The tension in the room spiralled out of control, the tables had turned once again and no-one was safe. Guns were still armed and pointing in every direction, there were hostages on both sides. It all came down to a case of who gave in first. Mac had his gun trained on the man standing beside Hawkes. His mouth was agape however at how quickly the events of the day had changed.
'You wanna put those guns down now detectives?' Stella tightened her grip tighter. Before her Lindsay stood gagged and being held at gunpoint, pain obvious in her eyes. She couldn't let one of her best friends get hurt on her behalf. Lindsay started squirming and shook her head in protest as she saw Stella lax her grip.
'Be quiet you little bitch.' He slapped Lindsay round the face. She groaned and Mac's rage went through the roof.
'Leave her alone.'
'Or what?' The man they called Jackie pulled Lindsay arm up toward him ever so slowly. Thankfully it was her uninjured side – so far. Lindsay's breath hitched as she felt her thumb being pulled further and further backward. She fell to her knees her arm contorted above her. The deafening crack bought tears to her eyes. She screamed louder than she ever had before.
'You bastard.' Stella started to run forward.
'Now, now sweetheart. You wouldn't want your friend to die now would you.' Stella took a step back as the pistol was placed against the back of Lindsay's skull.
'What do you want?' Mac asked, stupid question on his behalf but at least it bought them more time.
'We want our coke. Let us walk out of here with all of it. And we'll let you go alive.' Lindsay pulled the tape of her mouth, whimpering in agony as she did so, but she needed to be able to breathe if she was going to keep up her conscious state.
'You sound so manly now.' She spat through gritted teeth holding her injured hand under her arm. Once again rewarded with a kick in the face she collapsed to the floor. Conscious lapping slowly away from her.
'Put your guns down NOW!' The simultaneous click of every gun in the room was the last thing Lindsay heard.
Danny was crouched in a side alley his glasses in his pocket and his face pressed against the wall. He was determined to get into that building no matter what the cost. So here he was Sid and Peyton beneath him. He was stood on Sid's shoulder.
'Just a little higher.' His voice strained as he reached high above his head to the fire escape.
'Got it.' He heaved himself up and clattered against the metal gratings.
'You really should think about loosing some weight Danny.' Sid rubbed his shoulders painfully. Peyton punched him on the arm.
'What was that for.'
'Cant you see, he's fighting for the person he loves. Who could possibly be in mortal danger.'
'Who Monroe?'
'And your supposed to be an intelligent man.' Peyton sighed and watched as Danny fell through the second floor window.
'He's in. No lets hope he comes out.'
Stella lowered her gun to the floor. Enough was enough. She'd seen Lindsay loose consciousness, and the alarming look on both Hawkes and Mac's face. Mac followed suit and placed his shotgun on the floor. He should've known better.
'Over here.' They were both shepherded into the corner with Hawkes. Lindsay lay in the middle of the floor. Her head bleeding and bruised. Jackie dragged her over to the rest of them.
'Linds.' Stella whispered, shaking her slightly. The young women was bruised and broken in more places that she could count and without a doubt needed medical attention.
'Hawkes?' Mac looked over at the ex medical examiner. Hawkes shuffled over his head had stopped bleeding but it was pounding against his skull creating the worst migraine of his life. He felt along her side and found himself faced with multiple broken ribs. Not good. Her arm was twisted in the opposite direction.
'Mac all I can tell is it's not good. Her shoulders dislocated, and her ribs broken who knows what condition she's like inside.
'Ow.' Lindsay opened her eyes a slit and saw three worried looking adults staring back at her. Behind her, millions and millions of dollars worth of cocaine were being loaded up and all she could think about was how much she hurt.
'Thank God.' Stella breathed, under better conditions she would have hugged her.
'How you doing kiddo.'
'I say again…Ow.'
Stella looked up as she heard the last person step out of the vault.
'That's everything boys. Finish them.' Three machine guns faced them and all hell broke loose.
Danny had been pounding up the stairs three at a time. He was one floor away when he heard the machine gun and shotgun fire.
'LINDSAY!'
A/N: And there is chapter 5. Hope it satisfies – please please review!