Author's Note - I hate to disappoint everyone, as you all seem to be enjoying this story, but it is only a short one – just an explanation of why Jack didn't appear in an episode that he should definitely have been in. Thanks for the great reviews. You never know, if you think it needs it, I may do some more. Let me know what you think when I finally put 'The End' on the bottom of the page - Flatkatsi
Breakfast Meeting – Part Two
Running around the corner, the scene that greeted Sergeant Kelly and his partner was one of chaos. There seemed to be at least one victim outside, a middle-aged man, lying in a heap near the café door, a pool of blood widening beneath him. Screams were coming from inside the establishment, loud shrill screams from several throats.
"Shots – from up there!" The man that grabbed his shirt was babbling hysterically from his hiding place under an upturned table. Kelly followed his pointing finger, seeing nothing but high buildings and featureless office windows.
"Stay down." He issued the order sharply, knowing the man had no intention of moving. The only other person nearby, a young woman, was kneeling behind another table, her face pale. Kelly spoke rapidly into his radio, calling it in and requesting backup. John was already heading for the open door, hunched low, with his weapon at the ready. Witnesses had been wrong before – this could be a robbery gone wrong, or even a drive-by shooting with the chance of the perpetrators still being in the vicinity. John looked back quickly over his shoulder and Kelly nodded to him, silently acknowledging that they needed to assess the situation inside. He edged his way over, glancing briefly at the downed man as he passed him. There wasn't much he could see, but if the amount of blood was anything to go by, it didn't look good.
The source of the screams was evident as soon as they entered the café. One woman was sobbing, while another held a napkin to the arm of a tiny girl. They looked up as the two policemen entered, their expressions reflecting their terror.
"Help, please, Kathy's been shot."
John hurried to the little girl, while Kelly made a visual check of the interior, seeing only other patrons, some still seated, others standing, but all looking stunned by the events that had taken them completely by surprise,
"What happened here?"
An elderly man was the first to speak, his voice firm and steady. "There were two shots, Officer. One came through the glass and hit the little girl." He pointed at the large window at the front of the café, its glass showing cracks all radiating from a central point. Blood splatters were flecked across the area, but the main concentration ran down in an obvious trail to where Kelly knew the other victim lay just out of sight on the ground outside.
"Did you see who did the shooting?"
The witness shook his head. "No, I heard the shots and pulled my wife under the table. It's not a sound you forget once you've heard it, and I heard it a lot during the war. It was a rifle, not a handgun – I can tell you that much."
Kelly nodded his thanks and radioed in a follow up report, requesting an ambulance be on standby. It didn't look like the little girl was badly hurt. The bullet had grazed her arm, leaving a bloody scratch that looked much worse than it was on the tiny limb. Both her mother and the other woman would need to be treated for shock.
He raised a hand and waited until he had the customers' attention. "Okay, I've called for backup and we should wait inside until sure the area is clear, so I'd like you all to move back towards the rear of the room and behind the counter. Stay away from the windows."
People began to comply with his order, the elderly man helping his wife to stand somewhat shakily. Some seemed reluctant to come out from what they saw as places of safety, but seeing the others all moving to the back, soon joined them. John carried the toddler there himself, and was soon back, positioning himself opposite Kelly at the other side of the large window.
Everything seemed deadly quiet, but the sergeant knew it was only the matter of a few minutes before all hell would break loose with the arrival of the reinforcements he'd called for.
"What about the other victim?"
Kelly peered sideways through the window, keeping low. He could only see the man's lower legs, but there was no movement. It had only been five minutes since they had heard the gunshots while across the street and responded. He could still be alive.
The experienced sergeant grunted, the sound conveying a mixture of agreement and resigned annoyance at his younger partner's unspoken suggestion. It was obvious the man outside had been the primary target of the shooter.
Hell.
"Okay, on three. You cover me and I'll grab him."
Mere seconds later, both men were back in the relative safety of the café, the wounded man lying on the floor between them.
They could hear sirens approaching and the whump whump of helicopter blades in the air over head. It wouldn't be long before help was with them, but in the meantime they had to keep this man alive.
Kelly kept watch, looking cautiously out over the window sill, aware that John was doing his best for the stricken man.
"How is he?" The sergeant kept his eyes on the view outside, scanning their surroundings for any sign of the gunman.
"Not good. He's got one wound to the shoulder and another to the back that went right through. That's probably what broke the window and got the kid. Looks like a high-powered rifle. Could be a sniper."
"Shit!" Kelly peered up at the tall buildings across the street. "It could have come from anywhere" He glanced back at the sound of ripping, seeing John bunching a piece of tablecloth and holding it tightly against the chest wound as he rolled the man on to his side.
John raised his voice, making it heard by the people now hiding behind the counter. "I need help here."
Before Kelly could issue the request as an order, the same elderly patron they had spoken to before came crawling out around the corner of the counter. He kept low and despite his age was with John within a few seconds.
"What can I do?"
"I need to keep pressure on both entry and exit point and bandage the shoulder. He's losing too much blood."
"While you're at it, look for some ID." Kelly turned his attention back to the street as he spoke. "See if there's anything to tell us why he was targeted."
xoxoxoxoxoxo
TBC