Disclaimer: I don't own Human Target and intend no copyright infringement.
A/N: Dear M, thank you for taking the time to leave a review. It means the world to me when someone out there responds to what I'm doing. It's an enormous motivation. Big thanks to everyone who is still following this story!
Chance hated leaving Ames' side, but with him in the cavern the firemen effectively had not enough room to reach her, let alone get her on the stretcher. So Chance, as quickly as possible, crawled backwards, through the now bigger gap between the elevator doors and into the darkness of the shaft. He didn't keep climbing, though – he remained right underneath the opening, waiting for the firemen to appear with Ames.
The biggest problem was that they didn't know how she had ended up in the position she was now in. Had she fallen? And if yes, how deep? Had something hit her? The chance that she had sustained a back injury was very high and they needed to stabilize her spinal column as well as in any way possible.
On the other hand: They were in a cavern of a collapsed building. A major earthquake was threatening to hit every second. The severely damaged remaining structure was most likely only minutes away from giving in anyway.
Grabbing Ames by the ankles, dragging her through the gap, into the abyss and only then strapping her onto the stretcher while holding her dangling, would have definitely been the fastest method.
But also the potentially most risky.
The dragging could cause or aggravate her state of health, probably lead to permanent spine injury. And permanent spine injury, that could mean paralyzed legs, quadriplegia or even death.
Operation successful, patient dead?
Yes, but of what use would a perfectly stabilized spinal column be if the building went down above their heads?
The firemen didn't waste time trying to come to the most reasonable decision in a situation that allowed no most reasonable decision. They followed their guts, their experience and yes, their ingrained need to protect those who needed help. Bribed and black mailed or not, the men were risking their lives for Ames and especially their decision to take the time and stabilize her properly was heroic.
… … …
Ames was half-way down the shaft when it started.
The second tremor.
In the beginning they could only hear it. A low growl in the darkness, like some sort of angry animal, protecting its territory.
Then the vibration itself arrived. A first wave, riding along every surface, almost tenderly. Wave number two, following a split second later, rode nothing.
It grabbed.
Grabbed the ground, the walls, the people.
Debris came raining down the shaft, hit their helmets, their bodies.
Thank God Ames was in a stretcher with solid protective covering.
And thank God for all the supportive devices the firemen had installed in the shaft on their way up. Chance, who had ascended the elevator well without any regard to his own safety was now at least attached to a rope.
But would it be enough? Somewhere above them something very heavy gave in. The whole shaft shook.
Shook.
Crunched.
Shook some more.
Stopped.
Silence.
For a moment everyone just froze. Then they knew it wasn't simply wishful thinking.
The walls really were still standing.
Good Lord, they were still standing.
… … …
Down in the garage everything then happened within seconds. EMTs and Winston lent a hand as the firemen maneuvered Ames out of the shaft and into the open, where an ambulance with a doctor was waiting.
Bless Ilsa's deep pockets and Guerrero's vast knowledge.
Unfortunately, however, the presence of the ambulance had attracted the lone policeman's attention. Deserting his post, he had followed the vehicle just like Emma only moments prior. Seeing the men coming out of the garage immediately raised his suspicion. What the hell were firemen doing inside the building? According to the book of regulations…
The young man hectically approached the group of men, just in time to see Ames being loaded into the ambulance. The vehicle wouldn't be able to drive off anytime soon, not with the streets jammed with traffic and most likely accidents, now, after the second quake, but inside the ambulance the doctor would at least be able to treat her as well as possible.
He had keen eyes, that police man, despite the poor lighting from a few spotlights the firemen had set up and despite the shock from the second tremor. He immediately spotted the combat knife attached to Ames' right ankle where the cloth of her pant leg was torn and he also – kudos for that – noticed the documents underneath Ames' pullover. The strap with which she had held them in place was coming loose, some of the papers were peeking out beneath the hem of her shirt.
Combat knife plus hidden documents? The power of deduction was no alien concept to the officer.
"That's a thief! The earthquake must have surprised her while breaking in!", he yelled, pointing at Ames' still unconscious body.
Winston and Chance looked at each other. This was just plain unbelievable. What were they supposed to do now? They couldn't escape with Ames, being in the state she was. The doctor looked vaguely optimistic, but that was only a first impression.
So what? Fight the rookie? And risk the firemen turning against them? And then fight them, too? Probably hurt them? After they had just put their lives on the line for Ames?
"She's with me", a very familiar, but for a long time not heard voice at this very moment said. "She's a vital part of an ongoing FBI investigation. This is no matter of your concern and I think you've just deserted your post, haven't you? I'll be willing to overlook this, given the circumstances."
With a self-assured smile, despite the dust from the building covering her whole body, Emma Barnes sent the officer away.
"Long time no see", she greeted Chance.
… … …
Luckily, the second tremor also remained the last tremor to hit San Francisco that day. The time of the big one was yet to come. It took a while, but in the evening Ames was finally safe and sound in a hospital bed, exhausted and bruised, but alive.
Guerrero had somehow managed to slip Chance a sedative so that he was resting, too, in another Ilsa Pucci provided private room. Ilsa and Winston wanted to see Ames together, but Guerrero held Winston back. "Need to talk to you for a minute, dude."
After Ilsa had disappeared into Ames' room, Guerrero activated his smart phone. "Michele got engaged three weeks ago. She's probably trying to tell you, that's why she keeps calling and meeting you."
He showed Winston photos of Michelle and a balding, middle-aged man. His name was Hank.
"That doesn't make any sense", Winston replied, his eyes never leaving the screen. "If she just wanted to tell me… why didn't she simply spill it out?"
"Sorry, dude." A different man than Guerrero would have briefly patted his back or shown some other comforting gesture. Guerrero let him read the info sheet about Hank in peace.
… … …
Inside the hospital room, Ames greeted Ilsa with a weak smile.
"You scared us quite a bit, young lady."
"Sorry", Ames croaked.
Ilsa bent down and hugged her.
"One thing", Ames whispered.
"Whatever it is." Ilsa sat down by her bedside and took her hand.
"Back in the cavern… Chance talked to me… did you… were the earpieces…?"
"Don't worry." Ilsa squeezed Ames' hand. "He told us to switch them off. What he said remains between him and you."
With a sigh that Ilsa interpreted as relief, Ames closed her eyes.
As peaceful as she might have looked from the outside, however, her mind was everything but. She had been slipping in and out of consciousness during Chance's speech and she could only remember one thing clearly.
A name.
Katherine.
And there were three other words, but she was not sure if he had really said them or if she had just wished he'd say them.
Damn it.
