Held to the Flames
"Ahh!" an unwelcome scream tore from her lips as Smith prodded her for again. Just how many times, she didn't know; having lost track after five. Gasping for air, Ninja's whole body was shaking like a leaf, her left wrist feeling like it was on fire. "Ninja …" Tom squeaked out, unable to finish the question. "I … I can take it, Hanson." Came her soft, yet determined, reply before Smith shocked her again. Eventually, Ninja blacked out. Webb retrieved two full buckets from the hallway, leaving the door open, and placed one in front of her and the other in front of Tom. "We're going to have some fun with you while your girlfriend gets rested up for the next round."
Tom's cry of pain quickly brought Ninja back to reality. "STOP! Please! Stop hurting him. Please…stop…" Ninja pleaded, noticing that Tom had been drenched but was glad the battery hadn't been moved since the cables couldn't reach him. "Oh good, you're awake. Time for round two." Smith said, ignoring her pleas. Giving him a flinty glare, Ninja's resolve returned in earnest, "No. Round two is not going to start until you promise me that you won't touch Hanson again." "You can't stop me." Smith laughed, remembering why he enjoyed her so much. Her eyes lit up as familiar faces filled the doorway and smirked, "Maybe not, but they can."
"Police! Freeze!" Penhall bellowed as he, Hoffs, and Ioki charged in, guns drawn. Smith turned around and grinned evilly, forgetting the resilient young woman behind him. Drawing on some of the last of her reserve strength, Ninja gripped the chains and hoisted herself up, catching an unsuspecting Smith in a scissor grip with her legs. Cables in hand, still hot, Smith pressed them into her legs and held them there, snarling, "They can't save you from him. Try all you like, you will never escape him."
Ninja released the left chain so it wouldn't leave a burn across her palm, relying on the wall and Smith to keep her up, and strained out, "Battery … Undo … Cables." Since Webb had surrendered and Judy was walking him out to a waiting car; Doug undid the cables, ending the torture that Ninja and Tom had endured for the past three days. Ninja relaxed as the electricity stopped coursing through her sore, tired body and slumped against the wall as Ioki hauled Smith out in handcuffs.
Doug started to release Ninja, but she protested, "Get Tom down first. I can wait." Shaking his head as he worked on freeing her right hand, the bigger cop huffed, "I'm strong, Ninja, but I can't hold Hanson up while I free you." "I can undo my other hand, Penhall, go free Hanson." Ninja said, waving Doug off as he tried to release her left hand. He consented, leaving the spy to her own devices, and went to his unconscious best friend.
Freeing herself moments later, Ninja inched along the wall to get to where Tom was hanging. She picked up his slashed shirt and ripped a strip off to wrap around her left wrist, trying to hide the wounds and scars. Fear gripped her heart tighter than ever before as she noticed that Tom's head was pitched forward and his eyes were closed.
"Tom? Tom, wake up. Please, you can't leave me, Hanson. Not when I need you most." Ninja begged, her voice cracking with emotion and vision blurred as she worked on freeing her new friend and partner. Doug and Ninja unlocked Hanson's shackles at the same time and he almost hit the floor, but Doug caught him. As soon as Doug touched Hanson's side, he cried out in pain and fear, wild-eyes searching for his teenaged partner.
"Shh, Tom; I'm here. Everything's alright." Ninja soothed, standing in front of him, sweeping his bangs away from the deep chocolate pools that mirrored her own. Satisfied that Tom was calm, Ninja gingerly placed his arm around her shoulder and helped Doug carry him out to the ambulance that had just arrived. Once Tom was laid on the gurney, he passed out again and the ambulance took him and Ninja straight to the nearest hospital.
Ninja walked beside Tom until the nurses wouldn't let her through a set of doors. "Ninja." Turning around, she saw an old friend and rushed to hug him, "Doc! Are you here to fix Tom?" The Cherokee man smiled gently at his favorite patient, "Yeah, Richter called me the night you two went missing. Come on, let's give you a once over." "I thought you were here for Hanson." Ninja said as she started to back away from him because she hated doctors. Even if she is friends with one.
Resting his hands on her shoulders, Doc guided Ninja to an empty gurney which already had everything he'd need to tend to her wounds. "They're doing x-rays and other tests right now that I can't help with or start treating Officer Hanson without. Do you have any broken bones?" Shaking her head, the teen deflected the question, "Me? Nah. A couple of bruised ones though. Tom has several, though." "O.k. I see you're going to be difficult." Doc chuckled as he changed tactics, "What did he do to you and Officer Hanson?"
"Smith beat Tom's back with a switch, used us both as punching bags, dumped water on us, held a wet rag to my face, and shocked me with a lawnmower battery." Ninja rattled off, blinking away the tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks. "How long?" Doc inquired, not looking at her and his voice almost emotionless. "Did he shock me? I don't know." She shrugged nonchalantly. "How long, Ninja? An hour, two, three …" He pressed, seeking a reaction and he got one.
"I DON'T KNOW! Maybe an hour, possibly two! I lost track and then I passed out and I have no idea what they did to Tommy when I did. You've got to make him better, Doc. You gotta make him better." Ninja went from anger to tears in seconds and all Doc could do was hold her as all the pent-up stress and fear left her and soaked through his scrubs.
"Oh, Ninja." was all that was said before she hopped off the gurney, wiping her eyes, and stood before Richter, Fuller, Ioki, Doug, and Judy. "Where's Smith?" "He's back at the Chapel. And you're not going anywhere near him." Fuller answered sternly, worrying about what the young spy would do to him. "You will if you want to know what he and Webb did with those kids. He won't talk to anyone but me, and you know it, Richter." Ninja snapped, mumbling, "He knows where Hadar is."
Shaking his head, Richter asserted, "Not until Doc clears you." "So clear me." She said, turning to Doc. "Why do you have to be so strong-headed?" He sighed before saying, "Let me look at your wrist." Ninja held out her right hand. "Your other wrist." Reluctantly extending her left hand, Ninja let him untie the strip of cloth she had covering it.
The young officers and captain gasped at the cuts and burns that covered about an inch of already scar-covered skin. "It's ok guys, I've had worse. Hey Doc, you have any of that magic Cherokee lotion with you?" Ninja wondered, hissing as he disinfected her wounds. He smirked, "It's not magic, Ninja. But I'd rather wait and see how much I'll need for Officer Hanson first." "Smart idea, I knew I liked you for some reason. Can you make sure he's ready to get boots on the ground by tomorrow?" She inquired while he wrapped her wrists in sterile, white gaze making her toned, tan arms appear darker. "Why?" Fuller probed. Sighing, Ninja started to explain, "Because I know Smith's been selling the kids to a terrorist named Hadar Shallah." Richter glanced at Doc while the others stared at each other dumbfounded.
Gradually, Judy found her voice, "What does he want with the kids?" "He probably sells some to fund his group and we might not be able to track them down. But he probably gives the girls he doesn't sell to his men to be their wives and forces the boys to be soldiers." The young spy stated, shrugging, "At least that's my guess." "How do you know this?" Ioki wondered awestruck. "Do you three remember Smith saying that y'all can't save me 'from him' and that I'll 'never escape'?" Ninja asked the three young officers. When they indicated that they did, she continued, "He was talking about Hadar. I met them both on my last mission. Hadar ordered Smith to break me because he chose me to be his wife." "Why you?" "He wanted someone who could lead in his absence, I guess. I don't know and I don't want to know." Ninja shrugged, starting to get restless.
An Asian nurse walked up to the group with a folder and asked, "Are you Dr. Shane Russell?" "Yes, is that Tom Hanson's file?" Doc wondered, reaching for it. The black-haired nurse simply nodded, handed it to him, and turned to leave but Ioki spoke, "What's your name?" "Mulan Shay. And you are?" She replied with a smile. "Harry Ioki." "Sorry to cut you off, Harry, but I have to get back to work. Call me sometime." Mulan gave him a slip of paper before leaving with a huge grin on both their faces.
"Do you want to know how he is before you leave?" Doc inquired. Once everyone nodded, he started, "Officer Hanson has two broken ribs, several bruised bones, numerous cuts on his back, and slight hypertonia on top of multiple cuts and bruises over the rest of his body." Tears started to well up in her brown eyes again, but Ninja fought them back as curtly nodded, "Take good care of him. We ready to go?"
"How can you be so coldhearted?!" Doug shouted at her. "I'm not coldhearted, Penhall! I'm focused on the task at hand, which is keeping Tom and the rest of you safe." Ninja shot back, glaring at him. "Calm down. Both of you." Fuller ordered, pointing at his officer and the spy, before turning towards the doctor, "When can we see him?" Ninja answered sharply, "Not for a few hours. Let's give Doc some time and space to work."
Shaking his head, Doug said, "With the way you two have been acting this past week I thought we'd have to pry you away from Hanson's bedside just to get you to eat." "If it was any other doctor, I wouldn't leave for anything. But I trust Doc and there are other things I can be doing with my time instead of sitting in a waiting room twiddling my thumbs." The young woman stated.
Protectively placing an arm around Ninja's shoulder, Richter said, "She's right, we've got things to do. We'll come straight back after she's done interrogating Smith." With that, the three officers, their captain, the spy, and her handler left the bright hospital and drove through the dark city streets to the Chapel.