Sam smiled.
“God, you smell terrible,” Emma laughed, happy tears spilling from her eyes.
“I know,” he chuckled.
“What happened?” Alex asked. All three men looked haggard and a bit shaken. Then they noticed a bloody rag tied around the captain’s bicep.
“Well…” Will began, after releasing Emma. “It’s… um… pretty interesting actually…”
***
After mourning the final loss of the blood family he had left, Will steeled himself. It was time to put emotions away. He couldn’t waste any more energy on feeling things. It was time to act. His release was in the works, and he had to formulate a plan. Emma, along with Alex was taking care of the land grab apparently. While Sabrina focused on keeping the media and the public’s eyes on other things. He needed to focus on Ghost and keeping him away from everyone Will cherished.
The captain and Sam were locked away in his office, smoothing out the last details of his release when it happened.
“Looks like you’re out, Mr. Stewart,” an officer came up to the cell.
Alarms rang in Will’s head. No one outside of Captain Whitlock and Sam Weaver knew of Will’s imminent release. Luckily, only they had the keys to his cell. He took a deep breath. He couldn’t give away any suspicion.
“It’s about time,” he answered, donning his CEO aura. “Had this been my corporation, everyone involved would be fired. However, I will show leniency in these circumstances. Losing one of you own must have been difficult. No one was thinking rationally.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. Nathan was a good kid.” The officer looked away, as though he was waiting for something. Will needed to make noise. Something to attract the captain’s attention.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” he shouted. “I thought you were here to release me.” His shout did the trick, and the two men emerged from the office.
“Oh, right,” he fidgeted, taking peeks at his phone. “Let me get the key.” But he didn’t move.
“Are you harassing my client, officer?” Sam asked.
“Uh… no, sir,” he answered, but said nothing else.
“He walked up to me and said I was being released,” Will said with the most pompous inflection he could muster. “But came up with no key. What incompetence is this?”
“I was… going to get it from you, Captain Whitlock,” the officers eyes darted back and forth.
“I don’t have it on me,” the captain said. “Go fetch from my old office. Be careful in there. It’s haunted.” There it was. They had noticed it as well. “Go on,” the captain ordered. The officer shuffled away, casting quick glances behind him. He went into the captain’s old office in search of a key he wouldn’t find.
They looked around, and no other officers were paying them any mind.
“It has to happen now,” Captain Whitlock said hurriedly. “I’ll go distract that officer. Sam, take Will, and go out the back. Go into the evidence lot. Use one of the cars there.” He fumbled with his key ring and pulled off a car key and handed it to the nervous attorney. “This is for a gray sedan. Take that one. Drive around the block and wait for me behind King’s Garden Restaurant. If I’m not there in five minutes, go straight to Alex’s house. Take back roads. Make wrong turns. But get there. Wait for my signal.”
“What’s the signal?” Sam asked. There was a slight tremble in his hand.
“You’ll know.”
He walked over to the office.
“What is taking you so long? William Stewart is going to sue us into next year if you don’t that damned key!” he yelled.
“I-I’m sorry, s-sir,” the officer stammered, startled by the captain outburst. “I can’t find it.”
“What’s wrong with you, lad? You look as though you’ve seen a ghost.”
The officer’s eyes went wide at the mention of a ghost. But Sam burst into action, using his key to open Will’s cell. They moved with stealth, ensuring not to draw any attention to themselves. Inch by inch, the cell door slid open.
“S-sir, I…” the officer continued. “Please… I’m…” his eyes looked at something above the captain’s head. On the wall behind them, was the station’s large antique clock. It ticked away, showing that they were mere minutes away from the top of the next hour. Captain Whitlock’s eyes flew open, and his head whipped back to the officer who was almost crying.
“What have you done?”
“Sir, please… he threatened my family…”
“Fuck!” Captain Whitlock yelled. The was signal enough for Will, who slid out of the cell. He and Sam did as the captain had instructed. Hearts pounded as they scrambled into a lot of old forgotten cars. They found the one that matched the key.
“Let me drive,” Will said. Sam nodded, his hands shaking from fear and adrenaline.
They piled into the car. Will put the key into the ignition and it puttered to life.
“Of course, this car is old as hell. Come on,” he rubbed the dashboard, coaxing some more vitality from the old machine. “We’re counting on you.” He maneuvered out of the lot. No one was on the street behind the station and Will drove around to the restaurant and waited for the captain.
“Breathe, Sam.”
“R-right. You’ll need to forgive me. I’ve never been involved in trying to escape from a crazed mass murderer,” Sam chuckled, trying to diffuse the tension.
“Neither have I,” Will smiled.
“It’s been five minutes,” Sam whispered. “Are we really not going to wait for him?”
“He said to go. We have to do as he said.” Will began to move the car, when they spotted Captain Whitlock running top speed towards them waving one of his arms frantically overhead. Will drove towards. The captain wrenched the door open, and dove into the backseat of the car.
“Go, go, go!” he yelled. He hissed as he pressed a bloody hand to his upper arm. Will peeled away.
“You’ve been hit!” Sam shouted. He removed a handkerchief from his pocket and tied it around the other man’s wound.
“It’s just a graze.”
“What the fuck happened?” Will was beginning to freak out… just a little.
“It was Ghost. He walked right into the station and started shooting. He’s completely demented. I barely made it out. Please tell me this car has a police scanner installed.”
“Yes,” Will said.
“Good.” Captain Whitlock leaned over and grabbed the scanner. “This is Captain Damon Whitlock,” he said into the speaker. “All units! All units proceed to Queensbury City Central Station. I repeat, all units proceed to Queensbury City Central Station. Shots fired. Multiple officers down. Suspect is Denis Ratcliffe, alias Ghost. Suspect is wanted for various crimes and is armed and dangerous.”
The scanner crackled and a voice responded.
“All units… this is Ghost.” Their blood ran cold. “Catch me if you can.”
***
Everyone stared at the newcomers with shock as they recounted the story.
“I’m glad you made it here,” Emma said, her hands covering her mouth. “Are you sure you weren’t followed?”
“Yes,” Captain Whitlock said, flinched as pain burned in his arm.
“Come, gentlemen,” Sabrina ushered them upstairs. “Let’s get you settled and comfortable. Captain, I can have someone take a look at that arm.”
“That sounds like a great idea.”