Surrounded

there. And he was convinced that nothing would happen there until he made it happen. Before long, he and his men would have to move. Putting it short and sweet, as he had learned to do when he commanded men in Nam, they were going to have to storm the building and take it.
        He was considering all the ways it could be done, was trying to decide which was the best method of operation, when Patrolman Hawbaker-another rookie who was as gangly and clumsy as Muni was pudgy and paradoxically graceful-ran down from the telephone booth to tell him that a call had come through. "It's that guy inside," Hawbaker said, pointing to the mall. His prominent Adam's apple worked rapidly up and down. "He wants to talk to you right away, sir."
        Kluger followed Hawbaker across the parking lot, through deep shadows and pools of purple light to the automated post office. He pushed into the first telephone booth in a row of three and drew the door shut.
        Hawbaker looked in at him like a spectator at a zoo watching a caged animal.
        Opening the door, Kluger said, "Hawbaker, go away."
        "Sir?"
        "I said, go away."
        "Oh," Hawbaker said. He turned and walked a dozen steps and stood facing the mall, his back to Kluger.
        Shutting the booth door again, Kluger picked up the receiver and said, "Hello?"
        "Kluger?"
        "What do you want?"
        "How are you?"
        "What?"
        "Are you feeling okay?" the stranger asked.
        "What is this?"
        "I just want to be sure you're not getting jumpy," the man in the mall said. "I'll bet you're under a great deal of pressure to get us out of here."
        "What of it?" Kluger asked.
        In point of fact, though, he was under almost no pressure at all except that which he manufactured for himself, that inner pressure that always helped him to excel in police work. Right now, only two newspapers had learned of the situation, and only three reporters and two photographers were on hand. None of them had filed anything with their offices. Very few people knew what was happening. Most of the politicians and other publicity seekers were home in bed. Indeed, even the chief of the department had probably not yet been informed. The chief was a wounded bear when awakened because of a crisis, and he was usually not disturbed until someone had been killed. Therefore, Kluger had another hour and perhaps even a bit longer to get this thing settled his own way, on his own terms, without everyone interfering with his methods.
        "I just called to tell you to relax," the stranger said. "It's just about all over."
        "What?"
        "You can come inside," the stranger said.
        "Are you serious?"
        "Wait fifteen minutes," the stranger said. "Then you can come in, and we won't resist you."
        "You're surrendering?" Kluger asked. It sounded too good to be true, yet he was strangely disappointed to realize that there was not going to be a fight.
        "Surrendering? Not at all," the man said. "You can come in because we won't be here to stop you."
        "What?"
        "We're leaving."
        "You're what?" Kluger asked, feeling like a broken record but unable to speak intelligently. His mind was racing, trying to find something about the mall that he had overlooked.
        "We've found a way out, Lieutenant."
        "Like hell you have."
        "If you don't believe me," the stranger said, "you will when you come inside fifteen minutes from now."
        "We have everything covered!"
        "You missed one thing."
        "I did not!" Kluger said. His face was a furious shade of red, the blood pounding visibly in his temples and in his neck. He was straining his jaw muscles so hard that they ached.
        "Sorry, but you did."
        "Look, you-"
        "Remember," the stranger went on, "fifteen minutes. If you come inside one minute sooner, we'll have to kill the hostages."
        "I don't know what you're up to-"
        "We're up to escape," the stranger said, laughing. Then he put down his receiver and cut Kluger short just as he had before.
        The lieutenant slammed open the booth door, nearly breaking it, and went outside.
        "Sir?" Hawbaker asked, turning toward him.
        "Shut up!" the lieutenant ordered. "Let me think."
        Kluger stood by the automated post office, his hands fisted on his hips, and he gave the mall building a thorough