I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe how everything had gone to shit so fast. Just a few hours earlier I was fighting for a dead man, reaching out to terrified witnesses, and glaring down the enemy who was lying for a murderer. Now I was standing before the complete picture of ironic betrayal as Nathan Maxwell was being held hostage by his own client, a shiv skimming the skin of his neck as she stared me down.
"Ms. Lowell, please-" The woman pulled Maxwell closer, a threat in her widened and frightened eyes as she stared at me with that wild gaze. "Are you really going to kill the only man trying to help you?" I asked, my voice confident, but I was internally wringing my hands and running over the room in my mind. There were two policemen by the door with guns, but if they shoot they could possibly kill him and that would make this entire negotiation fruitless.
"You do want help, don't you?" I asked calmly taking a step forward and watching as she pressed the knife closer to the man's neck, completely stopping my advance.
"The judge and I," I gestured to the woman, who seemed shocked to be thrown anywhere near the bus, and then to myself, "can help you." She eyed us both and shook her head.
"You think I did it! You both do!" she shrieked, and I could see the uncomfortable grimace of Maxwell as the knife broke skin. His pleading gaze told me that this plan wasn't working, so I switched the pace.
"So you're going to kill yet another man who was only trying to help you?" I accused and watched as her expression immediately changed.
"I didn't kill him!" she yelled, eyes wildly flying to the jury who looked horrified in their seats. She gazed at them as if this was still just a court case and she wasn't wielding a knife and pressing it against her own lawyer's neck. She looked as if her pleading look was gonna change their views on her. This court case only needed more direct evidence and she'd be in jail for the rest of her life, but first we needed to pry Maxwell out of her fingers.
I took another step forward and watched as she turned back to me, eyeing me up and down.
"What will killing him do for you?" I asked casually and watched as her eyes flickered down to Maxwell's terrified face.
"The paramedics will come and I'll leave with them." She said it so certainly.
"The paramedics will come, the police will come, the FBI will arrive. How exactly do you expect to escape?" I asked, eyebrow raised as I took another step. Maxwell winced and I could see his teeth grinding from my peripheral.
"Let the man go." It was a very slim chance that she was just gonna let him go, but she apparently didn't care that killing him would get her nowhere.
I tried another step and tried my best not to wince when blood began pooling on the knife and Maxwell began looking desperate. There was only so far left to press before she killed him or he bled to death.
"Ms. Lowell-" I held my hands up, eyes closed and took a deep breath, praying that she realized I was surrendering as I took two steps back. "You're killing an innocent man."
"Bullshit! He's the reason I lost everything!" I opened my eyes and peered down at Maxwell, who even looked confused by the outburst, but he was no longer pressed against her chest, but now against her breast considering he could barely hold himself up against her and she was just a 110 pound woman. So there was a clear shot for police, but there was still a knife against the hostage's neck. I could feel a knot in my stomach and my hands beginning to sweat.
I knew the judge could see my uncertainty as I glanced over at her and she returned my gaze before eyeing Maxwell and all I could do was stand there and continue talking to this mad woman as she threatened to kill a man.
