Since that day we had been through hell together, back way beyond the killings that got Lucas arrested, to dozens of other ugly cases. That probably explained why I had reached out to Rice alone; I was convinced our friendship meant she would never sanction putting my head in the jaws of the beast.
Rice and I were standing outside the State Police trailer when I saw Hancock's red Jeep Cherokee drive onto the hospital grounds at 11:50 We'd gotten a message through to Lucas that we wanted the trading to take place all at once, at 12:30 — the pregnant nurse and two social workers in exchange for me. He had agreed, demanding only that we meet on the very spot Winston had been killed. I could have heard that as a homicidal threat, but I chose to understand it as Lucas desperately trying to maintain a position of power while under siege.
Hancock parked next to my Ram and walked up to us. "Sorry I'm late. Where are we on planning?" she asked. She buttoned her coat, a play gray wool that seemed conservative even for a fifty-five-year-old civil servant. "We should cut the heat to the building, for starters."
Neither Rice nor I said anything right away. After a few seconds, he glanced at me, then turned to Hancock. "We have a definitive plan that we..."
I saw her cheek quiver slightly on the second we . Her nails clicked just once. I held up a hand. "It was my idea."
She guessed immediately which idea I was talking about. "I already told you there's no chance I'd go along with that," she said. Her voice had defeat built into it. Rice had final say on what went down, and she knew it. She tried to keep authority in her tone, but concern overwhelmed it. "It's suicide, Frank. Forget about it. Understand?" She looked from Rice to me, then back at him.
"What's your problem, exactly?" Rice asked.
"Nothing that won't go away if you tell me how the doctor's safety is reasonably assured."
"He's not looking for any assurance."
Her jaws worked against each other. "I could go to Governor Cellucci on this. You're using a private citizen like a Navy Seal."
"You could go to Cellucci," he said. "It wouldn't change the plan, but you could. Meanwhile, I'm gonna go sweat the details so our sharpshooters have a chance to pick off Lucas if he tries anything." He walked up the wooden steps into the trailer.
Hancock looked down at the ground.
"He was going to storm the unit at twelve-thirty," I said. "He's got a lunatic lieutenant named Patterson who thinks he can pull off another raid at Entebbe."
"I know Patterson. He's bad news." She looked at me. "Why are you doing this?"
I felt as if she were looking through me. "It's the right thing to do. It's the right thing for me."
Her lips pursed. "Why? Why do you want to get yourself killed here?"
"I don't want to die, Emma. I'm not planning on it."
"You've lost all objectivity. You're in this thing, instead of outside it."
I could feel Hancock burrowing toward the truth — that I bore a good deal of the responsibility for getting us all into this mess, including Lucas. Part of me wished I could tell her everything. About Lucas being innocent of the murders of her niece. About Kathy. "I have a feeling in my gut," was all I did tell her. "You once told me I should always go with it."
"That's what I'm driving at. What's in your gut? What are you feeling?" She shook her head. "Listen to me. I sound like a shrink myself."
"You should probably avoid that. I doubt it would go over big at the station."
She smirked. "Tell me, anyhow."
"I feel like I can turn things around."
"Even if you're the only one who sees it that way."
"I think Lucas feels it, too. That's why he's asking for me. And Rice warmed up to the idea, even after Patterson had him ready to launch the assault."
"Lucas also feels his arm is Satan's. I'm not putting a lot of stock in his view of things," Hancock said. "As for Rice,
Rice and I were standing outside the State Police trailer when I saw Hancock's red Jeep Cherokee drive onto the hospital grounds at 11:50 We'd gotten a message through to Lucas that we wanted the trading to take place all at once, at 12:30 — the pregnant nurse and two social workers in exchange for me. He had agreed, demanding only that we meet on the very spot Winston had been killed. I could have heard that as a homicidal threat, but I chose to understand it as Lucas desperately trying to maintain a position of power while under siege.
Hancock parked next to my Ram and walked up to us. "Sorry I'm late. Where are we on planning?" she asked. She buttoned her coat, a play gray wool that seemed conservative even for a fifty-five-year-old civil servant. "We should cut the heat to the building, for starters."
Neither Rice nor I said anything right away. After a few seconds, he glanced at me, then turned to Hancock. "We have a definitive plan that we..."
I saw her cheek quiver slightly on the second we . Her nails clicked just once. I held up a hand. "It was my idea."
She guessed immediately which idea I was talking about. "I already told you there's no chance I'd go along with that," she said. Her voice had defeat built into it. Rice had final say on what went down, and she knew it. She tried to keep authority in her tone, but concern overwhelmed it. "It's suicide, Frank. Forget about it. Understand?" She looked from Rice to me, then back at him.
"What's your problem, exactly?" Rice asked.
"Nothing that won't go away if you tell me how the doctor's safety is reasonably assured."
"He's not looking for any assurance."
Her jaws worked against each other. "I could go to Governor Cellucci on this. You're using a private citizen like a Navy Seal."
"You could go to Cellucci," he said. "It wouldn't change the plan, but you could. Meanwhile, I'm gonna go sweat the details so our sharpshooters have a chance to pick off Lucas if he tries anything." He walked up the wooden steps into the trailer.
Hancock looked down at the ground.
"He was going to storm the unit at twelve-thirty," I said. "He's got a lunatic lieutenant named Patterson who thinks he can pull off another raid at Entebbe."
"I know Patterson. He's bad news." She looked at me. "Why are you doing this?"
I felt as if she were looking through me. "It's the right thing to do. It's the right thing for me."
Her lips pursed. "Why? Why do you want to get yourself killed here?"
"I don't want to die, Emma. I'm not planning on it."
"You've lost all objectivity. You're in this thing, instead of outside it."
I could feel Hancock burrowing toward the truth — that I bore a good deal of the responsibility for getting us all into this mess, including Lucas. Part of me wished I could tell her everything. About Lucas being innocent of the murders of her niece. About Kathy. "I have a feeling in my gut," was all I did tell her. "You once told me I should always go with it."
"That's what I'm driving at. What's in your gut? What are you feeling?" She shook her head. "Listen to me. I sound like a shrink myself."
"You should probably avoid that. I doubt it would go over big at the station."
She smirked. "Tell me, anyhow."
"I feel like I can turn things around."
"Even if you're the only one who sees it that way."
"I think Lucas feels it, too. That's why he's asking for me. And Rice warmed up to the idea, even after Patterson had him ready to launch the assault."
"Lucas also feels his arm is Satan's. I'm not putting a lot of stock in his view of things," Hancock said. "As for Rice,
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