I'm so happy that I can continue this now!!

If you didn't read ch. 7, which I posted on Oct. 29, please read that first (obviously!). For some reason it didn't send out a "new chapter" notice.

-Chapter 8-

The large door shut with a resounding slam as Stella entered the first floor. She looked around at the empty overdecorated lobby with suspicion. Could the bomb be there? Would it detonate? Soon? Would she find Flack and Angell. Would they be able to get out in time? The frantic thoughts racing through her head were met with the eerie quiet air.

"Flack? Angell?" She called. No response. Looking around, Stella shouted again. Straining her ears for

a response, she started up the first flight of stairs.

-&-

Flack rolled over and pulled himself up to sit on one of the steps. A wave of nausea hit and he quickly swallowed it back down as he heard a soft groan and the slight shuffle of moving winter apparel from the still figure beside him. He visibly winced as the realization that he had pulled Angell down with him hit.

-&-

Angell slowly pushed herself up to sit beside Flack. She placed her hand on the throbbing spot at the back of her head. She heard Flack clear his throat and glanced over at him.

"I'm fine," she stated flatly before he could even voice the multiple concerns that she knew were swirling around inside of his head.

"I knew better than to ask." Flack slowly stood and Angell saw the a quick flash of pain in his eyes as he extended his hand to her. "Come on. We've got to go."

Angell nodded in silent agreement and held out her hand. They would get out of here. They had to.

-&-

"DANNY!" Mac's voice elevated above all the others around the parking lot and even managed to overpower the furious scraping noise of the remaining ice on the car being picked away. Danny turned around and saw Mac, walking as fast as he could over the ice, racing towards him. Mac's face was red, but whether it was from the cold or anger, Danny could not tell.

"Mac." Danny simply responded, "what's wrong?"

"Where's Stella?"

"What?" Danny voice radiated with confusion.

"Where.....is......Stella?" Mac spat through clenched teeth.

"I don't know. She was just here a minute ago." Danny shrugged and held up the ice scraper, "I thought she was with you."

"I can't afford to have my team members disappearing on me. Do you have any idea where she went?"

"Last I saw she was walking..." Danny paused as the horrific realization cruelly hit him in the face much like the cold, sharp wind of winter.

"Where?!" Mac yelled.

"Over there." Danny pointed to the doomed skyscraper sitting silently among the falling snow.

"She's going to get herself killed!" Mac swore and turned towards the gray building as mixed emotions of anger and worry coursed through his body.

-&-

Stella slowly continued her ascent up the stairwell. She paused to look in every doorway, every window. Her colleagues, no, her friends, were somewhere inside of this building and every second that ticked by pushed them closer to the harsh reality that was waiting.

"Stella!"

She jumped as the radio at her side yelled her name. She reached for it as it shouted again. "Stella!"

"What Mac?!" She shouted back.

"What are you thinking?! You-" He sounded livid, and Stella quickly cut him off.

"Flack and Angell have been in here for too long. I didn't really have a choice. I can't just leave them here! What if something happened?"

"Stella. Get out of there. If that bomb goes off with you in there, I swear, I...I-"

"What, Mac? You what?" Stella pressed as she continued to climb the seemingly endless stairs.

Silence.

"Mac, look, I know that you're worried and angry that I'm in here, but I'm not leaving this building until I find them."

"Then find them and get out of there as fast as you can," he answered.

-&-

Angell heard the voice before Flack. It was faint at first, almost like the outer wisps of an echo. It increased in volume, and she swore that she heard her name. No time to stop, though. They were quickly reaching the bottom of the third floor.

"Flack.....Angell."

There.

It was below them. They kept moving, quickening their pace. The voice called again and this time there was no question as to the owner of the crystal clear voice. Stella.

They ran faster, turned the corner, and heaved a sigh of relief as they met the curly-haired detective on the second floor.

"What are you doing?" Angell questioned, completely in awe that Stella had come back into the building.

"I was worried. You were taking too long, and I needed to make sure that you were okay."

"Did Mac know?"

Stella shifted her eyes as she ran and shook her head. "No," she said quietly.

"You're going to be in sorry shape when he's done with you." Flack stated and raised his eyebrows at Stella.

"Don't I know it," she grumbled as they turned around and quickly headed for the first floor.

-&-

Mac, helpless and unable to enter the building, stared across the parking lot as he silently cursed himself for not keeping a closer watch over his team. He didn't know what he was more furious about- that Stella had gone inside instead of him or that he had left her no choice but to risk her life for her friends. He had been busy. Preoccupied Not with his team like a proper boss should be. Any way he put it couldn't manage to cover up the nasty reality that he had been gone. Simply....gone. And the consequences could be enormous.

-&-