X is for "Xeauik eref em nemmet"

Rating: T for language

Author's Note: This is for both the Alphabet Challenge and the 15 Minute, One Word challenge "charged"

Time: 19 Minutes + beta reading.

Word Count: 800

xXxXxX xXxXxX xXxXxX xXxXxX

"We need all kinds of help, all kinds of shots fired!" Special Agent Liz Warner barked into her cell phone.

Incoming automatic fire caused both women to flinch back and throw up their arms to protect their eyes from flying splinters.

There was a fierce discussion down the hall accompanied by steady fire from one of the shooters.

"They sound annoyed," Liz said.

"Ya think?" Special Agent Megan Reeves said. She popped around the door frame and let off two shots, her Glock answering their attackers irritability with some crankiness of its own.

Her shots were answered by swearing and return fire.

Someone shouted an order down the hall at the trapped women.

Liz responded by letting off a few rounds.

"You know what this reminds me of?" Liz asked as she ejected her spent clip and slammed in a new one.

"No, and I don't want to," Megan snapped. She put her cell to her face and snarled. "Dispatch! What part of "shots fired" wasn't audible?!"

More incoming fire caused Megan to leap back and drop her cell phone. Not that the cell was doing her much good.

"I can't help thinking of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," Liz said. She popped off a few shots.

"I told you I didn't want to hear this," Megan gritted. "Especially not since I know this is the scene where they die!"

"I know," Liz looked toward the window. "Maybe we could try the cliff scene?"

"Jump? There's no river down there, Lizzie, that's a four-storey drop straight into the concrete."

"Maybe we'll get lucky and fall into a trash bin," Liz said.

Just then, breaking glass brought their attention back to the window, where a new danger had entered.

"Grenade!" Liz shrieked.

"Down the hall," Megan ordered.

"CHARGE!" screamed Liz.

"Xeauik eref em nemmet!" bellowed Megan.

They charged down the hall, Glocks blasting. They might not have made it out if reinforcements hadn't arrived just then and distracted their attackers.

However, between the reinforcements and the screaming harpies that the female feds had turned into, all the gang bangers were taken into custody without any loss of life.


Liz's ribs ached where her kevlar vest had stopped a round. Her head hurt and she was sure that ringing in her ears would drive her batty soon.

"So, how did you two wind up in the showdown at the OK corral?" Don asked.

"I don't know," Megan moaned. She was leaning back in her chair with a damp paper towel draped across her forehead. "We only went to question a potential witness, damn it."

"We produced our credentials. Next thing we know, we're in the middle of a fire fight," Liz sighed.

Don actually started to rub her shoulders, apparently his concern for her overrode his reticence for public displays of affection.

"So you decided to play Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?" Colby Granger asked dryly.

Liz glared at him and Megan opened one eye to give him half a glare.

"We thought it was a grenade," Megan growled.

"A homemade Molotov cocktail wouldn't have done them much good," David Sinclair pointed out reasonably. "Even if it didn't explode with as much force as a grenade."

"I'm sending official thanks to the LAPD SWAT team for their timely arrival," Don said. "I'd have hated to lose you two."

"Does that mean I get a back rub, too?" Megan asked.

"I'll send Colby and David to abduct Larry from his monastery," Don promised.

Colby and David exchanged alarmed looks.

"No need," Megan said. "Larry said he'll be staying with your brother for a few days."

"You can camp out with him in the Solarium, then," Don said.

David put on his best "I'm not listening" expression and Colby acquired his "TMI!" expression.

"Well, this isn't getting the paperwork done," Megan sighed.

"We'll handle that," Colby blurted. "You two just… ah…"

"Go home," David said. "Just don't fill us in on the details of whose home you went to."

Megan and Liz laughed. They also moved towards the elevators with more energy than they would have thought they still had left.

Don followed them. "By the way, Megan," he said. "What was that you yelled when you charged out of the room?"

"Sounded like Greek to me," Liz said. She pushed the down button.

"Um, it was Coptic," Megan said, turning pink.

Liz and Don exchanged looks.

"That's a form of Arabic used in Egypt," Megan elaborated without explaining. "I learned it from Larry."

"You've learned a lot of things from Larry," Liz said.

"Like avoiding the question," Don said.

"C'mon, Megan," Liz coaxed. "What does that zook thing mean?"

"Um…" Megan took a deep breath. "'Xeauik eref em nemmet!' roughly translates to "Your procreative organ is next upon the sacrificial altar."