Hostage

'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, Dennis. For your own sake and for the sake of the innocents in there. This kind of thing can create problems.'

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

Talley muted the phone while Dennis answered to warn Maddox about the gasoline. Maddox relayed the information to the tactical team. If Rooney was telling the truth about the gasoline, firing tear gas or flash-bang grenades into the house could ignite an inferno.

'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, Dennis? You didn't hurt anyone, did you?'

'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 gonna need a doctor, you try this shit again.'

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.

'Dennis, have you been thinking about what we talked about earlier?'

'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.

'Dennis, I'm going to take a break out here. You see all the new people we have?'

'You got a thousand guys out there. Of course, I see'm.'

'I'm going to put an officer named Will Maddox on the line. You scared me so bad that I've gotta go clean my shorts, you know? So Maddox will be here on the line if you want to talk or if you need anything.'

'You're a funny guy, Talley.'

'Here he is, Dennis. You stay cool in there.'

'I'm cool.'

Talley handed the phone to Maddox, who introduced himself with a warm, mellow voice.

'Hey, Dennis. You should've seen ol' Jeff out here. I think he crapped his pants.'

Talley didn't listen to any more. The rest of it would be up to Maddox. He slumped down onto the street and leaned against the car, feeling drained.

He glanced at Martin, and found her watching him. She duck-walked over, and hunkered on the pavement beside him, then searched his eyes for a moment as if she were trying to find the right words. Her face softened.

'You were right. I got in a hurry and screwed up.'

Talley admired her for saying it.

'We survived.'

'So far.'

THOMAS

After the screaming, after those frantic moments when Thomas thought that Dennis would shoot him in the head as he was threatening, Jennifer glared at him and said one word.

'Don't.'

No one heard but Thomas; Dennis was pacing and talking to himself, Kevin following Dennis with his eyes the way a nervous dog will watch its master. They were in the office, the TV on, just now reporting that shots had been fired in the house. Dennis stopped to watch, suddenly laughing.

'Jesus, but that was close. Jesus Christ.'

Kevin crossed his arms, rocking nervously.

'What are we going to do? We can't get away now. They're all around the house. They're even in the neighbor's yard.'

Dennis's face darkened, and he snapped.

'I don't know, Kevin. I don't know. We'll figure out something.'

'We should give up.'

'Shut up!'

Thomas rubbed his neck, thinking he might yak. Dennis had carried him down to the office by the neck, an arm hooked around his throat in a headlock, squeezing so hard that Thomas couldn't breathe. Jennifer came over and knelt by him, making as if to help him, but pinching his arm, instead, her whisper angry and frightened.

'You see? You see? You almost got caught!'

She went to their father.

Mars returned from elsewhere in the house, his arms filled with big white candles. Without saying a word, he lit one, dripped wax on the television, seated the base in the wax. He moved to the bookcase, did it again. Dennis and Kevin were coming apart, but Thomas thought that Mars looked content.

Dennis finally noticed.

'What the fuck are you doing?'

Mars answered as he lit another candle.

'They might cut the power. Here, take this.'

He stopped with the candles long enough to toss a flashlight to Dennis. It was the one from the kitchen utility drawer. He tossed a second to Kevin, who dropped it.

Dennis turned on the light, then turned it off.

'Those candles are a good idea.'

Soon, the office looked like an altar.

Thomas watched Dennis. Dennis seemed inside himself, following Mars with a kind of watchful wariness, as if Mars held something over him that he was trying to figure out. Thomas hated them all, thinking that if he only had the gun he could kill them, Mars with the candles, Dennis with his eyes on Mars, Kevin staring at Dennis, none of them looking at him, pull out the gun and shoot every one of them, bangbangbang.

Dennis suddenly said, 'We should stack pots and pans under the windows in case they try to sneak in, things that will fall, so we'll hear.'

Mars grunted.

'Mars, when you're back there, do that, okay? Set up some booby traps.'

Jennifer said, 'What about my father?'

'Jesus, not that again. Christ.'

Her voice rose.

'He needs a doctor, you asshole!'

'Kevin, take'm back upstairs. Please.'

Thomas didn't care. That was what he wanted.

'Do you want me to tie them again?'

Dennis started to answer, then squinched his face, thinking.

'It took too long to cut all that shit off, you and Mars tying them like a couple of fuckin' mummies. Just make sure they're locked in real good, not just with the nails.'

Mars finished with the candles.

'I can take care of that. Bring them up.'

Kevin brought them, holding Jennifer's arm, almost having to drag her, but Thomas walking in front, anxious to get back to his room though he tried to hide it. They waited at the top of the stairs until Mars rejoined them, now with a hammer and screwdriver. He trudged up the steps, thump thump thump, with the slow inevitability of a rising freight elevator, dark and dirty. Mars led them to Thomas's room first, the end of the hall. It was spooky without light.

'Get in there, fat boy. Pull your covers over your head.'

Mars pushed him inside hard, then knelt by the knob, the one Thomas would use to get out. He hammered the screwdriver under the base, popped it off, unfastened three screws, then pulled the knob free, leaving only a square hole. He looked at Jennifer then, no one else, Jennifer.