As it turned out, they had three minutes, which would have been ample time to hit the road. The only problem was Kyle refused to drop his weapon. Kyle and the two gunmen eyed each other maliciously. Beads of sweat rolled down Maria’s beautiful, ashen face.

“Um, Kyle,” she finally managed. “Please drop the gun. They already explained no one is going to get hurt, right? So just drop the gun, so we can go home now.”

“And let them get away with it!?” Kyle shot back. “Not on my life!”

“Listen to the girl, son,” Dr. Barry said, soothingly, “She has your best interests at heart. No one wants to see you leave here in a body bag.”

There was a split decision in Kyle’s mind – half the judges voted for looking tough, whatever the cost; the other half voted for getting out of harm’s way.

He dropped the gun.

Dr. Barry picked up the gun and pistol-whipped him.

“Are you really that dimwitted, son. The gun was all the leverage you had. There’s no way the two of you make it through this now. You simply know too much.”