The First Negotiation II

Astrid Wang

T + 30 minutes

HQ of DCPD

The phone rang again. Chief Wang picked it up.

The fact that Xavier was calling proactively showed that Xavier needed something from them. Perhaps he couldn't risk waiting for Wang's call even if it would add a little facade to his intentions. Details like these would be crucial to the later negotiations.

"As you have seen from the announcement, I mean no harm," Xavier started speaking.

"We understand that," Wang responded with a rather friendly tone. Empathy would be important in any negotiation. She did not continue. Xavier wished to make demands, and in this case silence on her side meant opportunities to gather information on Xavier.

"We would like to ask you to kindly withdraw your drones from the Pacifica campus."

"I think that would be rather difficult for us." Wang mimicked Xavier's tone.

Despite this show of confidence, Wang knew that Xavier had more cards than them. All that Wang knew for now were two things. One, Xavier needed to avoid casualty. Two, Xavier needed the drones withdrawn so urgently that they reached out to the police first. However, Wang couldn't tell which one was more important to Xavier. Xavier could always break his no-casualty rule to add pressure to his demands, and if he did that, it would be a serious blow to both Wang's position in the negotiation and her prestige in the police force. Pacifica students weren't just any ordinary students. Their parents were the most powerful politicians, the richest corporate giants, and the most outstanding military and police officers, including her and her fellow officers.

Silence on the other end. Every second of silence on that end also silenced the police station. After a few seconds, the room became so still — or perhaps people became so aware of the silence — that the hum of the overworked computer fans were all that filled up the spacious void.

Xavier was probably strategizing with his team on the other side. Wang understood the danger of refusing to cooperate; she was putting the lives of 800 students and 100 faculty members on the line. Her gambit was that Xavier was a perfectly rational player, and a perfectly rational player would find it more beneficial to negotiate than to kill. However, she feared of a sudden turn in Xavier's behavior. Crime was one of the two most emotionally driven things in the world, and Chief Wang suffered enough from both. The more logical the execution of the crime, the more powerful the emotional conviction behind it.

The police, especially the negotiator, would often form a very special bond with the criminal. To persuade the hostage takers, one must empathize. Negotiations necessitated a thorough dissection of the criminal's psychology, and negotiators were obligated to enter the mind of the criminal, to see things through their eyes, to think things through their head, and most importantly, to feel every twist and turn of reality as how they would feel.

Such unprotected exposure to the darkness of human heart would leave lifelong contamination, as Astrid Wang could personally attest from the Veritas Theater Attack. And let me once again remind you that our society is rather virtuous, which means people are neither habituated to nor knowledgable about depravity, and we all fear the unknown. Although Chief Wang was unaware during the Veritas Theater Attack, her thoughts were contaminated in inexplicable ways. However, she was too experienced a fighter and too inexperienced a spiritualist, so she quickly buried those sentiments deep within.

The phone buzzed to life again and killed Astrid's wandering thoughts. About a minute had passed. Xavier's voice came out of it.

"Sarah Baker, Ariana DuPont, Theodore and Preston Glass, Leslie Kim, Christian and Sylvia Adriano, Elena Wright, Samuel Green."

All the officers stopped immediately what they were doing. Even those on other taskforces turned and stared at the phone.

"Officers, I'm sure some of these names are very familiar to you," Xavier continued. "I assure you that your children will receive secure protection throughout our operation, as a sign of goodwill. In exchange, we hope you would withdraw your drones and other means of surveillance."

The subtext was quite clear. If the officers did not comply, their children at Pacifica Academy would die, or worse.

"And officers, before you start wondering about why Madam Wang's daughter is not on the list, let me just say that Renee Wang from sophomore year class C is very difficult to locate, and we have no intention to do so. We don't have nearly as much interest in protecting Madam Wang's child as we do for yours. Madam Wang could do whatever she wants, and her child would not be affected anyhow.

"My patience is wearing thin. I am giving you one hour to withdraw your surveillance. Believe me when I say that we have sufficient technology to verify your cooperation, so don't pull any tricks. Finally as a sign of proof…"

The line went quiet for a few seconds. Then a young girl's voice came out, a mind too innocent to digest the horror she had just witnessed.

"Dad. Dad help us! Please get us out of here!"

A young officer sprinted over and snatched the telephone out of Wang's hands.

"Oh lord. Elena. Are you all right? Did they hurt you?"

"No. They didn't, but - "

The line went dead.

Silence punched against the walls of the room. Silence strangled the souls inside the walls. Fingers froze atop computer keyboards and eyes glanced downwards so the minds could direct all attention towards the ears. The threads in the air stretched out thinner and thinner by the palpable tension in every direction, and any misspoken word would snap the delicate web, permanently severing any bonds of camaraderie and launching the brave souls in opposing directions of enmity.

The seven officers whose children were taken hostage in Pacifica stepped slowly towards their Chief. After all, in this society of equality, how would it be fair if the officers' children were facing life threats but the Chief's daughter would be spared?

"I hope you understand that I feel the same fear and uncertainty as you all," Wang said as calmly as possible, trying hard not to reveal her accelerating heartbeat on her face. "And I'm sure you can tell that stirring inner conflict is exactly what Xavier wants."

Silence. More silence. Then one voice broke it.

"With all due respect, Chief, your situation is not nearly as dire as ours." It was the young man who just spoke to his daughter. The other officers looked at him and nodded lightly. Without a word, they elected him as the advocate for the group.

"Please try to stay as calm and professional as possible, Lieutenant Wright," Wang tried to be as gentle as possible. "If we retract our surveillance, the lives of all eight hundred students would be subjected to the whims of Xavier."

"And what makes the lives of our children any cheaper than those others?" Wright took another step towards Wang. The other officers also shifted forward uneasily.

"Look at the bigger picture, Wright," Wang avoided the question and knew that the officers could tell as well. "These drones are our only leverage on campus. We would lose all our bargaining power against Xavier if we succumb to his commands."

"And if we let the drones stay, we would lose the principle we have been defending all these years. What happened to 'Protect every life'? Are we no longer bound by this principle when some officer's child must be sacrificed for the 'greater good'?" Wright struggled to suppress his fear and anger, but raw emotions still bubbled on the surface of his voice.

"It's easy for you to say, Chief, because your daughter is not in danger." Wright continued. He then raised his shaking voice by thirty decibels. "What about all of you in this room? I know many more of you send your children to Pacifica! It's only a matter of time before they get found. Come on. Tell me you support Chief Wang."

Nobody moved a muscle.

"Let's make it a vote. Raise your fist if you want to save the kids by withdrawing the drones."

The seven officers surrounding Wang held their fist high. Their searing gaze burned through the crowd. A few more fists rose up among the dark masses, those belonging to the officers' close friends. Then a few more. Gradually, the fists sprang up like the spears of a bloodthirsty phalanx, their owners' eyes initially darting around in doubt, then settling on Wang's face, transforming into a firm glare.

Wang opened her mouth to respond, but no words could come out. She knew she had no other choice but to accept. Xavier had outsmarted her. He spurred the officers against each other. He blinded her only eye on the school. He had won this battle. Without any power to call for an alternative, Chief Wang of the Dovefeather City Police Department promptly gave the order to withdraw the drones, and the fire in the officers' eyes weakened at last.