Free Softly at Sunrise by Maya Banks

counting on her. Ethan was counting on her. She wouldn’t put him through the hell of her dying all over again.
“Please lower the gun,” she said, allowing her voice to shake. “I can’t think when I’m terrified that you’re going to shoot me. Just lower the gun. I’ll do whatever you want.”
He was wracked by clear indecision. Jennifer started to move, but Rachel put her hand out, pulling her closer to her back to shield her.
Finally he lowered the gun, but he still kept it away from his body. He trained it on the far wall and then settled his hard stare on her.
“You tell them that I want that restraining order lifted and that I want to be able to have access to my daughter. I want that bitch of my wife up here so she can see how serious I am. If she’s not here quickly, I start shooting.”
Rachel hastily punched her contacts button and hurriedly scrolled to Sean’s number, praying he was on duty. She was taking a huge risk in not dialing 911, but she trusted Sean, and he’d let Ethan and his brothers know the situation.
When it started dialing, she put the phone to her ear and kept eye contact with Jennifer’s father so she could be prepared for any sudden mood swing or movement on his part.
“Rachel, fancy hearing from you. How are you, girl?”
Sean’s cheerful voice immediately calmed some of her stark terror.
“This is Rachel Kelly,” she began as if she didn’t know Sean and as though she were calling a regular dispatcher. “Kent Winstead is here in my classroom with a gun, and he has some demands. If his demands aren’t met, he said he’ll start shooting the children.”
More terrified sobs rose from the children crouched under their desks.
Sean was immediately all business. “Simple yes or no, Rachel, are you on speaker phone?”
“No.”
“Okay. I’m going to patch this in to the local and state police. Do you know if any police are already on scene?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, stay with me here. Tell me what his demands are. Let’s keep him appeased. We’ll get you out of this, sweetheart.”
Kent was already growing impatient, and a scowl had darkened his features. His grip on the gun tightened, so she hastily relayed the demands he’d given her. Kent relaxed some when she began to list all he’d asked for.
“I’m being patched in to the person in charge on scene,” Sean said. “I’ve relayed everything you’ve just told me. I need you to keep him talking. Throw him a bone and ask him for his wife’s number so we can call her.”
Rachel let the phone slide slightly from her mouth as she looked at Kent. “They need your wife’s number so they can call her. They’ll do it now.”
“That’s good. That’s real fucking good,” Kent said, nodding his head adamantly. “Let the bitch know what she’s done. She’ll come crawling back, but I don’t want her sorry ass anymore.”
“The number,” Rachel prompted softly.
As he recited the number, Rachel relayed it to Sean.
“Okay, stall for me, sweetheart. Try to keep him calm. A S.W.A.T. team is getting into position even as we speak. My dispatcher has called Sam and has apprised him of the situation. Let him know we’re calling his wife now.”
“They’re calling right now,” Rachel said to Kent.
He nodded his satisfaction, and then he stared toward the windows with a frown. As if deciding he was putting himself at a huge risk, he crossed the room and positioned himself in a corner where there was no clear shot through the window. He wedged himself between two bookcases but kept the gun trained in Rachel’s direction.
“Daddy, please don’t do this,” Jennifer pleaded. “I don’t want you to have to go away. They’ll put you in jail, and I’ll never see you again.”
Rachel squeezed Jennifer, hoping she got the message to remain quiet. Reminding Kent of the huge mistake he’d made would only heighten his agitation, and it could make him do a very stupid thing.
Desperate people did desperate things.
Kent’s