Dead by Midnight

  Marc recognized him by his voice and was glad to put a face with the name. “You and your boys get the job done.”

  “I could say the same for you. You are sheer hell in a fight. I heard you served as a sniper with Special Forces.”

  Marc nodded. “That was a long time ago.”

  “Ever think of joining the Bureau and trying out for HRT?”

  Marc wrapped his arm around Sophie’s waist. “Thanks, but I’m happy with what I have here in Denver. Besides, I’m getting too old for this shit.”

  Tuck looked at the duct tape on his ribs. “I’ve cleared the two of you. There’s an ambulance waiting to take you to the ER. It looks like you’re a little worse for the wear.”

  Marc looked down, saw blood still oozing from beneath his duct tape. Tuck was probably right. He needed to make a trip to the ER.

  From behind them came Tom’s voice. “I know everyone is tired. We’ve all had one hell of a night. But we’ve got a story to tell, and we can tell it like no one else.”

  Sophie turned to listen.

  “That’s right,” said Baird. “I hope that photographer got photos of—”

  Tom cut him off. “Baird, you are done at the Denver Independent. There’s not a member of the staff who will tolerate you at the helm.”

  Cheers and applause.

  “Go to hell, Baird!” Alex shouted. “You suck.”

  Tom turned to the newspaper staff. “Who can help me get our story out?”

  Hands shot up, and people called out, Matt, Joaquin, and Alex among those who volunteered.

  “Thanks, Tuck,” Marc shook the man’s hand once more. He ducked down, kissed Sophie’s cheek. “Come on. We’re leaving. Now.”

  * * *

  23:45

  Kat looked up at the ceiling as they rolled her out of the Grand Ballroom, another contraction wrapping itself around her, the urge to push overwhelming.

  “Pant. Don’t push,” one of the EMTs said.

  Why did men, who would never have any idea what it was like to have a baby, try to tell women in labor what to do?

  “Tell them to shut up!” she growled through gritted teeth, gripping Gabe’s hand tightly with hers, fear and pain making her short-tempered. “We’re not going to make it.”

  “We’ll be fine,” one of them said. “University Hospital is just a few—”

  “No! It’s coming now!” She reached down beneath the sheet, felt inside herself. Her baby was there. “Stop! Gabe, make them stop. The baby is coming now.”

  “Guys, this isn’t going to work.” Gabe stopped the gurney, called to Holly. “Hey, Holly, can you help me? Kat is having the baby now. We need a room.”

  How could he sound so calm when Kat was in so much pain and their baby was going to pop out of her at any moment?

  He lifted her into his arms, followed Holly down the hallway to an open room, Kat resting her head against Gabe’s chest, fighting to ignore the fear that had consumed her since her water had broken.

  “Schroder, stay here,” Gabe said. “You other guys, just wait in the hall. She’s not used to having men around when she has a baby.”

  “What should I do?” Holly asked.

  “Just hold her hand, be there for her,” Gabe answered.

  Holly’s fingers closed over Kat’s, gave them a squeeze.

  If anything had gone wrong... If her baby hadn’t made it...

  Fear snaked through her, left her feeling sick.

  Gabe tore into a packet of sterile gloves. “I’m going to check you, okay?”

  Kat nodded, bending her knees and parting her thighs for him.

  He gently felt inside her. “Yeah, the baby’s right here. It’s a frank breech. Do we have a Doppler?”

  One of the EMTs in the hallway said they did, and Schroder went to get it.

  But there wasn’t time.

  The next contraction came, compelling her to push with all her might. She felt the baby move down, felt it stretching her.

  “It’s a girl,” Gabe said. “Keep pushing. That’s right. Great, Kat! You’re doing great, sweetheart.”

  Kat took a breath and pushed again, pain seeming to tear her apart.

  “Oh, my God!” Holly said.

  “I’ve got one leg out... and there’s the other one.” Gabe laughed. “She’s alive. She’s okay.”

  Kat opened her eyes. “She … she is?”

  Gabe smiled. “She’s kicking, and I can feel her little heart beating against my palm. We just need to get her out.”

  Relief, better than any anesthetic, washed through Kat.

  Her baby was alive.

  She rested, took deep breaths, and when the next contraction started, she pushed—hard.

  “That’s a shoulder, and another shoulder,” Gabe said. “We’re just going to let her rest here for a second. Sorry. I know this must hurt like hell.”

  Kat fought not to scream, the pain and pressure overwhelming.

  “I’m going to reach inside you now and try to lift her chin.”

  She felt Gabe’s fingers inside her.

  “Okay, now push.”

  Kat pushed and...

  The baby was out.

  “My baby!” Kat reached down, and Gabe lifted their new little daughter into her arms, a wide smile on his face.

  The baby’s eyes were open, but she wasn’t crying.

  Kat rubbed her with her hands, spoke to her in Navajo. “Cry for me, little one.”

  “Schroder, can you grab the oxytocin? Also, we’ll need a blanket, and I’d like to give the baby some oxygen.”

  “You got it.”

  He reached up with a cloth and rubbed the baby vigorously. “She’s okay, Kat. She’s just a little stunned. You weren’t expecting to be here so soon, were you, angel?”

  “Happy Birthday, baby girl.” Tears streamed down Holly’s cheeks. “Oh, she’s beautiful and ... so tiny.”

  She was tiny, but then again she was five weeks early.

  Gabe took off the gloves and gave Kat a shot in the thigh, explaining what he was doing to Holly. “Oxytocin. It helps prevent postpartum hemorrhage.”

  Then he held a tiny oxygen mask over the baby’s face. “She’s pinking up, aren’t you, my little Christmas angel?”

  “Can you help me pull down my dress?” Kat asked Holly. “I want to hold her against my skin where it’s warmer.”

  Holly unzipped Kat’s gown and pushed it down over her shoulders, then unfastened her bra.

  Kat held her baby against her breasts, stroked her dark hair, found herself sharing a smile with her husband, euphoria washing away hours of pain and uncertainty. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

  Gabe nodded, a sheen of tears in his eyes, one of his hands holding the baby’s. “She’s perfect.”

  “She looks just like Alissa—only smaller,” Holly said, taking one of the baby’s tiny hands. “Look at her little fingers.”

  Gabe spoke quietly to Schroder. “We can deal with the afterbirth and cord en route or at the hospital. I think we’re good to transport, but it’s bitter cold out there. Do they have heated blankets in the ambulance?”

  Kat was so absorbed in her little girl that she was all but unaware of the other things going on around her. Gabe draping a warm blanket around her shoulders. Holly walking beside her as they left the room. Gabe, Schroder and the EMTs pushing the gurney toward the elevator. Men in body armor moving aside for them, smiles on their weary faces. Cheers as Gabe announced to everyone that they had a little girl.

  “Congratulations, Rossiter!” said a man in tactical gear. He’d removed his helmet, his dark blond hair damp with sweat. “The name’s Tuck, ma’am. Your husband did some fine work for us tonight. Congratulations on your little daughter.”

  “Thank you.” Kat had no idea what Tuck was talking about or who he was or who any of these men were. It was as if she’d just woken from a nightmare and found herself in a strange world.

  One of them, the tallest one, stepped backward as the gurney roll
ed past him.

  “Bauer, man, don’t faint on me,” Schroder said to him. “It’s just a baby.”

  Gabe shook Schroder’s hand. “Thanks for what you did tonight.”

  “Hey, it was an honor. I just helped a man catch his own baby. It’s not often I get to do something like that. Congratulations.”

  And then they were in the elevator.

  “Do you mind if I ride with you to the hospital?” Holly asked, rubbing her temple. “Nick can’t get away quite yet, but I need to get to the ER.”

  It was then Kat remembered that Holly had been grazed by a bullet.

  She tore her gaze away from the baby and really looked at her friend. “Oh, God! What happened? You’ve got bruises on your face.”

  “Long story,” Holly said, not bothering to explain.

  * * *

  01:03

  Megan sat on the sofa beside Nate, Jack, Janet and Natalie sitting across from them. Up on the screen, Laura Nilsson was reporting on the arrest, trial, and sentencing of Oscar Moreno Ortíz, the bastard at the heart of all of this.

  “Zach is with that SOB right now,” Natalie said, a hint of worry in her voice.

  She and Zach lived close to the Cimarron, and she’d come over to wait out the night with Megan and the others, not wanting to be alone.

  “That man of yours knows what he’s doing,” Jack reassured her.

  Up on the screen, Laura went on. “Ortíz is serving two consecutive life sentences at ADX outside Florence, Colorado.”

  The screen cut away to images of the prison and then one of the prisoner cells, the sight making Megan’s stomach knot. She’d vowed never to see the inside of a prison again, and that included glimpses on the television screen.

  She stood. “Does anyone want tea or hot cocoa?”

  “I’d love more mint tea, please,” Natalie said. “Thank you.”

  Megan walked to the kitchen, blocking out the sound of the television and with it the description of the prison. Apart from the TV, the house was quiet. They’d long since put the kids to bed, Aiden—Zach and Natalie’s little boy—sleeping in an extra crib Nate had set up in one of the guest rooms.

  She felt Nate come up behind her.

  “I’ll give you a hand,” he said.

  “You think I can’t boil water?” She refilled the kettle, set it on the stove.

  “Maybe I just want to get you alone.” He turned on the burner, got the box of mint tea down, and set it on the counter. “How are you holding up?”

  “I’m okay.” She got down a fresh mug for Natalie and one for herself.

  Nate took the mugs from her hands, put them aside, and drew her into his arms. “I know tonight must have dredged up a lot of unwelcome memories.”

  “Yeah, I guess it has.” She closed her eyes, but that didn’t stop the images from flowing through her mind.

  Donny forcing her and Emily down into the dark basement. Donny threatening to kill Emily if Megan didn’t get money for him. Donny pressing a gun to her face, trying to tear off her pants. Gunshots. Blood.

  “Hey, you’re trembling.”

  “I must be a wimp. Marc and Sophie’s lives are on the line tonight. I shouldn’t be thinking about myself.”

  “Hey, stop.” Nate lifted her chin. “What happened that night was pretty damned awful. It would be strange if this didn’t bring up that experience for you.”

  “You are always so nice to me.”

  “I love you.” He smiled down at her, his blue eyes warm with concern. “You’re not alone with this.”

  He ran his thumb over the curve of her lower lip and kissed her. It was a sweet kiss, slow and soft, the contact momentarily driving all other thoughts from her mind. When her cell phone rang, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

  She slid the phone out of her pocket, looked at the display. “It’s Marc.”

  “Hey, kiddo. I just called to say it’s over. I know you’ve probably been following things on TV. I didn’t want you to worry. The bad guys are dead. We’re safe.”

  “Oh, thank God!” Megan pulled the phone away from her ear, relief like honey in her veins. “It’s over! They’re safe.”

  Cheers and clapping came from the living room.

  “Are you okay? How is Sophie?”

  “She’s shaken up, but she’ll be fine. We’re on our way to the ER.”

  “The ER? Are you hurt?”

  “I caught a round on the left side of my rib cage. It’s nothing serious, but they’ll probably clean it and give me a few stitches.”

  “You were shot?”

  “Grazed.”

  Megan didn’t want to think about how close he’d come to being killed. “Tessa said you got away, that you were helping SWAT from the inside.”

  “I’ll have to tell you about it some other time.” He sounded exhausted.

  “Was anyone killed?”

  “Six security guards were killed at the start, and ten others were wounded. You probably heard about that. All of the hostages made it out safely. Oh, Kat had her baby right as it all came to an end—a little girl.”

  Megan wanted to hear more, but she knew Marc needed rest. “Give Sophie a hug for me, okay? Take care of yourself.”

  “You, too. Go to bed, and stop worrying.”

  Her big brother knew her too well. “It’s a sister’s privilege to worry, especially when she has a brother as awesome as you. I love you, Marc.”

  “Love you, too, kiddo. Goodnight.”

  She disconnected, gave Nate a quick hug, then went to share what Marc had told her with the others.

  “Well, I’m feeling like something a bit stronger than coffee or tea,” Jack said when she had finished. “What do you say I break out the McCallan Rare Cask?”

  Nate grinned. “Count me in, old man.”

  “Yes, please,” said Janet.

  “Me, too,” said Natalie.

  “I’ll stick with tea,” said Megan.

  She didn’t drink.

  “I guess that means I’ll be hearing from Zach soon.” Natalie gave Megan a hopeful smile. “Thanks for letting me stay here with you all.”

  “No thanks are necessary.” Jack walked over to the bar, started to pour his best scotch into crystal tumblers. “It’s been a pleasure having you.”

  Then from the television screen, Laura announced the good news. “We’ve just gotten word that the hostage standoff at the Palace Hotel is over, and the hostages have been rescued. This is confirmed. The standoff is over. All of the hostages have been freed with no fatalities. We’re told that Secretary Holmes is safe. We’ll have more updates as our coverage continues.”

  Megan knew Laura better than most people. Javier and Nate were best friends, after all, and Laura and Javier spent a lot of time at the ranch. Megan could see beneath Laura’s calm, professional exterior to the overwhelming relief she felt knowing her friends were safe.

  Jack raised his glass. “To happy endings.”

  “Happy endings.”

  * * *

  01:15

  Zach could see the lights of ADX in the distance. At any moment, Ortíz would see them, too, and realize that he was headed back to his cell. That was the moment this mission would become dangerous. Given that Zach had spent the past couple of hours listening to Ortíz rave on about the women he was going to fuck, the drugs he was going to do, the food he was going to eat, and the people he was going to kill once he got home, Zach was looking forward to a change of pace.

  “Fuckers like you, McBride—I’m goin’ to put a bounty on their heads. I’ll pay two-thousand dollars a pop to anyone who wants to knock them off. I’m gonna—” His words faded, his gaze focused on the lights ahead of them. “That’s … That’s the prison! You’re supposed to be takin’ me to my cousin in Denver.”

  “I guess we made a wrong turn.” Zach braced for his reaction, but when it came it wasn’t what he’d expected.

  “¡Hijueputa!” Ortíz lunged at the pilot, kicked the cyclic forward, causing the hel
o to lurch forward, nose pointed toward the ground.

  He was trying to bring them down, trying to kill himself.

  Zach reached into his pocket, activated the vest.

  Ortíz screamed and collapsed onto the floor.

  The pilot grabbed the cyclic and quickly regained control. “Are you crazy?”

  “What the hell was that?” Ortíz demanded. “What did you do to me?”

  Zach pulled the remote out of his pocket. “Remember that vest? It’s called a stun vest. I push this button, and electricity hits your body through hidden electrodes. Great invention.”

  Ortíz glared at him. “That’s cruel and unusual punishment.”

  “Here we go.” Zach rolled his eyes. “Listen to the murderer talk about what’s cruel and unusual.”

  The other DUSMs laughed.

  “My cousin is going to kill all those hostages. Once he figures out—”

  Zach leaned down. “Your cousin is dead, along with all his men.”

  “No!” Ortíz sat up, swung for Zach.

  Zach pushed the button again. “I can do this all night.”

  They landed a few minutes later. A team of correctional officers was waiting to take Ortíz back into custody.

  Zach watched as Ortíz was shackled and led away.

  He shouted, struggled. “I can’t go back, McBride! You don’t know how bad it is here! I can’t go—”

  Heavy steel doors closed behind him, cutting off the sound of his voice.

  And that was the last anyone would hear of Oscar Moreno Ortíz.

  Zach pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, called Natalie. “Did I wake you?”

  “We’ve been watching the news. I thought I’d hear from you soon.” The sweet sound of her voice was like a balm, an antidote to the darkness of the world. “When will you be home?”

  “We need to refuel and fly back to Denver, and then I’ll have the drive up to the Cimarron from the airport. I’m guessing about three hours.”

  “Have a good flight, and drive safely. I miss you.”

  “I miss you, too.” God, did he ever.

  He disconnected, slipped the cell phone back into his pocket, and headed back outside into the cold. He was going home.