'I'm not going to wake this man.'
'I just need him for a few minutes. That's why I got him.'
Klaus pressed his stethoscope to Smith's neck.
'He's going to the hospital. He could have an intracranial hematoma or a fracture, or both. You get a pressure buildup in the brain, it can be bad.'
Talley leaned past Klaus. He took Smith by the face and shook him.
'Smith! Wake up!'
Klaus grabbed Talley's hand, trying to pull it away.
'What the fuck are you doing? Get away from him!'
Talley shook Smith harder.
'Wake up, goddamnit!'
Smith's eyes fluttered, one open more than the other. He didn't seem to be looking at Talley, so Talley leaned closer. The eyes seemed to focus.
Talley said, 'Who are you?'
Klaus pushed at him now.
'Let go of him. I'll have you brought up on charges, you sonofabitch.'
Smith's eyes lost their focus and closed. Talley took Klaus by the arm, trying to make him see.
'Use smelling salts, give him a shot, whatever. I just need a minute.'
Colby cranked the engine, and Talley slapped at the wall, shouting.
'Don't move this van!'
Klaus and Bigelow both stared at him. Klaus slowly looked at Talley's hand gripping his arm.
'I'm not going to wake him. I don't even know that I can. Now let go of me.'
'We're talking about lives here. Innocent lives. I just need to ask him a few questions.'
'Let go of me.'
Talley stared into the hard, angry eyes. Tension knotted his face and neck. He held tight to Klaus's arm and thought about the Colt folded in his sweatshirt.
'Just one question. Please.'
The hard little eyes showed no mercy.
'He can't answer you.'
Talley stared at Smith's still form. So close. So close.
Klaus looked down at his arm again, Talley still squeezing tight.
'Let go of me, goddamnit. We're taking this man to the hospital.'
Martin was watching him from the door, Ellison and Metzger behind her. Talley released the doctor's arm.
'When is he going to wake up?'
'I don't know if he'll ever wake up. You get bleeding between the skull and brain, the pressure can build to such a degree that brain death can result. I don't know. Now stay in or get out, but just let us go.'
Talley looked at Smith again, feeling helpless. He climbed out of the ambulance and pulled Metzger aside.
'Who's still here? Which of our guys is still here?'
'Jorgy. I think Campbell is still-'
'Then Jorgenson stays here. I want you waiting in this guy's lap. I want to know the second, and I mean the second, that he wakes up.'
Metzger turned away, keying her shoulder mike for Jorgenson.
Talley walked back to Maddox's car for the rest of his gear. His chest heaved. He felt angry and closed. He had put everyone at risk, and Smith was beyond him. Smith couldn't talk. He stared at the house, wanting to do something, but there was nothing to do.
Talley felt himself hating Dennis Rooney, and wanted to kill him.
He turned away and saw Martin watching him. He didn't care.
None of it looked real: Talley and the other guy in their underwear, carrying Smith away; Smith being loaded into the ambulance; the search-lights from the helicopters crisscrossing each other over the ground like light sabers. The pools of light were so bright that all the color was washed from the picture; the cops were gray shadows, the ambulance pink, the street blue. Dennis watched the ambulance work its way from the cul-de-sac, thinking only then that the ambulance could have been his ride out, that he could have made it a part of the deal, grab the suitcase with the money, tape his hand to a gun and the gun to Smith, then take over the ambulance and make them drive him south to the border. Why did all the best ideas come when it was too late?
Mars stepped up beside him with the same look he had for the Mexicans at work: I can see inside you; I know what you're thinking; you have no secrets from me.
'They would have killed you as soon as you got into the ambulance. Better to stay in here.'
Dennis glanced at Mars, then walked away, pissed that Mars found him so obvious. Mars was getting to be a pain in the ass. Dennis sat at Smith's desk and put up his feet.
'Staying here sucks, Mars. You might like it, but I want to get the hell out. I bought us some time, now we've got to figure this out. Any ideas?'
He looked from Mars to Kevin, but neither of them answered.
'Great. That's just fucking great. If anyone decides to help, just speak up.'
Dennis turned to the girl and spread his hands.
'All right. Your old man's out. You happy now?'
'Thank you.'
'I'm fuckin' starving. Go back in the kitchen and fix something else. This time don't throw it on the floor. And make some coffee. Make it strong. We're gonna be up all night.'
Mars took the girl back to the kitchen.
When they were gone, Dennis noticed that Kevin was staring at him.
'What?'
'We're not going to get out of here.'
'For chrissake! Please!'
'Mars and I don't care about the money. You won't let go of it and that's why we're still here. There's no way to get away with it, Dennis. We're surrounded. We're on fucking television. We're fucked.'
