The scene was straight out of a Bruce Willis movie. ATF and FBI, fully armed, were set up along the highway at several points. Two choppers hovered in the sky, over a bevy of law-enforcement vehicles, strategically placed.
Steve held Bethany’s hand as an agent showed them, along with Mal Meyer, to the command post. The heart of the CP was a black SUV with a full complement of high-tech equipment in the open back.
Agent Issler was on his phone as Meyer brought up Steve and Bethany. The noise from the choppers mixed with the scratchy sound of electronic voice feeds and the general din of a full-on cordon.
Steve saw someone else he recognized in the back of the SUV. The guy who’d taken him on the ride, at gunpoint, that night at his law office. He wore black sweats, headphones, and was sitting in front of a laptop. When he saw Steve, he nodded like it was old-home week.
Issler clapped his phone shut and looked at Steve. “So what have you got?”
“She was on the inside,” Steve said. “She can give you a layout.”
Issler said, “Can you start now?”
Bethany nodded.
“Then I’ll have you talk to Agent Malone.” He indicated the man in the SUV.
Bethany squeezed Steve’s hand. “It’ll be all right,” he said, and helped her into the back of the vehicle.
“Nice to see you again,” Malone said to Steve. “Glad you’re okay.”
Okay, Steve thought, was a highly relative term. His leg still hurt when he put pressure on it.
To Issler he said, “What’s the latest?”
“We have one agent down. Don’t know how many inside, except we think Eldon LaSalle is dead.”
“What?”
“Johnny LaSalle is negotiating. We think it would have been Eldon if he was alive.”
“What’s Johnny saying?”
“He wants a lot of things he’s not going to get.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“I think you know.”
Steve gave a quick look to the cordon. “How you going to keep this from being another Waco?”
“What kind of a question is that?” Issler said.
“Realistic.”
“We’re talking.”
“How long you going to talk?”
“Mr. Conroy, if you’ll just hold tight.”
“Do you know if there’s a Sienna Ciccone in there?”
“Who — ”
“She’s someone you’re definitely going to want to talk to. She’s in on it.”
Steve took a step back. From where he was he couldn’t see any of Beth-El. Only the side of a mountain, dotted with a few agents with rifles. A lot of potential death any way you looked at it.
“Let me,” Steve said.
“Let you what?” said Issler
“Talk to him.”
“I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
“What could it hurt?”
“It could hurt a lot.”
“It could help too. I’m the closest thing he’s got to family.”
At which point Mal Meyer, whom Steve had forgotten was there, said, “Yeah, family who almost got you killed.”
“Let me talk to him,” Steve said. “You’ll be listening. You can cut it off whenever you want. Just let me talk to him once.”
The agent paused, then opened his phone and turned his back. He paced a few yards, talking.
“What are you thinking of saying?” Meyer asked.
“I don’t know exactly,” Steve said. “I guess I’ll just have to think on my feet. As long as I can stand on my feet.”
Issler came back. “Let’s go,” he said.
The negotiator was a man, about forty, with striking gray eyes and short hair the color of ash. Almost Steve’s height, he looked in tremendous shape, with broad shoulders and thick arms. He wore a dark blue T-shirt and matching jeans and a fully featured Sam Browne belt.
Issler introduced him to Steve. His name was Maxson.
“So you’re the brother and the lawyer?” Maxson said.
“That’s right,” Steve said.
“That’s not bad. You understand that we want to keep him talking?”
“Yes,” Steve said.
“Now listen carefully. I do not have command authority. LaSalle knows this. You therefore cannot ask me to make any decisions. Clear?”
“Yes.”
“We just want him to talk. You’re a lawyer, you know how to ask open-ended questions, that’s what I want you to do. We’ll be listening. If things go sideways, we’re going to get you off. The longer we can keep things status quo, the better for everyone.”
“Okay.”
“He’s doing his best to come off cool. He’s pretty good at it. Keep him that way.”
“Okay.”
“There’s one hostage in there who needs medical treatment. We’re exchanging some food for her.”
“Her? Do you know her name?”
“Sarai. That’s what he gave us.”
“Can I talk now?”
“Just remember,” Maxson said. “Keep him talking.”