Chapter 2

I brace myself for the worst, my mind reeling with all the possibilities, maybe it was an accidental discharge and I'll round the corner to see Nick grinning sheepishly. Or maybe...

Before I have time to think darker thoughts I take the sharp left around the corner and enter the alleyway. I'm immediately confronted by a man, about 6'4'', early twenties, dressed in dark jeans, white sneakers and a grey hooded sweatshirt. He's holding a gun and without warning I see a blaze from the barrel and his arm recoil as a bullet blasts towards me. My momentum guides me just beyond it's trajectory and it hisses as it grazes the strands of hair which have come loose from behind my left ear.

As my police training kicks in I raise my weapon and taking quick aim I let off two rounds, Bang! Bang! The grey-hooded man falls to the ground, motionless. Eyes still fixed on him I cautiously but quickly cover the few remaining feet to his position, and scan him up and down. Two circles of blood are growing out from his chest. I squat down on my knee to check for a pulse, nothing. I retrieve his weapon and move to place it inside my belt. But something catches my attention, it's a SW99. That's strange, it's the same model as Nick's service piece. But there's something else too, a familiar chip at the butt of the pistol... This IS Nick's sidearm! I feel my gut wrench as panic suddenly floods my senses. My head snaps up towards the waste land to look for Nick. I see him lying flat on the ground, motionless in the middle of the crime scene. I briefly glimpse movement to the North side of the perimeter fencing.

Jesus, Nick!


Despite the blinding pain behind my eyes, my dazed mind is screaming for my body to snap to attention and do something, but my body won't cooperate. My corpse is limp and lifeless and as the blows keep landing on my chest, legs, arms and head, I can feel the darkness engulfing my vision. No! No! Stay awake Stokes, otherwise Sofia is dead! But it's no use. Blurred shadows overhead suddenly stand motionless and I hear the familiar click of a revolver arm engaging, entering kill mode. This is it! I brace myself, accepting the inevitable and as the darkness descends, I can hear a shot ring out, two, three. My mind clouds as the black shrouds me and my last memory is muffled voices, a panicked urgency to their speech growing fainter along with their footsteps. Then blackness.


I refocus my attention on Nick's limp body and quickly make my way back up the alleyway, through the gate, sidearm ready, constantly scanning the area for any signs of threat. Nick obviously had company but my shootout in the alleyway appears to have scared them off. The area is clear as I rush towards him. His eyes are closed and he's not moving. He was worked over pretty good and I can see blood oozing from his skull, gathering in a small pool beneath his head. As I slide to his side, heart in my mouth, I holster my weapon and kneeling beside him now, I begin examining him from head to toe, using my CSI eyes to assess his condition, hoping I'm not too late. "Nick, Nick!" I scream, grabbing his head in my hands, tears stinging my eyes. "Oh please, no... Nick!"

Suddenly he lets out a gasp and I realize he's still breathing. I continue to examine him closely, patting him down to check for bullet holes and other injuries. No GSW. He's been beaten pretty badly and his whole body is covered in lumps, cuts and bruises. His ribs seem to have taken a lot of punishment. That would certainly explain his labored breathing. Finally, checking his pulse I see it's strong and I'm relieved to learn he's not gravely wounded. Examining his head I see it has all the hallmarks of blunt force trauma. I look around for signs of a struggle or evidence of what happened here. But there's nothing, only Nick. I cradle him in my lap and wait for the cavalry to arrive.

I can feel the adrenalin pumping through my body as I kneel there reflecting on what just happened. We both had a close call and are lucky to be alive. However I don't have long to enjoy my relief as all of a sudden yet another shot rings out, skidding off the dusty surface only a couple of feet from our position. I can't quite gauge it's origin but I'm not hanging around while the shooter hones his sights. I scan the area for cover and instantly spot a disused corrugated iron hut on the North side, storing some grotty trash cans. Now on my feet, I hook my arms under Nicks armpits and shuffling backwards, begin dragging his limp body to safety. Another shot rings out, and another. It seems to be coming from a derelict apartment block behind the North perimeter.

Despite Nick's dead weight I'm making good ground across the wasteland towards safety. Just a few more feet to go... Another shot rings out. Our would be assassin is getting closer with each shot, but we're almost there, just a few more steps...

Without warning I feel a searing pain rip through my left shoulder. I lose all power in my arm and my momentum causes me to lose my balance as I collapse under Nick's inertia. In an instant I am on the ground, face up, the lower half of my body trapped under Nick's, his dead weight anchoring me in position. I'm dazed and disoriented, my brain slow to catch up with events. My shoulder feels like it's on fire and my head is pounding from the impact with the hard ground. I feel a sudden surge of panic as awareness kicks in and I realize I'm trapped. Scrambling to free myself, each movement feels like a thousand daggers through my injured shoulder. Tears of pain are stinging my eyes as I stifle my screams. My ears are ringing with the sounds of whooping and cheering from the gallery above as the shooter and his friends celebrate the felling of their quarry. I know we're sitting ducks out here and our hunters can take their sweet time picking us off slowly. I need to find a way to get free and take us to safety.

Digging deep and with gritted teeth I curse as I push through the mind-numbing pain. Grunting loudly, I grab the top of Nick's flap jacket with my right arm and roll him onto his right side while at the same time rolling my legs out from under his body. As I do so I lean on my damaged left shoulder and I roar in pain. This alerts my hunters to my efforts and as I stumble to my feet clutching my left arm I can see them now, looking out from the balcony of the crumbling apartment block across the street. It's the perfect vantage point, with a clear view of the waste ground below and of our position. In particular I'm drawn to a short man wearing a dirty white sweatshirt, feverishly reloading what looks like a revolver, his features distorted with rage.

I'm now on my feet, but the world is swirling around me and I stumble as I try to find my bearings and control my panic. Swallowing my fear, I shake my head to clear the dizziness and try to focus on my surroundings. I spot the hut again and decide to make a dash for it. Using my right hand I grab Nick by the nape of his flap jacket and facing forward I dodge the latest deluge of gunfire, dragging him towards safety. With one last gargantuan effort I swing Nick in a narrow arc on the ground and deposit him safely under the cover of the garbage hut. In that instant another shot rings out and I immediately fall to my knees, doubling over in pain. As I clutch my midriff, a warm stickiness envelops my fingers. Looking down I see the crimson ring spreading out across the fabric of my white button-down cotton shirt. Falling forward, I know I'm in trouble when my body turns limp and lifeless as my motor functions begin to shut down. I curse feebly as cheers of celebration ring out from the gallery overhead. Lying face down now I try to pull myself up but I'm too weak. I slump to the ground defeated. However as the gallery above see my movement the cheers turn to fury and a cry of pure hatred rings out, I hear a solo voice scream "I don't fucking believe it, she's still moving!" His tone darkens as he adds "Don't worry Sweet Thing, I'm coming for you!", the venom in his voice causing me goosebumps as my heart sinks in desperation.

Cursing myself for allowing this to happen, I know I have to get out of his line of sight but I also know he's coming for us so I need to find a defensive position. The only problem is I'm badly injured and I can't move. My mind is in overdrive as images of previous crime scenes flood my memory, drawing vivid pictures of what this psychopath could do to me and Nick if I let him and so I need to do something. I have just enough function left to drag myself to immediate safety using my right arm and hip for leverage. The effort is excruciating and I howl in pain, but I know it's our only chance of survival. With one last agonizing heave I turn my body to face back out towards the waste ground, positioning my frame over Nick to give him cover from our unwelcome guests. My body is going into shock and my vision is swamped with dark blotches. My systems are shutting down to enter preservation mode, except that if that happens it will be the death of both me and Nick. I will myself to stay awake as I gingerly reach down and retrieve my holstered sidearm. Briefly holding it in my left hand I grimace as I pull the chamber back with my right, preparing for battle. Beads of sweat ring my brow and trickle down my face, stinging my eyes. I feel nauseous and my body is shaking. With the shock advancing all the while, I fight back the fear and panic steadily brewing inside of me. I pass the pistol back to my right hand and use the trunk of Nick's body to steady my firing arm. My vision is blurred and I'm having trouble focussing. "Come on Sofia, stay awake or we're both dead", I plead to myself, pushing down the anxiety and desperation which threatens to overcome me with each passing second.

All of a sudden in my peripheral vision I see movement to my right and I swing my weapon feebly towards the threat. Gritting my teeth I steel myself for the inevitable showdown and I'm not conceding without a fight. With my finger on the trigger I attempt to take aim despite my badly blurred vision. As I press down on the trigger ready to release its lethal payload, I'm surprised and confused when the person advancing towards me suddenly calls my name. "Sofia!" Blinking hard I focus again, making out a gold badge on his lapel, and through my foggy vision I see the outline of a familiar face. As my body finally yields and I slump lifelessly on top of Nick, I am caught by the supporting arms of Captain Jim Brass.

"Stay with me Sofia, help is here. Open your eyes, you're safe." I can only respond in a weak voice "Apartment block... three men... gun", as I lie motionless in Jim's arms before the medics move in to ply their craft. Jim steps back and issuing a few sharp orders, quickly deploys the uniforms to check out the area. The medics work fast, attending to both me and Nick. As the blackness overcomes me my last conscious thought is one of solace that Nick has made it.