Stuart Woods - Strategic moves

"That may be a good thing," Stone said.

Freeman's secretary knocked and came into the room. "You should turn on your TV to CNBC," she said.

Freeman switched on a large flat-screen TV hanging on the wall on the other side of his office. A reporter stood outside the building where Jack Gunn's offices were located. In the background officers in body armor were moving into the building and there was yellow police boundary tape everywhere.

"The latest word is that somebody has shot several people in the offices of Jack Gunn, the investment banker who was taken to the U.S. Attorney's office earlier this morning for questioning," the reporter was saying. "We have not been told who the shooter is, how many people he has shot, or whether there are any fatalities, and it may be some time before we know any of that."

Stone looked past the reporter, and his eyes widened. He saw Herbie Fisher leaving the building with his arm around his new wife. "That's my client," he said, pointing. He got his cell phone out and speed-dialed Herbie's phone.

"Hello?" Herbie said breathlessly.

"Herbie, it's Stone Barrington. I've just seen you come out of Gunn's building on TV. What's going on up there?"

"This guy who sits next to Jack's office has shot a couple of people; I don't think anybody is dead. We were down the hall in Stephanie's office when the shooting started, and we got the hell out of there."

"Who is the guy doing the shooting?" Stone asked.

"His name is Peter Collins," Herbie replied. "I just met him this morning. We were supposed to talk to him about moving my money over to the firm."

"Did you do that?"

"No, we didn't have time."

"That's good. Get Stephanie to your apartment and call me when you're there."

"Okay, Stone." Herbie hung up.

So did Stone. "The guy doing the shooting is Peter Collins," he said to Mike Freeman. "I don't think he's going to be taking any calls this morning, except maybe from a police hostage negotiator."

"Oh, swell," Freeman said. He picked up his phone. "Sally, put that conference call through," he said. "Stone, I may as well let them all know what's happening, or what we know of it."

"I suppose so," Stone said.

The call was put through, and Freeman brought his colleagues up to date, then told them he'd get back to them when he had more information. He hung up.

"I guess there's nothing else we can do except wait for more information," he said to Stone.

"I guess not," Stone replied.

Stone got back to his office a little after five and went through the messages Joan had put on his desk before she left for the day. Dino had called and so, to his astonishment, had Peter Collins of Jack Gunn Investments.

Stone didn't know Peter Collins. Just for the hell of it he dialed the number. It rang seven times before it was picked up.

"Hello?" a hoarse male voice said.

"This is Stone Barrington. I'm returning Peter Collins's call. Who is this?"

"This is Peter Collins."

"What can I do for you, Mr. Collins?"

"I need an attorney to represent me in a multiple-count criminal action," Collins said.

"Are you still holding hostages there, Mr. Collins?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

"Four."

"What are their names?"

Collins told him, and Stone wrote them down.

"How many are injured?"

"Just one. I accidentally shot him in the leg while herding everybody into my office."

"Where in the leg?"

"Left, outside thigh."

"So you missed the femoral artery?"

"Yes. He's been given first aid and is alert and talking."

"Good. Mr. Collins, I can't represent you in the criminal action because I'm corporate counsel to one of your clients, Strategic Services."

"I didn't know that," Collins said.

"I was appointed only yesterday. What I can do for you is represent you in your talks with the police hostage negotiator and make sure you're dealt with nonviolently and that your rights are not violated. Then I can recommend an attorney to represent you in your legal difficulties. I assume that these multiple charges are related to your work and the taking of the four hostages. Is that correct?"

"That's correct."

"All right. Are you willing to give yourself up?"

"Yes, but I have conditions."

"What are they?"

"One: that nobody shoots me. Two: that I'm not led out of the building handcuffed, and that I leave the building through the garage, sitting in the right front seat of a police car. Three: that the wounded hostage is taken out of the building first, on a stretcher. Four: that no one asks me any questions until I've spoken in person with an attorney."

"Is that it?"

"That's it."

"I don't think that's going to be a problem, Mr. Collins."

"Please call me Peter; I'm more comfortable with that."

"Peter, I'm Stone. Can you remain near this phone?"

"Yes."

"I'll call you back in less than half an hour. If anything happens in the meantime that worries you, you can call me back on the same number you called before."

"All right."

"Just be calm, and don't talk to the police or anyone else until I call you back."

"All right. You can hang up now."

"Thanks." Stone hung up and called Dino.

"Bacchetti."

"It's Stone."

"Dinner tonight?"

"I think so, but first I have to get you to patch me through to the hostage negotiator who's handling the thing at Jack Gunn Investments."

"Why?"

"Because the guy who's holding the hostages called me and asked me to represent him in the negotiations."

"Are you kidding me?"

"I am kidding you not."

"Hang on." Dino put him on hold for about a minute, then came back. "All right, he's on the line. His name is Hank Willard, Lieutenant."

"Hello, Hank?"

"Yes, Stone. Dino has told me who you are. What can you tell me?"

"Peter Collins wants to give himself up. He has conditions, but I don't think you're going to have a problem with them."

"What are they?"

Stone read from his notes.

"That's it?"

"That's it. How are you going to handle it?"

"You have any suggestions?"

"Yes. First I'd send a stretcher and a couple of unarmed EMTs who are not cops up there and take the wounded man away. By the way, Collins says the wounding was an accident, completely non-intentional."

"I can do that."

"Then I think you should allow Collins to leave his gun in a desk drawer, lock it, and take an elevator down to the garage without a sniper taking him out."

"Okay, done."

"Remember, no cuffs. It's my guess that Collins wants to leave this way so that he won't be seen on television doing the perp walk."

"Yeah, okay."

"If you treat the guy respectfully, then I don't think you'll have any trouble with him. You need to brief the other officers in the car on that. In fact, I suggest that you meet Collins alone when he gets off the elevator, and that you put him in the front seat and get into the back. When you get him to the station, walk him in without cuffs and put him into an interrogation room and give him something to eat and drink while he waits for his lawyer."

"Okay."

"I am of the impression that he wants to talk to you, but only with an attorney present."

"Who's his attorney?"

"I have to make a couple more calls before I can tell you that."

"Okay."

"Wait for me to call you back before you send the EMTs upstairs. Collins says the guy is stable and not bleeding."

"I'll give you half an hour, Stone, no more."

"Done. Where are you taking him?"

"The Seventeenth Precinct, on East Fifty-first Street."

Stone hung up and called Peter Collins back.

"Hello?"

"It's Stone. The police are willing to meet all your conditions. The hostage negotiator, Lieutenant Hank Willard, is going to escort you to the police station, and you won't be seen on TV as a criminal. I suggest you make yourself presentable, suit and tie."