Ready was Rafe’s reply.

And then Liza stopped walking.

Tom’s heart stopped at a man’s murmur. “If you run, I’ll kill you. Then I’ll go into that solarium and kill every single patient. Not all of them are criminals. A couple of them are kids. You okay with them dying, too?”

“What do you want?” Liza asked, turning her body so that the pendant and her glasses caught DJ’s face. He was bald and clean shaven, and a surgical mask dangled under his chin.

A moment later, the pendant was yanked from Liza’s throat, followed by her glasses. And then all they could see was the inside of a trash can.

Tom stared at the monitor, trying to think of what he could do. None of the wireless cameras were picking her up, and he could only watch helplessly.

“They’ll be searching for her soon,” Raeburn said. “She’ll be okay.”

Croft squeezed Tom’s shoulder. “Breathe,” she ordered.

Tom realized he hadn’t been, so he sucked in a breath that burned.

His cell began to buzz. It was Rafe. Tom snatched it up and answered. “Where is she?”

“In Sunnyside’s ambulance. I’m in pursuit—”

A crash made Tom wince. “Rafe? Rafe?”

Both Raeburn and Croft turned to him with twin expressions of confusion. Raeburn caught on first. “What have you done, Hunter?”

Tom didn’t answer. “Rafe?”

“Put the gun down!” a voice yelled.

“Police! You put your gun down,” Rafe yelled back, then in a more normal voice, he recited the numbers on a license plate. “That’s the plate on the ambulance he stole. Security just wrecked my SUV. I’m pinned against a rock wall. The ambulance is gone, but Belmont’s in it, along with Liza and Pastor.”

Tom had repeated the license plate numbers for Raeburn when a gun fired, followed quickly by a second shot. “Rafe?”

“I’m not hit,” he said, a car door loudly groaning through the phone.

“Our people are in pursuit of the ambulance,” Raeburn told Tom and Croft. “Are you talking to Rafe Sokolov?”

Tom nodded once. “Yes.”

Through the phone they heard Rafe shout, “SacPD. Drop the gun, asshole! Hands where I can see them! Do not push me, buddy. On your stomach. Do it. Now.” After a pause, Tom could hear the click of handcuffs and another groan from Rafe. “His badge says Saltrick.”

“He’s the chief of security,” Tom said dully.

“You hired your own muscle?” Raeburn demanded. “What the fuck, Hunter?”

Tom couldn’t hear Raeburn, his boss’s words not sinking in. “Rafe, are you all right?”

“Yeah,” Rafe said, breathing hard. “Your guys just busted through the fence. Saltrick’s restrained and he’s the only one I saw leave. Dammit. I almost had them.”

“You got us the ambulance’s plate. Call if you need me.” Tom stood, feeling Raeburn’s barely restrained rage but unable to focus on anything but his own paralyzing fear.

“Where are you going, Agent Hunter?” Raeburn demanded as Tom turned for the door.

“To bring her back, sir.”