CHAPTER 2. DOCTOR and SOLDIERS
The first explosion hit, and John ducked down, instincts taking over he pulled Sergeant Donovan down with him, just as the second explosion hit, this time closer. More debris started to rain down, instinct told John what came next, and he was prepared. "Stay down!" John growled. And just on cue, the shooting started followed by a third blast, the street was cut off, they were trapped in the middle of three burning buildings raining down rubble and fire around them.
"Lestrade! Greg!" John yelled over the rumbling of burning wood and shattering glass. He scanned what used to be the street in front of him, several police cars were lying on their sides, the lights still flashing like road flares in an accident. He couldn't see through the damn dust from the debris. He heard the sound of gunfire, something hit the hood of the car he was standing next to, he ducked down.
"Who the hell is shooting?" Donovan coughed.
"Fish in a barrel." John took a deep breath, he could see several of the PC's who'd been securing the scene just moments before, now laid out injured or being targeted. This angered John, angered him, because it was senseless, those men out there were unarmed, even the ones with weapons only carried a handgun, what was a hand gun against a high powered sniper riffle.
"Stay here!" John remained crouched down; another bullet took out the head light of the police car he was using for cover. He took a deep breath, collected his nerves, steadied his hands, he didn't care where exactly, as long as he fired in the general direction it should buy him some time to pull one of the unconscious PC's behind the squad car.
The sounds of sirens in the back ground didn't register, all John focused on was his potential target, wasting no time he moved to the front of the car, still semi shielded, that's what he needed a break in the clouds of dust, but if his view was obscured so was the snipers, so he'd take what he could get as far as opportunity. He fired twice waited for return fire, the flash from the bullets being fired rapidly was a perfect target and John popped up, took aim and shot. He heard the sound of a gun hitting the cement and that was enough.
The good Doctor put an arm around a groaning officers waist, he hated to move him but it wasn't safe. "Come on." He grunted standing the taller man up, someone joined him.
"Sir. Doctor Watson?"Relief washed over the Doctor, he knew this officer calling out to him. Clarke was now at his side taking some of the weight of the disorientated PC that John was currently trying to help.
"Clarke, we have to get these men out of the open, those bastards are going to start shooting again. Once they have visibility."
"Lestrade!" John called out as he moved towards the cover of a turned over squad car, no answer, this frightened him, he didn't have his mobile he'd dropped it somewhere and wasn't going to look for it. Just as he predicted the firing started again, John knew the emergency vehicles wouldn't be able to come in if there was still shooting and danger of more explosions. He feared that the buildings left standing would be the ones with the shooters.
"Doctor Watson! Doctor Watson!" It was Sally Donovan shouting, and John ran over in that direction, leaving Clarke with the injured officer. Coughing from the thick smoke he made his way around the turned over squad car. "Doctor it's the DI!" Sally's voice was shaky. She was holding a hand to the left side of the unconscious DI's head. Just above the ear, blood was staining her hands and a crimson puddle soaked the gravel beneath the DI's silver head.
"I, I cant get it to stop bleeding, he wont wake up." John checked the DI's pulse saying a quick prayer, it was there strong as ever.
"Alright Sally slowly move your hand, I have to see how serious the injury is." John kept his voice calm and even. Her brown eyes locked with his, she nodded slowly. "He's been shot in the head, we were standing. I heard him over the radio, I came over and then officer Joy went down, Lestrade was standing and no more, blood was pouring from his head." Her voice shook, John looked over Sally's shoulder to the PC that was leaning against the wrecked squad car holding a hand to her leg. John glanced over at her.
"I'm alright doc, just surprised me, and barely scratched me. Take care of the DI there."
"You just sit tight then, your next." The women nodded shakily, Sergeant Donovan's eyes never left the injured DI. "Oh, thank god." John had held his breath and now released.
"Doctor?" Sally had an edge in her voice, confused she scanned John's face.
"It's alright, it clipped him. Apparently who ever was shooting is a terrible shot. Missed him, a bit more to the left and he'd have more than a few stitches and a headache to look forward to."
"But there is so much blood." John took out a gauze pad from his pockets, he placed it over the open wound "Hold this in place, put hard pressure on it. The head has more tiny blood vessels closer to the surface than any other part of the body. It looks worse than it is. I'm glad I had my medical bag with me today. Looks like it'll be handy." He placed Sally's hand back over the clean gauze squeezing in reassurance she gave a shake of her head.
"What a day right doc?"
"Yeah, and it's just Monday." He smiled easily and went to look over the young women with the leg injury, another close call she would need a few stitches on her thigh. "Lots of pressure."
"Thanks doctor." She coughed.
"I radioed for emergency services, as well at bomb squad. They are having trouble clearing the blocked road way." Sally informed the Doctor.
"Let them know about the shooters in the buildings, they could be walking into an ambush." She nodded taking the radio.
"Wait, Doctor where are you going?"
John exhaled "There are more injured, I cant just leave them out there, once this dust settles who ever is shooting will have easy targets."
"Doctor, please don't go out there, we have back up coming."
"They don't have that much time." John removed his green jacket placing it under the DI's head. "Keep pressure on that. Make sure you notify your back up that there are shooters in those buildings there." Sally nodded and the Doctor headed out into the smoke.
John moved quickly, very much aware that someone was targeting him, he tried to stay low, the dust was still heavy. He could see the flash of a weapon, bastards were just shooting wildly now. At anything that moved, so he stayed still, he saw the flash again, he took aim and fired. A cry of shock, good he fired again just for good measure hearing the clatter of a weapon hitting the ground. Some of the armed PC's where swarming in behind him, and without a word John took point.
"There's at least two shooters in those buildings there!" John coughed pointing up, one of the PC's nodded. "Stay low! You can catch their location by the damn bullets flash as its fired. Those bullets go through vests, remember that." The officer he spoke to didn't question the doctor, thinking him a plain clothes detective from the tone in which John used.
It was the second floor of the abandoned warehouse, he could see the shadow in the boarded up window, the black cloth, not a curtain, no reason for there to be one, it wasn't an office building, that was someone's black coat or sweatshirt. Two shots is all it took, two and one sniper weapon fell at his feet, he knew he caught the bastard.
"John!" Clarke yelled, just as another explosion rocked the building a few feet away. The blast pushed him and the other three with him back against the building he covered his face, more shots, this time in their direction. Shit! One of the officers with him returned fire. "Into the building! Go!" John yelled and the others scrambled to climb into the window careful to avoid the jagged shards from the now broken glass.
The smoke was heavier now, a strong wind pushing the dark clouds against the still standing buildings. Two other Yarders fired up at the second gunmen. John climbed through the window easily, the four he was with waited for orders.
The unarmed officers who'd taken refuge behind the overturned squad cars were all easy targets unable to move towards the narrow streets only exit. This had to end and now. He wondered if everyone else realized now this was a set up a trap, he didn't have time to wonder why. He could hear the sound of a riffle firing upstairs. Taking a deep breath he gathered himself, handguns against a riffle, not a very fair fight; those officers weren't equipped for this kind of situation. It was supposed to be a routine investigation not a bloody massacre.
"If we can secure this building then we will have a bit of high ground advantage." He whispered, the others nodded and John formulated a plan one of the officers Troy was his name spoke quickly into his radio letting the other armed officers outside the building in on the new strategy. John understood by taking out the sniper up on the second floor, they could secure the other building and this would open up the street below for the injured to move somewhat safely towards the narrow exit where emergency vehicles waited.
Sargent Donovan watched the building several feet away, the second floor light up with gunfire, visible through the smoke, across from that one another flash of lights. Then she heard officer Troy over the radio.
"Building 1 secure."
"Building 2 secure." Came another report over the radio. Her eyes burned, but she kept watch for movement across the street, officer Joy held the blood soaked gauze to the DI's head.
The Doctor was approaching now, several of the armed officers behind him.
"Careful with him." John coughed now as an emergency crew made it in. He spoke quickly to the paramedics lifting the DI onto a stretcher. Sally Donovan had heard that the Doctor was ex military and she'd always assumed he'd only ever been an army Doctor, someone who worked out of a hospital not one who was used to combat situations.
"You go. I'll help who I can until more stretchers can get through." The sergeant nodded and she acted as a crutch for officer Joy the two made slow progress down the street. Just as they made it through the small opening in the fallen wreckage, cleared out by rescue workers, another explosion sounded and the sound of gun fire. Fear gripped her as the paramedics were pulled back awaiting the area to be secured.