AN: I don't own any of the CSI:NY Characters or any of the show's storylines that I may refer to from time to time, but the rest of the plot is mine.

12. RESCUED

Laura was unconscious and tied suspended from the ceiling of the warehouse by her hands, her feet barely on the ground and further secured with a rope around her ankles linked to a ring in the floor and a gag in her mouth, no immediate signs of injury. Her jacket lay discarded a few feet away. Several Asians were talking in Mandarin across the room, they were apparently arguing. Charlie entered with the boss, Kwan who barked out some orders in Mandarin and two of the men went towards Laura.

Charlie asked Kwan what they were doing. Kwan looked across at Laura and smiled. "We have a surprise waiting for your friend. They are going to prepare her." Charlie didn't fully realise what they had planned, but he knew from the looks they were all giving her it wasn't good. "That wasn't the deal, you said you just wanted her out of the way for a while" he said.

Across the room Laura began to stir, she quickly realised she was tied up and from the pain in her arms how. She kept her head down, and opened her eyes and looked from under her hair where it fallen across her face like a curtain. She forced her mind to clear from the fog and concentrated on Charlie and Kwan.

"I've changed my mind, I hadn't realised how pretty she was, I can sell her for a very good price" Kwan told Charlie. Laura saw Charlie shake his head "No, leave her alone!" Kwan smiled at him, "Ah! Are you feeling guilty that you brought her here, don't worry that wont last."

Kwan raised his eyes at one of his team who raised a gun and shot Charlie a single shot between the eyes, Laura jumped and screamed, muffled by the gag.

Outside the SWAT team had deployed to their final positions before moving in. The SWAT Leader barked into his radio "Shot fired, anyone got a visual?"

SWAT team 2 reported back "Looks like they just shot a male, possibly IC1, they have another hostage across the room, no visual, but it looks like they're getting ready to move"

SWAT Leader asked for anyone with a visual on the second hostage. Team 3 reported back "IC1 female, she's tied up. I can't tell if it's Stevens. Looks like she might be conscious."

Don heard the report he looked at the blip on the PDA in his hand the lowered his head to his hands and took a breath, while they confirmed the description, Don looked up. "It's Laura."

Team 3 reported a crate being moved around the warehouse, ready for something to be loaded. As they reported Team 4 broke in "1st container unloading, and it's the same number we got from Taylor's group."

The SWAT leader looked along the line of his team then ordered everyone ready to go in. Team 3 told him that Kwan was approaching Laura. Don couldn't contain himself any longer "We need to get in there now!" The SWAT leader assured him it wouldn't be much longer.

In the warehouse Kwan approached Laura and mounted the block which had been placed in front of her. Grabbing her hair he lifted up her head and gripped her face in his hand forcing her to look at him. She flinched as he ran his fingers across her neck and squealed with the pressure it put on her arms when she moved.

"By tomorrow morning no one will know where you are, they can look all they want but they wont find you or me because we will be on our way to China, where I will become very rich supplying your services to anyone who will pay" He taunted her.

Laura tried to scream and shout at him, but he laughed. She wrenched herself out of his hand, pulling hard to her right and screamed as she dislocated her shoulder, at the same time as the SWAT teams poured in, she tried to cry out. Two members of the SWAT team cut her down and she passed out with pain as they lowered her down into Don's arms, he sat on the floor and removed the gag from her mouth, her eyes fluttered open and she looked up into his bright blue eyes through tears as the pain in her shoulder manifested itself, then she closed them again. Meanwhile one of the SWAT guys released her ankle bonds.

"Kat? .. Laura ... hey baby look at me" he brushed her hair off her face, she screwed up her face and opened her eyes again, Don could see the pain in her eyes. "She needs a doctor! ... Kat where does it hurt?" Laura stared into his eyes "Sh-oulder ... dis-located." She gasped with the pain. "They shot .. Charlie"

She closed her eyes and screwed her face up as she fought the pain. Don took her good hand in his and squeezed it. Laura opened her eyes again. "It's OK, we've got them, you're safe, ... I'm sorry I should have stopped you" Don whispered.

Laura tried to shake her head and a sent a wave of pain through her body. She tightened her grip on Don and looked into his eyes "It's me, ... planned, couldn't tell anyone." Tears trickled down her face, Don wasn't sure whether it was from the pain, relief it was all over or the confession she had just made to him. He let go of her hand and brushed the tears away then took her hand again.

"Doesn't matter ... you're here, I'm not going anywhere."

Hawkes joined them, he knelt on the floor at Laura's side "Hey Laura, I'm just gonna take a look at you." She screamed and writhed with the pain as he touched her shoulder. Don tightened his hold on her, the pain began to subside, Laura opened her eyes. Hawkes checked her pulse, "Laura, I'm sorry, EMS are on their way, we'll get you something for the pain, won't be long."

A few moments later paramedics arrived with a stretcher. They give her a shot for the pain and put her arm in a sling before easing her onto the stretcher. Don leaned over. "Hawkes will go with you, I'll see you soon." She closed her eyes and they wheeled her away as Don let her hand go. He rubbed his hand over his face and through his hair.

The SWAT leader joined him. "She gonna be OK?" he asked. Don nodded. "Yeah, dislocated shoulder, she's in a lot of pain." The SWAT Leader rubbed his shoulder "They're a bitch, had a few in my time, good news is once they get it back in you're OK in no time"

Don looked around, his eyes settled on the sheet covering a body. "She confirmed they shot Charlie Price."

"Execution style ... why don't you go with her to the hospital, we've got it contained here. The intel was good, we've found the girls, vice and immigration are coming for them. Mac's team will get what they need from here ... I'll tell Gerrard you went to get her statement, so make sure you do it with a witness to cover yourself" Don looked at the SWAT leader, not fully comprehending what he was saying. "She's your girlfriend, right? I might be tough on the outside but my kids tell me I'm really a teddy bear, now get outta here, she needs you more than we do."

Don nodded. The SWAT leader wandered away as Danny came over to process the area. He took in the distant look on Don's face, not knowing what to say to him he just clapped him on the shoulder. and whispered "She'll be fine".

Sheldon appeared at the doorway and called out "Flack, she's awake again and asking for you. We need to get her out of here and set her arm"

Don looked at Danny then turned and headed for the exit.

Only one more chapter to come, will be ready late Monday.

If you want a sequel please review and let me know ...