* * *
Brice held his breath as he climbed the last narrow staircase that led to the attic. The door at the top was ajar, a faint light showing from inside. He flattened himself against the wall as he climbed, attempting to keep out of sight. Without making a sound, he crept to the door and peered into the attic.
Since it ran the length of the entire house, the space was very large, and the square of light Brice noticed at the other end did nothing to illuminate most of the room. He crouched and began slowly moving forward, keeping low to the ground and behind cover. Luckily, his cousin's collection of childhood mementos was vast, and Brice had no problem finding pieces of furniture, boxes, or large toys to crouch behind.
As he got closer to the window, he was able to make out two shapes before the square of light. A tall form stood against the window itself, blocking out much of the light, but leaving enough to see a smaller form lying on the floor.
His heart felt as if it would burst through his chest in fear. Then the shape on the floor moved, and Brice was able to take a breath. She was still moving, still alive.
Brice took up a position behind the corner of a bookshelf, hidden from sight by a large stuffed teddy bear that slumped on the bookshelf's top. He was close enough to hear Janna as her soft voice suddenly broke the silence.
"I'm not going anywhere." Her voice gained strength as she continued. "But I don't see what you hope to gain by holding me here. It's morning, and Brice hasn't come after me. And he's not going to."
"He'll come," his cousin replied, then broke off to cough heavily. "He'll follow the trail of breadcrumbs soon enough."
"I doubt it." Those pitiful words burned their way into Brice's heart. He prayed that she was only saying that to get Chester to release her and that she didn't believe that he'd actually abandoned her. He blocked out all the pain, all the worry, and tried to concentrate on rescuing her.
It would be best if nothing spooked his cousin. If Brice could work his way close enough to surprise Chester before he noticed him, maybe he could overtake him and get the gun away from him. Even if he was forced to reveal himself, perhaps he could convince his cousin to release Janna and take Brice in her place. Anything to get Janna to safety. But the important thing was that Chester not be unnecessarily provoked until Brice could get into position.
As he completed that thought, the sound of sirens floated in through the open window. Chester spun around to look out the window, then sputtered "Fuck! I can't believe he called the police! Doesn't he know what kind of press nightmare this will be!" His cousin's voice sounded tight, on the verge of hysteria. Then he let out a fit of giggles that set Brice's teeth on edge.
This was the absolute worst timing for the cops to show up, and Brice wished Tony would have held off calling them. No time for regrets now. He pulled up his bow and nocked an arrow. As his cousin reached for Janna, without hesitation he released the tightened bowstring.
The arrow flew across the room to embed itself in the hardwood floor next to Chester. His cousin fell back on his ass, his eyes darting around the room wildly. Brice pulled out another arrow, trying to keep his cousin distracted and away from Janna so that the police could make their way into the house. He didn't want to hurt his cousin, but he wouldn't allow him to hurt Janna either.
The arrow's tip must have reflected in the light because Chester brought his gun up and fired two rounds in Brice's direction. The teddy bear exploded into fur and stuffing, and Brice pulled himself further behind the bookshelf and out of his cousin's line of sight. That gave Chester time to grab Janna and drag her to her feet. He started pulling her across the room and towards the door leading to the stairs.
"I knew you'd fucking come, Brice, but I wasn't sure how you'd play this. I figured you'd want to keep things quiet, try to negotiate with a band of hired security thugs at your back. The police are a surprise." An unreadable look passed over his cousin's face. "It looks like we'll have to go with Plan B."
"Plan B?"
"You fucked me when you fucked over my father. He was in debt to some guys who aren't exactly patient with their repayment terms. They want their money, and they want it now."
Brice frowned. "If this is all about money, I'll give you all you want. But you have to let her go."
Chester expelled a burst of air that might have been a laugh. "How can I believe that, when you've got the cops outside ready to haul me away. No, you've given me no choice. I'll have to earn the money a different way."
Brice could hear the desperation in his cousin's voice. "Plan B?"
"That's right. We're going down to negotiate with the police. My first demand will be that they call the media. I want every reporter in the state here for the grade finale. It should make selling my story easy, even if I have to write it while locked away in some high-priced mental health facility on their dime."
"Why would the press want to buy your story," Brice asked. Maybe if he could distract him, he'd pause long enough for Brice to get the drop on him.
"A lunatic with a gun, and a closet full of family skeletons just waiting to be opened. I'm sure several chapters will be devoted to your own mistakes. Evetta, for example. And now this one, who's playing you against Alexander Drake to see which one has the bigger bank balance."
As he talked, his cousin moved towards the door, dragging Janna beside him. Her body was angled towards the side of the room where Brice lurked, and he wasn't able to get a clear shot.
The thought of exposure bothered Brice, but not for himself. He'd hate to have Janna's name dragged through the mud unwarrantedly. But his annoyance was eclipsed by fear. Chester was talking about a prolonged hostage negotiation. Anything could happen when a legion of nervous cops were all pointing their guns in the same direction. Brice was more worried about exposing Janna to that danger than exposing her to the press. Still, he held his position.
His cousin placed the gun against her side, so Brice didn't dare risk jumping out and startling him. It wasn't until Chester made it all the way to the doorway and turned back that Brice had a clear shot. Still, he hesitated. He didn't want this to end in violence. Not if he could prevent it.
"I'll have my revenge, even if it is just knowing that your sweetheart here won't have anything else to do with you after today. And I'll have money again, money you can't take away from me."
The gun twitched in his cousin's hand, causing Brice's heart to contract painfully in his chest. He couldn't stand seeing her in such danger anymore.
"Stop." Brice stood up behind the bookshelf and pushed the remains of the destroyed teddy bear off its top. He threw the bow to the ground, the slung the quiver off his back and dropped it as well. "Just stop. Let her go. Your quarrel is with me anyway."