Turning to take the lead, she suddenly stopped. Noah was standing in front of her, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Hello there," he said cheerfully.

"There you are," Theo said. "I'd like to introduce you to Detective Harris. Detective, this is Noah Clayborne," he said as he put his hand on her shoulder. "Noah works for the FBI, but he's also a good friend."

Theo stepped behind her as Noah said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Detective. I was just…"

Theo took another step back. "Hey, Dallas," he said.

She instinctively turned. Even as she did, she realized what had just happened. Her eyes widened and she jerked back, but it was too late. Theo shoved her into the elevator doors, face-first, making it impossible for her to fire the gun he knew she had hidden in her pocket.

Noah stepped forward, forced her arm back and up into an unnatural position, then struck her wrist hard to get her to let go of the weapon. The gun dropped to the floor, and Theo kicked it away.

"Where are your friends?" Theo demanded. He slackened his hold so he could force her to turn around. She took advantage, and cursing, she whirled and tried to slam her knee into Noah's groin.

"Is that nice?" he asked as he dodged the knee. "Where are your friends?" He repeated Theo's question in a much more unfriendly tone.

She wasn't talking. Her lips pinched tight, her jaw clenched, she glared at Noah with loathing.

Theo looked up at the elevator numbers again. Still locked on four. "They're in the stairwells," he said. "They must have blocked the elevator so I'd have to take the steps. They may not know you're here."

"Do they?" Noah asked Dallas. His hand was around her neck, his thumb pressing into her flesh as he held her off the floor against the elevator.

She turned to the left and screamed at the top of her lungs, "Preston!" And then swinging to the right, "Monk! Now!"

Theo's fist silenced her. Her eyes closed instantly, and when Noah let go of her, she collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Noah tilted his head toward the hallway and whispered, "Get ready," as he quickly patted Dallas down for weapons. He found the Glock in its holster and removed it. He shoved her onto her back and was about to search for another weapon in an ankle strap under her slacks, when he heard the faint squeak of a door opening. He pointed toward the waiting room, indicating to Theo that that was where the sound had come from.

Theo had heard it. He nodded and took a step closer. Noah found the ankle strap, lifted the gun, and shoved it into the waistband of his jeans. He went back to the pockets in her jacket, pulled out four magazines, and stood. He moved quickly, silently to Theo's back. He shoved two of the magazines into Theo's back pockets, then handed him Harris's Glock so that he would have a weapon in each hand. Barrels pointed to the ceiling, they waited, hidden by the recess in front of the elevator doors.

Theo heard the soft click of a door closing. It came from the exit just beyond the waiting room. Monk. Then another click, at the opposite end of the hall by the OR doors. Preston had to be the man at the other end of the hall. Where was John? Was he in the elevator? Or was he in the stairwell?

He strained to hear footsteps. Nothing. Not a sound. Were they waiting for Noah and him to step out into the hall?

His heart was pounding in his ears; his breathing was harsh.

"Ambush," Noah whispered. "Let them come to us."

Theo shook his head. He didn't care that he was trapped. He couldn't wait. Wouldn't. The elevator was still locked on the fourth floor. There were two men waiting to blow them away, but these men wouldn't wait long, and if Michelle or one of the nurses came out to talk to the Watersons, they'd kill her.

"Michelle." He whispered her name. Noah nodded, letting him know he understood.

Theo tucked one of his guns under his arm, reached down, and grabbed one of Dallas's shoes. Then he threw it into the hallway. Preston immediately opened fire. Three shots. Then silence again.

They both heard the wail of sirens getting closer and closer. "Police?" Noah asked.

Theo nodded, letting him know he'd told the operator to call them, then whispered, "Can't wait," because he knew that Preston and Monk and John had also heard the sound. They might think the noise was from an ambulance, but they would still want to move quickly to get the job done. No, they wouldn't wait much longer. Theo took a step toward the hallway. Noah nudged him.

"Back to back," he whispered. "Only way we do it. Move out together. On three?"

Their guns up, they each took a deep breath. Noah turned his back to Theo's and whispered, "One."

Out of the corner of his eye, Theo saw Dallas move. She was swinging up onto her knees. She'd reached the gun Theo had kicked aside and was taking aim at Noah.

Theo fired. The blast shook the elevator doors. The bullet struck Harris in the hollow just below her throat. Eyes wide in disbelief, she fell back. Her eyes closed a second later, and she was dead. Her head dropped to her chest as she slumped against the elevator doors.

Noah barely spared her a glance before continuing his countdown. "Two…" He turned again, his shoulders touching Theo's now.

"Let's do it," Theo whispered.

"Go!"

Theo and Noah rushed into the hallway. Each found his target, homed in, and fired.

Noah winged Monk, but the killer didn't slow down. He got the door open and dove into the stairwell. Noah kept going, running now, safe in the knowledge that Theo was protecting his back just as he was protecting his. When he got to the door, he flattened himself against the wall, reached in, and fired again. Monk was waiting for him. He fired at the same time. His bullet tore a groove in the door as Noah jumped back. A hail of bullets followed until the wall across from the door was riddled with holes, and plaster bits flew out in every direction. The air was gray from plaster dust.

The noise was deafening. The blasts echoed in his ears, but he thought he heard a woman scream. He couldn't be sure. Noah glanced over his shoulder, saw Theo running, his guns firing again and again as the man he was chasing ducked behind the OR doors.

Go to the right. Go right. Away from Michelle. Theo surged forward, through the doors. He dropped to the floor, rolled, praying to God that Preston was trying to get to the exit.

The Glock in his left hand was empty. He couldn't waste time reloading. The doors leading to ICU were swinging. Preston was there, waiting, Theo was certain. He scrambled to get to his feet, saw a blur streak past the window, and knew he had to get around the corner and out of the line of fire.

He made it, but only just barely. A bullet missed his face by an inch. A nurse ran out of the OR, screaming.

"Get back," he shouted as he ejected the empty magazine from the gun, grabbed another one from his back pocket, and snapped

it in place. The nurse disappeared into the OR as he pressed his back against the wall and waited. He could hear Willie singing.

His shoulder rubbed the wall as he edged closer to the corner. He accidentally hit the light switch, and just as the song ended, the hallway went dark. The light spilling through the window of the OR was sufficient for" him to see. Where had Preston gone? Had he already gotten a hostage? Or had he found another way out? He'd have to come this way, wouldn't he?

Where the hell were the police? Never around when you need them, he thought. Come on, Ben. Get your ass in here. Save the day.

You're not getting past me, Preston. No way. Stay inside, Michelle. Don't come out until this is over. He remembered the gurney and moved back until his foot touched it. He hooked his leg around the metal bar and pulled the gurney close to the corner.