The Ghost Whisperer

Part 23

The bright ray of the flashlight shines on my face and causes my eyes to flinch.

"Over here! I found one of them!" The man yells, calling the others.

I gulp and raise up my hand "Wait. Please, listen to me first" I say as I notice others start to gather pointing their guns at me. The man holding the flashlight to my face chuckles and steps forward.

"You made quite a mess, you know. Just tell us where the kids are and we'll make sure your death is quick." He says. It's when he stops at the bottom of the stairs that I realise, it's him.

The driver, Jason. He hasn't recognised me yet.

"I won't tell you where they are. Kill me if you want, it won't make a difference. I'm not alone here after all so know this, the moment I die, one of them will call the police. We have your faces memorised and in pictures on our phones." I say to him confidently. Of course, it's all a lie. I need to make use of the fact that they think there are more people here.

"Two men are making their way around the building," Mitch says as he appears next to me, pointing to the left.

"How do I know you're not lying?" Jason says with one hand in his pocket, looking sceptical.

I glance at my right shoulder, pretending to be wearing a wireless earpiece.

"Two of your men are going around the building. Call them back here along with any others." I demand. This will make it look like we're in contact and keeping an eye on them.

Jason thinks for a second and then turns back and nods to his men, signalling them to call the guys back.

"Say, I feel like I've seen you somewhere," he says, thoughtfully.

"Where are the kids?" I whisper.

"They just left the building and are making their way onto the other one." I hear Alex's voice from a distance. I can't see him though.

Jason suddenly snaps his fingers as his dark eyes widen with realization.

"You're that girl! I knew that face seemed familiar. The one from when I was in high school. Man, how time flies." He laughs to himself.

"A girl? Do you mean the guy walking around as Kim was a girl all along? Damn, I'm having regrets" says a man from the group who I recognise as Ben. The others laugh along with him as I glare at them.

"That's the one who scared you? You must have been quite pathetic as a kid." One of them mocks.

"So you're looking for some kind of negotiation? Let's hear it. And make it quick, some of us aren't that patient." He grins at me.

"Let the kids go and we won't expose you. We'll forget this ever happened." I insist.

"They're in the kitchen." I hear Alex again.

Jason sighs disappointingly "I was hoping you'd have something surprising under your sleeve but it's the typical 'let us go and we won't tell'. Tsk, that's pretty weak." He says and takes out the gun from his pocket, pointing it at me as he takes a step forward. The others behind him also take a step.

"Listen, you know me. You know I won't break a promise. I didn't do it before and I won't do it again! Let the kids go!" I raise my voice against them. The nervousness inside me growing as I look at the sly expressions on their faces.

"They're out of the building now" Mitch informs me.

"We have more than one way to make you talk, you murderer." He says as he continues to climb up the stairs with his gun pointed at me.