8.

McCormick glanced at Nancy before opening the front door. Unable to verbalize, he relied on his raised eyebrows to communicate his question, squinting at her softly glowing form.

"The other one, Leo, went outside to help search for you. He's in the Gatehouse. Mark, you still have time to hide. They'll never believe that you came back into the house." Nancy had tried repeatedly to get McCormick to change his plans without success. "And where the hell are the cops?"

Mark slipped into the house, praying that the light spilling through the door wouldn't give him away. Once inside, he blew his breath out, then used his hand against the wall, tapping the cane on the floor in front of him.

"Mark? What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for the step," he replied softly. "I…I can't see, Mrs. H."

"Oh, my poor boy."

"Get me to the Judge. Please."

She gave him detailed instructions to help him arrive safely. "What are you planning, Mark? What can you do without your sight?"

"Judge?" Mark's outstretched hand came in contact with the top of Hardcastle's bowed head. He let his hand caress the whiskery cheek before he dropped to his knees. "Guzman and Leo have only used the front door since they arrived, right?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I had already locked the back door, so if they haven't gone out that way, it's still locked and their only avenue to get back into the house is through the front door. I should've locked it behind me."

"What are you planning, Mark?"

He pulled the gun and smiled sadly. "To protect Hardcastle, to keep him alive long enough for the cavalry to arrive. I need you to be my eyes once more, Mrs. H. Will you do it?"

"This isn't right. It isn't safe."

"Right? Right! Hardcase being blamed for doing his job isn't right, being worked over isn't right. My being unable to protect him isn't right! And at this point in time, I don't give a rat's ass about safe!"

"Okay, calm down. I'll do what I can."

"I need to orientate myself." He pointed the gun where he guessed the opening to the den to be. "How close am I?"

"Move the muzzle just a bit to the right. That's it. Bring it down a few inches or you'll shoot over their heads."

"Thanks." Mark was weak and trembling. He knew he wouldn't be able to stay on his knees much longer. He sighed, sitting on the floor beside the Judge's chair, half-leaning against the wood. With the gun tightly gripped in his right hand, he gently rested his left on the unconscious man's thigh.

"What now?" Nancy asked.

"Now we wait and pray."

-- H&McC --

Leo caught up with Guzman as the older man was about to return to the main house. "Anything?"

"No. I don't understand how he could simply disappear. The cars are still here and I checked both the beach access as well as the driveway. There was no sign of him. What about the Gatehouse?"

Leo frowned. "We may have problems there. I can't tell you why, but I picked up the phone while was there. McCormick has a separate line, one we didn't cut. If he made it there, he probably called the cops."

"That means we need to finish this. No more time for playing." Guzman nodded decisively. "Fine. All good things must come to an end sooner or later." He pulled his pistol as he walked into the house.

"Hold it right there!"

Guzman was surprised to see the missing man sitting in the den, a gun in his hand. "Well, well. I certainly didn't expect to find you here."

"No, I don't suppose you did. Drop your weapons and kick them into the den." McCormick tilted his head to the side as if listening to someone or something.

"Boss? I can take him," Leo murmured.

"Not yet." Guzman tossed his gun into the den.

Leo Lipman dropped his weapon on the floor and slide it with his foot off the step. "What now, hotshot?"

"On the ground, hands behind your head," McCormick ordered.

Guzman obeyed, albeit slowly. As he spread out onto the floor, he noticed that McCormick's eyes didn't follow him. "He's blind. Leo, now!"

Lipman flung himself at McCormick, reaching behind his back for his spare .38.

-- H&McC --

"Fire, Mark, fire!" Nancy shouted.

Mark pulled the trigger, hitting Leo in the shoulder and making him drop the gun. But he couldn't stop Leo's momentum, and was slammed to the floor by the sniper. They grappled for the gun while Guzman tried to retrieve one of the other weapons kicked across the room during the struggle.

Sirens could be heard from the street, increasing the fight for supremacy between the killers and the one man who stood between them and success. As the police cars screeched to a halt outside, Mark was pushed back into Hardcastle's chair, knocking it and the man onto the floor.

"Dammit, Leo, I had him in my sights," Guzman complained, his pistol once again in his possession.

"Shoot them both!" Lipman ground out, panting.

"My pleasure."