Gavin held his hands in the air, only slightly comforted that the cops had the man holding Sarah surrounded. “There’s a woman in here who’s been shot but is still alive. She needs help now or she’s going to die!” If she hadn’t already. “Let the paramedics in.”

“Check it out, Pete. I’ve got this guy covered.” Pete slipped behind the cop holding his weapon on Gavin and into the house. “On your knees, now!”

Gavin went to his knees, keeping his hands where the officer could see them. His position allowed him a good view through the deck spindles, and he kept his gaze on the man holding Sarah. Think, think!

Gavin noted another officer coming up on Sarah and her captor’s flank and taking cover behind a tree. “Give it up, Sam,” Gavin called. “Look around. You’re surrounded and not going anywhere. Why don’t you make this easier on yourself and just let her go?”

“Dude,” the officer who had his weapon trained on Gavin said, “shut up and let us work. Stay down and be quiet.”

“Of course.” Unless it meant rescuing Sarah. Paramedics were already working on Brianne’s friend, so that was one worry off his plate. “The guy’s name is Sam,” he said. “He claims he didn’t shoot the two women inside. He was burglarizing the place and panicked.”

“Good to know. I’ll pass that on to the negotiator. Now stay put.”

Sarah’s attacker swiveled, pulling her with him, the gun never wavering from her temple. “I don’t want to hurt her, but I will. I’m not going to prison! I don’t know why I’m doing this. Why am I doing this? Ahh!” He glanced at Gavin, who still knelt on the deck floor. “Tell them to get back! Tell them!” Sweat poured down from the man’s temples.

“I’m not a cop,” he said. “But things will go a lot easier for you if you just put the gun down and let Sarah go.” He used her name hoping it would make her a real person to him. “Her name’s Sarah. She has a brother and a dad who want her to come home without another bullet hole.”

“Shut up! Shut up! I was just doing a favor for someone. This wasn’t supposed to happen! Why is this happening?”

Gavin noticed the guy’s eyes. Thought about the pinpoint pupils he’d noticed earlier in the initial confrontation. Sweating. Agitated. It wasn’t withdrawal, he was on something.

From his vantage point of still being sprawled on the deck a mere ten feet away from Sarah and the gunman, Gavin could see two officers to the side of the house communicating with one another once again. He’d give anything to have an earpiece to hear what they were planning.