Russ and Sheldon were in the lab when the phone rang in Jo's office. Russ had talked Jo into going home and getting some rest. Sheldon ran to the office and grabbed the phone. "New York Crime Lab," he said.

"Sheldon."

"Mac?"

"Sheldon, help me."

"Stay on this line!"

Russ ran to the computer lab where Adam was sleeping. "Adam!"

Adam jumped up. "What's going on?"

"Trace the call to Jo's office. Mac's on that line."

Adam started the trace. Sheldon was talking to Mac. "You're gonna be okay, Mac. We'll find you."

"I don't know where I am," Mac said.

Sheldon thought Mac sounded sleepy. "Adam is tracing the call now, Mac."

"I wonder what it's like to die."

"Mac, don't talk like that. Don't give up now."

"He shot her to…to save my life."

"You can tell us about it later. Save your strength."

"Sheldon, I think I'm numb all over."

"Where are you? Are you in the house?"

"Yes. I'm…in the kitchen. I'm so tired."

"Just hang in there, Mac. We're coming to get you."

Russ came to the office door. "We have it!" he said.

"Tell Adam to come and take this phone."

Russ went back to the computer lab. "Mac," Sheldon said. "We know where you are. We're coming."

Adam came into the office and took the phone. "Keep him talking as long as possible," Sheldon said.

"Right," Adam replied. "Mac?"

"I'm here," Mac said.

"This is Adam. They're on their way, Boss."

"I can't move anymore."

Adam had never heard Mac like this before. "Just hang in there, Boss. They'll help you."

"He just left me here."

"Who?"

"Howard Bailey."

"The guy from Montana?"

"Yes." Mac thought he would fall asleep. "It's warm."

"What happened to Julie?"

"I think she's dead. She…" Mac dropped the phone as he fell asleep.

"Mac? Mac!" Adam knew something happened but he could see the call was still connected.

Adam got his cell phone and called Sheldon. "He fell asleep or something," Adam said.

"Keep trying to wake him," Sheldon replied.

"Okay."

Adam ended that call and went back to the other phone. "Mac! Mac!" He did not hear anything. "Mac!"

Russ and Sheldon were racing toward the address. Sheldon had called for an ambulance and he also called Jo to let her know what was going on. Jo was up getting dressed, and Ellie came into her room. "What's going on, Mom?" Ellie asked. "Did they find Mac?"

"Yes," Jo replied. "Go back to bed. You need your rest."

"I hope he's okay."

"I'll call you."

"Okay. Be careful."

Jo ran out the door and got on her way to the address…

Mac was barely conscious when he heard sirens. He could not even feel the pain anymore. He thought he was wet all over. He thought he had relaxed everything and now he could not stay awake.

Sheldon and Russ pulled into the driveway of the house and they could hear more sirens coming. They ran up to the door and Russ opened it. He had his weapon ready but he did not see anyone except he could see Mac lying in the floor. Sheldon got over to Mac as he was getting some gloves on. He could definitely smell urine. He felt for Mac's pulse and found that.

Mac opened his eyes slightly. "We're here, Mac," Sheldon said.

Russ squatted beside Mac. "You'll be okay now," he assured him.

Then they heard something behind them. Russ looked around to see a woman covered in blood and she had a gun. Russ started to lift his weapon but she shot him.

"Russ!" Sheldon exclaimed.

Mac was aware of what was going on. Russ's gun was right beside his hand. "You're going to die, Mac Taylor," Julie said.

Sheldon got between her and Mac. "Just put the gun down," he said.

"After what he did?"

"And what was that?"

With Sheldon's distraction, Mac got his hand on Russ's gun. He got a grip on it and aimed between Sheldon's legs and fired. Julie screamed but was determined with murder lust. Mac fired again, knowing that she would kill Sheldon without blinking an eye. She fell forward then and Mac dropped the gun. He looked toward Russ.

"Russ," Mac said.

Sheldon looked around at Mac but he got over to Russ and felt for a pulse. He looked at Mac with a shocked expression. "Mac, he's gone," Sheldon said.

Mac closed his eyes. "Where's Jo? Don't let her come in here. She doesn't need to see him like that."

"What about you?"

"I'll be alright a few more minutes."

Sheldon went out the door. There were some officers there and the ambulance but Jo was not there yet. "When Detective Danville gets here, don't let her come in there," Sheldon said to two officers. "That's Mac's request."

Sheldon went back inside as the paramedics were coming in. "He has two broken legs," Sheldon said.

They cut Mac's pants legs up to his thighs so they could see where the injuries were. Mac even moaned and grimaced at that. He knew they had to get him on a back board to get him on the stretcher.

"Mac, just relax," Sheldon said.

"My right arm," Mac said.

"It's broken too?"

"I think so. Sheldon, I want to just lay here."

"Mac, they're going to be as careful as they can."

Mac watched as they got the backboard ready to put him on it. One of the paramedics squatted beside them. "I talked to the hospital," he said. "They said to start an IV and give him some morphine."

Sheldon started working on the IV which had to go in Mac's left arm. Mac was still anxious because he knew they were going to move him soon. They put an oxygen mask on him and Mac did not even know when Sheldon stuck him with the needle. He did not know anything after they gave him the morphine.

"He's out," Sheldon said. "Let's get him up."

They got Mac's right arm into a brace and then got him onto a backboard, but when they rolled him on his side, Mac whimpered even though he was asleep, and his left hand trembled.

"Let's be careful," Sheldon said but he knew no matter how careful they were, they were going to cause him pain.

They got Mac on the stretcher and got him covered up. As they were rolling him out, the ME was arriving. "There are two bodies in there," Sheldon said.

"Two? I was told one," the ME replied.

"An officer was killed."

Just then, Sheldon saw Jo driving up. He went over to her. "They're loading Mac now," he said.

"How is he?" Jo asked.

"He's got a long recovery ahead."

Jo went over to the ambulance. Mac was asleep of course. She squeezed his hand. "You be okay," she said.

Sheldon wanted to go with Mac but he did not want to leave Jo alone. "Wait for me," he said to the ambulance driver. He went over to Jo.

"Is Russ here?" Jo asked.

"Jo, there's something I have to tell you," Sheldon said.

"What?"

"Russ did come with me. We got here first."

"So, he's inside then." Jo stared at Sheldon a moment. "Sheldon, what are you trying to tell me?"

Sheldon felt terrible. "Jo, I'm sorry," he said.

Jo felt cold all over suddenly. She ran toward the house. "Jo!" Sheldon called. He wished Don or Danny were here.

Jo ran into the house and saw Russ lying on the floor. "Russ!" She ran over to him. "Oh, Russ, you can't…"

Sheldon could see the shock on Jo's face. He got her by the shoulders. "Come on, Jo," he said.

Jo went back outside with Sheldon. "What am I going to tell the kids?" she asked.

Sheldon wished he knew but he got Jo over to the ambulance. He would take her with him too. Jo just sat there looking sadder than Sheldon had ever seen her. "Let's go," he said to the driver.

When they got to the hospital, they took Mac and Jo into an emergency room. Sheldon helped Jo to lie down and pulled the curtain between them since they were cutting Mac's clothes off. Next, he would have to go for x-rays, and then they would bathe him.

Sheldon went over to Jo who was just lying there. "What am I going to say?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, Jo," Sheldon said. "Mac didn't want you to see him like that, but I couldn't stop you."

"Mac didn't want me to?"

"Yeah. He told me."

"He thinks of everyone but himself."

"He's in good hands now."

Sheldon was glad they did not have to take Mac from his room to x-ray him. They brought the x-ray machine to his room. He was starting to wake up but Sheldon was sure he was not feeling anything. Mac just stared at the ceiling.

By the time Mac woke up again, he was in a hospital room. He could hear a heart monitor but he felt like there was something between his ears and that sound. He realized his right arm was in a cast. He held it up and looked at it not fully comprehending what he was looking at.

Jo was in the room. She leaned over Mac. "How are you feeling?" she asked quietly.

Mac felt like he was hearing her far away. Jo smiled and kissed his forehead. "You're a precious friend, Mac," she said. "I have to go but I'll be back."

Mac did not really know what she said. She touched his face. "I'll be back to see you," she said.

Mac did not even know when she went out the door. He woke up again later and Adam was there. Mac was more aware now. "Hi, Boss," Adam said. "How you feeling?"

Mac was not sure how he felt but at least he was not in pain. "Better I guess," he said but he was hoarse.

"That's good. Don and Danny are still in Texas digging up information on Julie Brannem…only, she's not Julie Brannem. I mean, I don't know who she is but it's like she changed her identity at nineteen and she joined the Air Force. It's incredible."

Mac was listening to Adam's endless chatter. He wondered who sent Adam to stay with him. "I'm thirsty," he said.

"Thirsty? Okay." Adam got the cup of water and gave Mac some.

Mac grimaced as his throat felt raw. He supposed they had put a tube down his throat. "Did they operate on me?" he asked.

"They had to operate no your legs to make sure there were no tears in there or…I don't know but you're gonna be okay."

"I'm sleepy."

"Yeah, they, uh, have you pretty full of pain killers."

Mac remembered the pain he had been in. "Good," he said. He was tired of pain.

Adam sat down in a chair beside Mac's bed and turned the TV on. The Rifleman was on. Mac had not seen that show in a long time. He remembered seeing that when he was…very young. He was not sure how long ago it was. "I love this show," Adam said. "This guy has the coolest rifle. Aw, if I had one of those, I would probably go to the practice range."

"I watched the Rifleman before you were ever conceived," Mac said.

"Oh. Right."

Mac felt comfortable and warm for the first time in…he forgot how many days. He did not want to think about the last few days. They had been horrible…he could not say they were the worst he had ever spent but they were close. Now, he was lying here listening to Adam talk endlessly about almost nothing…and he did not care at all. Even though he was Adam's boss, Adam had always been a big kid and he thought he saw him a little bit like a son.

Adam continued to talk until he noticed that Mac was asleep again. He was going to stay a while. He was just glad Mac was here and not in the morgue. They had been afraid that they would kill him when they thought they were coming. Adam did not understand what happened, but as much as they could piece together, it looked like Howard Bailey had turned on Julie and had just left Mac there. He knew Mac would tell them later and the mystery would be solved.