I gave a primitive yell, smashed my hand into his forearm, and seized the gun. A moment later, the embankment was awash in blue.

48 - UP AGAINST THE WALL . . . ALL OF YOU!

48

UP AGAINST THE WALL … ALL OF YOU!

A POLICE LAUNCH HAD ARRIVED, BUT IT TOOK US ALL A few minutes to realize that. Two of Dornick’s banditti tried to run off, but the launch turned its spotlight on the shore. A couple of cops pulled out rifles and ordered the men to stop where they were. Dornick was doubled over on the ground, but he shouted for help:

“Officer down! Officer down!” he cried. “Get that bitch before she escapes. She grabbed my weapon.”

“He’s a liar,” Elton cried in a high-pitched gabble. “Vic, she was here with her girl. They were hiding from this man here. He’s a psycho. We seen plenty like him in Vietnam, rogue soldiers who start shooting their own men. He’da killed Vic if I hadn’t tackled him. And he broke my house in little pieces, just for nothing but to make me feel bad.”

“You look her up,” Dornick said. “She already murdered one cop this week. She’s out for revenge on the whole police force.”

Men in Kevlar vests jumped ashore. They covered all of us with their assault rifles and herded us onto the launch. I was shaking so badly, I almost fell into the river. The cops hoisted me over the side of the launch, and left me under guard while they went back for Dornick’s wounded thug.

Petra was sitting in the stern, wrapped in a gray police blanket. In some dim part of my exhausted mind, I felt relief at knowing she was safe. But mostly I wanted to lie down on the deck and sleep.

Once we were all on board, Dornick had the gall to try to pretend I had held him hostage—him and his three banditti—and forced them to the river, where I proposed shooting them, just as I had shot Larry Alito.

“That’s not true, Mr. Dornick.” Petra called out from the stern. “You know you tried to kill me and Vic. I don’t even know how she escaped, except I guess she’s more resourceful than you.”

That made me smile. The cops wouldn’t let me go over to Petra, so I blew her a kiss.