bomb squad?" Pappas whispered.
Logan held up his index finger again. "If this is a prank, son,
you'd better fens up now."
"No prank. I swear. There was a timer attached. It looks like
it was set for ten o'clock."
Logan's watch read 9:56.
"Son, go to the substation and wait for me there, OK? Pappas,
tell 'em to send the works. I gotta get down there."
Logan broke into a run.
Half a mile and downhill all the way, but suddenly the Circle
seemed a hundred miles away.
chapter eight
ULLETS RIPPED THROUGH THE BACK DOOR.
Kaya unlocked the bolts of the front door with one
arm while holding the baby in the other. Nearly catatonic with fear, Sarah clung to her shirt like a toddler.
The back door shattered. The man was on them before Kaya
could get the last bolt unlocked.
"Give me that baby."
His eyes were narrowed, an animal ready to strike. His hair
was ragged, his face gaunt. His arms were marked with tiny
scabs, and his pupils were dilated. Clearly a meth head.
"OK, OK. But don't shoot. Please," Kaya said.
"Get out where I can see you." He motioned them into the
middle of the waiting room.
"Please," Kaya said. "We only want what's best for your
daughter."
"She's not his," Sarah whispered. "Don't say that."
"Shut up, slut. She's mine if I say she is." The man glared at
Kaya. "Give her over."
What did her one hour of hostage training teach her? Make
the encounter personal. Find a common ground, a point of
meeting. "I'm Kaya de los Santos, the clinic director. And your
name is-
"Now!"
"Stone," Sarah said. "Please."
He slammed Sarah on the cheek with the butt of the gun.
She went down to one knee without making a sound.
"Mr. Stone," Kaya said.
"Just Stone," he said.
"Can I get Sarah some ice? From the fridge behind the desk?"
Stone smacked his palm on the desk. "Hurry up. I see a gun,
I'm gonna blow your head off."
"No guns. See?" Clutching Angelina to her chest, Kaya pulled
the tiny tray of cubes from the freezer and sat down.
"What're you doing?" Stone was tall and thin. His neck was
heavily tattooed and his eyebrows pierced with heavy studs.
Reeking of smoke, even now he patted his T-shirt, looking for
a cigarette.
Kaya almost laughed when he pulled out a pack of low-tars.
"Looking for something to wrap the ice in."
She pulled her chair in all the way. Underneath the desk
was the panic button that Jason Logan had installed. She
pressed her knee against it and felt it vibrate to indicate the
signal had gone out.
"OK, I've got the ice wrapped. Can I give it to her?"
"No. The slut will come get it." Stone turned to Sarah.
"Get up."
Sarah held the ice in her hand, apparently unable to stir
enough energy to put it to the bruise. Kaya guided the girl's
hand to her face.
"Give me the baby." Stone's cheek twitched despite the deep
draughts of nicotine. Likely coming off his high.
How long before the cops would get here? Even though the
clinic was closed, Jason Logan had insisted on keeping the
alarm active.
Kaya liked the sergeant's calm manner, had found herself
stealing glances at him in Bible study. His black hair, long
enough on top to shine under the lights. His warrior's eyes,
fierce until he grinned and showed his dimples. His football build was imposing, but she'd seen him gently cradle an
abused child.
Jason's wife had left him a few months back and taken his
little girl with her. Stupid woman. If Kaya had a man like Jason
Logan, she'd glue herself to him.
Where did that come from? Survival compensation-the
mind reached for the trivial to alleviate the obvious. Kaya took
a deep breath, forced herself to focus. "Stone, this little girl
really needs to be looked at before she goes home."
"You're the doc. Look at her."
"I'm not a doctor. I'm a nurse practitioner."
"What you are is stalling. And I'm not liking that, lady."
"I'm not, I swear. Something's wrong with the baby's
shoulder."
Come on, Jason. Where are you? He and his people must all
be out
Logan held up his index finger again. "If this is a prank, son,
you'd better fens up now."
"No prank. I swear. There was a timer attached. It looks like
it was set for ten o'clock."
Logan's watch read 9:56.
"Son, go to the substation and wait for me there, OK? Pappas,
tell 'em to send the works. I gotta get down there."
Logan broke into a run.
Half a mile and downhill all the way, but suddenly the Circle
seemed a hundred miles away.
chapter eight
ULLETS RIPPED THROUGH THE BACK DOOR.
Kaya unlocked the bolts of the front door with one
arm while holding the baby in the other. Nearly catatonic with fear, Sarah clung to her shirt like a toddler.
The back door shattered. The man was on them before Kaya
could get the last bolt unlocked.
"Give me that baby."
His eyes were narrowed, an animal ready to strike. His hair
was ragged, his face gaunt. His arms were marked with tiny
scabs, and his pupils were dilated. Clearly a meth head.
"OK, OK. But don't shoot. Please," Kaya said.
"Get out where I can see you." He motioned them into the
middle of the waiting room.
"Please," Kaya said. "We only want what's best for your
daughter."
"She's not his," Sarah whispered. "Don't say that."
"Shut up, slut. She's mine if I say she is." The man glared at
Kaya. "Give her over."
What did her one hour of hostage training teach her? Make
the encounter personal. Find a common ground, a point of
meeting. "I'm Kaya de los Santos, the clinic director. And your
name is-
"Now!"
"Stone," Sarah said. "Please."
He slammed Sarah on the cheek with the butt of the gun.
She went down to one knee without making a sound.
"Mr. Stone," Kaya said.
"Just Stone," he said.
"Can I get Sarah some ice? From the fridge behind the desk?"
Stone smacked his palm on the desk. "Hurry up. I see a gun,
I'm gonna blow your head off."
"No guns. See?" Clutching Angelina to her chest, Kaya pulled
the tiny tray of cubes from the freezer and sat down.
"What're you doing?" Stone was tall and thin. His neck was
heavily tattooed and his eyebrows pierced with heavy studs.
Reeking of smoke, even now he patted his T-shirt, looking for
a cigarette.
Kaya almost laughed when he pulled out a pack of low-tars.
"Looking for something to wrap the ice in."
She pulled her chair in all the way. Underneath the desk
was the panic button that Jason Logan had installed. She
pressed her knee against it and felt it vibrate to indicate the
signal had gone out.
"OK, I've got the ice wrapped. Can I give it to her?"
"No. The slut will come get it." Stone turned to Sarah.
"Get up."
Sarah held the ice in her hand, apparently unable to stir
enough energy to put it to the bruise. Kaya guided the girl's
hand to her face.
"Give me the baby." Stone's cheek twitched despite the deep
draughts of nicotine. Likely coming off his high.
How long before the cops would get here? Even though the
clinic was closed, Jason Logan had insisted on keeping the
alarm active.
Kaya liked the sergeant's calm manner, had found herself
stealing glances at him in Bible study. His black hair, long
enough on top to shine under the lights. His warrior's eyes,
fierce until he grinned and showed his dimples. His football build was imposing, but she'd seen him gently cradle an
abused child.
Jason's wife had left him a few months back and taken his
little girl with her. Stupid woman. If Kaya had a man like Jason
Logan, she'd glue herself to him.
Where did that come from? Survival compensation-the
mind reached for the trivial to alleviate the obvious. Kaya took
a deep breath, forced herself to focus. "Stone, this little girl
really needs to be looked at before she goes home."
"You're the doc. Look at her."
"I'm not a doctor. I'm a nurse practitioner."
"What you are is stalling. And I'm not liking that, lady."
"I'm not, I swear. Something's wrong with the baby's
shoulder."
Come on, Jason. Where are you? He and his people must all
be out
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