Hey, thanks to everybody that has read and reviewed so far. This is the last chapter of The Shadowlands, so I hope you enjoy the conclusion.
Chapter 14
Tom forced himself to move as the shots ricochet around him. Rolling away as bullets slammed into the ground where he had knelt. Fredericks' men swept into the defended area, seeking cover from the CTU reinforcements.
He finished moving next to the other van, the body of a Delta team member face down in the road in front of him, blood soaking through his shirt, despite the bullet proof vest.
Tom rolled him over, trying not to look at the young man's sightless eyes, wide open, staring at the bright sun. He read the name on the vest. Thompson. Promising himself he would pay a proper respect to the dead man when this was all over. Pay a proper respect to all the casualties when all this was over.
He tugged Thompson's side arm free, spinning on his knees, raising the pistol…
…finding himself dead in the sights of one of Fredericks' men.
Tom could see his finger tightening on the trigger. He almost relaxed, almost lowered the pistol, almost braced himself for the sudden searing impact, for the sickening smell of burnt flesh as the bullet tore into him.
The CTU helicopter swept over the battlefield, momentarily blinding everyone with the dust kicked up by its rotating blades. The gunner lined up the man threatening Tom and coolly shot him through the chest.
The man fell dead, his legs kicking out as he toppled to the ground.
Tom didn't question his rescue. Moving again, firing on instinct, forcing Fredericks' men to keep their distance, to keep their heads down. The few surviving members of his Delta Teams did the same thing, allowing Delta Four to advance closer to the beleaguered position.
The helicopter hovered above them, the gunner training his sights on any of Fredericks' men who dared to move from their hard won cover.
A stray shot caught van der Melde in the stomach.
Tom saw him respond in slow motion. Pressing his hand against the wound, then staring at it comically, not quite believing that his hand was damp with his own blood. Then he slid slowly to the ground, next to Jeffers' body.
"Cover me." Tom darted from his hiding place, the rate of fire increasing around him. He felt bullets, spent cartridges kick into the dirt around his feet.
He slipped to the ground next to van der Melde, making sure he knocked the man's rifle away. His eyes were already glassy, sweat beading on his forehead, his skin pale, his body shaking slightly.
Tom snatched his radio from the pocket on his vest. "Delta Four, Delta Four. Do you copy?"
"This is Delta Four, go ahead."
"Man down. I need urgent medical assistance. Repeat man down." He threw the radio away from him and pressed his hand against the wound on van der Melde's chest. "You better not die on me you bastard."
xxxXXXxxx
Fredericks fired blindly. His shots shatteringly loud even against the screaming in the Regan Hotel.
Silence.
Just for a second.
Ashley risked a look, angling herself so she could see, yet keeping most of her body in cover. Trying to find Nathan, trying to find a way to manoeuvre Fredericks into a…
She jerked her head back as he fired at her. The bullet slamming into the wall, she was hiding behind, showering her with dust.
And again. Silence fell.
She heard a muffled scream and risked another look. She saw a pretty waitress dragged to her feet by her dark hair. Saw Fredericks hold his gun against the side of her forehead. Saw her eyes go wide in fear, saw her shake as she tried not to cry.
"I'm walking out of here!"
Fredericks turned quickly, moving so he could see the whole room, keeping waitress' almost limp body between him and as much of the room as he could. Too quickly to let them get a shot off.
"I see any police, or if anybody tries to stop me, I'll blow her fucking head off!"
He started to walk towards the door, almost carrying the waitress. She was sobbing openly now, clinging to his arm to stop herself falling.
Ashley saw Nathan inch his way forward. Keeping low, trying to keep Fredericks attention from focusing on him. Moving slowly, quietly.
She had to give him time to get into position.
She tensed, preparing to move from cover, to try and draw his fire.
He took another step, trying to ignore the girls sobbing. His eyes darting around the room. He knew he should hurry, knew that the cops and yet, he wanted to finish off the job.
Movement to the side caught his eye.
Cronje.
Crawling like the worm he was. Crawling from beneath the wreckage of the table where he had hidden.
Fredericks didn't hesitate, firing twice into the back of his skull. The waitress screamed again as she felt the gun barrel, hot from the execution pressed against her cheek.
"Now we go."
xxxXXXxxx
"Control, this is Delta Five. We are in position."
"Copy that, Delta Five. On my mark."
"Control, this is Delta Four. We have secured the site. Requesting urgent medical assistance."
Michelle walked across the bullpen. Hating this part, the uselessness, the hopelessness. "How many?"
"How many what?" Tony met her eyes. Wanting to hear her say the words.
Her eyes flashed angrily. "How many did we loose?"
Her beautiful eyes. He remembered…
Did he say those words to hurt her? To score a cheap point against her? To punish her for doing what she had had to do? To let her know the price, the helplessness of command?
Oh God, the helplessness…
."Too many." He looked away from her, across the bullpen. "Chloe, dispatch medical support to Tom's position."
"Tony, LAPD's in position around the Regan. There's no where for Fredericks to go."
"Control, this is Delta Five. Fredericks has a hostage."
"Can you see Nathan or Ashley?"
"Negative, Control."
"Control, this is Delta Four. We have hostiles in custody."
xxxXXXxxx
She couldn't believe that he had executed Cronje in cold blood.
But then, these were the type of people she was dealing with now.
"Everybody stay down. Stay out of my fucking way, and nobody else has to get hurt." He ran the pistol across the waitress' cheek in a grotesque parody of a caress. "Especially this pretty little thing."
The waitress couldn't even speak. Only whimper helplessly, and plead with her not to hurt her. Couldn't take her eyes from Cronje's corpse.
Fredericks ignored her, dragging her away from the body. Away from the blood starting to seep out onto the floor.
Ashley pulled out her own gun, and risked another look from cover. Trying to catch Nathan's eye as he moved.
She held his gaze as long as she dared. Trying to tell him her plan without words. She hoped he understood.
Fredericks was almost passed her. She had to move. Now.
Clutching her gun, she darted from cover.
Fredericks' eyes latched onto her, hungrily. Following her movements smoothly, the barrel of the gun aimed at her. She imagined she could still see the smoke belching from it.
His finger tightening on the trigger.
xxxXXXxxx
He couldn't believe it was over. Couldn't believe he had survived, especially after van der Melde had pointed a gun at the back of his head.
Tom watched as Delta Four moved across the battle site, dragging the survivors to their feet, handcuffing their prisoners, loading their prisoners into the almost gleaming support vans. He grinned grimly as he compared them to the bullet ridden wreckage around him.
He still crouched next to van der Melde's body, his hand sticky and thick with the other man's blood. A medical team moved across the site, treating what wounded they could.
All too often, they closed a body bag around a Delta Team member.
One of them approached Tom, holding a medical case in his hand. "Sir, what's his status?"
"Shot in stomach." Tom glanced at van der Melde. His sweats and shakes had gotten worse as the adrenalin had faded after the fight. "I think he's in shock."
"We'll deal with him now, sir." The medic signalled to one of his colleagues who hurried over to him, pulling on a fresh pair of gloves, discarding the old bloodstained pair.
Tom started to stand. Suddenly bone weary, all he wanted to do was go home, stand in the shower until he had washed the slime of the day off him and then sleep.
Tomorrow was a new day.
Van der Melde's hand shot out, catching his wrist. "Remember our deal, Baker."
Tom wrenched his hand free, rubbing the blood off his wrist. He had enough blood on his hands already.
"You promised me Baker. You promised me you'd help me disappear. You promised you'd…"
"That's for the Director to decide."
Tomorrow was a new day.
xxxXXXxxx
For an instant, she thought, feared that he was going to shoot.
For an instant, a second, she thought that she was going to die.
Fredericks tracked her with the gun, the hostage hanging limp in his grip. His finger tightening around the trigger. She tensed, almost welcoming the impact.
'What the hell is she doing?' Nathan scrambled to his feet, ripping a hole in the knee of his Regan Hotel uniform, the body of the hostage still between him and Fredericks.
Ashley darted across Fredericks' field of fire. He moved slightly, his gun still aimed at her.
Just for that instant, that second, Nathan had a clear shot.
Not allowing himself to think, he took the shot.
xxxXXXxxx
Two shots echoed around the Regan Hotel, nearly deafening her.
His grip on her tightened, pulling her so close that she feared he meant to kiss her.
Then he was gone.
She felt something damp against her cheek, the same cheek he had caressed with the hot pistol. Her hand came away sticky and crimson. She stared at it for a second. Then her tears started, as she remembered his touch, his gun against her.
Men dressed in dark SWAT clothing swept into Regan Hotel, weapons aimed and ready.
She felt arms around her. A blond haired woman, dressed in a Regan Hotel uniform, pulled her close. "Its okay, honey. I got you."
A member of Delta Five handed Ashley a shield and she slipped the fine chain over her head. She tightened her embrace on the waitress, and thought about tomorrow.
Tomorrow was a new day.
Nathan approached Fredericks body, kicking away the discarded pistol. He knelt next to him, checking for a pulse. He met Ashley's eyes over the waitress' shoulder and nodded.
He stood and spoke quietly into his mike.
"We got him, Michelle."
The End of The Shadowlands
And that's it folks.
I was going to write an epilogue and tie everything up in a nice neat little bow, but I think it's more like the show to have a more sudden ending. I do have another story in mind with this particular 'cast'
Oh and I finally figured out the formatting
Thank you (a HUGE Thank you!) to everyone that read and reviewed, and to everybody that made suggestions. I hope you all enjoyed the story.
Thanks again,
Bluenose
PS I thought I'd give you the lyrics to the song that provided the title. It's written by Ryan Adams, and was debuted live in Belfast
The Shadowlands
God please bring the rain
Yeah and bring it soon
Let it food right through the house
Into Judys room
With a father on amphetamines
Her mother hides the pearls
Reach out into the darkness
And find my little girl
Cos shes angry like a sales man
That couldnt make a sale
Threw her wedding ring in the sewar
And damned them all to hell
Please lead her to the mountain
That you fashioned out of sand
While the roaches climb the walls
From the hotel where he calls
Most people never find a love
Most people never find a love
Sometimes you just cant be a man
Sometimes you just cant be a man
When you're living in the darkness
Of the shadowlands
The shadowlands
I thought it summed up some parts of Season Three perfectly.
Thanks again.