The police and S.W.A.T. were outside the restaurant.

An amplified voice was heard,” This is the police, we know you’re in there, we’d like to resolve this peaceably. My name is Cpt. Diaz.”.

The phone rang. They all stared at it. The ringleader motioned for the young woman to pick it up.

She obeyed.

“Hello,” the Captain said when she picked up,” To whom am I speaking?”

“I..I’m Rachelle K..Kearny”, she said nervously.

“How many of them are there ma’am?, stop me when I say the correct amount, 1..2..3…”.

“Yes”, she said quickly.

“What they saying?”, the ringleader demanded.

“They just want to know if we’re alright”, she said.

“Tell em if we dont get a helicopter here in 1 hour, aint nobody gonna be alright”, the ringleader laughed.
His goons laughed too, because thats what goons do.

“How many hostages are there?”, Cpt. Diaz asked, “1..2..3..4..”.

Rachelle hesitated. The chef and busboy were dead. That left her, the waitress and the older couple.

“Four.”

She got shot. And then there were three.