They're Gone & Boat Ride from Hell


Present - Fisheries on Port Lands

Fighting nausea Sam had tried to overpower their captors. The bomb was about to go off and they needed to get out. He got one down and almost had the second when a loud bang and a blood curdling scream reverberated in his aching head. The man beneath him was withering in pain.

A hard kick to his stomach had Sam on his back gasping for a breath lying next to the bleeding man. He was stripped of the remaining of his tact gear as he watched Spike begin to remove his gear. Sam struggled to rise they needed to leave now. He vaguely realized a fist slammed into his head in the same location as the other hit as the world around him faded black.

What the hell was going on Spike thought as he watched the man shoot one of his own men in the leg? He started to remove his gear. Spike was slammed with a ham sized fist that dropped him to his knees a grunt of pain escaping. Then one of the men started ripping his gear off of him rather quickly.

As he was still blinking the stars away two more shots rang out. He found himself being dragged backwards as a strong hand gripped the collar of his uniform shirt. Then he was falling. The sudden impact of his head on the wooden floor dazed him further.

Then Sam landed next to him. His eyes focused and he saw Sam's eyes were closed and blood was dripping from his head wound. "Sam?" he said worriedly. He got no response. "Sam?" Still no response. Spike started to reach out to him to check his pulse when Sam was dragged away from him.

Spike was lifted by a hulking man and thrown into the bottom of a boat. He landed on his back hard but was able to stop his head from hitting the floor. He had barely registered he was on a boat when "Hmmmph" followed by a groan of pain was expelled from him as an unconscious Sam was tossed on top of him.

The engine of the boat roared to life. He bounced on the floor as the boat sped away from the fishery building. Spike rolled to his side trying to brace himself better. He also held Sam tightly trying to protect Sam's head from bouncing on the floor.


Outside Warehouse A32

Wordy and Greg had finished clearing warehouse A32. They headed out of the building. Both elated and subdued. They were happy there were no booby traps or explosives; a huge relief. But sadly no kids either. Time was short and they needed to find them.

Ed called out "Boss, A32 is clear. Alpha team moving to warehouse A45." He received no response. Ed called out again "Boss?"

As they jogged in the direction of warehouse A45 Wordy said "Ed, remember he switched to channel two a bit ago."

Smiling Ed said "I hope that is good news. Maybe Sam and Spike found the kids."

Wordy smiled back "That would be great news. I'm tired of playing hide and seek."

"Let's find out" Ed said switching to channel two. Wordy switched at the same time. Neither of them expected to hear the heart-ripping, agonizing scream of 'Nooooooooooooooo' from Jules. Their steps faltered. What the hell happened?


Steeping's Office

After the sound of the bomb exploding Greg called out for status for several minutes never getting a response. Jules and Greg stood in shock staring at each other. Both sets of eyes teared up. But they were both unwilling to give up hope.

They had heard Spike and Sam ordered to remove their gear. Maybe they just couldn't answer. They got out. They had to have gotten out. Team Two would get there in a minute or two. Sam and Spike would have help.

His hands unsteady Greg pulled out his cell phone and called Winnie "Winnie have Sergeant Bradley contact me on channel two."

Hearing the unnatural sound in Greg's voice Winnie replied "Sure Sarge. Everything alright?"

He didn't answer her question. Instead he said in a stilted monotone "Notify the Fire Department and EMS of an explosion at the fisheries on Port Lands." Greg hung up his eyes never wavering from Jules. Both needed the strength from each other as they waited.

Winnie hung up and did as the Sarge asked immediately starting with Sergeant Bradley first. She wanted to switch to channel two also but she got a call from Team Six needing help with information on their subjects. However, she could not shake the feeling that something terrible had just happened.

Over the headset Bradley said "Parker just pulling up. Damn that was a huge explosion. What help do you need from us?" Team Two disembarked from their SUVs staring at the inferno burning in front of them.

Greg had to keep focus and keep moving as he replied his voice choking a bit "My guys; did my guys get out? Spike and Sam."

A devastated whisper emitted from Bradley "Your guys were in there?"

Greg and Jules heard the distress in Bradley's voice and sirens approaching. Then Bradley gave orders to his team to search the exterior area for Sam and Spike. Then the distinct sound of two more huge explosions. Followed by cussing, orders to take cover, doors slamming and the sounds of small and large chunks of who knows what hitting metal.

After a few moments they heard Bradley call out for status of his team. Finding his entire team okay he urged them to continue the exterior search.

Bradley came back on over the headset "Greg. The other two buildings blew. It's a damned inferno here. My guys are checking the exterior. God I hope they got out. There is no way they could survive the fire." Bradley stopped himself from saying more. What the hell was he thinking? Team One had likely just lost two great guys.

Several minutes later the last of his men reported in indicating they found no one. Bradley yelled at them to keep looking. His TL put a hand on his shoulder and told him they had combed the entire exterior twice. Sam and Spike were not outside the building. Pushing the bile down that threatened to violently expel Bradley said "Greg, I'm very sorry. We did not find either Spike or Sam outside the building."

Jules's heart was ripped from her chest as she screamed "Nooooooooooooooo".

She collapsed into the chair behind her. She couldn't form a coherent thought. She never heard Ed and Wordy yelling asking what was going on. She did not register Greg in front of her checking her pulse and responding to Ed and Wordy.

Jules did not hear their pain filled cussing and demands for information from Bradley's team. Nor did she hear Bradley's orders to the firemen to search for Sam and Spike in the first building. She did not hear Winnie's cracking voice or soft sobs as she notified Greg of EMS ETA to Steeping's office.

It wasn't until the paramedic was in front of her taking her blood pressure that she began to come back to the world. She blinked several times not having any clue how much time had passed. She heard the Boss telling Ed and Wordy they had to keep looking for the kids. They still had a job to do. The kids were their first priority.

She looked up and saw the pain and grief etched into his face as he gave the orders. She saw the tears hastily wiped away several times. She heard the anger and sorrow in Ed and Wordy's voices as they complied and requested that Team Two assist them at the warehouses.

Greg came toward her his voice shaky and directed at the paramedic "Is she okay?" The paramedic told him she was a little shocky but her vitals were strong and returning to normal.

Jules found her voice; it was anguish filled "They're gone?" Greg took her hand into both of his and squeezed. Then he nodded as tears dripped down his face because his hands were occupied holding hers. Jules repeated "They're really gone?"

Greg tried once, twice, three times to speak but the words lodged in his throat each time. As he watched the tears stream from Jules eyes he finally managed "Yes. The fire department found two bod …" He had to stop he was about to lose it.

He couldn't afford to lose it. Two little kids were still counting on him. He took a deep breath and said "Yes. Sam and Spike are gone."

A small sob escaped Jules. Then a self-preserving steel rod formed in her backbone. A protective cocoon formed around all her hurt and loss, sealing it in tightly.

Jules wiped away her tears. Her voice soft but firm "We need to find the kids. Then we find the ones responsible. Sam and Spike would want us to find the kids. It would be dishonorable to them not to save those kids."

She stood up and walked to the table and began sifting through the materials. Later she told herself. Later she would cry and grieve the loss of her brother Spike. Later she would figure out why her heart was still beating when she was already dead. For that's what she was. She was dead without Sam. Life had no meaning without him.


Boat Speeding Away from Port Lands

The boat cleared the dock located under the fishery and headed out for the Eastern Channel. Zhang was at the helm and he breathed a sigh of relief. The bomb would go off any moment now they needed some distance. He opened the throttle all the way and they sped toward the channel. Kwon and Pedro were dead. He couldn't believe the master had shot them. But looking at the boat it was clear there would not have been enough room for all of them. That had been the master's plan all along.

Several moments later the bomb exploded. Sounds of the blast, as it ripped the building to shreds, was deafening. Spike even felt the heat of it. Debris from the building splashed around the boat and pieces pelted them too. He felt a fiery pain in his left arm just where it covered Sam's head. He saw the small, thin metal shard sticking out of his arm.

Christ if his arm had not been there it would have sliced into Sam's eye. He contemplated what to about the shard. He didn't know how deep it went. Probably better to leave it alone at the moment. It stung but did not appear to be bleeding much but if he pulled it out it could bleed a lot and he had nothing to staunch it with. So he left it alone.

This was too surreal and Spike couldn't believe what had just occurred. He took in his surroundings. Only three of the five men were in the boat. The one he deemed the leader and two very large henchmen. Why would the leader kill two of his own men and kidnap him and Sam? It made no sense to him.

The leader made eye contact with him. Then he growled "Stay quiet and still on the floor and I won't bind your hands or gag you. Try anything and I put a bullet through your buddy's head." The man reached down and yanked out the metal shard. God damned that hurt. He hissed at the pain.

At an unheard word from the leader Spike watched as a henchman went into the cabin of the boat and reappeared with a bottle of vodka, a length of cloth and a pad. The henchman ripped his sleeve wide open. Then he poured vodka on his wound. Spike was gasping for breath as the alcohol flowed into the open wound. He hissed and clamped his jaw shut until the worst of the stinging pain ebbed.

The henchman repeated it twice more seeming to get pleasure at watching his pain filled reactions. Then he applied the pad and pressure to the bleeding wound for several minutes. The henchman wrapped the length of cloth tightly around it effectively staunching the flow of blood. Then he tied it off, took a swig of the vodka before recapping it and went back into the cabin.

The leader came forward again and said "Do exactly as I say and your buddy stays alive. Cross me and you both die painfully. You saw what I'm capable of. Just because I let your wound be dressed, do not assume I give a damn what happens to you."

Spike simply nodded. What the hell was going on? The man's last word was followed by two more huge explosions one right after the other. He saw the man smile "That's gonna keep them busy a long time." The man stood watching as the buildings burned.

A painful groan came from Sam. Spike was still cradling Sam's head on his arm. Very quietly he said "Sam, you okay?" The only response he got was a soft moan. He wanted to take a closer look at Sam's head wound but couldn't from this angle.

He looked up at the leader assessing his options. Clearly he wanted them alive, at least for a while. Otherwise he would have shot them or left them in the building before it blew up. He would not have dressed his wound either. He chanced saying quietly "I need to check his head wound. Can I get on my knees to do that?"

The leader bent down in his face and growled "No."

Given their circumstance and what had transpired Spike tried negotiating wanting to personalize Sam to their captors "It could be serious. Sam might die. You wouldn't have gone to all the trouble of putting Sam in the boat if you didn't care if he died. Let me look after him. Please."

Sneering at him the leader said "It's just a blow to the head. He can handle it. He's had worse. Now shut up and be still or I will put a bullet through his head and end his miserable life."

Then the leader swiftly kicked his back. Pain radiated both up and down Spike's back and he gulped for air for a few moments. As he regained his normal breathing and the pain subsided the boat caught a wave and slammed down hard on the other side of it. He lost hold of Sam and Sam's head whacked the floorboards.

Sam rolled over and Spike could now see the wound now. From his position on the floor he slowly probed around where it was bleeding being cautious of the bouncing of the boat. He must have hit a very painful area as Sam groaned and clenched it jaw. As best he could, without moving from his spot Spike gathered Sam close. He maneuvered his arm under Sam's head again as a cushion.

Spike was glad the bleeding was slowing only a small trickle now that mostly restarted from his gentle probing. He could see the bruising start to show. Sam was gonna have one hell of a headache, most likely a concussion. But luckily he didn't feel any squishy areas that would indicate a fractured skull. Although Sam had a hard head, a fracture was still a possibility. He needed x-rays to rule that out.

Now that he had done all he could for Sam at the moment he started replaying the events in his mind trying to figure out just what happened and why. He had watched unable to do anything as the leader had put a single bullet hole between the eyes of two of his men. He was a good shot. None of this made any sense.

Did he and Sam stumble into some nefarious deal? That didn't seem quite right. When he asked to help Sam the leader's choice of words indicated he knew Sam. However, that could just be a poor choice of words. Was this personal? If so was it directed at Sam or him? Was this related to the kidnapping of the kids?

His heart seized; the kids. Images of their sweet faces entered his mind as he prayed they were not in any of those buildings. Even though he could not see from his position on the floor of the boat, he realized the two other blasts had to be the other two buildings blowing to bits. There is no way that the kids could have survived those blasts, especially not with the heat and intensity of them.

Then pain of a different kind but more penetrating invaded his heart. The team; Jules, Greg, Ed, and Wordy would think they had died in that blast. Given the age and state of those mostly wooden buildings the fire from the bombs would be an inferno. The two bodies in there would be burned beyond recognition. The team would assume they were him and Sam. He closed his eyes at the thought of the pain and sorrow that would cause their friends and families.

Sam struggled to open his eyes. His head hurt; stabbing pains came in waves along with wonderful nausea. It was all he could do to keep from retching. Something both hard and soft was under his head. It helped absorb the bumps and jarring slams as he bounced. He had no clue where he was and he needed to see. He needed to open his eyes.

It took great effort, they were so heavy. Sam barely opened them a slit and the light increased his pain and nausea. He couldn't stop the groan. He felt a vice like grip around his body tighten keeping him from moving. It scared him until he heard Spike softly say "Hang in there. Hold still. I got you buddy."

Through a clenched jaw and barely above a whisper Sam said "Spike?"

Urgency in his voice as the leader glared then pointed the gun at Sam's head Spike responded quietly "Yeah, it's me. You need to be quiet and still now. Understand?"

Sam heard the tone and understood that they were not in the clear. Instead of speaking he nodded. Bad idea. Bile rose. Cognizant that he was facing Spike he wrenched away from Spike and rolled over just in time. He spilled his guts out until nothing was left. His head was swimming in pain and his throat burned with the taste of bile. As the retching started to subside he felt a comforting hand patting his back.

Spike had been startled for a split second at Sam's move but the sounds of him getting sick registered. Thank god for small flavors, wearing vomit would have been the icing on this appalling cake. He reached out and patted Sam's back the only thing he could do. He glanced at their captors to judge if Sam was in jeopardy of more abuse or a bullet. Thankfully all he saw was disgust on their faces and none moved to do him harm. The gun was even lowered now.

Spitting a few times trying to get the foul taste from his mouth Sam ventured to open his eyes a bit wider. The motions now made sense. He was on a boat. It was moving fast in choppy water. Nausea hit him again. Nothing was left to come up but that didn't stop the dry heaves. He heaved so hard and long that every heave hurt so much he wanted to pass out.

When it finally stopped he rolled to his back keeping his eyes clamped shut trying to quell the pain. He felt his head lifted and then lowered on the firm but soft cushion again. It felt better; the pain was less every time the boat slammed over a wave. He realized it was Spike's arm. His throat raw and burning from throwing up Sam croaked out "Thanks. Helps. You injured?"

Very quietly Spike answered "Just a small cut, few bumps and bruises. Nothing to worry about. You doing okay?"

Picking up on the need to be quiet and the fact that sound hurt his head Sam responded barely above a whisper "Been better."

The boat slammed over three waves in quick succession. Sam groaned and rolled away quickly. His abdominal muscles protested loudly aching as the dry heaves assaulted him unrelentingly again. He was shaking uncontrollably when it finally ceased. God just let me pass out he thought.

Spike repositioned Sam's head on his arm again and put his other arm around him trying to hold him still and cushion him as much as he could. He wished there was something more he could do for Sam right now. He was in miserable shape. He saw the pain etched deeply in Sam's face. He definitely had a concussion, he just didn't know how severe.

This boat ride from hell had to be unbearably painful for him. Spike wanted to say something to comfort Sam but he refused to add more sound. Sound only increased pain with concussions. So he silently communicated the words 'Hang on brother. I'm here for you. I won't let you down.' by ensuing his grip was tight enough to limit Sam's movements.

Panic infused him when Sam went limp in is arms. He quickly checked his pulse. Strong and steady; relief surged forward. Oh thank goodness he finally passed out. Spike maintained his grip around Sam holding him steady.

As he lay there bouncing on the floor of the boat with Sam in his arms, Spike started to rack his brain. He really needed to figure out what was going on. How to get them out of this? It would be up to Sam and him to get free because the team would not be looking for them. They did not know they were held captive. The team would think he and Sam were already dead.