XXVIII
Kate dialed Mike's phone and she is met with the same fast busy signal that she got when she called Rick. Sensing that Alexis might be right about her feeling she decides to get some information first hand.
"Lex, turn on the TV and see if you can find anything out." Kate asked.
Alexis picked up the remote control and turned on the small 19" TV and sat back down. The three major networks in the city were in the same network that was in Millbrook. She tuned in CBS and when the vertical colored pattern came on with the small white notice that they were off the air, Kate suddenly felt sick.
"Lex, try ABC and NBC."
Alexis flipped to the stations and the same colorful pattern was present. The only difference was that the sign read that they were having technical difficulties. Alexis knew that this was not going to end in their favor so she hesitated when she looked over to Kate. Kate looked at her and said,
"Alexis, your father is a very strong man. And I'm sure that he was nowhere near whatever happened in the city."
"No offense Kate, but I'm not going to believe that until I see it with my own two eyes."
Alexis got off the couch and went to her room and closed the door. She laid down on the bed and buried her head in the pillow and started to cry whispering " I can't lose you, dad."
Kate needed more that a colorful pattern to believe anything had happened. She tuned into CNN and stood there in shock not moving her eyes from the screen.
"Martha, please go and get Alexis, she needs to see this...now!"
Martha ran to her room and knocked on the door asking Alexis to return to the living room. Then Martha and Johanna strode over to where Kate stood. After Alexis cleaned up her tears she came back.
The cycle of news had started to repeat as Alexis walked back in and sat down. The watched in terror as the reporter told of how there was an explosion in the city.
"This is Connie Chung. We're giving you an update on the massive explosion that happened in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn. For that, we are going to go to John Andrews who's close to the scene. John..."
"Yes Connie, the explosion happened at 1:36 this afternoon. From what I can see since all news agencies are being restricted to the lower tip of Manhattan it looks like a war zone from where I'm standing. There are a couple of buildings that sustained heavy damage that we can see." The reporter presses his ear bud harder to his ear to listen to his producer.
"It seems that this explosion was the result of a lone terrorist who released a 1 kiloton yield from a portable device. Emergency crews are on the scene and from what I can see from my vantage point they are all wearing protective radiation suits."
"John, can you see any survivors? Connie asks.
"At the present time no. But that's not to say that there are not any there."
The scene goes to black and Connie appears back on the screen.
"That was John Andrews reporting from lower Manhattan. We'll have more as this story develops and more facts are released."
Xx
As he comes to, all he can feel is the pain. That, and as he opens his eyes it's like he can't see even with them open. Then his sense of smell is assaulted. The chopper's cockpit is filled with the smell of jet fuel and burning plastic. It's then he thinks that he will burn alive in this cockpit.
"Eric, get him out! The jet fuel will ignite and we'll lose them both!"
"Mike, I can't get the damned door open. It buckled closed when the chopper hit the ground."
Mike reached down and picked up a piece of concrete that was lying near the wreck. He smashed the door's window and cleared the frame of any jagged glass.
"Rick, Rick, wake up!" Mike yelled.
When he looked in he noticed blood dripping from Rick's forehead. And his left arm was pinned between the existing stretcher rack and the rear seat. This was probably an air ambulance before it was converted. Mike shakes Rick to get him more alert. Since the rush of clean air has entered the cockpit the smoke is clearing out. Rick blinks rapidly and focuses on his friend.
"What happened, Mike?" He asks.
"No time for that. We need to get you out of here."
Mike turns around and tells Eric to check on the pilot. As he does he looks around the crash site to find something he can pry the seat from Rick's pinned arm. He's found half of a steel sign post with a "No Parking Anytime" sign attached to the top end. He returns and as he looks out the left window of the chopper he sees flames licking the side of the door. Fearing that the chopper will be quickly engulfed in flames he tries to pry Rick out.
"Rick, how badly are you hurt?" Mike asks.
"I'm sure that my arm is broken, how bad it is I won't know until you can get me loose. I also have a rather large cut on my head."
"Okay, we will get that taken care of. For now, just try to help me get you free."
"Okay, Mike."
Eric returns dragging the pilot under his arms and stops near where Mike is using the signpost the free Rick. Mike startles when Eric slaps him on the back still trying to keep the pilot from falling.
"Eric, how is he?"
All Eric can do is shake his head at Mike. The pilot came to rest near the sidewalk and the remainder of the sign pole that he was using to free Rick had pierced the front windshield and caught him in the chest killing him. Mike seeing the sorrow on his face knew.
"Eric get him out and over across Water street. Just in case."
Eric nods and starts to drag him away. Mike goes back to free Rick. Once he finds a point where he can get a good bite to separate Rick's arm from the seat he applies force to the pole and Rick screams as his arm comes free. Mike drags him through the opening of the door where the window was. Standing him up he slips his hand around his shoulder and takes his other hand and drapes it over his. As they limp towards Eric who is about forty yards away, the ignition of remaining jet fuel in the chopper sends them both flying forward landing about fifty feet from Eric.
Xx
As more news unfolds about the terror in the city Kate longs to be with him. She knows that Alexis does to so she has made up her mind.
"Alright everybody we're leaving. NOW!"
"Kate, are you sure that's a good idea? It will be hard to get even close to where this happened." Her mother states.
"I don't care! I'm still a cop suspended or not. I can help. So we're leaving." Kate says with an authoritative tone.
Everyone packs up what little they had and piles into the Mercedes SUV. Leaving the safe house behind she hopes that her gut feeling is wrong but deep down she knows that something is wrong with him. She now can admit that she's in love with him with her whole heart and needs to tell him this in person. The ride back to the city takes a little longer because of the traffic problems they deal with. But soon after dropping off Alexis, Martha and her mom with the promise of texting them hourly updates she pulls away from the loft. Her first stop is back to the twelfth knowing that she will definitely be met with resistance from her captain.
Montgomery looks on through the two-way glass as his two lead detectives question the one man of the second team of men that were uncovered trying to carry out the second wave of bombs that were in play. If it wasn't for Rick and his team they would have never known that such a team was out there. EOD had rendered their weapons inactive and were being stored safely as evidence. Seeing that the interview was going nowhere since the suspect had not uttered a single syllable, he turned and left the observation room. As he did he ran straight into Beckett.
"Beckett, what on earth are you doing here?"
"Sir, I'd like to help. Only I'm still suspended but you could reinstate me? It sounded more like a question as she spoke it.
"Beckett, Kate why are you really here?"
She could never fool him. He could always see right through her. So she came clean.
"Sir, I need to find Rick. I can feel that something is wrong, so very wrong. I can't get a hold of him and I'm worried."
"Kate with all that's going on down there, I'd doubt that you could even get close to the site. Hell, I can't even find out anything yet. 1PP has put a media blackout on every reporter there. The only information that they are getting is what they see."
"Sir, please let me come back. I'll do anything!"
Montgomery sighed. How could he resist her request? So he gave her a nod.
