"Brett, you need to come and see this." My secretary called me from my office and into the lobby. She pointed to the television and the craziness that was on the screen. "Isn't that Candi's station?"
I stared at it for a moment, and then realized what was I was looking at. The phone rang and she walked to answer it, "Halifield, Cox, and Mailen. This is Debra, how can I direct your call?" She looked at me, the color draining from her face, "Brett, it's the police. They want to talk to you about Candi."
I looked her funny, "The police?" I walked to the desk and took the phone from her, "This is Brett Mailen; how can I help you?"
The voice on the other end was deep, "This is Police Chief Maddox. Is your wife Candice Evelyn?"
"Yes, is there a problem with my wife?"
"Sir, I'm not sure if you are aware of the situation, but there is a man holding your wife and several people hostage."
"DOUG!" was my immediate reaction.
"What was that?" Maddox replied.
"I'll be right down there. Thank you for contacting me." I turned to Debra, "someone is holding hostages at the station, and Candi is one of them. That's what all that mess is down there." I pointed at the television, "If he hurts them I'll kill him!"
"Brett, Them?"
"If it's Doug, and he hurts her and the baby, I'm going to kill him." I grabbed my jacket and my keys, watching Debra's expression change, "Candi is pregnant. We weren't going to tell any one until the holidays."
"Oh god Brett, I hope she's going to be all right." She was about to break down in tears.
I stood at the door and turned back to look at Debra, "She will be, as soon as I get to her."
When I arrived at the television studio, I approached an officer and I told him who I was, and that I was supposed to speak with Captain Maddox. He walked me to where the captain stood and introduced me.
We listened to the negotiator talking, when the call ended and he relayed the demands, "He wants safe passage to the airport and a plane for himself and his wife."
"Its Douglas Harper isn't it?" I bluntly asked him.
"Yes. Do you know him?" Maddox asked.
"Long story short, he used to be my best friend. Candi used to be his wife, she is now my wife, and he's still angry." I looked at him holding back every ounce of anger I had, "My wife is pregnant."
"There's one more thing," the guy negotiating looked at me, "He said he'll kill her if he can't get out of here with her."
The SWAT team was scrambling around and Maddox quietly discussed the situation deciding the best course of action to take. As they made plans to get the hostages out without any harm coming to them, I made my way out of sight of everyone towards the back of the building. I knew Candi's code to the electronic lock at the back door and let myself in.
As I approached the open double doors that lead to the hallway and the greenroom, I saw Doug standing just inside the door to the greenroom. My dilemma was how to get him to come to me, and keep him occupied so that they could get away. Dilemma solved.
"Brett, I'll kill her," he stood in the hallway holding the gun to her side; she looked horrified.
"No you won't, she's your only ticket out of here. You kill her, your dead."
"I've got other hostages'."
"You may have, but they aren't as important to you as she is, now are they?" I was edging closer to him.
"Stop right there Mailen!" He moved the gun to her head.
"Come on Doug, you don't want to hurt her, and you know it. It's me you really want, it always has been."
"I've already shot one bitch today, shooting another won't make any difference to me!"
I looked at him strangely, "what are you talking about?"
"Beverly, that whore! She deserved it, fucking around on me the way she was, lying to me the whole time. I had all the proof I needed when I saw her with Tommy Jensen. I knew she was lying to me the whole damn time we were together!" he took a deep breath an evil smile crept over his face, "I watched her lay there and die, bleeding all over that white carpet, and Jensen, I filled his ass full of holes too!"