Hostage

'Let me speak to him a few more minutes.'

'I said, That's enough.'

Talley posted the guards, then left. He drove again with the windows down, frustrated and angry. He punched at the steering wheel and shouted. He wanted to race back to the house; he didn't want to go back to the house. He wanted to crash through doors and keep crashing until he found Amanda and Jane. It was impotent rage. He pulled the Nokia from his pocket and set it on the seat. He knew it would ring. He knew the Watchman would call. He had no other choice.

It rang.

Talley swerved to the shoulder of the road. He was in the middle of nowhere, on the stretch of highway between Canyon Country and Bristo, nothing but rocks and road and truckers trying to make it to Palmdale before dawn. Talley skidded to a stop and answered the call, the Watchman shouting before Talley spoke.

'You fucked up, you dumb fucking cop, you fucked up bad!'

Talley was shouting back, shouting over the Watchman's words.

'No, YOU fucked up, you sonofabitch! Do you think I'm going to let you just murder someone?!'

'You wanna hear them scream? That it? You want a blowtorch on your daughter's pretty face?!'

Talley punched the dash over and over, never felt the blows.

'I got YOU, you motherfucker! I got YOU! You touch them, you harm one fucking hair, and I'll go in that house right fucking now, I'll get those disks, and I'll see what's on them. You want them in the newspaper? You want the real FBI to have'm? I don't think you want that, you COCKSUCKINGMOTHERFUCKER! And I've got Smith! Don't you fucking forget that! I've got Smith!'

Talley's hands shook with rage. It was the way he felt in the minutes after a SWAT entry when shots had been fired, his blood running so hot that only more blood could cool it.

When the Watchman spoke again, his voice was measured.

'I guess we each have something the other wants.'

Talley forced himself to be calm. He had bought himself time.

'Remember that. You fucking remember that.'

'All right. You have a guard on Smith. Fair enough. We'll deal with Smith when we deal with Smith. Right now we want our property.'

'Not one fucking hair. One hair and you bastards are mine.'

'We're off that, Talley. Move on. You still have to make sure that I get those disks. If I don't, more than hair will be harmed.'

'So what's next?'

'My people are good to go. You know who I mean?'

'The FBI.'

'Six in two vans. If there's any fuckup, if you do anything other than what I tell you to do, you'll get your family back in the mail.'

'I'm doing what I can, goddamnit. Tell me what you want.'

'Whatever they say they need, you give it to them. Whatever they want you to do, you do it. Remember, Talley, I get those disks, you get your family.'

'Jesus, man, we can't have an assassination squad out here. The neighborhood is full of professional police officers. They're not stupid.'

'I'm not stupid, either, Talley. My guys know how to walk the walk and talk the talk. They will behave in a professional manner. Use the Sheriffs for your perimeter, but have their tactical team stand down. My guy, the team leader, he'll cover that with the Sheriffs. They were in the area on a joint training mission with the Customs Service and the U.S. Marshals. They called you, offered their assistance, and you accepted.'

Talley knew that Martin would never buy that. He saw the whole thing blowing up in his face.

'No one will believe that. Why would I accept with the Sheriffs already here?'

'Because the Feds told you that Walter Smith is part of their witness protection program.'

'Is he?'

'Don't be stupid, Talley. My man will cover it with the Sheriffs when he gets there. He knows what to say so they'll go along. Do you want to hear your wife again?'

'Yes.'

The line was empty for a time, then Talley heard voices, and then Jane screamed.

'Jane?!'

Talley clutched the phone with both hands. He shouted, forgetting where he was, what he was doing.

'JANE!'

The Watchman came back on the line.

'You heard her, Talley. Now take care of my people and get them set up.'

The line went dead. Talley was left shaking and sweating. He pressed star 69, trying to call back, but nothing happened. Jane was gone. The Watchman was gone. Talley shook so badly he felt drunk. He got himself together. He put away the phone. He drove back to the house.

CHAPTER 22

Saturday, 12:03 A. M.

DENNIS

When Dennis went back into the house, Mars didn't say anything, but Kevin started on him right away.

'What did he say? Did he offer a deal?'

Dennis felt dull; not desperate anymore, or even very frightened. He was confused. He didn't understand how Talley could turn down so much money unless Talley didn't believe him. Maybe Talley thought he was lying about how much money was in the house just as Talley had lied to him about the house belonging to mobsters.

'What happened, Dennis? Did he give us an ultimatum?'

The girl was on her hands and knees on the kitchen floor, staring at him.

'Is your old man in the mob?'

'What are you talking about?'