The Hostage: BookShots (Hotel Series) by James Patterson

children away for the weekend, and two weeks later they’d been walking in sun-drenched open fields. Jessie had known it had been the right thing to do as Jon had run across the fields with Alvin while Amanda had toddled along, holding hands with Helen and Jessie. After two wonderful days, they’d caught the bus back to London and home.
    As the bus had pulled into Victoria station, Jessie had seen that Helen had fallen asleep and she’d reached across to wake her. But she hadn’t been able to stir her dearest friend and suddenly Jessie had been standing with the three children, watching Helen being loaded into the back of an ambulance. Twenty-four hours later, Helen’s diagnosis had been made. The cancer had spread to her bones and suddenly she’d had to decide about the future of her children. Tears had filled her eyes as Helen had asked Jessie to take care of Jon and Amanda after she was gone. Jessie hadn’t hesitated for a moment and when the time had come, Jon and Amanda had made their way up the stairs and Jessie’s home had become theirs.
    Jessie still remembered the first night when Jon had moved into her home, how he and Alvin had carried his toys up the stairs, and how as he’d walked into the apartment, he had smelt the most delicious cakes she had spent the afternoon baking. On his saddest day, as he’d sat at her kitchen table and eaten his way through three chocolate muffins, she had been able to see that he was beginning to feel warm inside. Amanda had been sitting next to him, and Jessie had been able to see how protective Jon felt of his little sister.
    Two years later, Jessie had adopted Jon and Amanda and Aunt Jessie became the only real mother Amanda could remember. Jon had still thought of his own mother, but Jessie had known that he loved her as much as any child could love a mother.
    Throughout Jon’s childhood, Jessie would spend every Saturday baking fresh cakes and brownies for her family and creating her own most wonderful recipes. When the coffee shop folk had moved into Brixton, suddenly cakes and baking had become cool. Jessie had listened to Jon’s encouragement and now she had her own successful business. And with Jon working at the new London Tribeca Hotel, it seemed only right that Auntie’s Bakery would be the supplier of the best home-cooked muffins and doughnuts anywhere in London.

CHAPTER 16
    JESSIE RAN THROUGH the kitchen and into the majestic dining room, where in three days’ time some of the wealthiest and most influential clientele were due to be served the best food a hotel restaurant had ever presented. But as she moved through the restaurant, she realised it was stupid of her to be screaming for Jon. The hotel was vast and he could be anywhere on one of its forty floors. If only he were there right now, she thought in desperation.
    And then he was.
    Seeing him entering the dining room, she kept running, as fast as she possibly could, until she reached him.
    ‘Jon,’ she cried, running into his arms. And then he was holding her as tight as she had used to hold him.
    ‘Aunt Jessie?’ he said, hugging her and almost forgetting what had gone before. ‘Where did you come from?’
    She looked up at him, the thoughtful boy she’d raised and now the strong, brave man she adored. Looking at his handsome face, she knew she had to tell him what she had seen, however horrendous it was.
    ‘I was in the kitchen, Jon,’ she cried, starting to shake. ‘It … It was horrible. Horrible!’
    ‘It’s okay, Aunt Jessie. I’m here now. You’re safe. What did you see?’
    ‘A head, Jon. A human head. Cut off from its body. There’s a head in the kitchen.’
    ‘No, Aunt Jessie,’ said Roscoe, holding her closely to his chest. ‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry you had to see that.’
    Jessie looked up at the man she loved as a son and only then realised he had a gun in his hand.
    She stepped back.
    ‘Jon? What’s happening?’
    ‘The hotel is under attack. I think it’s