Past Mistakes
Chapter 10
“Okay, Hardison. Are we all set?” Nate was sitting behind the wheel of his car, on a side street, half a block from the jail. His impatience was growing at a fast clip.
Hardison’s magic fingers flew over the keys nonstop as he grunted an affirmative. He closed one window and half a second later a second one popped up. The man was pure genius and Nate wondered how he managed to keep it all straight in his head.
But genius or no, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference if they couldn’t con their way inside those gray walls, and soon. Nate drummed his fingers on the steering wheel absentmindedly and watched the drizzle turn into an outright downpour. Talk about your omens. If he was a superstitious man he’d be really worried right about now.
On the drive over Nate had called Sophie and filled her in on the latest plan that had gone south. Sophie insisted on catching the first flight out of Vegas, as did Parker. Nate vetoed the idea in a heartbeat. Falconi might become suspicious if both women suddenly disappeared. No, he needed them right in the thick of things where they could keep an eye on the mob man.
Hardison flexed his fingers and stretched his back to work out some of the kinks. When he looked over at Nate, he smiled that incredibly bright smile that said ‘Got it Boss.’
“Ready, Hardison?” asked Nate grinning back.
“Yup, you’re already in the system. Just flash your badge and you’re good to go.”
“Let’s do this.” Nate opened the door on his side of the car and hurried through the downpour. Hardison was close on his heels. By the time they reached the front entrance of the building, both men were dripping wet from head to toe.
Nate flashed his ‘official’ police badge and was escorted, along with Hardison, to a small conference room on the second floor. They were met by several other officers, plain clothes and off duty, listening to the latest Intel that had been smuggled out of the county lockup.
Nate told Hardison to circulate and glean anything he could about the hostage situation and Eliot’s status. The hacker naturally took off in the direction of the control room. What better place to start than with a room full of surveillance tapes. He tapped on the window and flashed his badge to the guard stationed inside. The buzzer sounded and the door automatically opened with a click.
Hardison pushed his way into an uncomfortable looking chair and took a gander at all the monitors hanging from the wall. He held back a grimace at all the carnage that had taken place.
“Damn, would you look at that!” he muttered.
The officer seated beside him agreed. “I’ve never seen anything like it, and I’ve been here almost eleven years. It’s enough to make you want to throttle someone.”
Hardison gave the man a sideways glance, but said nothing. He kept his eyes glued to the monitors, silently hoping for a glimpse of Eliot. He saw inmates looting the canteen, looking for contraband food. Still others were caught on film breaking into small storerooms where the supplies were kept. The infirmary had been rifled and scattered syringes lay broken on the floor. The room where over-the-counter and prescribed meds were kept was looted as well. All in all it nearly square inch that wasn’t locked down had been vandalized.
Still no Eliot. Where in the hell was he?
Hardison heard Nate asking for an update, but he couldn’t reply without seeming a little strange. Somehow he had to get this guy out of the control room.
An idea occurred to the hacker and he scooted closer to the keyboard on his right. While the officer was busy making his third cup of coffee Hardison typed in the command to have his fellow officer paged to another part of the building. ‘Too slick,’ he thought to himself as he watched the man being routed on a wild goose chase. Hardison then settled in closer to the monitors and brought Nate up to speed.
Nate found himself in the thick of things as he prepared to listen to the demands of the hostage takers. A slow achy feeling found its way to the center of his forehead and settled there. The coffee was stale and the air around him even staler. No one moved, not even a whisper prevailed. Time seemed to drag by and every tick of the clock plastered on the wall made Nate cringe in agony. What he wouldn’t give for a stiff drink right about now.
Hardison was running out of patience. He’d been all over the video, from every angle, and still there was no sign of the hitter. It could be that he was safely tucked away in his cell, but Hardison seriously doubted it.
Last time they were together was at the supply closet. Where was the monitor that ran the feed for that particular area? There is it. The room was unoccupied and the door to the closet was closed. A movement caught his eye and he zeroed in on the door. There it was again. Someone was hiding in that little supply room. He zoomed in some more. He caught a glimpse of a hand and of a blond head. Well damn, definitely not Eliot. He zoomed in even closer on the face and then it hit him. He was looking into the face of their client, Bryan. But the question remained. Where the hell was Eliot?
“Nate, I got something.”
Nate covered his head in his hand as he spoke. “What is it?”
“I found Bryan on one of the feeds. He’s hiding in a supply closet, down the hall from the dayroom.”
“Show me,” Nate commanded. He pulled out his phone the pretext of making a phone call. When he pulled up the video, he confirmed what Hardison had found.
“Anything on Eliot?” he asked.
“Nothing so far. It’s as if he fell off the face of the planet.”
“I’m thinking,” whispered Nate, “that Eliot stashed the boy there for safe keeping. Isn’t that where you were supposed to meet him this afternoon?”
“Why yes it is,” he said lightheartedly.”
“Keep an eye on that video feed and don’t let that boy out of your sight for a minute. Got that?”
“Yeah, boss. I’ll take care of it. Heard anything about any demands?”
“Yes, As a matter of fact, I have. As the chief hostage negotiator I get to dicker with those pin heads over what they want on their pizzas. “Oh, and they want chocolate milk for breakfast. Seriously?”
Hardison kept his chuckle to himself. As if there was any other choice but pepperoni. And no chocolate milk for him. Now, orange soda. That was another story.
“I’m up Hardison,” said Nate as he looked around the room. “I’ll let you know what I know as soon as I can.”
“I’ll be right here waiting.”
“Remember, stay focused on Bryan and keep an eye out for Eliot.”
“Well I’ll be damned. Speak of the devil and he appears.”
“Eliot? Where is he?”
“He’s headed straight for that supply closet.”
“Well now I guess you got two to keep your eye on now.”
“I just wish we had some way of getting through to him.”
“He’ll be fine Hardison. He’s been in worse situations than this and made it out in one piece.” ‘There is one thing you can do though.”
“What’s that?”
“Make sure that the area where he’s stashed Bryan is kept secure. Can you do that?”
“Yeah, yeah, I can do that.”
“Okay, Hardison. Are we all set?” Nate was sitting behind the wheel of his car, on a side street, half a block from the jail. His impatience was growing at a fast clip.
Hardison’s magic fingers flew over the keys nonstop as he grunted an affirmative. He closed one window and half a second later a second one popped up. The man was pure genius and Nate wondered how he managed to keep it all straight in his head.
But genius or no, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference if they couldn’t con their way inside those gray walls, and soon. Nate drummed his fingers on the steering wheel absentmindedly and watched the drizzle turn into an outright downpour. Talk about your omens. If he was a superstitious man he’d be really worried right about now.
On the drive over Nate had called Sophie and filled her in on the latest plan that had gone south. Sophie insisted on catching the first flight out of Vegas, as did Parker. Nate vetoed the idea in a heartbeat. Falconi might become suspicious if both women suddenly disappeared. No, he needed them right in the thick of things where they could keep an eye on the mob man.
Hardison flexed his fingers and stretched his back to work out some of the kinks. When he looked over at Nate, he smiled that incredibly bright smile that said ‘Got it Boss.’
“Ready, Hardison?” asked Nate grinning back.
“Yup, you’re already in the system. Just flash your badge and you’re good to go.”
“Let’s do this.” Nate opened the door on his side of the car and hurried through the downpour. Hardison was close on his heels. By the time they reached the front entrance of the building, both men were dripping wet from head to toe.
Nate flashed his ‘official’ police badge and was escorted, along with Hardison, to a small conference room on the second floor. They were met by several other officers, plain clothes and off duty, listening to the latest Intel that had been smuggled out of the county lockup.
Nate told Hardison to circulate and glean anything he could about the hostage situation and Eliot’s status. The hacker naturally took off in the direction of the control room. What better place to start than with a room full of surveillance tapes. He tapped on the window and flashed his badge to the guard stationed inside. The buzzer sounded and the door automatically opened with a click.
Hardison pushed his way into an uncomfortable looking chair and took a gander at all the monitors hanging from the wall. He held back a grimace at all the carnage that had taken place.
“Damn, would you look at that!” he muttered.
The officer seated beside him agreed. “I’ve never seen anything like it, and I’ve been here almost eleven years. It’s enough to make you want to throttle someone.”
Hardison gave the man a sideways glance, but said nothing. He kept his eyes glued to the monitors, silently hoping for a glimpse of Eliot. He saw inmates looting the canteen, looking for contraband food. Still others were caught on film breaking into small storerooms where the supplies were kept. The infirmary had been rifled and scattered syringes lay broken on the floor. The room where over-the-counter and prescribed meds were kept was looted as well. All in all it nearly square inch that wasn’t locked down had been vandalized.
Still no Eliot. Where in the hell was he?
Hardison heard Nate asking for an update, but he couldn’t reply without seeming a little strange. Somehow he had to get this guy out of the control room.
An idea occurred to the hacker and he scooted closer to the keyboard on his right. While the officer was busy making his third cup of coffee Hardison typed in the command to have his fellow officer paged to another part of the building. ‘Too slick,’ he thought to himself as he watched the man being routed on a wild goose chase. Hardison then settled in closer to the monitors and brought Nate up to speed.
Nate found himself in the thick of things as he prepared to listen to the demands of the hostage takers. A slow achy feeling found its way to the center of his forehead and settled there. The coffee was stale and the air around him even staler. No one moved, not even a whisper prevailed. Time seemed to drag by and every tick of the clock plastered on the wall made Nate cringe in agony. What he wouldn’t give for a stiff drink right about now.
Hardison was running out of patience. He’d been all over the video, from every angle, and still there was no sign of the hitter. It could be that he was safely tucked away in his cell, but Hardison seriously doubted it.
Last time they were together was at the supply closet. Where was the monitor that ran the feed for that particular area? There is it. The room was unoccupied and the door to the closet was closed. A movement caught his eye and he zeroed in on the door. There it was again. Someone was hiding in that little supply room. He zoomed in some more. He caught a glimpse of a hand and of a blond head. Well damn, definitely not Eliot. He zoomed in even closer on the face and then it hit him. He was looking into the face of their client, Bryan. But the question remained. Where the hell was Eliot?
“Nate, I got something.”
Nate covered his head in his hand as he spoke. “What is it?”
“I found Bryan on one of the feeds. He’s hiding in a supply closet, down the hall from the dayroom.”
“Show me,” Nate commanded. He pulled out his phone the pretext of making a phone call. When he pulled up the video, he confirmed what Hardison had found.
“Anything on Eliot?” he asked.
“Nothing so far. It’s as if he fell off the face of the planet.”
“I’m thinking,” whispered Nate, “that Eliot stashed the boy there for safe keeping. Isn’t that where you were supposed to meet him this afternoon?”
“Why yes it is,” he said lightheartedly.”
“Keep an eye on that video feed and don’t let that boy out of your sight for a minute. Got that?”
“Yeah, boss. I’ll take care of it. Heard anything about any demands?”
“Yes, As a matter of fact, I have. As the chief hostage negotiator I get to dicker with those pin heads over what they want on their pizzas. “Oh, and they want chocolate milk for breakfast. Seriously?”
Hardison kept his chuckle to himself. As if there was any other choice but pepperoni. And no chocolate milk for him. Now, orange soda. That was another story.
“I’m up Hardison,” said Nate as he looked around the room. “I’ll let you know what I know as soon as I can.”
“I’ll be right here waiting.”
“Remember, stay focused on Bryan and keep an eye out for Eliot.”
“Well I’ll be damned. Speak of the devil and he appears.”
“Eliot? Where is he?”
“He’s headed straight for that supply closet.”
“Well now I guess you got two to keep your eye on now.”
“I just wish we had some way of getting through to him.”
“He’ll be fine Hardison. He’s been in worse situations than this and made it out in one piece.” ‘There is one thing you can do though.”
“What’s that?”
“Make sure that the area where he’s stashed Bryan is kept secure. Can you do that?”
“Yeah, yeah, I can do that.”