
Darkness flashed over Ukiah and he was, for an uncounted stretch of time, without touch, sound,
sight, or even thought. Strangely, after this absolute stillness of being, when the world blared forth upon his
senses at its usual volume, he knew it had lasted several minutes.
He was still sprawled facedown in the night-cloaked woods, his left hand clamped to his neck. Cold
rain pounded down on him, mixing the smell of gunpowder with the blood on the torn black earth. A siren
wailed in the distance, growing nearer. Heavy bodies crashed through the underbrush to his left
accompanied by a dozen hissing, crackling police radios. Helicopter blades thrummed in the air, its spotlight
moving through his vision like an angel of death loosed in the woods. Max's voice was ranting over the
headset, in midsentence, obviously talking to someone else. "... left, God damn you, Kraynak, don't you
know your left from your asshole? He's my partner, just let me ..."
Ukiah was cold but too weak even to shiver. With rescue so close, he lay unmoving, knowing
somehow that any attempt to even try would be futile.
"Damn it, Bennett, you just wait for the ambulance." The headset conversation echoed off to his
right, accompanied by the sounds of a large body crashing through the underbrush. "There's no sign of a
path and you're going to have to direct them too. I'll find the kid."
"Then go to your fucking left, you're almost to him."
"There is a damn rock in the way, and I'm just going around it."
The helicopter's spotlight raced suddenly toward Ukiah and pinpointed him on the ground, its light so
brilliant he felt his spine prickle. A shout went up from the nearby underbrush, and the searchers swarmed
toward him, blood clinging to their feet.
"We found him." Kraynak's voice echoed all around him. The big detective paused over Ukiah,
muttering softly, "Oh shit."
"Is he alive? How is he? Kraynak, is he all right?"
Ukiah managed to croak, "I'm—" Fine? No, not fine. "I'm here."
"Ukiah!" Max shouted in his ear. "Oh, thank God."
Kraynak dropped to his knees beside Ukiah. "Is this your blood? Are you hurt?"
"My neck," Ukiah hissed, and tried to unclasp his hand to show his wound.
Kraynak stopped the motion, clamping his hand over Ukiah's. "Keep up the pressure. Bennett
would kill me if I let you bleed to death. Bennett, where's that ambulance?"
"I've found a service road. I should be able to get it within a hundred feet of you. How is he?"
"Just make it fast."
They kept Ukiah pinned on the ground with their hands and light until the ambulance stopped a
stone's throw away on a dirt service road masked by the trees. With the helicopter still thumping overhead,
its spotlight blasting the area with harsh brilliance, a gurney was muscled through the trees and mud to him.
Then, with surprising care, the policemen lifted him onto the gurney.
As they started their bumpy way back to the ambulance, Ukiah caught sight of the woman,
sprawled in an awkward heap not far from where he had lain. His semiautomatic had punched an angry
line through her. Her lips were drawn back in a snarl. Her eyes were open to the rain. Yet he sensed
something there, some germ of life.
"Max." He could only whisper, hoping that the mike would catch it, that Max would hear where no
one in the bedlam would. "She's still alive."
The EMS glanced down at him and frowned at the headset. "Sorry, but I need to take that off."