Harry didn't breathe at all for several seconds, then finally let it out in a slow slide. Al watched in silence, wondering exactly how this man would take hearing his own obituary. When the detective finally did speak, it was barely a whisper, strangely reverent, utterly grateful.

"She can keep a promise."

As soon as he asked for her, she was out of her seat. "I'll go."

Andy almost belly-bumped her back down. "You absolutely do not have to go in there!"

Gomez piped in, sounding a little too relieved about the whole thing. "Denby wants her and it's her call."

Andy, as usual when he was stressed, picked up the argument immediately. "This is you riskin' her life for your guy!"

Diane listened to the argument in silence, using their distraction to grab her vest and slip it on.

Gomez raised his voice to a shout. "I'm the ranking officer here, and I'll do what I have to to get my man out!"

Diane interjected herself into the argument, if only to end it. "I've got my vest." She practically had to crawl over Andy to get out, but she did it, taking in a big lungful of city air to steel herself as she headed for the warehouse door.

Andy hustled behind her. "Let me go, Diane. God knows what he wants with you."

That makes two of us. "It's okay, Andy." Behind her, she heard Andy grunt, then shove his way back into the surveillance van. Diane jerked on her windbreaker and pulled out her hair, hoping the speaking breath she gathered was big enough to keep her voice from shaking.

"Open the door, Denby. It's Detective Russell."

Al actually had to try to keep all the crap Detective Denby had told him straight in his head as he headed back to the imaging chamber. The man had two separate stories in his head, and both of them were perfectly reasonable.

Except one of them was an utter lie.

If he couldn't keep them separate, how on Earth was Sam supposed to keep them straight?

He turned the corner and smashed his nose on the imaging chamber door.