Eames felt her heart jump into her throat as she pulled her weapon from its holster and ran for the door. She braced herself, not only to prepare to take whatever action she needed to in order to defend and protect, but to prepare herself for whatever scene might be waiting in the corridor. Holding her weapon at the ready, she followed it through the door.

The corridor was empty except for a body laying a few yards away. She knew it wasn't Bobby...he wasn't big enough, but that increased her apprehension as she ran forward, eyes scanning up and down the corridor. She stopped next to the body and dropped to a knee. It was the bailiff, and he still had a pulse. Another body lay further down the hall, and there was a blood trail continuing down the corridor past it. Her heart jumped into her throat again. She looked up as Carver and Burrows appeared in the doorway to the courtroom. "Call for an ambulance. There's another victim down the hall."

"What about Wallace and Goren?" Burrows asked.

"I'm going after them."

"Without backup?" Carver asked.

"Unless you want to back me up, I don't have a choice. See who you can get down here...but I'm not waiting."

Because of the storm, there weren't many people in the courthouse. Most trial dockets had been cleared for the day and the police presence was at a minimum. Of all the luck...they should have known...

She got to her feet and headed down the corridor, following the blood trail. Stopping to check the second victim, she was relieved to feel a pulse. "Tell that ambulance to hurry!"

Heading down the corridor again, she heard more gunfire and ran faster, her mind going a mile a minute. The blood trail headed into the stairwell at the end of the hall and she ran headlong through the door and down the stairs. The echoes of her footsteps and her heavy breathing were the only sounds that filled her ears as she ran down the stairs. She could smell the acrid odor of gunpowder from a recently discharged weapon. There was no increase of the blood on the floor, though, and her gut told her it wasn't Wallace's blood. Bobby was even less likely than she was to fire his weapon. At the bottom of the stairwell, the blood trail continued out the door and across the small foyer.

Shit...The trail led out of the courthouse. She pressed hard against the door. The snowfall had picked up as a new storm system moved in over the city, accompanied by high winds and blizzard conditions. Just great...

She headed out into the storm, following the blood along the side of the building and out to the front, praying fervently it was not Bobby's blood, even though she knew on some level that it was. The wind was whipping hard as she cleared the building and the swirling snow had obliterated the drops of blood she had been following. There was no sign of anyone.

She didn't hear the gunshot but she heard the ricochet near her head and she swore, jumping behind a column. There was no way she could return fire without knowing where the shooter was, so she slipped her gun back into its holster, ready to draw in a second if she had to. She had no doubt it was Nicole, and the fact that she was being shot at made her worry increase exponentially. Bobby hadn't apprehended her yet. So where the hell was he?

Her mind whirled as she worried about Bobby, but she choked back her emotions. First things first. She had to get Nicole back into custody...without getting her own ass shot. Then she would worry about finding Bobby and dealing with him for underestimating Wallace...again.

Damn...she wished she had her vest on. Pretty soon, she'd be wishing for her coat, too. Bracing herself, she scurried to the next pillar. Another ricochet. Eames guessed Wallace was shooting at movement. She could make out vague shapes and shadows down toward the street, but nothing definite. Wallace's field of vision must be about the same. But where the hell was Bobby? She also wondered whose gun Wallace had. How ironic would it be if she were shot with Bobby's gun?

She ran to the next pillar. Ping! That one was close. She started to ease her way around the pillar to the other side, to possibly catch Wallace off guard by heading in a different direction. Her body was tensed, senses alert as she got ready to head away from the pillar...so when someone touched her, it scared the crap out of her. And Eames hated to be startled. Her reflexes kicked in and she spun and swung, not even thinking when she made contact with a big, male body, bringing him down hard and fast.

As her brain recovered from its shock and began functioning again, she looked down at the man in the snow at her feet. Anger flared, stomping out her concern for the moment.

"Bobby...you ass!" She dropped to his side. "Why the hell did you sneak up on me?"

Sneak up on her? He wasn't aware that he ever snuck up on anyone. And if he were going to do that, the last person he would ever think of sneaking up on was Eames. And this was exactly why. But he wasn't going to argue with her about it now. He shook his head and held up a hand, still trying to catch his breath. "My fault," he managed. "I thought you heard me."

"In this damn wind?"

"Sorry."

"Are you okay?"

"I was," he muttered, slowly getting to his feet.

She thought about apologizing, but he was the one who snuck up on her. "Where's Wallace?"

He pointed down toward the street. "Down there. I think she's near the street. That seems to be where the shots are coming from."

"She's going to fade into this storm and be gone."

"No way," he promised. "We're going to get her. You go that way and I'll head this way. She can't go after both of us."

Her eyes quickly scanned him, but she couldn't locate an injury. "You were hurt..."

He looked confused. "I'm okay."

"Bobby..."

He silenced her with a quick kiss and gently shoved her in the direction he wanted her to head in. "Go."

She headed off into the swirling storm, not happy about separating. How the hell could they back each other up if they couldn't see each other? She reached the next pillar. No ricochet. Damn...that meant she was targeting him. Moving her hand from its place on the pillar, her attention was caught by a dark smear that remained against the white concrete. She looked at her hand. It was bloody...No...Where had she touched him...? His arm...his hand... She looked in the direction he had gone, but she couldn't see him, or anything. She swallowed down her panic. Get Wallace first...he seemed okay...he couldn't be hurt badly...God, she was going to read him the riot act. More than almost anything else, Eames hated to worry.

She headed for the next pillar. Nothing. Ok...It was now or never...

She headed down the steps toward the street, stopping to duck behind a car at the curb. Visibility was worse down here than it was up on the steps. There was no way she would hazard shooting at anyone. She stepped around to the street side of the car and headed toward the place where Nicole was lurking.

Goren ran to the next pillar, barely getting there before a bullet ricocheted off it. At least she was targeting him and not Eames. It meant Wallace didn't know Eames was out here. He had no doubt, if given the chance, she would aim to take out his wife. As long as he had her attention, Alex had a chance to get to her and take her back into custody. That would certainly make her happy.

He headed for the next pillar, stopping halfway and heading back the way he had come. He barely heard the shot and there was no ricochet near him. She hadn't expected that, and he smiled. Keep her attention. Let Eames get to her. She only had one bullet left anyway.

He headed for the pillar. Again, he didn't hear the ricochet...

Wallace aimed at the shadow and pulled the trigger. She pulled it again. Click. No more ammunition. She swore. Damn storm. She had no idea if she'd hit him or not, but Goren wasn't going to give up until he had her back in custody...and she was not going back to jail! She looked around...the place wasn't crawling with cops looking for her yet. She'd better get going. She would be back to deal with Bobby another time. And the next time she wouldn't play games. That damn partner of his...and that brat of a daughter...they would not be happy to see her again. She would take care of them for sure...and that would most certainly take care of him. Ha! That would show him. Daddy's little girl, indeed!

She started to move away from the car, when a voice called her attention toward the street. "Hold it right there, Nicole! Drop the gun!"

She let the empty weapon fall from her hand, which was still adorned with the bailiff's handcuffs, and turned toward the voice. Eames held her gun steady, aimed right at Nicole's head. She had to shout to be heard above the wind. "Don't even think about it. You can't get away."

"I should have saved a bullet. I would love to put one into your head."

"Nice sentiment. Get up there on the sidewalk."

"Where's Bobby?"

"He's not your concern."

"Maybe not...but he hasn't come running to your rescue yet."

Eames knew she was right, but she wasn't about to let Nicole know that. "Let's go...on the sidewalk."

"You're smart not to get too close."

"You're not smart to ignore me. Don't think I won't shoot you if you force my hand."

Wallace continued looking around for Goren. If she could get Eames to fire that gun once he showed up...but he wasn't showing. She made a move toward the sidewalk, but at the last moment, darted away, heading into the street. No one would be out driving in this storm...and visibility was too low for Eames to follow far...

Eames watched Wallace dart for the street, but held her fire. She didn't want a stray bullet to hit an unsuspecting occupant of one of the few cars driving past the courthouse. She headed toward Wallace...and heard a horn...and screeching brakes...and a crash...

Oh, hell...

Sliding her gun back into its holster and pulling her phone from her pocket, she ran toward the accident. The front end of a blue Mercury Marquis was crumpled into the side of a parked white Chevy Impala. The driver of the Mercury was stepping from the car, his face pale. In front of the car, on the street, was Wallace. Eames made the call for an ambulance and knelt beside her. She was unconscious but still alive.

The driver came over, shaking. "Oh, my God...I slid on the ice...I couldn't stop! She ran right in front of me!"

She grabbed his arm and helped him to the curb, where he sat down, still trembling. She squatted beside him. "It's okay. Put your head between your legs and take a few slow, deep breaths."

She straightened and looked around. Still no sign of Bobby. This was not good. She returned to Wallace, watching to make sure she didn't vanish again. That would go over big...Deakins would have a cow...and she didn't even want to think what Bobby would do.

It seemed like forever before several more officers arrived on the scene. "It's about damn time!" She quickly explained what had happened, making sure they clearly understood that Wallace was in custody-the handcuffs should leave no doubt-and if she got away, someone's head was going to be mounted on her wall. She promised a painful and lingering death to anyone who let her get away. "Make certain an officer accompanies her to the hospital and she is not to be left unguarded. Got me?"

"Yes, detective. I'll see to it personally."

She pointed to the driver of the Mercury. "Make sure he gets seen. And put him in a patrol car or something before he gets frostbite."

She headed back toward the courthouse in search of her partner.