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Ray could feel the gun pressed against his temple. He could smell the oil from the weapon's chambers, could feel the cold, hard metal.

For just a second, though, he couldn't comprehend exactly what it meant. He could only concentrate on Sarah. Her shocked stare, as she saw what was happening, actually registered more powerfully with him than the .38 now jammed into his flesh.

Don't do anything stupid, he told himself. Not with Sarah here. God help him, he'd hurt her enough already.

But his instinct for survival was stronger than his need for caution. He twisted abruptly and seized the man's arm. Squeezing tightly, Ray pulled at the weapon, but the guy seemed to possess an almost supernatural power. He held on and crammed the pistol even deeper into Ray's flesh. "Keep trying," he yelled, "and I?ll shoot!"

Ray heard the note of insanity and recognized it; his own brother had screamed at him that way. He immediately went still.

"Everyone on the floor. Now!" The crazed man repeated his command then began to shout as one of the smaller children, not understanding, broke free of his stunned mother's grip and ran away.

The terrified customers watched helplessly, some shrieking, some frozen in shock. The robber pushed Ray to the floor, sending him spinning away from where they'd been. Ray stumbled and fell, but not before he realized there were more of them.

Three other robbers had now joined the first, each holding a gun. Ray's eyes returned to Sarah's. They were filled with a fear so palpable it made his stomach clench. He followed her gaze and saw the reason why.

The man who'd first grabbed Ray now had the small child tucked under his arm.

Ray watched in horror as the mother cried out and ran for her baby. In a slow, almost graceful movement, the robber holding the toddler lifted his right hand and brought it down against the mother's head, the crack of his gun against her skull a gut-wrenching sound. Then he turned nonchalantly and handed the child to one of the other men

The uniformed guard by the front door took two steps forward. Until that very moment, Ray hadn't even noted the old man's presence.

"D-drop that kid," he demanded. His weapon shook and so did his voice as he faced the other man. "Drop him and the guns right now, and no one will get hurt!"

Ray's heart faltered. The crook's expression held no understanding, no compassion. Nothing but blank determination

"It's too late for that, old man." The robber raised the .38 and fired....

To be continued