Undercover Jeopardy. Kathleen Tailer

what had Bethany called him? Oh, yeah, J.P. All of the robbers besides J.P. stood behind the leader, keeping a wary eye on the situation, their guns at the ready. J.P. lay moaning on the floor right where he had fallen. The leader moved closer to one of the men who obviously worked at the bank. “Are you the manager?”

      The man put his hands up in mock surrender and shook his head. “No, no, it’s that guy.” He pointed to an older man in a dark suit who gave him a withering look.

      The leader smiled and sauntered over to the manager. He motioned with his gun. “Get up, mister manager. I’d like to see the inside of your vault.”

      “It’s time locked,” the man sputtered.

      “You’re quite right,” the leader said with a smile as he checked his watch. “Isn’t it wonderful that we’re here at precisely the correct time? Now, if you’ll just come punch your code into the keypad, we’ll be in business.”

      Daniel could tell the man was terrified but was also trying his best to stall and protect the bank. His hesitance wasn’t lost on the leader either, who grabbed the manager’s tie and brought him to his feet. Then he pushed him toward the back of the bank where the vault was located. The man stumbled but righted himself and started walking. The leader, the robber with the limp and the bodybuilder robber all followed him, each carrying a large black duffel bag they had brought in with them when they’d first entered the bank. Daniel noticed there were two other bags of supplies the robbers had carried in, and he wondered briefly what was inside of them. He remembered that bank robberies usually averaged six minutes from start to finish, and he wondered fleetingly when this team was planning to make their escape. They had already been in the bank quite a long time by robbery standards and had gone way past the average.

      Bethany was the only robber left to watch the hostages, although J.P. was still lying on the floor, suffering from his injuries. She took over the pacing in front of the line of people, and Daniel watched her carefully, wondering if there was any way he could find an opportunity to talk to her in private so he could figure out what was going on.

      The phone suddenly rang, the shrill sound startling the group. Bethany ignored it, but after the tenth ring or so, Daniel spoke up. “Want me to answer that for you?”

      “Stay where you are,” she said flatly, pointing her gun at him. Now that he knew her identity, Daniel knew he wasn’t in danger and she wouldn’t fire, but he didn’t want to push her too far and ruin her cover either. Still, he had big questions for her. How could he get her alone to talk? Was it even possible in the confines of this insane robbery situation?

      The ringing continued.

      “Look, you must know this is taking too long. The police are probably already outside surrounding the place. They’re undoubtedly controlling the phones, and that’s a negotiator calling to talk you through this mess. You need to listen to him.” A couple of the other hostages groaned when he spoke, apparently frustrated with his goading.

      “Shut up,” Bethany said roughly, taking a step in his direction. “It’s too early for the police to be here.”

      The ringing continued.

      Daniel couldn’t help himself. All of the hurt and frustration he’d felt at losing Bethany suddenly came to a head, and now that he had found her, he had to push forward, regardless of the circumstances. “It’s got to be them,” he said, not knowing if it really was or not, but trying hard to sell the bluff. He started to stand and confront her, but she moved in closer and actually pointed the gun directly at his head. When she spoke, her voice was low and cold like ice. “I said, stay where you are. Don’t move again unless you want a new hole in your head.”

      He looked up into her eyes, those gray-blue eyes that reminded him of polished steel, and backed off. There was strength there, and memories flooded back at him. He remembered her laughing during a funny part of a movie and accepting his comfort when her cat died. They had shared a lot during their relationship, but the woman standing in front of him brandishing the gun as part of a robbery gang seemed like a total stranger. Yet, the love remained. He couldn’t erase it, no matter how much he had tried to forget her during the last year. He eyed her critically, noticing small details about her. She was thinner now, and her hair was a bit longer, but now that he knew her identity, it was hard to figure out why he hadn’t identified her sooner, even with the mask distorting her facial features.

      Why? Why had she left him without an explanation? Had she never loved him in the first place? Why had she never followed through and walked down the aisle with him? Where had she been for the last year? Pain slashed across his chest, but he tried his best to push those questions out of his mind. As much as he wanted to confront her and demand answers, they would have to wait. This wasn’t the time or place. In fact, he might never get a chance to talk to Bethany privately during this bank robbery. Right now, he needed to focus on stopping this crime, if it was possible, and make sure nobody got hurt, including the woman he loved.

      Suddenly, another man from the middle of the group started to stand, as well. Bethany swung her rifle in his direction and let fly a short burst of bullets. She must have aimed high on purpose, because each shot missed and hit the wood paneling about two feet above his head. Still, the shots had the desired effect, and the man quickly sat back down again, his eyes wide with fear. She took a few steps back, apparently making sure she had a good view of all the hostages.

      When she spoke, her voice was tough as nails, and her body language said she was more than just angry. “I said, stay where you are, all of you. Make no mistake, I am in control of this room and I missed on purpose. The next person that moves will be dead. Got it? I don’t have to miss. I’m an excellent shot. We’ll be out of here in just a few more minutes, and then you can all go back to your lives. Until then, you stay quiet and out of our way.”

      Daniel couldn’t keep silent despite her orders. He changed his tactic, knowing Bethany would always want to make sure a life wasn’t lost during an operation but also ensuring he didn’t make her appear vulnerable in front of the other hostages. The last thing he needed was for the hostages to feel empowered and attempt to rush her or try to take away her weapon. “We get it. You’re in charge. But please, let someone take your man outside. He’s injured and needs medical attention.” Daniel paused, waiting to see how Bethany would respond to his argument. Seeing no change in her expression, he tried a different approach. “If he dies, it will go worse for you in the long run.” Daniel knew she had a better chance of keeping her cover intact if no one died during this operation, and if law enforcement could interrogate the robber lying on the floor, all the better.

      She laughed. She actually laughed at his suggestion. “So the police can arrest him on sight? No, thank you.”

      Was she being sincere, or acting the part? He honestly couldn’t tell. Maybe he didn’t know her anymore after all. A lot could change in a year. “He’ll die if he doesn’t get help. He’ll also slow down your escape.” He pointed to one of the stronger looking men. “Let him do it. He can carry the guy out and make sure he gets the help he needs.”

      He waited as the seconds slowly ticked by, stretching into minutes. The air felt thick.

       THREE

      As if on cue, the phone started ringing again, slicing into the silence. Bethany eyed her watch, then the doorway that led to the vault. Something must have gone wrong; they were taking way too long to get the money and emerge from the back room where the vault was located. She knew that Jackson had already knocked out the video feeds and alarm system, but she wondered fleetingly if there was an issue with the bank manager’s code. Jackson swore he could bypass the electronic lock on the vault by doing some fancy wiring if he had to, but she wasn’t as confident in his abilities as he was. If he wasn’t going to be able to open it after all, her undercover mission was going to last even longer than she’d thought. The group she had infiltrated needed money to operate, and if they didn’t get it here and now, they would have to commit more crimes in the future to fund