Yokas saw them reach the end of the pier, and her heart was racing in
her chest, even as Amanda raised her weapon, the barrel now pointing at
Faith instead of Bosco. She closed her eyes, waited for the bullet to hit
her, even hearing the shot explode from the gun.
When she heard the grunt from beside her, she opened her eyes at once, seeing the man to her right fall immediately to the ground, shortly before her eyes turned to the end of the pier.
She tried to cry out as she saw Bosco and Amanda fall backwards into the river. From the rapidity of their plummet towards the water below, Faith guessed Bosco had pushed backwards. But his plan had resulted in his own plunge into the river.
She shoved sideways, feeling the other man stumble and fall to the ground in shock, just before a bullet shot past her. She flinched, just before another gunshot filled the air. Warren cried out, and slumped to the ground, before Sully and Davis bolted over, the younger of the two reaching her first, and freeing her hands at once. She reached up and tore off the tape, her feet already carrying her to the end of the pier, her shoes slipping momentarily on the wet wood below.
"Bosco!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, eyes staring down frantically into the choppy waters of the river beyond. She searched the darkness, even as she called his name again, more desperately.
Davis was at her side, and he too stared down into the murky depths, breathing heavily as if in anticipation of what would happen in the next few moments.
Those moments seemed to last a painful eternity.
* * *
Bosco struggled against the water, fighting to reach the surface, finally breaking through, gasping for air, soaked from head to toe, and freezing, in considerable pain. He saw Faith, Davis and Sully at the pier's end, calling down to him.
Before he could call out to tell them he was okay, a hand reached up and grabbed the back of his jacket, dragging him back down into the dark water, and holding him there. He had barely had enough time to gulp in any air, and fought to break free of Amanda's hold, head turning to see her.
She looked light a ghost, a mere phantasm underwater, eyes staring blankly and evilly, intent clear, her mouth open in a silent scream of madness, other hand reaching out to grab him, to drag him down with her.
Bosco glanced back up, seeing the faint glow of the surface above, and lashed out with his feet, trying to shove her away with his boots, running out of air and fast. He fought to rise to the surface, her grip unbelievably strong and tight, as though she had suddenly found the might as she realised her potential fate. She intended to take him with her. She wasn't going alone.
He grabbed her other hand, just as it reached for his neck, and brought up his foot, every moment seeming to slow, even as her eyes registered what he was doing. Before she could avoid it, the heel of his boot slammed into her face, knocking her down and away. Her hand snapped away from his jacket, releasing him, and blood filled the water.
In the moments before he started to rise, he saw her eyes lock with his, if just for a few seconds before she descended into the darkness below.
Bosco gave all his energy in one final lunge for the surface, feeling his head break it, followed shortly after by the rest of his shoulders and chest. He gasped in frantically, and panted heavily, body exhausted and aching madly.
"Bosco!" Faith called in desperation, and he looked up as he fought against the small waves. The first thing he saw on her face was relief.
* * *
Kim was crouched in the back of the bus, sat back on her haunches steadily as she helped Bosco remove his jacket. They were in motion, Bobby in the driving seat, and the cop sitting on the bed before her had an oxygen mask over his face. He was breathing deeply, still recovering from his submergence in the Hudson River, which, to Kim's knowledge, was damn cold.
Yokas sat on the other side of the rig, watching intently, wrapped up in a blanket, a slight smile on her face, her happiness discreet yet evident.
Bosco winced as the jacket slipped off his arm, and Kim could now see the wound where the bullet had grazed him. It bled, and would probably require stitches, but would cause him nothing but a little discomfort for a few weeks.
Kim had no doubt the bruising on his side was still present, if not worse from his ordeal, and she had noticed the head wound from the car crash had begun bleeding again.
Other than that, Bosco was no worse for wear, a little bruised here and there, and no doubt shaken, but nothing she was sure he couldn't handle.
When they had left, police had been everywhere at the pier, arresting the people responsible for Yokas' and Bosco's abduction. Kim was certain she had heard them say something about scouring the bottom of the river for the woman's body too. She shuddered at the thought, and went about measuring Bosco's blood pressure.
* * *
Sat back in a comfortable armchair, he sighed a heavy relieved sigh, and closed his eyes, running a hand over his tousled spiky brown hair for a moment. He tried to banish the thoughts of what had happened the last few days, and failed. He knew it would haunt him for a long time to come, but for now, he had to live with it, try and move on. He had no doubt he would recover in time, but right now, he just had to try and get on with his life, and not let it interfere with things.
He had been given the week off work, orders of the Captain. He had willingly obliged, just glad to still be alive after all that had happened. It was insane.
Dressed in black slacks, white sleeveless vest and socks, he was pretty damn content to simply sit in that same chair for the remainder of the day.
That was, until the door knocked, and he was forced to push his way out of it, relying mostly on his right arm, his upper left bandaged from where the bullet had grazed him the night before. It still stung, but as he walked to the door, pretty much everything ached, and his arm seemed inconsequential.
He ignored it all, reaching out and grabbing the door handle, pulling the door open casually, and stopping instantly at the person that waited on the other side.
It was Faith.
She stood there silently for a moment, dressed in jeans, and baggy sweater, hair falling beautifully about her face, eyes looking right at him, before she managed a wan smile. "Can I come in?"
He shook his head, and laughed quietly. "Sure, of course."
She entered, looking around as if she had never been in his apartment before, before she turned to him as he closed the door.
He turned, moving back over to the armchair where he had been so comfortably seated since that morning, and perched on the arm, looking to her curiously. "What's up?"
She shrugged beneath the baggy sweater, and sighed. "Not sure. I just went out for a walk, you know, in broad daylight," she smiled, "and found myself walkin' here. Before I knew what was goin' on, I was knockin' on your door."
Bosco blinked, waiting for her to continue.
She did; "I guess I just wanted to check up on you... see if you were okay after..." she paused for a moment, fighting to get the words out, "after what happened."
Hands rested on his knees, Bosco felt his eyes wander his apartment for a moment, before his head nodded slowly. "Sure. I'm fine."
Faith moved closer, sitting on the edge of his couch, and said, "Bos', you're forgetting who you're talkin' to. I know you," she paused again, looking him in the eye, "and I know when you're holding back."
Bosco met her gaze, unsure of what to say, if anything. They had been through so much together, but this last week had been a trial if nothing else. It had tested their bravery and vigilance to the extreme. There had been times when Bosco had secretly wanted to run and hide.
He took a deep breath in, and then let it out slowly, eyes wavering, glancing to the ceiling. "I just never expected something so simple as a shootout to come back and haunt us, Faith, you know?"
He watched her, waited to see if she would respond. She did not.
"When I saw Spencer die, I thought I was gonna get killed too," he continued, voice steady, yet quiet, "and then I heard about Hinds. Even though I'd never liked them, I couldn't help but think that I was responsible somehow."
"Bos'..." Faith began, but he shook his head, and she stopped short, falling silent again.
"And then there was the explosion with Gregory and Faraday, and... and I really started to get scared, Faith," Bosco admitted, eyes staring down at the floor. "It terrified me to think that someone was out there, purposefully planning to kill cops. When our car was hit, I can't remember being so scared in my whole life. I thought we were going to die..." his eyes met hers again, "I thought I was going to get you killed."
Faith frowned, her brow furrowing.
"I've always been afraid that something I do is gonna hurt someone along the line," Bosco persisted, hoping his words weren't pushing Faith to feeling sympathy for him. He didn't want that. He was being deadly honest, and he wanted her to know all of this, especially now. She needed to know.
"I remember what I was thinking about when I got thrown off the bridge... I just kept thinking that something was going to happen to you, and I wasn't going to be able to stop it." Bosco shook his head, taking in a deep breath. "That's what I'm most afraid of, Faith. Not dying, or anything like that... that scares me, but not as much as the thought that I might get the people I love hurt or killed. I couldn't bear that."
Faith quietly tucked her hair behind her ear, her eyes never leaving his face, even if he rarely looked to her.
"When I got that call, I didn't even think about what would happen to me," Bosco said to her, "I just wanted to get you out of danger. And back at the pier, I tried everything to stop her from hurting you."
She stood from the chair, coming to crouch before him, finding his gaze and locking it with hers, her gentle eyes staring into his, as she told him, "Bos', you did stop her from hurting me, and I can't tell you how much that means to me." She smiled, her hand touching his arm gently. "You saved my life, Bosco, and I'll never forget that."
He stared down at her, registering what she had just said, and wasn't quite sure what to say.
"You saved my life again," she said to him, her voice sincere and comforting.
Bosco allowed himself a slight nod, and he stood from the chair, his mind wandering. Before he knew he was even moving, he found himself staring out of the window, Faith coming up beside him.
The people of New York moved around busily on the streets below, cars and trucks shuffling down the roads and alleys. Squad cars, ambulances and fire trucks trundled by, on their way back to the houses or to a call. The familiar noise carried up to his window.
Bosco smiled, looking up to the sky.
Faith noticed his gaze. "What is it?"
Bosco looked to her, still smiling.
"The sun came out."
When she heard the grunt from beside her, she opened her eyes at once, seeing the man to her right fall immediately to the ground, shortly before her eyes turned to the end of the pier.
She tried to cry out as she saw Bosco and Amanda fall backwards into the river. From the rapidity of their plummet towards the water below, Faith guessed Bosco had pushed backwards. But his plan had resulted in his own plunge into the river.
She shoved sideways, feeling the other man stumble and fall to the ground in shock, just before a bullet shot past her. She flinched, just before another gunshot filled the air. Warren cried out, and slumped to the ground, before Sully and Davis bolted over, the younger of the two reaching her first, and freeing her hands at once. She reached up and tore off the tape, her feet already carrying her to the end of the pier, her shoes slipping momentarily on the wet wood below.
"Bosco!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, eyes staring down frantically into the choppy waters of the river beyond. She searched the darkness, even as she called his name again, more desperately.
Davis was at her side, and he too stared down into the murky depths, breathing heavily as if in anticipation of what would happen in the next few moments.
Those moments seemed to last a painful eternity.
* * *
Bosco struggled against the water, fighting to reach the surface, finally breaking through, gasping for air, soaked from head to toe, and freezing, in considerable pain. He saw Faith, Davis and Sully at the pier's end, calling down to him.
Before he could call out to tell them he was okay, a hand reached up and grabbed the back of his jacket, dragging him back down into the dark water, and holding him there. He had barely had enough time to gulp in any air, and fought to break free of Amanda's hold, head turning to see her.
She looked light a ghost, a mere phantasm underwater, eyes staring blankly and evilly, intent clear, her mouth open in a silent scream of madness, other hand reaching out to grab him, to drag him down with her.
Bosco glanced back up, seeing the faint glow of the surface above, and lashed out with his feet, trying to shove her away with his boots, running out of air and fast. He fought to rise to the surface, her grip unbelievably strong and tight, as though she had suddenly found the might as she realised her potential fate. She intended to take him with her. She wasn't going alone.
He grabbed her other hand, just as it reached for his neck, and brought up his foot, every moment seeming to slow, even as her eyes registered what he was doing. Before she could avoid it, the heel of his boot slammed into her face, knocking her down and away. Her hand snapped away from his jacket, releasing him, and blood filled the water.
In the moments before he started to rise, he saw her eyes lock with his, if just for a few seconds before she descended into the darkness below.
Bosco gave all his energy in one final lunge for the surface, feeling his head break it, followed shortly after by the rest of his shoulders and chest. He gasped in frantically, and panted heavily, body exhausted and aching madly.
"Bosco!" Faith called in desperation, and he looked up as he fought against the small waves. The first thing he saw on her face was relief.
* * *
Kim was crouched in the back of the bus, sat back on her haunches steadily as she helped Bosco remove his jacket. They were in motion, Bobby in the driving seat, and the cop sitting on the bed before her had an oxygen mask over his face. He was breathing deeply, still recovering from his submergence in the Hudson River, which, to Kim's knowledge, was damn cold.
Yokas sat on the other side of the rig, watching intently, wrapped up in a blanket, a slight smile on her face, her happiness discreet yet evident.
Bosco winced as the jacket slipped off his arm, and Kim could now see the wound where the bullet had grazed him. It bled, and would probably require stitches, but would cause him nothing but a little discomfort for a few weeks.
Kim had no doubt the bruising on his side was still present, if not worse from his ordeal, and she had noticed the head wound from the car crash had begun bleeding again.
Other than that, Bosco was no worse for wear, a little bruised here and there, and no doubt shaken, but nothing she was sure he couldn't handle.
When they had left, police had been everywhere at the pier, arresting the people responsible for Yokas' and Bosco's abduction. Kim was certain she had heard them say something about scouring the bottom of the river for the woman's body too. She shuddered at the thought, and went about measuring Bosco's blood pressure.
* * *
Sat back in a comfortable armchair, he sighed a heavy relieved sigh, and closed his eyes, running a hand over his tousled spiky brown hair for a moment. He tried to banish the thoughts of what had happened the last few days, and failed. He knew it would haunt him for a long time to come, but for now, he had to live with it, try and move on. He had no doubt he would recover in time, but right now, he just had to try and get on with his life, and not let it interfere with things.
He had been given the week off work, orders of the Captain. He had willingly obliged, just glad to still be alive after all that had happened. It was insane.
Dressed in black slacks, white sleeveless vest and socks, he was pretty damn content to simply sit in that same chair for the remainder of the day.
That was, until the door knocked, and he was forced to push his way out of it, relying mostly on his right arm, his upper left bandaged from where the bullet had grazed him the night before. It still stung, but as he walked to the door, pretty much everything ached, and his arm seemed inconsequential.
He ignored it all, reaching out and grabbing the door handle, pulling the door open casually, and stopping instantly at the person that waited on the other side.
It was Faith.
She stood there silently for a moment, dressed in jeans, and baggy sweater, hair falling beautifully about her face, eyes looking right at him, before she managed a wan smile. "Can I come in?"
He shook his head, and laughed quietly. "Sure, of course."
She entered, looking around as if she had never been in his apartment before, before she turned to him as he closed the door.
He turned, moving back over to the armchair where he had been so comfortably seated since that morning, and perched on the arm, looking to her curiously. "What's up?"
She shrugged beneath the baggy sweater, and sighed. "Not sure. I just went out for a walk, you know, in broad daylight," she smiled, "and found myself walkin' here. Before I knew what was goin' on, I was knockin' on your door."
Bosco blinked, waiting for her to continue.
She did; "I guess I just wanted to check up on you... see if you were okay after..." she paused for a moment, fighting to get the words out, "after what happened."
Hands rested on his knees, Bosco felt his eyes wander his apartment for a moment, before his head nodded slowly. "Sure. I'm fine."
Faith moved closer, sitting on the edge of his couch, and said, "Bos', you're forgetting who you're talkin' to. I know you," she paused again, looking him in the eye, "and I know when you're holding back."
Bosco met her gaze, unsure of what to say, if anything. They had been through so much together, but this last week had been a trial if nothing else. It had tested their bravery and vigilance to the extreme. There had been times when Bosco had secretly wanted to run and hide.
He took a deep breath in, and then let it out slowly, eyes wavering, glancing to the ceiling. "I just never expected something so simple as a shootout to come back and haunt us, Faith, you know?"
He watched her, waited to see if she would respond. She did not.
"When I saw Spencer die, I thought I was gonna get killed too," he continued, voice steady, yet quiet, "and then I heard about Hinds. Even though I'd never liked them, I couldn't help but think that I was responsible somehow."
"Bos'..." Faith began, but he shook his head, and she stopped short, falling silent again.
"And then there was the explosion with Gregory and Faraday, and... and I really started to get scared, Faith," Bosco admitted, eyes staring down at the floor. "It terrified me to think that someone was out there, purposefully planning to kill cops. When our car was hit, I can't remember being so scared in my whole life. I thought we were going to die..." his eyes met hers again, "I thought I was going to get you killed."
Faith frowned, her brow furrowing.
"I've always been afraid that something I do is gonna hurt someone along the line," Bosco persisted, hoping his words weren't pushing Faith to feeling sympathy for him. He didn't want that. He was being deadly honest, and he wanted her to know all of this, especially now. She needed to know.
"I remember what I was thinking about when I got thrown off the bridge... I just kept thinking that something was going to happen to you, and I wasn't going to be able to stop it." Bosco shook his head, taking in a deep breath. "That's what I'm most afraid of, Faith. Not dying, or anything like that... that scares me, but not as much as the thought that I might get the people I love hurt or killed. I couldn't bear that."
Faith quietly tucked her hair behind her ear, her eyes never leaving his face, even if he rarely looked to her.
"When I got that call, I didn't even think about what would happen to me," Bosco said to her, "I just wanted to get you out of danger. And back at the pier, I tried everything to stop her from hurting you."
She stood from the chair, coming to crouch before him, finding his gaze and locking it with hers, her gentle eyes staring into his, as she told him, "Bos', you did stop her from hurting me, and I can't tell you how much that means to me." She smiled, her hand touching his arm gently. "You saved my life, Bosco, and I'll never forget that."
He stared down at her, registering what she had just said, and wasn't quite sure what to say.
"You saved my life again," she said to him, her voice sincere and comforting.
Bosco allowed himself a slight nod, and he stood from the chair, his mind wandering. Before he knew he was even moving, he found himself staring out of the window, Faith coming up beside him.
The people of New York moved around busily on the streets below, cars and trucks shuffling down the roads and alleys. Squad cars, ambulances and fire trucks trundled by, on their way back to the houses or to a call. The familiar noise carried up to his window.
Bosco smiled, looking up to the sky.
Faith noticed his gaze. "What is it?"
Bosco looked to her, still smiling.
"The sun came out."