RUSH: Book 1 Chapter 3 The ReRun, a rush, 2008 fanfic

Chapter 3 – The Re-Run

The call had come in during the early hours of the morning. Leon and Kerry were on premises, discussing exactly how Cameron had got away from TR just two nights ago when VKC reported that a Cameron Larose had taken siege within yet another shopping center, and this time, caused causalities. Kerry was on the phone to Lawson in a heart beat and TR1 had raced to the siege ground instantaneously. TR2 wasn't too far behind; in fact they only arrived minutes after TR1 had.

"Alright, we've tried negotiations with this guy before and it seemed to be working to our favour for a little bit there. We'll give it one shot; otherwise we are going straight in – no questions." Lawson stated simply as the teams began to form in together.

Josh's gaze was moving between each of the tactical response members, before finally, it found itself on Lawson.

"Who's taking Primary?" Josh queried, his arms folded over as he waited for a reply.

"I'll be taking Primary Negotiator for this siege. Shannon and Dom, I want you both with Josh, Michael, Christian and Stella." Senior Sergeant Blake stated before moving back to TR1's primary vehicle.

"Shannon, Michael, you're both on rifles. Set up and wait for my orders." The Senior Sergeant conducted his team with authority, before taking his mobile into hand and requesting that Leon patch him in to Cameron's phone.

The dialling began and then there was a silence on the other end of the line. Waiting for a moment, Lawson gathered the sound of breathing and began his introduction.

"Cameron, this is Senior Sergeant Lawson Blake of Tactical Response."

"Hi there Senior Sergeant."

"Now Cameron, we understand that there have been some casualties inside. Is that correct?"

"Yeah, that's correct Senior Sergeant. It was their fault though – trying to escape and all that isn't the greatest of ideas when there's a man with a gun holding you hostage."

"That's putting you in a very dangerous situation, Cameron. The fact that you've used unnecessary force like that has given authorities the right to use whatever force is required to bring you in. It would be in your best interest to let those people go, and come out with your hands up."

"Sorry Mr. Blake but that's not happening."

Lawson paused for a moment, looking down at the floor whilst he thought, before continuing to speak through the phone.

"Cameron, why are you doing this? We understood that the last center you took under siege owed you a reasonable amount of money; what has this facility done to deserve this?"

"Nothing Mr. Blake – nothing at all. I just gathered that if I got kicked out of the marine's I may as well have some fun with my skills right? Taking up hostages, getting the rush of my life and earning some cash; it all works out. Quite frankly Mr. Blake, I don't plan to get out of this alive."

And with those last words, the call ended and Lawson hung up his own phone, pocketing it.

"Alright, Josh, take your team in, clear the facility and ensure that the hostages are not caught in the line of fire. Cameron doesn't seem all that inclined to be getting out of this so expect aggression." Lawson informed the team simply, before receiving a simple "Rodger that." From Josh. "Dom, I want you to go around to the side door with Stella. Christian, you're with me. Let's go in!"

Breaching Time – Dom and Stella's Story

"Dom, I want you to go around to the side door with Stella. Christian, you're with me. Let's go in!"

Guiding himself, his weapon taking the lead, Dominic Wales rounded the corner to the side door of the facility, taking cover next to the wall on one side of the door while he took to waiting for Stella to do much the same on the opposite side. Counting her in with his fingers, Dom grasped the handle of the door and pulled, ripping the door open. Stella sprung into action passing through the opened door with her gun aimed forward and her eye's locked straight ahead. The door had brought them to small stock room full of boxes, stock and some other forms of machinery that ran the air ventilation in the shopping center. Advancing through the room with caution, the two officers came to a second door, however, attached to the handle was an explosive device; easily triggered and highly dangerous.

"Lawson," Dom clicked his communications device and waited for a response.

"Yeah?"

"Stella and I have come across an explosive device. Do you want me to attempt a diffuse or hold back and wait on Josh?"

"Nah, Dom, leave it. I don't want to risk causing any causality on our part here. Hold position and await further orders."

Rolling his eye's, Dom holstered his pistol and looked over at Stella.

"You're not going to listen are you?" Stella smirked cheekily as Dom readied himself up to prepare to diffuse the device.

"Well, I'm a Sergeant, Stell', I think I'm entitled to making some decisions." Dom smirked back at Stella, fiddling tediously with the wires attached to the bomb.

It only took a matter of minutes before Dom had managed to take the device off the door and situate it in a safe place in the room. Stella had managed to keep guard the entire time – her gun aimed at the door they had originally entered through. Just as Dom was coming back from outside the sound of gunshots echoed through the door; it sounded like there was a fire fight that had just started, and it didn't seem as if it was going to be ending anytime soon.

"Dom, hold position!" Lawson's voice echoed through the ear-pieces once again.

Breaching Time – Josh and Christian's Story

Christian and Josh were ready to breach the moment that they heard the side door open on Dom and Stella's end. The sound of the handle clicking open allowed the two officers to lunge forward, pulling their deactivated sliding door open and quickly shuffling into the facility, guns aiming either side as they cleared the general rooms.

"Clear!"
"Clear!"

The distinct call outs from both the officers was more than enough to ensure one another that there was no threat in the immediate area.

"Christian, take the lead. I've got your back." Josh signalled forwards, moving into formation behind the constable. With his gun held forward, Christian stepped carefully forwards whilst carefully gazing side to side to ensure that there were no threatening situations up ahead. Nothing. Silence.

"Hold." Josh uttered in a low voice, searching the above floor with his eyes. After one look there was nothing up ahead, but after a secondary look, there was movement. "Take cover, Christian!" Josh ordered, leaping into the cover of a close by pillar, just prior to a gunshot being fired.

The constable lunged for cover, but he was far too late. The bullet from the gunman atop the upper floor had slammed itself into Christian's chest and sent him gliding across the polished shop floor. Josh's gaze followed after the constable, before he leaned out and aimed his gun up at the balcony, discharging two shots into the glass framing around its edge. The shots forced the gunman into cover, allowing Sergeant Joshua to run across the length of the shop, grasp Christian and drag him to a genuinely safe position.

Holstering his pistol, Josh placed his hands over Christian's chest, searching for the gun wound. "Did it go through?" Josh demanded an answer. None came. Christian was in shock, his eyes locked straight ahead.

"Christian!" Josh slapped his face gently, but it was enough to summon his partner's attention.

"Did the shot go through?" Josh uttered slowly.

"N-No." Christian stated simply, feeling the impact zone of where he was hit.

Josh fell backwards onto his bottom, his back colliding with the wall behind him in sheer relief. "Jesus…." He murmured to himself, taking his pistol back into his hand and staying in position. The gunman had revealed himself once more and continued to fire at a constant rate at the covered position in which Josh was prior.

"Lawson, we're under fire. We can't proceed any further. Christian was hit, but the bullet didn't go through."

"Nah that's fair enough Josh. We'll get a team in there shortly; Dom and Stella are held back behind an explosive device. They should be with you shortly. Is Christian alright?"

"Copy that. Yeah, Lawson, he seems fine. A little startled but that's about it."

"Alright Josh, hold position and await further instructions."

"Copy that."

Breaching Time – Shannon and Michael's Story

"Shannon, Michael, you're both on rifles. Set up and wait for my orders."

Shannon and Michael were perched in their vantage points and simply watching on as Josh and his team went in, as well as Dom and his. It was a horrible feeling for Michael – not being down there with his colleagues, not being involved in the main breach.

"This is bullshit." He growled seriously, not caring much for what Shannon thought of his attitude.

"Sorry?" Shannon took her eye off of the scope on her rifle, gazing at Michael with a sour and disappointed glare.

"Lawson has us sitting back up here while the rest of TR are down there doing all the shit that is life threatening. It's not fair."

"Quite frankly Michael, I'm not all that disappointed that my life isn't at risk today. It's a good feeling."

Michael's sight flashed away from Shannon and found itself gazing through his scope, checking up on the situation inside. No movement upstairs. No movement downstairs (other than of course Josh and Christian).

Taking his eye of the scope, Michael once again looked back at Shannon.

"Doesn't it seem strange though? Having us sit back here while everyone else is risking themselves?"

"Someone has to do this part of the job, Michael and today it just so happens to be us. You're a sharp shooter and I've proved myself with a rifle; Lawson put us on these posts so that we could ensure the rest of the team's safety." Shannon spoke simply.

Nodding his head Michael didn't really have much more to say. The whole concept didn't seem right in his eyes, but that was why Michael was still a constable; he was a in the learning stages of being a police officer. The brief silence between the conversation was broken by the sound of gun shots. Quickly taking back to their sights, Shannon and Michael cussed as they had their crosshairs locked onto a gunman inside the facility. They had taken their eyes off for a moment and caused Christian gun shot to the chest.

"I can't get a clear shot."

"Neither can I." first Michael, and then Shannon; neither able to maintain a clear enough shot to ensure a clean take down of their target.

Breaching Time – Kerry and Lawson's Story

All teams had the go ahead, and Lawson Blake was sitting back inside TR1's car. With his ear piece firmly placed inside his ear, Lawson was ready to give orders left right and center. The sound of a car pulling up just behind TR1 was distinct, and Kerry was the occupant driver. Weaving out of the car, the Inspector advanced to Lawson's side window, tapping on it with her firmly clenched hand. Within seconds, Lawson's gaze had found itself on Kerry and furthermore, the Senior Sergeant opened the door; getting out and preparing to brief the Inspector on the situation.

"What the hell is going on, Lawson? This is a bloody mess." Kerry grunted through her heavy sigh. Lawson's gaze was locked on Kerry for a moment as he stood there, thinking about exactly how he was going to go about telling Kerry that the teams were being forced to infiltrate.

"I've given the go ahead to Josh and Dom to breach the center. With the causalities only expected to rise, I didn't have much choice Kerry." Lawson explained, his hands folded over in front of him.

"Oh, Lawson." Kerry brushed her hands over her face; this whole operation had fallen in on itself.

"Give me a minute, Kerry." And with that, Lawson dispatched from the vehicle and headed over to one of the nearby CCTV tents. He needed to give the team further orders, and he needed to give them now – whether Kerry was completely filled in or not.

Kerry leaned against TR1, her hands still rubbing over her face. The thought of the team having to go into a facility that had hostages within it, as well as a reasonably skilled gunman was horrible. There was the potential chance that some of TR wouldn't be coming back out of the shopping facility. Then the sound of gunshots was heard. Dropping down against the car to ensure cover, Kerry gazed around her, watching as the vast majority of the other officers followed in her lead.

"Lawson, what's going on?" Kerry demanded, clicking into her communications device. Her eyes were lingering around trying to see where the Senior Sergeant was, but gathering that he was nowhere to be seen, he must have still been within the CCTV tent.

"Shots fired on Breaching Team 1. Breaching Team 2 is on lock down in the stock storage room. Michael, Shannon, what's going on?" Lawson's voice rang through the ear pieces yet again.

"Uh, Lawson, we've been unable to get a clear shot on Larose." Michael's words were quickly shot back.

Standing to her feet, Kerry raced into the CCTV tent, pushing passed some of the general officers and finding her way to Lawson's side.

"Get in there and get them the hell out!" Kerry ordered.

"Kerry, they're fine. We can't hinder the operation now. It'll be more dangerous than going ahead." Lawson shot back in defence, his eyes still locked on the CCTV footage of Josh and Christian taking cover.

"Josh, the second that Dom and Stella come through that door, you've got to take Larose down. It doesn't look like his going to halt fire anytime soon and Michael can't maintain a clear shot on the target." Lawson spoke slowly, clearly and distinctly. There was no time for his words to be repeated.

"Rodger that, Lawson. I'm gathering that Shannon doesn't have a shot either?"

"No mate, sorry. Shannon's having the same issue as Michael."

"Dom and Stella just got in. Attempting a lethal take down now, Lawson."

Breaching Time – Josh, Christian, Stella and Dom's Story

"Dom and Stella just got in. Attempting a lethal take down now, Lawson."

Josh watched as Stella and Dom shuffled into the much larger room than the one they were in just prior. They managed to maintain cover and enter the area unseen; however, it was by sheer luck and nothing more. Signalling the two officers with his hand, Josh instructed exactly how they were going to go about this. Christian was out of active duty and that was whether he liked it or not; Josh's orders. Signalling Christian off into the stock's room, the constable crawled slowly into the room and shut the door.

Once Christian was clear, Josh counted the officers in with his fingers.

3…2…1…

The three tactical response members sprung out, guns aimed at the man atop the balcony, who, until this point had believed Josh to be held down behind the pillar he'd been hiding behind this whole time. It was clear that the gunman was out of ammo in his current clip, so he started to load up his fire arm to get ready for a fire fight.

"Police! Put the gun down now!" Josh screamed fiercely.

There was no essence of compliance.

"Put it down now!" the Sergeant demanded yet again, his colleagues calling much the same as they hoped for a non-fatal resolve.

The gunman's clip clicked into place, and he raised his aim to take fire at the officers below. Without even a second thought, Stella discharged two shots. The sound of the gunshots echoed through the shopping center and the gunman fell forwards, over the balcony and ultimately, to his final resting place.

Rushing over to the target, Josh kicked the gun from his hand, sending it sliding off to the side. Leaning in, the Sergeant checked the pulse of the once dangerous man. Nothing. Constable Dagostino had delivered two shots which had ultimately killed Cameron Larose. Clicking his com, Josh spoke simply, "Larose is dead, Lawson."

"Copy that, Josh. Bring them out."

It was clear by Lawson's tone that this was by no means how he wanted this whole event to go down, but truthfully, everyone wanted a positive result; this wasn't it.

Stella was still frozen in place, her gun still aimed straight ahead where she had fired. Dom approached her slowly, placing his hand over the barrel of the gun and pushed it down slowly, "It's alright Stell', you got him. You did what you needed to do, yeah?"

Rubbing his hand on her arm, Dom tried his best to comfort the Constable, but she'd killed someone – it wasn't an easy thing to overcome.

"Dom. Go secure the hostages and escort them out of the shopping center."

Advancing towards Stella once Dom had departed to do what he needed to do; Josh took her by the shoulder and guided her out of the center and up to where Kerry and Lawson would be.

"We did our best Stella. As much as it doesn't seem it right now, what you did was right." Josh spoke quietly, almost a whisper in Stella's ear as they walked along.

"How do you get over that, Josh? I killed someone. That's never the right thing to do."

Advancing from up ahead, Lawson came to a halt once he reached Josh and Stella. Eyeing both of them up for just a moment, he looked on at Josh, whose expression gave away exactly what had happened inside. Looking at Stella, Lawson let a sigh leave his lips and concern crossed his face.

"I need your gun, Stella." Lawson spoke quietly, putting his hand out in front of him.

"It's just procedure. There'll be an investigation but you'll be cleared." He assured her in the calmest of tones he could muster.

Taking her holster off of her leg, where her gun had inevitably found itself on the walk back to her superiors, Stella placed it in Lawson's hand. A sad smile crossed her superiors face.

"Debrief at base guys."

Kerry had her arms folded in front of her. All of tactical response was sitting before her, ready for the debriefing that was by no means going to be of the positive nature. Stella had been excused from the debriefing; her mandatory counselling sessions had already begun and quite frankly, Kerry wanted her to have some time away from the situation anyhow.

"As you all know, Stella shot and killed someone today." Kerry looked around the room and made sure she had made eye contact with each and everyone of her team.

"It may not be how we operate on a day to day basis, but at times, the criminals win and we have no other choice than to use lethal force to resolve a situation and save lives. Today was one of those situations and what Stella did was right by her teammates and by her training." Inspector Vincent had the utmost seriousness in her voice as she spoke.

"At the end of the day, we saved lives today." It was an attempt to justify a death, but in some ways, what Kerry was saying was completely true; there weren't any other options. It was a kill or be killed situation.

"Alright guys, I'll collect your reports in the morning. Go home and get some rest."