Ed held Mitzy's arms behind her and gently led her out of the room. Ed nodded at one of the officers that had rushed up when the nurses had called. He handed Mitzy to them and said, "we'll be down later to give our statements. Book her for attempted murder and battery on a police officer to start." The officers nodded, put handcuffs on Mitzy and led the sobbing girl away. They recognized Ed from Team One and knew he would be true to his word.
Leah, Spike, Greg and Sam were right behind him. The nurse had already rushed in to check on Jules and tend to her cut. It wasn't very deep so they just put a bandage on it.
Greg had his phone to his ear as they all rushed back out of the hospital. They hoped Mitzy's assault on Jules hadn't kept them from saving Callie. "Thanks Winnie!" Greg yelled as they climbed back in the SUV. "Team Two is meeting us there, but we're closer. They're going to let us take the lead on this. Halloren approved for us to suit up."
Everyone nodded and shut the doors to the SUV. Greg drove like his ass was on fire to the warehouse. They all jumped out and ran to the back of the SUV. Sarge had stopped at the SRU on the way to the warehouse and they had loaded up. Everyone grabbed their gear and dressed as quickly as possible while Ed called out assignments.
"Sam, Sierra one. Get us a topside view. Spike, get a schematic for this place, let's see what we've got. Leah you're with me on entry. Boss."
"Fast is good Eddie." Greg nodded at Ed.
Sam started running around the large building. He found a fire escape and climbed it. There were open windows along the way so he whispered, "boss, several windows open on black wall. It'd be a good place for a Sierra two if we need it. I'm going inside."
"Copy Sam."
Spike walked over and showed them the schematic. It was pretty open inside with a metal staircase up to the second level.
"What do you think for entry Ed." Greg looked at him.
"There's a door right here, so I say we go stealth until we can get eyes on." Ed pointed with his hand at the metal door next to the large garage door.
"Copy." Leah, Spike and Greg said.
"Spike, I need you to put your lock picking skills to work. Then fall behind Leah once we make entry. Greg you're the caboose. Cover our six."
"Copy."
Spike grabbed his kit and they all walked cautiously to the door, guns drawn. They covered Spike while he picked the lock. Team two arrived just as Spike got the lock open. Greg gave them the signal to hold up.
Sergeant Ken Waters jumped out of his SUV and ran up to Greg. "Any eyes in yet?"
"Sam?"
"I have the solution." He looked through his scope and could see that Candace had wound ropes around Callie's middle and the ropes were hooked on a big crane, suspending Callie above Candace and 20 feet in the air. Candace was holding the crane controls and laughing maniacally. Sam relayed this info to the teams.
"I'm sending Eric to the fire escape as Sierra Two. Both of you hold." Greg said into his headset. "Everyone we are on channel 2." The five remaining people on Team Two nodded. "TLs coordinate how you want your people and do it fast. We need to get in there."
Sam flipped the safety of of his rifle and started sniper breathing. It was a good thing he did because Candace started playing with the controls and making Callie bounce up and down. "Guys. Get in here. Subject has the victim tied, the ropes are on a hook and the subject is bouncing the victim up and down. She's about 20 feet up. The fall could be fatal."
Without wasting a second, Ed, Spike, Greg, Leah and Gene and Tom from Team Two went through the door and spread out around the floor. Ken, Bailey and their Team Lead Tony entered from the back and surrounded the other side.
Greg stepped forward. "Candace! I'm Greg Parker from the police Strategic Response Unit. Can you put the controls down? I just want to talk to you."
"No!" Candace continued to play with the controls. Callie was screaming and crying. A couple guys looked around, grabbed a tarp and spread it between them. They walked back and forth, staying with Callie's swinging body.
"Eric. I need you to aim for the rope holding the hook. If I can't get her to drop the controls we'll have to chance dropping the victim to the tarp."
"Copy." Eric moved his sight and concentrated on the swinging rope.
Greg tried again and stepped to the bottom step. "Candace. Please. You don't want to do that. Hurting Callie would be a big mistake."
Candace stopped and looked at him. "She shouldn't have stuck her nose in where it doesn't belong." She looked back at Callie and picked up the controls again.
"Time for a reality check Boss." Spike said softly.
"Copy." Greg whispered and went up a step. "Hey Candy."
"Don't EVER call me that!" Candace spun and nailed him with a murderous stare.
"Ok. Sorry." Greg put a hand up, palm down and moved up a step.
"Stop that." Candace growled.
"Do me a favor, look around you." He stopped and waited.
She hadn't seen all the people move into the space. There were a lot of them and they all had guns pointed at her. Her heart skipped a beat. She took a step back, her hand barely holding the remote.
"They all have their guns pointed at you. I have two other guys in higher spots. Do you know what a sniper is?"
She looked up, trying to see them, one hand to her heart. She nodded.
"You know what they're trained to do?"
"Kill." She spun around and looked at all of the men in the room. Oh god. They're going to kill me, she thought.
"They never miss. But I don't want to have to tell them to do that here. You're only 14. You have your whole life ahead of you." He took a step up and shook his head. "Please don't make them do that."
"Close enough." Spike said nervously.
"Just put the controls down and we can all go home." Greg put his hand out, palm down.
Candace looked at her hand, then at Callie. The rage came back and nothing else she'd heard mattered. She started to lift the remote and put her finger out like she was going to push the down button.
Greg made a split second decision and said "Eric!"
A shot rang out and both Candace and Callie screamed
Candace dropped the remote and dropped to her knees, her arms over her head. When Greg pulled her to a standing position she was shaking like a leaf. "Oh my god he shot me," was all she could say.
Greg put a hand on each of her arms, smiled and said, "no." He pointed to the rope that used to have the hook and Callie on it. Shock filled Candace's face. Gene had run up the stairs when the shot sounded and was now putting the cuffs on Candace.
Callie had screamed when she had dropped to the safety of the tarp below. When they lowered her to the concrete she looked for a familiar face and saw Spike. Fresh tears fell from her eyes. "Spike."
"I gotcha." Spike undid the rope around her and pulled her into a hug. They stayed that way for several minutes. Leah walked over and put a hand on Callie's back and rubbed while she cried. "Are you ok?" Spike pulled back from her.
She wasn't sure, honestly, but she nodded. "I'm so sorry." She put her head down.
"For getting kidnapped and hung from a hook?" Spike looked at her with disbelief. "Come on, we'll get you checked out." He put an arm around her and walked her to the ambulance.
"Great work Teams." Greg met up with everyone on the ground floor. "Eric, good shot."
"Thanks Sarge." Eric nodded.
Sam and Eric bumped fists and smiled at each other.
Everyone walked outside and loaded up their gear. Sam looked to the ambulance at Callie. She was sitting on the back, a blanket over her shoulders and talking to Spike and Leah.
"She was scared." Greg said as he put his gun away. "She was being bullied and she didn't know who to trust."
"I know. She wasn't the only one." Sam nodded, looking at his gear. "Trust works both ways." He looked at Callie, Spike and Leah again.
Greg put a hand on Sam's shoulder and smiled. "That it does."
