"I checked where Allison is, and her phone shows that she is at the headquarters. I have sent the backup team there already. Korsak and I can't go right now, we just got a new lead on our case. But call us if you need anything urgently."
"Thank you, Frost. And don't worry, the backup team should be enough." Hanging up, Jane headed back into the living room and walked straight to Maura. "Maur, I have to go. We just found out where Allison is, and I need to go with the backup team."
Maura looked at Jane with drowsy eyes. "Go, Jane. I won't be doing anything but sleeping right now. And you mother is here."
"Okay. You take care." Jane said as she leaned in to plant a kiss on Maura's forehead.
"You take care." Maura replied as she caught Jane's lips between her own and kissed her softly.
Jory looked exactly as how Caroline had described him. Tall and gangly, balding on the top, eyes that seemed to bulge out from his head, and a nose so broken, it would definitely worth it to have a nose job done.
Jory looked at me as soon as I said his name. He smiled, a cold, malicious, reptilian smile. I wanted to punch that smile out of his face.
"Ah, at last we can meet face to face. I have heard quite a few reports from you. I must say, you have certainly made more progress than any other officer who has ever tried to the bottom of this human trade we are running. In fact, most of them didn't even come remotely close to solving this." His voice was oily, unctuous. The words running smoothly together.
"Where is my mother? I'm here already, and you have to let her go."
"Ooh, to the point, eh? But no one gives me orders. I keep my promise, but I only fulfil them when I feel like it."
"We had a deal. I come, she goes. Please, just do it now." I didn't want to sound like I was begging, but I was sure damn close to doing so.
"All right, if you insist. Why not I bring you to see her first?" He rose up from his seat and two other guys at his table followed suit. I had to crane my neck just to make eye contact with Jory when he was standing.
I had no choice but to follow him. He opened a door that revealed a long row of grilled gates on either side. What I saw scared me. In the cages were girls, and a few boys. They were of vastly varying ages. From a young kid all the way to a woman who looked to be in her thirties. They looked drugged, as if they were in a dream.
We finally stopped in the middle. "There she is." Jory pointed to a lady that was sitting in the middle of the floor. There was a girl my age lying in her lap, as my mother soothed her by stroking her head. I smiled when I saw this. That was how my mother was like, always caring about other people.
"Actually, now that you are here, I could use you as an example, you know. Just last week, a girl tried to escape. I had to shoot her in the back, didn't get much chance of making an example out of her."
I feared what was coming next. The two guys that came with us started cracking their knuckles, loosening the muscles in their necks, and slowly advancing towards me.
"Al?" I head my mom call out.
"Hey, Ma." I tried to look as cheery as I could.
"Allison! Oh, my goodness! I am so glad you are okay." She ran to the gate and tried to reach for me. Jory banged against the gate, making my mom shrink back a little. I was focusing on what was happening that I didn't notice the fist that was flying towards my face, until it connected with my cheekbone.
I yelled as I staggered backwards, blood dripping down from the torn lip. Another fist was fast approaching, but I managed to catch this one and land a knife jab to his elbow. Meanwhile, Jory stood behind, simply watching the beating unfold.
I knew I was doomed. There is only so much you can do against two guys who were bigger and bulkier than you. I dodged what I could, retaliated when there was an opportunity. Alas, a haymaker to my jaw landed me on the floor, where the kicking commenced.
The pain was blinding, literally. It was so bad, I could hardly see what was happening. I just knew that the kicks and one or two punches were coming. I felt a crack and heard an audible snap! And I knew that one of my ribs had just broken. I cried out when I felt the loose bone disconnect from its rib cage. I could vaguely hear my mom screaming my name.
Then Jory's voice was over powering hers. "You see, this is what happens when someone dares mess with me. Let this be a warning to all of you. I don't take threats lightly, and they will be dealt with severely."
There was a clanging of metal when he opened the gate. Then I felt the softest hands softly caressing my cheeks. Through my swollen eyes, I could barely make out the outline of my mother's face. "Allison, Allison, dear." My Ma cried.
I smiled the best that I could and spoke painfully through my bruised jaw. "Hey. Ma. You're. Safe. Go. Home. Love. You." She was jerked away when one of the cronies grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her away.
There was the sound of boots thudding towards me. Until they came to a stop, right in front of my face. And suddenly, I was looking straight at the barrel of a gun. I didn't feel alarmed. Death would be a welcomed relief from the agony I was in right now, and my mom was safe. The only thing I felt right now, was regret. I am sorry, Caroline. I tried, truly, I did.
A shout rang out through the corridor. I realised too late, that it was my mom. She had twisted away from the guy's grip and was running straight at Jory. I felt her feet crash into my broken body. Then there was a gunshot, followed by another and another and another. Except, I wasn't dead.
I heard two bodies thump down beside me. When I tried to clear my head, I saw another form lying close to me. Ma? Ma?! MA! I screamed in my head, to spent to verbalize my words, as I scooted as best as I could to her side. There was blood pouring out from her chest, and I could practically see the life leaving her eyes. "Love you, Allison baby."
The building looks ratty. Was Jane's first thought as she stopped near the entrance of the headquarters. She spent the next few minutes arranging the defensive team, before briefing the assault team. The assault team, in particular, was basically oozing testosterone. They were gearing to go, this is what they looked forward to, the chase, the hunt, and the capture. From the size of the building, there could be a lot of people in it. Both prisoners and gang members.
"Alpha team in position?" she asked into the mike attacked to her Kevlar vest.
"Affirmative." The team leader responded.
"Delta team?"
"Affirmative."
"Okay, on my three. One, two, three!"
The assault team charged ahead. Taking the gate was easy. There was just one lone guard who simply put his arms up in surrender. First prisoner. Once they burst into the main building, the alarm went off. What happened next was a riot as the gang members all rushed about in surprise. They had totally not been expecting this raid. There was a lot of shouting as some of the members tried to rally together while others tried to surrender.
"Delta team, move into position and block all entrances." Jane instructed. Korsak was right, this certainly was the jackpot. The hive was bustling with the workers, the only thing next was to find the queen bee.
A door burst opened and two men rushed out, leaving the door, which they had come out from, open. And from Jane's vantage point, she could see what had brought them here in the first place, Allison.
Jane rushed over as best as she could. She ran straight into the room and knelt by Allison. "Allison, Allison. Can you hear me?"
She looked absolutely battered, Jane could barely recognise her. And the lady that Allison had been hugging looked worse than battered. She looked dead, and when Jane checked for a pulse at the lady's neck, her suspicions were confirmed.
"Mo-mommy?" Allison's voice cracked. "Mommy?!"
"Sh-sh…" Jane crooned. "I am going to get you out of here." Then, speaking into her mike. "I need help down here. Anyone close by, please respond now."
Pretty soon, a few officers came in to assist. "I'll take her to the ambulance. One of you, come with me. The others, work on getting the other people in here, out." Jane motioned to the row of cells that lined the wall on both sides.
White. Everything was white. Images of people wearing scrubs and masks were flickering on and off. As if playing from a static television. They are yelling at each other. There is motion. I was lying on something, and it is moving. There's something over my mouth. I want to take it off, but my hands won't listen to me. There's pain too. But it feels like a muted pain, as if there is a blanket over the throbbing sensation.
White. Then black. Then back to white. And finally, black.
Angela had cooked up a beef broth for Maura, who was currently daintily sipping it from her soup spoon. "This is really good, Angela. I didn't know how hungry I was until I smelled your cooking. It never fails to impress."
"I am glad you appreciate my cooking. My children never seem to show any appreciation," was Angela's standard reply whenever Maura thanked or praised her cooking.
"I know they do. It's just that they have a hard time showing it," was Maura's standard come back.
Angela nodded and smiled. "I know they do. I wonder what is taking Jane so long. It's been a few hours since she left." Angela sighed crossly. "I hate it whenever she goes on raids like this. In fact, I hated it when she got accepted into the police academy. Why couldn't she have gotten a less risky job?
"Like you. You work with the law enforcement, but your job doesn't entail the risk that you get shot at. Or she could find a position that would let her work behind a desk."
"You know that she would hate that kind of job. She loves to go out and do her gumshoe thing, always a whir of motion. Don't worry, I am sure she will be safe." Maura tried to calm the flustered Rizzoli matriarch. To be honest, Maura was worried too. Especially now that she was married to Jane, the sense of concern had more than tripled.
If they had lived in an alternate universe, and Maura would have her way, the two of them would have an island all to themselves and were able to grow whatever they needed. But this was what they had trained for, what they enjoyed doing, what they were good at doing. And Maura wouldn't have it any other way.
"I hope they are all right." Angela sighed again.
As if on cue, Angela's phone started ringing. Glancing at the display, Angela hurriedly answered the call. "Jane, are you all right?!"
Jane winced as Angela's high pitched voice nearly screamed down the phone. "Yes, Ma. I am fine. Except for the eardrum you nearly busted."
"Whatever. Did you find Allison?"
"Yes, I did. But she doesn't look like she can make it. She's in ICU right now. Is Maura doing okay?"
"Oh, she's doing great. Here, I'll just let you two talk to each other." And Angela handed the phone over to Maura.
"Hey, Maur."
"Hey, Jane. Goodness, I am so glad you are all right."
"Me too. Listen, I hope you don't mind if I spend the night at the hospital? Allison has no one right now. Both her parents are dead, and I tried to find out if she has any other living relative. The only one is an eighty year old uncle who is currently in the asylum. So, I better stay here for a while."
Maura gasped. "Oh, Jane. That's so sad."
"Yeah, I know right? Life just sucks for her right now."
"Jane, language. I hate crassness, and you know that." Maura chided.
Jane smiled on the other side of the line. "Yes, mother," she teased. "Hey, I have to go now. The doctor wants to talk to me. I'll see you in the morning. Love ya."
"Love you too." Maura responded as she hung up.