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  Johnny leaned forward, Eileen and McShane’s “good news” all but forgotten. “Hey, Pete. Thought you were gonna sleep the day away,” he teased. “How’re you feelin’?”

  “Been better,” he muttered. “Eileen…she’s not—”

  Johnny sensed the reservation in his brother’s words. “Pete, you can tell me—”

  “I know,” Pete cut in. “It’s not for everyone…to hear.”

  The women. Johnny realized that Pete’s reluctance came from not knowing if he could trust them. Could be Pete sensed Traci would tell everything she knew if McShane frightened her into spilling it. He didn’t push.

  “Easy, brother. I understand.”

  “Come closer.” Pete’s voice was a ragged whisper. Johnny leaned down and Pete lifted his arm, cupping his hand close to Johnny’s ear. “Trust her, Johnny.”

  Johnny looked hard at his younger brother, searching his swollen features. “Eileen?” he asked in a low voice.

  Pete gave a slight nod. “Tell you…all about it…later.” Then, his eyes slid shut, the effort too great to keep them open.

  “I hope you can,” Johnny murmured. “Just hang on, Pete.” He eased back beside Alexa and she took his hand.

  “Are you okay?” she whispered.

  He looked at her, reaching to smooth the hair out of her eyes as the wind ruffled it. He smiled at her, and the tension eased between her brows, her eyes losing some of the worry. He hurt like bloody hell. He didn’t need a doctor to tell him his wounds were becoming infected. He’d lost a nephew, a family friend and maybe, a brother, if their luck didn’t turn around in the next five minutes or so.

  He nodded. “You just stay with me, Lex. It’ll all come out right.”

  “I know. I believe in you.”

  “This changes things a bit, I’d say,” Brendan Roberts broke in.

  Johnny turned to look at him. “Not for us.”

  Roberts rubbed his chin. “It’s all in the timing, John,” he murmured. “All in the timing.” He raised a brow, and Johnny understood that Roberts’s political acumen had not failed him in this instance. Roberts hadn’t heard what Pete had whispered to him, but he had his own gut feelings—and his observations. He was letting Johnny know he agreed with Alexa’s earlier assessment—that Eileen Bannion was trying to help them, any way she could.

  Roberts’s gaze wandered to where Eileen and McShane sat together, away from the hostages, talking.

  “If nothing else, it’s bought us a few more minutes,” Roberts noted.

  A mixed blessing, Johnny thought, looking at his battered brother. Time was not on their side, in any case.

  ♥ ♥ ♥

  Daniel held the baby close to him. It came easily to him now—now that he realized the child wasn’t going to break. He kept to the side of the corridor, knowing that Billings would be in one of the rooms. He hadn’t come back down the hallway while Daniel was helping Taylor die.

  Yeah, Billings was here, somewhere.

  Daniel had no choice other than to continue back toward the elevators, if he ever hoped to get the baby to safety.

  Once the baby woke up again, it would set up a yell and whatnot from bein’ hungry. Be like a damn siren goin’ off. He’d be an easier mark than ever for Billings to spot. He shook his head, took another step. If he did come across more SWAT members, there was still three of ’em dirty cops. Richter, Frazier, and Creston. He wouldn’t know any of them by sight—only by name.

  Couldn’t worry ’bout that now. He needed to think about what he could do to get this baby somewhere safe. Then, he needed to help Pete Logan, like he’d promised he would. He hadn’t felt right about that—leavin’ either one of the Logan brothers behind. Wasn’t right not to see to your own. You always went back for ’em—the dead and the wounded—no matter what.

  Two more steps and he was able to see the elevator, still jammed open, the lights blinking. Taylor’s body was sprawled just as he’d left it. He was beginning to think maybe he hadn’t been so smart after all, going back after Billings.

  He could be anywhere. Behind him—in front of him…and he’d never forgive himself if he got this little baby killed. Maybe… Maybe Billings had just slipped off down the back stairs…down the fire exit stairwell… He wiped the sweat from his eyes. Had to see clear…think clear…

  Daniel began to walk faster now that the elevators were closer. What could he do with the baby to keep it safe? It was a worry. He couldn’t carry it around with him. If it woke up, it would get him killed, and he couldn’t do anything to help the others if he was dead.

  He glanced at Taylor as he passed by, wishing he could’ve done more… Couldn’t think about that now. He reached to push the up button on the other elevator. The door opened and he stepped inside, holding his gun in position as the door closed. He breathed a deep sigh. He hadn’t realized how tense he’d been. But the wonder of it was, he didn’t have a trace of the shakes—not like he usually got when he was anxious.

  He took another deep breath, glancing down at the baby. “Let’s get you safe, big ’un,” he muttered. He punched number twenty, and they started up. He’d made up his mind. He could take the baby to a room close by the elevators and lay it on the bed. He’d put pillows around it to keep it from rolling off. Then he’d go do what he could to help Pete Logan, as he’d promised. It was the right thing, to come back for him and Johnny.

  The door opened and Daniel walked out. When the blow came, he had no warning, no thought. In instant blackness, he went to his knees, then fell forward, the baby beneath him.

  ♥ ♥ ♥

  “I should kill you both,” Cal Billings muttered as the baby began to cry. “But I won’t. Not yet, anyway. A baby’s always a good hostage—the best. People do things for a baby that they’d never do for an adult.”

  He put his booted toe under Daniel’s ribs and lifted, then nudged him on over. “Dumbass,” he muttered, then turned a wide smile on the crying baby. “Come to Papa.”

  Chapter 37

  “Captain?”

  Carter turned at the sound of the young officer’s voice behind him. He glanced at the hot dog and canned cola Lambert held. “Tony.”

  “I brought you something to eat.” Lambert thrust the food and drink forward. “Wasn’t sure what you liked on your dog—”

  Carter smiled. “Mustard’s fine. Thanks.”

  He found he was hungry, after all. He’d had a tight knot in his gut ever since this entire fiasco had come down. Not quite twenty-four hours earlier. He took a drink from the can. Pepsi. He grimaced, but drank again, anyway. He was a Coke kind of guy, but the other would do in a pinch.

  And they were all in a pinch right now, he thought.

  “Did you get Williams to eat anything?”

  Lambert shook his head. “No. He says he’s not hungry.” His gaze strayed to where Ronnie Williams sat on his haunches, staring ahead into the deepening shadows.

  Carter’s glance followed. His lips compressed. He knew he should’ve prevented Danny Williams from doing what he’d done. But a small part of him was glad the younger Williams had returned to the hotel—especially when Ronnie had divulged what Danny had said to him. Carter could only deduce that Danny had gone back inside in an effort to help the hostages. And as misguided as that was, Carter was hoping against hope that something positive could come of it. For Johnny and Pete, especially, if they were even still alive.

  Carter met Lambert’s eyes. “Guess I’d feel the same if—I had a brother like that,” he said, his voice harsher than he’d intended. He shook his head, looking at Williams’s dejected figure again. “Hell, he didn’t have any idea that Danny’d take off like he did…go back into that hellhole…”

  He chewed on the inside of his cheek, lost in his own thoughts. What a bloody mess this had become. It would be a true war zone in there now. Dirty terrorists, dirty cops…and he was beginning to wonder, with all of McShane’s leverage and technological keenness—maybe a dirty bomb?

 
“Guess I better get goin’,” he heard Lambert say, recalling him to the present.

  “Thanks, Tony. I appreciate it.”

  The young officer smiled. “You got a lot on your mind, Cap.”

  Carter nodded. “Yeah,” he muttered, his expression becoming grim once more. “No way this is gonna come out okay.”

  “It just got worse,” Lambert said, looking over Carter’s shoulder. “Here comes that FBI asshole.”

  Carter turned to see Evan Sanders bearing down on them. He gave a heavy sigh. “Tony, you have my permission to get the hell out of here.”

  “Looks like you might need backup,” Lambert returned.

  Carter flashed him a grin. “Thanks. I’m going to see you get that mental checkup once this is all over.”

  “I need to learn how to handle these sons of bitches,” Lambert answered.

  Carter grimaced. “Here comes lesson number one.”

  “Captain Carter! What the hell? I’ve been looking all over for you, sir. It seems you might’ve had the good grace to let me know you were leaving the premises.”

  “I haven’t left them…yet,” Carter replied. “How can I help you, Agent Sanders?”

  “I think it’s more like how I can help you,” Sanders said smugly.

  I’d love to take the time to just beat the holy shit out of you, you pompous little prick. Carter’s smile was faint, and he hoped he wasn’t letting that sweet thought show in his expression. “How’s that?”

  “I’ve got them a helicopter,” Sanders said with a smirk. “A nice Blackhawk chopper—complete with a trained gunner and a black ops pilot and crew. Let’s see them try to shoot that down.”

  “Sanders, you’re a fucking idiot!” Carter exploded. “McShane will detonate those bombs as soon as he recognizes what you’re doing. That building’ll be rubble in seconds.”

  “The bastard’ll be dead, Carter. That’s all that matters!”

  Carter looked at him, dumbfounded. “There are hostages in there—Police officers… The Prime Minister of Great Britain!”

  “Radio the SWAT teams to evacuate.”

  “No! There are others—Johnny and Pete Logan—”

  Sanders waved a hand. “Probably dead already, Carter. You couldn’t get McShane to put Pete Logan on the line earlier. My gut feeling is Logan was…unavailable.”

  “Dead? I don’t think so. And I won’t take that chance—not with hostages. The Prime Minister—”

  “Probably dead, too.”

  “You are going to create an international catastrophe here,” Carter reminded him harshly.

  “That’s already happened. A bit late to worry on that front, Captain.”

  “Damn it, you don’t know that any of them are dead!”

  “We can’t go on like this forever. Someone had to make a move. I did it.”

  Carter reached for Sanders’s shirt collar, jerking him closer, then catching the other lapel with his left hand until the agent’s face was two inches from his own.

  “What the fuck are you talking about, you little sawed-off bastard?”

  Sanders gasped, then wheezed, “I…arranged it already.” He clawed at his neck, eyes wide as Carter’s grip tightened further. “The chopper’s on its way.”

  ♥ ♥ ♥

  The door to the roof opened by a cautious hand, the baby’s wail emerging before either Billings or his personal hostage.

  Johnny watched as Eileen Bannion stood up, sauntering to the open door, her gun leveled. “Come out slow and easy if ye’ want to keep yer head on.”

  Daniel emerged first, clumsily climbing out the last couple of steps as he tried to hold the squirming baby.

  Billings followed behind, swaggering. He nodded at Eileen, giving her a triumphant smile.

  “Caught yourself a half-wit and a baby, I see, Mr. Billings,” she said acidly. “Good work. About what we expect from you Americans.”

  The smarmy grin left his face, his eyes growing hot with anger. “Now, look—” The words choked into silence as Eileen brought her gun to bear on his throat.

  “Shut up.” She jerked her head toward where McShane sat, watching with great amusement. “Go sit back there with Kier. No doubt, he’ll want to hear all about your daring. I’ve always hated braggarts, myself.”

  Billings’s eyes narrowed. “I’m one of you!”

  Eileen let go a contemptuous laugh. “No. You’re pathetic.”

  Billings swallowed hard, but didn’t respond. Instead, he looked around at the hostages seated on the ground. “Where are the others?”

  “The other—traitors?” Eileen motioned him back to McShane with her weapon. “Two are dead that we know of, and another is unaccounted for.”

  “Dead? But—how? That wasn’t supposed to happen—”

  “Billings,” McShane raised a hand, and Billings obeyed his call.

  Eileen turned to the big man standing in front of her holding the crying baby. “You must be Danny,” she said. Not waiting for an answer, she nodded toward where Johnny’s group sat. “Have a seat over there.”

  She followed him over, and Alexa reached to take the unhappy baby from him as he knelt down. “Thank God you’re safe,” Alexa said as Johnny shifted to make room for him.

  Daniel sank down, putting a hand to the back of his head.

  “Are you all right?” Johnny asked.

  Daniel nodded. “Yeah.” He turned to look at Johnny after a moment. “It was just stupid—what I done. Billings—he tricked me.”

  Johnny put a hand on his slumped shoulder. “You tried, Daniel. I appreciate that.”

  Daniel smiled. “I come back for him.” He nodded at Pete, then looked at Johnny. “I couldn’t leave y’all in a fix. You never leave the wounded—not when you’re a medic. And soldiers never leave any man behind.”

  Johnny veiled his eyes at this remark, unsure of what Daniel meant about “coming back”.

  “No. You’re right. They never do.” He’d find out later, after Daniel had rested some.

  “Come here, sweetheart.” Alexa smiled at the baby.

  Johnny’s attention was drawn back to her as she spoke. She glanced up at Eileen. “Could I go inside and clean him up? He needs a change, and I think I might be able to rig up a bottle of water for him.”

  “No tricks.”

  Alexa shook her head. “No. You have my word.”

  “Go on, then.” Eileen nodded toward the door to the equipment room. “But don’t make the mistake of playing me for a fool. I’ll kill the lot o’ye’.”

  Alexa stood up, balancing the tiny bundle.

  “No more than fifteen minutes,” Eileen told her brusquely.

  “All right.” She headed for the door.

  Eileen knelt beside Pete, laying her palm to his forehead. “Ach,” she muttered, “ye’re burnin’ up.” She seemed oblivious to the others, and Johnny found himself wondering exactly what had passed between this petite Irishwoman and his brother. Something. He let his eyes go almost shut, watching as the genuine look of concern for his brother passed over her fine features.

  “Peter, ye’re a mess. Ye’ need to hang on, and remember what I told ye’.”

  “He needs a doctor,” Daniel said, shaking his head. “Fever’s a bad sign. Is he wounded?”

  Eileen glanced at him, then back at Pete. “If you mean a bullet or a knife, no. But Latham and Farley worked him over. Cracked ribs an’ the like.”

  Daniel moved forward. “That could puncture a lung—”

  Eileen gave him a bemused look. “What do ye’ know about it? Are ye’ a doctor, then, or something?”

  Johnny saw the darkening flush rush to Daniel’s cheeks. “Or something,” he said, and Daniel and Eileen both turned to look at him. “Daniel’s pretty handy with medicine. Had some experience in Viet Nam.”

  “But I’m no doctor,” Daniel was quick to add. “Never made it that far…after the war.” He gestured to the sleeping man. “Anybody can see he’s hurt bad.” His gaze moved up slowly to
lock with Eileen’s. “He could be dyin’ if they beat him that bad, ma’am.”

  Eileen bit her bottom lip, and Johnny sensed her concern for his brother was more than it should be, for whatever reason. “Let him go, Miss Bannion.” Johnny drew her steady gaze and held it. “You don’t need him. You’ve got me. What can you gain by holding two cops rather than one?”

  “Three.” Eileen glanced over her shoulder to where Billings sat with McShane.

  “No. Billings is expendable…we both know it.”

  She looked at Traci for the first time, and gave her a smile that was almost kind. “You’re in love with him?”

  Traci shook her head in adamant denial. “No. How can you fall in love with a person in one day? That’s crazy.”

  Eileen turned back to Johnny. “Is it? Crazy?”

  He wasn’t sure what she was asking; what she needed to hear from him. The truth, maybe?

  “No. It’s not crazy. It happens.” That much, he knew firsthand.

  She gave a nod, a smile curving her lips. “It happens,” she agreed in a soft tone. She fingered Pete’s close-cropped hair, scrutinizing his face, as if memorizing every feature. “He asked me to spare your life, John T. Did you know that?”

  Johnny could swear he heard tears in her voice. He shook his head. “No. But that sounds like him.”

  “Sounds like you,” she reminded him. Silence fell over the group and she stood up. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Miss Bannion.”

  She turned, arching a dark brow.

  “Will you release the women and the baby?”

  She hesitated a moment. “You love her very much, don’t you?”

  Johnny didn’t answer.

  Eileen nodded. “Let me work on it. No guarantees.”

  “No. No guarantees. I understand,” he murmured.

  She turned and walked away.

  Brendan Roberts let his breath out in a long, slow sigh. “Well. That was some headway you made.”

  Johnny felt anything but triumphant. He was beginning to wonder just how much sway Eileen Bannion held with McShane. And he was thinking it wasn’t enough to change things. For any of them.