Running toward the door at top speed, he slammed his shoulder into it and heard the lock split the doorframe as it gave under the pressure and he crashed into the room, colliding with the person who stood beside the bed, knocking the knife from his hand while the two of them thudded to the floor.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his wife lying still on the bed.

"Frank!" he heard her cry.  Dear God...she was alive! his brain registered just before he felt the fist that slammed into his right temple.  Stars exploded in his head and his vision blurred momentarily, giving his adversary the advantage.  He cursed himself when he felt his guns pulled from his holster. 

"GET UP!" Tony ordered in disgust. 

Frank stood slowly, his vision starting to clear.  He looked down at Shay, his eyes telling her silently how much he loved her and how sorry he was for getting her into such a predicament.  Her eyes told him of her love.  At least they were together.

"God, Tony...how could you do these things?  You killed your own mother!"

"Shut up, Frank!  My whole life was shadowed by yours.  All I ever heard was what a great son you were and how proud your parents were...from my own damn mother, no less!"  Tony ranted.  "Every. Time. I. Turned. Around....Frank did this...or Frank was doing that."

"Tony...please...it wasn't Frank's fault." 

He looked down at her as she spoke.  She was about to die and still she wanted to defend her husband.  "It was his fault."  He raised the gun level with Frank's chest.

---

"There, there! There's his Blazer," Jake yelled.

"I see, I see!" Cody retorted.  "Dammit, I'm not blind!"  He brought the Jeep to a halt beside the Blazer and the three occupants piled out of the jeep, guns drawn.

"Jake...you and Cody go right...I'll go left," Frankie ordered without a thought. 

"We shouldn't split up," Jake insisted.

Frankie did not wait around to argue.  She called back quietly, "No time, Jake...go!"  Without looking, she knew Jake and Cody had taken off in the opposite direction in search of Frank and praying, as she did, they would find Shay in time.

Turning the corner of the building, Frankie saw the open door and could hear the raised voices from within.  Sliding up to the door quietly, she peaked into the room to see a man holding a gun leveled at Frank's chest.  She edged closer, ready to make a move when she heard the man say, "And before I kill him, he will know the agony of your death." 

There was no hesitation, no thinking.  Frankie launched herself into the room just as the gun went off.  She dove headlong at Shay and landed full force on top of her.

Tony stared wide-eyed at the invasion.  That was all the time Frank needed.  He kicked the gun from Tony's hand and then delivered a backspin kick to his cousin's chest.  Tony landed unconscious against the far wall.

Shay gasped for breath after Frankie landed on her chest, knocking the air from her lungs.  She turned her head slightly to the right, meeting Frankie's gray eyes.  They registered pain and perhaps...regret.  She whispered Frankie's name, but Frankie only coughed, spattering blood on Shay's shoulder and face.  Tears slid down Shay's face as Frankie slowly closed her eyes.

---

Hearing the gunshot, Jake and Cody headed in the direction of the sound.  Entering the room, they found Shay cradling Frankie in her arms, keeping pressure on her wound and Frank on the phone demanding an ambulance and EMTs. 

Jake holstered his gun and knelt by the bed.  He looked from Frankie's unconscious face to Shay's tear soaked face.  He gently took Frankie's hand in his and brought it to his lips.

Shay placed her free hand gently on Jake's cheek.  "She...she saved my life, Jake.  I'm so...so very sorry."

Jake shook his head softly as he stroked Frankie's hair.  He leaned down and placed his cheek against hers and whispered, "Don't leave me, Francesca," before he was overtaken with gut wrenching sobs.

************