This is it, folks, the last chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Song lyrics in this chapter are from Dragging Hooks by the Cowboy Junkies.
Please, read and review.
Chapter Thirteen
"So you lied to me, Michelle?" Natasha shook her head in disbelief. "You lied to me and you expect me to support you?"
"The only reason I lied to you was to protect you. I knew you were getting pressure from above. Jack has done…"
"Dammit Michelle! You aren't Jack. It's one of the reasons I wanted you in the fucking job in the first place." Abruptly, Natasha realised she was shouting and fought to control her temper. Shaking, she turned away from Michelle.
Was everybody she trusted going to stab her in the back?
She forced herself back under control. "What's the situation with the Rights of the Child investigation at the minute?"
"Tony picked up Jackson Alexander at the Lester Clinic about half an hour ago." Michelle grinned bitterly. "He had a bomb strapped to his chest and a gun aimed at one of my agents."
"What else?"
"We've got an assassin trapped in the parking lot. He was hired by Rights of the Child to kill Amy Gardner." Michelle fought down a sudden rush of anger. She hated politics. "He shot one of my people."
"Can you break Jackson Alexander?"
Michelle didn't hesitate. "Yes."
"See that you do." Natasha sighed heavily. "I'll get you enough time to do it."
xxxXXXxxx
Ashley walked back into CTU as if she had never been away. Back into the bustle, the noise, the confusion as if she had only been gone for an afternoon, instead of six months. She almost smiled.
Home again.
"Hey Ashley." Adam smiled at her as he hurried towards his station. "Good to see you again."
"Good to be back, Adam." This time, she did smile, tension easing out of her small frame. "Good to be back."
Tony walked into CTU, two members of his Delta team leading Jackson Alexander. "Put him into Holding, and get set up for an interrogation." He ran his hand across his face. "Adam, where's Michelle?"
"Talking with Natasha." Adam glanced up at the Director's Office. "I think they must be talking about Nathan."
"Nathan? What about Nathan?"
"Oh my God, you haven't heard." Adam swallowed heavily, his mouth suddenly dry. "Nathan was shot a couple of hours ago. Single shot, high powered rifle." He looked down and away from them. "It's bad. Real bad."
"From where?"
"The parking lot. Tom's leading the hunt." Adam tried to force some steel and some confidence into his voice. "We're closing in on him."
Tony checked the action on his pistol. "Who's running point?"
"Chloe."
"Tell her I'm going over there. Get her to let Tom know."
"Okay Tony." Adam hurried off towards Chloe's station.
"Ashley, I need you to handle the Alexander's interrogation and you're the only one who knows the case."
She didn't want to be in the room with Alexander. Not so soon after he had threatened her. Not with the life of one of her friends hanging in the balance. But she knew her job.
"Okay."
xxxXXXxxx
They were getting closer.
He could hear them now. Calling out orders, search patterns to each other, covering each other's movements, watching each other's backs. Always careful, always alert.
He peered out carefully. Watching as a team shone a light under a parked car, looking through the windows, popping the trunk. Their weapons always close to hand. They were on edge, eager to take him down anyway they could.
He fought to control his breathing, to keep it smooth and even. He didn't want to drw them to him before he was ready.
And he was almost ready.
xxxXXXxxx
"Get out of my way!"
Rebecca pressed her foot down on the accelerator, weaving through the lines of early evening traffic. She tried not to loo at the other vehicles. She just wanted to see him.
How could she have been so stupid? How could she have been so selfish?
She just wanted to see him. Even if it was just to tell him she loved him. Even if it was just to say goodbye.
She didn't want him to die thinking she didn't love him.
xxxXXXxxx
Michelle stood behind Chloe, watching as the search progressed. Chloe made another mark on the map. "Copy that, Tom." She glanced over at Michelle. "Fifth floor is clear."
They were closing in. She knew it. He was running out of places to hide.
So why did she have such a bad feeling about this? Like things were running out of her control?
She lifted a phone and dialled quickly.
"Kaufman."
"Adam, its Michelle. Has Ashley got anything out of Jackson Alexander yet?"
"Not yet." Adam's voice was distracted. She could hear Richardson, speaking softly in the background. "She's just gone in."
"Let me know as soon as she gets anything. I don't want her to be in there any longer than she has to be."
"Understood."
Michelle hung up, fighting against the sudden rush of dizziness and nausea. She stumbled, catching her balance on the back of the chair. Looking around quickly, making sure that no one had seen her brief stumble.
Chloe glanced distractedly over her shoulder. "Are you okay Michelle?"
Hastily she found her voice. "Yeah. Just a little tired. I didn't get the chance to eat today." She ran her hand quickly across her stomach. She had to be more careful, look after herself. "Has Tom reported anything from the 6th floor yet?"
There was a loud blast of noise through the speakers. Chloe flinched, reaching for the filters. "Tom, what's going on over there?"
"Shots fired on the 6th floor."
Another voice broke into the conversation, barely audible beneath the sound of gunfire. "We got a man down here."
xxxXXXxxx
"You?" Jackson Alexander sat back in his chair, laughing loudly, the sound echoing around the sterile room. "I didn't think they'd allow you to speak to me."
"Shut up, Jackson." Ashley walked over to the table and sat down. Her heart was pounding so loudly, she was sure he could hear it.
"Relax, Ashley." Adam's voice in her ear sounded encouraging, reassuring. "We already got him for the bombing. We just want him to admit it, okay."
She managed to stop herself nodding. "Who planned today?"
"I did." He looked at her. Straight at her, with those deep intense eyes that seemed to burn through her, through her soul. "God knows you, Ashley. He knows what sins you have committed, what lies you've told." His voice dropped, the words settling heavily on her shoulders. "You're going to Hell, Ashley."
She tried to ignore him, tried not to let him know that his words had gotten under her skin. "What about Amy Gardner? Who planned the attack on her?"
"How long did they brief you for this Ashley? You were with us for 6 months. Did they have you practising every lie? Every tear?" He laughed again. "You were good, I'll give you that. How does it feel Ashley? To fool good, honest, God fearing people?"
She swallowed an angry retort, staring at him for a second. Then she stood up and walked out of the room.
Adam pulled his earpiece away. "What's wrong, Ashley?"
"I can't do this. I'm sorry. I can't. I just can't okay. I'm too close."
He nodded. "Okay. I'll get Richards to do it."
xxxXXXxxx
Another shot rang out, a bullet skipping off the rough surface of the parking lot, smashing the window of the car parked behind them. Tony ducked back behind them car, wiping shards of glass away from his shoulders.
"Son of a bitch has a good position."
Tom nodded, firing another couple of shots over the top of the car, forcing the shooter to duck back into cover.
The Delta teams crept forward, keeping low. Darting between parked cars, through the shadows and light thrown by the setting sun. One of the Delta team members hesitated, caught in a single, horrible, corridor of light.
A single shot tore through his chest.
"You go left. I'll cover you."
Tony nodded. He took a deep breath and darted from cover, several Delta team members following after him. Almost instantly, shots kicked up around him.
He reached the bottom of the ramp. Conscious of the bodies of several of the Delta teams, lying around him. Bastard had taken his toll.
More shots echoed around the parking lot, as the teams pushed forward, concentrating their fire, keeping the shooter pinned down. Tom darted forward, moving into cover, behind the wall at the other side of the ramp.
He glanced at Tony, sweat running down his forehead. "You ready?"
Tony nodded.
"Lets go."
xxxXXXxx
"Dessler."
"It's Tom, Michelle. He's dead. We got him. We got him."
Michelle sagged in relief. "Thank God, oh thank God. Is everybody okay?"
Tom's voice betrayed no emotion. "We're going to need a medical team over here, Michelle."
"I'll get one over straight away." She hesitated, reluctant to play the frightened wife, but she needed to know he was okay, just to reassure herself. "Let me speak to Tony."
"Hold on." She heard mumbled voices. "…talk to you."
"Almeida."
"Hey."
"Hey. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I'll see you soon, sweetheart." She hung up, finally allowing herself to smile, to relax. They'd gotten through another day.
"Michelle."
She looked around at the sound of Adam's voice. "What is it?"
"Nathan's girlfriend is here."
"Okay. Send a medical team over to the parking lot, immediately." She took a deep breath and walked over to the slight blond woman, looking around CTU with red rimmed eyes. "I'm Michelle Dessler, Director of CTU." She put her hand on the woman's shoulder, feeling it shake with barely controlled tears. "You must be Rebecca. Nathan's talked a lot about you."
"Can I see him?"
"I've got a room ready for you. Somewhere were you'll be more comfortable."
"Can I see him?" Rebecca covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh my God, he's dead isn't he?" She started to sob, harsh racking sobs that ripped through her body, clinging to Michelle.
Michelle led her quickly through CTU into the waiting room, sitting Rebecca down. She sat next to her, taking her hand. "He's not dead, Rebecca. But I wont lie to you. He's been hurt pretty badly."
"How badly?"
"We don't know yet." Michelle sighed heavily, remembering the frustration, the agony of waiting. "The next few hours will be critical. We'll just have to wait and see."
xxxXXXxxx
See that girl, she's lost her boy, flash flood stole him away
Now she keeps a vigil on that suspension bridge
Praying for that river to return him one day
So sharpen up those dragging hooks
Tie that clove hitch tight, cast into the river boys
We're dragging for lost love tonight
"And that's about all from me for today. Thanks for your company. I'll be doing this all again tomorrow, more great music, more why today sucked. Darren Hunter's up next."
"I'll see you all tomorrow, here on CSRFM."
The End
And that's it folks. A HUGE thank you goes to everybody that reviewed. I hope you all enjoyed the story. Please, if you've stuck with it this far, drop me a review and let me know what you thought.
Thanks again for reading.
