Lights flashed against the rotting building. Sky sat on the back of an ambulance outside the office building with a shock blanket wrapped around him and a medic checking him over.
Sky couldn't believe that Bridge was missing. He didn't want to. Jack had to practically drag him out of the building so the forensics team could analyze the scene.
Kat and Cruger had pulled as many people off of the riots as they could manage to seal off the area and the place swarmed with SPD and reporters.
Sky had already given his account of what had happened three times and he didn't know if he could recount it again without losing control of his emotions.
It was his fault and he knew it. He was the one who decided to split off to clear the floors separately. His best friend was missing and he was to blame. Sky stared unseeingly at the ground and he was vaguely aware of someone else sitting down next to him.
"We'll find him Sky." Syd said, "All of SPD is looking for him, and we won't rest until we do." She placed her hand on his back comfortingly. "We'll find him."
If Sky heard her, he gave no indication of it. He continued to stare into space, oblivious to his surroundings.
Kat approached cautiously.
"Sky, we should get you back." She urged.
Sky snapped his head up.
"No," he barked. "I want to… I need to stay here with the investigation."
Kat nodded sympathetically.
"I know you want to remain here, but you need sleep so you can help with the investigation tomorrow." Kat sat on the other side of Sky. "We will have operatives working around the clock to find him, but right now you need to take care of you."
Sky didn't want to leave, but he could already see the sun coming up over the city. He nodded begrudgingly and let Kat help him to a waiting car. Jack, Syd, and Z climbed in after him.
The four maintained a tense silence. Operatives awaited them at the base and helped them each to their rooms.
Sky entered the room he shared with Bridge. The silence was deafening and Sky was too wired to attempt sleep. He hoped a quick shower would calm him. The warm water relaxed his muscles, but did little to quell the storm within him.
Sky sat on his bed and stared across the room at the empty bed opposite him where Bridge's form should have been. Sky replayed the night over and over in his mind, trying to see if he had missed something...anything that might lead them to Bridge, but he couldn't remember any signs of what had transpired above him.
Sky didn't know how much time had passed, but eventually his eyelids grew heavy. He rested his head, just for a moment, and drifted off.
Sky's dreams were tormented by a pale face and Bridge's voice calling for help.
Sky didn't get any sleep that night, or the next night, or any night. His days were consumed by sympathetic looks and condolences and promises of finding Bridge. Every day, Sky, Jack, Syd, and Z scoured all records they had collected, all recordings they had, and would even patrol the city for signs of Bridge. As the bags under their eyes grew bigger, their hope grew smaller.
The days wore on and the search became more desperate. Protocols would only allow so much time to be dedicated to a missing operative before the department had to re-allocate its resources back to protecting the city.
Sky felt himself watching the clock more and more, anxiety gnawing at him as he looked over the call records for the twelfth time.
He barely reacted when a hand tapped him on the shoulder.
"Hey buddy." Jack muttered.
Sky merely glanced back.
"Sky, I know this has been tough for you, but I need you to know that the protocol only allows for a certain amount of time-" Jack began, but Sky whirled on him.
"I know what the protocol says!" He screamed, his shoulders slumped. "I know what it says. I know that we only have a few more hours before the case is handed to a different department entirely. But-" he swallowed hard, "I don't know that I can give this up. He hasn't been gone that long Jack." Sky's eyes pleaded with Jack. "We can't declare him MIA. After he is, the search tapers off. It gets sent to another department not within SPD. I can't let them take this case."
Jack nodded his understanding.
"I know how you feel, Sky. Bridge is my friend too, but Sky… the trail's gone cold. We aren't any closer to finding him and the city is getting no safer for us sitting here on a case we aren't trained to solve."
Sky's eyes burned.
"Jack, you don't understand. Stop pretending you do." Sky pushed Jack away from him. "Here, when an operative is declared MIA, it's essentially declaring them dead. No one really looks for them, they are awarded honors that are reserved for those who have died, and the department recognizes that the close friends and family are in mourning."
It took all of Sky's training for him to hold back his tears.
"You just don't understand. I'm not giving up on him."
Jack shook his head.
"You know that isn't going to fly with Cruger. He won't let you keep investigating this- it isn't your specialty, and yes I do understand." Jack's voice softened. He too was trying to stay strong. He hated giving up on finding Bridge. He felt that as the red ranger, he had failed. But Jack also knew that the rest of the city still deserved to be protected.
"No you don't!" Sky screamed, his guilt finally boiling over. "It's my fault that Bridge is missing! We were a team and I told him to go upstairs! It's my fault! We shouldn't have split up! I was right below him, how did I not hear anything? How did I not see anything? How did I not…how did I..." Sky had to fight to compose himself.
Jack could feel his own guilt bubbling up.
"You think you're the only one who feels guilty? You think you're the only one that's allowed to be upset?" Jack clenched his fists. "Sky, I'm the red ranger. I made the call on what teams to split and where they all went. If I had gone there myself, it would be me instead of him. If I had decided to not split up at all, we wouldn't be here." Jack took a step forward. "But that's the job, Sky. We make tough calls and decisions all day. There was no indication of any hostile forces in the area, so I made a call and it was the wrong one. Now, I have to live with that every day. I have to live with the fact that my order got one of my friends kill-" Jack stopped mid-word and corrected himself, "Now I have to live with the fact that my order caused him to go missing in the line of duty."
Jack held Sky's gaze.
"We have to keep moving forward for Bridge. If he were here, he'd tell us to worry about the city, and then probably buttered toast." Jack's joke had little joy to it, but it still withdrew a small smile from Sky.
Sky checked the clock.
"Three hours and counting," he muttered.
Sky looked to the screens monitoring the city.
"Jack, I want to go look for him, one last time before we hand off the case. I still have three hours left. You never know right?" Sky started toward the door. "I know what you're saying is true, Jack, but I am going to look just once more."
Jack jerked his head toward the garage in approval.
"I know you think you need this. I know I can't stop you. Go."
Sky grunted his thanks and was soon flying through the city on his motorcycle. He glanced from side-to-side, looking but not really searching. Sky sped through block after block of the city.
Sky's thoughts were clouded with guilt and desperation and anger. He could barely see straight.
Sky pulled off to the side and took off his helmet to clear his head. When he took in his surroundings, he realized he was on the opposite side of the city from where Bridge was abducted. He cursed under his breath and prepared himself to begin his aimless search again.
The sound of breaking glass echoed from several blocks down and screams and shouts followed.
Sky rammed his helmet back on and peeled out toward the commotion. He called in the disturbance just before he arrived.
A large crowd was gathered around an alleyway that was piled high with trash bags and garbage.
Sky began to push his way through the assembled onlookers.
"SPD! Back up, back up! Let me through, SPD move out of the way!" He finally managed to wiggle his way to the front and held up his hands to push the crowds back.
"He fell from up there!" One of the people pointed to a fourth-story window.
Sky followed the hand to the window and nodded. He pushed the throngs of people back a few feet and then turned to the object of interest.
A filthy body clad in rags laid face down in the dump and Sky had to force himself to get closer to what appeared to be a homeless man.
It took everything Sky had to reach out and felt for a pulse and he was rewarded with a weak sign of life.
"He's alive," Sky turned on his radio. "Command Center this SPD Squad B Operative 2, Sky Tate. We have an unconscious man on the corner of Jay and Firtinal, send an ambulance and an investigative team."
Sky gripped the man by the shoulders and carefully turned him over so he could breath. Sky gasped and jerked away.
"...roger Tate. Do you need back up?"
Sky shook his head in disbelief.
"Yes, and get the commander on the comms now," he breathed.
The radio crackled in again.
"What's happening Tate?"
Sky reached out to touch the man's shoulder again.
"The victim...it's….it's Bridge."