Standoff

"And they must be allowed to keep their child."

"Dendy said as much himself a few minutes ago. If Davison will agree to those terms, he'll have my personal guarantee that no force will be used."

"I'll pass along the message and get back to you."

"I'm standing by."

She hung up. Ronnie and Doc turned to her. In fact, everyone was listening intently. It seemed that the role of mediator had been bestowed on her. She didn't particularly welcome it. Suppose, despite everyone's best intentions, something went terribly wrong? If this standoff ultimately ended in disaster, for the rest of her life she would feel responsible for the tragic outcome.

Over the course of the last few hours, Tiel's priority had shifted. It had been a gradual shift, and until this moment she hadn't even realized that it had taken place. The news story had become a secondary consideration. At what point had it become an afterthought? When she saw

Sabra's blood on her gloved hands? When Juan threatened

Katherine's fragile life?

The people making the story were much more important to her now than the story itself. Producing a prizewinning, job-securing exclusive account of this drama wasn't as vital a goal as it had been previously. What she wished for now was a resolution to celebrate, not lament.

If she blew it…

She simply couldn't, that's all.

"The kidnaping allegation has been dropped," she told

Ronnie, who was listening expectantly. "You'll have to face other criminal charges. Mr. Dendy has agreed to let Sabra keep the baby. If you agree to these terms and surrender,

Mr. Galloway gives you his personal guarantee that no force will be used."

"It's a good deal, Ronnie," Doc said. "Take it."

"I_"

"No, don't."

Sabra spoke in hardly more than a croak. Somehow she had managed to stand. She was leaning heavily against the freezer chest in order to keep herself upright. Her eyes were sunken and her complexion was leeched of all color.

She looked like someone who'd had theatrical makeup expertly applied for a character rising out of a coffin.

"It's a trick, Ronnie. One of Daddy's tricks."

Doc rushed over to lend her support. "I don't think so,

Sabra. Your dad responded to the video message you sent him."

Gratefully she clung to Doc, but her dull eyes beseeched

Ronnie. "If you love me, don't agree to this. I

won't leave here until I know I can be with you forever."

"Sabra, what about your baby?" Tiel asked gently.

"Think of her."

"You take her."

"What?"

"Carry her out. Give her to someone who'll take care of her. No matter what happens to us—to Ronnie and me— it's important to me to know that Katherine is going to be all right."

Tiel looked hopefully toward Doc for inspiration, but his expression was bleak. He seemed to feel as helpless as she.

"That's it then," Ronnie stated firmly. "That's what we'll do. We'll let you carry Katherine out. But we're not leaving until they let us go. Free and clear. No compromise."

"They'll never agree to that," Tiel said with desperation.

"That's an unreasonable demand."

"You committed armed robbery," Doc added. "You'll have to account for that, Ronnie. But because of extenuating circumstances, you'd have a good chance of beating the rap. Running away would be the worst thing you could do. That would solve nothing."

Tiel glanced at Doc, wondering if he were listening to his own advice. The admonishment against running away could be applied to him and his circumstances three years ago. He didn't notice her glance, however, because his attention was on Ronnie, who was arguing his point.

"Sabra and I vowed that we would never be forced apart. No matter what, we promised each other to stay together.

We meant it."

"Your father—"

"I'm not going to talk about it," the young man snapped. Turning to Tiel, he asked if she would carry

Katherine out and deliver that message.

"What about the others? Will you release them?"

He glanced beyond her at the other hostages. "Not the two Mexicans. And not him," he said of Agent Cain. He had regained consciousness but appeared still to be incoherent from the kick in the head Juan had given him.

"The old folks and her. They can go."

When he pointed to Donna, she clasped her claw-like hands beneath her chin. "Thank you, Lord."

"I don't want to go," Gladys announced. She was still holding the sleeping infant in her arms. "I want to see what's going to happen."

"We'd better do as he says," Vern said, patting her shoulder. "We can wait for everybody else outside." He assisted

Gladys up off the floor. "Before we go, I'm sure

Sabra wants to tell Katherine goodbye."

The old lady carried the baby over to Sabra, where she was leaning heavily against Doc.

"Shall I notify Galloway of your decision?" Tiel asked

Ronnie.

He was watching Sabra and his baby. "Half an hour."

"What?"

"That's the time limit I'm giving them to get back to me. If they won't let us leave in half an hour, we'll… we'll carry out our plan," he said thickly.

"Ronnie, please."

"That's it, Ms. McCoy. You tell them."

Galloway answered her call before the completion of

the first ring. "I'm coming out with the baby. Have medical personnel standing by. I'm bringing out three of the hostages with me."

"Only three?"

"Three."

"What about the rest?"

"I'll tell you when I get there."

She hung up on him.

As Tiel approached Sabra, the young woman was crying.

"Bye-bye, sweet Katherine. My beautiful baby girl.

Mommie loves you. Very much." She was bent over the child, inhaling her scent, touching her everywhere. She kissed Katherine's face several times, then turned her own into Doc's shirt and sobbed.

Tiel took the baby from Gladys, who'd been holding her because Sabra didn't have the strength. Tiel carried Katherine over to Ronnie. As the young man gazed at the baby, his eyes filled with tears. His lower lip trembled uncontrollably. He was trying so hard to be tough, and failing miserably.

"Thanks for all you've done," he said to Tiel. "I know

Sabra liked having you around."

Tiel's eyes appealed to him. "I don't believe you'll do it,

Ronnie. I refuse to believe you would—could—pull that trigger and end Sabra's life and yours."

He chose not to respond and instead kissed the baby's forehead. "Bye, Katherine. I love you." Then, his motions jerky and abrupt, he stepped behind the counter to release the electric door lock.

Tiel allowed the others to go ahead of her. Before stepping through the door, she glanced over her shoulder at

Doc. He had eased Sabra back onto the floor, but he raised his head as though Tiel's gaze had beckoned him.

Their eyes connected for only a millisecond, but, undeniably, it was a meaningful span of time and contact.

Then she slipped through the door and heard the bolt snap into place behind her.

From out of the darkness paramedics rushed forward.

Obviously, pairs of them had been pre-assigned to each hostage. Vern, Gladys, and Donna were surrounded and barraged with questions, which Gladys answered in a decidedly querulous tone.

A man and woman wearing identical scrubs and lab coats materialized in front of Tiel. The woman reached for Katherine, but Tiel didn't relinquish her just yet.

"Who are you?"

"Dr. Emily Garrett." She introduced herself as chief of the neonatal unit at a Midland hospital. "This is Dr.

Landry Giles, chief of obstetrics."

Tiel acknowledged the introductions, then said, "Regardless of anything you've heard to the contrary, the parents do not wish to put the child up for adoption."

Dr. Garrett's expression was as steadfast and guileless as

Tiel could have hoped for. "I understand completely.

We'll be waiting for the mother's arrival."

Tiel kissed the top of Katherine's head. She had a bond with this baby that she probably would never have with another human being—she had witnessed her birth, her first breath, had heard her first cry. Even so, the depth of her emotion surprised her. "Take good care of her."

"You have my word."

Dr. Garrett took the baby and ran with her toward the waiting chopper, the blades of which were already whirling and kicking up a fierce wind. Dr. Giles had to shout to make himself heard above the racket.

"How's the mother?"

"Not good." Tiel gave him a condensed version of the labor and birth, then described Sabra's present condition.

"Doc's most worried about loss of blood and infection.

Sabra's becoming increasingly weak. Her blood pressure is dropping, he said. Based on what I've told you, is there anything you can advise him to do?"

"Get her to the hospital."

"We're working on it," she said grimly.

The man approaching with a long and purposeful stride could only be Galloway. He was tall and slender, but even in shirtsleeves he exuded an air of authority. "Bill

Galloway," he said, confirming his identity as soon as he joined her and Dr. Giles. They shook hands.

Gully hobbled up to her in his bandy-legged run.

'Jesus, kid, if I don't die of a heart attack after tonight, I'll live forever."

She hugged him. "You'll outlive us all."

On the fringes of the growing group she noticed a stout man dressed in a white cowboy shirt with pearl buttons.

He held a cowboy hat similar to Doc's in his hands. Before she could introduce herself to him, he was rudely elbowed aside.

"Ms. McCoy, I want to talk to you."

She recognized Russell Dendy immediately.

"How's my daughter?"

"She's dying." While the statement seemed unnecessarily harsh, Tiel was fresh out of compassion for the millionaire.

Besides, if she were to make a dent in this stalemate, she must hit them hard.

Kip was standing in the background, capturing this suspenseful conference on videotape. The camera-mounted spotlight was blinding. For the first time in her career, Tiel felt an aversion for that light and the invasion of privacy it represented.

Her blunt response to Dendy's question took him aback momentarily, which enabled Galloway to draw the other

man forward for an introduction. "Cole Davison, Tiel

McCoy." The resemblance between Ronnie and his father was unmistakable. "How is he?" he asked anxiously.

"Resolute, Mr. Davison." Before continuing, she looked at each of the men independently. 'Those young people mean what they say. They took an oath, which they intend to uphold.

Now that they know Katherine is safe and receiving medical attention, there's nothing to stop them from carrying out their suicide pact." She used the words deliberately to emphasize the seriousness and urgency of the situation.

Galloway maintained his professional detachment and was the first to speak. "Sheriff Montez says this Doc is a large, brawny man. Couldn't he simply overpower Ronnie and get control of the gun?"

"And risk another casualty?" she asked rhetorically.

"Two men tried force a little while ago. It ended in bloodshed.

I think I can safely nix that idea on Doc's behalf.

He's been trying to persuade Ronnie to end this peaceably.

He'd lose any advantage he's gained with the boy if he suddenly tried to jump him."

Galloway ran a hand through his thinning hair and watched the chopper with Dr. Garrett and the newborn lift off. "The hostages aren't at risk?" he asked.

"I don't believe so. Although there's no love lost between

Ronnie and Agent Cain or the Mexican men."

They exchanged an uneasy look all around, but before

Tiel could ask what it portended, Galloway said, "To summarize,

Ronnie and Sabra are bartering with their own lives."

"Exactly, Mr. Galloway. I was sent to tell you that you have half an hour to get back to them."

"With what?"

"Clemency, and freedom to go on their way."

"That's impossible."

"Then you'll have two dead kids on your hands."

"You're a reasonable person, Ms. McCoy. You know I

can't make that kind of blanket deal with an alleged felon."

Despair and defeat settled on her heavily. "I know, and, honestly, I appreciate the position you're in, Mr. Galloway.

I'm only the messenger. I'm telling you what Ronnie told me. My gut feeling is that he means to do what he has said he will. Even if he's buffing, Sabra is not."

She looked pointedly at Dendy. "If she can't have Ronnie, live with him freely, she's willing to take her own life. If she doesn't bleed to death first." Back to Galloway, she said,

"Unfortunately for you, it's not my gut feeling that counts.

The decision doesn't rest with me. It's yours to make."

"Not entirely, it isn't," Dendy declared. "I have a say in this. Galloway, for godsake, promise the boy anything. Just get my daughter out of there."

Galloway checked his wristwatch. "Half an hour," he said briskly. "Not much time, and I've got some calls to make." They turned in unison toward the van parked on the apron of the parking lot.

Gully was the first to notice that Tiel didn't fall into step with the rest of them. He turned and regarded her curiously.

"Tiel?"

She was walking backward. "I'm going back."

"You aren't serious?" Gully's exclamation spoke for all of them, who were looking at her with unmitigated dismay.

"I can't abandon Sabra."

"But—"

She shook her head firmly, checking Gully's protest before it was out. Continuing to backtrack and widen the distance between them, she said, "We'll be waiting for your decision, Mr. Galloway."