Witness
Chapter Four
Riggs' eyes fluttered open as he fought through the haze clouding his vision; his body lagged lethargically with each motion his mind attempted to generate.
A familiar face cut through the fog, the large brown eyes and gentle smile he had wished to know the moment he had seen them hovered within his grasp.
"Miranda" He whispered pensively.
As his awareness caught up with time the face before him shifted into that of another. His mind was denied a moment of reprieve as a different strain of agony disrupted his thoughts.
Pain was the first to greet him as he took a deep breath. He instantly brought his hand to the source of the discomfort wincing as his fingers connected with the strange material lining his midriff.
"Hey. Take it easy, Cowboy." Mindy soothed as she placed a comforting hand upon his shoulder, her face saturated in sympathy.
Riggs ignored the suggestion and shifted into a more upright position attempting to outrun the uncomfortable projection of concern at his misfortune. The motion took the breath from his lungs giving him something else to focus on.
Roger was at his side in an instant. The concern lining his partner's brow caused a deep guilt to rise in Riggs' stomach.
"What part of 'take it easy' do you not understand?" Roger chided.
"Rog, when do I ever do things the easy way?" Riggs queried as he exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, the sound somewhere between a strained laugh and a moan.
Roger paused as if assessing the question, his eyes resting on the dark stain upon Riggs' ruined shirt.
"I'm fine Rog." He added attempting to draw away the unwanted attention.
"I think you and I have very different opinions on the definition of fine. People might say 'I have a cold, but I feel fine' but no one in the history of all humanity has ever said 'I took a bullet through the center of my body, but I feel fine'!" Roger complained.
Riggs observed the handiwork laying across his midsection, a thick layer of towel-like material held in place with a ridiculous amount of duct tape.
"Last time I tried to do that I got yelled at," Riggs pouted, his Texas twang coating his words as he changed the subject.
"Yeah, well. We didn't have Scorsese here to patch you up this time. We had to improvise."
Mindy handed him a bottle of water which he took gratefully, the sight of the cool liquid reminding him of how thirsty he was.
He took a few gulps before offering what was left to Mindy and Roger.
"You hold on to it. I'm going to scout the outside of the building; we don't have a signal anywhere inside. The walls must be too thick. Stay put, okay. Mindy will stay with you." Roger offered as he stood and made for the entrance of the vast empty expanse.
Riggs brought his attention to the old forgotten concrete standing around him as Roger left the room. The walls slightly cracked and crumbling, but sturdy. The barren space was shrouded in darkness except for the soft glow coming from a small flashlight grasped tightly in Mindy's hand.
"It will be okay; we won't let anyone hurt you," Riggs assured Mindy, his mind drifting to the scared woman he had met at the crime scene.
"Are you serious?" Mindy asked, her tone slightly askew. "How can you think of anyone's safety but your own. You were shot attempting to keep me from harm, and still, you put my wellbeing before your own as you continue to slowly bleed out on the floor of an abandoned factory."
"It's my job." He shrugged, wincing at the sharp twinge the movement elicited.
"It's more than that." She paused and locked her gaze to his "Does it hurt so much that you can't help but attempt to escape the pain every chance you get? Is it so bad that you purposely create instances where it will end?" Mindy's words posed in question, but her tone expressed them as fact; as if she was brutally familiar with the prospect.
Riggs didn't answer. He let the thought bounce around his skull; he wished more than anything to end the suffering and longing that had become his constant companions. He wondered how many days, months or even years it would take before the small comforts that made life bearable would no longer be enough.
He had the job, his partner, Trish, and the kids. He often believed the reason he couldn't give in to temptation was that he would be leaving Roger and his family to deal with the aftermath. It wasn't fair to subject them to even an ounce of the pain he felt on a daily basis, but eventually, they would move on. After all, he was just someone who had come into their lives and turned it upside down for a while, when he was gone they would just turn it right side up once more and carry on.
Then there was Miranda; she would never forgive him if he gave up. So, he spent every day on the job searching for the bullet, fast moving vehicle, or leap of faith that would end it all. Always fighting enough to stay above the water, until the one time he couldn't, finally getting what he wanted without giving in.
He brought his eyes to Mindy's, letting his gaze linger.
"You look just like her." He stated flatly, the words tumbling out without permission.
Mindy seemed taken aback, she brought her gaze to her hands and twined them together in anxious motion. "How did you lose her?" She asked quietly. The awkward demeanor she had held so dominantly before faded away, in its place, sat a woman fighting her own battle with loss.
"Car accident." Riggs supplied uneasily.
Riggs' honesty seemed to loosen her own. "I lost my brother. He was young, too young. He never really fit in with the rest of the family. It was like he was made for something different, but if you didn't want to be part of the family business, then you weren't considered family, so he did his part. He never got the chance to follow his dreams, and I will always blame myself for not pushing him to do so." A tear made its way down Mindy's cheek as she spoke.
"I'm sorry." Riggs offered.
Mindy didn't seem to know what to do with the word. She stared at him for a long moment.
"I, I'm going to check on your partner." The vulnerable moment left to the wind as she took two long strides towards the door.
Before Riggs could wrap his head around her rapid exit, a flash of motion caught his eye. A small object made its way through the air, landing a few meters away from Mindy's feet.
Reflex engaged his muscles as he moved with speed he wasn't aware he still possessed. He lunged for Mindy colliding with her stunned form launching her away from the threatening object in the corner of the room. The pain of the movement only slightly present as his mind suppressed all unnecessary sensation.
The percussion that rang through the air accompanied the massive shockwave as the grenade exploded behind him.
Mindy and Riggs' tangled forms gained momentum before landing in the opposite corner of the room. He felt the sharp pang of heat and shrapnel tear through his back as he used his body to shield Mindy from the explosion. They landed hard, smashing against the concrete, Mindy's harsh exhale a sure sign that she was still alive. The groans that followed suggested she was not completely unscathed.
Riggs attempted to push himself up, only to roll onto his side in a heap. The air around him heavy with dust as the concrete spat out its shattered remnants from the blast. A high pitch chime assaulted his eardrums as he attempted to wipe the powdered fragments of the wall from his eyes.
"You okay?" He mouthed as Mindy turned to face him.
She gave him a short nod and looked to the entrance of the room. Riggs followed her eye line to where the grenade had detonated. Its immediate radius a shattered mess of stone and metal.
They had, by some miracle, made it far enough away to survive the blast. He had seen the damage a grenade could do a hundred times over when he had served his country and had no desire to witness any more of it.
Riggs felt a sharp tugging sensation radiate from his back and a familiar warm wetness that never meant anything good.
He heard gunfire from the building's exterior and attempted to stand, failing miserably as he shifted his weight. He could only hope his partner was holding his own as he made a dismal effort to reach for his gun only to find he had lost it during the explosion.
Too many footsteps to count echoed off the crumbled walls of the large room as a group of men with an assortment of artillery entered the broken space. One very familiar face stalked over to his spot on the ground smiling broadly. "Hello, Detective Riggs. Did you miss me?"
"Aw, Damian. Not even your own mother would miss that face." Riggs smiled as the slightly muffled world around him made its way into full focus.
Damian Parez displayed his distaste with a swift kick to the side of Riggs' head granting him the mercy of oblivion as the pain dissipated into darkness.
Bailey stood against the interrogation room wall, her eyes fixed to Barry Carson. The man reeked of piss and cigarettes, his suit soiled and wrinkly. Since he had arrived at the station, he had sat soundlessly in his own urine and responded to each question with a blank and terrified stare.
She was done with the silence and decided to offer him an ultimatum.
"Okay, Barry. If you don't have anything for us, we will just drop you off where we found you. I'm sure Damian Parez will be happy to have you back."
Barry's face paled and his features twisted at her words. He shuffled uncomfortably before looking to the Detective.
"I want a deal, and I want my safety guaranteed. You have to promise I won't be found." Barry pleaded.
"We can offer you protection from Damian Parez and a shortened sentence for ALL the information you have on him." She stated flatly.
"It's not Damian you need to worry about. Just don't let them get to me, I will tell you anything." Barry clutched his fingers tightly in a gesture of self-preservation.
"What do you mean Dam…"
A harsh thump against the door brought her attention away from the perp; she stepped outside the room to meet the disturbance.
"What's going on? I'm in the middle of…"
"Safehouse was hit; we've lost contact with Riggs and Murtaugh. Gear up, Cruz is already upstairs." Avery asserted before turning on his heel and striding rapidly back down the hallway.
Bailey slammed the interrogation room door closed behind her ignoring the calls of a distressed Barry.
She made her way to the bullpen almost running into Cruz as she stepped out of the elevator.
She grabbed her weapon and attached her vest as they rushed to the car, neither one wanting to break the silence with the dark thoughts lingering too close to the surface.
Bailey looked to Cruz; she took comfort in the composed determination that seemed to possess him.
"What happened to the patrol guarding the safe house?" She didn't want the answer, but it had to be better than the unsettling calm that consumed the space around them.
"They found two officers' dead a block over, one garroted and the other with a lethal blow to the skull," Cruz answered without pulling his gaze from the road.
She was right; she hadn't wanted the answer. Bailey stared dead ahead and attempted to still the nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had a bad feeling about this.
Barry had never been an overly brave man; he did what was necessary when, and only when, it was necessary. In reality, the trait made him efficient not cowardly regardless of how others saw him.
He was good at his job and had never made a mistake before. Mistakes made you dead, and he had taken careful preparations to avoid the unfortunate circumstance.
When Ronnie had come to him with a way to double his money he had let greed overcome his better judgment. Of course, selling to the competition while keeping the profits couldn't end any other way. Now he was stuck in police custody, headed for jail, and had some appalling people after him for no other reason than the weakness that had overcome him in that single moment. He wished he could go back in time and turn Ronnie down.
God, he hated Ronnie for putting the idea in his head. He was glad the bastard was dead, better Ronnie than himself.
At least he could get a deal and ensure that none of the Parez siblings could get to him. He had seen firsthand what happened to those that messed with the family's affairs. He was safe here, though, he just had to do his part, tell the cops what they needed to know and get a nice spot in a cushy cell far away from all of them.
He shifted in his seat, the uncomfortable dampness of his pants forcing him to fidget. The detective could at least have gotten him a change of clothes. After all, it was one of their detectives that had almost gotten him killed.
He hoped they all got what was coming to them. Even if he were a snitch, he would be better off than Ronnie. He pictured the best way to make the most of his new situation as the door opened once again.
"Why have I been here this long? I refuse to be treated this wa…" Barry's words were cut off by the sharp grin of Damian Parez' right-hand man, Cornel Varone. The man stood in the doorway as if the space belonged to him.
"Hi, Barry. You look comfortable." Cornel sneered. He slowly walked towards Barry pulling an unfriendly looking tool from behind his back.
"H…h…how did you get in here?" Barry stumbled over his words; his body shook violently as he attempted to think of a way out of the situation, a weak cry escaping his lips.
"Oh, Barry. Let's not do it like this, why don't you act like a man for once in your life. Even if it is only for the last moment of it." Cornel soothed, his voice hauntingly calm.
Cornel was upon him now, too close for comfort, too close for anything but the end.
"No one will hear you, Barry, everyone is out looking for their precious detective. it was easier getting in here than the effort it will take to squeeze the life from you."
"No! I didn't tell them anything, Cornel. I swear to you! The family's secret is safe!" He pleaded between quickened heartbeats, the pounding drowning out Cornel's words.
"But you will, you've only ever cared about yourself. It's your time, just accept it. Don't make this any harder than it has to be." Cornel mollified compellingly as he placed the garrote wire around Barry's neck.
There was no fight, only fear and regret as Barry felt the sharp metal cut into his neck and the burn of his throat from the inside and out.
Roger peered out from behind the old concrete he had been using for cover since Parez' men had pinned him between the warehouse and a dilapidated shed at the rim of the property. He could feel the cold sweat run down his neck and his heart pound harshly in his chest.
He took a deep breath and fired his last two rounds. He heard an abrasive yelp as one of his bullets found its target. He reloaded his clip before lining up his next shot, fiercely aware that the odds were against him.
He only hoped Riggs was doing better than he was. He shot another few rounds to his right before settling back behind the wall. This wasn't good, how the hell had Parez found them yet again?
He had only left his partner for long enough to find cell service. Now, he regretted leaving him at all as he pictured a very one sided commotion taking place in the space Riggs and Mindy occupied.
A violent roar came from the front of the building followed by some loud yelling. A few shots ricocheted off the wall protecting him as he heard receding footsteps from across the structure.
Roger strayed from cover to find out what was happening at the entrance only to have to dive back behind the wall once again. The men were retreating but leaving behind them a barrage of gunfire successfully giving them enough time to get back to their vehicle.
He took a desperate shot from his protected position hitting the closest gunman. The man went down as his comrades left him to the ground.
Roger headed towards the other end of the building taking cover behind anything he could find, if the bad guys were retreating, it could only mean one thing. They had what they had come for. He hurried his pace as he neared the front of the building.
Panic rose in his chest at the distinctive sound of car doors slamming close by. He fired at the tires of the lone SUV as they screeched into the distance, only to watch helplessly as the vehicle sped out of range.
He rushed to the front room forcing down the dread threatening to take over, as he reached his destination he discovered what his gut had already told him. The large space he had left to his partner sat empty, occupied only by the newly displaced concrete and shrapnel scattered across the room.
He let out a curse and pulled his phone from his back pocket as he ran toward the cobalt Mustang sitting on the lot, surprised to see full bars lighting up his screen. He punched the number into his cell and cursed when he saw the slashed tires sitting uselessly under the muscle car.
One quick ring permeated the line before he was abruptly connected to Avery.
"Captain, Parez has Mindy and Riggs." Roger broke the silence hovering over the line "There's more, Riggs was hit. He's in bad shape."
Thanks for reading.
Shout out to nanuka02 for the lovely review; I was unable to reply via PM, but I wanted to let you know it was appreciated.
There is still time for those who think they know where the story is going to PM me and get the chance to name a character in this fic.
I apologize to anyone who dislikes cliffhangers; I find them more enjoyable to write and use them often. The next chapter will be posted by the same time next week, Sunday night, so you won't have to wait too long if you disagree with me.