Terry Webster had left the small room where they'd been listening, and leaned against the wall trying to catch his breath. The storefront that they had been housed in for the last few hours felt small and the air stifling. He slid down the wall until he sat on the ground his head down between his legs trying to keep himself from hyperventilating. Ryker had left a good forty minutes ago unable to bear the sound of Jill and Mike in such anguish. He had remained behind - not wanting to listen but too terrified not to. He wanted to hear what was happening and know for himself that they were still living and breathing. But he had finally reached his breaking point.
His friendship to Mike and to Jill reached back so many years - years filled with births, marriages, deaths - bright days and dark nights. Mike had been next to him, when they had watched Willie breathe his last - his young wife sobbing at his side. Jill had sat up with him, in those dark days when Beth and he had been dating, and she'd broken things off with him. She'd held his hand and told him to hang in there - to apologize and make things right. He had followed her advice and found himself a happily married man just seven months later.
He loved them and to hear them treated so terribly paralyzed him completely. Like Chris, he wanted to be part of their rescue but he wasn't sure he could keep it together any more. And he was certain of one thing; if had the opportunity he would kill Lee Borden with his bare hands.
He understood now, Mike's anguish all those years ago. Then, he had advised him to stay within the law, and follow the rules. It had been close, but at the end of it all Lee Borden had been caught and Jill was safe. Looking back now, though, he realized that maybe Mike should have gone after Borden. Following the rules, led them to where they were now, and Terry couldn't help but think it was his fault.
"Webster!" He looked up at the sharp sound of Lt. Wellman's voice. "You gonna keep it together? It's now or never. We're going."
"Yeah," He said rising slowly. "Yeah, I can deal."
"Get your gear. We're moving in now. You can follow in with the second team." Wellman said calmly as the radio clipped to his shoulder hummed with activity.
"Who's leading the first team?" Terry asked.
"Chris Owens." Wellman said with a raised eyebrow. "They are already in place. Get moving."
***R***
Lee Borden was checking back over Mike Danko's bindings. The anticipation of his revenge was almost better than the actions he was about to take. He knew how infuriated and helpless Danko would be, and he wanted to guarantee that there was no way he could break free. He'd seen the look in the cop's piercing blue eyes, and knew that if a chance presented it, Danko would break his neck.
"You can sit here nice and comfy. You want something to drink?" He asked cheerfully. "I want you to be able to really enjoy the show." As he said it, he was looking Danko dead in the eye, his face close - too close. Mike leaned forward and hit him hard with his head. It threw Lee Borden backward so that he fell against the wall.
"What the hell?" He said rubbing his forehead and already feeling a growing bump. "You bastard! You don't know when to quit, do you?" He rose slowly and reeling back slapped Mike hard across the face. "She's mine, now." He started to lean close to Mike's face again but then thinking better of it, kept his distance. "She's mine." He repeated. "And there's nothing you can do about it."
He reached into his waistband and pulled a pistol out, holding it steady on Mike Danko.
"No!" Jill called out. "You don't have to shoot him. I won't fight you, please! Please!"
"I'm sick of staring at his ugly face. 'Sides, I wanna make sure we won't be interrupted." He glanced over his shoulder at her.
"But you wanted him to watch." She pointed out. "Please, don't shoot him! Please! Now!" She yelled hoping they were still listening. "Now! I want to go home! I want to go home!" She called out the signal they had given her. "Please no! I want to go home!"
"Hey, baby, shhh. Doesn't matter." Mike said calmly. "Everything is gonna be fine. Just close your eyes, Baby. Don't watch." He was crying and kept his eyes on her. He heard the hammer of the gun click, and knew it was over. "I love you, Jill for all . . ." But whatever he was going to say next was swallowed up in the explosion of the bullet leaving the gun.
***R***
When David Borden stepped off the porch and walked down the drive, he had the strangest feeling he was being watched. He felt uneasy about the whole plan, beginning to end. His years in prison had left him fairly hardened, but he wasn't swallowed up in a raging bitterness, as his older brother was. He was simply happy to be out, and when Lee suggested the plan to him, he thought the whole thing seemed like a colossal pain in the ass. He was ready to drink, meet a nice girl with loose morals, and enjoy life in the sunshine.
Now, he was trapped. He knew Lee would never let it go. He was the same way when they were kids. He always finished things through to the end. David wasn't looking forward to a life on the run, but knew that was exactly what was in store for the two of them. The plan was simple - have a little fun, kill them both and head to Mexico. They would hang around there for six months or so, until things died down and then they'd head to Argentina. Only, now Lee was talking about their little girls, and David knew once Lee got a bee in his bonnet - he'd try and drag David into it. He turned the corner by the side gate, and found himself surrounded by cops. He hesitated briefly, weighing the odds of making a run for it, but realized he was pretty much screwed. He felt a tremendous flash of rage, but not toward the cops who surrounded him. "Son of a bitch!" He thought angrily. "Lee was an idiot!" Having no other choice, he threw up his hands, and found himself lying face down in the dirt, with an angry cop's boot pressed into his back.
"Let's make the bastard pay!" A cop above him said.
"Shut up and cuff him. We got bigger fish to fry." Another voice said.
"Hey, there Borden." A cop leaned close to his face. "How's your brother?"
"Get him out of here and keep him away from Webster and Ryker, huh? We need him in one piece. Tell first team that they've got one less suspect to deal with."
***R***
Ryker had to listen now. He had seen everyone heading out in their gear. He had met Chris' steely eye with a nod and knew that Chris Owens wasn't going to return without Mike and Jill Danko. He sighed and wished he had retired long ago. Jill was right. This job was completely sucking his life away. He had earned the right to rest and let others serve. Standing here now, trying to maintain some objectivity as Deputy Chief of Police was a tremendous strain. He listened to the conversation and Lee Borden's cruel mocking tone, and horrific threats against Jill, filled him with a rage that he didn't even know he possessed.
He stood next to the young officer who was recording everything being transmitted. He heard that they'd arrested David Borden. He knew that having one man in that basement improved things, but it was still a room with only one entry. It was still walking into a room where a madman held the two people he cared most about at gunpoint.
He heard the gunshot. Heard Jill's cries. And then everything went black.
***R***
Somehow Jill had managed to skid across the floor to where Mike lay on his side, still tied to the chair. He had handcuffed her hands in front of her, and she worked now to staunch the blood that flowed from his left leg. She was desperate to keep pressure on it.
"Mike? Mike! Sweetheart! Stay conscious! Stay with me." She said desperately, even as Lee Borden came toward her. "Mike stay, awake!"
Borden reached down and grabbed her arm, pulling her roughly to her feet.
"I'll be your sweetheart now, babydoll!" He laughed and turning pulled her against him. It was in that precise moment that Chris Owens threw the smoke bomb into the room, and came down the stairs his gun out.
"Drop it, Borden! Let her go!" He said. "You are surrounded by police. Drop it!"
Shocked Borden, spun around and screaming began firing wildly. He kept one arm tight around Jill Danko.
"Drop to the floor, Jill!" Chris screamed. "Get low! Now!"
Without really thinking about it, she used the move Mike had shown her decades ago, and freed herself from Borden's grip. She fell flat. After that everything that happened occurred so quickly that she could never really remember it correctly. Chris flying down the stairs, Borden screaming and firing his gun, falling to the floor, and sliding on her belly and somehow squeezing herself into the small space beneath a cabinet. She could see no more of the room except for feet that seemed to rush and wrestle in front of her. It was loud! It sounded like hundreds of guns firing. She couldn't see Mike, couldn't see Borden, couldn't see anything, as smoke filled the room.
She didn't even realize that she had been screaming until the firing ended and she could hear her own voice but it sounded distant and muffled. It took her a minute to realize it was her own voice and not someone else far away calling out for help. The room was deafeningly quiet then, but she was too terrified to crawl out. Afraid of who would be waiting for her; afraid that she would find Mike and Chris both dead. After a minute she could hear a muffled sound and realized that her hearing had been damaged by the noise of gunfire. She scooted close to the edge and tried to see, and screamed again when she saw a dark eye peering back at her.
"Jill! Jill! It's okay, honey. Come on out!" The voice was muffled as though her ears were stuffed with cotton. She heard a dull ringing that seemed louder than anything else. But after a second she recognized the eye; Terry.
She moved forward slowly, sliding out. Once she'd got partially free, Terry pulled her gently forward.
"Are you hurt?" He asked with wide eyes as he helped her to sitting position.
"Where's Mike?" She asked, scanning the room which she could see was filled with officers.
"He's doing okay. We got his leg wrapped. The ambulance just pulled into the yard." He said. She watched his face trying to understand but only managed the word "okay" and "leg".
"I can't hear." She said to him. She could see Mike now, surrounded by three officers. She could see the rise and fall of his chest even from where she sat with Terry beside her. She scanned the room once more and saw Chris then also surrounded by officers, his chest red with blood.
"Chris!" She shouted and breaking free of Terry, stumbled across the room toward him. She barrelled past two officers who had taken off their shirts, and were trying to stop the flow of blood with them.
"Move!" She commanded. "I'm a nurse! Someone get these goddamn cuffs off of me!" Not waiting for them to help her, she moved the shirts off of Chris' chest, and examined the wound. "Where's the ambulance?" She shouted looking up briefly. "Get these cuffs off of me!" She yelled frustrated. "We need to help him breathe! He needs a trach! Get me a pen or a straw! NOW!"
One officer handed her his pen, while the other worked at her cuffs, as soon as he loosed one hand, she pushed him aside. "I need a knife! Where's the ambulance?"
"They are coming!" An officer shouted close to her ear. "They just got here!"
"We can't wait!" She said reaching for the knife that he handed her. She didn't hesitate, but carefully cut into his throat with expert precision, and then slipped the small tube from the pen she'd dismantled into the hole she created. She leaned close listening to him.
"Did it work?" The same officer shouted in her ear.
"Yes! Where is the ambulance?"
Instead of trying to communicate with her, he turned her head and pointed at the stairs leading into the basement. She could see the EMTs coming into the room then. They immediately turned toward Chris, and pushed her aside.
She sat back then, her legs tucked to the side, the half-opened handcuffs hanging from her wrist. She could see another pair of EMTs surrounding Mike, and exhaled feeling a torrent of tears building up inside. It was only as she turned back to where they worked over Chris that she saw him then.
Lee Borden lay in a bloody heap just to her left. His bright blue eyes were still open, but he was gone. She blinked, shocked at the sight, but felt nothing. Her concern over Chris and Mike far too great to really contemplate him. She turned to look at Chris again and could see him moving, struggling against those who tried to help him.
She scooted close to him, so that she was looking into his face. Seeing her, he froze.
"Jill?" He asked hoarsely.
"I'm alright. Let them help you." She said reaching out and smoothing his forehead with her free hand.
"It was worth it then." He gasped out and then he was swallowed up into darkness.
***R***
She wouldn't let anyone touch her. She had watched as they carried Chris slowly up the stairs and out of the nightmarish dungeon. She turned her attention back to Mike, and could see that he was stirring.
"Jill?" He called out, and even with her badly damaged hearing, she could hear his panic laden voice. "Jill!"
She moved along the floor to him, too exhausted to stand up and walk. She leaned over him and his eyes filled with tears, "Oh! Baby! Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"
She shook her head completely unable to speak.
"Oh, God! I thought . . ." Mike gasped out.
"Sgt. Danko," The EMT said with a gentle hand on Mike's chest. "Lie back. You hit your head really hard, and you've got a pretty nice wound on your leg. Lie back."
"Make sure she's okay." He said with wide eyes. "She just finished chemo about three weeks ago. She's really weak. Make sure she's okay!"
"Lie back!" The EMT said again, pushing a little more firmly now.
"Make sure . . ."
"Mike, lie down." She choked out. "They'll take care of me. Just lie down." She put a hand on his chest too, and meeting her eyes he finally relented and lay back.
"Baby, I'm sorry." He said. "I'm so sorry. He didn't touch you, did he? You are okay?"
She leaned over him, "No, Mike. I'm okay. It's okay now. Just let them take care of you."
He reached out with his hand touched the side of her face, her eyes closed as one tear escaped. She said nothing else then; had no other words. She lay her head down on his chest, and listened to the steady beating of his heart until they moved to carry him out.
An EMT, reached out to touch her shoulder, but she jumped at his light touch.
"I'm sorry." He said. "We can take him up now." He told her. He turned and indicated another EMT behind him, a woman. "This is Anna. She's gonna make sure you are okay."
"I'm fine." She said scooting away. "Let me ride in with him."
"Mrs. Danko, let's just look you over, okay?" Anna said gently.
"I said I'm fine." Jill said firmly. "I'm a nurse. I just have some bruises, cuts, my wrist might be broken, and I think I've got some temporary hearing loss from the noise, but I am fine. Let me ride with my husband."
"Mrs. Danko," Anna began again.
"Please!" Jill begged. "Please, don't make me leave him."
"Get her a stretcher." Anna said to someone behind her.
"I can carry her." She heard a voice say, and was relieved to see Terry step forward and without waiting for an okay from the medical team that crowded the small basement, he scooped her up into his arms. "Come on honey, let's go you back with Mike." He said as he rose and carried her up the stairs.