Talley watched. Smith wrapped his arm around Jennifer and held Thomas's arm. He looked up past them, met Talley's eyes, then hugged his children tighter.

'Thank God you're all right. You're all right, aren't you? You're okay?'

'Mommy's coming home.'

Talley stepped up behind Jennifer.

'We reached your wife. She's in the air now.'

Smith met Talley's eyes again, then looked away.

Talley said, 'Your family is safe.'

Smith nodded, still not looking at him.

'What happened to the three men?'

'They're dead.'

Thomas pulled at his father's arm.

'Daddy, our house is on fire. We almost burned.'

Thomas jerked his father's arm again, then coughed a great shuddering sob and buried his face in his father's stomach. It was all coming out now, all of Thomas's tension and fear. Smith stroked his son's hair.

'It's okay, partner. It's okay. You're safe. That's all that's important.'

Talley waited until the boy had calmed, then squeezed Jennifer's shoulder.

'Could you guys wait in the hall for a second? I need to talk to your dad.'

Smith glanced up, then nodded to send his children to the hall. Jennifer took Thomas's hand and led him outside. Smith took a deep breath, let it out, then looked up.

'Thank you.'

Talley took out the two disks.

Smith stared at them, then looked away again.

'Did you tell my kids?'

'No. They'll have questions. Thomas helped me get them. He opened them on his computer.'

'It wouldn't mean anything to him.'

'He'll wonder. He's going to ask sooner or later.'

Smith sighed again.

'Shit.'

'Those are good kids you got there. That little boy, Thomas, he's something else.'

Smith closed his eyes,

Talley watched Smith, wondering if there was anything he could say to get this man to help him. He had negotiated with hundreds of subjects, and that was the game: Figure out what they needed to hear and say it; find their buttons and push them. All of that seemed beyond Talley now. He didn't know what to say. He glanced over at Thomas and Jennifer standing in the hall, and felt a pain so deep and pure that he thought it might break him. If he could just get Jane and Amanda back, he would never let them go.

He patted Smith's arm.

'I don't know where you come from or what you've done in your life, but you'd better do right by those kids. You've got your family now, Smith. They're safe. Help me get mine.'

Smith blinked hard at the ceiling. He shook his head, then closed his eyes tight. He took another deep breath, then looked past Talley to his own children.

'Shit.'

'Yeah. Shit.'

Smith looked at him. Smith's eyes were wet.

'If you've got the disks, you've got everything. You can put them all away.'

'Who has my family?'

'That would be Glen Howell. He was coming to the house today. He's Benza's man on the scene.'

Talley touched his wrist.

'Gold Rolex here? Dark tan?'

Smith nodded.

Talley was getting excited. He had something now. He was close by the door and ready to breach.

'Okay, Smith. Okay. Glen Howell. He's been calling me, but now I need to call him. How do I reach him?'

Smith gave him Howell's phone number.

CHAPTER 26

Saturday, 3:09 A.M.

TALLEY

Talley doubled the guards on Smith and his children, then hurried back to his car. He closed his eyes and tried to find focus. He was a crisis negotiator; Howell was a subject; Amanda and Jane were hostages. He had done this before; he could do it again. It was just him and the phone.

I'm going to kill this dog!

The overhead lights made the world purple. Talley looked up at the sky, but could see only a few stars past the bright lights. A few stars were enough; Jane and Amanda were under these same stars. So was Howell.

When his breathing was even and his shoulders relaxed, Talley got into the car. His task was to sound confident and controlled. His task was to assume control.

Talley punched Howell's number into the Nokia. His body began to shake with tension, but he fought it. He closed his eyes again. He breathed.

The Watchman answered on the second ring, sounding abrupt and irritated.

'What?'

Talley made his voice soft.

'Guess who.'

Howell recognized his voice. Talley heard it in the quality of the silence even before Howell answered.

'How'd you get this number?'

'Here are two words for you: Glen Howell.'

'Fuck yourself.'

'I think Sonny Benza is going to fuck you. I have his financial records. I have your SWAT team. I have Captain Martin. I have you. And I have Walter Smith.'

Howell's voice rose.

'I have your fucking family. Don't forget that.'

Talley kept his voice even. He knew that if he remained calm, Howell would grow more frightened. Howell would suspect that Talley was up to something, and, by suspecting it, he would believe that it was true. Howell's only way out now was through Talley. Talley had to make him see this.

'You know where you screwed up? If you had sat tight and let this thing play out, if you hadn't brought me into it or sent in your fucking animals, I would never have known. The disks would have slipped through the cracks, and Benza would be safe. Now you have to deal with me.'