THERE are so many things on his mind. Holding a hot coffee in one hand and the latest case file in the other, Mac strode to the entrance of his office building when he felt a white hot pain in his chest. He looked down and was baffled to see blood oozing from his chest. He kept on moving. He dropped the coffee on the icy pavement and walked with heavy steps towards safety inside the police building. He clutched his chest and his face turned pasty white. Mac knew he was in shock and needed help fast. Finally he reached the door and pushed it with the last strength he possessed before he dropped to his knees.
Stella and Hawkes were just stepping out of the elevator when they saw Mac fell to the ground. Hawke immediately ran to his boss with Stella closely followed from behind. They skidded to a stop and immediately assessed Mac's wound. Hawke pressed his hands on the wound and ordered Stella to find something that could stop the bleeding. One of the policemen held out a First Aid kit and asked Hawke how he could help. Using his other hand, Hawke quickly rummaged through the content of the medical kit and mumbled to himself he needed a gauze.
Mac tried to tell Hawke and Stella what had happened, but he had difficulty to do so. He struggled to stay awake. Hawke saw the bewildered look in Mac's eyes and tried to calm him down. Mac slowly moved his lips and Hawke leaned down trying to listen what his boss wanted to tell him.
"Find Alie..." Mac lost consciousness. Hawke looked at Stella and told her about Mac's garbled message. Stella called Danny and Lindsay to start processing the scene and to pinpoint the spot where Mac was shot.
The ambulance arrived and the paramedics immediately worked on Mac. Hawke followed his boss to the hospital and kept a close watch on Mac's vitals as the ambulance weaved its way through traffic. The ambulance screeched to a stop outside the ER entrance and the paramedics wheeled Mac into one of the examination rooms. Dr Edward Adam quickly checked the bullet-hole and gentle turned the unconscious CSI to look for the exit wound. He began to frown when he could not find one and immediately began to clean the bullet hole at front. As he prodded inside the tissue mass looking for the bullet, Mac started to groan. Hawke grabbed Mac's shoulder when the older man started to seize. After the ER personnel managed to stabilise Mac, they rushed him for surgery to take out the bullet before it does more damage.
Hawke sighed and resigned to a chair nearby. He remembered how Mac had helped him when he was framed by a psychotic killer. He felt so helpless for not able to help the man who had given him back his life. The young former ME and now a CSI was about to touched his face when he noticed Mac's blood on his hands. He went to the washroom to clean his bloodstained hands.
He then called Stella to inform her that Mac was in surgery. Stella told him to collect the bullet and send it to the lab with pictures of Mac's wound before the doctors cover it up. Hawke took the pictures and sealed the bullet in an envelope. When he reached to the office, he immediately processed the bullet and checked with AFIS. The computer identified the bullet was from a sniper rifle and so far the weapon had not been used in any other crimes.
Outside the cold weather, Danny and Lindsay began to put together the bullet trajectory and they determined the shooter was on high ground.
"The blood drops showed that Mac was likely to stand here. The trajectory showed that the shooter was on the 23rd floor of the Westhaven building when he pulled the trigger," Danny told Stella when she asked for progress.
"Why him?" Lindsay asked Stella. The older woman could only guess various reasons for the shooter to choose Mac.
"Lindsay, go through the cases that Mac's working on now. Get the names of anyone who has any grudge against him. Put together the list and get back to me fast so that we can find who did this," said Stella with a determined glint in her eyes.
The younger CSI was relieved to be given a task to keep her busy as she was so worried about Mac and so did the others.
(Back in the lab)
Hawke ran along the corridor searching for Stella. He nearly knocked down a young lab tech in his haste. When he saw Stella in Mac's office, he wildly gestured for her to come with him fast. Stella came out and followed Hawke.
"Look under the microscope. I did the usual test and then I noticed this." Hawke looked at Stella with fear in his eyes.
"What is that?"
"You tell me, Stella"
"It couldn't be. It is not possible!"
"But, it is here and now contaminating the slide and the very air we are breathing," Hawke whispered.
Stella stared at Hawke's face. She turned to the nearby computer console nearby and keyed in her password to initiate the level 4 lockdown. She ordered all personnel to report themselves to the quarantine area fast. She then called the hospital to tell them of the possible contamination and to move Mac into quarantine.
"Hawke, call CDC and get that slide and bullet to them fast. We need to confirm whether it is true."
Stella called Danny who was still outside processing the scene and told him about the situation inside.
"Work with Flack, Danny. Most of us are in quarantine until CDC clears us."
"Okay. What else can I do for you Stella?"
"Get whoever did this."
(At the hospital)
Medical personnel dressed in contamination suits filled the ER hallway. Few of them were in Mac's room and monitored his vitals.
Mac's stilled form was covered with different tubes and wires.
Suddenly the alarm went off.
Doctors and nurses rushed to Mac bedside and tried to get his blood pressure up. Then the former Marine stopped breathing. After working several minutes on him, they managed to stabilise him.
An hour later, CDC personnel went into Mac's room to get his blood samples. They sealed the samples in an airtight container with the biohazard label on it.
(Back to CSI headquarters)
All the people in the building had their blood taken for testing. Now the waiting game began.
Stella sat in Mac's office sifting through piles of files on the table together with Lindsay.
"Did you find anything?"
"There are so many possibilities. I don't know where to start."
"Look for anyone who has threatened Mac. We will start from there."