"Dendy will concede that this was a runaway and not a kidnaping. Of course the additional charges would stand."
"And they must be allowed to keep their child."
"Dendy said as much himself a few minutes ago. If Davison will agree to those terms, he'll have my personal guarantee that no force will be used."
"I'll pass along the message and get back to you."
"I'm standing by."
She hung up. Ronnie and Doc turned to her. In fact, everyone was listening intently. It seemed that the role of mediator had been bestowed on her. She didn't particularly welcome it. Suppose, despite everyone's best intentions, something went terribly wrong? If this standoff ultimately ended in disaster, for the rest of her life she would feel responsible for the tragic outcome.
Over the course of the last few hours, Tiel's priority had shifted. It had been a gradual shift, and until this moment she hadn't even realized that it had taken place. The news story had become a secondary consideration. At what point had it become an afterthought? When she saw Sabra's blood on her gloved hands? When Juan threatened Katherine's fragile life?
The people making the story were much more important to her now than the story itself. Producing a prizewinning, job-securing exclusive account of this drama wasn't as vital a goal as it had been previously. What she wished for now was a resolution to celebrate, not lament.
If she blew it…
She simply couldn't, that's all.
"The kidnaping allegation has been dropped," she told Ronnie, who was listening expectantly. "You'll have to face other criminal charges. Mr. Dendy has agreed to let Sabra keep the baby. If you agree to these terms and surrender, Mr. Galloway gives you his personal guarantee that no force will be used."
"It's a good deal, Ronnie," Doc said. "Take it."
"No, don't."
Sabra spoke in hardly more than a croak. Somehow she had managed to stand. She was leaning heavily against the freezer chest in order to keep herself upright. Her eyes were sunken and her complexion was leeched of all color.
She looked like someone who'd had theatrical makeup expertly applied for a character rising out of a coffin.
"It's a trick, Ronnie. One of Daddy's tricks."
Doc rushed over to lend her support. "I don't think so, Sabra. Your dad responded to the video message you sent him."
Gratefully she clung to Doc, but her dull eyes beseeched Ronnie. "If you love me, don't agree to this. I won't leave here until I know I can be with you forever."
"Sabra, what about your baby?" Tiel asked gently.
"Think of her."
"You take her."
"What?"
"Carry her out. Give her to someone who'll take care of her. No matter what happens to us-to Ronnie and me- it's important to me to know that Katherine is going to be all right."
Tiel looked hopefully toward Doc for inspiration, but his expression was bleak. He seemed to feel as helpless as she.
"That's it then," Ronnie stated firmly. "That's what we'll do. We'll let you carry Katherine out. But we're not leaving until they let us go. Free and clear. No compromise."
"They'll never agree to that," Tiel said with desperation.
"That's an unreasonable demand."
"You committed armed robbery," Doc added. "You'll have to account for that, Ronnie. But because of extenuating circumstances, you'd have a good chance of beating the rap. Running away would be the worst thing you could do. That would solve nothing."
Tiel glanced at Doc, wondering if he were listening to his own advice. The admonishment against running away could be applied to him and his circumstances three years ago. He didn't notice her glance, however, because his attention was on Ronnie, who was arguing his point.
"Sabra and I vowed that we would never be forced apart. No matter what, we promised each other to stay together.
We meant it."
"Your father-"
"I'm not going to talk about it," the young man snapped. Turning to Tiel, he asked if she would carry Katherine out and deliver that message.
"What about the others? Will you release them?"
He glanced beyond her at the other hostages. "Not the two Mexicans. And not him," he said of Agent Cain. He had regained consciousness but appeared still to be incoherent from the kick in the head Juan had given him.
"The old folks and her. They can go."
When he pointed to Donna, she clasped her claw-like hands beneath her chin. "Thank you, Lord."
"I don't want to go," Gladys announced. She was still holding the sleeping infant in her arms. "I want to see what's going to happen."
"We'd better do as he says," Vern said, patting her shoulder. "We can wait for everybody else outside." He assisted Gladys up off the floor. "Before we go, I'm sure Sabra wants to tell Katherine goodbye."
The old lady carried the baby over to Sabra, where she was leaning heavily against Doc.
"Shall I notify Galloway of your decision?" Tiel asked Ronnie.
He was watching Sabra and his baby. "Half an hour."
"What?"
"That's the time limit I'm giving them to get back to me. If they won't let us leave in half an hour, we'll… we'll carry out our plan," he said thickly.
"Ronnie, please."
"That's it, Ms. McCoy. You tell them."
Galloway answered her call before the completion of the first ring. "I'm coming out with the baby. Have medical personnel standing by. I'm bringing out three of the hostages with me."
"Only three?"
"Three."
"What about the rest?"
"I'll tell you when I get there."
She hung up on him.
As Tiel approached Sabra, the young woman was crying.
"Bye-bye, sweet Katherine. My beautiful baby girl.
Mommie loves you. Very much." She was bent over the child, inhaling her scent, touching her everywhere. She kissed Katherine's face several times, then turned her own into Doc's shirt and sobbed.
Tiel took the baby from Gladys, who'd been holding her because Sabra didn't have the strength. Tiel carried Katherine over to Ronnie. As the young man gazed at the baby, his eyes filled with tears. His lower lip trembled uncontrollably. He was trying so hard to be tough, and failing miserably.
"Thanks for all you've done," he said to Tiel. "I know Sabra liked having you around."
Tiel's eyes appealed to him. "I don't believe you'll do it, Ronnie. I refuse to believe you would-could-pull that trigger and end Sabra's life and yours."
He chose not to respond and instead kissed the baby's forehead. "Bye, Katherine. I love you." Then, his motions jerky and abrupt, he stepped behind the counter to release the electric door lock.
Tiel allowed the others to go ahead of her. Before stepping through the door, she glanced over her shoulder at Doc. He had eased Sabra back onto the floor, but he raised his head as though Tiel's gaze had beckoned him.
Their eyes connected for only a millisecond, but, undeniably, it was a meaningful span of time and contact.
Then she slipped through the door and heard the bolt snap into place behind her.
From out of the darkness paramedics rushed forward.
Obviously, pairs of them had been pre-assigned to each hostage. Vern, Gladys, and Donna were surrounded and barraged with questions, which Gladys answered in a decidedly querulous tone.
A man and woman wearing identical scrubs and lab coats materialized in front of Tiel. The woman reached for Katherine, but Tiel didn't relinquish her just yet.
"Who are you?"
"Dr. Emily Garrett." She introduced herself as chief of the neonatal unit at a Midland hospital. "This is Dr.
Landry Giles, chief of obstetrics."
Tiel acknowledged the introductions, then said, "Regardless of anything you've heard to the contrary, the parents do not wish to put the child up for adoption."