Author's Note: Sebastian doesn't nearly get enough credit for all he does for the NOLA team. I can't seem to find many ficlets about him in the fandom, so I thought I'd write one. I wanted to see the "unlikely hero" actually be the hero for a change. So, this one is for the Sebastian Lund fans out there, who enjoy a little Sebastian-whump. Thank you for reading and reviews are appreciated.
Title: Crossfire
Chapter 1: Bullet Proof
The pair sauntered through the front door of the Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office building casually and blended in with the coming and goings of employees and civilians alike. On surveillance cameras, they seemed composed and a little too calm in their demeanor to be considered remotely suspicious. Baseball Cap had the facial features of a young man and could easily pass for someone in his mid-twenties. Not more than five-nine in height and a hundred and forty pounds, he wore a blue work shirt, dusty jeans, and tan industrial boots. His partner, Scraggly Beard, was clearly the one in charge - the alpha male - and older of the two. Scraggly Beard looked to be in his late thirties, towering at six-one with a trim frame of a hundred and sixty-five pounds. His attire was similar to that of Baseball Cap, with the exception of an olive parka that concealed the semi-automatic weapon.
It was a relaxed atmosphere down in The Big Easy. Perhaps things were just a tad bit too relaxed. Especially since Hurricane Katrina and the federal flood hit, security had dwindled considerably, leaving the French Quarter and surrounding areas prone to an influx of crime. Many people left the battered city to start anew elsewhere. But then again, not many would have a reason to stay. The city struggled to rebuild over the years as well as strengthening their law enforcement. Places like the Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office were not high on the list of buildings to secure. One shabby sometimes faulty metal detector in the lobby operated by overly trusting guards was all they had. This made it easy for just about anyone to walk right in.
Scraggly Beard and Baseball Cap clearly didn't appear to be the psychotic or insane types. They somehow managed to skillfully slip pass security with their firearm. Scraggly Beard counted on the metal detectors to malfunction when he passed through them. Let's just say where Scraggly Beard lacked in tech skills, Baseball Cap compensated. They knew exactly what they were doing and where they were headed. There was no question about that. After reviewing the footage, most would agree that violence wasn't the primary goal on their agenda, but used only when forced. They took the elevator down.
Medical Examiner Dr. Loretta Wade was coming from down the hall when she spotted the two men disappearing into the morgue. It was rather odd because she did not recognize them nor was she expecting any visitors. And she knew just about everyone who worked in her department. There really was no reason for anyone to be going in there. She followed them. Upon stepping through the double doors of the chilled room, the first thing she noticed was Scraggly Beard and Baseball Cap standing over one of the bodies that was lying half-covered on the slab. Before she could ask what they were doing, Scraggly Beard quickly made his way around the table. And without warning, he shoved Dr. Wade against the rows of freezers before pulling out his firearm.
"Not a word." Scraggly Beard hushed vehemently as he pointed the barrel of the gun to Dr. Wade's forehead. "Or you die."
"W-what do you want?" Dr. Wade swallowed. Surely this was not the first time the doctor had been held at gunpoint, but it certainly was nerve-racking to know that her life could be taken away by a short pull of a trigger.
"It's not here. Where is it?" Baseball Cap pressed impatiently. He still stood near the body on the slab, unfazed by the smells of death and lingering chemical antiseptic cleaners.
The deceased was 30 year old Naval Petty Officer Jake Laveau, an apparent victim of an accidental heroin overdose turned homicide. It wasn't uncommon for service men to take their shore leave in New Orleans. It was a round-the-clock party city after all, filled with hard drink, vibrant music, and a good time. Things ended sourly for Petty Officer Laveau when he was found unresponsive in the back room of a seedy nightclub on the Quarter called The Easy Lounge. The owners of the night club called the cops. At first glance, NOPD concluded it to be a wild night gone too far, but after observing the field, something didn't add up. Petty Officer Laveau was left-handed, but the track marks on the crook of his left elbow suggested he injected using his right hand. It raised the question - if he was left-handed, wouldn't it be more plausible to inject into his right arm? This prompted further investigation and soon it was concluded that perhaps someone injected Petty Officer Laveau with a lethal dose of heroin and made it look like he had done it to himself. The case was immediately handed over to NCIS.
"What do you mean?" Dr. Wade inquired.
"Don't play stupid. You've already finished the autopsy so you know." Scraggly Beard nodded to the body. This was true. Dr. Wade had just finished examination and sewing up the Y-incision. Blood work had been sent to toxicology for confirmation on cause of death, x-rays had been taken, and any trace or oddities have been collected and sent to Sebastian for processing.
"The microchip. It was implanted in his arm." Baseball Cap sighed in annoyance. "You've found it." He added while pointing to a soft incision made about two inches from the palm of Petty Officer Laveau's wrist.
"We don't want to have to hurt you or anyone out there." Scraggly Beard warned with a sinister grin. "Just tell us what you did with the microchip." The barrel of the gun rested anxiously on the doctor's temple and suddenly the images of Danny and CJ, the two boys she fostered, flashed through her mind. They still needed her and if she were to die today, they would be thrown back into the system and forgotten. Loretta Wade could not let that happen. She cared too much about them.
"I-I-I don't have it." Dr. Wade stuttered nervously.
"Then where is it?" Scraggly Beard demanded. He was losing patience and Loretta could feel the aggressiveness in Scraggly Beard's tone. One way or another, he was going to get what he wanted. It was just a matter of how many people will die getting in his way.
"It's not here." Dr. Wade blurted dryly. "Forensics lab. I've sent it up to the forensics lab." And with that, Scraggly Beard released Dr. Wade.
"That was all I needed to know. It wasn't so hard, now was it?" Scraggly Beard's tone was laced with a hint of an on-the-edge foreboding menace that made Dr. Wade's skin crawl. It was like as if she could almost feel it in her bones that this was not going to end well and that something terribly bad was to happen. "You will not make any noise. The minute you do, people will die." He added. And just to show how serious he was, he whipped out a second gun from the back of his waistband and handed it to Baseball Cap.
Scraggly Beard and Baseball Cap quickly exited the morgue, leaving a frazzled Dr. Wade reeling from what just occurred in her work space. But as soon as they left, Dr. Wade scrambled over to her desk and picked up the phone. The men were headed towards the forensics lab and she had to warn Sebastian. The thought did occur to her that she may very well have put the lab tech in the line of danger. She dialed the four-digit extension and waited for what felt like an eternity for someone to pick up.
N~N~N
"Let's learn things." Special Agent Dwayne Pride said as he walked into Sebastian's lab. He half expected to find the forensics examiner in the middle of conducting some zany experiment or other to prove one of his oddball conspiracy theories. As the doors closed behind him, Pride found Sebastian leaning against the counter with arms folded across his chest and a proud grin on his face. He appeared to be waiting patiently for Pride's arrival.
"What took you so long?" Sebastian joked sarcastically. Without waiting for a reply, he turned around and began taping on the keyboard. "You're looking at trace from the bottom of the vic's boots." Up on the screen was an enlarged picture of what appeared to be something under the microscope. It looked like some strange brown tentacle-like structure.
"Scientific name Drosera Rotundifolia, also known as Sundew, a predator plant similar to that of a Venus flytrap. The tiny sticky hairs covering the top of the leaf trap unsuspecting insects, hence, absorbing it as food. Such plants are quite rare and are usually found in bogs and marshes. Therefore, it places your vic, Petty Officer Laveau, in the closest such place 3 hours outside of New Orleans - in the Kisatchie National Forest. Why would he be frolicking around in the Kisatchie National Forest, you ask? Well, my theory is that it has something to do with this." Sebastian picked up a small flat circular microchip the size of an aspirin with a pair of tweezers. "I don't know what's on it yet..."
The phone on Sebastian's desk rang urgently. He knew how much Pride didn't like interruptions when they were going over stuff relevant to the current case. "But, what we do know is, uh, is..." Sebastian tried to continue his train of thought but the phone's urgent ringing distracted him. He alternated glances between the phone and Agent Pride. "..is that it must contain something pretty darn important to..." His attention was diverted to the ringing phone again.
"Sebastian, focus." Agent Pride advised.
"Sorry, just let me get that." Sebastian said in exasperation. He put the microchip back on the petri dish and made his way around the counter to his desk. And before he could say a word into the receiver, Scraggly Beard and Baseball Cap filed into the room.
Scraggly Beard had a hand suspiciously concealed in the thick pocket of his parka, while Baseball Cap had his right hand slowly reaching for the gun he hid in the back of his waistband. Judging from their dodgy body language, Agent Pride knew something wasn't right. Agent Pride had caught the two men off guard. Of course, they counted on a lab tech or two to be in the room, which would've been easy to subdue. But they hadn't anticipated a federal agent to be there. With hands on hips, nearly touching and revealing the gun and badge he had on his belt, Agent Pride turned facing the men. Without thinking, Scraggly Beard pulled out his weapon, and on the glimpse of a firearm, Pride reached for his gun. But it was an instant too late.
Gunfire erupted without warning inside the Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office. Shuffling and screams were heard from all directions as people sought cover behind desks and file cabinets. Paper and shattered glass rained on the bleached grey tiles of the first floor forensics laboratory. Agent Pride dove behind the counter before the first shot rang out. In the commotion, Sebastian dropped the phone and scrambled behind the desk. The room was shot-up with holes and littered with debris. People scurried away from the wrath of the armed men. Those who were fortunate enough to make it to the exits found security in freedom, and those who didn't, hid the best they could.
Sebastian took a peak from behind a leg of the desk to find Scraggly Beard taking cover behind a file cabinet and Baseball Cap behind a bookcase. Agent Pride was behind the long end of the counter returning fire. Sebastian's attention drew to the mysterious microchip that was still lying in the petri dish on top of the counter. And somehow, he figured this had to be what the two men were after. It was the microchip because nothing else in the lab could render such violence. There was definitely something very important embedded on that microchip.
Sebastian Lund spent the last five years as the forensics examiner for the Jefferson Parish Office. He worked closely alongside Dr. Wade, as well as Agent Pride and his team. He never expected to grow so attached to the people he worked with. It took him a while to realize they were not limited to being only his co-workers. They were his friends. Though more importantly, they were family. They cared and looked out for each other. It was just something family did. Sebastian knew he was eccentric, but all he ever wanted was to belong somewhere - to fit in, to feel accepted. It wasn't so far-fetched to see that he had a family in Loretta, Pride, Brody, and LaSalle. He didn't have much else to fall back on. His only known existing blood relative was an elderly aunt suffering from dementia who lived in Seattle.
Pride's dinner gatherings were the times Sebastian enjoyed the most. Everyone knew that Pride had killer culinary skills - Louisiana-style. But setting the good food aside, it was the togetherness that warmed the young lab tech's heart and patched the void in his soul. He liked being in a place where he felt needed and wanted. Although, he had his share of butting heads with computer specialist Patton Plame, he took the teasing in his stride. Their arguments ranged from debunking urban legends to whether or not the US government has secret technology in Area 51. And such heated arguments have been known to escalate to monetary bets and ridiculous contests, but somewhere deep down inside, there was a brotherly bond that only they understood.
Sebastian never considered himself to be a hero. If anything at all, he was quite the opposite. He had always been of the passive variety - always believing that brains were more powerful than brawn. His comfort zone was behind a computer or deeply immersed in the latest publication of a science journal. He was not meant be the athletic sort, but rather the nerdy, invisible type. His awkward six foot one gangling frame was more willowy than beefy. He had a mop of disheveled dark hair that met with an almond-shaped face. Gritty stubble dotted his chin and retro black-rimmed G-man glasses perched atop a slightly convex nose. Sometimes, he wished he looked more like LaSalle - chiseled and handsome.
He eyed the microchip on the counter and thought of the many different ways this could go wrong. But he felt he had to do something instead of helplessly hide behind a desk and wait for the bullets to stop flying overhead. This was his lab - the one place aside from his apartment where he felt safe. It was unacceptable for someone to violate his personal space and destroy everything he worked so hard to build. He needed to take back the one thing that meant something to the assailants - the microchip. Scraggly Beard and Baseball Cap were focused on Agent Pride and apparently the Senior Agent was purposely drawing the gunfire away from where Sebastian hid, giving the tech the perfect opportunity to grab the microchip. At least, that's what he thought.
Sebastian pushed up his glasses on the bridge of his nose and bolted out from behind the desk. He quickly lunged toward the counter, but dived onto the floor when Baseball Cap fired a few rounds at him. Covering over his head with both arms and breathing in a mouth full of dust, Sebastian rode out the storm of bullets that erupted from both sides. This move placed him a few feet closer to Pride.
"What are you doing Sebastian?" Agent Pride hollered. "Stay down. That's an order."
Amidst the gunfire, Sebastian found the courage to reach a hand onto the top of the counter and feel for the petri dish that held the microchip. He quickly got hold of it, but it didn't take long for a few bullets to shatter the beakers just inches away. Sebastian recoiled, though not fast enough, at the explosion of glass sprinkled around. He cried out as a shard of glass struck the back of his hand. Blood immediately oozed from the cut. But somehow Sebastian didn't care. With his uninjured hand, he clenched the microchip in his fist and vowed not to let go of it no matter what.
It was strange for him to have developed such a close bond to an object he knew nothing about. There were no indications that the contents were even relevant to the case. But if this was something that could help break the case, then Sebastian knew he had to do something to secure it. It was worth dying for and from the current outlook, survival seemed frightfully slim. Huddled on the floor between the wall and the counter, he felt like a scared, trapped animal. Working in the lab was supposed to shield him from danger and situations like this. He glanced up and watched Pride duck for cover.
In the excitement, Sebastian noticed Baseball Cap change location. Scraggly Beard was drawing the fire while Baseball Cap made an attempt to circle around. He was now behind the table with the ultracentrifuge, which brought him that much closer to where Sebastian and Pride were hiding. Before Sebastian could make a sound, Baseball Cap sprang from behind the table. He aimed his firearm point blank range at Sebastian, who was sitting with knees slightly bent in front of him. With his heart pounding in his mouth, he knew this would be the end. Perspiration glossed over his forehead as he stared wide-eyed into the barrel of the gun. There was no hope for him now. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he waited for the impact of the bullet.
For something that should not take more than a second, time had a way of standing still. Sebastian eventually heard a gun fire and expected to feel pain, but to his surprise, he felt nothing. In fact, there was no pain or blood coming out of any part of his body. By some odd miracle, he was still very much alive. Panting breathlessly, he watched in horror as blood spurted out of a bullet wound square in Baseball Cap's chest. The room seemed to swim in slow motion as Baseball Cap crumpled to the floor. Sebastian turned his head to find Agent Pride's smoking gun had been directed right at Baseball Cap. Pride was aware of his surroundings and it was nice to know that Pride had his back.
"You'll be alright." Agent Pride promised. Sebastian must've had a pretty frightful look on his face for Pride to offer some degree of comfort. "I'll get us out of this."
"It's taking forever for back-up to arrive, huh?" Sebastian said half in jest and half in anticipation. His voice cracked badly. Surely, after the first shots, somebody in the building would've alerted the authorities. Being cornered in a room with no alternative ways to get out was not a good place to be.
"They'll be here. We just need to hang tight." Agent Pride said, sounding sure of himself. Everyone knew Dwayne Pride was a man of his word. But under the circumstances, he may very well be giving false hope.
Sebastian found it hard to tear his eyes away from Baseball Cap, who was lying on his stomach with blood slowly pooling underneath him. It was eerily hypnotizing. He had seen dead bodies before and he certainly had no fear of them. But there was something different about this one. It had very much to do with the trauma Sebastian suffered while witnessing the man get shot and die instantly in front his eyes. The blank and empty look on Baseball Cap's face before he keeled over haunted Sebastian. It wasn't an expression that he'll easily forget. The image will plague him for years to come. He admired Agent Pride for appearing so unaffected by this part of the job. Maybe "appearing" is the key word here. If this freaked him out, he didn't show it. Sebastian stared at the body. Baseball Cap's cap had fallen off when he hit the floor, revealing a crown of straw-colored hair. Somewhere far away, Sebastian heard someone calling his name. It took a while to register that it was Pride who was calling him.
"Sebastian." Pride called a third time. Sebastian turned his head to face Pride. "Listen to me. You need to breathe, yea?" He instructed, followed by demonstrating a few inhales and exhales. "Good. You're doin' good. Don't look at him."
Sebastian tried to obey. He kept telling himself to maintain focus on Pride and not the dead body that was lying just inches away from him. For the moment, the room was deathly silent without gunfire. Out of the corner of his eye, Sebastian suddenly saw movement. Scraggly Beard had shifted from behind the file cabinet and moved into a position that left Pride dangerously exposed. Sebastian clearly saw the gun drawn and aiming directly at Agent Pride, who had been busy reloading a clip into his firearm. It was a split second decision that Sebastian had to make. There was no hesitation on his part. He just knew what he had to do and do it quick. Everything that followed happened so fast.
"Pride!" Sebastian shouted. He would be competing with the speed of a bullet, but he had to at least try.
It was crazy, but during that very moment, he was not afraid. Perhaps the fear had been replaced with an adrenaline rush that consumed his body. Or perhaps he had grown tired of being bullied and violated. Or perhaps it was because these men destroyed his lab and was about to take away one more thing that he valued. It fueled his anger. The life in front of him was a life worth saving.
His relationship with Dwayne Pride was a good one. The job may be the boundary that set them apart, but Sebastian always felt that he could go to Pride with anything. And Pride made time for him outside his busy schedule and the best part was the wise advice. Sebastian knew Pride was someone he could count on and for that, he was already grateful. Respect just didn't begin to describe the admirable feeling he had for Pride. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but Pride was like a father to him.
Before Pride could respond to Sebastian's cry, he got tackled hard by the scrawny forensics examiner and knocked off balance. Simultaneously, the sound of a deafening gunshot rang out. The impact of the tackle tossed the two a few feet from each other, leaving them out in the open. Pride recovered quickly after the tuck and roll. Still with gun in his hand, he lay sprawled across the floor. He aimed for body mass and fired his gun without giving Scraggly Beard a chance to repeat fire. The bullet hit Scraggly Beard in the upper torso. Pride watched on as Scraggly Beard's dead weight came crashing over backwards atop a free-standing shelving unit that held all sorts of bottled specimens.
"Sebastian, you alright?" Pride called breathlessly with his focus still on Scraggly Beard's body lying in a heap on top of broken shelves. He managed to sit up on his heels and put his gun back into the security of the holster.
The mean tackle sent both of them practically flying in opposite directions. It practically knocked the wind out of Pride. Though, it surprised him how a lanky kid like Sebastian could pack in so much power. In the scuffle, Pride didn't have time to check Sebastian's status. He was too preoccupied with Scraggly Beard's next move. He only knew he had to count on his reflexes to recover faster and reclaim his advantage in the situation.
Pride expected to get a clever quip from the lab tech, or at the very least a groan, but there was no reply. He looked over to where he had last seen Sebastian and his heart sank. Sebastian was lying motionless on his stomach with the back of his head facing Pride. It took a few seconds for the shock to wear off before registering the horrible reason behind this stillness.
No, no, no. This can't be. Don't be dead. Please, don't be dead. Pride thought bitterly. They've come way too far for things to end up like this. No harm was supposed to come to Sebastian. He was supposed to see to it, but clearly he had failed.
"Sebastian?" Agent Pride called again as he rushed over, still with hope that it wasn't as bad as it seemed.
Sebastian wore a green zippered hoodie and a yellow screen print t-shirt with jeans and a pair of converse sneakers. For some, it would be considered unprofessional to dress this way to work, but this was typical attire for Sebastian Lund. He often said that he needed to be comfortable in order to "work his magic." And because Sebastian had a track record for efficiency and being something of a genius, no one challenged it. He was quirky and had idiosyncrasies others found odd, but everyone respected the eccentricity. This was because it came with the whole package.
With shaky hands, Pride turned an unconscious Sebastian over as careful as possible. Instantly, his eyes travelled down to a red spot partially hidden by the flap of his hoodie. He pulled it open to reveal a nasty gunshot wound to the stomach. Pride winced at the sight of the damage. Blood was still gradually blooming out of the wound and it looked pretty awful. He then felt Sebastian's neck for a pulse. It was there, but weak.
"Hey, kid?" Pride grabbed Sebastian by the shoulders and shook him gently. Sebastian remained unresponsive. Pride quickly looked around for something to use to stop the bleeding. He saw a piece of fabric peeking from under the rubble and discovered was a lab coat after yanking it out. Pride used it to press firmly against the wound to hinder the blood loss. The moment he'd done this, Sebastian stirred and moaned.
"Sebastian?" Pride lulled. The slits of the young man's eyes peeled open slightly and never was Pride ever so glad to see Sebastian conscious. "No, don't move." Pride instructed when Sebastian tensed.
The last thing Sebastian remembered was plunging head on towards Agent Pride to shove him out of the way of direct fire. He heard the gunshot but didn't remember actually getting shot. When he collided with Pride, he was knocked over like a bowling pin. He did feel a weird sharp sting in his gut before everything went black. He wasn't sure what happened after that. The next thing he knew, Pride was staring down at him looking like his new puppy had been run over by a truck. Something was wrong. He couldn't understand why he was in so much pain and more importantly, why Pride was pushing down on the spot that hurt so much. He glanced down to see what was making him so uncomfortable and panic consumed him when he saw the blood-soaked fabric. It appeared to be quite an alarming amount of blood. By then, it was evident what had happened.
"I've been shot?!" Sebastian mumbled weakly with a hint of fear. It dawned on him that people die from gunshot wounds. Bleeding to death was a terrifying thought and he suddenly felt agitated. Was this the end? Was he going to die? There was so much blood. Nausea hit and he breathed a little harder.
"Look at me. Sebastian, I need you to look at me." Pride demanded, trying to keep him from going hysterical. "You're going to be fine. Eyes on me, ok? Eyes on me."
It took Sebastian a few seconds to divert his attention from the bloodstains to Pride. The defeated look in his eyes told Pride that he was scared and in extreme pain. Feeling helpless, all Pride could do was offer a feigned reassuring grin to convince him that things weren't so bad. He continued to apply direct pressure onto the wound. Momentarily, authoritative voices and hurried footsteps became audible in the hall. From the sounds of things, the police had stormed the building, but the cavalry had come a little too late.
"We're in here!" Pride called out urgently as two uniformed officers appeared at the doorway. He identified himself and demanded emergency medical assistance immediately. Upon seeing the situation before them, one of the officers radioed for medics.
"Don't press so hard." Sebastian sobbed between weak labored breaths. The pressure was making it terribly hard to breathe.
"Sorry, kid. Can't do that." Pride replied. He could feel Sebastian's life slowly slipping away and there was nothing more he could do. It was a forlorn sense of helplessness toppled with grief and guilt. He dodged the bullet because Sebastian took it for him. It was the ultimate sacrifice - a sacrifice that wasn't supposed to happen. Pride was angry, dejected, fearful, and most of all, sorry.
Sebastian was many things, but he wasn't sorry and had no regrets for what he had done. Perhaps the only thing that bothered him was the fact that he was scared. There was a part of him that wanted to let go. It was so much easier to give into the pain. But deep down inside, there was a reason he was holding on and he was trying so hard to remember what that reason was. He was fighting for something. There was some important task he had to finish before he could surrender. A raw itch was developing from the gash on top of his right hand. It throbbed so fiercely that he could barely move his fingers. His attention shifted to his left hand, which was still clenched ever so tightly. There was something inside that fist. Suddenly, it all came back and he remembered his mission. He had to make sure he delivered that small microchip into the right hands.
"Pride." Sebastian murmured.
"I'm right here. Take it easy. Help's on the way." Pride said thoughtfully.
"Y-you need to t-take this." Sebastian drawled. He pushed his fist towards Pride. Sebastian's hand trembled uncontrollably. Pride held out his hand to receive whatever Sebastian was about to give him. It was a relief to finally let go of the microchip simply because he was so tired. Upon the microchip changing hands, Pride realized what this was all about. Sebastian was protecting the one piece of evidence that Scraggly Beard and Baseball Cap haven't destroyed. So, not only was Sebastian dedicated to his job even under such deadly circumstances, he was also a hero for saving a life. Pride shook his head lightly in amazed disbelief.
"It might help." Sebastian breathed, almost strenuously. He watched Pride tuck the chip safely into his pocket. Knowing that he'd done his duty, he felt the heavy burden being lifted. It was ok to relax now and he could let the exhaustion take over. He allowed his eyes to fall to a close, but only to be jolted awake by Pride.
"No you don't." Pride said firmly. "You have to stay awake."
Sebastian mumbled incoherently in objection. All he wanted to do was rest and Pride was cruelly depriving him of that. He tried to obey Pride's orders, he really did. But a stronger force was pulling him under and he didn't want to fight it any longer. Sebastian was eerily aware of his chances. If he gave in to the darkness, it was highly unlikely that he was going to come out of it. He'd die. It was a thought that initially frightened him, but maybe dying wasn't such a bad idea. At least the pain would be gone and maybe he'll be headed to a better place. He carefully weighed out the consequences. Though, it didn't take him too long to figure this one out. However, one thing was for sure, Pride was the one man in the entire world that he respected, admired, and looked up to. He didn't want Pride to watch him die like this, but he had to be selfish. This was the sendoff he wanted and it was comforting to know that he wouldn't die alone.
The blood loss took its toll, rendering him weak and lightheaded. He knew the medics were on the way, but maybe they won't make it in time to save him. His mind grew heavy and started to drift. It was difficult to maintain focus on the present time. Sebastian's gaze fell onto the worry lines etched on Pride's hardened face. Sebastian gave a rough smile to say that he knew Pride had done all he could. Somehow, this also revealed Sebastian's true intention and Pride read it.
"Sebastian, hang on." Pride urged.
"It's ok." Sebastian whispered softly. He gave a small pained sigh and his whole body seemed to relax. He'd already lost a great deal of blood and it caused him to grow weaker and weaker by the second. He didn't have the strength to keep his eyes open. Finally, his eyelids drooped and closed.
"No, no. Hey, kid. Come on. You can't do this to me. Open your eyes. Do you hear me? Sebastian!" Pride ordered desperately and grabbed Sebastian by the collar. But it was to no avail. Panic had taken full blown as Pride starred at Sebastian's ashy complexion mirroring death. "Where are the medics?" Pride shouted madly. When he turned to the officers, he spotted Dr. Loretta Wade entering the debris-filled room.
Dr. Wade was drawn back by the condition of the room. It was hard to believe that something that was once so orderly and clean was now in ruins. She knew how much this lab meant to Sebastian and how meticulous he was about keeping everything neat and precise. They used to joke about how Sebastian would notice it if so much as a pen was moved from his desk. Right then, the room never looked so defeated and in complete chaos. Her eyes immediately settled onto Sebastian, who was lying unconscious at the far end of the room. A gasp escaped her lips when she saw Agent Pride pressing a thick wad of blood-stained cloth to Sebastian's stomach.
"Loretta, he needs help." Pride implored. Dr. Wade quickly climbed over the rubbish and made her way to Agent Pride.
It was a matter of eight minutes from the time Scraggly Beard and Baseball Cap left Dr. Wade's office until the cease fire in Sebastian's lab. And within that eight minute time frame, two people were left dead, an entire lab annihilated, and now, Sebastian was fighting for his life. Dr. Wade felt responsible for the men storming the lab. But she hadn't realized what she'd done until she saw Sebastian covered in blood. After all, it was she who sent them to the forensics lab in search of the microchip in the first place. Only then did she understand the horrible mistake she made under duress. She never intended for anyone to get hurt, especially Sebastian.
With fingers already sticky with blood, Pride was afraid to release the pressure he held on the wound. An enormous amount of grief, regret, and sadness swept over Dr. Wade when she took a closer look at Sebastian's haggard condition. It was apparent that he suffered. Although the young man's pale face was glossed over with sweat, he looked quite deathly. And it worried her that there appeared to be no immediate rise and fall of his chest. Terrified, Dr. Wade checked his vitals before going to the wound. She found his pulse barely there. But at least he was still alive. She had to work fast.
Stunned for a moment, Pride tipped back and watched on as Dr. Wade carefully uncovered and inspected the wound. He glanced at the gruesome amount of blood that stained Sebastian's clothing, to the amount that was absorbed by the compress fabric, to the clotted blood that was caught between his fingers. Helplessness was a handicap. There came a point where he just couldn't stand by and watch anymore. He needed to do something. The blare of ambulance sirens were heard approaching and it gave Pride a reason to slip away from the awful sight of the gore.
Seconds later, Pride reappeared with two paramedics. He stood a good distance away allowing the medics to do the needful all the while watching them work swiftly with Dr. Wade. When they cut open the shirt, he stared hypnotically at the bloody gunshot wound that ripped through Sebastian's flesh. Pride overheard them throwing medical jargon around like as if it was some secret language that only they understood. He wished he knew what was going on, but perhaps it was better for him not to know. They stabilized Sebastian, quickly loaded him onto a stretcher, and wheeled him out.
Pride did what he could to clear the way to the ambulance as a trove of policemen, reporters, and onlookers had accumulated. He wanted to stick with Sebastian more than anything, but he had to remain behind to make a statement. After all, there were still two bodies in the lab that he had to explain. Dr. Wade had gone in his stead, so at the very least, Sebastian was not alone. Before Loretta followed the stretcher into the ambulance, she promised Pride she would call him with any news.
Still reeling from the earlier events, Pride stood there slightly stupefied as he watched the ambulance speed away from the curb. Snapping back to reality once the ambulance went out of sight, he suddenly remembered Brody and LaSalle, who had been currently chasing a lead across town. His hands shook as he reached for his phone.
End of Chapter 1