##### building in Business Disctrict, 1500 hrs #####
Karen winced as she tried to open her eyes. Her head was swimming. She felt her hands cuffed behind her back and tried to move her feet but they were stuck together. She looked down. Duct tape. Perfect. She hazarded a glance up and saw that Peter was lying with his back to her, snoring softly. Thank god for small favors, she thought. She pulled her legs to her chest and bit her lip to keep from letting out a groan. She slipped the cuffs to the front and scooted herself along the carpet to the window.
She put her hands on the sill and used it to pull herself up. She bit her lip again and looked out the window. There was a young woman pushing a baby carriage on the other side of the street. She looked back at Peter before she raised her arms with a wince and started waving them. Oh please see me, she thought as tears slipped down her face. By some miracle, the woman looked up and she mouthed "help" and held up her handcuffed hands. She put her hands up and made one to look like a phone she put to her ear. "Help" she mouthed again.
The woman put a hand to her mouth as she looked at the naked and badly beaten woman standing in the window desperately asking for her help. She nodded and pulled out her phone and dialed 911. As she was talking to the operator, she saw the woman look behind her and then disappear. "Ok." She said to the operator who told her to hang on, she was going to be patched through to someone.
"Go ahead Winnie." Greg waited a moment then said, "Mrs. Tally? This is Greg Parker from the Strategic Response Unit. You said you saw a naked woman in a window asking for help?"
"Yes. I'm across the street. She appeared in the window. Her hands are handcuffed and she was naked. She asked me to call for help. She-" Mrs. Tally swallowed hard and looked down at her sleeping daughter. "She was really beat up. One side of her face was swollen and black and blue. Please, you have to help her."
"We will. What street and what building?" Greg asked.
"10th and Brown. It's number 1245, it's been empty for awhile. I walk by here every day." She gasped and looked up. "Oh god."
"Mrs. Tally?" Greg looked at Ed, the call was patched into their headsets and they could hear the muffled screaming in the background. "What floor is she on?"
"Oh god. She's screaming! Please hurry!" Mrs. Tally looked up at the building and instinctively moved her daughter next to the building she stood in front of and moved to stand in front of the carriage.
"We're almost there. Stay on the line. What floor?" Greg looked out the windshield and at the building numbers. "There Ed! On the right!"
"I see you. Second floor." She waved to the balding man as he got out of the black SUV.
Greg ran to the woman on the phone. "Wordy? Where are you?"
"Almost there. Coming up the street."
Greg saw the SUV approaching and looked at the woman. "Copy. Mrs. Tally?" When the woman nodded he continued, "did you see her again?" Her response was drowned out by a gunshot.
##### inside building in Business District, five minutes ago #####
Karen gasped when she heard the couch creak and looked back. Peter had rolled to his back. Shit. She slowly and painfully got to her knees and crawled forward to where she was laying. She looked up in time to see Peter's dirt brown eyes staring at her.
"Who told you you could move around girl?" Peter sat up and used his big foot to kick her to her side. "You don't move unless I give you permission!"
He kicked her hard in the stomach making her vomit all over the floor. "You better get up and clean that shit up. So disgusting!" He spat at her.
When she didn't move fast enough, he pulled his pocket knife from his back pocket. He loved the fear in her eyes as he advanced on her, especially when she screamed. He smiled as he grabbed her hair and ran the knife from her face to her neck and down to her breasts. When she tried to pull back he gave her a broken and rotted toothy grin. He lifted the knife and slid it between her feet, cutting the tape.
Karen waited. This was it. It was too late. She watched as he slid the knife lower and finally to her feet. She looked at him in surprise when he cut her feet free. She didn't waste any time and kicked him right in his tented pants. He dropped the knife and grabbed his privates. As she stood she kicked him in the jaw hard. She grabbed for the door handle and heard the click of his gun cocking. She looked back at him.
"You fucking bitch!" He groaned. He held his gun shakily, pointing at her head. He pulled the trigger just as she opened the door and stepped back. The bullet hit the door frame and ricocheted into the open office area.
Karen ducked behind the door and when she realized she wasn't shot she hurried around the door and out into the open area when she heard the second shot. She fell to the floor, he right calf on fire from the bullet that ripped through it. She screamed again. Oh god. Oh someone help me.
##### outside building in Business District #####
"Active shooter!" Ed yelled. He looked at the team assembled before him. "Wordy, and I are alpha, Sam, Boss and Lew bravo. Jules, get across the street, you're Sierra One. Let's move!"
They walked towards the building and Ed looked at Lew before they moved to the rear of the building. "Keep him back." He said quietly and simply.
Lew nodded in understanding. Keep Sam out until they can determine the situation.
Alpha team moved to the front door of the building and waited. Bravo team reached the back door Peter had used and cleared the car. They moved up the steps and Lew tried the door. Open. "Bravo at the back door." He whispered. "Moving in." They moved forward and started to clear the bottom floor when Sam stopped at the stairs, looking up. He could hear a man's angry voice.
"We need to go up." Sam said urgently.
Greg looked back at him and shook his head. He signaled Sam to follow them. They needed to clear the bottom floor.
"Copy. Alpha moving in front. We'll clear upstairs. Sierra?" Ed said. They kicked the door in and started clearing the rooms downstairs.
"Almost there." Jules said as she ran up the last set of stairs to the roof. She opened the door and ran for the edge of the building. She set up the remi and looked through the scope. "Subject has a gun pointed at Mik- Karen. He's in the office and she is in a larger area. She has a gunshot wound to the leg. Wait, he's getting up, walking towards her. The gun is down."
Ed and Wordy moved up the front steps, keeping their guns at the ready. They got to the top of the stairs and he put a hand on the knob. "Jules, you have Scorpio if he raises that gun again." He looked back at Wordy who nodded. They opened the door and charged into the room. "Freeze! SRU! Put the gun down!" Ed yelled. They moved to their right past the cubicles and stood looking at Pete and the naked Karen.
"This don't concern you lawman." Pete drawled as he looked menacingly at Karen.
Karen froze when she heard Ed's voice. She closed her eyes and put her forehead on the carpet. A mix of, oh thank god and oh please no ran through her head. She didn't want them to see her like this, but she didn't want to die either. Part of her wanted to die, she couldn't deny that. She put an arm up, folded at her side to help cover herself.
Sam looked up and ran for the back stairs. They'd just cleared the last office downstairs. Greg followed and got ahead of Sam on the stairs. Lew ran around to the other side and was next to Sam on the stairs in a flash.
"Hold on." Lew said putting a hand on Sam's shoulder. Greg was at the door, his hand on the handle when Sam and Lew reached him. Lew moved ahead of Sam, much to his frustration, and they went silently through the door.
"Mr. Young." Greg said as the three walked into the room. "What you're doing, it does concern us sir. We can't let you hurt that woman." Greg moved to the other side of the cubicles so he was face to face with the man. He put a hand out, signaling to Lew and Sam to stay back.
Sam frowned and gritted his teeth.
"Easy Sam." Lew whispered.
"This poor excuse for a woman?" Peter laughed derisively. "She ain't nuthin'."
"So how do we end this Peter? What do you want?" Greg asked, putting his gun down on the top of the cubicle divider, his hands up.
"Get out. That's what I want. This is between her and I." He pointed the gun at himself and then back at Karen.
"I'm sorry sir. I can't do that." Greg shook his head. "Just put the gun down and let's talk about this. What brought us here today?"
"What're you some woman dressed as a man? I don't wanna talk about my feelings. Get. Out." He looked menacingly at Greg.
"No. I just want to know why we're here." Greg shrugged.
"Her. She is why we're here. Once she's gone we can all go back to our lives." Peter looked at Sam. "You should be thanking me. I saved you from having to deal with this slut. You know, it was fun getting, reacquainted." He said leering at Karen's naked body.
Ed glanced at Sam and saw the pure hatred and rage on his face. He looked back at his target.
Sam closed his eyes. Close it off, push it away. He's only saying that to get a rise out of you.
"Maybe I should take her back to Texas with me. Save you the trouble. Or-" he looked down at Karen and cocked the gun.
"Scorpio." Greg said and watched the shot pierce Pete's brain stem, his body falling forward onto Karen, the gun falling off to the side.
Karen screamed and felt Pete's blood start to drip on her. She screamed, even when the body was pulled off of her and a comforting hand was placed on her back.
Ed went to Pete and pulled his body from Karen's screaming body. He secured the gun and nodded to Jules through the window. "Get EMS up here right now." He said into his headset.
Wordy knelt next to Karen and pulled a pressure bandage from his kit. He put a hand on her back, but removed it when she pulled away. "Hold on. EMS is coming. Just lay still. I'm going to put this bandage on your leg." Wordy looked up at Ed. "Find a blanket or something." Ed nodded and disappeared into the office Pete and Karen were just in.
Sam rushed forward, pushing Lew's arm away. He rushed to her side and leaned down next to her face. "Mik, I mean Karen. It's Sam. I'm here."
Mikaela crumpled and started sobbing hysterically. When he tried to put his hand on hers she pulled away. She put her forehead back against the carpet and squeezed her eyes shut. No. He's not here. He doesn't see me. He didn't hear what Pete said. "Let me die." She whispered.
Sam looked up at Wordy who had finished wrapping her leg and was covering her up with the blanket Ed had found in one of the offices. Sam's eyes filled. "No. Honey. You don't mean that."
"Don't call me that." She growled and squeezed her eyes tighter. "Oh god." She sobbed.
Sam sat down hard. He didn't know what to say or do. She wouldn't let him touch her, which he sort of understood. She'd just been through something horrible and had most of her life. She'd had to give up everything so that he could save her, but would she believe she hadn't lost absolutely everything? "I'm here and I'll be here for as long as you need." Sam said to her quietly. The medics ran up and started assessing her.
"Any medical history? On any meds?" The first medic asked Karen as they rolled her to her back. Karen stayed silent and looked at the ceiling.
Wordy pulled the pill bottles from a pocket in his vest and handed them to the medic.
"Thanks." The medic smiled. They worked quickly and got Karen on a backboard, looking guilty when she hissed in pain when they turned her on her side to put the backboard under her.
Spike sat in the truck, listening and crying. He sniffed, pulled the earpiece from his ear and threw it on the table. He put his head in his hands.
Greg heard the sniff and looked at Sam. He had his earpiece out and was standing, waiting until the medics were ready to move Karen. He looked at Lew who was looking around. He'd heard it too. "Spike?" No answer. "Lew, go check on Spike." He looked at Lew across the room, saw him nod and disappear down the stairs.
Lew ran down the stairs and out to the truck. He pulled open the door and rushed inside. He found Spike with his head in his hands, tears streaking down his face. "Spike took his earpiece out. No harm." He looked at his friend and knew that wasn't true. Lew took his earpiece out and turned his unit off.
"Copy." Greg said. He didn't have to wonder why Spike had gone offline. It'd been nearly four months since his abduction, but once in awhile something triggered the horrible memories. The psychologist said that he was able to cope very well. He hoped this time wasn't any different. He knew if anyone could get Spike through it, it would be Lew.
Lew pulled the chair next to Spike and put a hand on his back.
"I am a selfish asshole." Spike said finally.
Lew sighed. "Not you're not buddy."
"Yes. I. Am. I'm in here freaking out when I should be doing something to help Karen." Spike kept his head in his left hand on his head and put his other hand up, palm up.
Lew caught Spike's eye and shook his head. "We've talked about this. It's totally normal for you to have flashbacks sometimes. Believe me, I wish I could unsee what I witnessed up there." Lew's eyes showed understanding and concern. "It'll fade with time. Hopefully for Karen and Sam it will too." When Spike opened his mouth to say something, Lew stopped him. "Don't. You have nothing to be sorry about." He smiled. "What to tell me about it?"
Spike looked at his friend and brother and smiled. He didn't know what he'd ever do without him.
Sam held the back board as he, Ed and the two medics carefully carried Karen down the stairs, put the backboard on the gurney and watched them strap her down. Sam climbed into the ambulance after they got Karen in and looked at Ed before they closed the door.
Ed and Wordy watched the ambulance pull away, their eyes filled with concern. Greg walked up and put a hand on Ed's shoulder. He turned to look at Greg. This is really really bad, his eyes said.
"Come on." Greg tipped his head to the truck. They should check on Spike and Lew. They'd been offline for nearly 15 minutes. SIU had already come and whisked Jules away to interview her so they needed to get to the hospital to be with Sam.
Greg knocked on the door to the back of the truck and smiled when he heard laughing. He knew Lew could help Spike.
Lew went to the door and opened it. He saw the ambulance was gone and concern clouded his eyes. "How are they?"
"Bad and worse." Greg said glumly. When Spike came into view he said, "you ok Spike?"
Spike nodded and gave him a tight lipped smile. "Yeah. We should go."
Lew rode with Spike back to the barn to drop off the truck while Ed, Wordy and Greg headed to the hospital.