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“You want us to get Detective Marshall for you?” Hillyer asked, phrasing it as if they were doing Adam a favor.

The negotiator’s head is much cooler than mine at the moment.

“Sounds like your ears work just fine, Hillyer,” scoffed Adam.

Squires’s face lit up.

She likes that Adam used his name.

“Okay. Give us a few minutes to get her on the line,” said Hillyer.

“I know how Noelle is,” said Adam. “She’s probably right there, looking over everyone’s shoulders. You don’t get a few minutes.”

“She’s outside,” said Hillyer. “Hang on.” He hit the mute button and turned to Noelle. “You ready?”

“Yes.”

No.

“What do I say?” Her fingers had turned to ice.

“It’ll come to you. Just remember to keep him calm. Take your time answering his questions, and don’t rush. We’ll help if we think you need it.” He handed her a headset.

She slipped it on, a sense of numbness setting in as the white noise of the computers was suddenly blocked. Hillyer lifted his brows and gave a thumbs-up. Noelle responded in kind. He hit another button and pointed at her.

“Adam, it’s Noelle.”

“How you doing? How’s Savannah?” His tone was teasing.

You asshole.

“Savannah’s going to be fine,” Noelle forced out. Squires quickly wrote out that Adam was trying to push her buttons, get her off balance, take control of the conversation. Noelle focused on the words.

I need to keep my composure.

She felt as if she’d been thrown in the deep end of the pool.

“I’m glad to hear that,” said Adam. “Lucia was very upset with me about it. Which was stupid since she’s the one who told me not to shoot you. What did she expect me to do?”

He’s using the past tense.

“No doubt it was traumatizing for her to see anyone get shot.” Noelle sought Max’s gaze. It was calm, and she held on to it like a lifeline. More than anything she wanted to beg Adam to tell her that Lucia was okay. But she knew she shouldn’t; she couldn’t give him that power.

“She got over it,” he said.

What does that mean?

“I’m surprised you asked to talk to me instead of Eve.” Noelle held her breath, wondering if the question would make him angry.

“I should’ve.”

Is that sadness I hear?

“We can get her on the phone,” said Noelle, looking at Squires, who nodded.

“Not yet.” His tone was still odd.

“What do you want, Adam?” asked Noelle.

“I didn’t kill Derrick.”

That was out of the blue.

“That’s what you told me last night.” Noelle’s mouth was dry. “But you said you were there when he died.”

“Yeah. I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

You brought it up.

“What do you want to talk about?” asked Noelle, earning a nod of approval from Hillyer.

“I want to talk face-to-face, Noelle,” he snapped. “None of this over-the-phone shit with twenty people listening in.” He was suddenly fired up, his words clipped and angry.

What did I do?

The negotiators shook their heads, signaling that she shouldn’t meet with him.

He might kill me if we meet in person.

Noelle felt it deep in her bones.

“I don’t think it’s time for face-to-face yet, Adam. How about—”

“You want answers, Noelle? You want to know what happened to Lucia? You want to know who killed your dick of a husband, Derrick? Then you’ll walk over here in the next few minutes. I’ll be watching for you.”

“Do you think I’m stupid?” She matched his angry tone. “You’ll shoot me the first second you can, and I don’t understand why! I haven’t done anything to you. You’re the one who blew up my car and shot my best friend. And now you expect me to trust you?”

Hillyer waved his hands. Noelle ignored him.

Adam has done something to Lucia.

“You’re going to have to trust me, Noelle. Otherwise I’ll start shooting hostages. You’ve got five minutes to get your ass headed this way. I won’t shoot you, but every five minutes you waste, someone will die.”

The connection abruptly ended, and Noelle’s mouth fell open as she stared at the stunned faces in the RV.

I fucked up.

Noelle looked as if she’d been hit by a bus, and Max struggled to speak. He grabbed her hands, making her look at him. “That wasn’t your fault, Noelle. He manipulated you on purpose. He had every intention of directing the conversation that way, and that’s why he asked to talk to you.”

Hillyer and Squires spoke at the same time, agreeing with him. But Noelle just stood there, wide-eyed, stunned, and pale. None of their reassurances were reaching her.

“Did I get them all killed?” she whispered.

“The only person responsible for anyone’s death is the person who pulls the trigger,” said Max.

Noelle nodded, comprehension finally sinking in. “He’s going to kill them and insist it’s my fault.” Anger flooded her face. “That fucking asshole is trying to mess with my head. How much time do I have?” Determination filled her tone.

“You can’t go out there,” Max said with a sinking feeling that she wasn’t listening.

“Agent Rhodes is correct,” said Squires. “We don’t give in to this sort of demand.”

Noelle yanked her hands out of Max’s and whirled on the negotiator. “And when he shoots one of those innocent people? He shot Savannah on a whim, and he’s known her for years. Do you think a bunch of strangers mean anything to him?” She caught her breath and straightened. “I’ll go talk to him.”

“No!” said Max along with several others.

“I’ll wear a vest. Get me a helmet and whatever other gear you want me to wear.”

“What does he want with you, Noelle?” asked Max, not liking the stubbornness he saw in her jaw. “You’ve been his focus for a while. He’s nearly killed you twice—I noticed he didn’t deny blowing up your vehicle. What makes you think he won’t try to kill you today?”

“I don’t know why he’s fixated on me. How much time is left?”

“You can’t walk up there,” said Max, knowing he was fighting a losing battle.

“Maybe what you just said is why I’m willing to try, Max.

You said, ‘He’s nearly killed you twice.

’ But for some reason he hasn’t killed me.

Maybe deep down he doesn’t want to. He could have shot me instead of Savannah—or shot me in addition to Savannah—but he didn’t.

” Her blue gaze held his. “I think something stops him. He might want to—but he doesn’t do it.

” She turned to the two officers at the monitors.

“Can you ask someone outside to get me a helmet and vest?”

Hillyer stood up. “I don’t like this.”

“No one likes it,” said Noelle. “Especially me, but I’m going to fucking do it with or without anyone’s approval.” She put her hand on the door to pull it open.

“Noelle!” Max knew he couldn’t stop her.

She turned. “What?”

I can’t tell her what to do.

“Be careful.”

She gave a solemn nod and studied his face for a long moment. “I always am.” And then she went out the door, slamming it behind her.

Max was left with four silent and stunned people in the RV. “What does the negotiator’s handbook suggest for this situation?” he asked.

No one answered.