Worst Case - James Patterson [80]
Mooney looked down at their blank faces.
“I was like you. I slaved for the corporate machine, protecting it from the law in ways regular people will never be privy to. Protected illegal price fixes and unethical policies against millions of regular working-class people. I saw crimes of unthinkable magnitude. I saw pristine waterways irrevocably befouled with pollution. No one was held responsible. No one went to jail. Why is that? Can anyone tell me?
“By the way, I can see that many of you here are grossly overweight. But what percentage of the world’s population is starving as we have our little talk here? Anyone have the answer? Don’t be shy.”
Chapter 93
IT TOOK US five minutes to confer with my boss and the Hostage Rescue Team chief Tom Chow. Chow made the final arrangements over his tactical mic as Emily and I pulled on ceramic bomb vests.
“What’s the story now, Detective?” Howard Parrish said as we emerged from the bus. “We’re not going in now? What about my boy?”
“Something new has come to light. It’s our best chance to resolve this thing without any more innocent people getting hurt. We’re going to do the best we can, sir,” Emily said.
“That’s not good enough. Fuck that! I want my son alive. If you can’t guarantee that, then I want to go instead of him. I demand to!”
I stopped and held the executive by his elbow.
“Listen to me, Mr. Parrish,” I said. “I guarantee you that I will bring your son back to you alive.”
We walked away.
“What the hell are you doing, Mike? How can you make a promise like that?” Emily said under her breath as we headed down Wall Street toward the Stock Exchange entrance.
“Easy,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. “If things go south, I won’t be around for him to yell at me.”
Chow met us at the security barricades and briefed us a final time while we walked through the maze of steel.
“Everything is in place,” he finally said, stopping by the Exchange’s door. “The rest is up to you two.”
Emily and I passed the metal detectors in the huge empty lobby. We walked silently, thinking our own thoughts as we stepped down the hall.
“Good luck, Detective Bennett. This works, I’ll buy you dinner,” Emily said as I stopped by the door that led to the balcony stairwell.
“Hope you brought your American Express card, Agent Parker,” I said as she continued on, heading for the trading floor. “Because if this works, I’m planning on about fifteen before-dinner drinks.”
Chapter 94
COMING DOWN THE hall, Parker was grateful for the speed with which all this was happening. There was no time to think. Which was good. If she’d had to think about things, she knew she’d be walking in the opposite direction.
A couple of Stock Exchange cops were crouched by the last security station, staring through the window of the entrance to the trading floor. Parker badged them.
“Where is he?”
A couple of brokers cringing behind the trading desks whispered loudly.
“Watch it, lady. That guy’s nuts.”
“He’s got a gun,” a pudgy white guy with thinning black hair told her.
She stepped out into the space.
“You actually thought you’d get away with it, didn’t you, shit for brains! Yes, I’m talking to you, scumbag!”
“Who are you?” Mooney called over the microphone.
“Me? I’m a moral person who went to work today,” Emily screamed. “You, on the other hand, are a common murderer, a killer of children, a serial killer, and probably a pervert.”
“Hey, lady!” one of the brokers said. “Shut up! You’re going to get us all killed!”
“I am not!” Mooney yelled.
“I am not!” Emily said, mimicking him. “Who are you kidding? You got off on killing every one of those kids.”
“Those kids, as you call them, were worthless, useless. They deserved to die!” Mooney screamed. “Their parents should have educated them better. Should have taught them the importance of being human.”
“Oh, you’re teaching all of us humanity?