Hostage

Rooney didn't answer.

'Talk to me, De

Rooney took almost a full minute before he finally answered.

'He got knocked out. He won't wake up.'

Talley knew better than to ask how; it would put Rooney on the defensive, and Talley didn't want to do that. He had Smith's situation out in the open, so now he could try to get Smith. Maddox, still watching, raised his eyebrows in a question. Talley nodded, getting there; he repeated the admission for Maddox.

'So you're saying that Mr. Smith is unconscious. Okay, okay, I'm glad you're telling me this, De

'They better not try to come in here.'

They, not you.

'I think we can work with this, De

'It was an accident.'

'Is he breathing?'

'Yeah, but he's out cold. He can't talk.'

Now Talley had to move it to the next level. Now he had to get in the house, or get Smith out.

'De

'Fuck that! I know what you bastards will do, you'll rush the house.'

Rooney was scared. He was flat-out terrified.

'No. No, we wouldn't do that.'

'Fuck yourself, Talley. You ain't comin' in!'

Talley pressed harder. He knew that he could have suggested sending in a paramedic or a doctor, but he didn't want anyone going in; he wanted Walter Smith coming out.

'If you won't let us come in, then all you have to do is put him outside, right outside the front door.'

'I'm not stupid! I'm not go

Talley saw movement to his side, Maddox and Ellison. He heard Maddox key his radio, telling someone to have the ambulance brought up.

'No one is going to shoot you. Just put him outside and we'll come get him. If you save his life, De

'No!'

That's all it takes, De

Rooney's voice rose. 'No!'

'Save him.'

Rooney shouted again. 'No!'

'Help me help you.'

Rooney slammed down the phone. 'De

Nothing. Rooney was gone. 'DENNIS?!'

Maddox and Ellison stared at him, motionless, waiting. 'What?'

Talley had been so close, but he had wanted it too much. He had pressed too hard. He had lost.

De

Kevin paced in front of the television with his arms crossed, a nervous wreck. Kevin went to the couch and stared down at Walter Smith. 'We should let them have him. He's a lot worse.'

'Fuck them! They didn't give us a helicopter, did they?'

'What does that matter? Look at him, De

Smith would be still as a corpse, then he would suddenly jerk, his whole body twitching. De

'You wouldn't know a seizure if it bit you on the ass.'

'Look at him. Maybe it's brain damage.'

De

Kevin came over to him.

'De

'Shut up, Kevin. Jesus.'

'We should talk to a lawyer like that cop said. We need a lawyer to cut us a deal. We can blame Mars.'

'Don't let him hear you!'

'I don't care if he hears!'

'Just calm down, Kevin. I'm working on it. I just need some food, is all. Some food and some time. We'll think of something. The girl is in there cooking.'

'How can you even think about eating? I'm about to puke.'

'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!'

De

Mars and the girl came in with the pizzas, De

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

De

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.

'De

De

'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 De

'Please, De

De

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, De

Kevin stepped closer, his whisper more than a plea.

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

De

Fuck Mars.

De

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

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, De

'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, De

'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!'