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we’ll get your wounded man safely to a vehicle and bus him out to the ambulance.”
    “Thank God. Just let me know what you need.”
    Watson clapped his shoulder. “Don’t worry. My guys can handle the evacuation of your wounded deputy.”
    Nathan lowered the brim of his sweaty cap, shielding his eyes from the sun.
    “Actually, Sheriff, I need you to put together a box of sandwich fixings, soda, water, and juice boxes for the kids. Get a bag of ice in there, too. I don’t want these sandwiches already made. I want them to have to do it. And throw in some chips and candy.”
    “I’ll get to work on that.” Benson walked away and signaled a few of his deputies closer.
    Watson squawked something brief into his radio, and Nathan saw an eager young SWAT member sprint over to their tactical vehicle. Watson gave his secondary a brief but meaningful order, and he was off in no time.
    “I haven’t gotten the full details yet, Nathan. Can you fill me in?”
    “John Samuals has taken hostage his wife and six children. He’s suffering a psychotic break, likely brought on by his financial difficulties and inability to purchase his antipsychotic meds. It all started when the sheriff’s deputies arrived this A.M . to evict him. Apparently the bank has foreclosed on the property. He says he wants to stay in his home. He produced a shotgun and cranked off a few rounds, most likely birdshot. As you know, one deputy suffered minor injuries. I think that’s the least of our problems.”
    “We need to try to get eyes and ears,” Watson said.
    Nathan watched as several of Watson’s team members set up a perimeter. “Our major issue is Lucent.”
    “Who’s that?”
    “This is the not-so-good part. Evidently, Lucent is an imaginary friend, a hallucination. About a year ago, Lucent told John to kill himself and the subject actually stabbed himself in the gut. Now, Lucent is telling him to kill his family. According to his psychiatrist, John loves knives. She says Lucent is as real to him as you and I standing here in front of one another, and we need to be very concerned about Samuals’ interaction with him.”
    Watson nodded in silent concern. “This is bad. Hallucinations and a knife as a preferred weapon are a silent, deadly combination.”
    “Agreed.”
    “What’s your approach?”
    “I’m going to try to trade the three youngest children for food. We’ve got an infant in there who may be in the early stages of heat exhaustion. I’m hoping when they have to work together to get lunch made, he’ll look upon them more favorably, be less likely to want to hurt them. Also, so far it looks like he’s letting the family roam freely in the home. We need to watch for opportunities to coax them out individually. I don’t want your guys to approach the residence without approval, but they are free to coax these people out with hand signals, smiles, chocolate bars, whatever.”
    One of Watson’s boys approached. “Nathan, this is Ryan. He’s the entry team leader.”
    He gave a quick nod to Nathan before turning to Lee. “Sarge, there’s a window on the north side with good cover up to about the last three feet. Oscar was able to approach without being detected, and he slipped a microphone inside. Snipers say there hasn’t been anyone in that room since they set up. All we’re picking up on the mike is the voice of one male. He seems to be talking to himself or to someone who’s not talking back.”
    “What’s he saying?” Watson asked.
    “‘Please, Lucent, don’t make me. I don’t want to kill them.’”
    Watson adjusted his Kevlar vest, and his shirt remained unmarred by sweat stains. Nathan’s eyebrows hitched upward.
    How does this man not sweat?
    Lee shielded his eyes from the sun and glanced at Nathan. “Looks like your assessment is on target.”
    Nathan watched as three more of Lee’s men, two protected by heavy shields, the third man behind, reached the injured deputy and dragged him to the edge