Five Months Later
'Chris,' Street froze mid mission. His voice played out over the coms.
'He's doing it again,' Tan whispered sharing a knowing look with Deac.
'It's not her Street, focus on the mission,' Hondo spoke firmly. He had told himself that Street's Chris sightings hadn't actually interfered with a mission yet. Still every time it left him on edge speculating when the time would come when it would end in disaster. He had labelled the last one as the last time he would allow it before pulling him from the field. He sighed wondering whether to let it slide one more time. They had been hunting the gang that had killed and taken Chris for the last five months. Every time they thought they were getting close some thing would happen and they would escape without a trace.
They had no idea how they were doing it. They had even spent a couple of months convinced there was a mole in SWAT but nothing had come of it.
'I've got three rabbits,' Luca called over the coms and it was seconds before everyone was racing to his aid. All except Street.
'Chris, don't run,' Street turned off his radio making sure his team couldn't hear him. This was the fourth time he had seen Chris while out looking for this gang, but he had never managed to get close enough to catch her. He knew the rest of the team thought he was crazy, he had thought it himself to start with, but it was just too much of a coincidence. Every time he was out looking for this gang there she was. The gang that had taken her, he didn't know how she had managed to survive but there she was stood in front of him yet again.
She was dressed all in black, hood up over her hair. The gun in her arms was aimed at him. She looked like she would have no trouble in shooting him where he stood. His Chris would never look at him like that, was this woman just a Chris look alike sent to mess with his head; but there was something in her stance. It just had to be her.
'Lower the gun Chris. It's me.' If anything she gripped the gun harder and started backing up towards the open door behind her. Her aim never dipped a millimetre. She was aiming to kill. Street knew that if he allowed her to make it to the door then he would have lost her again. She was fast and could climb and always seemed to have her escape route planned.
Street scanned the building looking for anything that could help him container her without either of them firing their weapons. He couldn't work out why she always ran from him, but he refused to let her evade him again. Lifting his gun to the roof he released six bullets into the air. She didn't even hesitate before firing back at him. Luckily he was already on the move. She stood her ground aiming at him as he ran. The crashing behind him threw him forwards as debris showered him from behind letting him know that his bullets had found their mark and brought down the scaffolding above them.
Groaning from his place on the floor Street pushed the metal poles off his body. He brought his hand up to his cheek feeling it already swelling. Blinking he turned for Chris only to see a tangle of metal poles and wooden planks settling in a pile of dust.
'Chris,' he stumbled through the mess he had created cursing himself for his split second decision. She could be really hurt. He found her quickly. She was out cold and after a quick once over he concluded it was mostly cuts and bruises. He was a little worried by the gash on her forehead, but it wasn't bleeding too badly.
He pulled the hood down off her head revealing her face fully for the first time.
'Chris,' it was her. He cupped her cheek as relief flooded him. He wasn't crazy; he had got her back. He looked down at her clothing and the gun laying beside her. What had she got herself into? Street had another split second decision to make. He was either arresting Chris or saving her from the gang. He knew what he had to do; she was his Chris after all.
On his pat down to see if she was ok he had found spare bullets and a spare gun on her. Her combat pant pockets were full of spare rounds, a knife and other things. There was only one thing for it. He lent over and unbuttoned them and slipped them down to her ankles. Shock took hold of him as he looked down at her legs. They were covered in bruises, but that wasn't the worst thing. They were stick thin, beyond stick thin. She had skinny legs before but now it looked like she hadn't been fed since the last time he had seen her. He realised time was cracking on and his team would be coming to find him so he pressed forwards. He pulled off her boots and socks before he pulled her into a sitting position and unzipped her black hoodie discarding it in the pile beside them.
Now she was just in a white T-shirt and nickers, although the T-shirt was so grubby you couldn't call it white. He could see the outline of her bones and his heart broke looking down at her.
'What have you been through?' he whispered to her. He collected up her clothes and guns and looked around the room for a hiding spot for them. There was an old cabinet on the far side of the room which he stuffed them behind.
She was still out cold when he returned to her side. Her breathing was slow and peaceful. Picking her up from the middle of the rubble his heart sank at how light she was. He stepped carefully over the fallen rubble as he made his way out of the room. He couldn't believe he was holding her. He really thought she was dead. He had spent four months mourning her, but when he saw her for the third time he dared to start hoping it wasn't true.
With his radio still off Street had no idea where the rest of the team were and how the mission was going. The only thing he could do was make his way back to black Betty and hope to meet them there.
He walked through the warehouse with Chris's head tucked safely on his shoulder. He couldn't help thinking how right it felt to have her so close to him.
'Street,' he heard his name being called from outside, looks like the team were back at black Betty and looking for him.
'Coming,' He called to them, he could hear some mutterings coming from them and could only imagine what they were saying about him and his disappearing act after calling out to Chris.
'Where have you been?' Hondo started to confront him but quickly stopped at the sight of him stepping out into the sunlight cradling an unconscious girl. Hondo's heart started beating faster as he looked more closely at the girl. It could be Chris. It's like it all dawned on them at the same time because one moment they were all stood watching him and the next they were rushing to his side.
'Is that Chris? Luca couldn't believe his eyes, but the closer they got the more the girl looked like his friend.
'It's Chris,' Street spoke as the team reached them. Hondo tried to pull her from his arms, but there was no way he was letting go of her.
'She needs checking over,' Hondo justified his actions as the most competent first aider.
'She needs a hospital,' Street said making his way to the open doors of black Betty, 'we need to go now.'
