Antonio, the two guards, and Shannon come into view.
Antonio has six other men come out from the other trucks, strapped and loaded, ready to fight.
“Drop your weapons,” Grady demands, and Antonio just smiles.
“This is not up for negotiation. You see, as we speak my men are there, there, and there.” He points in all the directions that Jared’s men are.
“You didn’t think I would come unprepared, did you?” Antonio tsks.
“We can make the easy trade, or this can end badly. It’s your choice,” he tells us.
“Just let her go and I’ll come with you.” I try to walk around Jared but he holds me back.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Sean looks at Jared, pissed because he’s not letting me go because that’s the plan.
“I’m sorry, I can’t let her go with him,” Jared says, and I gasp.
“He’s not going along with the plan. They will never release her now." Sean is red in the face.
“Jared, let go of me.” I’m trying to move around him and he squeezes my arm lightly, but demanding enough for me to realize he is not letting me go.
Shannon is crying; she has her mouth taped and her hands tied. She is looking over at Sean with pleading eyes and then what looks like admiration.
All of a sudden Grady draws his weapon and points it directly at Antonio.
“Let her fucking go,” Grady growls, and Antonio throws his head back and laughs. He then turns his head in my direction.
“Erica, come with me now.” He waves me over and grabs Shannon to push her forward.
“Jared, I have to go.” My voice cracks because now I really am scared.
Nothing is getting accomplished, so I take matters into my own hands.
“Let her go and I will come with you of my own free will. No one needs to get hurt.”
“Looks like my daughter is the only one with a brain.” Seconds later Antonio makes a move with his hand, and one of the guards slaps Shannon so hard in the face she falls to the ground in pain. He then proceeds to kick her.
Sean is screaming. I am screaming. Jared draws his gun, then everyone draws their guns.
I choose to make the stupid decision to run. I know they won’t shoot me, so I run as fast as I can to my friend.
Everyone is yelling at me to stop, but I don’t stop until I’ve reached her. The guard who is hurting her won’t let up, so I jump on top of her to block the kick and that’s when the guard kicks me.
I cry out in pain, a gunshot is fired, and the guard falls to the ground with a bullet to the head.
When I look over, Antonio still has his gun pointed at the guard. He shot him in the head for kicking me by mistake.
Four men lift me up off of Shannon; Antonio grabs her and practically tosses her to the others.
Jared is screaming and begging for them to let me go, but this entire plan is blowing up in our faces. But I couldn’t sit by and watch them hurt her anymore.
Sean has her now and is practically throwing her into their truck. Jared has his gun drawn and his snipers ready to fire.
“One signal from my men and you’re all dead. Let her go now!” he bellows, and I start crying.
“Jared, just stop! You’re making it worse!” I plead.
“You wouldn’t risk a gun fight when your girl is in the crossfire, so tell your men to back the fuck off now. Even though she’s my daughter I will punish her for escaping, and you will have no say in the matter. It will just be worse on her if you keep this up.”