Page 31 of Every Last One

“Whatever the case, it doesn’t sound good for Maddox,” Neal put in.

“No, it doesn’t,” Sandra said, looking at Brice.

“We’re going to have to tell Rowe,” Brice said.

She nodded, not looking forward to that conversation with her boss, but she needed to get in front of this in case things turned sideways. “If you’ll excuse me.” She got up and left the vehicle.

She found Luis out there with his laptop under an arm, his phone to his ear. She hadn’t even noticed he’d stepped out to make a call. Based on what she overheard he was on with the hospital that had the donor heart.

Elwood’s line was ringing in her ear by the time she hit the pavement. He picked up on the second one. “Tell me the nightmare is over.”

She hesitated, considered sugarcoating things somehow, but settled on the cold reality. “The nightmare just got worse.”

“Don’t tell me it has anything to do with Maddox.”

“I wish I could. The gunman on the fourth floor has him.”

“Tell me you’re kidding.”

“He threatened to kill Maddox. So we assume he’s still alive.”

“Assume? Dear God.”

“I couldn’t get proof of life before the line went dead. But there was earlier gunfire, and it’s possible someone else was injured.”

“Or Maddox is dead already, and this guy is trying to extend his leverage.”

“I don’t think so. He referred to Maddox earlier as hisinsurance.” The words were out before she caught her slip.

“You want to repeat that.”

She really didn’t. “We just need to watch our steps.”

“Damn straight. From what you told me this hostage taker has shown himself capable of pulling the trigger. What’s the next step?”

“This just happened, but I don’t see how it changes our approach.” Sandra brought him up to speed on the incident, realizing on the recap how little progress they had made. At leastthey had one man in custody for today’s incident. There was no word from Eric about his interrogation with Stevie Cross. There must not be anything worth sharing.

“Well, I appreciate the heads-up. I will bring this to the attention of the FBI director, and he will make what he will of it.” Elwood hung up on that ominous note.

Myron Hamilton wasn’t a man who took things lightly or rolled with what came his way. It’s how he made it to the top. Hamilton was a man of action with little patience for incompetence. Possibly little patience, period. That was the part that worried Sandra.

She was about to return inside, when Brice came out of the vehicle.

“How did he take that?” he asked her.

“It’s not Elwood I worry about. But he was happy for the heads-up.”

Brice nodded. “Helps us get a little ahead of the storm anyhow. Because you know there will be a storm.”

“I hope you’re wrong.” She went back into the vehicle, determined to return to work.

“I really think we should consider moving in.” Kreiger’s suggestion came out flat, like he wasn’t on board with it, but it was his comfortable fallback position.

“Absolutely not,” she pushed out. “You do that, and you will sign Jordon Maddox’s death warrant.”

“The gunman isn’t talking to you, and he made it clear he’d put a bullet in Maddox’s head if you called again.”

“Standard course for crisis negotiation. Lives are always threatened,” Sandra said.