To All My Previous Readers (should you still be here) and any New Readers:

I have been away and off-line for quiet a while. I apologize for the long wait. I haven't posted anything for a while. I will finish Redemption's Tears eventually. Just a matter of getting the computer, reality, and ff.net to all cooperate at one time. Thank-you.

 p.s. I know this one's short.

Disclaimer: Please refer to disclaimers in earlier chapters.

Title: Redemption's Tears

Author: RedRaven

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O'Leary and Liam stared at each other for what seemed liked a very long time, but what probably only a few seconds. O'Leary was surprised that anyone had recognized him. Liam was shocked to see that a man that was supposed to have died when his mother had still been in an anti-terrorist unit was right in front of him. Even if O'Leary did look the worse for wear than when he remembered his mother last seeing him.

Some confused images rose up in Liam's mind as he studied O'Leary. A dark building, a firefight, and an explosion. There was also something about not finding bodies. O'Leary tried to take advantage of Liam's apparent lack of attention to the real world by grabbing for the gun in Liam's hand. Liam reacted by hitting the terrorist with the butt of the gun. He shook his head to clear the images away. He needed to focus on now, not his mother's memories of what had already happened. With one hand Liam yanked a groggy O'Leary to his feet keeping his gun trained on the terrorist. He glanced at the other terrorist who was still sprawled out on the ground.

O'Leary and this guy. That was two… Then there was the one he had killed upstairs… And the one he had knocked out… That was four altogether. How many more were there?

When he felt the tap on his shoulder Liam jumped and started to bring the gun around. Then he realized that it was only Barry. The old man motioned toward the next room where they could hear raised voices. The alarm was apparent in many of the voices they could hear. Then one voice that was raised above the rest.

"All of you, shut up, and sit down! The next one t'move will be shot! O'Leary? What's goin on in there?"

That was sort of an answer to Liam's worry about the number of terrorists left. There was at least one other one. Who was still armed, had hostages, and about to realize he was without much in the way of teammates on his side. This was definitely not over.

He was startled by the shout from O'Leary. "Just start shootin them Quinn!"

Just then they heard an explosion.

* * *

Outside

* * *

The infiltration team moved forward slowly, being very careful to watch out for traps, or terrorists who would probably be looking for such a group as themselves. Despite all their care, they set off a trap. The bomb exploded, killing one of the three and wounding the other two.

One of the wounded, one F.B.I. agent and Companion Protector Ronald Sandoval, grabbed out his global and called the rest of the group that was supposed to be retrieving the hostages. They had lost the element of surprise. They were going to have to move fast.