A/N: Right, first off, I am so sorry this chapter is late. I meant to post it at the usual time, but today's been really really hectic. I have barely been home!
Anyway, here's a big thank you to all those kind-hearted people who heeded my not-so-subtle plea for reviews yesterday. shipperheart, DizzyDrea, castlencis, lily moonlight, cms4ever, and leath; thanks also to suchrandomness and lily moonlight for adding this story to alerts.
Now, buckle up and get ready for some excitement!
Chapter Six
17:30, October 28; NYPD 4th Avenue Precinct
The shots were unexpected, cutting through the air sharply, ringing in the ears of all who heard them. Pedestrians screamed and dropped to their knees, pleading for their lives – but they needn't have bothered. The shooters were only interested in two targets: Stella and Hawkes, who had ducked behind an SUV at the first sound of a gun and started firing back.
Stella fired three rounds in quick succession and dropped back down, slamming more shells into her nine millimeter.
"How much ammo you got left?" she asked Hawkes as she forced the last of her bullets in with a click.
"I've got two rounds," Hawkes replied. He raised his upper body and pulled the trigger. "One."
Stella got up and fired again, not really aiming precisely before she shot – time was too precious for that. Her bullet ricocheted off a lamp post and buried itself into one of the shooters.
"I think I got one of them," Stella said, dropping down again.
"I wish we'd get them all," Hawkes responded, firing his last bullet. "I'm out."
Stella checked her gun. "So am I. What do we do now?"
Hawkes was about to reply with some generic answer – but just at that moment, something small and incredibly painful hit him in the shoulder. Crying out, he doubled over, clutching his injured arm.
"Hawkes!" Stella cried, bending down beside him. She couldn't stop an involuntary gasp from escaping when another bullet zoomed by, missing her by millimeters.
"Get out of here, Stel," Hawkes said through gritted teeth.
"Not a chance." Stella grabbed a piece of broken, mangled metal and threw it at one of their attackers; the man cursed and jumped out of the way. "Besides, we're surrounded. There's nowhere to go." She pulled Hawkes to the side as a bullet went straight through what used to be the passenger window of the car. Hawkes groaned in pain.
"Sorry, Sheldon," Stella apologized.
"It's okay," Hawkes managed to say. "What's the situation like?"
"Well," began Stella, "I don't want to be a pessimist, but if we don't get some backup soon, they'll be lugging us back to the lab in body bags." She started digging in her pocket for her phone.
At that moment, a car driven at high speed pulled over beside the SUV. A gun poked out the driver's window, and in three precise shots, it took out the remaining shooters.
"Who is that?" Stella wondered out loud.
Her question was answered when Gibbs stepped out of the door, holding his still-smoking gun. "You all right?" he asked.
"I am, but Hawkes isn't," Stella replied. "Hawkes?" she questioned, looking at her colleague, who had lapsed into unconsciousness. "Damn it," she muttered, getting out her phone and dialing 911 as Gibbs started applying first aid. "I need an ambulance on 4th Avenue immediately."
Just then another car drove up. This one was familiar to Stella; it was Mac's car.
"What happened?" Danny demanded as he stepped out and surveyed the area. "Stella?"
"Hawkes is shot," Stella replied curtly. "I'm fine, Mac," she answered in response to her friend's concerned inquiries.
It was three minutes later before the ambulance arrived. Mac insisted on getting Stella checked out, and Stella agreed once the head paramedic told her that Hawkes would be fine.
"He's lucky," the paramedic informed them at the hospital after Hawkes had been taken into surgery. "The bullet wasn't traveling at a very high speed, and his collarbone stopped it from penetrating too deep."
"Thank you," Stella said. The paramedic nodded and left. Stella exhaled and looked around at the empty chairs beside her in the waiting room. She was currently the only one there for Hawkes, since Danny had gone back to the lab after he was sure Hawkes would survive, Gibbs had returned to his team, and Mac had gone to get her a cup of coffee.
"Hey," a voice interrupted her thoughts.
Speak of the devil…Stella thought wryly, accepting her coffee cup from Mac.
"How's Hawkes?" Mac asked, settling down beside her with his own cup.
"He'll live, with no permanent injuries." Stella took a sip of her coffee.
"That's good," said Mac, obviously relieved. He cared about each and every member of his team, but he was closest to Stella, and he could tell when she was upset about something, like she was now. "So what's wrong?"
Stella didn't smile. "We were really lucky, Mac. It could've been much worse. We were getting close to something big, and whoever's behind this knew it, so he sent people to gun us down before we could say anything. They were professional hitmen, and Hawkes and I were both out of ammo. If Gibbs hadn't shown up when he had…"
"I know." Mac mulled over the incident. "We owe him a debt of gratitude."
"Did you send him?" Stella wanted to know. Mac shook his head.
"No. Somehow he knew you were in trouble, and he rushed off to help. I hadn't a clue."
"I'll have to thank him for that," Stella mentioned. "He saved Hawkes' life."
"He saved yours too," Mac reminded her. He smiled wryly. "Try to be more careful next time, okay? I don't want to have to load you into an ambulance."
Stella chuckled. "I'll try, but no guarantees."
Mac nodded. He couldn't ask for any, considering their line of work. Instead he queried, "So what'd you find?"
Stella exhaled. "Some very puzzling pieces," she admitted. "Bright was tried twice for jewel theft, and convicted the second time. She was released on bail, but no one knows by whom. Some anonymous guy came in ten days after she was imprisoned, posted bail in cash, and took her out with him. Col. Jasper's testimony was what convicted Bright, but we haven't found Bright's DNA anywhere near the crime scene. The judge who presided over Bright's hearing was Harvey Gates, but he's disappeared. No one's seen him for days. And there's been absolutely no trace of Bright's so-called accomplice or the stolen jewelry."
"So ten days after the trial that convicted Bright, her bail was paid by an unknown person, and less than a month after that, Judge Gates disappears and Jasper is found dead with an 'M' carved into her ankle," concluded Mac. "Seems like someone is out for revenge against anyone involved in Bright's conviction, but if it wasn't her, who is it?"
"I don't know, Mac," admitted Stella. "But whoever it is, he or she is really going all out to make sure the evidence stays hidden."
A/N: Now, this author's note is in response to a few questions posed by some of my readers. I put it here at the end, 'cause some of the answers would've spoiled the chapter for you ;)
shipperheart, thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you're enjoying this story. I agree, it would be so totally awesome if an actual NCIS/CSI crossover occurred on TV. They're both CBS shows, so it might still happen. Might.
DizzyDrea, hi again! I hope I satisfied your interest about Stella and Hawkes' situation well enough. And might I just add that I really appreciate you submitting another review to complete the one that got cut off?
castlencis - thanks!
lily moonlight - you're right, it is a little discouraging when no one reviews. So I thank you for your feedback. I've already said all that needs to be said about the Tony/Flack scene...about the Mac/Stella - well, we saw some of that in this chapter, and there's more coming up. I love their relationship too, but I don't ship them as a couple - just as really good friends. And as for Ducky and Sid - THAT's set for tomorrow's chapter.
cms4ever, by now you should know that I update daily without fail. The chapter might be a little late sometimes, but it always makes it. And no worries - this particular story is complete, so there's no chance of it hanging indefinitely on hiatus. You needn't be concerned about the fate of the trilogy as a whole, either - I'm well into the second story by now, and I've got the rest of the plot laid out. The Cross Country Case will live on till it's solved!
And, finally, leath. You've been reading my stories for quite a while now, and I want you to know I appreciate you coming back whenever I write something that you're interested in. Your reviews are loyal, and I'm really grateful. By now you know that you were spot on about Gibbs shooting someone. And Abby's typical wow moment is happening tomorrow - I hope you like it.
That's all for now - and I do apologize for the long note. See you folks tomorrow!
