Hostage

'I saw some Gaviscom in the bathroom. Eat that.'

'I want to sleep.'

'Would you shut the fuck up?! The cops will put you in jail, where you can sleep every night for the rest of your life!'

Dennis knew Kevin was right, but he tried not to think about it. Every plan he hatched had holes big enough to hide a house, and now the cops were threatening to break down the doors. Walter Smith twitched and trembled again. It looked like he was freezing to death, the way you'd shiver if you were sleeping on a block of ice. Dennis felt tears well in his eyes because he was so scared. Here he was, sitting on a million bucks, and he didn't know what to do.

Mars and the girl came in with the pizzas, Dennis thinking that maybe the food would help, but when the girl saw her father, she dropped the pizza and ran straight to her father.

'What's wrong with him? Daddy?!'

Dennis thought his head would burst.

She dropped down to her knees, leaning over her father but not touching him.

'Look at the way he's shaking. Why is he shaking like this? Aren't you going to do something?'

Kevin put on the pussy face.

'Dennis, he needs a doctor.'

Dennis wanted to smash him.

'No.'

The girl glared at him, screaming.

'He's ice-cold! Can't you see this? Don't you know he's dying?!'

Kevin stepped closer, in Dennis's face now, pleading.

'Please, Dennis. If he dies, we got another murder charge. We're fucked up bad enough.'

Dennis was scared. He didn't want the sonofabitch to die. He didn't want another murder charge.

Kevin picked up the phone.

'Call them. Let them have him.'

'No.'

'They'll like it that you're trying to help. They might even cut us some slack. Think about it, Dennis. Think.'

Kevin stepped closer, his whisper more than a plea.

'If those SWAT guys come in here, you'll never keep the money.'

Dennis glanced at Mars, who sat on the floor with a plate of eggs and pizza, eating. Mars met Dennis's eyes, then made a little smile like he knew it all along, like Dennis didn't have the balls to play it hard.

Fuck Mars.

Dennis wanted the money.

He took the phone and punched in Talley's number.

TALLEY

Talley was charging his phone off the cigarette lighter in Maddox's car when the phone rang. He tensed, a jag of fear jolting him because he thought it was the Watchman's Nokia.

Maddox said, 'That's your phone.'

Talley opened his phone.

'Talley.'

It was Rooney.

'Okay, Talley. If you want him, come get him. But just you.'

Talley had thought it was over, thought he had completely blown any chance at getting to Smith, but here was Rooney delivering him. Talley was dead, but now he lived again. He had a chance at Jane and Amanda!

Talley rolled to his knees and peered over the car's hood. He muted the phone to hiss at Maddox.

'Ambulance. He's coming out.'

Ellison said, 'Sonofabitch.'

Maddox went back on the hard line as Talley un-muted his phone.

'Okay, Dennis. I'm here. I'm with you. Let's figure this out.'

'There's nothing to figure out, goddamnit. Come get him. But you better keep SWAT outta here. That's the deal.'

'I can't carry him by myself. I'll have to bring someone else.'

'Fuckin' liar! You're going to try to kill me!'

'That won't happen, Dennis. You can trust me. Me and one other person and a stretcher. That's it.'

'Fuck you, Talley, fuck you! All right! You and one other guy, but that's it! You gotta strip down! I want you stripped! I gotta know you aren't carrying guns!'

Talley looked at Maddox and twirled his finger, telling Maddox to have the ambulance get here fast.

'Okay, Dennis. If that's what you want, that's what we'll do.'

'You'll keep'm outta here. That's the deal, right? We have a deal?'

'That's the deal.'

'I swear to Christ if those bastards try something these kids are gonna die! Everybody's gonna die.'

'Just take it easy. Work with me and no one has to die.'

'Fuck you!'

The connection popped in Talley's ear. Rooney was gone.

Talley stared at the house. Several moments passed before he lowered the phone; his hand was okay, but his ear hurt from the pressure. His sweatshirt was soaked, and the Colt cut into his belly. He felt numb.

Maddox stared at him, and Ellison smiled.

'Sonofabitch. You kicked one free. That was great work, man. That was a clinic.'

Talley left them without a word. He climbed into the backseat, stripped off his clothes except for his underwear and shoes, and waited for the ambulance. In an earlier life Talley would have felt proud, but now he wasn't. He hadn't done it for Walter Smith. He was risking Smith's life, his own, and likely the children's in the house. He had done it for himself, and for Amanda and Jane.

CHAPTER 16

Friday, 11:19 P. M.

TALLEY

Martin buzzed around him like an angry wasp. She had ridden up in the ambulance with an ER doctor named Klaus from Canyon Country Emergency.

'Wear a vest. Just strap it over your chest, he'll be able to see you're not armed.'

'The deal was that we would be stripped. I don't want to spook him.'

Klaus was a young, thin man in black-framed glasses. He introduced himself as he shook Talley's hand.