Sorry again for the long wait! Also sorry for anyone that read "chapter 21" that was actually supposed to be posted on my other story. I'm all over the place lately so my sincerest apologies.
"He what?" Natalia started as she furrowed her brows in attempt to understand what Eric had just said. Ryan ran a hand over his face trying to comprehend what Eric had just said as well.
"He was discharged! Apparently he was on lunch break and was drinking" Eric repeated again. He realized how ridiculous the words coming out of his mouth sounded as well. The three of them stood there for a moment looking at each other. Natalia stood from her desk and swiped open her phone, "Well someone should at least let Calleigh know, and Horatio for that matter" She said simply as she began typing into her phone. She held the phone to her ear and waited a while. "No answer." Natalia said confused.
"It's her day off give the girl a break" Ryan said with a smile. Natalia nor Eric seemed convinced. "She said she was using today to do paper work, she would have her phone with her" Eric said as he swiped his phone open as well and tried calling her. "Natalia, where is Jake today?" Ryan asked slightly worried. Natalia turned to the door to see Horatio speed walking by. The three of them left the room following him without even asking.
"H, Jake is discharged" Ryan started as he tried to keep up to pace with Horatio. Horatio pulled his sunglasses on and turned a corner. "And Calleigh isn't picking up her phone" Natalia said. All of them felt a feeling of confusion and concern fill them as Horatio seemed uninterested in everything that they were saying. Horatio pushed open the exit and unlocked his Hummer and gestured with his arm for them to get in. The three piled in, Ryan and Natalia in the back and Eric riding shotgun. Horatio started the large vehicle and whipped out of the parking garage without warning.
"Calleigh's vehicle was reported to be in a collision on the back roads" Horatio finally answered as he sharply turned corners with his sirens blaring. Eric fell silent. He had no idea what to say or do, it felt as though everything he previously cared about had just crashed to the ground.
"On star reported it to the office and claimed there was no response on the receiving end, paramedics are on their way to be safe." Horatio explained as he pulled off the paved road onto one of gravel and then dirt.
"But what if-" Natalia started. "Her end could have just been destroyed, she's probably fine" Horatio cut them off. All of them wanted so badly to believe him but the way that he was driving and the way he rushed out of the building didn't seem so convincing. "Then she would've answered her phone…" Ryan replied and all of them stopped talking as a cloud of smoke could be spotted. All four of the agents scanned the area until Natalia shouted "THERE!" and pointed out the window to the flipped Hummer. Horatio slammed his brakes so hard that Eric had to place his hand on the dashboard to brace himself.
The team slowly opened their doors. Eric held onto the door frame for a moment to steady himself. He felt sick to his stomach. The four of them walked slowly towards the wrecked Hummer that now laid upside down on the roof. Eric squinted through the smoke to see blonde hair through the windshield punched Horatio's arm as he ran full sprint towards the Hummer. Natalia stood back towards the road and began waving her arms so that the approaching EMT's would see them and know where to start. Ryan followed behind the two men as one of them went to either side of the doors, both were jammed shut.
"H, I smell-" Ryan started worriedly as he looked around the Hummer for a leak. The smell of gasoline was overwhelming. Horatio shot an arm up in the air to stop Ryan mid sentence. Ryan climbed on top of the Hummer to try and find the leak. Eric wiped the window to see an unconscious Calleigh begin to wake up. He pulled on the door a hard as he could but it would not budge. "I got Calleigh over here H" Eric yelled. Calleigh opened her eyes and instantly became panicked as she looked around and realized that the roof of the car was begining to gather what seemed to be gasoline. It looked to be dripping in through the torn floor in the back seat. "I'm gonna get you out of there Cal, just take a deep breath for me okay?" Eric yelled.
Horatio saw a still unconscious Jake who didn't seem to be moving at all. From his side he could see a massive head injury that had been bleeding profusely. Horatio gave all his effort to open the door to help the young man but figured that given the situation his help would best be used on Eric's side getting Calleigh out. Horatio ran along to the other side of the car.
"I got the leak but it's in too many place to stop and the Hummer is still running" Ryan yelled as he attempted to tie more pieces of his torn shirt around piping. Calleigh turned to see Jake and felt more panicked than before. She hadn't even realized that anyone else was in the car. The smell of gasoline was overwhelming at this point. Calleigh began coughing as the fluid began to touch her hair that was dangling from her head in the upside down angled that she was trapped in.
"Calleigh, look at me" Horatio said calmly. Calleigh was panting and looked terrified. "I need you to close your eyes and turn your head away alright?" Horatio stated. Calleigh nodded and did as she was told. Horatio pulled out a knife and used the blunt end to bash in the window, after several attempts it had been cracked open. Calleigh frantically began pulling at her seat belt. Ryan jumped off the top of the Hummer, "We need to go NOW" Ryan yelled. He stood covered in sut with his jacked now gone and his undershirt being the only thing remaining. Eric took hold of Calleigh shoulders as Horatio cut the seat belt from her body and tried to comfort her fall. Her body landed in the inch deep pool of gasoline until Horatio and Eric pulled her out. Eric pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her wet body as Ryan took her up the hill and away from the car.
Eric and Horatio look at eachother as the paramedics rushed to Calleigh and Ryan. Jake still remained in the car and the heat that the car was giving off along with the fuel everywhere made it a hard situation. The two men nodded to each other as they both climbed in and tried to break him free.
"GET THEM OUT OF THERE NOW" One of the police officers that had just arrived yelled as he pointed to the two CSI's now inside of the Hummer. The smoke arising from the car had grown and the chances of a fire had grown with it. Ryan began to run down towards the Hummer as Eric and Horatio were pulling out Jake. Ryan grabbed hold of the back of Jake's shirt as Eric and Horatio held one of his arms and they pulled his dead weight body as quickly as they could. Moments later that car had given off a fiery explosion that they were lucky enough to avoid. All three men fell to the ground from the impact but were able to arise and continue pulling until paramedics and officers came to assist them.
Once Jake was taken off their hands the three of them rose and turned towards the torched Hummer. "Thank you" Eric said out loud as he continued to look forward. The two men next to him knew what he meant. They would've done it again and again either way. Risking their own lives for their bullet girl. She wasn't just a coworker, or Eric's girlfriend, she was family. Ryan patted Eric on the back and headed towards Natalia to talk to her since she looked horrified. Horatio turned around with Eric smiled at Horatio and head up towards the ambulance where Calleigh sat wrapped in a blanket having gauze pads put onto her head. Horatio stood and surveyed the scene.
These amazing people who put their lives on line for not just each other, but for those who don't always deserve it. None of them questioned why Jake was in the car, nor did they hesitate to pull his body out whether he was a terrible person or not. These were Miami's best, and they were his team. Horatio smiled to himself as he walked up towards one of the officers to brief him on what had happened.
Eric walked up towards the ambulance but once he got close enough Calleigh jumped off the edge of the vehicle and threw her arms around him. Eric held her so tightly that he lifted her off on the ground. Although her small body was wet with a mixture of gasoline and some kind of sanitizer that he had assumed the EMT's tried to clean her off with he held her tightly.
"I thought I lost you today" Eric said as he buried his face into her neck. Calleigh only wrapped her arms around him tighter. Neither had expected today's events and as terrible as they were Calleigh hadn't even stopped to think about what had happened to Jake. "I'll never leave you" she whispered back as she tried to hold back tears. Eric placed her down and kissed her forehead as the rest of the team approached from behind. Calleigh squeezed Eric's hand as she walked past him and pulled Ryan and Horatio into a hug at the same time. The two men chuckled at her attempt to hug them both but let her do it because they were grateful they even had the moment to begin with. Natalia waited patiently for her turn and smiled widely when her turn came. Eric watched as an ambulance pulled away with its sirens on, he assumed it was Jake. He looked away not sure whether to feel happy, proud, or upset at the fact that Jake was apparently alive. Eric looked passed it and instead focused on his beautiful girlfriend that was alive and well and in front of him. The team joined together as they waited for their next move and just talked and took in each others company. Safe and reunited again, and luckily, for the next time.
OKAY FRIENDS! I really hope you liked this chapter as much as I liked writing it :) Leave me your reviews because I honestly love reading them! Thank you so much for reading and I don't know if I should continue this one or start a brand new one? Tell me what you think!