Driving to the location in the van with Reese, as Black Betty cruised in front of them felt so strange and weird. She desperately wanted to pile out with her team them and go in, but she knew orders were orders. As they arrived next to the warehouse, she and Reese readied the equipment and made sure that they had a good link to all the team's comms.
"What do you see?" Hondo asked climbing in the back of the van for a quick update.
"We have cameras, here" Reese explained tapping the floor plan "here and here"
"We should be able to see and hear most of the warehouse, but there are a few blind spots" he added.
"I count 4 suspects on the ground floor. 2 guarding this door at the rear, 1 here" Chris said tapping the map "and 1 over there".
Hondo nodded and Deacon asked,
"What about the second floor, can we see anything up there?"
"We can't get a visual inside the office, blinds are down on the windows, but there is movement in there" Chris answered. "I'm guessing that is where the other 4 suspects are with Whip"
It was killing her knowing Street was going in there, in danger and she was tied to this hunk of metal. Hondo climbed out and spoke to the team before they disappeared around the corner into the ally beside the warehouse. Chris banged her fist on her leg in frustration.
"Breech in 3, 2, …..." Deacon motioned silently to Tan as the small blast disabled the locks on the door. They moved in formation as the team penetrated the warehouse. With senses heightened they searched every room and corridor.
"Gimme Two" Logan whispered as he approached a doorway to what appeared to be an office.
"Two two" Luca said patting his shoulder and following him in,
Logan sighted a suspect in the room he entered and took him down with a bean bag round before he could make a sound. Luca had also snuck up on a suspect and took him down silently.
"Right side clear" Logan whispered
"Left side clear" Luca echoed as they continued to search the zone.
Street and Hondo were moving through the ground floor towards the back stairwell as they encountered 2 of the suspects. Their quick reflexes allowed Street to take out one silently before Hondo did the same. The team tried to remain as silent as they could in this stealth entry to not spook the suspects upstairs, who had Whip.
As all 3 pairs assembled at the back stairwell, Hondo motioned their next movements without a word being spoken. Street was anxious to get up there and find Whip. They lined up and patted each other on the back before beginning to move to the stairs. As Hondo's foot hit the first stair the door upstairs on the landing swung open and 3 men came out headed for the stairs. Hondo quickly motioned for the team to retreat and find cover. The men came down the stairs, Hondo was signalling to Luca to take the man on his side, when a roller door began to clunk and open.
"24 David to 20 D teams, looks like you got company coming in the 4 side" Chris's voice was in their ears. "3 vehicles entering your location" Chris heart was in her mouth. Her pulse was racing, and she felt a drip of sweat roll down her forehead.
They team crouched behind pallets and boxes watching 2 escalades and an emerald green DB9 roll in. Street immediately swallowed hard. This had to be Torshin and his men. The sound of loud voices filled the warehouse and car doors opened and shut loudly. Hondo motioned to the team to retreat further to the other end of the warehouse.
Once all six team members were assembled back in the other side of warehouse, Hondo looked around,
"Okay, we need to re-evaluate this plan fast…. That is Aleksandr Torshin" he whispered.
"20 David to Command"
"Command go ahead…." Cortez answered.
"We now have Aleksandr Torshin and more heavily armed suspects on site, any word on 50 David to support?"
"50 David are still out on Camille's warehouse, I'm sorry Hondo I have no one else right now"
"Okay" Hondo whispered, "we are on our own for now, any bright ideas?... what you got out their Chris"
"5 suspects on the warehouse floor around the vehicles. 2 more plus Torshin are upstairs… all appear to be heavily armed" Chris responded. She hated this. Her hands were shaking, and she clenched them into fist.
The team crouched with Hondo and listened to the new plan.
"Tan, Luca you take the 2 side, Street and Logan you take 4, Deac you're with me on the 3 side" Hondo whispered.
They readied their tear gas cannisters, masked up and separated. Street followed Logan to the right as they moved between the crates and pallets. Approaching the end of the row, Logan crouched and waited for the signal.
"On my count" Hondo's voice said in their comms "3…2….1…go"
The bottom floor of the warehouse was enveloped in a fog of tear gas as the team moved fast to secure the armed men. Hondo knew that they had likely lost their element of surprise now and hurriedly gathered Deacon and Street to follow him up the stairs whilst Luca, Tan and Logan took the cuffed men outside. Tan, Luca and Logan then raced up the fire stairs to the roof to prepare to repel down through the windows of the office on Hondo's signal.
Street crept up to the office door, using his thermal sensing camera looked at the image on his forearm screen. He relayed to Hondo without a word that he could see 4 heat signatures moving around plus one more stationary one. Hondo signalled for him to fall back and for them to find their places to breech the office. As Street went to move back behind Deacon the voices inside became louder and agitated.
"Bang… bang" two gunshots rang out. Street looked at Hondo with fear all his face,
"Breech…. now" Hondo yelled
Street stood up and kicked in the door as Hondo and Deac rushed passed him,
"Bang, Bang"
"LAPD Metro SWAT," Hondo shouted as Street heard glass shattering, Luca, Tan and Logan landed from the roof with guns aimed at the remaining man standing inside the room.
"Drop it! Drop it NOW!" Luca yelled
As Street finally caught sight of Torshin standing behind a desk with his hands in the air. Luca and Logan moved in and forcing him onto the floor and cuffing him, Street moved passed Deacon and swung around in front of the chair where Whip was tied.
"Hey Whip, hey man… we got you now…... you're ok?"
"Street" Whip said hugging him as Street cut his hands free. He could tell Whip was relieved.
"20 David to command…... We are code 4… all suspects accounted for and 1 hostage safe" Hondo's voice made Chris sigh with relief as she rested her head back on the side of the van. They were safe, it was over. Reese fist bumped her and patted her knee reassuringly.
Chris jumped out of the back of the van and stood there in the dark staring at the door, waiting to see him come out okay. Tingles ran down her back as she finally saw him come through the door, Whip at his side.
"Hey…... don't leave the van" Reese said to her.
"Relax…." she said motioning for him to calm down…. "I'm just watching them come back safe" she smiled. As the team came closer walking passed to Black Betty, they all fist bumped Chris and smiled. As Street approached, she felt her heart beat quicken.
"Hey" she said reaching out for a hug,
"Hey" Street hugged her in with a squeeze then let her go, before nodding his head that he was going to take Whip to the EMT's. She nodded smiling at him.
"Glad you're ok Whip" Chris said hugging him too.
Street walked Whip to a waiting ambulance to be checked out by the EMTs. He sat with him while they checked him over. Chris kept glancing at him as she walked around the van packing up the equipment. Her stare was interrupted when Logan approached,
"hey" he said watching Chris go back to packing up the equipment as he stood with his hands resting on the top neckline of his vest.
"Oh... hey" she said glancing at him. "Great work in there"
"Thanks…." he seemed to hesitate "I ah… I thought you might wanna…" Chris froze on the inside… 'is he about to ask me out?' she panicked and swallowed hard,
"… ride back with your team to HQ." he finished. "I can go back with Reese?"
Chris looked up shocked. 'Oh my god you idiot' she told herself. 'This guy is a sweetheart'.
"no…... no you don't have to do that" Chris fumbled a little embarrassed now.
"Hey…." he said stepping a bit closer, "this is your team, your spot… I'm just filling in till you get the all clear" he assured her.
Hondo rounded the corner of the van, "You good Chris?"
"Yeah… all packed up and ready to go" she answered shutting the last case.
"Let's roll then" Hondo said patting Logan's shoulder and walking off to Black Betty. Chris motioned for Logan to go to, he silently gestured she could if she wanted, but Chris shook her head and climbed in the van shutting the doors.
The entire ride back she laughed at herself for thinking Logan was going to hit on her. Had she assumed he was like Street when they first meet and a bit of a womaniser? … no Logan was more reserved and polite than Street had been and not so self-assured.
Once back in the garage of HQ she helped Reese unload the gear and clean out the van. All the while she wondered where Street was and how Whip was. She paused and pulled out her phone.
"Hey…... you were amazing in there.…. How is Whip? How are you?" she text him.
"Whip is ok, thank god! They are gunna keep him for a few hours to monitor him for shock then I'll take him home"
"Are you okay?" she replied
"Yeah, think I'll take Whip to my place tonight, don't want him back at that trailer"
Chris smiled. Street was a sweetheart too. He really and truly cared for Whip. Like a little brother almost.
"Do you guys need a ride home? I'll be done in a bit and can swing by and drop you off home if you want."
Street wanted to see her more than anything, but he was so consumed with worry for Whip too. "Oh… I think Luca is coming to get us" Street messaged back. He kind of felt bad like he was rejecting her a bit.
"Ok, all good…. I'll talk to you later then" she text back feeling a bit left out. But she knew he didn't mean to push her away, he was consumed with worry and guilt for Whip right now.