Setting the Trap & Drawing Lines


Local Bar Outskirts of Toronto

Robert finished his beer "I've been thinking."

Al sneered at him "Oh this should be good, little Robbie steel-toe trying to think. Thought I smelled something burning."

"Fuck off Al. I was just thinking that we leave Braddickhead where he is. It will be a slow painful death if we leave him all alone. It'll be at least two weeks before anyone comes looking for him. That is if anyone actually cares enough to bother to look for him. What could be worse suffering than slowly starving to death?" Robert laughed.

Brogan downed the last of his whiskey "I like it. I like it a lot. Man he is still so pathetic thinking that anyone gives a damn about him. I was also thinking. We go after Ridgewater again. Get enough to leave the country."

Charley chimed in "I remember from last time she has a private jet. We could take her and make her fly us wherever we want to go."

"We need to ditch the van. We've used it too long already. We need to find us a good target from here" Brogan exclaimed.

They all scanned the room. Al said "Found him, the old coot at the end of the bar." He got up and sauntered over to the old man and sat on the stool next to him and ordered a beer. This was his specialty, finding and luring in the mark. He glanced at the old man and then at the bartender. "Another for him too."

The old man looked at Al "Thanks, not sure why you did that but thanks."

Al put on his smooth talk face "You just remind me of my old man. God rest his soul." With that Al engaged the man in conversation suckering him in. Within thirty minutes he had the man offering to put him up for the night saying it was no trouble.

Robert and Charley went to ditch the van. They found an old abandoned barn about two miles away and parked it there. They wiped down the interior and exterior removing fingerprints and pulled the license plate off. They tossed the plate in a trash can and waited to be picked up.

Outside the bar once in the old man's car the Brogan approached. Al said he was his friend and the old man agreed he could stay as well. As they headed away from the bar Brogan pulled a gun and forced the man to drive to the location of Robert and Charley. After picking them up the man was forced to drive them to his home.

When they arrived at the man's home they tied him up and locked him in the basement. They ransacked the house looking for weapons, cash and valuables and then settled in for the night. Al grabbed one of the man's sodas then flipped on the news "Shit."

His loud exclamation brought the other three "What's up Al?" Robert asked.

Al pointed to the TV newscast "They are looking for us. Apparently they figured out it was a mistake. They have a task force." All four watched as the news reporter gave details of the hacker's arrest and pictures of ten convicts were displayed. Three of them had the word Recaptured across them. The police were still actively looking for the remaining seven. Viewers were instructed not to approach but to call if they had any sightings.

"We're gonna have to move fast if we want out of the country" Brogan stated.


Jules's Home

The call from Spike was distressing but she didn't know what to do. Part of her wanted to run to Sam's side. To hold him. To be there for him. To comfort him. But another part screamed that would send the wrong signals to him. Hell she had ripped his heart out and stomped all over it.

His face and his voice when he said "You mean I'm not going to stand in your way? Jules, that's the first time you told me you loved me. I didn't think it would be like this." She knew then without a doubt that she had driven a knife through his heart.

She hadn't meant too. She didn't realize until then exactly how deeply he felt. She should have but she didn't. She always thought she was more of a conquest for him. A challenge. She had given in at a moment of weakness after she lost Eagle Two and nearly gotten the woman killed.

His kisses had surprised her then inflamed her. One night is all she had thought at the time. What could one night hurt, seeking comfort for one night. But one night turned into more and more. She thought it was a fling for him, that the newness would wear off. He was always so hard to read. But her intuition completely failed her and she had hurt him badly.

Jules wiped frustrated tears away. She had been cold and heartless. She could see her words and actions now in hindsight. When she suggested they could stay together and that only one of them had to leave the team, she was testing his love for her. Did he love her enough to leave the team to be with her? Would he choose her over the team? Did she mean more to him than the team? It was completely unfair she realized now. Sam couldn't leave the team any more than she could. To both of them the team was family.

To her the team was the only family she had now. The team is where she felt accepted and valued. She had worked her whole life to be accepted and valued. Her own father had disowned her for her choices. Her four older brothers had stood with her father and turned their backs on her. Without the team she had nothing. She would lose another father and four more brothers.

She stood in her kitchen debating with herself. Should she go or should she not. She wanted to scream in anger at the unfairness. Why did they have that god damned rule? They were both professionals. What they did in their off time should be their own damned business.

But the rule existed. If they were found out, one or both of them would be off the team and possibly removed from SRU. Maybe even off the force completely. It would likely be her because she was a woman and they were just waiting for her to screw up. She had hated sneaking around and lying to the rest of the team. You didn't lie to family.

Greg was like a father, hell he was more father than her own father was. He was more supportive and more encouraging. But would her actions and choices to lie to the team disappoint him? Would she lose another father?

Then there was Ed, Wordy, Spike and Lou. Geez they were more protective of her than any of her bloodied brothers had ever been. And at one time, before she chose to be a cop they had been pretty dammed protective. Would she lose them also because she had thwarted a rule and lied to them all?

Jules could see it now, the hurt and condemnation in Greg's, Ed's, Wordy's, Spike's and Lou's eyes if they ever found out she had lied to them. She trusted them and they trusted her. Why did she have to risk it all by falling for the blonde sniper? Everything was good until he came along. Why couldn't he choose her over the team? Why did he have to look so damned hurt when she broke it off?

Why? Why? Why? She knew why. It was always the same damned answer. Because fate was always cruel to her. Her mother died when she was just a little girl. Her father turned his back on her. He brothers did too. She was left alone. All alone in this world and had to fight twice as hard as any man to achieve the same level of respect.

Then fate put the one man, the only man that ever intrigued her just barely out of her reach. Fate taunted her. She could choose him or everything she had worked for, everything that gave her life purpose but she could not have both. Fate sucked.

She grabbed her purse and her gym bag. She was going to the gym. She needed to hit something. She could not go to the hospital. She could not be that cruel to Sam again. A clean break is what he needed. Her running to him would only hurt and confuse him more. He needed to be able to move on and find someone new. Going to him now would only give him false hope and that would be cruel.

To be honest it would be cruel to her too. She wiped the tears away. She had to stop these feelings. She had to make them go away. She needed to hit something she thought as she threw her gym bag in the Jeep and hopped in. She started the Jeep and drove.

Jules turned off the ignition and sat. She just sat. How had she ended up here? It was not her intended destination. She looked at the multi-storied building. She watched as an ambulance pulled up and they disembarked a patient. She was going to the gym. How had she ended up here she asked herself again?

Then she started to cry. Not silent soft tears but full on, snot producing, red rimmed blood shot eyes, heart rendering, soul shearing sobs. Her heart desperately wanted something she just couldn't have. As she cried she wonder which room he was in and how he was doing. She was so close yet so far away. Fate was always so cruel to her.


Home of Marbella Ridgewater

Marbella indicated that Ed and Greg should sit. She sat primly in a chair and smiled waiting for them to speak. Greg pushed his guilt feelings down for the moment and cleared his throat. "Dame Ridgewater."

Smiling Marbella said "Bella please. Any friend of Sammy's is a friend of mine."

Greg nodded "Bella then, Sam asked us to check in on you. The men that were convicted of your kidnapping among other crimes were released from prison in error a few weeks ago. Sam is concerned for your safety."

"So like Sammy. Always took to heart the 'Serve and Protect' motto." She rose and walked to the pictures and picked up the one of her and Sam with him in the police uniform. "It was one of the reason's he joined the police force. I was so surprised and proud when Sammy drew the line in the sand. When he finally made his own choice and defied Willie's, that is his father's wishes and joined the police instead of the Army. Oh the arguments that decision brought about. But once Sammy drew the line he refused to be pulled across it again."

She laughed and looked at them as she set the picture down. "Those two never quite saw eye to eye. Even today. Sometimes I think it is because they are alike in so many ways and both stubborn as mules and neither wants to admit it."

Bella walked back to the chair and sat "I'm sorry, I went off on a bit of a tangent. I tend to reminisce more these days. So back to why you stopped by. Yes I remember that. It was absolutely horrible. Mostly because of what happened to Sammy. Why is he concerned for my safety now? I saw they had been accidently released on the news today. It highly unlikely they are even in the country anymore. They had to have known the mistake would be discovered quickly."

Ed shifted not really wanting to tell her what happened to Sam so he said truthfully "Sam didn't say. He was just adamant that we check on you and make sure you are safe."

Marbella asked "Why didn't he just come by himself or call? I would have loved to see him. It's been far too long since he visited last."

Greg looked at her also not wanting to share Sam's current state. By the pictures he could tell Sam knew her well but she was not family and it was not his place to share the details. So he said "He isn't able to come or call at the moment."

Something in both men's tones and half answers told Marbella something was wrong "Why? Is he all right?"

The look in both their eyes told her what she needed to know. No he was not alright. She said "No I can see in your eyes he is not alright. I know Sammy he would be here if he was concerned about me unless something was preventing him from being here. Where is he? What happened?"

Shades of similarity to the kidnapping filtered into her mind. But these men were SRU. Sammy trusted them and she knew they cared about him from all Sammy and Willie had told her. But she would still take precautions and make better choices this time. Not be caught unaware blinded by the need to rush to him. She would verify before she left and she would take her own car.

"Sam was abducted by the four convicts yesterday. We found him today and he is currently in the hospital. The doctor wants him to rest and said it would be a few days before he is ready to receive visitors though." Greg said wondering if seeing Sam in his current state was wise for someone of her advanced age. It could be a huge shock.

A very stern hard edge came into Bella's eyes and her demeanor changed one hundred and eighty degrees as she stood. The soft, kind, gentle woman was replaced with one who had the look of a mother bear protecting its cub. "Which hospital is Sammy in? If he is hurt he will need me. Tell me now."

Both were completely flabbergasted at the change. This was a woman you did not cross. Greg knew if he didn't give her the information she would be calling every hospital so said "Sam is at St. Simons Hospital. But I strongly suggest you wait to see him. He is in rather bad shape at the moment. It might be hard to witness."

Bella loudly called out "Wilson call St. Simons, talk to Dr. Ovens, Chief of Medicine and verify Sammy is there then get the car ready I need to leave in five minutes or less if Dillon verifies Sammy is there."

Then she turned back to them and saw their complete confusion "Sorry precautions. That is how I was kidnapped before. They told me Sammy was hurt and I went with them blindly. Learned from my mistake. How bad is Sammy?" Greg and Ed both remained silent, neither really wanted to tell her.

Bella closed her eyes briefly and took a long inhale and exhale. Then she looked at them squarely and said "By your lack of response I take it is very bad. If it is anything like the last time those four got a hold of him then it is horrible. I understand your concern for me. Rest assured I can handle it. I am not faint of heart and it will not be the first time I've seen him beaten up. But I hope to god it's the last time though."

Watching their reaction to her she eased back and was midway between hard and soft "Sammy sure bruises terribly doesn't he? Always looks worse than it is."

Ed was very curious now "Just how well do you know Sam?"

Bella returned completely to the kind soft demeanor "Very well. Since he was a baby all bright and bubbly. Sammy lived with me from the time he was sixteen until he joined the police force."

Wilson entered the room "Ma'am, Dr. Ovens confirmed Samuel is in the ICU and the car is ready."

"Shall we?" Marbella indicated that they leave. Wilson opened the the rear of the limo for her and she got in while Greg and Ed headed to their SUV.

Seated in the SUV Ed said "Samo has an interesting past and some high level connections. I wonder how he ended up living with her. Always thought he lived in the desert with his mother and the General."

Greg shook his head "I think he is more complex and has more secrets than we ever thought. Although it is not surprising we don't know much about his past. He never talks about it."

Ed nodded "Yeah, given how screwed up he had things after his sister died it doesn't surprise me either. Might be hard for him to separate what really happened against what he thought happened. But this is interesting. We all knew he took his baby steps at the 51st but none of us never really thought about asking him about his past in the police force. What did his file say? Any other ghosts from the past that might come up to bite him in the ass?"

Greg shook his head "No it was very short lived. He was only there for about four or five months before he joined the Army."

Ed mused aloud "Wonder what made him changed. Bella said he chose the police over the Army, defied the General. What would get him to change his mind?"

"Guess we might just need to ask Sam that if we want to know" Greg said. Then putting the SUV in gear he said "Part of me is glad the she is going to the hospital. Sam needs someone other than the team right now and his mother will not be in until late tomorrow. He could use someone that cares that he can confide in. I'm pretty damned sure Jules broke his heart and he sure as hell can't talk to anyone on the team about that."

"I agree. It will also put Sam's mind at ease. He wanted Bella protected. If she is with him we kill two birds with one stone so to speak. Maybe Sam knows something about the men. Maybe they said something to make him believe that she is a target again." Ed responded.

Greg nodded agreeing "Wordy did say he was very agitated. And that is all he has tried to communicate each time he was awake. You may be on to something. We should take extra precautions just in case."

Ed's mind was working "Perhaps a call into Fulco and Arbor is needed. Perhaps we could set a trap. Let them come to us."

Looking severely at Ed, Greg said "I will NOT use Sam or Dame Ridgewater as bait."

"Absolutely not, but Troy has said they have not returned to the farmhouse yet. They have several patrol cars staking it out. They do not know Sam was found. They do not know she will be with Sam. With her permission we might be able to use her home and an undercover officer pose as her."

Laughing Greg said "Eddie, I would love to see you in a dress and a white wig."

Joining in the laughter Ed responded "Actually was thinking more Donna than me. I'm a bit too tall. Although you are more her height. You might look good in a dress."


Hospital ICU

Bella quietly entered the room as Greg waved for Wordy to come out to give Marbella some time alone with Sam. Bella immediately went to Sam and gently caressed his battered face "Ah Sammy my boy not again." She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "I'm here now Sammy, you're safe. I'm safe. Rest now my boy."

Sam stirred. Was he dreaming? Was she really here? He heard her voice. Sam slowly opened his left eye. A small smile came to his face but it looked more like a grimace given the current state of his face "Bella is that really you or am I dreaming?"

Marbella said softly "Not dreaming my boy. I'm really here. Rest now Sammy. Sleep. I'll be right here."

"Stay safe. Brogan. Out. Team One safe." Sam said trying to communicate that Team One would keep her safe but fatigue was pulling him back under.

She whispered to him although he could not hear "I'm safe Sammy thanks to you. Your team will keep us both safe." Bella had spoken with Greg and Ed and given her permission for them to use her home for a trap. Although she thought it highly unlikely the men would attempt another kidnapping of her. But they also told her that Sam was agitated and wanted her safe. So she also agreed to stay here under protection; even though she had no intention of leaving him in the first place. While Sammy was here she would be here.

Out in the hall Wordy looked at Ed and Greg. He had been brewing and stewing the entire time they were gone. He wanted answers. In a lowered but direct and harsh manner Wordy said "What the hell is going on with you two. Why would Sam not want to talk with you two or Jules?"

Ed looked at his longtime friend. There were things he just couldn't say. It would throw the team dynamics off. Hell they were off now anyways but he still couldn't do it; he had to draw the line at only him and Greg knowing outright. Others may suspect but that was different from knowing for sure.

If it was widely known there could be repercussions for Greg, Jules and Sam. Things he did not want to happen. So he chose to say "Sam and I got into it because I was riding his ass so hard the past few days. Greg was there. We said some things that were hurtful to Sam. I've been trying to apologize since yesterday. It's just now is not the best time to do it. He needs to heal first. Then we can work it out."

Wordy looked at him. It was only a partial truth he could tell. But he could also tell it was all the Ed would say on the matter. He knew the Greg would be mute on the subject too. God damned half-truths. Never good for team dynamics. But it still didn't explain Jules. "What about Jules? Why wouldn't Sam want to talk to Jules?"

Greg answered him this time "That is between them. They will work it out. At least I hope they work it out. But like with Ed, now is not the time."

Ed said "We need to gather the team. Sam may have overheard something that made him concerned for Dame Ridgewater. We will be setting a trap on the off chance the convicts are planning to target her again."

Wordy asked "If we are doing that who will be watching over Sam and Bella? Sorry but I don't trust having only the hospital security covering him. If those dirt bags get their hands on him again Sam will be dead. I won't be comfortable until they are behind bars again."

They discussed options and Greg put a call into Commander Holleran. Sam's abduction and the reason for it had spread quickly among the SRU teams and none were pleased. Cops gone bad had taken one of their own and hurt him for no reason. Team Five was scheduled off duty for the next three days. Dale, Sean, Brett and Randy immediately agreed to rotate watch and supervise several patrol officers assigned by Inspector Stainton while Team One went after the convicts.


Home of Marbella Ridgewater

"Spike never saw you looking so good. White hair suits you." Lou laughed and slapped Spike's back.

Spike glared at the team. Then at Ed "This is payback for the prank, right? I mean why else? Come on. Why me? Donna's the girl why not her?"

Ed laughed and tried to speak but couldn't. He only laughed more at Spike in the old lady dress, heels and white wig. He had to turn away he was laughing so hard tears were forming in his eyes.

Donna smiled "Dress didn't fit me Spike. I'm too short and you're more svelte. You're more Dame Ridgewater's build." She pursed her lips together trying hard not to laugh but her shoulders were still shaking and merriment was alight in her eyes.

Wordy said chuckling "All set to play dress up with Allie, Lily and Hollie? I really should take a picture." He went to pull out his phone.

Spike toddled unsteadily in the heels trying to reach Wordy as he said "You do and all my pranks will be focused solely on you for years."

Greg took pity on Spike. He reached out and steadied him so he didn't tip over. Smiling but not laughing outright he said "You're taking one for the team here Spike. Helping Sam. You ready to go it's near eight pm?"

At the mention of Sam everyone settled down. Yes it was funny Spike in a dress but the reason for it was not. Greg's simple words brought that back into focus.

Spike nodded "Yeah Boss, let's get these dirt bags." As much as Spike hated wearing the dress he would do anything for Samtastic. Hell, he would do anything for anyone of his family. No one hurt his family and got away with it.

The team did a final check of the perimeter, mics and cameras. Then team took up positions and waited.


Hospital ICU

Jules walked slowly down the hallway of the ICU. It was well after visiting hours, near midnight. She had talked to Dale in the security room and knew what the team was up to tonight. She hoped they caught the bastards who hurt Sam. She nodded to the uniform guard just outside his room. Dale had informed him she was coming.

She came to a stop several paces from his room; unsure whether to keep going. After her tears were spent she had sat for hours in the Jeep trying to make herself leave without seeing him. She just could not. She needed to at least see him, to know he was really okay.

But she could not force herself to go into the room. Jules stood just off to the side where she could see in but not be seen clearly from Sam's position should he be awake. She saw the woman Dale had called Dame Ridgewater. The kind looking woman stood near him holding Sam's hand and stroking his hair.

Tears slipped from her eyes again as she saw Sam's face. Her heart was breaking. She placed her hand on the glass wanting to touch him. To hold him. To tell him it was going to be alright. To tell him she was here for him like he was there for her. But she couldn't. She just could not. The risk was too great. She could not be alone again. She could not lose the team. She could not lose her family again.

As she turned to go the woman looked over and saw her. They locked gazes for several moments. She saw only compassion in the older woman's eyes. Jules swiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks then turned and left.

She was so afraid, so very afraid to love him so much. Each forced step away from Sam was another slice in her heart. So she would build a fortress. Lock her feeling inside. She would draw a line in the sand. One she would not cross again. It would keep her sane as she watched his love for her disappear.