Chapter 15: Hostage
"Freeing a hostage is like putting up a stage set, which you do with the captors, agreeing on each piece as you slowly put it together;
then you leave an exit through which the captor and captive can walk with sincerity and dignity." -Terry Waite
"Put the gun down!" Gibbs yelled.
He and Fornell had been listening on the other side of the entrance trying to formulate a plan when a shot was fired and they were given no other choice than to enter prematurely.
"He shot me! That crazy ass shot me!" Hardison was in shock.
He might not have been the holiest of people but he was a good person and helped others when he could.
He certainly didn't deserve to be shot.
"I'm not putting anything down, that bastard deserves to die!" Sterling was still holding Abby.
He didn't exactly know how he missed his intended target but it looked like the only way he was going to do what he came here to do and get out of this alive was with this girls help.
"He needs help!" JJ pleaded. She was shocked when Hardison who was standing right next to her suddenly fell.
Her hands were covered in blood from putting pressure on his thigh and she hoped he would be ok.
She liked Hardison a lot and she really didn't want her last memories of him to feature his death.
"That's not for you to decide! Now drop your weapon!" Fornell ordered. This was not going to end well.
"He took my sister from me, he hurt the last living family I've got and he's going to pay for it!"
Sterling was waving his gun wildly and holding Abby so tight it was almost like she was his own personal shield.
"I'm right here James; he didn't take anything from you.
Just put the gun down before you hurt Abby." Emily couldn't believe what her brother was doing.
"You better listen to her. That will be the only way you get out of here in one piece."
He was holding Abby pretty close but the second Gibbs got the chance he wouldn't hesitate to take his shot.
"Jimmy I love you but Abby is like a sister. If you hurt her I don't think I'll be able to forgive you."
Emily was trying not to cry but it seemed like when it came to her things always went from bad to worse.
"Just everyone shut up! He's going to pay no matter what you say so just shut up!"
"I don't know how you haven't noticed but there is no way you can possibly make him pay because he isn't even here."
Gibbs had come in during the shooting and Rossi hadn't been there so he assumed that's when he took off, but obviously Sterling had gotten himself so worked up he hadn't noticed.
Looking around Sterling was shocked to see that was true.
Ziva had Hardison's head on her lap and was mumbling something silently.
JJ was still putting pressure on his leg and Garcia was off to the side tears pooling down her cheeks.
Rossi though, he was nowhere to be seen. "Oh he's going to pay, it might not be today or tomorrow but he will."
Sterling was slowly backing up dragging Abby with him. "Please just let me go." Abby's voice could barely be heard.
She had stayed silent this whole time, not even allowing herself to breathe too deeply, in fear of causing herself unnecessary harm.
"I can't do that Abby. You're my only way out of here and I plan on taking full advantage of that." He couldn't possibly get his revenge on Rossi if he was in jail now could he.
"This building's surrounded, you won't make it a mile.
Put your gun down and maybe we'll go easy on ya'." Fornell hoped Nate had called backup.
"No we're out of here. I'd rather take my chances with this," He indicated to his gun "than with you." And as he slid through the back door another shot was fired.
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"Hey you!" Nate called coming up on the bouncer outside the casino.
"Yeah?" Morgan asked eyeing the other man skeptically.
"Detective Ford, I just witnessed a young woman breaking into the back of this establishment and I would like to go retrieve her." Nate informed authoritatively.
"No one's allowed in until opening." Those were his orders and he was sticking to 'em.
"Did you not just hear me? I said a woman broke in; she's probably robbing the joint right now.
So I would appreciate it if you let me in there to do my job." Nate tried pushing past but to no avail.
"I'm sorry but Mr. Rossi said no one so it's his problem if there's a thief on the inside.
I'm only in charge of the outside which is where you are so unless you have a warrant that's where you'll stay." He didn't need to be on Rossi's bad side again.
"I can always-" but Nate was interrupted as a gun went off.
"What are you doing?" Nate pulled on Morgan's shoulder to stop him before he entered the building.
"I'm going in. My friends are in there and someone might be hurt." Morgan tried to keep his
nose out of things but he knew enough to know that Rossi had quite a few enemies that wanted him dead.
Looking at the door as it flew open they were greeted with one flustered looking Rossi. "What happened in there?" Nate immediately questioned.
"Emily has a brother and he tried killing me, the nut! I'm getting out of here while I'm still in one piece, but you better get in
there and do the job my tax dollars pay you to do." Rossi ordered seeming to have collected his emotions and bottled them back up.
"You're not going anywhere; I need you to tell me exactly what happened and everyone that's in that building."
Nate was going to take full advantage of the eyes and ears that had been in there when all of this had happened.
"You can't make me stay here and do your job!" Rossi started walking toward his car in the back. He needed to get out of there as soon as possible.
Abruptly shoving Rossi into the nearest wall Nate grabbed his wrists and cuffed him."You don't help me and I will make sure you're charged as an accessory to whatever goes down in there."
"Ok, ok geeze just take these off and I'll tell you." He couldn't possibly get out of there with chains on so he decided to tell the clown what he wanted to hear.
"Alright," Nate agreed releasing one of Rossi hands.
Pulling Rossi by the collar he then led him to the lamp post where he re-cuffed him in a hug around it.
"Hey I agreed I'd talk to you! What's this for?" This copper was definitely gonna regret this.
"To keep you honest. Now, when things are settled and I'm sure you weren't involved I'll let you be on your way.
So start talking." Nate was no fool and he was not letting the only man that came out of that building so far leave.
"I was looking for my daughter in the main room when this man walked through from the back.
He had a knife pressed to my Abby's throat and was threatening to kill me."
"And you just left her?" Came Morgan and Nate's questioning disbelief.
"He was gonna kill me! What good would I be to her dead?"
Rossi didn't like the looks he was receiving. He was a good father and he didn't care what they thought.
"And if she gets killed instead? How do you save your own sorry ass and leave her in there alone?" Morgan was enraged.
Rossi deserved anything that came to him and more, but Abby was just an innocent girl unfortunate enough to be born in the Rossi family.
"I had no choice, he started shooting! I barely got out of there with the skin on my teeth!"
"Then what happened?" Nate needed to move things along.
"I seen Hardison go down and I got out of there.
Emily had come in at some point and as I was leaving I'm almost positive that Fed of yours showed up." Rossi explained irately.
"How many people are in there?" Nate needed to get reinforcements on the way.
"Just the girls and Hardison but in the side room in the back I think there were a few others."
"Put a number on it." Nate ordered.
"Around ten in the main room.
Five or so in the back, So maybe fifteen."
"Can I trust you?" Nate addressed Morgan.
Nodding his confirmation Nate continued by handing him a card. "Call that number and ask for a Detective Munch.
Tell Munch it's an emergency and to get here as fast as he can and to bring the cavalry with him."
"Will do" Morgan went up the street to the corners pay phone.
It would be easier to call from there than the hotel.
"Where are you going? You can't just leave me here!" Rossi yelled as Nate began entering the building.
"I can leave you any place of my choosing and if any of your guests start showing make sure to send them away." With that Nate carefully stepped in getting lost behind the doors.
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"Eliot" Morgan spoke into the speaker hurriedly.
"Yeah I know I'm late Derek. Just hold my spot a little while longer will ya', I'll be there in twenty." Eliot had gotten slightly distracted in a business deal.
"No don't come down, the cops are gonna be swarming this place in minutes.
I just wanted to give you the heads up." Morgan rushed checking to make sure their conversation was still private.
"What happened?" Eliot was on full alert now, business be damned.
"I'll meet up with you at the house in ten to tell you." It was time to get off the phone.
"Not the house. Come down to the old bridge in half an hour."
"I'll be there."
"... and Morgan."
"Yeah?" Morgan really just wanted to leave but he knew that would bring him unnecessary attention and he was too smart for that.
"Watch yourself." Eliot didn't know what was going on but he didn't want Morgan to end up taking the fall for something.
"I will." Morgan hung up. This had not turned out to be a good night at all.
One of his best friends who he considered to be almost a brother had been shot and might
be dead and Abby, one of his baby girls was being threatened with her life. No this was not a good night at all.
"At some point it doesn't matter how you look at it. It all sucks."- Derek Morgan Criminal Minds