"Luca, do you copy?"
"Boss?"
"Check the street, is there enough space for a helicopter?"
"On my way."
He saw Deac nod slightly before checking Christina's vital signs one more time.
"Boss? The intersection north of us is blocked. But the south one would fit. And there's a small park that would fit. "
"Got it, Luca. - Chris, we need something to transport her. - 20 David to command. Get us a helicopter. Now."
Commander Hicks's voice answered. "We heard you. Air-17 is already in the air. ETA in four minutes. There's no rescue helicopter close enough to you."
Chris hurried in with a duvet cover and sheet. "I ransacked the clothesline again. That should work."
"We'll take care of the neighbors later. Deac, how are we gonna do this?"
His colleague gave them instructions on how to put the woman on the sheet with the towels and the blanket, then got Luca and Street to help them carry her.
While they were getting Christina ready for transport, rotor noises were approaching outside. As they left the house, Hondo radioed them to announce them to Cedars Sinai.
The helicopter that landed between flares at the intersection turned out to be a Bell, with enough space to carefully lay Christina on the floor in the rear.
"Deac and I are flying with her, you are waiting here for reinforcements and CSU," Hondo ordered and tossed his rifle to Luca. He gave him a thumbs-up sign that he understood, then the machine took off.
They could see the traffic chaos below before they reached Cedars Sinai after a short flight. At the helipad they were received by a team of doctors with a stretcher. They helped them lift Christina Brown onto it and watched them gettikng her into the building.
In a split second, he made a decision. "You fly back to the team. I'll stay here, you can pick me up when the chaos has resolved." Deac hesitated only briefly before he jumped into the helicopter again and gave the pilot the signal to take off.
Hondo ran into the building.
He got some irritated looks as he stormed through the hallways towards the emergency room. When he looked down at himself in the elevator, he discovered that it wasn't his uniform, but the blood stains on it causing them. The nurse behind the registration counter winced as he slammed his badge in front of her. "Christina Brown?"
"Still in the ER. But she will be brought into surgery in a moment."
"So she's still alive."
"Just for now." The nurse eyed him. "You brought her here?"
"My team and me."
"As far as I can tell right now, your first aid has made sure that her heart is still beating at all. Good work."
"Thanks." He put a business card in front of her. "Will you keep me up to date?"
"Sure, Sergeant."
"Can I wait somewhere around here and make a phone call?"
"Follow me."
She waved him behind the counter and opened a door. "You look a bit ... scary, in combat gear like that. Coffee is over there."
"Thank you."
As soon as the door closed behind her, his phone rang.
"Captain?"
"Where are you? What's your status? "
"The team is at the scene with Deac, they are waiting for CSU. I hold position at Cedars Sinai. She is on her way to the operating room."
"It's good. I'll inform the Navy. Call me if the situation changes or you need anything."
"Okay. Thank you, Captain."
Hondo ended the call and dialed a number he had recently saved. A soft woman's voice answered. "Hello?"
"Who's speaking?"
"Emilia Santiago. Would you like to speak to my husband? He's taking a shower. Just a moment." He heard a rustle, then the rush of water. "Phillip? Una llamada telefónica para ti."
The water was turned off. "Sergeant Harrelson? What happened?"
"Phillip, we have Christina. She is in the emergency room at Cedars Sinai and will go into surgery shortly. Her condition is critical, but she is alive."
"Thank God. I'll be there in half an hour."
"As long as it is not also as a patient ..."
"I'm going to put some effort in it."
Hondo put the phone away and took some of the coffee on offer. It was amazingly good and he emptied the cup before sitting on a chair in a corner. Despite the constant activity outside the door, he closed his eyes and calmed down a little. At some point he heard the door open and a man's voice asked: "Sergeant Harrelson?"
He got up.
"Santiago." He looked at the clock on the wall. Forty minutes had passed since they arrived.
"How ..." began the officer, but then he seemed to discover the stains on his clothes and broke off.
"Nothing new."
"The nurse outside said she is still in the operating room. And will probably be there for a few more hours. Thank you, Sergeant, you've done everything ... "
Hondo held out his hand. "Friends call me Hondo. And it wasn't an option not to catch the guy and let her down."
"Phil. Thanks anyway. If you want, you can go back to your team, I have time off and will hold the fort here. If there is news, I'll get in touch. "
"They'll come to pick me up when they're out of the chaos on Melrose. I'm staying until then. The coffee is not bad."
"Mhm."
They sat down at the table and each took another cup. Phillip Santiago asked him to tell him about the breach, which Hondo did in a nutshell. Then they stared at the clock in silence. Every now and then someone from the staff came by, fetched or brought something and left in silence, but they did not get any new information.
Shortly after nine the nurse came in from reception. "Sergeant, your team is here. There's not enough space for everyone in here. Do you need another room?"
Hondo got up. "No thanks. We're going back. What's new?"
"She's still in the operating room. Still critical. But we take care of her."
"Thank you."
"I'll bring you to your people."
"I'll call," Phillip Santiago promised and stayed behind when the nurse led him to a side hallway where all his team was waiting for him. Questioning looks met him.
"Alive, but critical. Let's go."
Deac cleared his throat. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. Phillip Santiago from the Habour Division is here, he takes care of her and informs us if necessary. Where is East? "
"The uniforms brought him to HQ."
"They shall get the bastard out of our house, otherwise he'll leave it in a box, feet first."
His colleague eyed him briefly, then nodded. "I'll let Hicks know."
The drive back to headquarters was silent.