Chapter 4

Air. Bosco needed air, but the unrelenting fingers around his throat refused to allow him even a gasp. So far, he had managed to keep his grip on his gun, but the lack of oxygen was starting weaken his body. With his legs kicking for purchase on the wall as he remained pinned about a foot off the ground, Bosco felt his vision go dark around the edges as the man had begun to slam him again and again against the wall. Still, Bosco held fast to his gun.

Faith could hear scraping around the corner. She took a breath and stepped around the corner, gun drawn. What she saw was her partner, pinned to a wall by the throat, just as he finally lost his grip on his gun, still trying desperately to find the ground beneath his feet. The subject had heard her and immediately turned Bosco's gun on her.

She didn't hesitate. She fired her weapon.

Everything was starting to feel farther and farther away. He needed air. Bosco knew he was losing this fight and he prayed that backup would hurry up and arrive.

The throttling was taking its toll on him and Bosco felt himself lose his grip on his gun. His moment of panic was interrupted by confusion when the weapon was pointed away from him and back down the alley.

It all happened at once. He heard a shot just as he felt himself being jerked forward with great force. Then he felt a thump as though he had been kicked in the ribs, and the sensation of falling as he heard a second shot echo off the walls of the alleyway.

The perp was down. Davis had shown up from the other end of the alley and shot him, but Faith barely noticed as she rushed over to her partner.

Bosco was gasping for air, but choking on blood at the same time. A sticky, red stain was spreading out from where Bosco lay, struggling to breathe.

"Oh my god! Bosco," she sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Breathe. Just breathe." She cried as she began tearing at his clothes, trying to assess the damage. She gasped and began to sob even harder as she tore open his t-shirt to find the bullet hole in the right side of his chest.

Just then, Sully approached her. "Bus is around the corner." He told her urgently. "Here. Let me." He said, indicating the pressure she was putting on Bosco's heaving chest. "You get his head up. Help keep his airway clear."

"Bosco, Bosco." She sobbed, obeying Sully's command. "Sully, he pulled him into the line of fire. Oh, Bosco. I'm so sorry." She cradled his head in her lap. It seemed to ease his breathing a little, but she could tell that her bullet had pierced his lung.

An officer went over to the downed suspect to make sure he was unarmed. Ty rushed to take Bosco's hand to try to soothe the wounded man. The other officers on the scene could do nothing but watch helplessly as their comrade in arms lay writhing and retching in a vain effort to fill his lungs with air.

Finally, after what had seems like years to Faith, the paramedics came sprinting around the corner with a backboard and their medical bags. Faith barely registered the medical jargon that Kim and Carlos were throwing around. Her whole being was focused on her partner and the guilt she felt for having shot him.