I Don't Know
Their cell phones went off at 5:00 am. Bobby answered his first moving out into the living room so Alex could answer hers. It was Captain Ross. "I need you and Eames here. We've located the suspect in the Lavone murder, he's running. I want you there when he goes to ground."
"I'm on the way, Captain." He said.
Alex was already up and getting dressed when he went back in. "Was that about the Lavone case?" she asked.
Bobby nodded. "They're chasing him and he wants us there when they catch him." He stepped over to her and kissed her briefly. "Thank you for last night." He whispered, even though it was just the two of them in the apartment.
Alex smiled at him. "You were amazing."
They gathered their things, Alex reheated two cups of coffee in the microwave and they were out the door. As soon as they hit the vehicle, they were all business. It was a mark of their partnership that this was their usual pattern.
The suspect had driven out to a small widespot in the road, not big enough to call a town, that was near a river that had been damed up for the water. He had a gun and was threatening to shoot anyone that came near him or shoot himself. They were trying to talk him down when Bobby and Alex arrived.
The man was screaming at them, completely out of control. Bobby moved over along the bank to try to distract the man, to talk him back to safety. Ross was there, he gestured for the sharp shooter to take aim in case Bobby failed. Alex moved around opposite Bobby to see if she could help.
"Put the gun down and we can talk about this." Bobby said.
"I won't go in. He deserved to die. I won't be put in prison for doing what had to be done."
"I want to know your reasons, but not here. Not now. Let's go back to the precinct and we can talk about it." Bobby advanced slightly to keep his attention on him rather than Alex behind him. The man hastily backed up several steps. He was close to Eames. "No." Bobby lunged at the man to grab him before he saw her, but the man jerked back falling into the water. Bobby leaped to grab him but he was too late and too close and they both plunged into the water.
"Bobby!" Alex screamed.
Despite the tranquil surface there was a terrific current and it pulled both of the men down under the surface. Bobby was a strong swimmer and grasped the suspect by the back of his shirt, heading for shore. Officers were waiting there to help him out of the water. They were nearly there when the suspect grabbed Bobby by the waist, thrust down and they both disappeared under the surface. The officers reached in, to try to grab them with others holding onto their feet or belts or whatever so as not to lose more people.
Bobby and the suspect resurfaced minutes later, much farther out into the water and struggling furiously. The suspect appeared to be trying to drown Bobby. "Someone get a rope or a flotation device. Look for a boat or a log. Anything." Ross demanded.
There was fight for life going on and there wasn't any way for the officers on shore to help. It was all up to Bobby. The suspect wasn't as big as Bobby but he was vicious and the water made the struggle more equal. And the current was sweeping them down river at an accelerating pace. "Get a helicopter out here to keep track of them. Call the local sheriff for a water unit." Ross told them. One officer was stripping off his shoes and equipment, preparing to go into the water. "Belay that. They're too far for you to swim." Ross told him. "We'll need to help them from shore. Find out where this goes. We'll get him, don't worry." He told Eames.
They all ran for their vehicles. Some got on the radios or cell phones, others headed for the road and downstream. Ross grabbed Alex, "You drive." He said running for his car. She was in the car in a heartbeat and speeding off down the road. There were trees all along the river bank, with very little access or view of the river. Alex tried to see while avoiding the other cars.
"I'll watch, damn it, you drive." Ross barked at her.
Suddenly the cars ahead started turning into a gravel road. Some went on ahead. Ross was on the phone barking at the others to spread out, and where was the helicopter, and he needed water rescue now! Alex whipped the car in after the others. She was out and running to the bank of a house before Ross was unbuckled. The people from the house were coming out with the father coping an attitude. "Police. We have an officer in the water. Where does this come out?" Ross flashed the man his badge.
"It goes through the woods from here, back into the woods for about 5 miles. It's almost impossible to get through there without a boat."
"Damn. Do you see them?" he strode to the riverbank.
"No." Alex called back scanning the water desperately.
"Maybe they haven't reached here yet." One of the others said.
"Current's pretty fast here." The homeowner said. "Where did he go in at?"
"Upstream about a mile."
"He's either just about here, or he's already gone by."
Alex glared at him. "I'm going on down."
"Stay here. I'll go. Keep me informed. Some of you guys stay here with Eames, the rest come with me."
The sound of helicopters could be heard over the rushing of the water. She saw the bird buzz by in a search pattern. She kept looking at the water in hopes of seeing something that would help them find Bobby. Her cell phone rang. "Eames."
"Do you see anything?"
"Not yet. Where could they be? The helicopter is here."
"Good. I'll keep you informed."
All day they searched the water. Bobby could not be located. Neither could the suspect. The search expanded downstream all the way to the next junction and beyond that. Alex was beside herself with worry. Ross kept after everyone until it was too dark to see. At four o'clock there was a call from the local police. Someone had found the body of the suspect. They converged on the spot, but no sign existed of Bobby. Dan had every available light brought out, but to no avail.
At 9:00 pm, they halted the search. It was just too dark to see. Alex didn't want to give up, she argued with everyone, but it was no use. They halted the search. Ross ordered her to stay at the spot where they'd found the suspect, just in case. She found some blankets and he sent food for her. She would have stayed anyway.
The next morning they resumed the search. Except now it had turned into a body recovery operation. No one dared call it that when she was around. Ross stayed with her all day, but it was no good. They didn't find him at all.
Nor the next, until they had given up. The divers had not been able to locate him. No sign of him was found. Alex refused to give up. A week later she collapsed and was taken to the emergency room.
The doctor was blunt with her. "You cannot go on this way. You have to think of yourself and your baby."
"Baby?" Alex blinked tearfully at her.
"You didn't know you were pregnant?"
"N-No."
"You are. About six weeks along. You'll need to see your own ob-gyn and tell the babies father."
"I can't. He's dead." Alex said miserably and began to cry. She rolled over on the examining room table and curled up in a miserable ball. "Oh, Bobby, I'm sorry."
TBC
