Pulling her radio out, Delta turned the volume up a notch. “Five-oh-nine, this is one-eight-two. What’s your twenty?”
Delta waited for a response. When it didn’t come, her heart pounded harder. “Five-oh-nine, this is one-eight-two, do you copy?”
Still no response.
“What in the hell?” Delta wondered if Jan might not have her radio turned on, and then remembered that Jan had called back-up with it. It was on. She just wasn’t responding.
Delta swallowed back the anxiety rising within her. “Five-oh-nine, this is one-eight-two; can you read me, over?”
Nothing. The silent airwaves clutched Delta’s throat. Where was she, and why wasn’t she answering? Ducking into the slightly quieter video game section of the bowling alley, Delta caught her breath. One of her worst fears began clawing at her imagination. Not Jan. She had lost Miles because she hadn’t pulled the shotgun out fast enough, but the thought of losing Jan . . .
Before she could complete the thought, an unfamiliar voice broke through the airwaves.
“Call off the dogs, Stevens, or she dies.”
Delta glared at the radio in her hand. He had her. That mother-fucking bastard had her partner. If she could have reached through it and ripped his tongue from his mouth, she would have. Like a vice, his voice gripped her. In one panicky moment, Delta thought about screaming at him over the radio. She wanted to yell and swear and threaten to do all sorts of horrible things to him. Instead, she sucked in a deep breath and calmly ordered everyone off the frequency. She alerted all units that she had a potential hostage situation and for everyone to back off at this time.
Peering out of the video section, Delta searched the bowling alley one more time. There was no sign of him anywhere.
Suddenly, Leonard’s voice came on. “Okay, Stevie, we get your message loud and clear. We do nothing until we get the signal from you.”
Raising the radio to her mouth, Delta again ordered everyone off the frequency, including all higher ranking officers.
Inhaling a painfully tight breath, Delta spoke again into the radio. “Let her go, Elson.” Delta’s voice was cold and hard. “We have this place surrounded. Give it up.”
Elson laughed into the radio on the other end. “And quit the game so soon? I think not. I’m having much-too-much fun.”
Delta held her radio too tightly, her fingernails were turning white. “What do you want, Elson?” Delta looked up as she heard the sound of a helicopter hovering overhead. It surprised her that Leonard had been able to get one in the air so quickly. Was he having her tailed?
“Elson? Are you still there?”
“Of course. I was just explaining to your partner here, that I’ll break her neck if she tries anything other than what I instruct. Thus far, she’s been extremely cooperative. I suggest you do the same, unless you care to find her looking much like that poor child at the fair.”
“I’m listening.”
“There are three doors leading to the back room, where your lovely partner and I are located. One will open up right to me, and the other two do not. Choose the wrong one or fail to move quickly enough, and she dies. You have one minute to decide. Simple enough?”
Delta nodded. “It’s me you want. Let her go.”
“One minute, Stevens. That’s all you’ve got.”
Delta wiped the sweat from her upper lip. The smoke from the bowlers was stifling and made her light-headed. “Elson?” Delta checked her watch.
“Forty-five seconds.”
“Elson, if you harm her, I’ll kill you. Is that simple enough?”
The radio sputtered. “You’re wasting precious time with your silly threats.”
Looking at the three doors, Delta felt her stomach turn. He was behind one of them. He was back there, holding her partner hostage, while he continued to play his demented games.
She believed with every cop instinct she possessed that he would kill Jan. If she did nothing, he would kill her and possibly escape before they could erect a solid net around the block to contain him. If she chose wrong, she was sentencing Jan to death. Again, he had the upper hand. Again, he was calling all the shots. And again, he held another life in the palm of his hand. As much as Delta hated every fiber in his body, she had to admit that he was good.
But she was better.
Moving toward the middle door, Delta’s mind raced through the story Megan had read to her about the gorgons. They were blind, had snakes for hair, could turn people to stone, and they protected the nymphs who cared for the prized winged sandals. There were so many details; so many things to remember. Connie believed the winged sandals were Dori’s next prize. She needed those shoes.
Shoes.
That was it! Bowling shoes. Delta shuddered. Her partner’s life hinged on a pair of bowling shoes. Running the length of the bowling alley, Delta grabbed the attendant standing at the bowling balls.
“The shoes! Which door are the bowling shoes behind?”
“The one on the far right. Is there a problem?”
Looking at her watch, Delta saw that she had only ten seconds left.
Wiping the sweat from her palm, Delta drew her sidearm and ignored the cries coming from the frightened bowlers who watched her run across five lanes and stopping when she reached the door on the right. With her right hand, she carefully wrapped her fingers around the knob and gently tried to turn it.
It didn’t budge.
Backing up a step, Delta braced herself and kicked the door in. As it crashed open against a shoe rack, she knelt on one knee, her .357 magnum aimed immediately at the two people sitting on the floor in front of her. Heart racing, temples pounding, Delta poised the revolver at Elson Zuckerman, whose head was slightly behind Jan’s. He had Jan in a headlock, so that most of his face was shielded. Jan’s hands were locked onto his arm that was squeezing her neck and turning her face red. Jan’s gun was still in the holster and her baton on the floor. Whatever had happened between them had happened so fast, Jan did not have the time to pull her gun.
“Good choice,” Elson said calmly. “You impress me, Officer Stevens. Thus far, you have managed to come in contact with me twice. That’s two more times than I would have believed possible. You do make a fabulous warrior.”
Delta steadied her breathing as she caught the right side of his face through her sights. “Let her go.” Delta stiffened her trigger finger, so that the slightest movement would send a round through his right eye.
If only she had a clear shot . . .
“Don’t even think about it, Officer Stevens. You saw what I did to little Helen. I can do the same to your partner. By the time you pulled that trigger, she’d be a dead woman. Surely, you don’t doubt that I can, or would?”
No, Delta didn’t doubt it. Not for a second. “What do you want?”
A slight, malevolent grin slid across his face. “Oh, I got what I came for, and he didn’t even fight.”
Delta stole a glance over his shoulder and saw a young man lying on the ground with a yellow ribbon around his neck. He was in his stocking feet.
“I must say,” Elson continued, “I am quite surprised to find that you’ve figured the game out. I hadn’t anticipated trouble from you until level six or seven. That’s a credit to you, Stevens, more than it is to Consuela. She would be nowhere without you. You are an exceptional adversary. Thank you for making this so enjoyable.”
Delta looked at Jan’s blue eyes and wondered why she hadn’t seen them before. They were saying a million things to Delta, held a million fears—that she might never see her children again; that she might not have the chance to say goodbye to Dennis; that she might not even live to see tomorrow. Her eyes reflected the same kind of fear a deer’s does just before being hit by a car.
But Delta’s eyes spoke right back to her. Delta eyed her strongly. She had lost one partner already. She wasn’t about to lose another. Not now, and not to this fucking maniac.
That much she was sure of.
“Cut the horseshit, Elson. Let her go, and maybe I won’t kill you.”
The smile slithered wider. “Oh, I like that. Would you forfeit your partner’s life to save that of your dear friend? The one who delights in belittling people? You would exchange one good life for a tainted one? What an added twist! Delta, you have truly made this one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life.”
Jan’s eyes were watering now, either from the pressure on her neck, fear, or both.
“Maybe.” Delta knew that squeezing a round off so close to Jan’s head was a great risk at best. If the shot wasn’t clear, she couldn’t chance hitting Jan with an errant shot. She needed just a little more room.
“Oh, and maybe not.” Elson’s smile grew. “I see that Consuela has chosen her champion well. I’ve done a great deal of research on you, my friend. I know that you don’t play by the rules. That’s why you and Consuela make such an admirable team; you have opposing personalities. You are the rebel who breaks the rules, and she is as consistent as the sun coming up. Well, rule bender, let’s see, what’s that one cop rule about never giving your weapon up? Didn’t some poor slob buy the farm with his own gun somewhere in an onion field some time ago? Yes, I do believe I read that book. Why not make this interesting, Storm, and put your weapon down?”
“Because I’m not insane like you.”
Elson’s smile dropped a little. “Be true to your rebellious nature. Put the gun down, and I swear, I’ll spare her life. I give you my word as a gentleman.”
Delta shook her head. “Kiss my ass.”
The smile did not waver. “You don’t think I’ll do it, do you?” Elson tightened his grip on Jan’s neck.
“On the contrary. I’m sure you will. I’ve already written her off as dead, you crazy fuck. I’ve seen what a `gentleman’you can be. My only concern now is that my partner doesn’t go to her grave alone.” Delta steadied her aim on the top right portion of his skull. She just needed one clear shot.
“You’re bluffing.” The smile faded a bit.
“Am I?” Delta cocked the trigger—an act done only by cops on T.V.
The smile completely vanished. “You’re killing her by not putting your gun down. You understand that, don’t you?”
Delta shrugged, keeping her eye trained on his face. “Maybe. That’s a chance I’m willing to take.” Delta looked into Jan’s eyes and saw the imperceptible acknowledgment of what Delta was about to try.
Suddenly, Elson stood, jerking Jan to her feet. Backing toward a stairway Delta hadn’t noticed before, he regained his composure. “I believe you would, Stevens. I believe you would stop at nothing to protect the life of that bitch, Consuela.”
Delta inhaled, ready to stroke the trigger. “It’s no contest, Elson. Connie’s my best friend. Bowers is just my partner, and a shitty one at that.”
Cranking his hold on Jan, Elson stepped closer to the stairs. “I’m a fraction of an inch away from breaking your partner’s neck. I’ll give you one more chance to put your gun down and save her life. Her life is in your hands. It’s that easy.”
“Not a chance. If she dies, you die. That’s even easier.” Beads of sweat rolled down Delta’s back as she trained the gun on his forehead. She didn’t doubt that he’d snap Jan’s neck, regardless of what Delta did. Delta saw no other alternative but to take him out before he could harm Jan. Inhaling slowly, Delta readied herself for her final aim.
“Do it,” Jan uttered through clenched teeth. “Kill the fucker.”
Before Delta could squeeze off a round, Elson tossed Jan at Delta before flinging a Chinese star at Delta’s thigh. Delta’s gun exploded and the two women crashed to the floor as Elson scrambled up the wooden stairway.
“Shit, shit, shit!” Delta yelled, grabbing her right thigh as she fell against a shelf stacked with bowling shoes. Clutching her gun, Delta rolled to her side and tried vainly to get up, but the intense pain from the points embedded deep into her flesh brought her back to the floor.
“Jan?” Delta asked, seeing Jan slowly rise from the ground. “Are you hit?”
Shaking her head, Jan gasped for air. “No.” Grabbing her radio off the floor Jan announced, “This is S1012. Suspect fled to the roof of the building. Description: five-foot-six, one-thirty-five, brown hair, short levi jacket, blue jeans, white tennis shoes. He is armed and very dangerous.” Jan inhaled another breath to continue. “We also have a 187 and an officer down. Repeat, officer down; request an ambulance.”
Delta sat on the floor, holding her throbbing thigh in both hands. Blood soaked through her pants and began dripping slowly to the concrete floor beneath her. She did not hear the response from the radio, concentrating instead on not passing out.
“Go after him!” Delta growled, as a hot streak of pain seared through her leg.
Jan was at her side in an instant. “No way, pal. I’m staying here with you.” Jan set her radio down and knelt next to Delta. “If he’s on the roof, he’s ours.” Glancing at the blood-covered star, Jan gulped in some air. “Want me to pull it out?”
Delta nodded. “Do it fast.”
“The doctor will yell at us.”
“Who gives a shit? I’m bleeding to death.”
Grabbing the star, Jan turned her face away and yanked it free from Delta’s leg, sending a short spurt of blood across the room.
“Son-of-a-bitch!” Delta cried, holding her head in her hands. “God, that hurts.”