Disclaimer: I do not own Rookie Blue!
Premise: 3 x 13 Predictions
Lyrics: Jeanette Lindström/(c) 2009 Music Box Publishing
_

No Regrets - Andy & Dov

Still the echoes
of our laughter
First before, and then
Ever after

"Andy…we'll get him. It's not your fault."

Andy's eyes looked up from the file that lay open on her lap.

"It's not."

Her eyes were weary and wet from tears. She reached up with one hand to rub them and then she lightly touched the bruise on her cheek.

"Jon Gray," she said as she looked back down at the file. "It says he has a brother, Charlie, who owns a diner downtown. That's where we should start. Maybe someone there will know where he might have gone."

"It's worth a shot."

Dov pulled the cruiser into the empty diner's parking lot.

"Out of business" Andy read when she saw the sign in the window. "Well, I guess we won't be finding any answers here." She reopened the file and began to scan through it again.

"Wait…wasn't a dark green van reported stolen earlier this morning?" Dov asked.

"I don't know, why?"

"Because there's one parked in the ally across the street. Do you see it?"

"Yea."

"Let's drive over and get a better look."

When they pulled up to the alley, Andy radioed in the license plate number while Dov got out to investigate the van. It appeared empty. He pressed his hand against the glass and looked inside. No one. Andy watched her partner as he walked around the van. She was startled when the dispatcher came crackling over the radio confirming the van as stolen.

Pull it together, Andy.

She got out of the cruiser and walked to her partner.

"It's empty," he said.

"It's stolen," Andy replied.

Dov tried the door and it opened. He looked inside for anything suspicious, but found nothing out of the ordinary. The partners were turning back to their cruiser to relay their findings when Andy noticed movement inside the diner.

"Dov."

A man came out of the diner's front door, saw the cruiser, began to go back inside, changed his mind, and started to run. Andy and Dov sprinted after him. The man ran behind the diner's dumpster and took off down another alley.

"Stop. Stop, police," Andy yelled after him.

The man didn't stop, but he wasn't fast enough to outrun Andy. She quickly caught up with him and, shoving her elbow into his back, knocked him to the ground. The man's face landed hard against the pavement. Andy forced his hands behind his back and took out her cuffs. He turned his face to the side as Dov approached. The blood that was running from the man's nose had begun to cover his face, but there was no denying who he was.

"Jon Gray," Dov said breathlessly. It wasn't a question. "What did you do with her? Where is the girl?"

A mixture of blood and spittle came dripping from the man's mouth in response to Dov's questions. Andy yanked him up by his arms and pressed him against the ally's brick wall. She patted him down. He wasn't carrying anything.

"Where is she? Is she inside…in the diner?" Dov asked again. This time, the man laughed. It was a low, menacing gurgle.

"You took her from me," the man said. "I loved her and you took her away."

"We don't have time for this," Andy said. "Take him back to the cruiser and radio the station. I'm going in to look for her."

"You took her! She loved me and you took her! This one, she didn't love me. It's your fault! She's not Alice. We were in love," the man shouted as Dov dragged him back to the squad.

"Andy…don't go in there alone. You have to wait for backup," Dov pleaded. Andy ignored him and started toward the diner's entrance. "Andy, don't."

The door was already half-opened. Andy drew her gun and slowly inched inside. She scanned the room. It was full of tables and chairs. There were signs hanging on the wall with edges slightly curled from age. There were dust particles dancing slowly in the slits of sunlight that escaped from behind the blinds. There was silence. Andy carefully walked through the room toward the kitchen entrance.

With her gun out, she peered inside. There was no one in the room, but the ceiling lights were turned on. Their reflections shone brightly off the slick metal surfaces of the countertops. A hallway continued from the kitchen. There were two doors on the right side that led to other rooms, and there was one door at the end of the hall that led outside.

Andy approached the first door. Carefully, she pushed it opened and looked inside. It had been, she supposed, the diner's dry stock. Though, now, it was mostly empty. A few carryout containers remained on a top shelf next to bags of sugar or flour. She left that room and continued down the hall.

The last room was sealed with a heavy metal door. The freezer, Andy knew. She pushed the door opened, and as she looked inside movement caught her eye. In the left corner of the room stood a girl. Her face was red and swollen from tears. Her eyes were filled with terror. She was standing with her hand extended. To it, a small object was taped.

"Hi," Andy spoke softly. "I'm officer McNally. I'm a police officer…I'm here to help you. Everything's okay…"

"I have a bomb…" the girl stammered. "He taped it to my….hand. If, if I let go…it will blow up. He said if I let go, it will blow…up."

"Okay…" Andy answered. "It's okay…I'm going to get you out of here." "Dov…" she called on the radio.

"Andy, back up is on the way. Did you find her?"

"Yea…Dov, call the bomb squad." She was trying to appear brave. To remain calm, like she was trained, but at the word "bomb" Andy's voice cracked.

"Bomb? Andy, are you okay? I'm coming in."

"I'm going to take the bomb from you," Andy explained to the frightened girl. "I have to un-tape it first. Keep ahold of it real tight, okay? Once the tape is off, I'll put my hand around the trigger and you can take your hand off."

"Andy," Dov called as he appeared in the doorway of the freezer. "Andy?" His eyes widened with fear when he saw his friend and fellow officer holding the bomb in her hand.

"Take her, Dov. Take her and get out of here."

"I'm not leaving you in here."

"You have to. Make sure she's safe. ETF will be here soon. Tell them where I am."

He did not want to leave her, but he knew that there was no other choice. He gave Andy one last look before taking the girl under his arms and making for the exit.

***To be continued...***
Next chapter, No Regrets - Sam & Collins