Damn it, Jessica.Where are you?
As though reading her mind, Jessica spoke quietly over her earpiece.“We’re at the back door.We’ll be inside in moments.Trying to be very quiet.”
Faith took a breath and continued trying to reason with Caldwell.
“Tell me about Hunter.”
“What?What do you care?”
Faith pointed at Turk.“He’s saved my lives many times.He’s a good dog.I like hearing about good dogs.”
Caldwell rolled his eyes.“Look, screw this, okay?I know what you’re doing.You’re trying to convince me to stop, but I won’t stop.”
He yanked Patricia Houston’s head so she was looking up at him.She tried to close her eyes, but he shouted, “Open your eyes now!Look at me!”
She whimpered and did as she was told.
“You’re mine now,” he said.“I’m going to do whatever I want to you.They won’t be able to stop me.I’m going to hurt yousomuch for what you did to Hunter.”
“Please,” Patricia sobbed.“I’m sorry.”
“Damned right you are,” Caldwell said.“You’re the sorriest piece of shit I’ve ever seen.But I’m going to make up for that.”
He looked back at Faith.“Hunter was a good dog.They could have found him a home.They could have given him a life he deserved.They just didn’t want to.Meanwhile all these pretty dogs that prance around like they’re perfect and beautiful get pushed ahead.The dogs that really need help get killed.It’s bullshit.”
He was straying.That was probably the best they could hope for.If they could keep him off balance for a few more minutes, Jessica would reach him, and they could put an end to this.They just needed to get that handgun off of Patricia’s head.
“James, we can help these dogs.Okay?We can send them places where they won’t be killed.We can—”
“You’re just making shit up.”
“I’m not.There are programs that take difficult dogs, and—”
Caldwell’s eyes flashed.“Difficult?Hunter wasn’t difficult.He was hurt!He need help!He just needed…”
His voice trailed off into a sob.Next to Faith, Sergeant Oliver said, “Do you have a shot, Quan?”
“Negative,” the police sniper replied.“I can’t reach the apricot.If I shoot him, he kills Patricia.”
The sniper’s apricot was the spot in the upper neck where the brainstem met the spinal cord.A shot placed there would cause immediate muscular flaccidity and prevent any spasms that would cause him to shoot Patricia.
Faith tried another tactic with Caldwell.“James, you are killing people.Do you understand this?You are killing innocent people who have helped hundreds of dogs and hundreds of people.What happened with Hunter was unfortunate, but you can’t believe that this is going to make anything better.You need to think about this.”
James laughed again, but there was only grief in that laugh.“You know what I think?I think I’m glad that people are watching.I think I’m glad that people are going to see this.”
Damn it.He was going to kill her within seconds.Jessica, where are you?
As soon as she thought that, she heard a commotion inside the house.A hand shoved Caldwell’s gun toward the ceiling.He fired a shot that burst through the roof while other hands—Jessica’s—grabbed Patricia Houston and pulled her away.
“No!”Caldwell screamed.“No, you assholes!”
He pulled free of the police officer’s grasp, then grabbed the officer around the middle.Faith’s eyes widened as he saw Caldwell pick the man up off the floor.
“Quan, take the shot now!”Oliver screamed.
But he didn’t.He couldn’t.His fellow police officer was in the way and would die if he fired.They could only watch helplessly while Caldwell threw the man through the window.The officer cried out just before hitting the ground with a muffled thud.He lay still, and the police officers poured a barrage of fire into the house.
Caldwell disappeared from view, and Faith shouted, “Hold your fire!Hold your fire, damn it, we have civilians in that house!”
