Chapter 25: George: Lynn, Let's Just Slack Off
Ten minutes later, outside a New York Citibank.
When Lynn and George Stacy, fully armed, got out of their car.
The bank was already surrounded by a dozen police cars and dozens of heavily armed state troopers.
Lynn, wearing his vest, walked up to the incident commander. "What's the situation?"
"Three robbers hit the bank. They're all armed with submachine guns. At least thirty hostages inside."
"And according to the internal surveillance feed, they've also planted high-explosive bombs in the corner of the bank!"
After getting the rundown, Lynn pulled George Stacy behind a car. "Generally speaking, this isn't really a job for the Criminal Investigation Division."
"And look..."
He pointed to a middle-aged man getting out of another car, also wearing a vest over his suit. "Even the Commissioner is here? All this for three robbers?"
Hearing Lynn, George Stacy checked his SMG and said in a low voice, "If it was just three robbers and thirty hostages, they wouldn't have rolled out the red carpet."
"It's just that one of the hostages... her name is Daisy Rockefeller."
"Rockefeller?"
Lynn glanced at the bank in surprise, still aiming his gun like the other officers. "As in, the Rockefellers?"
"That's the one."
George nodded, then grabbed Lynn's arm. "Listen. No matter what happens, you do not charge that bank."
"We have vests, but..."
"Don't worry, I get it."
Lynn gave George a knowing look and a smirk. "They don't pay me enough to die for this job."
Putting on a show of taking cover, Lynn was relaxed enough to even observe his surroundings.
"By the way, your birthday is on the fifteenth of next month. Any plans?"
George Stacy took a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, offering one to Lynn.
"Haven't decided."
Lynn took the cigarette, stuck it in his mouth, and turned to light it, leaning against the car. "Maybe get a few good friends together, have some fun."
"Oh, come on. Your 'good friends' are all women, aren't they?"
George leaned back against the car, striking the same pose as Lynn and smoking his own cigarette.
As for the other state troopers, who were on high alert and hadn't relaxed for a second...
...the two of them paid no attention.
"Of course!"
Lynn blew a smoke ring. "So, George, what do you think the Commish is waiting for? Shouldn't they be sending in a negotiator or a SWAT team?"
"And you're slacking off, too? That's not like you."
George exhaled. "Where are we? Citibank. And a Rockefeller girl is inside."
"You think the Commissioner is going to take this mess? Just watch. The FBI will be here any minute."
"If we look too aggressive right now, it'll just look bad for the boss."
Just as he said that, a convoy of black Chevrolets drove up.
A middle-aged man in a black suit, wearing an FBI badge, got out of the lead car.
Behind him was a fully-armed team, "FBI" emblazoned on their vests.
Seeing them, George tossed his cigarette. He raised an eyebrow at Lynn. "See? I knew someone would take this hot potato."
Lynn dropped his cigarette too, standing up and aiming his SMG at the bank. "No wonder. If I'd known, I would've just stayed at the precinct and chatted up Jennifer."
As he was speaking, Lynn suddenly sensed something... off.
Next to the lead FBI agent, a translucent female spirit with glowing red eyes was drifting.
'A spirit with a red-level obsession?'
Lynn's eyes flashed with excitement.
But he quickly suppressed it.
'I can't exactly help this spirit fulfill its obsession and absorb its death energy right now.'
'Not as an NYPD officer, at least.'
The man walked up to the Commissioner and held out his hand. "Gell, FBI New York Field Office. What's the situation?"
The Commissioner explained, making sure to emphasize that a girl named Daisy Rockefeller was one of the hostages.
The moment he heard the name, Agent Gell's face turned green.
He hadn't been told a Rockefeller was inside.
If this went bad, his career was on the line.
He tried to negotiate with the Commissioner, but the Commissioner just took a step back, indicating it was all on the FBI now.
Gell was silent for a moment. "Are the cameras still live?"
"They cut the feed. We're blind to what's happening inside."
"FUCK!"
He cursed under his breath and immediately called for his negotiator.
"What are you looking at?"
George saw Lynn staring at Agent Gell. "Thinking of joining the Feds?"
"Of course not."
Lynn had just been trying to see if he could use his death energy to lure the red spirit away from the agent.
But the spirit didn't budge.
A moment later, the negotiator arrived. At Gell's order, he walked a few steps toward the bank, hands up, holding a bullhorn. "To the robbers inside, this is the police negotiator."
"I am unarmed!"
He even lifted his suit jacket and turned in a circle. "Whatever your demands are, we will try to meet them. We only have one request: release the hostages..."
He hadn't even finished when a gunshot rang out from inside the bank.
The bullet hit the pavement right at the negotiator's feet, stopping him.
The sudden shot made everyone jump.
The FBI and police instinctively raised their weapons to fire back.
"Hold your fire!"
The Commissioner and Agent Gell immediately ordered their men to stand down.
If a firefight started, the hostages—especially the Rockefeller girl—would be killed.
Just then, a hostage walked out, hands in the air, trembling.
She was holding a phone. "The robbers... they want to talk to you. This is the phone."
Terrified, she held the phone out to the Commissioner and Agent Gell.
The Commissioner immediately took half a step back.
Seeing this, Gell sighed, took the phone, and said, "This is Agent Gell, FBI. The bank is surrounded. You can talk to me about your demands. Just guarantee the safety of the hostages."
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