"Boss?" Ed questioned warily as soon as he heard the first shot though his headset. With losing people close to him on his mind, Ed realized he was especially jumpy right now. They were so close to this being all over. Yes, he had lost Donna, but Clark would be okay. He couldn't even fathom the idea of losing Greg too.
"I'm taking fire, he's here, it's him." Ed could identify the tone in Parker's voice. It was laced with something he didn't usually hear. Fear.
Dropping everything else from his mind, he called the name he knew would follow him unquestionably, "Sam!" He knew as he started running that the fear in his own voice was showing. Ed ran against the tide of people, not even thinking about how ridiculous it was to be heading into a building containing a live bomb while others were evacuating. It wasn't the explosives that were beckoning him in, it was his best friend in danger. His best friend being shot at with no back up. His sergeant trying to stop a dirty bomb while the bomber tried to stop him. He heard through his headset louder shots, it was Parker returning fire. His heart was already pounding in his ears, his adrenaline working overtime. Sometimes the SRU headsets frustrated Ed, he could never get any privacy and Ed wasn't usually one to think to hard about his words in stressful situations. Right now, though, he was grateful. He could hear Parker's every move and Parker had to do nothing to get the information he needed. He heard his relatively frazzled voice coming though the headset asking, "Okay, Spike what do I do? What do I do?"
Ed had passed through the stream of evacuees and had made it to the stairs as he heard more gunfire ringing in his ears. In the headset he heard the sound that made his blood run cold, the unmistakeable 'Oof' of someone taking a bullet. Greg had been hit. Ed pushed himself further, his legs moving quickly, but not as quickly as his mind wanted them to. He heard Spike with the worry that they all carried calling to their leader, "Boss, are you there?" The empty air over the com felt like it lasted forever while he continued to run full speed through the building. Spike asked his question again and finally a response came through the mic. "Vest." He heard weakly. "Took it in the vest." Ed was running out of breath from sheer exhaustion. Hearing Greg sound as winded as he did allowed Ed to conclude that he probably broke a couple of ribs on the shot, but he had been able to answer and that was postive. Ed hoped he would get up and was rewarded with the sound of gunfire from Greg's end of the mic. Ed heard Greg's voice again, this time a little stronger, asking Spike what he should do now.
Ed listened to the reply from the bomb tech as he reached the third level of the stadium. He felt relief thinking he was nearly on the catwalk when he realized that Parker was on the other side of the building. He kept ascending the stairs and heard Greg give a reassuring 'okay', to the team. The temporary assurance didn't last as almost immediately Ed heard a shout of pain in his ear. "Boss." He whispered. A lump formed in Eddies throat at the sound of his friend in pain. He didn't know what to do other than press on through the empty stairwell as he heard Parker yell and release a hail of bullets toward the shooter. Ed heard the unmistakable sound of a body hitting the floor and then a rasping, gasping sound. His hair stood up and his stomach turned. Greg was injured badly. Ed knew he had taken another bullet, he didn't need to say anything. He couldn't find his voice anyway. He cursed the size of the stadium as he reached the catwalk level.
Ed didn't check to see that Sam was still behind him, knowing he was as fit as Ed and would be just as determined to get to their Sergeant. He knew Sam would have his back and be able to help him complete this mission.
He swallowed to suppress his own bodily response to the sounds his friend was making in his ear. When he spoke the bomber's name, "Marcus", Ed realized it was worse than he thought it could be. He sounded weak and his speech was thick. Ed suddenly remembered the reason they were there: the bomb. Greg needed to diffuse the bomb or else they were all going to die. Ed knew he wouldn't make it before the timer ran down, for their sake Greg needed to get to it and stop the detonation. This didn't cause Ed to pause, though, he knew that Greg would do anything to protect the team and those around the arena. Ed had to try to get to his friend. He knew he was making a dangerous choice blindly trusting that Greg still had the strength to diffuse the bomb, but he also knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't do everything he could to save Parker.
Ed heard Greg calling out to the bomber; he realized he was trying to stall him. Ed wondered in horror what kind of shape his friend would be in. He must have lost his gun because the firing stopped. The words coming through his headset directed at the bomber now were semi-coherent. Ed listened and ran out to the open section above the arena floor, hearing his and Sam's boots echoing loudly in the empty stadium. He was almost there. Just hold on, Greg. He thought to himself. Finally Ed heard the words he was waiting for, "I just stopped your bomb." Ed sighed at that, at least the explosion wasn't going to kill them all. He heard Greg talking and noted the sound of his voice. Ed's heart sank to his feet but he pushed them forward, holding his focus on getting to his friend.
Finally, Ed could see his destination. He could make out someone walking down a pathway. He knew by body language and experience that it was not Greg. Looking nearby he couldn't see Greg standing, but he saw Marcus moving slowly towards his target, gun drawn. Direct threat and closing in. Without breaking his stride, Ed reached down and pulled out his gun, already wanting to fire but he wasn't close enough. He heard Sam's gun cock behind him. Ed longed for his Remy but it was too late now. He was armed only with the short range handgun he was carrying on his hip.
Ed could hear many breaths in his headset as the team listened in, but the one he was focused on scared him more than anything he had encountered in the field. Greg's shallow, gasping, breaths were rattling in his ear as he closed the space between them. He heard his friend speaking to Marcus, taunting him, "You're done." This time, Ed was close enough to hear in person the pain of Greg's intake of breath and the weakness in his voice brought pause to Ed, but he soldiered on. He was so close now. He could see Marcus in front of him, a red spot of blood seeping out of his shoulder. He realized Greg had got him at least once. His other arm was coming up though as Parker rambled on, his speech slurred and heavy. Ed was farther than he would have liked to be but he had to move now. Hoping that Greg wasn't close enough to take another bullet, Ed raised his gun and fired two shots, centre of mass. Marcus fell in front of him like a marionette with the strings cut.
As he fell the sight that was revealed behind the bomber would be forever etched in Ed's mind. The last steps felt like they took eternity even though Ed didn't hesitate as he stepped past the bomber's body to his friend. Ed's eyes bore into Greg as he sat semi-upright on the metal catwalk floor, blood having fallen from his mouth and down his chin. He coughed and pitched forward slightly looking weak and wounded. Ed's mind flooded with one thing, he was dying. Feeling tears form instantly in the corners of his eyes at the sight of Greg, he realized they'd been settled there since he heard his friend take the first bullet. There was blood everywhere. Ed went right to him, ignoring Marcus and ignoring the bomb. None of it was important, he had to get to Greg. He had to help him.