The New York Detective That Complicated My Life
After Flack walked away, I started walking back to Mac's office to grab my coat. When I get there, my phone is going off in my coat pocket. I rush over to my jacket and answer the phone.
"Hello?"
"Annabel, its Mac. Stella told me what happened, you ok?" He asks as I put my coat on.
"I am fine, thank you for asking."
"She also told me that Danny and Flack had gotten the name of the guy that had attacked you from the guy that's presently in jail." I close the office door and sit down on one of the chairs.
"Yes they did."
"I need you to do one more thing for me. In the top drawer on the left is a black folder." I walk over to the desk, and open the top drawer on the left and sure enough, there's a black folder sitting there among other things. I grab it then close the desk drawer.
"Got it."
"Ok, what I tell you now you can not repeat to anyone. There's a picture on the far wall of my office, it's the largest one. Lift the picture frame off the wall." Ok, this is sounding really creepy. I find the far wall with my eyes, then I see the largest picture of the wall. Carefully, I walk over and lift it off the wall. When I set the picture down on the floor, I look up at where the picture was and I see a small safe.
"Ok, I'm looking at it."
"Good, their's a keypad on the safe to open the door. Enter the combination 632904 on the keypad." I enter the numbers on the keypad, and I hear a click. I open the door to the safe and it's empty. Putting the folder in there, I close the door.
"The folders in there."
"Hit 632904 again on the pad to lock it." I enter the code again and I hear a click again. I make sure it's locked, then I put the picture back over the safe, and close the drawer on the desk.
"Everything's back in order. What was in that folder that needed to be locked in a safe?" I ask as I sit back down. I hear him sigh before he speaks.
"In that folder, was evidence that incriminated Luke as your attacker. I don't want the folder with other cases because this case because of where you stand with us is personal. Look I'm on my way back to the lab, so I have to go. I appreciate you doing that just now." He hangs up, and I stick my phone in my pocket. I then walk out another door to Mac's office that puts me in view of the glass window to outside.
I start walking to the right when I see a security guard coming up to me.
"Maim, I'm going to have to ask you to evacuate the building, everyone else has already left the building. There is a toxic gas leak and everyone has to get out." I let my eyes skillfully land on his security badge and it has a different picture of the ID card then the face that's carrying it.
The guy catches me looking at his badge and his face so he takes his gun out of his holster.
"Maim, get moving." He growls at me. Ohh shit...
"Ok, I'm going." I stick my hands up in defense and start walking down the hall. When I look behind me to make sure the guy has his back turned to me and he does, I run into a nearby room where some of the lab equipment is kept. I crouch down against one of the counters so if they were to walk by, they couldn't see me.
Oh god, things are not looking good. Shit, what the hell do I do? I take out my phone and re dial the number that Mac had called me on.
"Detective Taylor." He answers.
"Mac, there's something going on at the lab." I rush out as quietly as I can so they can't hear me.
"Slow down Annabel, what's going on?"
"I was about to leave the building when a security guard who had a different ID card then his face came up to me telling that there was a gas leak. When I looked at his face then badge, he took his gun out and asked me again. That's when I came in here." I hear Mac swear under his breath.
"Someone infiltrated the lab to get something or someone. Annabel, stay in the building but do not get seen by ANYONE or let them catch you. They're probably after what's in the safe and you know the combination. If they get ahold of you, they'll probably try to get the combination out of you. Whatever happens or whatever they try to do to you, do not and I repeat do not give up that combination."
"Got it." After when he said that, he's got me scared shitless.
"Annabel you'll be fine, I will the police set up outside and we will treat this like a hostage situation. We'll be outside shortly in the mean time, just try to stay calm and quiet. Also try to stay where you're at. Keep this phone on at all times and on you." Mac hangs up and I put the phone in my pocket. I crouch further behind the counter as I hear two male voices.
"Boss, I found this jacket." One man says to the other, and I assume it's my jacket.
"Son of a bitch..." He mutters. "Someone's still in this building. Rookie, I don't want you coming back to me unless this person is dead, got it?" The other man yells at the first one.
"Got it sir." I then hear the footsteps of the man walking away. Shit, they know I'm here. I carefully look over the counter and see one of the men walking away, he has short brown hair and is wearing some sort of workers uniform. The other man I can't tell what he's wearing or what he looks like. I sink back down to the ground, with my eyes and ears on high alert.
(Flack's POV)
I'm across the street of the lab in a vest along with Mac, Stella and Danny with dozens of cops surrounding us. I was on the search for Annabel's attacker when I got the call from Mac that some guys were in the lab that aren't suppose to be there, and there's a girl in there
"Ok, so do we know who is in there?" I ask as I turn towards the rest of them.
"I don't. Do you Danny?" Stella responds as she looks at Danny.
"No, you Mac?" We then turn towards Mac and he just looks at us.
"Mac, come on. Who's the girl in there?" I ask, stepping closer to him. He sighs before speaking.
"Annabel's in there." He looks me in the eye. WHAT! She's in the fucking lab, with maniacs who most likely have guns.
"What? Why the hell is she still in there?" I ask Mac, the anger boiling now.
"I asked her to do something in my office, and she knew something was suspicious so she hid and called me. Don, she'll be ok, she'll make it out just fine." Mac tries to calm me down but it doesn't work.
"How the hell do we know that?"
"Because we have direct contact with her." He holds up his cellphone. "Stella, you still have the extra glock in your desk?" Mac asks her.
"Yeah, why?"
"Because your walking her through it." Mac hands the phone to Stella.
"There's no way in hell Annabel is..."
"Flack, do you want her out of this alive?"
"Yeah but.."
"Then, Stella's going to lead her through this."
(Annabel's POV)
I'm still sitting with my back against the counter in the lab when the phone goes off. I quickly answer it before any of the men notice it.
"Hello?" I ask, my voice wavering because I'm scared out of my mind.
"Annabel, it's Stella. How you holding up?" She asks softly.
"I'm doing surprisingly well, given that I'm trapped on a floor with pyschos."
"You'll be good. Listen, I'm going to give you instructions. You have to follow these exactly ok? While also making sure no one see's you."
"Ok, lay it on me." I respond, getting on my knees.
"First, you need to find your way to my office." She tells me. I get up off the ground and peak out the doorway. I recognize the hallway and her office is to the right of the hallway. I make sure no one is in the hall or sounding rooms and I make a break for Stella's office area. When I get there, I crouch behind the desk I've seen her sitting at.
"Ok, Stella I'm here." I say, slightly panting.
"Wow, you got there quickly. Ok, there's the bottom drawer on the right, in there should be a Gun." I do what she says and sure enough, there's a gun.
"You know what to do with the gun? You being from Oklahoma and all?" She asks, a hint of laughter in her voice.
"If we weren't in this situation, I'd say you were profiling me. Yes, I know what to do with a gun." I put the safety on the lock and tuck the gun into my waistband.
"Good, well there's someone who wants to talk to you." I hear her pass the phone off to someone and some rustling, then footsteps walking away from the rest of them.
"Hey there Killer." Flack's voice comes through the phone.
"Hey." I ask, sighing as I rest my head against the desk.
"How you holding up in there?" He asks.
"Don, I'm scared out of my mind here. How the hell am I going to make it out of this, alive?"
"Easy, you'll make it out because of how strong of a person you are. Annabel, I know you can do this, you're going to make it out of this. Besides, there's something I have to tell you when you get out of there, so you can't die on me ok?" I can tell the slight desperation in his voice.
"Why would I die on the one man I love?" I ask, tears coming to my eyes slightly.
"I love you too Annabel Stevens. Listen, I have to go. You hang in there ok?" He asks.
"Definitely."
"Good, see you later." I hear him hang up, so I stick the phone back in my pocket. It wasn't long before I heard a phone ringing, that wasn't mine. I hear one of the men answer it.
"We're kind of busy right now." The man barks out. Somehow, the phone gets put on speaker.
"This is Detective Mac Taylor. We have police officers and multiple detectives surrounding the building."
"And that matters because?"
"One of the detectives out here happens to have a personal connection with the girl that's in there. What is it that you exactly want?" Mac's voice rings out.
"All the more reason to find her. Besides, all I want is the code to the safe my men found in an office." I take this as my opportunity to sneak my way out of Stella's office and creep my way down the hall.
"Then again the girl probably knows the... hey!" He sees me making my way behind a column. I peak around the column and he's taking out his gun. I get behind the column fully just as he fires his gun, shattering nearby glass. When I hear footsteps, I make a bolt across the broken glass and start running. Without stopping, I make a run down the hall and hide in a near by room which looks like some sort if conference room. I hide my body in a corner so they can't see me. My phone goes off and instead of it being Mac's phone calling, it's Flack's. Ohh shit, I think he heard the gunshots.
I answer the phone, and grimace as I can already hear his voice.
"ANNABEL WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" He screams through the phone. And that's how you break an ear drum.
"Hello to you to. That was a gunshot and before you ask, I'm fine. The shot hit some near by glass and shattered it. I've got a couple of nicks on my ankle from running through glass but other than that I'm fine." I hear him verbally go 'thank you god'.
"Why were you even shot at in the first place? You know what, that's not the point. Danny's heading in there to get you, I'd go in there but I can't. I'll see you when you get out?"
"Nope, because as soon as I get out of this building, I'm leaving you to live with 7 cats." There's silence on the other end.
"I'm kidding." He lets out a breath.
"And that's why I'm happy I'm allergic to cats."
"I love you." I say, then hang up and situate myself further into the corner. For the first time, I take my gun out of my waistband and take it out. I tuck it in my hand, and keep it pointed at the door. My hand starts falling asleep with I see Danny slowly make his way into the room.
"Woah, there Stevens. Didn't know you were packing heat." He raises his hands up as he tucks his gun in his holster.
"Did you see them?"
"No I didn't see any of them, heard them. Then again I think the state of New Jersey could hear them. You ok?" He asks as I get up off the ground and come towards him.
"I know one way to get out, there's an old trash shute on this floor, that if you go down drops you off in a trash bin they keep in the garage. And before you speak, yes they still keep trash in the bin." I shake my head before I speak.
"Ok."
"All right, follow me. Stay behind and be ready." He re draws his gun as do I. Soon we're both walking out of the room with our guns drawn, and prepared for anything. As I follow him, we so far run into no one.
We turn left down a hallway, the man who I did spot sees us. Before he can utter a word, Danny fires his gun and a shot rings out. I look at the man and he goes down, with a bullet in his leg. Danny reaches for the radio on his vest.
"One suspect down with a gunshot wound to the leg, he should be fine. We're on our way down." He puts the radio down as Mac's voice responds 'Good work.' Danny continues to lead me through the halls, and eventually we land in front of a trash shoot. We both look at each other.
"Ladies first." He comments as he holds the trash shute open.
"Let's skip that rule today shall we?" I respond. Danny just shakes his head as he prepares to get into the shute.
"Hold on Detective, let's talk here." A man's voice comes through. We both snap towards him, Danny pointing the gun at him. I look at him, and it's the guy that had told me we had the wrong guy.
"We don't talk to ass hole criminals that try to kill the people we love." Danny keeps his voice calm as The guy pulls a gun and points it at us.
"I think we should have a discussion though, talk about you two are going to be dead in a few minutes here."
"Luke, it's over. Put the gun down and you can get out of this alive." He raises his voice at Luke.
"Ohh you guys are going down with me." Then Luke fires, Danny firing almost simultaneously. Luke goes down, with a bullet in the heart. Luke's shot hits the wall behind us.
"Let's get out of here before we get killed." Danny speaks up as he sticks his gun in his holster. I put the safety on my gun and stick it in my waistband. Danny holds the shute opens, and raises himself in then jumps. Soon after he jumps, you can hear him going through the vent. Hoping that he's far enough down, I then get myself in the shoot, and jump. As I go through the shute, the metal walls are slowly feeling like their closing in on me. Good thing I don't have claustrophobia.
After a minute or so, I see the light and I get out if the trash shute. Landing in a huge pile trash, luckily cushioning my fall. I stand up from the pile of trash I landed in, and see Danny doing the same.
"Oh my god, the smell." I comment as I stand up and get out of the trash bin as Danny follows me afterwards.
"Were out aren't we? There's something in your hair." He comes forward, and picks some sort of meat out of my hair.
"Ohh god." I shutter as he shows me the meat before tossing it aside. "How the hell am I going to get the smell out of my skin?"
"Guess the water company's going to get a lot of use from us. Let's get back towards the others." We start walking out one entrance of the garage. Within a few minutes we are across the street and down a block from the rest of them. We cross the street and I'm still getting trash out of my hair. As we start walking down the road, Stella sees us, but doesn't say anything.
When we reach them, Mac and Stella come towards us.
"How did you guys get out of there?" Mac asks, giving us the once over.
"Two words; trash shute." Stella comes forward to give me a hug but I step away.
"I wouldn't do that Stella, I smell like a fucking garbage disposal."
"Well if you haven't noticed brainiac, you went down a trash shute." I hear Flack comment as Stella hugs me anyways. Stella let's go shortly after hugging me.
"You weren't kidding about the smell, my god." She steps away and I walk over to Flack. He looks down at me as he picks some more of the 'meat' out of my hair.
"How's it feel, surviving all that. The adrenaline wear off yet?" He asks, pulling me against his chest.
"He's dead, Luke's dead." I mumbled as I buried my face into his bullet proof vest as much as I could. He leads me away from the rest of the group.
"He's dead, how?" Flack asks as he looks down at me.
"Danny shot him. He shot at us, so in return he fired."
"He's gone now, he can't hurt you any more." Flack pulls me away from him to take off his vest, then pulls me back towards him again. He rest his hand against my right shoulder but pulls it away.
"Let me take you home, so you try to get this smell out of your skin. Cause to be honest, I think I like the smell of smoke on you better." I punch his arm as we start walking towards the others.
"Hey Annabel, in about 2 hours or so. The rest of us are going out to celebrate you making out, you have no choice your coming." Stella speaks as the rest of them take their vests off.
"But what if I have.."
"Those plans are going to be cancelled. No exceptions." Mac says in a firm tone, yet he has a smile on his. I just shake my head as Flack puts his hand on my lower back and starts leading me to his car. When we get to his car, we both waste no time stepping inside the car and he drives to my place.
When we get outside my building, I get out of the car as does he.
"You know you don't have to come in with me right?" I ask, digging for my keys in my pocket.
"I know." He responds as he comes up from behind me. I'm still digging for my keys when he rests his hands on my hips. He takes my hands and puts them down at my sides. With his fingers on his left hand splayed over my upper thigh, he takes his other hand and reaches into my pocket. The entire time he's doing this, his breath is on my neck, warming it slightly.
It takes him a few seconds before he gets the keys out of my pocket and hands them to me before he takes his hands off my hips.
"Thank you." I get out as I enter my building and climb the two flights of stairs to get to my place. When I unlock my place, I start walking towards the bathroom.
"Make yourself at home, I'll be getting this smell out of my skin." I walk off towards the bathroom but Flack comes up behind me once again. He turns me towards him. He starts to lean in when I put my hands on his shoulders.
"I don't think you want to do that, with the smell."
"I could care less about the smell." He replies as he very quickly leans down and kisses me. I try to pull back, but he pulls me back in. I eventually put my hands on his chest and push him slightly.
"I'll be right back." I smile at him before walking off towards the bathroom.
So, I hate to say this but the next chapter, is the last chapter of The New York Detective That Complicated My Life but there's the sequel to look forward too :)