This is it my friends. The point of no return. Language gets a little ugly here (some of it not in English) and then there's that whole violence thing.

Chapter Six: The Essential Condition of Life

When Charlie's body went slack, Frankie quickly pulled himself up to his knees.

"Charlie?"

The boys eyes filled with tears.

Robin watched as the man with the gun shrugged his shoulders.

"At least he'll be quiet now."

She reached for Charlie's throat and clamored for a pulse, not fully expecting to find one. In the crook of his neck, she located a heartbeat. It was faint, but rapid.

A tremendous wave of relief washed over her and she turned to Frankie with a forced smile.

"He's just resting, honey. It's ok."

She turned her eyes toward their oppressor.

"Please. He needs a doctor, or he is going to die."

"He's not dead?"

She looked up at him earnestly.

"Not yet."

The man shook his head and looked at Charlie.

" Está...Vergeado."

Robin decided to risk pleading.

"Please. If you let him go, I'm sure it will go a long way with the police. Please. I'm begging you. Call them. Tell them you're giving up a hostage, then let them come in and get him."

The other man had jumped down from his perch on the table and headed down the isle toward them as he spoke.

"A hostage, huh? Like on TV, right? We give them one of you and they give us a thermos of coffee and a bag of donuts? I don't think so. Do you think they are going to try to save you? Do you think you're that important."

He stopped in front of them and leaned toward Robin.

"Well, what do you think they're waiting for then, huh, puta? Maybe we didn't give them enough bodies to get their attention."

He gave his associate a definitive nod.

"Ponerse huevos. You know what we have to do?"

Manlio nodded nervously and turned to Robin. He pressed the gun against her forehead until the back of her head collided with the bench behind her and the other man leaned back against the table again as he addressed Robin.

"You still ready to offer us life without parole, bitch? We'll never get out of here alive and you know it. And so do we. It was a great offer, but it's freedom or death. And we already know we aren't gettin' the first one. I think a few more counts of murder one should just about cinch the case for lethal injection. What do you think?"

There was no time to think…….to act……to speak.

Robin shifted her eyes to look at Charlie. The elevated volume of their voices had pulled him back into a state of semi-awareness. He had opened his eyes again and although he was barely holding on to consciousness, he had a full perception of what was happening and his grip on her hand tightened. Their eyes locked. The glance only lasted for a half a second. But in that moment, time; the comedian, the illusion, stood still. When Robin squeezed her eyes shut, Charlie did the same.

Then Manlio pulled the trigger.

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"Oh my God."

Megan couldn't hear the shot from inside the security control room. But she had felt it. All the way down to her soul.

"Reeves?"

Colby's voice filled her ear.

"What is it?"

"Send in Bravo. Don doesn't need……… Shit."

She had to pause and consciously consider the words she needed to speak.

"They just…….that bastard just killed Robin."

Nothing could have prepared the two agents for Megan's words. After a moment of shocked silence, the years of training took over.

Colby turned to David.

"Sinclair? You've got Point."

Don was just getting suited up and faltered at Colby's words. His face paled as he turned to confront his subordinate.

"Granger?"

Colby shook his head and took Don's arm, leading him into the corner.

This wasn't something they trained you for at Quantico either.

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The FBI's Hostage Rescue Team was a SWAT team that had been created with one specific purpose in mind…..And their name pretty much summed it up. They existed because negotiations fail. Because people are unreasonable……….and sometimes they're just friggin' crazy. They existed because there were times when lethal force was a required element, and the only viable option. Once a hostage situation went south, that was all that was left. It was shoot first, ask questions later……...hopefully without getting killed, and without killing a hostage. They all knew this was one of those times, and that was why they were here.

The team stood quietly in the stairwell, on the 10th floor, their eyes glued to Special Agent Don Eppes. He had turned his back to the team and was leaning into the corner with one arm over his head, supporting himself against the wall with the other. Special Agent Granger was leaning close to him, talking quietly and shaking his head. Something very personal had just gone very wrong.

Special Agent David Sinclair took their SAC's place and turned to open the door. The team didn't question the change in leadership, and they filed past the two agents as Don slid down the wall to sit on the floor.

Sinclair was speaking to them now, his voice authoritative in their headsets.

"Things have changed. This is a dynamically evolving situation. There are still two active shooters, confined to the courtroom. We are losing hostages, so they just lost their right to a negotiator. We are treating this as a level one situation and you are authorized to take down the subjects by whatever means necessary."

They stood just outside the courtroom entrance and gave their weapons one last check. Just as David reached for the door handle, another shot rang out from inside the closed room.

"Bravo team…you're a go."

He turned to the five men behind him.

"Alpha. Let's move."

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When Robin's body slumped forward, Frankie pushed himself backwards and scrambled frantically under the seats. Manlio lifted the gun and fired just over Charlie's head and splinters flew from the wooden bench.

"I'm coming after you next you little snitch."

Then he turned back, stepping over Robin's body and placed the gun against the side of Charlie's head.

"Do you think they'll be willing to negotiate now? Huh, do you? Well, they have nothing we want. Nothing they can give us. How many of you do we have to kill before they come in here and finish this?"

Charlie opened his eyes again and looked at Robin's body. He wanted to scream. But he could not find his voice. It didn't matter now. Robin had tried so hard to save him and she had paid the ultimate price for her efforts. The sensation of hard steel pressing hard into his head sent a shiver down his spine and a not so distant memory played through his mind. He had accepted it then…….Accepted it and then this very man had presented the opportunity that allowed him to escape it. But there was nowhere to run this time. And even if there was, he was in no condition to hurdle any fences. He was already dying. And he knew it. Charlie closed his eyes again and acknowledged that the next sound he heard would be his last.

Authors Notes: Thanks for your encouragement and support. I hope I still have it.

Chapter Seven: The Valley of the Shadow