He couldn’t see her through the blinding rain. Was she calling him from the back door? A window? He doubted she was at the front door, not with the porch in the way—he’d never hear her over the howling wind, the crashing surf, the lashing rain. What a mess.

“Robert, you can’t stay out there.”

Although she had to yell to be heard over the oncoming hurricane, she managed to sound concerned, reasonable. But she was an E.R. doctor. She was good at faking concern and reason.

He didn’t answer her. The hell with her. This wasn’t a dream. This was a ploy on her part. She was trying to play to his weakness for her.

“Hurricane Hope is hitting us,” she continued. “It’ll only get worse. Robert, you’ll be killed if you don’t take cover.”

“What do you care?” he yelled, despite his resolve to keep his mouth shut.

He knew he was giving away his position. Didn’t matter. She and Callahan weren’t going to do anything. He was the one out in the goddamn hurricane, and he was the one with the gun. They weren’t going to seize the lead from him. What happened next was his choice.

“I’m a doctor, but I’m also your colleague at the hospital. I know how hard you work—”

“Fuck you! You don’t know anything about me! You’ll celebrate if I’m dead!”

He sounded like a head case. He winced, pulling the tarp more tightly around him, the rain pelting on it, bouncing off. He had to think. If he stormed the cottage—gun or no gun—they’d see him coming and set up a defense. Ambush him some way. He needed to create a distraction, then move in when they weren’t looking. A Molotov cocktail. Homemade napalm. Something like that. Firebomb the cottage. His hostages would have to deal with the fire, and he could move in with the gun.

He’d just have to be careful not to burn down the place. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Where could he get the fixings for a Molotov cocktail? A bottle. Some gasoline. Dry fabric for a wick.

But the bitch doctor hadn’t given up. “Robert, please. Let’s talk before we get in any deeper. I know you’re here because of me.” He thought he could hear her hesitation. Her regret. “Because of a mistake I made. Come inside. We’ll ride out the hurricane together.”