she
saw an office. Opened another door and found a file room.
No people.
She began to pad faster through the warren of hallways, the IV pole clattering beside her. What
kind of hospital was this, anyway, leaving a poor pregnant woman all alone? She was going to
complain, damn right, she was going to complain. She could be in labor! She could be dying!
Instead, she was royally pissed off, and that was not the mood you wanted a pregnant woman
to be in. Not this pregnant woman.
At last she spotted the exit sign, and with choice words already on her lips, she yanked open
the door. At her first glimpse into the waiting room, she did not immediately understand the
situation. Mr. Bodine was still strapped to his wheelchair and parked in the corner. The
ultrasound technician and the receptionist were huddled together on one of the couches. On the
other couch, Dr. Tam sat next to the black orderly. What was this, a tea party? While she’d
been forgotten in the back room, why had her doctor been lounging out here on the couch?
Then she spotted the medical chart lying on the floor, and she saw the toppled mug, the spilled
coffee splattered across the rug. And she realized that Dr. Tam was not lounging; her back was
rigid, the muscles of her face tight with fear. Her eyes were not focused on Jane, but on
something else.
That’s when Jane understood. Someone is standing right behind me.
SEVEN
Maura sat in the mobile operations command trailer, surrounded by telephones, TVs, and
laptop computers. The air-conditioning was not working, and the trailer had to be well over
ninety degrees inside. Officer Emerton, who was monitoring radio chatter, fanned himself as he
gulped from a bottle of water. But Captain Hayder, Boston PD’s special ops commander,
looked perfectly cool as he studied the CAD diagrams now displayed on the computer monitor.
Beside him sat the hospital’s facilities manager, pointing out the relevant features on the
blueprints.
“The area where she’s now holed up is Diagnostic Imaging,” said the manager. “That used to
be the hospital’s old X-ray wing, before we moved it into the new addition. I’m afraid that’s
going to present a big problem for you, Captain.”
“What problem?” said Hayder.
“There’s lead shielding in these outside walls, and there are no exterior windows or doors in
that wing. You’re not going to be able to blast your way in from the outside. Or toss in a tear
gas canister.”
“And the only way into Diagnostic Imaging is through this interior hallway door?”
“Correct.” The manager looked at Hayder. “I take it she’s locked that door?”
Hayder nodded. “Which means she’s trapped herself in there. We’ve pulled our men back
down the hall, so they’re not in the direct line of fire if she decides to make a run.”
“She’s in a dead end. The only way out is going to be through your men. For the moment,
you’ve got her locked up tight. But conversely, you are going to have a hard time getting in. ”
“So we’re at an impasse.”
The manager clicked the mouse, zooming in on a section of the blueprint. “Now, there is one
possibility here, depending on where in that particular wing she’s chosen to hole up. The lead
shielding is built into all these diagnostic areas. But here in the waiting room, the walls aren’t
shielded.”
“What building materials are we talking about there?”
“Plaster. Drywall. You could easily drill through this ceiling from the floor above.” The
facilities manager looked at Hayder. “But all she has to do then is pull back into the leadshielded area, and she’s untouchable.”
“Excuse me,” cut in Maura.
Hayder turned to her, blue eyes sharp with irritation. “Yes?” he snapped.
“Can I leave now, Captain Hayder? There’s nothing else I can tell you.”
“Not yet.”
“How much longer?”
“You’ll have to wait here until our hostage negotiator can interview you. He
saw an office. Opened another door and found a file room.
No people.
She began to pad faster through the warren of hallways, the IV pole clattering beside her. What
kind of hospital was this, anyway, leaving a poor pregnant woman all alone? She was going to
complain, damn right, she was going to complain. She could be in labor! She could be dying!
Instead, she was royally pissed off, and that was not the mood you wanted a pregnant woman
to be in. Not this pregnant woman.
At last she spotted the exit sign, and with choice words already on her lips, she yanked open
the door. At her first glimpse into the waiting room, she did not immediately understand the
situation. Mr. Bodine was still strapped to his wheelchair and parked in the corner. The
ultrasound technician and the receptionist were huddled together on one of the couches. On the
other couch, Dr. Tam sat next to the black orderly. What was this, a tea party? While she’d
been forgotten in the back room, why had her doctor been lounging out here on the couch?
Then she spotted the medical chart lying on the floor, and she saw the toppled mug, the spilled
coffee splattered across the rug. And she realized that Dr. Tam was not lounging; her back was
rigid, the muscles of her face tight with fear. Her eyes were not focused on Jane, but on
something else.
That’s when Jane understood. Someone is standing right behind me.
SEVEN
Maura sat in the mobile operations command trailer, surrounded by telephones, TVs, and
laptop computers. The air-conditioning was not working, and the trailer had to be well over
ninety degrees inside. Officer Emerton, who was monitoring radio chatter, fanned himself as he
gulped from a bottle of water. But Captain Hayder, Boston PD’s special ops commander,
looked perfectly cool as he studied the CAD diagrams now displayed on the computer monitor.
Beside him sat the hospital’s facilities manager, pointing out the relevant features on the
blueprints.
“The area where she’s now holed up is Diagnostic Imaging,” said the manager. “That used to
be the hospital’s old X-ray wing, before we moved it into the new addition. I’m afraid that’s
going to present a big problem for you, Captain.”
“What problem?” said Hayder.
“There’s lead shielding in these outside walls, and there are no exterior windows or doors in
that wing. You’re not going to be able to blast your way in from the outside. Or toss in a tear
gas canister.”
“And the only way into Diagnostic Imaging is through this interior hallway door?”
“Correct.” The manager looked at Hayder. “I take it she’s locked that door?”
Hayder nodded. “Which means she’s trapped herself in there. We’ve pulled our men back
down the hall, so they’re not in the direct line of fire if she decides to make a run.”
“She’s in a dead end. The only way out is going to be through your men. For the moment,
you’ve got her locked up tight. But conversely, you are going to have a hard time getting in. ”
“So we’re at an impasse.”
The manager clicked the mouse, zooming in on a section of the blueprint. “Now, there is one
possibility here, depending on where in that particular wing she’s chosen to hole up. The lead
shielding is built into all these diagnostic areas. But here in the waiting room, the walls aren’t
shielded.”
“What building materials are we talking about there?”
“Plaster. Drywall. You could easily drill through this ceiling from the floor above.” The
facilities manager looked at Hayder. “But all she has to do then is pull back into the leadshielded area, and she’s untouchable.”
“Excuse me,” cut in Maura.
Hayder turned to her, blue eyes sharp with irritation. “Yes?” he snapped.
“Can I leave now, Captain Hayder? There’s nothing else I can tell you.”
“Not yet.”
“How much longer?”
“You’ll have to wait here until our hostage negotiator can interview you. He
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