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But he couldn’t deal with that now. Later. He’d fall apart later. He drew a breath and straightened his spine, disturbed by the realization that he was becoming too adept at compartmentalizing murder. He pushed back that worry as well.
Burke and Molly shared a quick look, then Molly jumped out of the SUV and followed Burke toward Ducote.
Okay, Gabe thought. So we’re doing this, then.
“Stay here,” he commanded Xavier, and, deliberately not looking at the body of the fallen officer, got out of the car to follow them. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but all he could think was that he couldn’t let Ducote hurt anyone else. He couldn’t let Ducote kill anyone else. At the very least, he could direct the crowd away, giving Molly and Burke room to work.
Molly and Burke had split up, one going left of Ducote and the other going right. It looked like they planned to approach him from behind. But Ducote was still dragging the woman, whose face was streaked with helpless tears.
And then Xavier was at Gabe’s side. Goddammit.
“What the hell are you doing out here?” Gabe demanded.
“Same thing you are,” Xavier answered evenly.
Gabe grabbed Xavier’s arm. “Xavier, go. Please.”
Xavier gave him a look that didn’t bode well. “No way in hell. We both go or we both stay. What are you planning to do?”
Gabe shook his head. “He’s coming this way. If he gets into that crowd, he’ll be gone. Or even more people will get hurt. Please, Xavier, go.”
“Fine,” Xavier said, but didn’t move an inch.
“I swear to God you are as stubborn as my father,” Gabe gritted out.
“So are you.”
Ducote was close enough now that Gabe could see the fear in the hostage’s eyes. Taking a deep breath, Gabe strode toward them, purposefully not looking for Molly or Burke.
If the two took Ducote down from behind, the old lady could be hurt in the process.
And that wasn’t okay.
He hadn’t been able to save Dr. McLain or Dusty Woodruff or even Joelle Ducote, but he’d be damned if this old lady got hurt today.
Gabe held up his hands, aware of Xavier behind him. Run, he wanted to yell to the younger man, but he didn’t think it’d do any good.
“Mr. Ducote,” Gabe said loudly.
Ducote’s head had been swiveling back and forth as he frantically searched for a way out, but now he stopped hard, shock flickering in his eyes. The lady was grabbing at Ducote’s forearm, trying to breathe.
He’s going to kill her.Gabe knew it like he knew his own name.
Gabe took a few more steps forward, his focus narrowing on the man and his hostage. “Let her go, Ducote,” he said. “She’s not the one you want. I’m the one you want.”
“No, I’m the one you want,” Xavier said from beside him.
Gabe wanted to shove Xavier out of the way, out of danger. He’s been through enough already, dammit.
Ducote looked from Gabe to Xavier. His eyes were wild, flicking one way then the other. Looking for a way out. “Who the hell is he?”
Xavier took off the wig and glasses. “I’m the five-year-old kid who saw you murder Nadia Hall. I’m the one you’ve been trying to kill all week. Let the lady go, and I’ll go with you.”
Something flickered in Ducote’s eyes. Hope? Calculation? Then disbelief. “You lie.”
The woman Ducote held whimpered, and Gabe realized that everyone around them had gone silent. He could still hear noise from the crowd farther down the block and there was a band playing jazz close by, but it was like the people around them were holding their breath.
“I’m not lying,” Xavier insisted, and Gabe believed him.
