Author's note: Apologies for the length of time taken to update … someone I know is very sick at the moment, and I've been a little distracted.

Anyway, now they are out of the tunnels and we are getting towards the business end of the fic … not that its over by any stretch.

Sarah: Thanks! Here's the next update …

Wolf maid: Jim had better watch his back … yeah he's in lotsa trouble in this fic!! Thanks for reviewing; hope you like the update!

Kat: Thankyou!! … gives Street a hug … one of the best things about writing is putting the characters through hell and then patching them back up or letting 'em go … ;-)

Capt Cow: Here is more!! :-)

Lelann37: I wasn't very happy with the last chapter … hopefully this one is better. The last was more aimed at keeping the story going … :-) Thanks for reviewing!

Bsktballchick: I don't know how far I will take it … I'll definitely get to the end of the movie and then see what happens from there, especially as regards couples … ;-)

Dolly: Ahhhh cliffhangers … what happened to Hondo and the others will be revealed in this chapter … but not fully evil laugh I'm keeping that card up my sleeve …

Havingfun: Thanks :-) I'm writing as quickly as is possible at the moment …

Katie: By the party/other people … well … the other people referred to Hondo etc. and the party … well Gamble has a few nasty surprises up his sleeve! As for Jim … he's gotta learn when to shuttup and sit back, doesn't he?! … Thanks for reviewing!

Laura Mulway: interesting in a good way? I can deal with that ;-) Thanks!

Chapter 4: An Unusual Airstrip

Hondo groaned, and tried to get up. His back felt like it was on fire, and he couldn't move his legs. "Hondo!" he heard Deke calling. "You there?"

"Wish I wasn't," Hondo called back. Deke let out a short laugh; but it died away as he saw Hondo's predicament.

Hondo was lying on the ground. His back was bleeding from shrapnel wounds, as were his arms, but they were not the biggest problem – Hondo's legs were trapped under a large rock. "Oh shit …" he whispered.

"What's the situation, Deke? Where's Sanchez?" Hondo asked.

Deke hesitated. "I don't know. There was a huge blast; I hit the ground and now I can't see her."

Hondo forced himself not to think of what this might mean. "Can you get me out?"

"I can try," Deke said, gazing nervously at the rubble covering Hondo. "But you'll have to help me. Can you feel your legs?"

"Yeah – just."

"OK – when I say, I need you to kick up as hard as you can, get it? And then get out from under it," Deke said. He didn't think this would actually work … but it was the only thing to do; only option he had left. He crouched by the rock, testing it with his hands and trying to get a good grip on it. "OK … now," he yelled, lifting with all his might. Hondo kicked upwards, giving Deke a little more strength, then pulled his legs out from under the rock. Deke let it fall back to the ground. He lent against it, panting heavily.

Hondo felt his legs carefully, wincing. They don't feel broken, he thought. Deke gave him a hand, and he got experimentally to his feet, wincing as pins and needles set in. "Sit down," Deke told him, and Hondo slumped gratefully back onto the rock. "You've been lucky; they aren't broken," Deke told him, skaing his head. "You are that damn lucky …" He turned away, and began looking through the rubble, calling "Sanchez?"

Hondo looked around at the devestation, and his heart sank. A section of wall about eight metres long had been blown out by the explosion – a bobby trap left by Gamble, he assumed – and Hondo had been saved because he stepped away from the opening the moment Deke had realised what was happening … but Sanchez had not been that quick …

Groaning, he got up to help Deke look, even as he heard a shout from Deke: "I see her!"

Deke fell to his knees beside Sanchez, pushing debris off her. She was unconsious, and blood trickled freely down her face from her injuries. However, as Deke continued to scrap rubble off her, he noticed – with sick horror in the pit of his stomach – the terrible wounds on her arm, the arm that had been reaching inside the opening. The skin was broken and blood covered nearly all of her arm; the cuts were deep and it looked as though she had lost a lot of blood. Deke ripped part of his uniform, and wrapped it tightly around her arm, trying to stem some of the bleeding.

Hondo reached his side. "Well?"

"It's bad," Deke said. "She's gonna bleed to death unless we get her to a hospital soon. And then …"

Hondo nodded. He understood exactly what Deke meant. I hope she remembers her little girl … Hondo thought, cos that's the only thing that will give her the strength to fight. He remembered Sanchez's comment earlier that night, when he had reminded her to keep a sharp eye out for possible attackers: "Hands out, no guns, and I'm going home to my little girl." Well, Sanchez, Hondo thought, we're gonna get you home to your little girl, no matter what. Jim sat in the back seat of the four-wheel-drive, waiting for Gamble, TJ, and Alex to get in. He saw them look back towards the tunnels, and glanced surreptiously towards the door. If he could just get out of the car, maybe … His hopes were dashed as Gamble got into the car, followed by TJ and Alex. The latter still regarded Street with a look of malevolence and anger; Street didn't like his chances if he was left alone with Montel. "Bet your wondering where we're headed next, eh, Jimmy-boy?" Gamble said, a mocking gleam in his eye. Jim tried to think of a smart-arse reply, but failed. He stayed silent, and Gamble laughed. "We're going to an airstrip …" Gamble said. "A very unusual airstrip …" He fell silent, staring ahead at the black nothingness. Jim shivered; he tried to work out what Gamble was talking about. Of course he'll want a plane to get out of here … but what the hell did he mean "unusual airstrip" … I really do not like the sound of that … "Get out," Gamble ordered as he stopped the car at one end of the 6th Street Bridge. Street got out, staring around and wondering what the hell was going on. Gamble glanced at his watch, muttering "Where are they?" TJ walked over to him. "What are you planning?" "Our ride is on it's way …" Gamble said with a wink. "The police have been safely diverted to various airports …" TJ nodded. "Then we'll be out soon?" "Yeah. In an hour or so we'll be home free. And as for my old friend …" he said, staring malevolently at Jim. TJ realised what Gamble was heading towards, and forestalled him. "Brian, don't kill him." "Why not?" Gamble asked. "Got a soft spot for him, have you?" "Just don't kill him …" Gamble shrugged. "Fine. Once we're safely away, I'll let him go." TJ nodded. "Thanks." Gamble looked up suddenly, and laughed. "Our ride is here!" He pointed up into the sky; Street noticed, and looked up. His eyes widened as he saw a plane, flying low over the city. Oh jesus, he thought, what the hell – Realisation dawned. Jim sighed, shaking his head. You have to hand it to Brian Gamble, he thought wryly. This is one hell of an "unusual" airstrip. Hondo held Sanchez's hand as the ambulance officiers wheeled her away. Her arm had been bandaged up, but the paramedics had looked concerned when they saw it … Hondo had seen them whispering together, and had caught one word out of their conversation – "amputation". Hondo hoped fervently that this would not be the case … not only could he not afford to loose another member of SWAT, but it would devestate Chris, and … how would she support her little girl? "Hold on, Sanchez," he said, as she was lifted – still unconscious – into the ambulance. "Hold on Chris … your daughter needs you." He turned away, to where Deke was waiting nearby. "Let's go catch that son of a bitch!" he ordered, and they jumped back into the car. Author's note: There it is … chapter 4. Let me know what you think of this one … :-) If the next update takes a while, it's not that I've abandonned the story, it's just that I have a few other things on my mind …