Disclaimer: I don't own anything Numb3rs, it's all property of CBS and whatnot, so don't sue.
Chapter 22: Cleaning Up and Counting Blessings
" Steele, get your guys down here ASAP, Yurich needs the medics fast before he bleeds to death!" Yelled Nighthawk as he ran to Ghost location, Mojave doing the same from his location.
" Understood." Said Steele before he pushed the button for a different link.
" Kingsly, Ballard, you guys are cleared for containment, bring HazMat and the Medics with you,the main prisoner is bleeding heavily." Said Steele curtly before heswitched back to his operatives.
Meanwhile, back in the layer, Mojave and Nighthawk had closed in on their leader's position. They barreled into the semi lit room and stopped when they sawthe outline ofGhost, kneeling beside a semi-conscious Yurich, tying a makeshift tourniquet around the stump where once there was a left arm. Said arm lay grotesquely beside the two men.
" Ghost, are you okay man?" Asked Mojave immediately.
Ghost finished tying off the tourniquet before he turned to his two fellow operatives.
" I'm okay, help me with Yurich, he's worth more to us alive, plus, someone better put that severed arm on ice if they want to reattach it." Said Ghost. This spurred the other two operatives into action. Nighthawk moved to help Ghost with Yurich while Mojave went to retrieve the arm.
" Steele, where's you cleanup teams?" asked Ghost into his comm link.
" They're inbound Ghost, what's your status?" Asked Steele.
" Beside the three rounds embedded in my vest, I'm just peachy." Said Ghost nonchalantly.
" Did he just say he had three round in his vest sir?" Asked one of the computer techs at the comand center. Steele silenced her with a stern look.
" The medics will be there in a few minutes, keep Yurich alive until then... Ghost, let them check you out." Said Steele.
" I just need some ice sir, nothing serious." Came the stubborn reply, causing the comander to sigh in slight exasperation.
" Fine, don't see the medics, Mikaila will check you out when you get back here." Said Steele with a finalty.
" Understood sir." Came the calm reply before the link was severed.
Steele heaved a small sigh. Thank God for Modified Kevlar.
Back underground, Ghost and Nighthawk had finished dragging Yurich towards the entrance in time to greet the search lights of the two cleanup teams.
Mojave strode forward and ignited a flare for the teams to see them from above. Within minutes the two teams were swarming around the four of them and in the resounding din, the Big Three slipped away into the darkness. They had to give the good to the delivery man. The three of them ran back the way they came, Mojave leading the way back to the hatch.
" Hey Cabby, you still there?" Asked Nighthawk into his earpiece.
" Yes, still here you guys comin' home?" Asked Toby.
" Yeah, we are, and we have a little present for the boss." Said Mojave as he joined into the conversation.
Ghost was in no mood for small talk. The three of them made on final turn before the collumn of light that seeped in from the surface was visible. The three slid off their nightvision goggles and masks offas theymade their way to the hatch.
Ghost was about to jump up and climb out first when a hand on both his arms stopped him. He glanced at the concerned but stone faces of Julio Vargas and Christian Wolfe.
The two of them jumped up and then climbed out of the hatch before extending their hands to their leader, meaning to pull him up. Secretly touched by the gesture but keeping a stoic face. Charlie reached out for both hands and allowed his fellow operatives to pull him out of the darkness of the labyrinth. Now Ghost slept, leaving Charlie Eppes to feel the agony that had been inflicted on his body.
The three of them piled into the white van once again glad beyond words that the mission was over. It was them that Charlie allowed himself to feel the agony he'd been keeping at bay.
With a groan,Charlie leaned against the inside of the van, his brow knitted in frustration and his eyes closed, trying to bare the pain. He slowly reached up and clawed at his vest, pulling out each slug that had been thankfully stopped by the Kevlar.
" Clank... Clank...Clank" Three partially flattened bullet rounds were pulled out and tossed onto the uncarpeted floor of the van.
Julio and Christian sprung into action,Julio set aboutdettaching some of the weapons Charlie had onwhile Christian began unfastening the kevlar vest, pulling it off,allowing Charlie to breathe better. All of this was done in silence, words weren't needed. Had Julio or Christian been injured in any way, Charlie would've tended to them the exact same way.
" Lay back Chuck, you're gonna be just fine." Said Christian while Julio gave a reassuring smile. Charlie gave them both a small nod before leaning back further against the side of the car grumbled to life.
" I'll try not to hit any pot holes." Said Tony quietly from the driver's seat. Their next destination was a small country lodgein the mountainoutskirts of Zermatt, on the other side of the city. But, they'd make a small stop at the apartment building across from the Zermatterhof, where Steele was waiting, for the Zip Disks, and secretly anxious to see his best operative's condition for himself.
The white van eased it's way through the Zermatt traffic and into the parking garage of the apartment building a few blocks away on the other side of the street.
When Toby pulled into the garage, a group of people were waiting for them, among them, Commander Steele and Mikaila Gordon. Toby eased the van to a stop before quickly getting out of the driver's seat and pulling the side door open. It slid back to reveal Julio and Christian both kneeling on either side of Charlie, pale and visibly showing a hint of the pain he was in.
" Check him out Gordon." Said Steele as he and Mikaila rushed forward.
Mikaila gently pushed both Julio and Christian out of her way as she began to check out Charlie's condition. Mythodically, she reached out and checked his pulse, strong and beating, she checked his eyes with a small penlight, pupils were good and responsive, then, she gently pulled up the black longsleeve shirt Charlie had worn under his vest. Mikaila saw Charlie barely hide a wince as he sat up slightly. The shirt pulled away to reveal the three telltale bruises that were forming over the sleekly muscled chest.
" You satisfied sweetie?" Asked Charlie gruffly with a tiny smile.
" He'll be okay. Just sore for a few days." Said Mikaila, secretly glad beyond words that Charlie had gotten away woth only three bruises.
" You two better but him on ice when you get to the lodge." Said Mikaila to the other two operatives.
" Yes ma'am." Answered Christian. Julio was standing beside Steele and handed over the goods. Three zip disks with all of Yurich's significant data.
" By the way boss. How is Yurich?" Asked Charlie from where he sat.
" He's gonna be alright, he's been taken to the Med unit underground. They're reattaching his arm as we speak. He'll live to be interrogated and sentanced for terrorist acts. Right now, you just take it easy Charles." Said Steele before he turned to Toby.
" Get them to the lodge ASAP, i'll call ahead so they have that ice ready." SAid Steele simply before he turned and headed back to the comand center.
" You heard the boss." Said Mikaila with a smile before she leaned forward and gave Charlie a small peck on the cheek, earning a wan smile from him.
" See you." She said to all four of them before she too disapeared into the building.
Toby, Julio, and Christian piled back into the van and within minutes were weaving through the Zermatt traffic.
" That was a close one." Said Charlie, more to himself then to anyone else.
" Lucky for me, I'm good at playing possum." Thought Charlie as he settled in for the hour long drive.