Disclaimer: Sorry. Don't own the show. Don't own the characters. It's a sad truth, but I am making no money from this.

Hello again! Reviews make me happy … and I'd just like to thank everyone for your support! Lots of things happen in this chapter, so I hope everyone enjoys the action!

"Agent Eppes, what is your position?" Ford's voice crackled through the speaker as Don sat in the helicopter, his heart beating at the speed of light as he looked out the window. I'm going to find you, Terry. I promised I would. And I'm going to make them pay for what they did to you.

"I'm five miles from our target, Agent Ford." Don spoke over the din of the helicopter blades, taking deep breaths to keep him steady, "Are all units ready?"

"All units ready and waiting, sir." Ford answered, "SWAT teams have already been dispatched to give us backup. Our landing commences in five minutes."

"Good." Don couldn't find the voice to say much more. "Thank you, Agent Ford." He had never felt so nervous before a raid in all his years as an FBI agent. Don shut his eyes for a moment and forced himself to stay calm. Terry needs me to remain focused. I can't let her down now.

But… what if they were wrong? What if the four helicopters full of trained FBI agents were headed for the wrong place? What if they were placing all their confidence in a black van that had nothing to do with Chambers at all? What if Charlie was wrong?

What if… by the time they reach them, Terry was already dead?

Don tried not to think about it. They had to be right. Charlie was so certain. So certain, in fact, that he was sitting in one of the other three helicopters wearing a bullet-proof vest and carrying a map. Don couldn't talk him out of coming- he knew that Charlie had to make sure that Terry was alright. He wouldn't rid himself of that guilt until he saw her alive. And Don understood how his brother felt.

Don knew that if the operation failed and Terry was killed, that he would never be able to look at himself in a mirror ever again. He would have failed her- and that would be the worst thing that he could ever commit. I have to save her… He had been thinking for so long that when he next looked out the glass window, Don saw their designated landing area just a few meters ahead. This is it. She has to be here…

"Prepare for landing, gentlemen." The pilot's voice brought back to his senses as he looked at the three other agents sitting beside him.

"Are you ready, people?" Don made sure his rifle was loaded, stealing a quick glance out the window. He pressed a button on his speaker and connected to Agent Ford. "Agent Ford, Unit One is landing. We will check the perimeter. Do not move until I give the order, understood?"

"Understood, sir," Ford said, his dependable voice making Don feel calmer, "Units Two, Three and Four will await your orders. The SWAT teams are on their way, and should be with us in four and a half minutes."

"Good. And Ford?" Don looked over at his team and made sure that they were all prepared. "Please make sure that my brother does not leave the chopper. He is unarmed and has no prior training. Just… keep him in there, whatever happens."

"Done, sir."

&&&&

Terry closed her eyes, willing herself to keep breathing. It hurt so much to take deep breaths that she had to force herself to voluntarily inhale and exhale. Luckily, none of the men had decided to give her any extra attention that day. The little 'office' was buzzing with the sound of electronics and computers- which meant that Raspy Voice and his men were keeping themselves busy. That was good for her, but it probably meant bad news for the FBI. She knew what they wanted of Charlie, and as much as she respected his talents, Terry doubted that he could magically attain all four passwords using math. She wondered what the FBI was planning to do about it. Don would think of something to do, that much was sure… But what if he was too late?

She wasn't tied up anymore, thank God. That would have hurt like hell. Those men knew that the nearest she would get to escaping their clutches was to crawl a few inches in the direction of the door. Where was the door anyway? Terry just had no idea where she was. It was all so frustrating. She tried to make herself sit up, but it seemed twenty times harder than normal. She was just exhausted. When was the last time she had something to eat, or drink? Terry knew that whatever Raspy Voice was planning to do next, he did not expect to keep her alive for very much longer.

Terry wasn't really sure what it was, but suddenly she felt as though the walls were shaking. Her body was pressed right up against the wall, and she could feel it so evidently that she wondered why no one else seemed to pay it any attention. What if it was an earthquake? Terry tried to shift her position without further damaging her ribs- she was sure that at least one was broken. Even though her entire left side hurt, Terry knew had sustained enough injuries working for the FBI to recognize what a broken rib felt like. Wincing, she pressed her ear against the wall to attempt to hear what was going on outside.

Her eyes widened as she realized what had made the rumbling noise. It was such a familiar sound that Terry almost cried with relief. Helicopters! Don..! She twisted a little to get her ears closer to the wall, trying to be as soundless as possible so that the men would not notice anything out of the ordinary. Could it be…? Could it be that the FBI finally located us? Terry wanted very much to believe it, but what were the chances? They had a scrambler… it was impossible to trace their calls. She could not allow herself to hope… there was no way they could possibly find her…

"What was that?" One of Raspy Voice's henchmen stood up and walked towards the walls hurriedly, "There's something outside…"

Terry froze suddenly. The noise was getting louder, and it was obvious now that it was a helicopter that had landed nearby. Oh god, they're getting their guns out! She turned her head to get a better view of what the men were doing, and sure enough they had pulled out all their weapons and were loading them rapidly. If the FBI was outside, Don would be with them. What if he got hurt? Terry wouldn't be able to bear it if he was injured or killed trying to arrest her kidnappers. Oh please… Don, please just keep of harm's way!

"Get the girl, quickly!" Raspy Voice hissed, as the sound of voices from outside grew louder. Terry's heart raced as one of the men grabbed her and pulled her upwards. Her side burst with pain as her left arm was yanked roughly, and she stifled a scream. Terry realized that she wasn't presented with much choice- either she go with them or die there. Without stopping to take any of their equipment, the men jumped into the van. Raspy Voice lunged into the driver's seat and the man holding Terry pushed her into the back of the vehicle and jumped in after her.

"Oh God…" There were voices from outside that could be heard clearly now. This is the FBI! Please release your hostage immediately from the building. Put down your weapons and come out with your hands up… Terry fell over as the van lurched in reverse- obviously the men were not going to pay very much attention to the FBI's demands. Although she was the one who in a vehicle with five armed and very dangerous men inside, her thoughts were all with her co-workers who were most probably outside. Don, David… Please don't put yourself in danger. Please… Clutching her side and wishing that her head would stop spinning so madly, Terry tried to steady herself as Raspy Voice reversed the van straight through the double doors that she finally noticed, which served as an entrance and exit to the warehouse.

The doors burst without much resistance, and the inside of the van was suddenly flooded with light. Although there was not much of an impact force, Terry found herself struggling to stay conscious once more. She couldn't see the outside; she was sprawled on the floor and the windows were way above her line of sight. However, she could hear shouts from the agents outside- yelling at the men to stop the vehicle. Anytime now, one of these men is going to start shooting. Cold sweat running down her forehead, Terry pressed herself closer to the ground to keep herself as far away from the line of fire as possible. Shaking, she heard the men in the seats in front of her lower their windows.

The first shots were all aimed at the FBI agents outside. Don't shoot! Terry wanted to yell. Just let me go and let them take you in! She knew that Don wouldn't have brought only one team with him if he was here- there were going to be at least ten other armed agents, and there were only five men who were holding her. There was no chance that they could escape, so what were they fighting for? Suddenly, shots punctured the van. One man fell with a cry, clutching his arm as his gun clattered to the ground. The other four men, including the driver, did not slow down their gunfire.

Two loud 'BANG' noises from the front of the vehicle made Terry look up for a moment. The tires are punctured… Raspy Voice cursed and tried to move the car, pressing his foot on the accelerator only to get a few useless jerks. The van was stuck. But the men around her didn't care; they simply reloaded their weapons and continued firing. These men are so determined not to go down without a fight, She couldn't help but notice. They don't care that they're outnumbered and have no means of escape.

"Put your weapons down!" It was Don's voice! Terry's head spun wildly as she fought to keep herself under control. It was over for these men, but she knew they wouldn't give up. They would rather die than get caught and sent to prison. Don, get out of the way…! She wanted to scream. These people would kill him! "You're surrounded, and SWAT teams are just a few seconds from here! Put your weapons down and get out of the vehicle!"

Suddenly, a shot from outside penetrated the side of the van. Terry screamed as the bullet scraped her leg and embedded itself in the chest of the man sitting beside her. She clutched her leg tightly, trying to stop her bleeding, as her blood seeped through her fingers. "STOP FIRING AT THE BACK!" Don's voice suddenly yelled. "She's at the back of the van! Aim and fire at the men that you can see… just STOP FIRING AT THE BACK!"

Two men down… Terry could hear her own breathing, so loud that it drowned out everything that was happening around her. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion- sights, sounds… everything.

The thud of the bullets hitting the van- right in front of her

The scream from the man sitting beside the driver, when he was shot in the chest

The sound of Don's voice, yelling for the agents to get her out of the van

The whir of the helicopter blades as two more units landed nearby

And suddenly… the sound of the back door opening; and fresh sunlight finally meeting her eyes.

&&&&

Don ducked and dodged two shots in his direction. He knew that he had at least four bullets embedded in his vest, but didn't stop him. Two of the five men were still firing at the FBI agents, but they didn't stand a chance. SWAT teams were already landing, and what did two men have against twenty five specially trained agents and SWAT officers? Don couldn't see how many agents were injured, but those around him were still going strong.

Three agents started firing at the back of the van, after noticing that some bullets seemed to be fired from there. Where is Terry? Five agents had already checked the inside of the building for her, and for any other men, but it was deserted. She must be in the van… Suddenly, as though answering his unspoken question, there was a horrible scream coming from inside the van. Terry! Terry was in the back! Don's almost froze when he heard her scream, but he couldn't lose his head now. He had to make them stop firing at her!

"STOP FIRING AT THE BACK!" He yelled, ordering the men to aim at the men that they could actually aim for and not those that they couldn't see. The bullets from the back of the van seemed to have stopped, which probably meant that they had injured one of the shooters. Terry… Please be alright…! Don ran over to the back, hoping that the other agents were covering him, as he shouted, "Get her out of the van, quickly!"

The sound of helicopters landing did nothing to slow him down. He needed to get Terry out of the van, if she was still alive. Don struggled to keep focused as he and two other agents pulled open the back door. Please be alive, please… Pressed right against the back door of the van, a man was slumped over, blood running out through a wound in his chest. His gun was beside him, still smoking. The two agents pulled him out, exposing a shaking woman lying behind him, her hands clutching her thigh. Her eyes were fixed on him, a combination of fear, anxiety, and relief etched in her features. It was like the whole world had stopped moving.

Don reached out and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her nearer to him. He knew it must have hurt her, because she grimaced and shook even more violently. But he had too… he didn't have any other choice. Don hated to hurt her. She grasped his shoulders, her bloodied fingers staining his vest and her tears falling on his neck. Hearing the SWAT officers running their way, Don picked her up in his arms and ran for the nearest helicopter, away from the line of fire.

"I need a medic!" Don shouted, as he ran towards the landing area. The pilot of Unit Three's helicopter waved at him frantically through the glass, and two paramedics jumped with a stretcher, rushing to Terry's side. She was still clutching onto Don's shoulders, trembling uncontrollably. "Terry… It's okay. It's going to be okay." He kneeled down and gently peeled her fingers off his vest. The paramedics lay her on the stretcher and lifted her up without hesitation, running back to the helicopter.

"Ford…!" Don almost yelled into the speaker, connecting to the agent from Washington. "I've got my partner. Do you have the situation under control?" He needed to see Terry… he needed to hold her hand and tell her that everything was going to be okay. She was shot in the leg… All that blood on her fingers made him feel so nauseas because it was her blood and he needed for her to be okay… Just hang on, Terry…

"We've got everyone out of the vehicle, Agent Eppes. Two of them are dead. The other three are going to be escorted to the hospital. There's no other person in sight and we got them pretty much by surprise. It's all under control, sir." Ford sounded calmed, as though he hadn't been very sure whether or not he would make it through the gunfire. Don breathed a sigh of relief as he ran on board the helicopter. They were going to leave without him if he stayed for another minute…

"Good. Agent Sinclair will take care of things from here. I'm riding with my partner to the hospital right now, and I'll report back to the office once I know the extent of her injuries." Terry's got to be okay. She's a fighter and she'll fight anything.

"Taking off…" The pilot's drone did nothing to stop the paramedics from quickly wrapping gauze around Terry's thigh to stop the bleeding. The sweater that she was wearing had blood all over it. Don tried his best to stay out of their way, but what he really wanted to do was sit beside her and hold her hands in his. It was such a nightmare, seeing her like this- pale, bloody, bruised and vulnerable. Don sat down heavily on the chair opposite the stretcher, feeling useless. I wonder where Charlie is. Don felt as though he could really use his younger brother's support now.

You can't leave me, Terry. You just can't. My world would fall apart without you.

&&&&

Alan ran through the hospital looking for his sons. As usual, the place was in a state of panic, with people running here and there- calling out names and yelling for doctors and nurses. Charlie had called him from the FBI office, telling him that the killers had been caught and Terry had been rescued and flown into the hospital. Alan was so relieved. He couldn't even bring himself to imagine how destroyed Don would be if Terry was killed. And now… she was in the hospital, and he had no idea how severe her injuries were.

'Don's with her,' Charlie had said to him on the phone, his voice shaking a little as he spoke. 'I don't know how she is but Don has turned his cell phone off or something… I'm going with David to find him. Please, dad, just come and help me talk to him. I'm afraid of what might happen.'

And so was Alan. He was afraid of facing his elder son's worst nightmare. Terry Lake meant a great deal to his family, even though she might not have realized it. She was Charlie's friend, Don's confidant… and a very easy person for him to talk to, even about his boys. Alan couldn't bear if something bad had happened to her. He rushed over to the receptionist, breathing hard from running, "Excuse me… miss? Can I please see a young woman named Theresa Lake? She was just brought in about an hour ago and I…"

"She's in surgery right now, sir. You can't see her yet." The bored-looking receptionist seemed to be playing with some gum stuck in the corner of her mouth. How could you possibly be bored working in such a hectic place like this? "I think there are some people waiting for her on the second floor, where Dr Dean told them to hang tight. Take a left when you get out of the elevator."

"Thank you." Alan bolted to the elevator. That means that she was alive when she got here… That's a good thing, right? The doors were just about to shut on him, but he squeezed in between three harassed nurses and poked the '2' button. The three women stared at him, but Alan was too worried to return their skeptic glances. He needed to find his sons… When the elevator door opened at the second floor, Alan ran out like his pants were on fire.

Take a left… take a left… He pushed through the double doors that were blocking his way, dodging two doctors and a nurse before hearing familiar voices speaking softly, just around the corner.

"She'll be alright, Don…" Charlie's voice gently soothed his brother. "The bullet only grazed her thigh. That's what all the blood was about. The nurse we just spoke to said that she didn't have any injuries that were usually fatal."

"Key word: usually," Alan could hear Don pacing around the corridor. "Terry has not eaten or drank anything in the last two days. Those men beat her up when she was defenseless. I wish I could believe in miracles, Charlie."

"You don't have to, Don." Charlie said, a little more sternly this time. "Don't be ridiculous. You're tired, worried, hungry… Basically you're a bit of a mess and you're brain's not working right. Terry is going to be fine. The doctors will fix her in surgery and… Dad!"

Alan pulled both his sons in a large hug as soon as he barged into the waiting area. Their heads knocked against one another a little, but none of the Eppes men seemed to care. Alan pulled away and took a long look at his eldest boy, putting his hands on Don's shoulders. Don looked exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Alan knew the strain he must be going through. I guess I wasn't wrong about him having deeper feelings for her…

"Hello. Which one of you is Don Eppes?" A friendly voice piped up from behind Alan. A pleasant-looking woman wearing surgical robes and carrying a pad of paper smiled at them and stuck out her hand. Don disentangled himself from his father's arm shook the woman's hand quickly. "I'm Dr Alice Dean. I just conducted surgery on Ms. Lake and she's now being taken to a room for her to rest. She's on painkillers and anesthetics now, so you won't be able to talk to her yet. I'm just here to tell you how she is."

Don almost fainted with relief. That doesn't sound as though Terry's going to die anytime soon… The doctor didn't mention the ICU or anything. I hope that's good news! "Thank you, doctor. I really appreciate you coming down." His voice was calmer now, he had regained his professional manner and Charlie let out a deep breath.

"You're welcome. Well," Dr Dean took out her notepad and looked at it carefully, "besides the exhaustion, hunger and dehydration which we can fix easily, Ms. Lake has sustained quite a few injuries that might put her out of work for about three or more weeks. She has a head injury due to being hit with a blunt object- no hemorrhage but some decent bruising and swelling that caused a minor concussion and may lead to headaches over the next week or so. Also… she has two broken, and one partly fractured, ribs on her left side with some surface injuries that led to bleeding and loss of blood. Finally, there's that laceration on her leg that caused quite a lot of bleeding, but we've fixed that up already. Ms. Lake is quite lucky that that her broken ribs did not puncture any vital organs; her heart and lungs are fine… and I think that given rest and proper medication she won't have any lasting physical pain."

Alan and Charlie both sounded stunned at the number of injuries that Terry had sustained, but Don seemed incredibly relieved. He slumped onto a chair and closed his eyes for a moment. Terry's going to be fine! If he wasn't so damned tired he would have jumped around the waiting room for joy. Alan sat next to him, anxious, and clasped his shoulder. "Donnie? Are you alright?"

Don's eyes snapped open suddenly, apparently not hearing what his father had just said. "Wait, Doctor…? Please, when can I see her?"

TBC

I hope that everyone enjoyed that chapter! It took a while for me to finalize what I wanted it to be like… anyway, the next chapter will tackle what's going to happen to Chambers and his merry band of contract killers. Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing!