Chapter 546 Die with Me
In the rundown apartment building, a tense standoff had ensued because of the supposed explosives Timothy claimed to have.
The police had arrived, but they couldn't advance an inch. There were no other buildings nearby, and Timothy was too far from the window for a sniper to get a clear shot. The negotiator had spoken at length, but it was like talking to a wall—Timothy didn't respond at all.
Timothy still had hostages, so a forced entry was out of the question.
While everyone else was on edge, Timothy seemed to be the most relaxed. "Zach, you think Winona's gonna make it in time?"
Zach, who had slumped back onto the bed, was still feeling the effects of whatever drug Timothy had given him. He had been awake for a while, but his body was still weak. "Instead of worrying about Winona, you should be more concerned about your backers. The news should be out by now. Wanna take a look?"
Timothy gave Zach a knowing smile. "No need."
He toyed with the remote in his hand. "Because it won't matter soon."
An hour passed. It felt both fleeting and eternal.
Zach glanced at Sam, who was lying on the bed with his eyes closed. "Sorry for dragging you into this."
Timothy snapped, "No talking."
Sam rolled his eyes and turned his back to him. "Don't talk to me. Who told you to call Julia?"
Zach had called Julia's work number, and Sam hadn't saved her name. Zach had hoped to buy an extra hour by involving Julia, but Timothy, ever the cunning one, saw through the plan immediately. Although they gained an hour, Timothy's already thin trust in Zach was completely shattered.
Timothy now treated both of them strictly as hostages. No communication was allowed, not even a glance.
Zach knew Sam was upset. When Timothy was talking, the call with Julia was still connected. She knew what was happening but hung up without a word. Anyone would feel hurt in that situation.
Timothy checked the time on his phone. "Zach, three minutes left."
Just as he finished speaking, Winona's call came through. "Timothy, I'm here, but I can't get in."
The building was surrounded by police. Winona hadn't even mentioned going inside before she was shoved back into her car. After some pleading, she wasn't forced to leave, but she still wasn't allowed to get close.
Timothy's gaze drifted to the dark street below. He couldn't make out any faces, but he knew Winona was among the shadows.
A single window in a nearby building was lit. Winona's eyes were fixed on it, her stomach churning with anxiety. "Timothy, I did what you asked. Let them go."
Though she had driven there, she felt as if she had run miles. Her breathing was labored, and her steps were unsteady.
Austin caught her as she stumbled over a raised stone. "Sorry, it's too dark. I didn't see it."
Her voice was soft, but Timothy heard it. Her reaction greatly pleased him. "Let them go? Do you think the police will let me go if I do that?"
"You let them go, and I'll be your hostage," Winona's mind raced, trying to find an irrefutable reason to convince Timothy. "With so many people, you can only hold one. A woman is easier to control. Unless you plan to stay in that building forever, you need food, and you can't go without sleep or a bathroom."
Winona didn't know Timothy had no intention of surviving. She kept trying to persuade him.
"Alright," Timothy's smile was strange, but Winona didn't notice. She was focused on finally convincing him. "Tell them if they don't let you in, I'll blow the place up."
"Winona, don't come in. He's lying," Zach's urgent voice came through, and then the call ended.
Taking advantage of Timothy's distraction, Zach lunged forward, grabbing Timothy's hand and breaking his wrist without hesitation. The phone slipped from Timothy's grasp, and Zach quickly snatched it up. "Winona, don't come in. Trust me."
Zach hung up immediately.
He had aimed for the remote in Timothy's hand, but Timothy dodged at the last moment.
Timothy glanced at his broken wrist, his forehead beaded with sweat from the pain. His voice trembled but still carried that infuriating tone. "You want this?"
Timothy opened his hand, offering the remote to Zach. "Zach, you didn't need to go through all this trouble. If you had just asked, I would have given it to you."
Sam shot Zach a look that said, "If I had known, I would have stripped you and thrown you to him."
Zach rolled his eyes at Sam and cautiously reached for the remote in Timothy's hand.
Timothy kept his palm open, letting Zach take it.
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Zach's jaw was set in a hard line until he finally had the remote in his hand. He exhaled in relief but knew Timothy well enough to expect another trick. "Your target is me. Let everyone else go."
Timothy remained calm. "Alright."
Sam looked at Zach. "We're leaving together."
"Mr. Anderson, someone as pitiful as you should try to stay alive," Timothy pulled another remote from his pocket. "I forgot, this is the one that controls the building. The one you have was just to show you I wasn't bluffing. It's useless now."
Damn, he's devious.
"Sam, get out," Zach ordered.
Everyone except Zach and Timothy retreated to a safe distance outside the building.
Timothy smirked. "Zach, die with me."
"Not happening. If anyone's dying, it's you," Zach retorted.
"You don't have a choice, Zach," Timothy raised his hand, showing his finger on the trigger. "Goodbye."
"Timothy," Zach called out just as Timothy was about to press the button. "The only one dying here is you."
"Still resisting at this point?" Timothy's sneer vanished when he saw the lighter in Zach's hand. "What are you doing?"
"Helping you make up your mind," Zach said, tossing the lighter into the corner. He had spent the past hour examining every inch of the room. "Timothy, I won't let you walk out of this building alive."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
