Chapter 19

Michael and Fiona took Madeline out to lunch. Pearce gave him some cash, just in case he didn't have enough, and he silently thanked her as they left the office. The three stepped out onto the street and saw Sam and Elsa turn and enter a hotel a couple of blocks away up the hill.

"Where are we going to eat," Fiona asked, ignoring the couple. She spread a hand over her expanding belly and said, "Baby and I are ready for lunch."

Michael eyed her and suggested, "We could go to that diner across the street."

"Oh, heavens no, Michael! We're in San Francisco," Fiona exclaimed with a horrified expression. "I want to go down to the Fisherman's Wharf and get some fresh seafood. How about you, Madeline?"

"Anything sounds good to me. I'm just glad to be with the two of you!" She pulled Fiona to her side and hugged her.

"Okay, let's figure out how to get there."

The three walked a few blocks, found a cable car that took them right to the waterfront, and once there, it was easy to find a restaurant. The one they chose was busy but worth the wait, as they soon discovered. After feasting on the good food and catching up on their long months apart, the three took a long walk and checked out some of the other sites.

"Fiona, honey, are you okay to be walking around this much, and in those shoes?" Maddie looked down at her wedge sandals.

"I'm fine, Madeline. Walking is good for me." She swept her hair back and raised her face toward the sun. "Isn't it strange? The sun feels different here."

"It's not so humid," Michael responded. He enjoyed the company and the sights, yet he kept his eye on the crowds, looking out for trouble. "But I think Ma's right. You should probably take it a little bit easy. Maybe we should go back to Roxy Communications."

"Why? Michael, is something wrong?" Fiona glanced at him and then casually looked around the area.

"I feel like we're being watched, Fi. We need to go back."

"Alright, let's go. Slowly, though." Maddie urged. "We don't want whoever is following us to get the idea that we know they're following us."

Michael smiled, put an arm around his mother's shoulders, and pulled her close. "Ma, you're amazing." He kissed her temple, released her, and put his other arm around Fiona.

"So, are you kind of glad you let me get involved," Maddie asked with a pleased smile.

"Yes, strangely enough, I am." He glanced at her. "You've turned into a real asset, Ma."

"Well, I learned a lot from you over the years."

"And you don't think I learned anything from you all those years growing up? Part of who I am is because of you. I never would have had what it took to be a spy without your help."

"Gee, I don't know if you're thanking me or scolding me."

"Despite what we're going through, it was a good thing. You indirectly helped me save a lot of peoples' lives. Thanks, Ma."

"You're welcome, honey."

Fiona stayed at Michael's side and listened to every word of the conversation, holding back her emotions. She'd never heard him speak to his mother this way before. Being on the run must have broken something in him, that last piece of emotional armor fell away, and he was becoming the man she always hoped he would be. Fiona knew he loved his mother. Her intrusions in his life when he was first burned annoyed him, but deep down she understood that if Madeline hadn't done what she did, things could have gone a lot differently. And not in a good way. She sensed that Michael believed it as well, and this was his way of showing how grateful he was. No matter what happened with Anson, this moment in time was something she would treasure forever, and she hoped that Michael would as well.

They returned to Tricia's office, and when the three entered the reception area, Michael glanced around. "Where's the receptionist?"

"Maybe they went out for lunch," Maddie suggested.

"No. Somehow I don't think they'd leave the office unsecured if they did." Michael pulled out his gun and said to Fiona, "You stay here with my mom. I'm going to check out Tricia's office."

"Michael, be careful!"

"I will, Ma." He gave her a smile and slipped past the frosted doors. The offices along the hall were uncharacteristically empty. He stuck his head in one and found the computer was on. The desk looked as if someone had left abruptly. He checked the cup of coffee causing a ring on a pile of papers. It was lukewarm. Whoever left did so recently. He passed two more empty offices before he approached the open door at the end of the hall. He detected the smell of burnt gunpowder.

Michael's eyes wandered around him as he made his way closer to the door. Moans came out of the room. He didn't like the sound. Something was wrong. He burst inside with his gun drawn, but at first all he saw was the table covered with files and the computer. He turned in a circle and didn't see anyone else. Carefully, he slipped around the table and looked down at the floor. Two bodies lay there.

"Jesse," he muttered as he saw the man's arm move. He knelt beside him. "Jesse, are you okay?"

"What do you think," Jesse replied, barely able to get the words out of his mouth. He held one hand over a wound near his side. "I've been shot, man."

"Who did this? Was it Anson?"

"No. It was some guy. Never... never saw him before." The words took the last of Jesse's strength and he lost consciousness.

Michael muttered a curse and leaned over to check Dani. She was still breathing, but she had a serious gunshot wound to the upper chest. He pulled out his phone. "Fi, it's me. The place is cleared out except for Jesse and Dani. They've been shot. We need help here!"

"I'll call 911," she said and quickly hung up.

"Michael, are they going to die?"

He looked over the table and saw his mother standing in the doorway with a pinched look on her face. "Ma, I need your help. See if you can find any first aid supplies around here."

"Okay. There's a break room back that way. I'll see if there's anything inside."

He heard her feet as she ran down the hall. He dialed Sam's number, then remembered that he didn't have a phone. Maddie returned with a small plastic case and some linens.

"I found these in a drawer." She used one to press onto Jesse's wound. He groaned and tried to move away, but she spoke to him softly. "Jesse, it's okay. I know it hurts, but I'm trying to help you." She turned to Michael. "Are you calling for help?"

"I did. They're on the way, and security is on the way up here as well," Fiona answered as she knelt down beside Dani. She and Maddie did what they could in the meantime, while Michael tried getting a hold of Sam.

Michael dialed directory assistance and asked for the number for the hotel a couple blocks away that he saw Sam and Elsa enter. The phone rang, and a male voice answered in a pleasant tone. "San Francisco Westin."

"Yes, I'd like to be connected to the room that Jake Baldwin is staying in."

"I'm sorry, Sir, we don't have anyone by that name registered here."

"He was with a woman. Her name is Elsa. They probably booked the penthouse."

"Without a last name..."

"Pfister," Maddie whispered. "Her last name is Pfister."

"Elsa Pfister," Michael repeated into the phone. "My name is Michael Westen. Please, it's an emergency!"

"Mr. Westin?" The man hesitated. "One moment, Sir. I'll connect you."

If things weren't so dire, Michael would have laughed at the fact that the man misunderstood his last name. The phone rang three times, making him nervous. Then someone picked up. He heard a moan, a breath, and Sam's voice.

"Hang on, Elsa baby." A pause, and his voice came through louder, and cranky. "Yeah, who is it?"

"Sam, it's Michael."

"Mike. What's wrong?"

The sound of rustling sheets stopped in the background. He heard Elsa ask, "Sammy?"

"Shh, honey. Mike, what's going on?"

"Dani and Jesse have been shot, and Tricia and her team are all missing."

"Crap! Mike, I'm sorry! I thought Tricia could be trusted!" Sheets shifted again as he got off the bed. "Are you still at Roxy?"

"Yes. Sam, you probably won't be able to get in. Security is coming up, the cops and ambulances are on the way. Just stay where you are and make sure everything's locked down."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. It's bad enough that Fi and my mom are here."

"Okay." Sam hesitated. "Keep me posted."

"I will." Michael closed the connection at the sound of thumping. Security must have arrived. He said to Fiona and Maddie, "Stay here. I'll be right back." He rushed down the hall with his gun drawn, yet cautious. There was no one in the reception area. He heard more thumping and realized it came from a room next to the break area. He neared the door and slowly turned the knob. It easily gave way in his hand and he pushed it inward.

"No! No farther!" Tricia screamed at him. "It was Anson! He came in here with a team, forced us all in here, and rigged us and the door. If you open it any wider, we're all done for, and so is part of this building!"

Michael peered through the narrow space between the door and the frame. Everyone in Tricia's team was accounted for. They were all tied up, each rigged with a pack of C4 around their necks. All the packs were wired to the one next to it, and the circle ended at the booby trapped door.

"Michael, if you're smart you'll get out of here now with anybody else who's with you. Make sure Sam is safe."

"He is, Tricia. He's... he's with Elsa." He was careful not to give away Sam's location on the off chance that Anson had the place bugged.

"I'd never thought I'd hear myself say this, but I'm glad he's with another woman right now and not here." She shifted her weight carefully. "Michael, please. Get out now. If any one of us gets tired and we have to sit down, this bomb will go off. If one of us sneezes, it'll blow." She swallowed hard and fought the temptation to break into tears. "Tell Sam I still love him, and I'm sorry we didn't get to say goodbye."

"Tricia, no! Don't even start thinking like that! Hang on, we'll figure out a way to get you all out of here safely!"

"Sir! What are you doing there?"

Tricia's eyes widened. "It's security!"

"Okay, just relax." He turned to face the barrel chested, suit wearing man who approached him. "No time for intros. The staff of Roxy Communications is in there, and someone rigged them to blow. We need a bomb squad here immediately. Hurry!"

The man stared at Michael, then glanced through the door. He pushed it, the women inside screamed, and Michael clamped a hand on his.

"Do that, and you kill them and us."

He squinted at Michael. "What did you do to them?"

"It wasn't me. I just found them." He got into the guy's face, his voice rising. "Call a bomb squad and stop wasting time with questions!" He lifted his radio to speak, but Michael put a hand on his hand and pushed it down. "Use the phone! We don't know if this thing is set to trigger off of a radio signal or not."

"Okay." He turned and ran down the hall and disappeared through the reception area. He soon returned. "We've got a bomb squad and SWAT team on the way. You better be telling me the truth, mister, or you'll be in a ton of trouble."

Michael held up his hands, his gun still in one of them. "I swear. You don't wanna try and test this one, not if you want everybody to walk away alive."

Within minutes, sirens echoed off the buildings as rescue vehicles, police, the bomb squad and SWAT team arrived, blocking street traffic. While the bomb squad worked on getting Tricia's team out of the supply closet, paramedics took Jesse and Dani down to the man level. They worked on them and prepped them for transport. Michael, Fiona, and Maddie watched nearby until they were gone.

"We better get over to the hotel," Michael said. "Make sure Sam and Elsa are okay."

"I'm almost hoping Anson shows up there," Fiona said with blood in her eyes. "It would give me great pleasure to take him down."

"Get in line, honey," Maddie muttered as she held her purse close to her side.

"Ma, I didn't know you were packing," Michael said from Fiona's right side as he glanced at her actions.

"Did you really think I'd go on a mission like this unarmed? Please, Michael! I've learned a lot from you." She threw her half smoked cigarette on the sidewalk. "Here we are, let's get this done."

The three fell silent and entered the hotel. He and Fiona quickly scanned the lobby, checking out the few people sitting in chairs lounging about the large space. Seeing no one familiar, he approached the front desk.

"Hi, I'm Michael Westen. I called earlier to speak to my friend in the penthouse." He paused and held up his gun. "We need access to the penthouse. Now."

The man looked him up and down. With incredible calm he asked, "Is this still an emergency?"

"Yes, it is."

The man noticed Fiona and Maddie standing behind Michael, and he shook his head. "This must be some party."

"What do you mean?"

"Some man showed up shortly before you. Said he had an appointment with Ms. Pfister and that it was urgent he go up. I was about to call the penthouse, when he pulled out a gun and said he was with the FBI."

Michael lowered his gun. "The FBI. Did he show you any id?"

"He flashed something, but it was too quick for me to see."

"What did he look like?"

The man behind the desk described Anson to a tee. Michael pursed his lips, holding back his anger. "You let him go up?"

"I'm sorry, Sir. He gave me no choice."

Michael held up a balled fist and gritted his teeth. The fist came down on the counter in frustration. "Get on the phone and call the police, and have them go up to the penthouse. Immediately!" Michael pushed away and hurried to the elevators, shouting over his shoulder. "Fi, you and Ma stay here! I mean it!" He pushed the button to call the elevator, but it couldn't come fast enough. He attacked the button repeatedly, thinking about Anson and where he could be. Sam was armed, but if Anson showed up with a team, he and Elsa were dead.

The door opened and it was all he could do to keep himself from pulling the passengers roughly out of the car. When it was empty, he hit the penthouse button and shifted his weight from one foot to the other as it rose. He checked his weapon; it was fully loaded and ready in his hand. The doors opened and he found himself in a small lobby. There were two doors in front of him, but only one, with the Do Not Disturb sign still hanging from the handle, stood open.

Elsa's scream removed any doubt about which door was correct. Michael pressed forward and flattened himself against the wall, then carefully looked into the room. He heard sounds of things bumping and crashing, and Elsa crying. The elevator dinged, and Michael turned his body toward the sound, gun at the ready.

Two men dressed from head to toe in combat gear came out with automatic weapons drawn, and Michael quickly raised his hands. "You Westen?"

"Yeah."

"Lt. Stone, USMC, Mr. Westen. We were dispatched here to take care of a situation. The SWAT team was a little busy."

Elsa screamed louder and the shrill sound raked on Michael's nerves, but he kept himself calm. "My friend and his girlfriend are in there. I don't know how many others are inside, but we can't wait for those two to get killed. Come on!"

"What's your friend look like?"

"Well... he'll be the only guy wearing very few clothes. Come on, stop wasting time!" Michael led the way inside, and they quickly and quietly approached the room where all the noise originated.

The wall shook. "Sammy!"

They heard gasping and the sounds of struggling. Someone let out a belabored growl and furniture scraped on the floor.

Michael held up his hand with three fingers. Then he dropped the fingers one at a time, counted them off, and on three, he kicked open the door and made himself a smaller target as he entered. The men in body armor covered him as the three barged into the room.

Sam and Anson were locked in a struggle, while Elsa stood near the bed and clutched a sheet around her body. She saw Michael and called out. "Michael! Help!"

Two of Anson's team came up from the opposite side of the bed and prepared to fire, but the Marines got them first. Another came from behind the door just as Elsa screamed a warning. Michael grabbed the door and shoved it into him, sending him down to the floor, unconscious.

A vase shattered, and their attention returned to the fighting men.

"Stand down, both of you," Lt. Stone barked out, but neither one heard him.

Anson got in a punch to Sam's cheek. Sam leaned back, but then he threw his weight forward and sent Anson backpedaling. He pummeled him with a fist to the face. Anson's glasses went flying. He got in another punch and Anson's back collided with the floor-to-ceiling window. It shook on impact. Anson held a gun in his left hand and fired at the rescue team.

Sam ducked and put his shoulder into Anson's stomach. The two barreled into the window again, a thunderous crack filled the room, and it opened up and shattered into large pieces.

"Sammy!"

"Sam!" Michael closed the distance as the two men fell, and the Lieutenant was right beside him.

Sam saw nothing but horizon, glass shards falling, and Anson's body. Then gravity snatched Anson away. He saw the ground, and Sam instinctively closed his eyes. If he was going to die by falling fifteen stories, he wasn't about to do it with eyes wide open. Anson screamed and he felt the man latch onto his arm. Instinctively, Sam tried to grasp his wrist, but it slowly pulled away. He couldn't help himself. He opened his eyes and watched Anson tumble to the street below.

Strangely enough, he didn't follow. A second later, he saw the side of the tower rushing at him, and his body slammed into it before he could break the impact. The force knocked the wind out of him.

"Don't let him go! Sam, we've got you!" Two pairs of hands grabbed his calves and held on tight.

He was never so glad to hear Michael's voice in his life. He looked down and saw Anson's body sprawled on the pavement and people rushing toward it. He slipped an inch or two. Pressing his hands against the glass wall to keep from slipping further didn't help. Somehow, he found the breath to speak. "Oh, Mike, can you kinda hurry? This is, uh, really uncomfortable!"

Michael's strained voice replied, "Well, it's a good thing you were wearing your pants, Sam."

"Yeah, I couldn't agree more, brother!" Sam felt a hand grab the waist band of his jeans and pull. It took some effort, but they hauled him up onto the floor. He rolled away from the edge and into Elsa's arms, and she sobbed as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. "It's okay, honey. I'm alright." He put an arm around her.

Michael sat next to them, trying to catch his breath. He placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. "That... that was way too close."

"No kidding! Next time... be a little faster... getting here, okay?"

"There's not gonna be another next time," Elsa blubbered. "If I have to put you in a fortress to keep you away from these creeps, Sammy, I will!"

Sam got himself up into a sitting position and pulled Elsa into his lap. "Shh, I'm fine. It's okay." Other than a few bruises he was sure to have. Nothing like the head splitting that Anson had, though. "Mike, did you see? Is he really down there?"

"I don't know, Sam. And I'm sorry, I'm not getting close to that window to find out."

"Don't blame ya." He kissed Elsa's cheek and ran his hand through her hair. His other arm pulled her tightly to him, and she pressed close, no doubt wishing she could burrow into him. Sam wouldn't have minded that one bit.