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Chapter 10

"Where the hell are they?!" Don fumed as he watched the front of the building, turning on Mac "You shouldn't have let her go in!"

"I wasn't here Don!" Mac returned "Lindsay's in there too"

"I know!" he said "I just..."

"You're worried" Mac finished "We all are, but bomb squad need the protection, we're not sure if there's anyone still in there to protect the bomb. Kate has her team in there, Lindsay's got her back"

"Damn it!" he thumped the top of his car forcefully. Further annoyed by the 30 foot barrier bomb squad had erected, if he couldn't be in there, he wanted to be closer.

…...

Kate stood with her gun poised, flashlight sweeping the empty room.

"You scared?" Lindsay whispered.

"You?" she asked back, not taking her eyes from the room they covered.

"Yeah" she admitted.

"Me too" she agreed "I wanted to get married here"

Lindsay laughed "If we save the place" she said "They might do it for free"

"Hadn't thought of that" she said.

The air behind them was thick with tension and curses, Kate thought her language was bad, if cussing out the bomb could disarm it, they were laughing.

Suddenly the atmosphere changed perceptively. Kate and Lindsay turned as one.

"We gotta go" two bomb tech's headed for them "Now!"

Kate and Lindsay took off, the rest of her team took the nearest exits, clearing themselves as quick as they could.

The quickest route was through the hotel bar from the kitchen, hoping for fire exits, Kate headed that way. She was wrong, plate glass windows faced them.

"We got about 10 seconds before this place is rubble" one of the bomb squad said, skidding into them.

Kate looked at Lindsay, dropping her rifle and releasing her handgun, she knew she'd read her mind as she did the same. Setting off again, Kate fired at the top right corner of the huge screen window about 20 feet away from them, shielding her eyes, Lindsay shot out the opposite corner.

The glass crashed to the floor, heavy curtains falling as they were dislodged, the four of them continued to run at the now shattered window, leaping through it and over the small wall outside, heading for the nearest squad cars.

…...

"Get down!" Mac warned as they heard the shots and a front window exploded in a cascade of glass.

Watching across the hood of his car, Don saw Kate, Lindsay and two of the bomb squad scramble through the window and race towards the squad cars parked in an awkward circle. The fact that they were running, meant only one thing, they couldn't disarm the bomb.

He willed them to run faster, paralysed to the spot. He felt totally useless, standing there. It all seemed to go in slow motion, first the rumble and then roar, and the front of the hotel wobbled before pieces of building started to fly in all directions. Kate and Lindsay were almost at the nearest squad car when the shock wave from the blast took them down. It took Kate flat, Lindsay was in front of her and shielded slightly, she stumbled onto her knees. Turning she half hauled a stunned Kate to her feet, dragging her forward. Collecting her wits, Kate followed Lindsay across the bonnet of the squad car as further explosions rocked the street.

From where she lay, head pinned to the floor, she could see Don and Mac, they were in a similar position as the explosions continued. Gas canisters and pipes exploded, just as planned. Chunks of plaster and stone work flew. All anyone could do was keep their head down and pray.

Don heard one final explosion, very close, and the twisting of metal against tarmac. He had the wind knocked out of him, laying still he listened in the absolute silence. Suddenly it was broken by a shouting, someone shouting 'No!' over and again, then more noise.

Kate watched in horror as a piece of stonework slammed into the side of the familiar silver car, flipping it and throwing it back several feet. Silence reigned as the explosions stopped and everyone turned to the wreckage of the car, then to the source of the shouting.

"NO! No! No! No!" Kate yelled, scrambling to her feet, ripping off her helmet and goggles. She couldn't see Don or Mac "No!" she ran towards the car.

"Somebody stop her!" Lindsay yelled, scrambling to her feet.

Two uniformed officers tackled Kate, they forcefully pinned her arms behind her back, she still fought, and Lindsay joined them, trying to keep hold of her.

"Get him out!" Kate yelled "Get off me!"

"Kate!" Lindsay yelled "Calm down!"

Kate stilled as she watched Danny and Hawkes dive into the wreckage, searching the small area for their two colleagues.

"Please Danny" she whispered.

…...

Don lay, stunned. He moved each limb in turn, feeling each one respond sluggishly as he felt the bite of glass and metal against his skin. 'Not again' he thought.

"Mac?" he croaked, memory coming back in a rush. He felt around him more urgently, feeling the upholstery of the car "Mac?!"

"I'm OK" he heard a reply, reaching out he encountered warmth through fabric, he gripped it.

"Mac?" he asked.

"It's me" Mac confirmed "Are you all right?"

"I think so" Don said "I can move. You?"

"My leg's stuck" Mac replied.

Don tried to move, sit up but the side of the car that had taken the impact was too close, he was pinned. They were in the delve caused by the stonework hitting the car. The vehicle had flipped into the air, spinning and landing damaged side down by some fluke stroke of luck. Mac and Don were sheltered from a ton of glass and metal by six inches of miracle.

"We do this too often" Don quipped.

Mac laughed "At least I know you're not brain damaged" he said "When you got a smart ass comment"

"Mac?!" he heard Hawkes voice followed by Danny's

"Flack?! Mac?! You OK in there?!"

"Hang on guys!" Hawkes said "We're getting' you out!"

…...

Everyone watched as the fire department lifted the car inch by careful inch with the hydraulic air cushion. Dust swirled from the circulating air, obscuring the view. Suddenly the car stopped rising, and Kate fought to be closer again.

"Give them chance" Lindsay said, standing in front of her as the officers tightened their grip once more.

As the dust cleared she saw them, sitting side by side on a gurney, submitting to the attentions of Hawkes and the paramedics.

Lindsay stepped out of the way, limping slightly as she and Kate rushed over. Her knees had taken a battering when she fell, Kate seemed to have fared better, her hands and forearms were a mess where she'd skidded along the floor, but both seemed to have escaped major damage.

Danny hugged Lindsay tight "You OK baby?" he asked "You OK?!"

"I'm OK" she confirmed "Haven't skinned my knees since high school, but I'm good, are they?" she nodded towards Mac and Don.

"Somehow" he said "The pair of then have nine lives!"

Kate just stared as Hawkes shone a light into Don's eyes, and then manipulated his left wrist, a look of doubt on his face. Don stared back at Kate, his expression as unreadable as hers.

His attention snapped back to his wrist as Hawkes pushed it in another direction, snatching his arm back he got down from the gurney awkwardly, brushing aside the doctors protestations.

He walked over and stood in front of her, for a second neither moved, neither could move.

"My God" he said, pulling her roughly towards him with his right arm, burying his face in her hair.