The ringing telephone had gone unanswered and largely ignored. Tiel, who had snapped on a pair of gloves with an alacrity that amazed her, was working frantically to replace the blood-soaked diaper beneath Sabra, when the phone suddenly stopped ringing and she heard Ronnie shout, "Not now, we're busy!" before slamming the receiver back into the cradle. Then he called, "How's Sabra?"
Tiel addressed him over her shoulder. "Not good." She was vastly relieved to see Doc returning. "What's going on?" 'Juan kicked Cain in the head. He's unconscious."
"I never thought I'd be thanking that man for anything."
"Vern is binding them. I'm glad they're… contained."
She noticed the intensity in his face, and knew that Sabra's worsening condition wasn't the only reason for it.
"Because they're loose cannons? They really had nothing to lose by trying to seize control of the situation."
"True. But what did they have to gain?"
Did Ronnie Davison really represent a threat to tough-looking hombres like them?
After thinking about it, she said, "Nothing that I can see."
"Nothing that you can see. That's what bothers me.
There's more," he continued in a lower voice. "Men with rifles have taken up position outside. Probably a SWAT team."
"Oh, no."
"I saw them moving into place and taking cover."
"Has Ronnie seen them?"
"I don't think so. That shot I fired must've got everyone nervous. They're probably thinking the worst. They might storm the building, try coming in through the roof or something."
"H
e would freak."
"That's my point."
The telephone rang again. "Ronnie, answer it," Doc called to him. "Explain to them what happened."
"Not until I know Sabra's all right."
Although Tiel wasn't a medical expert by any means, Sabra's condition appeared critical to her. But, like Doc, she didn't want Ronnie any more frazzled than he already was.
"Where's Katherine?" the girl asked weakly.
Doc, who had done his best to stem the flow of fresh blood, peeled off his glove and smoothed her hair away from her forehead. "Gladys is taking good care of her.
She's rocked her to sleep. Seems to me that baby girl is as brave as her mother."
Even a smile seemed too much of an effort for her.
"We're not going to get out of here, are we?"
"Don't say that, Sabra," Tiel whispered fiercely, watching Doc's face as he read the blood-pressure gauge.
"Don't even think it."
"Daddy's not going to give up. Neither am I. And neither is Ronnie. He can't now anyway. If he did, they'd just put him in jail."
She divided a glassy, hollow-eyed gaze between Tiel and Doc. "Tell Ronnie to come over here. I want to talk to him. Now. I don't want to wait any longer."