Read Online Standoff by Sandra Brown - Free Book Online
Authors: Sandra Brown
Tags: Fiction, Suspense, Psychological, Contemporary, Thrillers, Action & Adventure, Suspense fiction, Crime, Adventure stories, Kidnapping, Women Journalists, New Mexico, Runaway Teenagers, Hostage Negotiations
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her question,
"is whether or not he'll perform an episiotomy."
Tiel winced at the thought of the incision and the delicate area subjected to it. "How could he?"
"It won't be pleasant, but if he doesn't, she could easily tear and that'll be even more unpleasant."
"You're doing my nerves no good, Doc."
"I imagine all our nerves have had better days." Again he raised his head and looked across at her. "By the way,
I'm glad you're here."
The look was just as intense, the eyes as compelling, as before, but this time she didn't chicken out and look away. "I'm not doing anything constructive."
"Simply being with her is doing a lot. When she's having a pain, encourage her not to fight it. Tensing the muscles and tissue surrounding the uterus only increases the discomfort. The uterus was made to contract. She should let it go about its business."
"Easy for you to say."
"Easy for me to say," he conceded with a wry smile.
"Breathe with her. Take deep breaths inhaled through the nose, exhaled through the mouth."
"Those deep breaths will help me, too."
"You're doing fine. She feels comfortable with you. You neutralize her shyness."
"She admitted to being shy with you."
"Understandable. She's very young."
"She said you don't look like a doctor."
"No, I don't suppose I do."
"Are you?"
"Rancher."
"You're a real cowboy then?"
"I breed horses, run a herd of beef cattle. I drive a pickup truck. I guess that makes me a cowboy."
"Then where'd you learn—"
The ringing of the telephone brought their private conversation to a halt. Ronnie snatched up the receiver.
"Hello? I'm Ronnie Davison. Where's the doctor?"
He paused to listen, and Tiel could tell by his expression that he was hearing something that distressed him.
"FBI? How come?" Then he blurted, "But I didn't kidnap
her, Mr. Galloway! We were eloping. Yes, sir, she's my main concern too. No. No. She refuses to go to a hospital."
He listened longer, then glanced at Sabra. "Okay. If the phone'll reach." He dragged the telephone to Sabra, stretching the cord as far as it would go. "The FBI agent wants to talk to you."
Doc said, "It won't hurt her to stand up. In fact, it might do her good."
He and Tiel supported Sabra beneath the arms and together assisted her to her feet. She baby-stepped far enough to take the extended receiver from Ronnie.
"Hello? No, sir. What Ronnie told you is true. I'm not leaving without him. Not even to go to the hospital. Because of my daddy! He said he'll take away my baby, and he always does what he says." She sniffed back tears. "Of course I came with Ronnie voluntarily. I—" She caught her breath and gripped a handful of Doc's shirt.
He lifted her and carried her back to the makeshift birthing bed, depositing her gently. Tiel knelt beside her and, as Doc had instructed, coaxed Sabra to relax, not to fight the contraction, and to breathe.
Ronnie was speaking anxiously into the telephone. "Listen here, Mr. Galloway, Sabra can't talk anymore. She's having a contraction. Where's the doctor we were promised?" He glanced through the plate glass. "Yeah, I
see him. You bet I'll let him in."
Ronnie slammed down the receiver and dropped the phone back onto the counter. He started for the door, then, realizing how exposed he would be to sharpshooters, ducked behind the Frito-Lay display again. "Cashier, wait until he's at the door before you unlock it. Then, as soon as he comes through, relock it. Understand?"
"What d'ya think, I'm stupid?"
Donna waited until the doctor was pushing on the door
before she flipped the switch. He came inside, and everyone in the store, including the young doctor, heard the metallic click when the door relocked.
Nervously he glanced over his shoulder at it before introducing himself. "I'm, uh, Dr. Cain. Scott."
"Move over here."
Dr. Scott Cain was a handsome man of medium height and build, in his early to mid-thirties. Wide-eyed, he scanned the people huddled in a group in front of the counter. Gladys
"is whether or not he'll perform an episiotomy."
Tiel winced at the thought of the incision and the delicate area subjected to it. "How could he?"
"It won't be pleasant, but if he doesn't, she could easily tear and that'll be even more unpleasant."
"You're doing my nerves no good, Doc."
"I imagine all our nerves have had better days." Again he raised his head and looked across at her. "By the way,
I'm glad you're here."
The look was just as intense, the eyes as compelling, as before, but this time she didn't chicken out and look away. "I'm not doing anything constructive."
"Simply being with her is doing a lot. When she's having a pain, encourage her not to fight it. Tensing the muscles and tissue surrounding the uterus only increases the discomfort. The uterus was made to contract. She should let it go about its business."
"Easy for you to say."
"Easy for me to say," he conceded with a wry smile.
"Breathe with her. Take deep breaths inhaled through the nose, exhaled through the mouth."
"Those deep breaths will help me, too."
"You're doing fine. She feels comfortable with you. You neutralize her shyness."
"She admitted to being shy with you."
"Understandable. She's very young."
"She said you don't look like a doctor."
"No, I don't suppose I do."
"Are you?"
"Rancher."
"You're a real cowboy then?"
"I breed horses, run a herd of beef cattle. I drive a pickup truck. I guess that makes me a cowboy."
"Then where'd you learn—"
The ringing of the telephone brought their private conversation to a halt. Ronnie snatched up the receiver.
"Hello? I'm Ronnie Davison. Where's the doctor?"
He paused to listen, and Tiel could tell by his expression that he was hearing something that distressed him.
"FBI? How come?" Then he blurted, "But I didn't kidnap
her, Mr. Galloway! We were eloping. Yes, sir, she's my main concern too. No. No. She refuses to go to a hospital."
He listened longer, then glanced at Sabra. "Okay. If the phone'll reach." He dragged the telephone to Sabra, stretching the cord as far as it would go. "The FBI agent wants to talk to you."
Doc said, "It won't hurt her to stand up. In fact, it might do her good."
He and Tiel supported Sabra beneath the arms and together assisted her to her feet. She baby-stepped far enough to take the extended receiver from Ronnie.
"Hello? No, sir. What Ronnie told you is true. I'm not leaving without him. Not even to go to the hospital. Because of my daddy! He said he'll take away my baby, and he always does what he says." She sniffed back tears. "Of course I came with Ronnie voluntarily. I—" She caught her breath and gripped a handful of Doc's shirt.
He lifted her and carried her back to the makeshift birthing bed, depositing her gently. Tiel knelt beside her and, as Doc had instructed, coaxed Sabra to relax, not to fight the contraction, and to breathe.
Ronnie was speaking anxiously into the telephone. "Listen here, Mr. Galloway, Sabra can't talk anymore. She's having a contraction. Where's the doctor we were promised?" He glanced through the plate glass. "Yeah, I
see him. You bet I'll let him in."
Ronnie slammed down the receiver and dropped the phone back onto the counter. He started for the door, then, realizing how exposed he would be to sharpshooters, ducked behind the Frito-Lay display again. "Cashier, wait until he's at the door before you unlock it. Then, as soon as he comes through, relock it. Understand?"
"What d'ya think, I'm stupid?"
Donna waited until the doctor was pushing on the door
before she flipped the switch. He came inside, and everyone in the store, including the young doctor, heard the metallic click when the door relocked.
Nervously he glanced over his shoulder at it before introducing himself. "I'm, uh, Dr. Cain. Scott."
"Move over here."
Dr. Scott Cain was a handsome man of medium height and build, in his early to mid-thirties. Wide-eyed, he scanned the people huddled in a group in front of the counter. Gladys
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