“Speaking for myself,” Lenny commented, his voice edgy with irony, “that’s not the worst news I’vehadtoday.”
“Yeah. You may be right,” Colin said, then snorted out a grim laugh. “But I don’t expect it’ll last.”
They arrived in a silent caravan, extinguishing their lights over a mile away from the church where they believed Joshua to be located. “That’s the spot,” Lenny muttered, then pulled over and turned off the engine. “We’ve got a squad car at both ends of the road so no traffic can get through ‘til we’re done here.” He exhaled a quick breath. “I don’t want any collateral damage.”
The three men got out of the car and formed a group with the other officers who waited in hushed silence for Lenny’s signal to move. They were assembled behind a curve in the road in an area shielded from view of the church. Lenny divided his team into four groups who would approach the building from four different directions.
“We’ll take the front,” he told the assembled officers. “The city police SWAT team will take the back. The rest of you stay in your assigned locations. I want every inch of that church covered. I don’t want this bastard to haveanyway to sneak past us.” He looked from man to man. “He doesnotget away.” he said. “If that means firing your weapon, then fucking fire it! Just be damned sure who you’re aiming at!”
Colin stood to one side, leaning against one of the squad cars, gazing up at the stars twinkling in the night sky. In his thoughts he was back in Ireland, recalling the night they’d spent on his cousin Danny’s boat. He remembered Joshua gazing at the stars and how the sight of their beauty reflecting in his dark eyes had taken Colin’s breath. He turned when Lenny approached him. “What’s up, boss? We ready?”
Lenny shook his head. “In a couple minutes.” He laid a hand on Colin’s arm and gazed directly into his eyes. “Listen to me,” he said, his voice a low whisper. “No matter what you see in there, you have to promise me you won’t hurt this fucker.”
Colin grimaced and jerked his arm free.
“Colin, you of all people know how important it is that this guy stand trial for what he’s done!”
Colin spun toward him. “You think I give a shit aboutanyof that?” His face twisted in grief. “Jesus Christ, Lenny, right now I don’t give a goodgoddamnabout jurisprudence or relevant law!”
But the hand on Colin’s arm tightened. “Please, Colin.”
Colin bowed his head and shook off the tears that scalded his eyes. After a moment he met Lenny’s gaze. “I’ll do my best for you, boss.”
Lenny nodded, then returned to the front of the group.
Colin watched him go. “Goddammit!” he spat out, then turned when Donald strode to his side.
“Hey,” he said, his voice low. He nudged Colin’s arm and glanced down. Colin’s gaze followed his, and he saw that Donald was offering him a pistol. “Take it if you want it, buddy. Just promise me you won’t use it on anyone but Page.”
Colin smiled and eased the firearm away. “No thanks,” he told his friend. “He doesn’t get off that easy. If I take that bastard out tonight, it’s going to be with my bare hands.” He hissed out a frustrated sigh. “Besides, Lenny made me promise that I wouldn’t hurt the son of a bitch.”
“Well, that fucking sucks,” Donald replied. “But maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll resist. That might earn him a black eye at least.”
Colin snorted out a mocking laugh. “Not usually my style,” he muttered. “But tonight, I might make an exception.”
“OK,” Lenny whispered. “Form up!” He sent the groups out one at a time, not wanting to risk Page hearing even the slightest noise. “Slow and quiet,” Lenny instructed, then he wheeled and startled as two more men stepped out of the darkness surrounding the group.
“I told you two to stay at the station!” he hissed out in a stage whisper. “Goddammit, David!”
David laid a hand on Lenny’s arm and nodded toward Colin. “If Josh is lying dead in that church, you’re going to be glad we’re here.”
“Stay by the cars!” Lenny spat out, then moved forward with Colin and the rest of his squad.
The rescue force abandoned the dirt road and inched their way forward through the overgrown field that ran alongside. As they approached the church, they could see dim light flowing through a shattered front window.
“City SWAT group,” Lenny whispered into his radio. “Take up a position ten yards from the rear of the church. East and west groups, spread out and keep the windows in view. He may try to use them to escape. Make sure there’s no place for him to go. When I give the signal, we’ll storm the front and rear of the building. And remember, he may use Josh as a shield. For god’s sake, don’t fire your weapon unless you’re one hundred percent sure who is in your sights.”
Lenny, Colin, Donald, and other two men on Lenny’s team inched their way toward the church. As they came within ten yards of the building, Donald nudged Colin’s arm. “Movement,” he whispered, and Colin could see a shadowy figure moving in the room.
They crept to the far edge of an overgrown yard leading to the shattered church steps. Lenny lifted his radio to his lips. “We go on three,” he whispered. “One...two...” He heard movement to his right and wheeled to see Colin bolting toward the building. “Goddammit, Colin!” he spat out, then lifted the radio to his lips. “THREE!”
Colin raced the last few yards to the church entrance and cleared the damaged steps in one leap. As he burst into the building, he saw Page standing several yards away, staring out the window on the western side of the building. Colin’s teeth clenched in blind rage. Pieces of a broken-down pew stood between himself and his quarry, but he raced toward Page, sweeping the debris aside and grabbed the man’s shirt in both fists, ignoring the assault weapon in his hands.
“Colin!” Lenny yelled. “Wait!”
Donald, who had rushed in seconds after Colin, grabbed the rifle and yanked it out of Page’s hands, then stepped back as Colin lifted Page off his feet and slammed him against the wall.
“Where is he!”Colin snarled. Again, he slammed Page against the wall. “WHERE IS HE!”
