Will braked and they swung neatly into the turnout.Will grabbed the map, holding it up. Taylor leaned forward, keepinghis head beneath the dashboard as Nemov screeched past.
Will watched the black SUV disappear around thebend.
“Go,” Taylor said, sitting up. “He’s going to runinto that sedan in about four minutes and it won’t take him long tofigure out what happened.”
Will hit the accelerator and they sped out of theturnout.
Neither of them spoke as they wound their way backdown through the golden shimmering hills. The squeal of the tirespicked up a kind of rhythm as they banked into the curves andstraightened out once more.
Taylor sat half-turned to watch the road behindthem, but the road remained empty.
Chapter Ten
Hedwig’scontractions were coming faster by the time they pulled into thenearly empty parking lot of the small grouping of adobe buildingsthat comprised Carrizozo Indian Hospital.
“Is this place even open?” Will asked, turning offthe ignition.
“It’s supposed to be.” Taylor double-checked thedirectory on his phone. “Thirteen beds. Family practice. Inpatientand outpatient.”
“I need a real hospital,” groaned Hedwig.
“This is a real hospital.”
“You’re going to kill me and the baby both.”
“You couldn’t find anything else?” Will asked,uneasily watching the writhing in the backseat.
“This is the closest. She keeps saying she’s goingto have this kid any second —”
“All right. Can you make sure they’re open before wetry dragging her out of the car?”
Taylor got out of the car and went up the cementwalk. The heat of the day was fading, but the walls of the buildingstill radiated warmth. Wilted flowers struggled in the baked dirtof what was optimistically intended as landscaping. It did looksort of deserted, but there was a shiny new pickup in the parkinglot, as well as a very old ambulance.
He pushed through the double glass doors, and a waveof antiseptic-scented, chilled air hit him.
A plump Indian boy of about seventeen stood behind acounter. His eyes widened at the sight of Taylor. And if Taylorlooked half as rough as he felt, no wonder. It had been one hell ofa long day.
“Are you open?” Taylor asked.
“Yes.” The kid seemed to collect himself. “If youwant to sit down, I’ll bring you the paperwork.”
“It’s not for me. I’ve got a woman in the parkinglot who’s about to give birth. Do you have a doctor on thepremises?”
“My mom — that is, Dr. Cruz is over at Happy Pete’shaving her evening break. I can page her.”
Taylor sincerely hoped Happy Pete’s was not a bar.“Could you? That would be great.”
“Sure, I’ll —”
Whatever else the kid was about to say was lost inthe jarring sounds of skidding tires, blasting horns, and breakingglass from outside. The unmistakable accompaniment of a carcrash.
“It’s an accident!” the kid exclaimed, coming aroundthe counter. “It happens all the time on this corner.” He ran outthrough the glass doors.
“Are you kidding me?” Taylor asked the emptyroom.
Apparently the joke was on him. He shoved open theglass doors, narrowly missing being mown down by the kid, who wasalready racing back, looking stricken.
“There’s a guy with a gun out there!” He ran to thephone on the desk.
Taylor banged out through the entrance. He drew hisweapon, keeping his pistol at low ready as he jogged down thecement walk.
“But the baby is coming. I can’t walk.”
“You can walk, milaya moyna. I guarantee you willfind the strength. Or perhaps you wish to watch me blow a holethrough the chest of this agent?”
“No, I don’t want that, but —”
“I do not negotiate. Come.”
“Don’t get out of that car,” Will ordered thickly.“Keep the doors locked.”
Taylor leaned against the grainy bricks and pokedhis head around the rounded corner of the building. Nemov stood bytheir vehicle. He had one arm wrapped around Will’s throat. He helda new shotgun in the other. It was pointed at Will’s head.
“There you are, little man,” he said, spottingTaylor. “I thought you would be here faster. Come out where I cansee you.”
Taylor leaned back against the wall and closed hiseyes in brief prayer. He brought his weapon up and stepped out infiring stance.
“Federal agent. Drop your weapon.”
Nemov seemed taken aback. He laughed. “Do you notsee I have your partner?”
Taylor’s eyes met Will’s. Blood was running downWill’s face from a cut in his hairline, but he seemed otherwiseokay. Taylor flicked a quick look at their vehicle. Nemov hadcharged his reinforced SUV into their rental, crunching its noseinto the tall brown trash Dumpsters.
Will had either gone for Nemov or been stunned justlong enough for the bounty hunter to drag him out of the car.Either way, Hedwig had had the sense to lock herself in. Thewindows that weren’t broken were firmly sealed.
“The sheriffs are on their way. Drop yourweapon.”
“Do you not see we have the Mexican stand —”
Taylor fired.
He had to hit Nemov at exactly the right place inthe shoulder in order to paralyze his arm, and that meant grazingWill as well. He didn’t want to, but he couldn’t take the chance ofan involuntary reflex of Nemov’s fingers on that trigger. IfTaylor’d stopped to weigh all the possibilities, he might not havemade the shot as cleanly as he did going simply by instinct. As itwas, Nemov howled his pained outrage and dropped the shotgun, whichhit the asphalt and exploded, taking out the tire of their SUV.
Will stumbled free and kicked the shotgun fartheraway. He clamped a hand to his bloody shoulder.
“You shot me!” He was staring at Taylor in utterdisbelief.
“I know. Sorry.” Taylor brushed past him, slammingNemov over the hood of the SUV. “I need your handcuffs.”
Will groped one-handed, found his cuffs, and tossedthem at Taylor. “You fucking shot me, MacAllister.”
“I know, Will. I’m very sorry.” He adjusted thecuffs for Nemov’s massive wrists, clamped them on, and knocked himto his knees.
“I am injured,” roared Nemov. “I am bleeding.”
“You, I did mean to shoot, so just begrateful we’re at a hospital.”
Taylor stood as a white and gray cop car turned intothe lot, lights flashing, siren screaming. It was followed by asecond car with the sheriff’s insignia.
The SUV door swung open. Hedwig stepped out,clutching her belly, and tottered slowly toward the walkway.
“Where are you going?” Taylor called.
“To have my baby!”
The
