Hostage

Talley had his cell phone out. He punched redial to call the house, praying that Rooney would answer, then ran to Jorgenson's car, still there in the street, and turned on the public address system.

Thomas scrambled across the joists like a spider. He slammed his head into the low-hanging rafters so hard that his teeth snapped together, but he didn't stop or even think about the noise he was making. He scurried through the long straight tu

He looped the ropes and slipped his hands through, realized in a flash of fear that he had forgotten the tape that had covered his mouth, but then it was too late.

De

'C'mon, fat boy!'

'Get away from me!'

De

'Hurry up, Kevin! Jesus! Bring the girl!'

De

'They're not doing anything. They're just sitting there.'

De

De

'Answer the phone, De

Martin and Hicks ran into the cul-de-sac without waiting for a cover vehicle, Martin hitting the ground beside Talley so hard that she almost bowled him over, shouting, 'What in hell do you think you're doing, interfering with my deployment?'

'He's shooting at your people because he thinks they're assaulting the house, Martin. You're violating my agreement with him.'

'This scene now belongs to me. You handed off control.'

'Pull back your people, Martin. Just relax. Nothing is going on in there.'

Talley keyed the P.A. mike again.

'De

'Hicks!'

Hicks leaned into the car past Talley and jerked the mike plug from its jack.

Talley's head was throbbing. He felt caught in a vise.

'Let me talk to him, Captain. Order your people to stand down, and let me talk to him. If it's too far gone you can breach, but right now let me try. Tell her, Maddox.'

Martin glared at Maddox, who nodded at her. He looked embarrassed.

'He's right, Captain. Let's not get too aggressive here. If Talley made a deal, we have to honor it or this guy isn't going to trust me any further than a cat can shit a walnut.'

Martin glared at him so hard that she seemed to be trying to cook him with her eyes. She glanced at Hicks, then bit out the words.

'Pull back.'

Hicks, looking uncomfortable, plugged the P.A. mike back into its jack, then mumbled orders into his tactical mike.

Talley turned back to the house.

'Pick up the phone, De

Talley held the cell phone to his ear, counting the rings. It rang fourteen times, fifteen…

Finally, Rooney answered, screaming.

'You fuck! You fuckin' lied to me! I've got a fuckin' gun to this kid's head right here! We've got these people! We'll fuckin' kill'm, you fuck!'

Talley spoke over him, his voice loud and forceful so that Rooney would hear him, but not strident. It was important to appear in control even when you weren't.

'They're pulling back. They are pulling back, De

The sounds of movement came over the phone. Talley guessed that Rooney had a cordless and was watching the tactical team at the rear of the property.

'Yeah. I guess. They're going back over the wall.'

'I didn't lie to you, De

'We'll burn this fuckin' place down, you try to come in here. We've got gasoline all good to go, Talley. You try to come in and this place is going to burn.'

Talley locked eyes with Maddox. Rooney booby-trapping the house with gasoline was a bad turn; if he was creating a situation dangerous to the hostages, it could justify a preemptive breach of the house.

'Don't do anything to endanger yourself or those children, De

'Then stay on the other side of that wall. You assholes try to come get us and this place is go

Talley muted the phone while De

'No one is coming in. We screwed up, is all. Some new guys came out and we got our wires crossed, but I didn't lie to you. I wouldn't do that.'

'You fuckin' well did screw up, dude! Jesus!'

The tension lessened in Rooney's voice, and, with it, Talley felt the vise ease its grip. If Rooney was talking, he wouldn't shoot.

'What's the status in there, De

'Not yet.'

'Those shots you fired, they were out of the house?'

'I'm not saying I fired anything. You're saying that, not me. I know you're recording this.'

'No one needs a doctor?'

'You're go

Talley took a deep breath. It was done; they were past the crisis. Talley glanced at Martin. She looked irritated, but attentive.

Talley muted the receiver again.

'He's calming down. I think now would be a good time for the handoff.'

Martin glanced at Maddox.

'You ready?'

'I'm ready.'

Martin nodded at Talley.

'Go.'

Talley uncovered his phone.

'De

'I got a lot on my mind.'

'I'm sure. It was good advice, what I said.'

'Whatever.'

Talley lowered his voice, trying to sound like what he was about to say was just between them, guy to guy.

'Can I tell you something of a personal nature?'

'What?'

'I gotta piss real bad.'

Rooney laughed. Just like that, and Talley knew that the handoff would work. He made his voice relaxed, putting a friendly spin on it, indicating that everything that was about to happen was the most natural thing in the world and beyond all objection. Rooney was just as relieved to be past this hump as Talley.