I really want to apologize for waiting so terribly long to write another chapter! Especially to my faithfull reviewer Linda P, who I promised long ago to return to the story. Sorry!
I guess I needed a new Rookie Blue-fix first.
Anyway, I hope it's worth the wait.
What now? He had no insurance at all that Donaldson would do as told, and pull Andy out.
This had gone on long enough; Sam was sick of Andy and him being pawns in someone's sick little game. Their jobs were dangerous enough without not being able to trust your own colleagues.
She was going to call. Soon. She had to. She was proven by the camera to be unharmed when she left the scene. She and the other girls were probably in hiding until things calmed down, and she had had no chance to call yet. No reason to think otherwise, right?
Logically, yes. Then why did his mind keep turning in overdrive, playing every scenario of things that could have gone wrong?
Andy had always been the positive one of their twosome. He was a glass half-empty type, to avoid disappointment he always thought the worst possible.
He was pretty alright with that most of the time, but right now he secretly wished for some of her positive strength.
The silent prayer Sam was sending for Andy's speedy return was disrupted by the buzz of his doorbell.
If there really was some kind of higher power, he or she sure worked fast! Sam speeded to the door.
"Don't tell me you forgot." Oliver studied Sam's surprised face. "Poker? Tonight? It was your idea, remember?"
Oliver gave Sam no chance to refuse before stepping past him into the hall.
"The grownups were either working or on house arrest with their wife, so I brought the rookies." Oliver motioned for the others to come in.
Diaz smiled sheepishly at Sam before coming in too, followed by Epstein. "We brought beer."
It's a distraction alright, Sam thought, just not really the one he had wished for.
"What's up with you tonight?"As soon as he saw the flop, Sam threw down his cards.
"Is there someone special on your mind?", Oliver said teasingly.
Sam grunted back in response.
Epstein had a sudden deep interest in the label of his beer bottle. Did he tell Diaz about his sudden encounter with Andy?
Diaz eagerly called Oliver's raise. "How is Andy doing? Have you heard from her?"
He seemed totally oblivious, so Epstein had probably kept his mouth shut.
Oliver revealed his three-of a kind with kings with a wide grin, after which he made a showing of grasping the whole pot in one full swoop, enjoying Diaz' defeat.
"Andy is… Great."
He took the cards and started shuffling them for a next hand.
"Is she coming back soon?"
Sam took his time dealing the cards again. He took a deep sigh. "I hope so."
"So, have you heard from her?"
Not tonight. "She's undercover. No contact allowed."
Sam filled the bowl with some cheesy snack Diaz and Epstein had brought over. Why did he even consent to this? He had to act like his regular self all evening, while his money and patience were running out. Why hadn't he heard anything from Andy yet? Maybe he should be out there, cruising the streets.
"That hasn't stopped you two before."
A burst of laughter came from the living room. At least the rookies were having fun; no sense of the evening being spoiled for everyone.
"Are you worried she can't handle it?"
"I know she can hold her own. It's the people who are supposed to have her back, I have a problem with."
"You worry too much. I get it, but I fear she's not going to take it the right way if you meddle in her affairs."
She had been off the wire for about a day now. Weren't they supposed to come looking for her? And what would Sam do if she didn't check in soon?
Anyway, Andy was amazed to still be alive. Her situation had seemed precarious a little while ago.
After waiting for hours in the apartment with the other girls, they were visited by another group of women. A tall dark-haired voluptuous woman who breathed an aura of authority took charge; Andy heard her referred to as 'Heat'. Why had she never heard about her? Was she the big boss of this organisation?
Her face was emotionless as she apologized for the wait. There had been some things she had to sort out first, she said.
Trish, a plump young girl with purple streaks in her hair, dared to ask her how Raven was doing.
"She died", she had answered plainly. Then she stunned the girls with another announcement;
There was a trader in their midst.
This time, she had let the news sink in on the group. Andy immediately broke out in cold sweat, especially when Heat let her eyes rest on her face just a little too long. Was she figured out? Would this be it then? It took all her strength to keep calm while she anticipated her life flashing for her eyes any second now. Not that it would take a long time, as Sam teased her regularly; her life until she joined the police force was pretty boring. Would she have a chance to add to her life experiences before it all ended?
After a few agonizing moments later (Seconds? Minutes? She had no idea.) Heat ordered for the girls to be brought back to the warehouse. Buffy was told to stay, so they could have 'a chat'.
Andy would never forget the desperate look on Buffy's face then. She just shook her head again and again, saying "It's not me. Not me."
None of the girls spoke as they left the apartment. Andy was still feeling stunned. What could she do? She still couldn't believe they were letting her go. But what were they going to do to Buffy? How was she supposed to help her? She couldn't just leave them like that.
"What are you going to do?" The question was out before she knew what she was doing.
This got Heat's attention. "You're new, aren't you? What's your name?" She walked up to Andy, so they were face-to face. Buffy was sobbing in the corner, flanked by two of the women Heat had come in with.
"I'm Leila." Heat's eyes seemed to pierce her. What did she see there? Could she tell that she was lying?
"Well Leila, there's something you need to know about our little group: We are like a family. Sisters. And I guess you could say I'm the mom." She let out a short giggle before all emotion evaporated from her again.
"Raven was one of us. Now she's dead. Do you get that?"
"I do, it's terrible. But are you sure that Buffy is…" She wasn't allowed to finish her sentence.
"Now, how do you think I deal with people who mess with my family?"
Was that threat directed at her or at Buffy? There were the piercing eyes again; it felt like they were going right through her.
Then she broke the spell, beckoned at another woman in the room and whispered something in her ear. The next thing Andy knew, she was brought out of the apartment with force and put into a car, Buffy sobs still echoing loudly in her head.
They brought her back to the warehouse, and told her in no uncertain terms it would be best for her to stay here tonight. They gave her a stretcher to sleep in (Sleep? What was that again? It seemed so long ago.), and a woman on guard in the corner of the room, who tried really hard to make it seem like she wasn't watching her.
She was just about to excuse herself to go to the bathroom and try to communicate with Wesley (and Sam), when Carly burst in, looking frantic. For a moment Andy didn't know if Carly would slap her, but then she threw her arms around her and gave her a tight hug.
"You okay? I heard someone died."
"I'm fine. Raven's dead." And Buffy now, too?
Carly still held on tight. The embrace was oddly comforting; maybe it was just what she had needed right now.
"I was worried." She sounded more like a little girl than ever before.
"I thought you hated me." Andy pried herself loose from Carly's grip.
"I did. Not anymore. I guess we really are sisters now. Sisters fight, but they look after each other, right?"
There was that word again. Sisters. Sisters who lie and to betray each other, even kill each other? How the hell was she supposed to figure out how to be a good 'sister' to Carly, and protect her from the world around her?
She was, after all, an only child. And she already had a family back home, at 15th division.
Why did nobody ever warn her how complicated undercover life could be?
There've been some complications. I'm fine. Call you as soon as I can.
Sam read the text message three times. What kind of complications? Did she mean the shootout at the parking lot, or something more? And why couldn't she call?
Once again, Andy managed to frustrate him to no end. Did she really think this was enough information?
He had just decided, now that the guys had finally left, to drive trough the neighborhood he had previously found her, go by the woman's shelter she had initially been placed in, known hot spots for criminals, anything to find her. And now this. Was this supposed to reassure him?
She didn't mention being pulled out. But if she reached him, surely she could reach her handler too. Had Donaldson kept his word?
I'm fine. Knowing Andy, that could mean a lot of things.
God, going undercover himself was a lot less nerve-racking than dealing with her being undercover.
Tomorrow. He could afford to give her a few more hours to wrap everything up. She deserved it, and he had to show her he trusted her. After that, he would pull her out of there personally if needed be.
"You don't understand. They're on to us." Donaldson slobbered his drink, already drunk. He watched as the drops slowly reached the hardwood table and formed a little puddle there. Why oh why did he ever choose this moron to work with? He should have known better.
"They're on to you. And only because you couldn't keep your mouth shut."
Donaldson cringed at the comment. "We have to stop this."
"The plan is still in play. Nothing has changed." Everything could still be done as he had planned it, with a little luck. It was a setback, but not a disaster.
"Everything has changed. Swarek is going to come back to me if I don't pull her out. Have you thought of that?"
Slowly, he made his way to the desk. "Sure I did. Your situation has definitely changed. I'm just saying mine hasn't."
He touched the cold metal with his fingers; he still loved the feeling, after all these years.
"So what do we do?"
He picked it up and grasped it tightly, his back still turned to Donaldson. "We?"
"You're the one who got me into this, remember?"
He felt the trusted weight in his hand as he clicked the safety off and loaded the chamber.
"And I'm the one who is going to get you out, I promise."