J.T. paced the parking garage of the precinct a couple of times before heading back inside the building. It didn't matter how many times he ran through it, there was no good way to tell Gil what was happening. He needed to, though, now, so that they could prepare to help their teammates.
When he entered the office, he quickly found Gil in the conference room. The lieutenant's focus raised from a stack of papers when J.T. walked toward him.
"What's up, J.T.?" he asked, clearly seeing his detective was on a mission.
"There's a lot I need to tell you, and we don't have much time. So respectfully, Boss, please don't interrupt."
Gil raised his eyebrows and leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. He was slightly irked at his tone, but given that Tarmel rarely spoke to him that way, he was ready to listen.
"Bright was just here," he began.
Gil uncrossed his arms and opened his mouth to speak.
J.T. held his hands up, "Let me finish. He forged your signature on a requisition form to get the ammunition from evidence."
Gil threw up his arms in frustration, and threw them back on the table, shoving himself into a standing position. When J.T. stared at him, pleading for a minute, he silently gestured for him to continue, while seething.
"Bennet told Bright if he didn't bring him the ammo by midnight tonight, then he was going to shoot Dani and throw her into the ocean. There wasn't enough time to prepare a sting or get a team together. His only option was to make the exchange to save Dani. We need to look into possible watercraft titles under Bennet's name. Bright said they were held at a marina. That, paired with the threat, says boat. He left here five minutes ago to make the exchange; we need to track his phone. As soon as he can, he will turn it back on so we can get a pick up location. We're going to need medics, his face was pretty rough looking. I'm guessing they both need medical attention ASAP."
After a pause in which Gil did nothing but stare daggers at him, J.T. added, "That's it."
Gil immediately started yelling, "YOU KNEW HE HAD THE CARTRIDGES AND YOU JUST LET HIM GO?!"
J.T. raised his voice in defense, "Not initially. I drew on him, but he drew too. Then he told me about the threat to Dani. Boss, he was barely holding it together. My options were shoot him or let him go. I made the call."
"Two hundred armor-piercing rounds, J.T.! TWO HUNDRED!"
"Bright's going to signal us as soon as he's there. We can still bust Bennet and get the ammo back."
"I can't believe this!" Gil slammed his palm on the conference room table, "From you of all people!"
If he was being honest, J.T. agreed with his boss on that front. But it was a judgement call he had to make in the moment. Dani's life outranked his punishment. "Look, whatever repercussions I've earned, I'll take - tomorrow. Tonight we have to get Dani back."
Gil glared at him for a second, growled in frustration, and left the conference room. J.T. watched as he spoke to multiple detectives in the bullpen, each of them scattering afterward. When he returned he addressed J.T., "Mullins is tracking his phone. Allen and Monroe are working boat titles. We're putting in a call to ESU, but depending on when we get a hit on Bright, they may not be ready." He moved closer, "For the record, there absolutely WILL be repercussions for letting a civilian leave this property with stolen illegal ammunition. Ammo that you knew he intended to hand over to a known cop killer. I can't let that slide, J.T."
He nodded, silently.
Gil took a deep breath, "But you're right, that's for tomorrow. Tonight we get Dani and Bright back." Another officer entered the conference room, handing each of them a protective vest. "We need to suit up and be ready to leave."
They put on the vests, checked their weapons for ammo and headed to the parking lot to wait. Gil spoke to the four other officers waiting with them, detailing the situation and what was to happen upon arrival at the location. Five minutes into his orders, J.T. got a call. Gil immediately stopped speaking and turned toward him expectantly.
"Got it," J.T. said, ending the call. "Navy yard, Kay Avenue."
Gil nodded, "Let's go!"
"Hands in the air," Bennet ordered.
Malcolm set the canister down, and raised his arms. Luca made his way over to him, frisking him for weapons. Malcolm's pulse jumped as Luca patted down his legs, to his ankles.
Not the shoes. Not the shoes.
"He's clean," Luca called.
Bennet motioned for them to come closer. Malcolm picked the canister back up and moved forward cautiously. When they were ten feet away Bennet held up his free hand to stop them both.
Dani had fresh marks on her face. She stared at him, eyes wide and full of terror, Bennet's gun inches from the side of her head. Her shirt- his shirt- was open in the front down to her bra. Malcolm noticed the buttons were missing; the shirt had been ripped open. He slowly turned his head to Luca standing beside him, who met his gaze and smirked. The thoughts that flooded Malcolm's mind frightened even him. If Dani didn't have a gun to her head, Luca wouldn't be breathing. There was no rage-induced hyperbole. Only fact. Without the threat to Dani, he would have completely lost control and killed Luca.
"You made good time, Mr. Bright. Two hours to spare, impressive." Bennet directed his next words to Luca, "Bring me the cartridges." Luca opened the canister for him to inspect the ammunition. "How did you manage to get them from the precinct?"
"I forged a signature on a requisition form," he admitted. His eyes bounced back and forth between Bennet and Dani, anxiously waiting for him to lower the weapon. "It's done," he coaxed, "You have what you want. Let Dani go." Malcolm's heart was racing, fear fueling it's every beat.
Bennet smiled, lowering the gun and reaching into his pocket for his knife. As he bent down next to Dani he spoke to Malcolm, not her, "You know the reason I started executing cops, Mr. Bright?"
Just let her go.
"Do you?"
"Yes," Malcolm wanted nothing more than for this to be over, "Your wife."
"My wife, Joslynn." Bennet's demeanor softened at the mention of her name. The hate in his eyes shifted to unconditional love, if only for a moment. "They set her up in a sting. She was never a part of my business. Joslynn was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. They couldn't get to me. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't pin anything. So, they used her, my pregnant wife," He opened the knife, and Malcolm lurched forward, but caught himself when he realized Bennet was cutting Dani free. After releasing her wrists, Bennet gently pulled the tape from her mouth, and brushed the hair away from her face, "They made it personal," he added.
He stood, pulling her up to her feet as well. Neither Dani nor Malcolm dared move. She looked at Bennet, awaiting instructions.
Malcolm's breaths were shallow, frenzied.
Come on. Come on.
Bennet waved his upward palm toward Malcolm, instructing Dani to go. She hesitated for a moment, looking at him questioningly, then at Malcolm for confirmation. Malcolm nodded tentatively and held out his hand. When Dani turned and started walking, Bennet continued, "Now, I'm making it personal."
Malcolm watched as Bennet's arm raised, the gun pointing at her back.
"NOOOOOOO!"
The shot echoed infinitely out over the water.
Malcolm's arms were outstretched in front of him as Dani's torso jerked. Her head whipped back and her steps halted, feet from him. She looked at Malcolm, confused. Then down at herself, as her shirt - his white shirt - slowly flooded with red. Once more she looked back up at him, before collapsing.
Malcolm lunged and caught her head inches from the pavement, as Bennet and Luca rushed to their car and sped away with the ammunition.
"Dani?" Her eyes were still open as he gently laid her down. Malcolm found the exit wound on the right side of her chest a few inches below her collarbone and applied pressure with his hand. It was covered in blood in an instant. He grabbed his phone with the other hand and dialed.
"I need an ambulance at the navy yard. Kay avenue. I have an officer down, gunshot wound in the chest." Once he heard confirmation, he tossed the phone aside bringing both hands to Dani's injury. She was trying to speak, but no sound came. "It's okay. Everything's going to be okay. Medics are on the way."
"Ma-," she blurted, unable to finish the word, his name.
"I'm here. I'm here, Dani. You're going to be okay." His hands were drenched in her blood. No matter how hard he pressed, it was still pouring from the exit wound uncontrollably.
She brought her left hand up to his forearm and he met her gaze, attempting not to show her his unmitigated fear. Dani's lips pressed together and she closed her eyes, the pain was too much. When she opened them again tears fell down the sides of her face.
Dani moved the hand on Malcolm's forearm to the side of his face and he leaned into it, smiling down at her. She took a short, labored breath that ended in a rattle and a small cough. Blood splattered her lips.
Her lung.
Malcolm's eyes searched frantically for a way to help, but found nothing. Dani started convulsing, as she tried to take another breath. Her mouth opened, gasping for air that met a blood-filled pathway.
Her eyes started to roll back into her head, "Stay with me, Dani," Malcolm begged. "Hold on. Stay with me, please."
He moved one hand to her neck, raising her head slightly. For a moment her eyes focused again; they found his and locked in, her body still spasming.
"I love you," Malcolm confessed, his entire world crashing down around him. "I need you to stay."
A hint of a smile found the corners of Dani's lips, she opened her mouth as if to respond. As soon as her lips parted, blood oozed down her chin, Malcolm's nightmares tormenting him once more.
"No," he whispered in terror. "No. no. no. no." He repeated the word compulsively. Dani's chest and head jerked violently, desperately trying to get air. In the distance, he heard the sirens screaming, slowly creeping closer.
They're not going to make it.
"Please, they're almost here. Just a little longer," Malcolm implored.
His pleads were futile. With one final twitch, Dani's eyes rolled back again, and her body went limp in his arms.
Sound dulled, muffled. The only thing Malcolm could hear was the thunderous pounding of his own heartbeat, mocking him. Silent tears flooded his cheeks, a soundless wail exiting his open mouth. Slowly, he leaned in and touched Dani's forehead with his. "Come back," he whispered, "Come back."
He had no idea the medics had even arrived, until he was being pulled off of her. As he watched the EMTs perform CPR, his stomach heaved. Panic was setting in; the tremors in both hands were uncontrollable. His breaths were speeding up against his will, causing him to hyperventilate. He ran his hands through his hair, completely forgetting about the blood that covered them, and grabbed hold, pulling. The edges of his vision began to blur and fade. In the back of his mind he knew he should sit down, but he was incapable of making the conscious effort to do so. The pavement started tilting sideways.
"Bright?!" Gil's frantic yell pulled him back from the ledge. Malcolm felt his hand on his back. "Are you okay?! What happened?"
Malcolm stared unfocused at the scene in front of him and whispered, "Dani."
J.T. sprinted to the medics.
Gil watched them work on Dani for a moment, before continuing to question him, "What happened, Bright?"
"He shot her." Malcolm whispered. His eyes, still in disbelief, found his surrogate father's, "He shot her, Gil."
One of the medics yelled, "We have to get moving now! She's not going to make it if we don't."
All the air left Malcolm's lungs, his mouth open in shock. He didn't even blink, as he watched them push the gurney into the ambulance. J.T. waved at Gil and pointed, signaling that he was going with Dani.
Gil nodded. "How bad?" he asked.
"Bad," Malcolm ran his hands through his already blood-streaked hair again, attempting to hold back the hysterical sobs that were trying to claw their way out of his chest, "I think it hit her lung."
Gil rubbed the back of his neck, then his brow, before looking back at Malcolm, assessing his condition. There was a lot of blood. "Are you hurt?"
Malcolm shifted his eyes to him.
"Injured, I mean," Gil corrected.
The profiler shook his head.
Seconds after the ambulance drove past them, Gil's phone rang, "It's J.T.," he said, putting it on speaker. "Yeah?"
"Monroe got a hit on Bennet's boat. It's a Christensen. One Fifteen Marina, Brooklyn."
Gil looked up at him, "Bright, does Bennet have the cartridges?"
Fuck.
"Yes," he breathed, mortified.
"No pulse!" an EMT yelled in the background of the call. "Get the defib."
Malcolm's blood ran cold. He couldn't breathe.
"I gotta go," J.T. said, hanging up.
Gil looked over at Malcolm, "She's going to make it."
"We don't know that," he replied frankly, not bothering to look back at him.
They both heard the call. Dani was dying. He was losing her forever, even as they spoke. The ache in his chest was crippling. It felt like his sternum was being ripped in half. He clawed at the front of his shirt, trying to relieve the pressure. There was no way he would survive this pain. His chest heaved, begging for air.
Gil reached for him, "Bright? What's wrong?"
He couldn't respond.
As quickly as it started, the pain vanished. A self-preservative numbness started spreading throughout Malcolm's body. It began in his chest, releasing the grip on his lungs, slowing his pulse. His hands steadied. Then it crept up his chest and neck, to his head. His vision cleared. The tears that a moment ago were endless, just stopped completely. Malcolm stood there, frozen, detached from reality.
The other officers were standing a few feet away. Once Gil was convinced that Malcolm wasn't in immediate danger, he turned to them barking orders about securing the perimeter, and canvassing for evidence. He looked back over his shoulder, "How long has Bennet been gone?"
Malcolm stared blankly at him, as Gil's phone rang yet again. He held up his finger, asking Malcolm to give him a second, then turned away from him, discussing Dani's situation with whomever was on the other line. Gil motioned for one of the other officers to come to him.
"No. Send units to Bennet's home, the club, any known associated location. He's in the wind with the cartridges. We cannot let him disappear."
Bennet.
The sound of his name flipped a switch in Malcolm. He turned his head slightly, almost robotically. The calm that had overcome him disappeared instantly, like a puff of smoke. Replacing it: unadulterated vengeance.
With Gil's attention in the other direction, Malcolm slowly backed away. Once he was about halfway back to the BMW, he turned and full out sprinted toward the car.
Gil was caught up in the phone call and the officers around him. By the time he finally realized what the sound was, it was too late. He turned, frantic. "Bright! Stop!" he yelled.
Malcolm already had the car started. He sped out of the lot and down the street, unconcerned about Gil or his wrath.
The only thing that mattered was Bennet.
He had to pay.
