Chapter 2
BACK IN the car park, Liz Warner yawned deeply as the rain continued to splash heavily against the windshield of Colby's black Ford. The radio was playing a nondescript melody that washed over her in the diming light. She felt the tiredness in her bones as she stifled another yawn. It'd been a long day, hell, it had been a long couple of months what with David leaving for Washington and Charlie and Amita leaving for Cambridge.
At first it had been hard to pick up the slack, but somehow they'd managed it, and today they had finally secured the conviction of a known gunrunner with an affinity for selling cop killing bullets to LA's lowlifes. Liz practically drifted off in ecstasy as the image of the bastard being sent down for life came back to her. Together the team had worked day and night to secure a victory. Colby had even gone undercover for two months.
The memory of Colby's face as he'd prepared himself for the mission came rushing back to her. It had bothered her then, and it was still bothering her now. Colby had once confessed to her that he loved the deceit of undercover work, the look in a mark's eyes when they've realised they've been conned. That half the time he wanted them to run, just for the fun of giving chase. "It made for a good workout," he would joke afterwards. But this time had been different. This time he'd looked cold, and detached as if he had lost interest in the job. At the time she'd assumed it was because David wouldn't be there to back him up. But it'd been two months, and even the victory in court this morning hadn't done anything to alleviate his mood.
Liz closed her eyes, and remembered the day she'd walked into the small FBI changing rooms, Colby was so big compared to her, and he seemed to occupy all the space. He didn't notice her immediately, so she had stood in the doorway, watching as he sat on the bench, head bowed and legs stretched out in front. "How are you holding up?" she'd asked him eventually, when she felt the silence had stretched too long.
"I'm coping," he'd said without even looking at her.
Moving to the lockers in front of him, she'd leaned back and surveyed him in the dim light. "You don't look ok," she observed, causing his eyes to snap to hers.
"It's a difficult assignment. There is a lot at stake," he'd reasoned, but whether he was reasoning with her or himself she couldn't tell.
"I'm worried about you," she'd told him bluntly, causing him to stand up and step towards her.
Her pulse had raced as he'd leaned over her and placed both hands flat on the locker door either side of her head. "I'll be fine," he'd smiled devilishly at her, and felt dizzy from the desire that he arose in her.
They hadn't been dating at the time, so she'd nodded slightly before bobbing under his arm and racing for the door. "Be careful," she'd told him seriously, before dashing from the room.
Pushing the thoughts of his haunted face from her memory, Liz thought instead of how handsome and dishevelled he'd looked framed in her small doorway about a month ago. Colby had been undercover for about a month, and they'd gathered enough evidence to arrest the suspect for gun trafficking. But Don wanted to find the cop killer bullets, and had commanded Colby to stay undercover. The strain and frustration that had lined Colby's face as he leaned on her door frame, made her want to reach for him. Without asking any questions, Liz had taken his hand in hers and drew him into her small house.
Later that night as he'd gotten up to leave, he'd grabbed her mid sentence and kissed her passionately on the lips. At first Liz had been startled, but eventually she'd put her arms around his neck deepening the kiss and arched her body to meet his. When they eventually broke apart, she'd felt breathless and dizzy as her body ached for his warmth. But instead of kissing her again, Colby had walked to the door. "When this is all over I'm taking you out," he'd stated with heat-filled eyes.
Liz tried to shake her lustful thoughts by checking the digital clock on the dash. Colby had almost been gone ten minutes. Maybe there's a long queue, she rationalised as the radio played a particularly sleepy song, causing her to sigh contentedly and sink lower in her seat. It was getting late and she was fighting to stay awake.
The meal that she and Colby had shared earlier had been the one he'd promised that night after the kiss, and it had been everything, and more than she'd expected it would be. However, now she just wanted to go home and have a nice long bath, preferably with Colby massaging her back. Absently, Liz rubbed her aching shoulder and felt the knots tighten under her fingers from the awkwardness of the position.
Eventually she gave up on her shoulder, figuring she was doing more harm than good and noticed that the rain had eased a little since Colby had left. Unhooking her seatbelt, Liz twisted in her seat to get a better look at the door that Colby had disappeared into earlier. The door was shut tight against the rain.
Sighing in exasperation, Liz flopped back into her chair once more. In the distance she could hear the faint alarm of several police sirens. Turning the radio off, Liz raked her hands through her long brown hair and listened to the small drumming of rain on the windshield, all tiredness forgotten.
Reaching for her bag amongst the discarded magazines, Liz searched for her cell amongst the large amount of crap she had in there. Note to self: clean out bag, she told herself sternly as she eventually found her phone at the bottom. Once she'd finally gotten through to Colby's phone, however, the line was busy. Who could he possibly be talking too? Liz wondered curiously as she pushed her seat back and stretched out her long legs.
Just as she was about to drift off again, a patrol car came tearing down the road towards her, closely followed by a black Chevy Suburban and SWAT van. Confused, Liz followed the cars with her eyes as they stopped and formed a tight ring around the entrance of the small shop that Colby had disappeared into earlier.
As realization began to dawn, Liz's heart leapt into her throat. It was only when she was half way to the squad car that she realised she was out of the car and crossing the small parking lot at lightning speed, headed straight for the small barricade some officers were in the process of setting up.
Don and Nikki got out of Don's black Chevy Suburban and started when they saw her coming towards them, so fast that the puddles jumped and splashed at her violently as she all, but ran towards them. "What's going on?" Liz demanded when she reached them.
Don was dressed in a rumpled shirt and jeans, whilst Nikki, as ever, was dressed immaculately in a pressed suit. Both looked pale and distressed in the faded light of a nearby street lamp. Liz watched as they shared a look before turning back to her. They were obviously deciding how much to tell her, that couldn't be good.
Eventually, Don ran a hand through his messy hair and shrugged. "Dispatch got a call from this address. They heard a robbery in process and alerted the precinct," Don explained as Tim King, the FBI SWAT team leader, approached them. "When they heard someone address themselves as 'Colby Granger' they ran the name through the database. The system immediately alerted me and here we are."
Don had only been the Special Agent in Charge for two months, but the toll was visibly taking it out of him, he looked exhausted. These days Don seemed to be chained to his office, buried under the mountain of paper work swamping his desk, with no end in sight. Liz suspected that some nights Don fell asleep at his desk and if his rumpled appearance was anything to go by this was one of those nights. Thinking about it, this was the first time Liz had seen him out of the office in a month.
He wasn't the only one to look shattered. With David in Washington, Don had temporarily put Nikki in charge, after Liz and Colby had rejected the position, and ever since Nikki had been inundated with paper work over the case they'd settled this morning in court. A couple of days ago Nikki had confided in her that they'd better get a conviction after all the paper work the case had produced. "We should enter the paperwork as evidence," she'd joked, "after all it's a crime that I'm the only one who has to suffer."
"What's the situation?" Tim asked, breaking into Liz's thoughts and shot her a look of appreciation. She was dressed in a tight Japanese wrap that hugged her curves, and stilettos that made her legs appear to go on forever.
Colby had whistled when he'd seen her earlier and shook his head in appreciation. "Damn I've wanted you," he'd said, his bluntness making her blush. He hadn't looked so bad either in a dress shirt and tie. "You clean up nicely yourself," she'd told him as he opened the passenger door chivalrously and watched her legs as she folded them into the car. Dragging her mind back to the situation at hand, Liz noticed they were all staring at her, worry shining in their eyes.
"Colby's inside," Liz said trying to remain calm, but the strain in her voice betrayed her. Folding her arms across her chest, Liz shivered uncontrollably as the rain seemed to slam into her in time with her racing heart.
"Here, take my jacket," Don shrugged off his coat and wrapped it over her shoulders whilst Nikki struggled to get an umbrella up over them.
"Thanks Don," Liz replied, forlorn as she pulled the coat firmly around her, wishing it was Colby's arms instead. She almost suffocated from fear for Colby as the situation properly dawned on her.
"Don't worry he's going to be alright," Tim put his arm around her and pulled Liz to him. Liz burrowed her face into his shoulder to hide the sudden tears in her eyes. He has to be ok, she tried to tell herself.
Nikki shot her a look of concern as she pulled a laptop from its case and began to set it up on the hood of Don's car, "From what dispatch told us on the way here there is one gunman named Samuel Jackson," Nikki told them, ignoring Liz's tears as she knew Liz would want her to. Besides, Tim was comforting her adequately enough, although Liz couldn't help, but wish it was Colby's hand that was gently rubbing the small of her back. "He has one prior for assault when he and some others protested the use of a certain cancer drug used in a drug trial that didn't save his wife's life."
"So he has a history of violence," Don said, taking the umbrella from Nikki as she continued to pull up images and documents on the laptop.
"Was there anything else suspicious that may have led the man to grab a gun and rob his local Kmart?" Tim asked Nikki, who was now tapping away furiously on her laptop, panic making her sloppy.
"According to his bank records he's maxed out. He hasn't made a rent payment this year and the banks have put a red alert out on him, Jackson's probably days away from being given the boot. Maybe a week or two tops before he's forced to declare bankruptcy," Nikki turned back to them. Liz failed to feel anything but hate for the man as Nikki pulled up his mug shot. Samuel Jackson was just another average looking white American with greasy hair. He could have been anyone. But he isn't just anyone she thought angrily, he's the man standing between me and Colby.
Despite her intense feelings of hate, Liz could see no signs of malice in the mug shot, just the look of torture of one who's loved and lost. Perhaps the same look that I have now, Liz thought, but caught herself before she went down that path, I haven't lost him yet! She thought fiercely.
"Tim, I need you and your men to cover the building, set up a couple of snipers. I want fingers off triggers till we know the situation better. Remind them that there's one of our own in there," Don said as he surveyed the shop intently. "I want them poised and ready to go if I give the signal," Don added fiercely.
"No problem Don," Tim let go of Liz and she instantly missed his warmth. The jacket had done little to help with her numbness, although it was hard to tell now whether she was numb from the cold or fear. Tim King left them and automatically began to organise his men. He acted swiftly and competently, and for a minute they watched him work. It didn't take SWAT long before they had building surrounded and snipers set up on the roof.
"The barricades are up; fortunately there aren't many pedestrians around. My men are keeping the reporters back as best they can. Meanwhile the 'Hostage Negation Team' is on their way. They want you to try and establish contact with the suspect," a large and sleepy looking sergeant startled them. None of them had heard him approach.
"Get me a phone and eyes in the room," Don told the sergeant before turning to Nikki, the rain was doing funny things to her curly hair and Liz would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so dire. Please God let him be ok, Liz prayed silently for the thousandth time since she had joined Don and Nikki.
"Don't worry he's going to be alright," Don said, practically reading Liz's thoughts as he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. She smiled weakly back as the sergeant approached with a phone. He moved as if he was stuck in slow motion and Liz gritted her teeth as she felt resentment towards the sergeant bubble inside her.
"Dispatch informed me that the line is still available, so Nikki, I want you to get a tap on that conversation whilst I make contact with the suspect," Don said, recapturing her attention. "From the call we know that Colby hasn't revealed he's a cop yet. I would worry, but it's Colby, his distrust of LA is legendary," Don snorted at the memory, "he never goes anywhere without his gun so we can assume he's armed and waiting for an opening. Once we have eyes on the room we'll help produce an opening for him, what?" Don asked when he noticed Liz's pale face.
"I asked him to leave his gun in the glove compartment while we had our meal. I don't think he took it out again after," Liz's legs turned to jelly and if Nikki hadn't steered her to the passenger seat of Don's Chevy, she would have collapsed. He never leaves that bloody sidearm, Liz scolded herself mentally, and he was right. LA is not safe.
"He's going to be alright, you'll see," Don repeated as he took Liz's hand, but she could see he was silently cursing inside. He's unarmed, was all she could think, he's unarmed and I sent him in there alone. The thought practically smothered her as she watched Don dial the shop's direct line. Subconsciously, they all held their breath as the phone rang and rang until eventually the other end picked up.
*break*
"I WOULD'T answer that if I were you," Colby told Sam as he wavered by the phone receiver.
"Why not?" Sam strode over to the door to peer out once more. He used the nozzle of the gun to separate the blinds, and whatever he saw caused him to curse violently.
Colby could only imagine. The police would have set up a barricade to keep civilians back by now. SWAT was inevitably around somewhere and if Colby knew Liz, she had probably called Don by now. The thought of Liz caused Colby to groan. Of all the Kmarts in the entire world, he'd walked into this one, Colby thought silently to himself. It was hard, but eventually Colby pulled his attention back to the conversation. "Have you never seen 'Law and Order'?" Colby pretended to pick fluff from his coat jacket, "the first contact is the most important section of hostage negotiation." Colby's eyes flicked to Sam's at this to gauge his reaction. If he had expected Sam to react, he was wasting his breath. He was clearly as thick as two short planks.
"What's your point?" Sam replied clearly not getting it.
"My point is," Colby relied, steel in his voice as he struggled to hold onto his patience, "you're wound tighter than a spring. Your voice is shaking with anger and your choice of vocabulary are all going to tell the police one thing, that you're hostile." Cheryl gave a strangled sob at the word hostile. Colby took her small hand in his large one and gave it a squeeze.
"Meaning what exactly?" Sam drew Colby's attention back to the situation at hand.
The phone ring was giving Colby a headache. I wonder if there's any aspirin about, Colby thought, before sighing and getting up. "Meaning that the situation cannot be resolved through negotiation, it means you're un-negotiable. You'd be better off asking one of us to answer the call and give the police your list of demands. You might want to think about what those are by the way." Turning to Cheryl Colby asked, "You got any aspirin?"
"Isle three, second shelf," she said, her voice sounding rough from all the crying.
"Cheers," Colby said and moved to the shelf in question whilst Sam was distracted. He grabbed the aspirin and a bottle of water, before sitting back down next to the others. He took the tablets and then offered the water around. Meanwhile, Sam paced back and forth between the door and the phone. Colby swore he could see the cogs in Sam's mind turning from where he sat and braced himself for the inevitable.
"Ok, you answer the phone. Tell them I want a car and a free road to drive away on," Sam nodded to himself before returning back to the door.
Colby got up once more and picked the phone up, "Colby Granger."
"Col," Don's voice came steady with a hint of concern in his ear. So Liz had contacted him, that's my girl, Colby smiled reassured before he realised where he was.
"What are they saying?" Sam asked his voice laced with suspicion. Colby frowned as Sam strode back over to Colby and pointed the gun at the phone.
"They say that they have the building surrounded and that it would be in your best interests to surrender now while the situation can be resolved amicably," Colby said as Don brought Colby up to date. Apparently SWAT was everywhere and the snipers were in position. Let's hope it doesn't come to that, Colby thought as Sam shifted uncomfortably next to him.
"Tell them," Sam waved the gun, "you tell them that I want a car and a free road."
"The gentleman would like a car and a free road to leave by," Colby repeated and made sure to give a slight wobble in the voice to sell his part.
"Col," Liz's small voice could be heard in the background, "are you ok?" She sounded like she was about ready to cry and Colby would have given anything to be there next to her, holding her, comforting her. I'm ok! Don't worry about me; I'm just glad that you're ok, he yearned to tell her.
The last two months had been torture as he'd had to keep away from her to sell his cover. Ever since she'd come to him in the tiny locker room, he couldn't get her out of his head. The crook of her neck, the legs that seemed to go on forever and the way her face brightened when she saw him.
Colby felt the familiar warmth spread through his body as he craved to be with her. Damn you Sam, Colby thought roughly as once more he had to pull his thoughts away from Liz and back to the hostage situation he found himself in. "Yes, we are all fine," Colby said his voice rough with desire. Gripping the phone tightly, Colby tried to be as reassuring as possible under the circumstances, "please, do as the man asks there are women and children-"
But Sam had already snatched the phone from his grasp, slamming it down as he pointed the gun back at Colby. "Back with the others," Sam said through gritted teeth and Colby had no choice, but to comply.
