Guys I have no words. That last episode killed me. KILLED ME.
I started writing this before the episode stills or scenes released and wasn't going to change the story to fit them. Maybe I'll write another one, but UGH.
STAN GUYS
I knew there was an inside man but I didn't see it being STAN!
Ok I'll stop ranting and let you get to the story lol.
Title comes from the Police Code for: "officer needs HELP - EMERGENCY"
~TH~
Micki honestly didn't know what to think. The range of thoughts that had been traded in the last twenty-four hours. From thinking Cordell was dead, to that someone had taken him, to it now appearing that Cordell had essentially kidnapped Stan. No one knew the reason or what happened. All they knew was that Cordell's truck was totaled and covered in blood, there were three dead bodies on the Walker Ranch, and that Cordell was last seen reportedly holding recently elected Stan Morrison hostage. It'd been a day.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she rolled her eyes as she pulled it out. She almost ignored the unknown number but at the last second answered it.
"Ranger Ramirez." She answered, giving an apologetic look to Captain James.
There was heavy breathing on the other end and she was debating on hanging up when a deep, troubled voice spoke. "Micki, please. I-I need your help. Just you. You can't tell anyone else."
The voice of Cordell so distressed caused her to halt her immediate instinct to inform everyone in the room she had finally made contact. She wanted- needed to hear him out. "Hold on." She said into the phone. She caught Jame's eye, "Sorry, I've got to take this."
He waved dismissively and she hurried outside, looking around her cautiously as she headed towards her truck.
"Cordell? What's going on? Everyone's been looking for you and Stan."
"Do you trust me?" Was the quiet response.
She paused. She did. Especially after everything they'd been through together. But right now... right now nothing made sense.
"Come on, Flor. I need you with me. You-" There was a hitch in his breath. "You promised you'd always be there to talk me down and-" a jagged exhale, "I need you."
"Okay, okay, I hear you. I've got your back. But you have to tell me what's going on."
"I need you to meet me. Right now. No one else. Just you."
Micki settled into her truck, putting the key into the ignition. "Where are you?"
"Old Mulligan barn. Just you, Micki."
"I hear you, Walker. Just me. Just... just don't do anything stupid, okay?"
"Come alone and I won't."
She took it for the threat it was.
"All right, Walker, I'm on my way. Just- stay on the line. Talk to me. Tell me what happened."
The only answer was the clicking of the dead line.
~W~
It was too quiet when she pulled up behind the Old Mulligan barn. She checked her gun, praying she wouldn't have to use it, but she also knew that she had read the file on Duke and shouldn't take chances. She knew what Cordell was capable of, but up until not it had always been in the line of duty. But now...
She detached the microphone from her radio, making sure she was on the right frequency in case she needed to get a hold of the Captain quickly or let him in on what was happening without alerting Walker. In the back of her mind she realized how wrong this felt. Doing all of this to go see Cordell but she still had no idea what was going on and wouldn't feel at ease until she did.
Taking a deep breath, she got out of her truck, slamming the door so as not to startle her wayward partner.
She pushed the barn door open and stopped. Cordell was pacing in the center of the barn, a gun in his hand but not pointed at anyone or thing. Stan stood leaning against one of the wooden stalls. He didn't appear restrained and seemed pretty relaxed. Not at all like someone who was being kept or restrained against their will.
"Walker?"
His head jerked up like he hadn't even seen her standing there
Stan chuckled as he shook his head. "He's not quite with it right now."
"You," Cordell spat, "shut up." Loosely motioning the gun towards him. It was so casual that Micki didn't even feel threatened or concerned for Stan's safety.
Stan for his part simply raised his hand in mock surrender. "Be careful with that thing, the Lady Ranger is here now. You'd have a witness."
"You want to explain what's going on here?" Micki interjected. She was relieved to see Stan alive and unharmed but they weren't out of this mess yet.
Cordell began pacing again, "I should kill him."
"Walker-" that was not what Micki had wanted to all. It was good that he called her but the fact that he was having these thoughts was troubling.
"Don't worry too much." Stan crossed his arms, "He's been saying that for the past six hours and I'm still here."
Cordell ran a hand through his hair, she could see his anxiety level rising and that was the last thing they needed.
"Why don't you tell me why you want him dead."
He glanced up, "He won't be prosecuted. He'll be released and cleared. Maybe lose his position if the judge is feeling self-righteous."
"Cleared of what, Cordell."
"He's Northside Nation's inside man."
Micki blinked. That was not what she had been expecting.
Stan sighed, "You just had to bring Micki into this."
"Shut up." Cordell hissed.
"We all know what happened to the last woman who stumbled upon that information"
"I said shut up!" Cordell yelled with the first true anger Micki had seen in him, pointing the gun much more seriously this time.
"Walker," She warned, pulling out her own gun on instinct.
"He had her killed. He had her killed and covered it up and- and- and he took everything from me!"
"No he hasn't, not yet. You don't have to do this."
"Listen to the lady." Stan cut in.
"Shut up." Micki answered back. "I'll deal with you later."
"How many- how many times can we get the wrong person, huh? How many times am I going to find out that it's not- it's not over?" His voice broke and she could feel his pain and confusion from across the room. "I can't-"
He let out a small groan, his words starting to slur together. Cordell brought the hand holding the gun up to his head, squeezing his eyes shut and breathing heavily,
"Cordell?"
"Our friend might be a bit concussed at the moment."
Realization dawned as she took in her partner's frazzled appearance, "It wasn't a wreck, it was a hit."
Stan shrugged.
"I wasn't supposed to survive but the wreck didn't work and bullet wounds would really give the situation away." The concussed ranger muttered. "Lucky me."
"What can I say, I don't appreciate being found out."
"So I've gathered." Micki replied dead pan.
Cordell made direct eye contact with her, a seriousness and desperation crossing his face."I could kill him. Right now. And this would all be over." The gun was once again pointed at Stan.
"Walker-"
"No prosecution, no dirty judge letting him walk. Justice."
"It's not your place to-"
"Of course it's my place!" He shouted, concussion causing his already strong temper to overflow. "He killed my wife. He signed off on the Rodeo Job. He covered up what happened and put an innocent man in jail! How can you say he doesn't deserve to die?!"
"Then what? You spend the rest of your life in prison?"
He let out a harsh laugh at that. "Or a psych ward."
"What about the kids, huh? Stella and August. You want to do that to them?"
"I want their mother to have justice. I want our family to have peace."
"And you really think that this is what's gonna bring them peace?"
The gun wavered.
"We'll figure this out, Cordell. We will. He'll get prosecuted and he'll pay for his crimes. But not like this. You haven't done anything yet that won't hold up in court. You still have probable cause for everything you've done." She smiled encouragingly, "Unconventional, yes, but when have you ever done things the conventional way?"
He lowered the gun completely, flicking the safety on. Cordell didn't move, but he did hold out the gun to Micki who quickly collected it and slipped it in her belt.
She glanced at him, then did a double take, getting her first real good look at him since she'd entered the barn.
"Sit down before you pass out." She said, grabbing him by the arm and helping to lower him onto the ground. He practically collapsed, any adrenaline that had been keeping him going finally disappearing.
"Y'know," Stan finally spoke up, "now that the crazy man doesn't have a gun, I just want to suggest we forget about this whole thing."
Micki raised her eyebrows, "I may not want you dead, but that's more for Cordell's conscience than your own sake. Why would I just forget about it?"
"Because if something happens to me, there'll be people that come after not just you, but your families. And that's not a threat, that's just the truth."
Walker tensed, Micki placed a hand on him to keep him calm. "Thanks, but I think we'll pass."
Micki moved her hand to her belt where she flicked on her radio, going straight to James.
"I think you'll find that's a mistake."
"And why is that?" She was hoping James was paying attention because if she played this right she could get a full confession.
Stan made a thoughtful sound. "I expect they'd go after that boyfriend, Trey? First. Kill him I'd expect, though I'm sure there's other things they could do. Then there's your mother, your real one of course, but I'm sure they'd make life fun for Adrianna too."
"Stop."
"And that's just your family. You take me down and the entire Walker family is done for. You think what happened to Emily was bad?" He let out a long whistle, "Imagine as they get picked off one by one in terrible ways." He laughed, "One of the guys seemed to have a particular interest in Stella."
If Cordell wasn't concussed Stan would have been on the floor. As it was, Micki was able to hold him back. She really hoped the Captain was getting all of this.
"It'd be the modern day Kennedys. No one would know why such bad luck seemed to strike such a good family."
"And all because we don't let you get away with murder?"
"It'd be easier on everyone just to drop it. Unfortunately we know Cordell here won't. But no one would suspect a thing. Him being deranged and all."
"You-You want me to shoot him?" She said incredulously.
"It'd save a lot of people's lives."
"I don't know what game you're playing but-"
"Do it." Micki looked down at Cordell, Her mouth opening but not saying anything.
"Walker?"
He was staring straight ahead, his eyes not focusing. She was really beginning to wonder how Cordell had managed to function at all up to that point. He was very severely concussed.
"He's right. I won't let this go. It'd be better for everyone if I did but I-I can't." He finally looked up at her. "I can't do this. I can't hurt you, and Trey, and my parents, and the kids, I've already taken enough from them."
"Glad you're finally seeing some sense." Stan pushed himself upright and took a step forward. Micki leveled her gun at him and he raised his hands calmly.
"You're prompting me to kill an innocent man, an officer and you think I'm just going to go along with it?"
"I think you will if you know what's good for you. Northside Nation doesn't take kindly to one of their own being brought down."
This was gold. So long as this was being received, they had him.
"Come on Flor- just give him what he wants."
"You're injured, Cordell, you're not thinking clearly."
"He wants me dead. He's not going to stop until I am and everyone I care about is too."
"Cordi-"
"Don't think he won't. He already killed Emily. He already- he already tried it once. I was by myself this time but what if- what if next time-"
"He won't. We won't let anything happen to them. Or you."
"It won't work."
"Cordell-"
"Just do it."
Micki was at a loss. The idea of James listening suddenly made her uncomfortable.
Stan sighed, bringing her back to the present. "If we can't work something out, a lot more people are gonna die. It's either gonna start with him or end with him. You choose."
"Neither sounds pretty good to me."
She expected a response, but instead she got a bucket hurtling towards her face. She ducked out of the way but before she could regain her footing Stan was on her, fighting over the gun.
One of Stan's hands was pushed off and Micki thought she was getting the upper hand when she felt the gun in her belt dislodge. She pushed back but he easily moved away. She didn't have time to reposition her gun. Stan's was pointing directly at her. She slowly dropped her own gun, raising her hands.
Walker was on his feet, but a couple steps away. Stan moved the gun between the two of them, watching, waiting.
He finally leveled the gun at Micki, "I'll get rid of you, then him. How tragic that such good friends turned on eachother." He sighed, seeming truly sad, "I really didn't want any of this to happen. But you just had to keep digging." He waited only a second before he pulled the trigger.
Micki let out a short shout of pain as she fell to the ground. It took her a second to realize that the weight was Walker.
Without preamble, Cordell sat up, her previously discarded gun in his hand. He fired off two shots before dropping the gun.
Micki forced herself up, looking first at Stan - who was alive, but clutching a bloody arm to his chest - and then Cordell - who was staring blankly in front of him, blood dripping from a wound she had yet to see.
"Walker?" She grabbed him by the shoulders, causing a slight hiss.
He looked up at her, smiled a little, then said, "I think- I think I'm gonna pass out now." before collapsing unconscious to the floor.
As much as she hated to leave him, she retrieved the fallen gun from Stan before going back to Cordell.
"I don't know how much you heard but we need an ambulance at the Old Mulligan Barn. Now." She said into her radio.
It crackled to life. "Heard it all. Ambulance enroute. I'll be there in five."
Immediate relief swept in at the voice of Captain James.
She frantically looked for whatever wound was on Cordell. Finally she came across a bullethole through his left shoulder. It appeared to be a through and through shot. Entered from the back and exit wound in the front near his collarbone. Shouldn't be life threatening. Would definitely be painful.
He likely passed out more from the head wound and sudden movement than from the shot.
"I take it I didn't kill him." Stan spat out through gritted teeth, clearly in pain.
Micki turned quickly, glaring at him, "No and you are very very lucky that you didn't."
Stan didn't answer as the sound of sirens approached. He didn't try anything, simply watching as the barn doors came open and the room was filled with emergency personnel.
~W~
"Well look who decided to wake up." Micki said from her relaxed position against the door to the hospital room.
Cordell let out a small laugh, looking up at her. "Glad you're here. Gonna be honest and say I don't remember much of what happened after you showed up. Everything after talking to Mendoza is spotty, but most of what went down is a complete blank. I'm not in cuffs so I assume Stan is still alive."
"Alive but in custody. Practically got a confession. Who knew real life bad guys really do monologue?"
"Sorry I missed it." He smiled tiredly, "Really Micki, what happened in there."
She took a couple of steps in. "You made the right decision. You backed off and let me handle it. Pretty sure the Captain is more ready to commend you than expel you."
"I'm guessing you talked me down?"
She shrugged, "I was there, but you only called me because you knew you weren't going to do it. If it makes you feel any better you did get to shoot him. With cause."
"Really now?"
"He shot you first, it's only fair. Right in the arm. Half concussed. Pretty impressive there, Walker."
He laughed at that, "I suppose it was called for then."
There was silence for a moment and Cordell closed his eyes.
Micki cleared her throat, he blinked his eyes back open. "I- uh, I'll let your family in now but I just wanted to tell you..." she paused, glancing away, "I'm proud of you, Walker. You pulled out when you needed to and did what had to be done without getting carried away."
"A compliment. I guess it really is a day of miracles." His words were sarcastic but his tone and face spoke of how much he appreciated the words.
She rolled her eyes good naturedly. "Mhm, I'll let your family deal with you now. I'm off duty."
Cordell smirked as she walked out of the room.
She nodded to Liam, who wasted no time entering the room.
There was still a small amount of guilt sitting in the fact that he had gotten shot for her. Yes, it was non-fatal, but it still left a bad taste in her mouth.
But she was sure she would be able to find a way to repay him. She'd help him take out all the bad guys. But the first step to that was making sure that Stan Morrison - Emily's killer - was put away for a long, long time.
~TH~
Still not in love with the ending but it got the point across lol.
Hope you guys enjoyed that!
I'm so so excited for the finale this week and really really hope everything turns out okay for Walker.
I'm sure some things were inaccurate here. I tried but I know it's not perfect.
I'll do my best to write more over the hiatus but we shall see.
Please please PLEASE let me know what you guys thought!
Tumblr: Trekkiehood
God bless,
Jamie
