Again, thanks for the kind reviews.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Even before she recovered from the blast's shock, Alex ran towards the devastated building. In spite of her size and the heels she wore she led the phalanx of cops aimed at the same destination, but several burly firemen blocked their way.

"No, honey…You can't…" one said to her.

"I'm Detective First Grade Alex Eames!" she yelled. "And my partner is in there!"

The fireman's face softened. "I understand, Detective…But it's too dangerous…Just give us a few minutes…We'll get your partner out…"

"Alex…" Ross appeared behind her. "Let them do their job." He tentatively placed a comforting and restraining hand on her shoulder.

"Ben! My son! My boy! Ben!" Mrs. Mitchell's wails pierced the air.

Uniformed cops and firemen surrounded Rye Maguire, who lay flat on the street. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" he cried. "Kevin…Kevin…I didn't know…Oh, God…I'm so sorry…"

Alex turned to look at Ross. Behind him she saw the other hostages, stunned and frightened, staring at the bank's remains. The older man shook off the hands of the EMTs treating him and rushed to the first official looking person he saw, which was the Chief of Detectives.

"That detective," the older man shouted. Alex and others could hear him over the scene's chaos. "He saved us. He took terrible beatings for us. You have to save him!"

"He saved my baby…He saved me," the little girl's mother cried from her perch next to the stretcher her daughter occupied.

"He could've left," the assistant bank manager joined the chorus. "He…he went right into the lobby…" The young man stared at his feet. "He's a very brave man…"

If she hadn't been so worried about Bobby, Alex would have enjoyed the uncomfortable confusion appearing on the Chief's face. But all of her attention focused on the bank's remains, where dozens of firemen scrambled over the twisted metal and crushed stone.

"Please," Alex prayed. "Please help him…He's a good man…He tries to do the right thing…He's had so much…Please…"

"We've found someone!" a fireman yelled. Several rescue workers hurried to a spot in the debris. Alex's heart fell as she saw the grim looks and postures of the firemen and EMTs. One shook his head sadly. "Two bodies," another said.

"Hey!" The cry came from the opposite end of the destroyed building. "We've got live people over here!"

It hurt. It hurt so much. He was so thirsty. He couldn't move. For several terrible seconds Bobby thought he was still in that horrible room at Tate.

"Please…Please…I'm scared…Please…Bobby…Wake up…" Ben's scared voice broke through the fog in Bobby's mind. He realized they were trapped beneath a pile of rubble. Bobby's body was wrapped around Ben's, and Bobby hoped he'd managed to shield the boy from some damage.

"Ben…" Bobby spoke in a hoarse whisper, and saying the name took much of his dwindling strength.

"Bobby," Ben said shakily. "Are…are you all right?"

In spite of his pain and fear, Bobby felt enormously grateful for Ben's concern. The boy sounded all right. Bobby gathered his strength.

"Are you all right?"

"I…I think so," Ben answered. "My head hurts a little…There's like a ringing in my ears…"

"That…that's probably from the explosion…Does anything else hurt?"

"No…And I can move my arms and legs…You're…you're a little heavy on me," Ben said.

"Sorry…about that," Bobby apologized. His body sprawled over Ben, who faced away from Bobby. "I'll try to move a little."

Bobby shifted slightly and was rewarded with horrible pain.

"Bobby…Bobby…Please…Please…Stay awake…Please…" Ben's frightened voice again reached through the pain. Ben moved, and Bobby cried out.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry," Ben cried. "Please…I didn't mean…"

"Ben…Please…Don't move…" Bobby sucked in a painful breath. "It…my arm…I think it might be broken."

Ben froze.

"It's…it's not that bad," Bobby lied. "If you can…turn over…Slowly…" He fought to keep the pain out of his voice.

"Ok," the boy said. "If…If I could see your face…It would really help me…"

Bobby winced at the prospect of Ben moving, but the boy's need outweighed his fear. "Ok…just be careful…"

Ben moved as slowly and carefully as he could, but each shift of the boy's body stabbed Bobby with pain. He gritted his teeth and struggled to not show his agony or pass out.

"I'm sorry," Ben said when he finally faced Bobby. "You're hurt…bad…There's a lot of blood on your head."

"It…It's not that bad…We just have to hold on…They'll come…To help us…" Bobby tried to swallow. He was so thirsty.

"Do you think my Mom is ok?" Ben asked.

"Yes…I'm sure," Bobby said. "You saw all the emergency people…They'll help her…"

Bobby coughed, and a terrible bright red light flooded his eyes.

"Bobby…please…" Ben pleaded.

Bobby fought his way back to consciousness. "I…I'm sorry, Ben…"

"You are hurt…Bad," Ben said.

"I've been…better," Bobby admitted. Through the grey, dusty light he could see Ben's dark, worried eyes.

"Hey…Hello! Is anyone down there? Can anyone hear us?" Faint voices and banging reached Ben and Bobby.

"Ben…They're coming to help us," Bobby said. "You…You need to yell back…I…I can't…"

"Here! We're here!" Ben shouted.

"Keep yelling!" The voice was closer. "We'll find you!"

"Here…" Bobby managed to shove a piece of broken metal to Ben. "Bang this against something."

Ben seized the metal and banged it against a chunk of stone. "Here!" he yelled. "We're here!"

Bobby and Ben heard anxious voices and the shifting of metal and stone. A piece of debris disappeared from over their heads, and light flooded over them. A fireman's head appeared in the space.

"How many of you down there?" he asked.

"Two…Me and the policeman…Bobby…" Ben answered. "Please hurry…He's hurt…bad."

"We'll get to you as soon as we can," the fireman said. "Are you hurt, kid?"

"No…I don't think so…but Bobby…"

"Hang on…I promise we'll get you out soon." The fireman disappeared.

"Ben," Bobby said softly. "There's something I need you to do for me…"

"Anything," Ben said.

"You…you'll get out first…" Bobby tried again to swallow, but it hurt and his mouth was terribly dry. "When you do…My partner…She's Detective Alex Eames…She…she's kinda small…She hates that…She's…She's pretty and has blonde, medium length hair…and green…beautiful…green eyes…" Bobby fought to focus. "Tell her…Tell her…"

"Tell her what, Bobby?" Ben asked anxiously. "What…Bobby…Please…"

"Tell her…I'm sorry…and thank you…"

"But you can tell her yourself," Ben said.

"No…I can't," Bobby whispered. "It…It doesn't make any sense…but…please…"

"I'll tell her," Ben said. "I promise."

More pieces of the building disappeared. Several firemen looked down at Ben and Bobby through a much larger hole.

"Ok, guys," one of them said. "We've almost got you out…We just need to cut through this metal…Can you put these blankets over your heads?"

Ben took the blankets and draped them over Bobby and himself.

"Ok," the fireman said. "We'll be as careful as we can…"

Bobby felt horribly cold. "I'm going into shock," he thought. The saw's terrible grinding pounded his ears and increased the ache in his head. He felt dizzy, sick, hot and cold.

Ben pulled the blankets from their heads. "They're ready to get us out…"

"You…You go first," Bobby said.

"But you're hurt…"

"It's ok, Ben," Bobby said gently. "I'm a cop…I go second…Please…Just remember what I asked you to tell Detective Eames."

"I will." Ben nodded.

Bobby watched as the firemen helped Ben out of the small cave. "A cop…that's what I am," he thought. His mind was suddenly and surprisingly clear. "I…I can't help it…I'm not Dec…I'm not Brady…I'm not the man I thought was my father…I'm not Frank…I'm not a whack job…" Bobby cried out in pain as the firemen lifted a piece of steel from his legs. Each breath was an effort. "I've figured it out too late."

"Detective Goren." An EMT slipped next to Bobby. "I need to get this collar around your neck…"

Her voice faded as the pain seized him.

END CHAPTER SEVEN