Chapter 26
Jamie and Fin were having lunch at the Carnagie Deli. Jamie took a bite of her sandwich and then looked at Fin. "Look, I know you don't want me going to Dallas but I need to be there for Nic." Jamie said.
"I understand that but like I said before, you don't what kind of situation you'll be running into." Fin countered. "I don't want anything to happen you or the baby."
"That's low, Fin. Using our baby to make me feel guilty."
"Well, maybe it's the only fucking way to make you realize what's at stake here."
"I know what's at stake here. But Nicole's life could be in danger and I think she needs someone down there with her."
"That's why John should go." Fin said, not backing down
Jamie shook her head and stood up from the table. "You know, Fin, you can be a really stubborn son of a bitch when you want to be." Jamie yelled and headed for the door. As Fin stood up from the table he noticed Jamie walking back toward him. When she reached the table she picked up the rest of her sandwich. "No sense letting this go to waste."
Jamie took the sandwich and walked out of the deli. Fin watched and then decided to follow her.
//Chung Chung//
Lee decided to take the lead to the back entrance of the warehouse. As they came up to the door he could have swore that Nicole was behind him. "Just stay behind me..." Lee whispered as he started to look behind him, "...I... I... I don't... want anything... to happen to you. Damn it Nicole. I thought I told you to stay behind me." Lee mumbled with frustration, for the fact that Nicole went off on her own again.
//Chung Chung//
Nicole peeked through one of the dirty windows. "Damn it, I can't see through it." She whispered to herself as she snuck down the side of the building to another window.
//Chung Chung//
Munch sighed as he walked into the apartment. It seemed so empty without Nicole. He couldn't help but wonder what she was doing, what she had to leave so suddenly for. He couldn't help but think that something was wrong, something was terriably wrong. And he felt guilty for the fact that she could have come to him and let him know what was wrong, or for the fact that she couldn't even tell him what wrong.
//Chung Chung//
Jamie walked into the bullpen, she didn't care if Nicole told Munch the fact that he shouldn't call. Jamie had to know what was going on. And she knew something was wrong, and Jamie was going to find out. Jamie sat down at her desk and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed Nicole's cell phone number in hopes that she would pick up.
//Chung Chung//
Nicole stood on her tip toes to look through another window. As she did that she felt her cell phone viberating in her pocket. "God damn it." Nicole muttered. She set down one of the rifles and pulled it out. "Jamie, I'm sorry. I can't answer." Nicole mumbled and put it back in her pocket. And went about looking through the windows.
//Chung Chung//
Jamie cursed as it went to voice message. "Nic, answer your goddamn fucking cell phone. I need to talk to you. You got the whole place in a fucking riot. Why the hell did you go back to Dallas? What the fuck is going on down there. Call me when you get this. We need to talk!"
//Chung Chung//
Lee didn't feel right entering the warehouse. Not when he didn't know where Nicole was. He slowly crept into one of the hallways. Everything in the warehouse was dark and covered with a thin layer of dust.
As he walked he kicked up a slight breeze which was picking up the dust. As he tried to figure out where he was going he tried not to sneeze.
//Chung Chung//
Nicole stood on one of the crates outside the warehouse and peered in through the window. As she was looking around she noticed movement coming from inside. She picked up one of the rifles and carefully aimed it at the window. Just as she looked through the scope she saw the figure move again and fired through the window.
//Chung Chung//
Lee was slowly making his way down the hallway when he heard glass shatter, along with the sound of a high powered rifle. The bullet hit close to his head and lodged into the wall, causing him to leap to the ground for cover.
He stood up and looked at the window. "What the hell did you do that for?" Lee yelled.
Nicole sighed. "Aw shit. Man, I thought you were someone else."
"Thanks! You damn near killed me!" Lee yelled.
"Shut up, Lee. Let's just find the assholes." Nicole said jumping through the window.
Lee walked over to Nicole. "I don't think anyone's here." he said looking around. "And by the looks of this place, I doubt anyone's been here for awhile."
"Maybe, but there has to be something around here that'll help us find out where they are."
"Just like you figured that they would be here. That's like saying a man doesn't have balls. Ouch that would hurt, to think that a man wouldn't have balls. Must be like the woman that had a divorce and was left only with a coffee table. And on the coffee table were the family jewels..." Lee started but was cut off.
Nicole wacked him gently with the butt end of the rifle. "Lee, shut up and lets just take a look around."
//Chung Chung//
Jamie was sitting at her desk when Fin walked into the bullpen. He walked over to her and took her by the arm. "Come on, we have to talk." he said pulling her to an empty conference room.
"Hey, hey, Fin, take it easy." Jamie said and pulled herself from his grip.
"Listen, I know you're pissed that I don't want you to go to Dallas but I can't stand the thought of something bad happening to you. I love you too much to let you go running blindly into a situation."
Jamie watched him carefully as he spoke. She noticed that look in his eyes. It was the same look he had when she was lying there in the hospital after being shot. Both times. It was a combination of sadness, pain, terror and anger. She hated to see that look. She hated to be the cause of that look.
She walked closer to Fin and placed her hand on his cheek. "Okay, Fin, if you feel this strongly, I won't go."
//Chung Chung//
Nicole and Lee made their way through the warehouse. Inside, it was eerily calm. Outside was another matter. Two vans approached the back of the warehouse and parked. Six men jumped out of each of the vans and began to swarm around the warehouse. They all had high powered rifles, automatic weapons, were dressed in black and had ski masks covering their faces.
Back inside Nicole and Lee were unaware that they were being surrounded. Things were about to turn really ugly.
//Chung Chung//
"Okay, split up. I know she is here, I want her for myself. The little fucking tramp is mine." A male voice damanded. The other eleven males looked at him.
"Right, boss." They all said sperodically. And headed off in different directions.
//Chung Chung//
Nicole looked at Lee. "I think our best plan is to split up. They have to be some where around here, and the only way to cover more ground is to split up."
"Uh, Nic... I don't think that is such a good idea. I mean there could be tweleve of them around here. And one against tweleve doesn't sound like such good odds." Lee said holding up a hand.
Nicole sighed and rolled her eyes. "Lee, since when did you become such a coward? Do you need me to hold your hand?"
"Hey! Now wait just a damn minute. All I am trying to do is look out for you."
"It's coming across as a coward."
"We're not splitting up and that's final."
"Fine you can wait here tell mummy comes back." Nicole said and started off on her own way.
Lee stood there for a second. "Arg! Hey wait up!" He yelled out and took off running after her. He didn't get too far when a fist came out of no where and connected with his face. Lee went down like a ton of bricks. "Where the hell did that come from." He mumbled.
//Chung Chung//
Nicole started making her own way through the warehouse. Unaware that there were two guys following her. "We have her in our sites boss." One of them said into the intercom.
"Good. Keep her there tell I meet up with you. I want her for myself. Right now I have a little problem to take care of."
//Chung Chung//
Lee stood up and fired his rifle. He watched as one man fell to the ground. "Ah shit, shit, shit, shit. They are here. Where the hell is Nicole?"
//Chung Chung//
Nicole felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. This to her was never a good sign. Which proved to be right when she felt one of her rifles get yarded out of her hand. Not thinking she fired the other one which totally missed one of the three guys that were now with her. "Aw, fuck!" she yelled as she spun around and tried to kick one.
However that didnt work when she caught the butt end of a gun in the stomach. She dropped to her knees, gasping for air. Before she knew it another butt of a gun connected with her back between the shoulder blades.
Temper over riding pain she jumped up and fired her rifle that she still had in hand. The bullet spun out of the barrel of the gun and lodged itself in the arm of one of the men. A shriek of pain escaped the man's lips.
The next thing Nicole knew, a fist was connecting with her jaw. She lost her balance and landed on top of one of the guys, the one that she shot in the arm. She, without thinking, fired her rifle at the one that hit her in the jaw. This time the bullet lodged itself in the guys forehead. Now she only had two to worry about, or so she thought.
The one that was unscaved threw himself at Nicole and caught her arms behind her back. The rifle she was holding was now lying on the ground. He pulled her right off the ground my her arms. The one that was shot in the arm took advantage of the situation and started pounding on her stomache and anywhere else his fists could connect with.
//Chung Chung//
Lee knew something was wrong. He heard the gun shots. "Aw fuck." He said running after the gunshots. He knew now Nicole was in trouble. And he knew that she had no remorse for anything, even her own life at this point.
//Chung Chung//
Nicole hurt, but her temper was still over riding everything. The man punched her in the jaw, and she felt the taste of blood. Now she was seeing red. She struggled to get out of the hold but it was becoming impossible. The man punched her in the face and she knew now she was going to have a black eye. Not thinking she went limp, trying to pull down the guy that was holding her.
The man holding Nicole didnt expect it and when she dropped so did he. His jaw connected with Nicole's head which knocked him out.
She spun around and caught the other guys feet which knocked him on the ground. She struggled and grabbed the rifle and stood up. Without any remorse she fired, than fired again. Each time was in the forehead of both men.
Taking a deep breath she tried to collect herself. She knew she looked like shit so far. Her lip was busted, she knew she already had a few broken ribs, cuts all over the place, along with bruises that were going to be forming all over the place. Not to mention the fact that she was going to have two black eyes.
//Chung Chung//
Lee didn't get too far. As he was rounding a corner an arm shot out and clotheslined him. His head snapped back and he felt the sharp pain as the back of his head connected with the ground.
Two men advanced on Lee but not before he had the chance to raise his rifle and let off two shots, hitting both men. Unfortunately it was in the chest and they were both wearing bulletproof vests. They fell to the ground giving Lee enough time to get back on his feet.
Just then a third man came up behind him and put him in a choke hold. Lee managed to elbow the guy in the stomach with the butt end of the rifle. The guy doubled over, which gave Lee a chance to fire. He hit the man in the neck, severing his carotid artery.
Lee turned around and saw the other two men charging for him. He fired twice more, hitting both men in the head. They both dropped. Lee let out a sigh of relief and took off to find Nicole.
//Chung Chung//
Nicole was in excruciating pain but wasn't about to let that stop her. She made her way through the main floor when four more men came busting in through the windows on rip cords.
They landed all around her and surrounded her. She raised her rifle but didn't get a shot off when she was grabbed from behind. She struggled but the remaining three men moved in her. She tried to fire again but the rifle was knocked out of her hand.
The guy behind her had both her arms behind her back with one hand and had his other around her neck. One of the guys approached her and as he was about to hit her, Nicole heard a shot and seen the guy drop.
The other two guys raised their guns but didn't have a chance. They were both dropped like a hot potato. Nicole looked around and then noticed Lee standing there with his rifle pointed.
"Drop the gun or I break her neck." the man, who was holding Nicole, said.
"You're fucking stupider then I thought if you think I'm dropping this gun." Lee said.
Just then another man appeared behind Lee. Nicole screamed. "Lee, behind you!"
Lee turned around and the man roundhoused Lee right in the jaw. He went the down and the man pulled his Glock. Lee shook his head and scrambled for his rifle. Unfortunately he didn't have a chance. The guy fired and hit Lee in the back of his shoulder. Lee slumped forward and didn't move.
Nicole's eyes went wide. The man walked over to her and held the Glock up. He let off a single shot and the guy that was holding Nicole fell to the ground, bringing Nicole with him. Nicole tried to move but the pain in her legs was helping any.
The man walked over and stood over her. She looked up as he took his ski mask off. She couldn't believe who it was. Kerry Boivin. He pointed the Glock at Nicole. She rolled over just as he let a shot off. The bullet hit her in the back and lodged in her spinal cord, instantly incapacitating her.
Boivin was about to fire again when he felt a hot, sharp pain in the back of his head. He turned and fell to his knees. He saw Lee sitting up holding the rifle before he fell face first onto the floor.
//Chung Chung//
Four hours later, Lee was sitting in the waiting room of the hospital with his arm in a sling. He was waiting to hear anything about Nicole. He looked down at her cell phone that he was holding in his hand and opened it up.
He brought up her contact list and searched for Munch. When he found the number he hit talk.
//Chung Chung//
Munch had just fallen asleep, it was not that great of sleep, because the fact that he was worried about Nicole. And with an empty bed that just made things that much more worse. The sound of his cell phone going off woke him up with the first ring. He rolled over and grabbed it right away. Looking at the call display and seeing that it was Nicole made his heart jump up into this throat. "Hello?" Was the first thing that came out of his mouth.
"Is this John?" Lee asked.
Munch not recognizing the voice made him mad, and to top it off it was a male voice. "Who the hell is this?"
"This is Lee. Now tell me is this John." Lee damanded.
Munch thought for a moment. The name Lee sounded vaguely familiar. He remembered Nicole talking about someone named Lee. Then it hit him. Lee was her old partner back in Dallas. "Yeah, this is John. What's going on? Where's Nicole?"
"Calm down. Your like a bull seeing red."
"Stop bouncing around. Tell me what the hell is going on down there." Munch damanded.
Lee sighed, "Okay, listen. Nicole is in the hospital. I don't know that much about her condition."
Munch shot up out of bed like a bolt of lightning. "What do you mean she's in the fucking hospital? What the hell did she get herself into?"
"Long story short. An old case that we worked on came back and bit us in the ass. It was a homicide turned narcotics. And it ended up costing her, her family. They were killed two days ago. And well, it also turned out that one of the guys we used to work with was dirty, yadda yadda and so on."
Munch was now pacing around the apartment and couldn't believe what he was hearing. Why didn't Nicole tell him about her family? He would have went down there with her to help out anyway he could. "Listen, you fucking smart ass, tell me what happened to Nicole!" Munch yelled into the phone.
"Listen. I'm just trying to make light of a situation. And you're not helping any. What happened was something that I only ever seen once in her. She was after revenge, she wanted to see blood for this. Which I can understand mind you. But I tried to help her, I tried to save her. But when there is like tweleve guys and only two of you, you can only do so much. And all I remember was the fact that she was beaten badly, and shot. I caught the guy that did that, but that is all I remember. And when I got her to the hospital, it was code blue, in E.R."
Munch was stunned. How could he let this happen? Why didn't he follow her when he was going too? Now all he could think about was that he might lose her and it terrified him. More then anything ever has in his entire life. No, now he knew where he had to be. "I'm coming to Dallas. I have to be there for her."
"What ever you say."
This guy was really pissing Munch off now. "You know, why don't you at least act like you fucking care!" Munch yelled into the phone. "Because I'm warning you, if she doesn't make it through this, I'm coming after you!"
"Whoa, calm down! I do care. I mean I've known her for over seven years. Now if you want to act like that than maybe she doesn't need you down here. Because all your going to do is cause more problems, with your temper."
"I'm coming down there, whether you like it or not! You may not realize it or you don't want to admit but she needs me down there!"
Lee sighed. "She didn't need you before, and she doesn't need you now. She has me, I was there for her when this all started and I was here when her family was murdered and I will be here now."
"Listen to me you fucking prick! Don't ever say Nic doesn't need me. You don't know anything about her life here in New York. She needs me as much I need her. But I don't think you can fucking comprehend that!"
"Right, right, right. I was wrong you were right. It seems so stupid that I called you to let you know what happened."
Munch stopped pacing and stood in the middle of the living room. "I'll be there as soon as I can." he said surprisingly calm.
That took Lee aback. "Creepy."
Munch sighed. "Just take care of her until I get there. Think you can manage that?"
"What do you think?"
"I think she wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for you." Munch said, his anger starting to boil again.
"The only reason she is in this mess is because of an old case that cost her, her family. And she wanted to get revenge. If you want to know something, I know for a damn fact that the only family she has left is you. But you can't seem to understand that. Now if your any kind of a man you would understand where she is coming from. Would you not want revenge if your family was murdered?"
"You damn right I would. But I'm not the only family she has left. There are a lot of people here that care about her. I just wish she had of told us what was going on. Then maybe none of this would have happened."
"But it was her choice.You should have known that she can go off like that. That when something needs to be done she jumps right into it. Not bothering to tell anyone what she has planned. That she is impulsive."
"I know that better than you know. But all I want to do right now is be with her. I don't know what'll I'll do if I lose her."
//Chung Chung//
Lee sighed, "I understand, but look, the doctor should be coming out any minute now. It's only a nine hour trip here from New York. We should know everything by than. That is if you make your way out here now." Lee said standing up starting to pace.
"I'll be there as soon as I can." Munch said and hung up without saying goodbye.
Lee sighed once again, and closed the cell phone. What was he going to do, what was he going to do when he sees Munch. What was he going to do, since Nicole was in the E.R. fighting for her life?
//Chung Chung//
Munch pulled out a duffle bag from his closet and started throwing clothes into it. He didn't care what he was packing, he just had to do it quickly. Once that was done, he left his apartment and made his way down to his car. He threw the bag in the backseat and headed for the station.
Once he reached the house he headed straight for the bullpen. The only one there was Olivia. "Where the hell is everyone?" Munch asked walking over to his desk.
"Jamie and Fin left about an hour ago, she had a doctor's appointment. Elliot had to be in court. What's going on? Did you hear from Nic?" Olivia asked worried.
"No. But I did get a call from Dallas. Nic's in the hospital."
Olivia bolted up from her chair. "The hospital? What happened?"
"All I know is she was shot. I won't know anything more until I'm down there."
"I'm going with you." Olivia said.
"Thanks, Liv, but this is something I have to do on my own." Munch stated and shut his desk drawer. "I'll call you and let you know what's going on."
"John..." Olivia started but it was too late. He was gone.
//Chung Chung//
Lee was pacing the waiting room when Munch walked in. Lee turned and looked at him. "You must be John."
"Yeah." Munch stated. "What's going on? How is she?"
"I actually don't know too much at this point. All I do know is that they're trying to keep her stabalized." Lee said just as the doctor appeared in the waiting room.
"Excuse me, gentlemen?" the doctor said clearing his throat.
Before Lee could speak, Munch stepped forward. "How is Nicole?"
"We have her stabalized for the time being but we have to keep a watchful eye on her for the next couple of days."
"What is her condition?" Lee asked.
"The bullet is lodged in her spinal column. We can't operate until we're confident that she'll remain stabalized. But I'm afraid even when we do operate, there may be a chance that Miss Green may never walk again."
TBC...