Title: The Guardian – Book II
Chapter 16 – Bullets and Blood

That night Frank doesn't sleep much, his mind too worried about his family, his men and his leadership over the city's police force. Both McGuiness and whoever the NYPD insider is, was playing a deadly game and the bodies were continuing to fall; the evidence along with them.

Troy had gone to see, who he thinks was either Wade Allen's father or someone directly related to him and it nearly cost him his life. As bad as that was, it also meant he was on the trail of a man who could if he wanted make the boys a living hell. Either that or just wants to be left well enough alone! There was that possibility also. Frank leans back in his large leather chair and lets his mind drift back into the woods when he rescued the boys from their evil biological father and fulfilled a promise had made to them to always keep them safe. Someone was once again threatening to make him break that promise. But who? If Allen's father really wanted the boys why not just come forward and try to take them? Was he waiting for an adoption alert to go up? He would try to make it as private and closed as possible but little nagging doubts in his mind force him to ponder the fact he could still lose due to a biological technicality.

A few hours later, Frank's lips utter a small groan as he's pulled from his sleepy stupor by the phone ringing. "He…hello?" He answers with a groggy greeting.

"Frank? Damn I should have just let…I woke you."

"Spencer, it's okay. What's going on?" Frank inquires, suddenly alert. "How's Troy?"

"He's pulled through surgery. They had to remove part of his liver and a lung collapsed. He's still in the medical coma just to help with the recovery."

"Damn."

"He didn't say much but said he was going to talk to who he thought was Jed Allen, Wade's biological father. He showed up at the address. Checked the garage and was attacked. Frank you gotta let me go after this bastard!" Spencer's voice hisses.

"Is Chin there?"

"Just arrived. Angie's with Troy right now. I've put a guard on him, a local officer just for peace of mind."

"Good. It's probably moot now but I want you both to go to the address, take a few locals with you and just check it out. See what you can find and then report back."

"Frank…"

"That's an order Spencer. I've called Chief Morris over there to let him know this is part of an NYPD investigation but that's all I can do. I won't have any more of my men hurt due to this family."

"That's not justice Frank."

"I know what you want Spencer."

"I owe Troy my life!"

"And you saved him by getting there in time. If Jed Allen doesn't want to be found then maybe it's best we leave him under the rock he wants to remain under," Frank states with a heavy sigh as Henry's concerned face appears in his doorway. "Check out the address and then get back to the hospital and come home with Troy."

"Yes Sir."

"Francis?" Henry inquires when Frank hangs up. "Is Troy okay?"

"He will be. Spencer said Jed Allen or someone sent by him, ambushed him and left him for dead."

"Bastards. Put me in a room with that guy and…"

"No wonder Spencer rose to the ranks of Detective so fast under your watch," Frank interjects with a small smirk. "You sure he's not your son?" Frank counters as Henry's lips purse. "I'm going to pull Troy off McGuiness for now."

"What? We can't let him get away with that," Henry protests.

"We won't. I've also dispatched a forensic team to the address Spencer got off Troy's phone. If we can find something that'll tie the attack to the Allen clan or McGuiness in any way we have something to play with. If not, then we back off and leave Jed Allen where he is. Wherever he is."

"A time bomb waiting to go off," Henry utters sourly.

"He'll always be one step ahead of us and who knows what kind of trap he'll set next and for who? You push a man like that too far and suddenly you're the one on your knees begging for mercy."

"A position I loathe," Henry sighs. "Is Troy okay?"

"He'll pull through. I am going to proceed with the adoption. If Jed Allen wants the boys he'll have to come to us."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Henry mutters under his breath as Frank arches his dark brows in wonder. "That he'll want to."

XXXXXXXX

"This is the place?" Detective Eric Chin asks as they near the rundown home that Troy's phone had directed them.

"This…is the place," Spencer replies slowly as he stops the police issue sedan and both of them get out; the marked cruisers stopping a few meters back. "Watch yourself around here," Spencer warns his partner as they both pull flashlights; their guns, although not drawn, at their sides and ready for action.

"This place gives me the creeps," Chin remarks; earning a nod from his veteran partner.

Spencer tells the others to fan out and look for any kind of weapon but watch their steps and don't go anywhere alone; him and Chin would take the garage. As soon as they enter the darkened space, Spencer stops and winces; the smell of death hitting them instantly.

Chin curses under his breath as he starts to inspect the floor; Spencer's flashing his light around the ceiling. "Smells like…"

"Death," Spencer whispers as his salt and pepper brows knit. "That smell…"

"That's not Troy's blood."

"No way. His wounds were mostly internal with some surface bleeding, that smell…it's decay. I'm betting there's a body around here. Officer Williams!"

"Yes Sir," one of the Springfield uniformed officer's rushes up to his side. "Whoa…what's that smell?"

"Motive for attempted murder," Spencer replies as Chin pauses and looks at his partner. "I'm thinking Troy came here to ask about Jed Allen, smelt this and…"

"And someone figured he'd tell so they kill him and leave him for dead. Drove his car away and then…" Chin's voice trails off as another officer joins them.

"Frank has a forensic team here but I think we're going to find more than something that was used to beat Troy with."

"I think…" is all Chin manages before his foot slides forward and hits small panel on the wall. In an instant, a small hatch in the ceiling opens and badly decayed remains tumbles out; making officer Williams literally shriek.

"Lightweight," Spencer grumbles at the younger officer, who looks up at the seasoned detective with a sheepish glance. "Now it's a crime scene. Chin…this is for the locals now; we'll check the house. Williams, no one touches anything, understood?"

"Y-yes Sir," Williams answers in haste as he looks at the dead remains with wide eyes and then back up at Spencer with a nod.

"Damn it Spence," Chin huffs as they pull away from the garage and head for the house. "Who are these people?"

"Monsters."

XXXXXXXX

"That's…salt," Jamie mentions to Frank a few hours later as he stands in the kitchen with the very tired NYPD Police Chief.

Frank looks down in his cup before he tosses the whole contents into the sink, looking up at Jamie who offers him a small smirk.

"I guess none of us slept too well. I keep thinking about George. Do you think he goes back into the tunnels at night to sleep? I mean it's warm out right now but…"

Frank offers Jamie a kind smile but is almost thankful for the friendly chatter as it helps to alleviate some of his own internal anxiety. Spencer had called him an hour ago with another update; a body was found and that was most likely the reason Troy was attacked. So it could have been Jed Allen or maybe it wasn't Jed Allen but someone else trying to cover a deadly secret of their own. The scene was turned over to the locals and his people were on their way back. But he had determined to stick to his plan and help his father focus on weeding out the NYPD insider and letting Jed Allen come to him if he so wanted. McGuiness would be put on strict watch by a guard loyal to him.

However, what he fails to realize is that someone else is utilizing the prison system to play a deadly game and he'd soon be drawn back into the murky world of a former NYPD academy student – Sonny Malvesky.

"I'm sure he knows to go inside when it's warm," Frank assures Jamie as Erin enters the kitchen.

"Hey Jamie, I'm going to see my favorite lawyer Amanda Harris in action today. Wanna come with me?"

"Sure," Jamie readily agrees with a wide smile.

"Sounds like you two have a fun day planned."

"Fun? Can I come too?" Danny wonders as he enters the kitchen.

"Of course. Jamie and I are going to court to see Amanda Harris in action," Erin declares proudly.

"Yeah…pass," Danny retorts in sarcasm, earning a small swat from his brother. "What? Boooring," he drawls as Erin's eyes narrow. "Think I'll stay home and watch paint dry."

"You know it wouldn't hurt you to know a few things about legal proceedings before entering the academy," Erin reminds him proudly as Danny's lips slightly purse.

"What's the case?" Danny asks as Erin shakes her head. "What?" He snickers as he looks at the paper she hands him. "Hey I heard about this one on the news."

"Come with us Danny," Jamie half begs as Danny looks at his brother with a weak smile.

"And then you can buy us lunch," Erin declares with a bright smile as Frank laughs.

"Oh yeah this just gets better and better for me," he sighs as he looks at Frank for help.

"Well…all three of you have fun," Frank tells them as he excuses himself and heads outside; anxious to get to the hospital to see Troy and then into his office to debrief with Spencer and Chin, Henry already on his way in.

"Court? Really?" Danny groans as Jamie happily slaps him on the back. "Yeah…this will be a fun day."

"Hey it just might," Jamie shrugs as they head for the door to leave. "Never know what'll happen," he utters – almost fatefully.

On the way there, Danny texts Linda, tells her about his planned day and then asks if she's free the following night for a night out, just the two of them.

'Can't wait. Wanna go dancing?'

Danny's lips can't help but smile and he's quick to agree, asking if she's sure she wants to go and it's not just for him.

'Would I have suggested it if I didn't want to go?' She retorts a cheeky text, making Danny snicker and causing both Erin and Jamie in the front seat to look at each other and then back at him in wonder. Danny teasing flicks Jamie's ear, making him turn around in the front passenger seat and glare at his brother with a mock angry gaze.

They reach the courthouse and enter, Erin showing them where to go and then what to do.

As soon as they enter courtroom number 3, Danny heads for the back and plunks himself down onto the back bench and pulls his phone, answering a text to Jackie and then Demarcus before they're told to turn their phones off for the actual proceedings. He looks up at Jamie who stands near the front with Erin and who he guesses is Amanda Harris and slightly smirks. But to see Jamie happy and totally enthralled by his future profession is actually comforting; given the fact that he had faced to much internal heartache the past few days. I hope today is just quiet and boring…

"Did you ask her if she's nervous?" Danny teases as Jamie slumps down beside him, Erin on the end.

"Think she's nervous?" Jamie asks in wonder.

"Of course she's a bit nervous, even if she won't admit it or look like it," Erin replies. "I think that nervousness will keep you sharp."

"I think I'd be nervous."

"I wouldn't be," Danny boasts, getting a tandem eye roll from both Jamie and Erin.

The court session finally starts Danny just sits back and looks at his watch, willing time to go by faster and wondering if maybe he shouldn't have just stayed home and got some stuff done around the House. But as Erin had reminded him, he could always leave at lunch break and they'd see him at home later.

However, just as Amanda Harris is half way through cross examination of the first witness, shots are heard outside, followed by shouting, screaming and a few more bangs.

"What the…"

"Someone's shooting!"

"Lock the doors!"

"Everyone remain calm and…"

But that command is cut short as a few bullets smash into the panels of the large wooden doors, Erin uttering a small scream of surprise and Danny instantly ushering both her and Jamie to the ground. For a split second his right hand reaches for what he thinks should be a gun on his hip. There's nothing but his phone. Figuring there was no need to clog the cell waves with yet another call to 911 Danny foregoes that decision and just prays the shooters don't come into their room.

That prayer wouldn't be answered.

"EVERYBODY STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" One of the masked gunmen shouts as Danny looks at the nearest with narrowed eyes.

"Danny…get down," Jamie whispers as he tugs on Danny's jeans.

"Everyone remain cal…" is all the judge gets out before another shot rings out; killing the older man instantly. The two guards are taken out next; the merciless acts forcing another bout of screaming and a few more shots to be fired upward. But just before that happens, Danny looks down and tries to get Jamie and Erin to make a break for it. Neither move.

Two of the masked and armed men rush toward their friend, the prisoner captive and try to free him, while the third covers their escape route.

Danny's arm flinches and the gunman turns instantly and aims. "Whoa!" Danny holds up his hands while Jamie's eyes widen in abject horror.

"Try me kid!" The man hisses as Danny slowly shakes his head no. "Come here."

"Danny no!" Jamie hisses.

"We don't have time!"

The man fires a shot that narrowly misses Danny, who despite his now shaken nerves remains in place; not wanting to show fear to the masked man a few meters away. But in their delay in getting their friend; authorities arrive and they are all suddenly trapped.

"Close the damn doors!" One of them shouts as they rush toward the busted up doors. Moments before that, the man who had shot at Danny had turned his attention to his delaying friends, allowing Danny to try to get Erin and Jamie out of the room. It doesn't work.

One of the gunman fires off a few more shots, one of them grazing Erin's arm, making her scream out and recoil back into Jamie's grasp. That angers Danny and he lunges at the masked gunman. He manages to make him stumble backward but its only takes seconds for one of the other masked gunman to rush toward them with his gun raised.

"Danny!" Jamie shouts as he looks up in horror.

"You're gonna pay for that kid!" The incoming man shouts as he grabs Danny by the back of his shirt and literally yanks him free; flinging him to the left and making his body slam harshly into the nearest row of seats, forcing his body to crumple to the ground in a painful heap.

"Danny!" Jamie calls out as he stands back up to see what happened to his brother.

"Jamie…stay down!" Erin hisses as the masked man raises his gun to Jamie and cocks the trigger.

Jamie instantly raises his bloody hand and tries to swallow. "Please…don't hurt him," Jamie begs softly.

"Get over here Leon!"

"Don't say my name!"

The man turns back to look at his friend and Jamie uses the opportunity to squat back down to Erin, applying pressure to her shoulder. But a few seconds later he looks up with a gasp as a dark face looms over them.

"My…my sister is shot," Jamie admits with a nervous stammer.

"Stay with her and stay down!"

"But my brother…"

"Stay here!" The man shouts as Jamie nods and then looks back down at Erin.

"Where is Danny?" Erin asks with a soft whisper.

"He's um…I can't see him," Jamie replies as he looks at her in worry. "Can you?"

Erin twists her head and from her vantage point sees part of Danny's slumped frame on the floor, still unmoving. "He's still out I think."

"What do we do?"

"We do nothing," Erin whispers as she pulls her phone. "Just look up and watch them. Don't watch me," Erin instructs as she quickly texts her father.

But a few seconds later the mean face looms over them and the gun is quickly cocked; forcing Erin and Jamie to look up in fear.

XXXXXXXX

"What?" Frank asks sharply as Spencer and Chin look across the NYPD precinct room; rushing over a few seconds later. "Shooting at the courthouse."

"Just heard about it now."

"I'm on my way there," Frank tells them as he pulls his phone to call his father.

"Frank, swat is on its way there now. Captain Wade Jones can…we just gotta finish this."

"Erin, Danny and Jamie are in that courtroom."

"What?" Spencer and Chin ask at once as Frank turns and hurries away. "'I'm driving," Spencer calls out as he and his partner hurry after Frank.

"Francis, what's going on? I'm meeting with…"

"Did you hear about the courtroom shooting?"

"We're meeting about that now. We're assuming they want…"

"The kids are in that courtroom."

"WHAT?" Henry's voice booms on the other end of the earpiece.

"I'll meet you there."

Frank hangs up and then looks back down at Erin's text.

'Courthouse. Rm 3. We're all ok. Judge dead. Guards dead. Hurry.'

Frank knows if he texts back, that it could betray his daughter's phone possession and he's not about to take that chance. Hopefully all three of them are okay and none of them are hurt.

"At least we can't blame this on McGuiness," Spencer mentions in sarcasm as they near the courthouse; Henry and his SUV almost there.

Frank gets out of the SUV and hurries toward the SWAT commander. "Captain Jones."

"Chief Reagan."

As much as Frank wants to put on the worried father mask and ask about the welfare of his children first he has to shelve that and try to concentrate and that means putting the welfare of all innocent people in that room as equals. "Where are we at captain?"

"Okay this is what we know so far…"

XXXXXXXX

Danny's pounding head starts to pull him back from his sleepy stupor, his eyes fluttering open and his senses finally coming back into full focus. He quickly remembers where he is and his brain instantly reminds him to remain still or else suffer worse consequences.

He slightly lifts his head and looks up to see the gunmen, still masked pacing near the front and huddling with the man on trial. Amanda and her legal team were all huddled in one corner and the defense team in the other; Zac Ward, the man on trial not caring about the paid defense attorney. The judge's dead body still in place behind the bench – where he had fallen and died seconds earlier.

Danny remembers where they had been sitting and tries to turn his head back to look and see. However, he doesn't have to look too far to see Jamie and Erin a few meters back, now in the open aisle way so that the gunmen could keep an eye on them. All their phones had been collected but he wonders if Erin or Jamie had managed to get a text or call off to Frank with a quick update before they had all been silenced.

Jamie notices Danny slowly stirring and gently nudges Erin to look over; both of them comforted by the fact that Danny's okay. However, their situation hadn't improved and from the sounds of the harsh conversation between one of the gunmen and who they guess is the swat negotiator on the other end of phone that things weren't going to get better anytime soon.

Suddenly the scared voice of a woman breaks the silence asking if her child who suffers from bad asthma. But a bullet shatters the air, missing the mother and her child, making them scream and then sink back onto their seat on the bench.

"No more stupid requests!" The man shouts as he waves his gun around in the air; looking at Danny, who continues to pretend he's still out. "Anyone else have any more stupid requests?" He shouts, looking this time directly at Jamie and Erin.

Only silence follows and that makes them happy and they go back to trying to come up with a better escape plan.

"I'm scared," Jamie whispers as he takes Erin's hand and holds it tightly.

"Me too," she whispers in reply as she remains propped up against Jamie, Jamie's free hand still holding tightly on her wounded shoulder.

"What happens next?" Jaime asks softly.

"I don't know," Erin replies in a soft whisper as they both look at one of the masked men as he nears Danny's frame. "Oh no."

XXXXXXXX

"We need eyes in that room!" Henry's voice booms as he looks at his son and then at the SWAT leader.

"We know we can't give them what they want but maybe we can make them think we are," Jones ponders audibly as Henry pulls away from the negotiation team and nears his son.

"No camera's. No phones. No calls. I don't like this Francis," Henry sighs as he glances at the silent court building and then back at his son. "I don't like this at all."

"We need to know how the kids are," Frank utters with a heavy sigh; not realizing his words are now being heard – by the worst possible connection.

XXXXXXXX

"What's going on? The NYPD found their asses with a flashlight?" Sonny snickers as he looks up at the TV. "So some underpaid criminal wants justice for a buddy and takes a courtroom of boring people hostage? Pass," Sonny states in contempt as he looks back down at the tabloid magazine he's reading.

"Not taking the chance to continue to mock the NYPD Sonny?" The guard Darren on his payroll nears. "Not like you!"

"Why don't you sit down and give me a play by play!" Sonny hisses back; the sarcastic talking all an act of course so as not to arouse suspicion as they had done it since day one. "I don't care about some stupid standoff with the NYPD!" Sonny growls in an undertone. "Is Shawn there right now?"

"Yes."

"And?" Sonny presses.

"And nothing much. Frank's there of course…Henry too."

"Did Shawn overhear anything?"

"All he heard that was personal is him say his kids are in that courtroom. But I think we can use this distraction to…"

"So what! I hope they kill that little bitch and…wait…what did you say?"

"That we can use this distraction to…"

"No, before that."

"I said his kids are in that courtroom. But now would be a good time to…"

"Kids," Sonny ponders slowly as he looks up at his insider.

"That's not the point Sonny…who cares about Erin Reagan!"

"I do and there is a damn point!" Sonny's closed fist slams on the table. He draws a few eyes but the guard looks at the other two and waves them back.

"Sonny's having a tantrum," the guard snickers; Sonny allowing it to pass before he continues. "Who cares about…"

"Don't you get it you moron? Frank Reagan might make a few mistakes when he says things about the job or even his own personal life but trust me, he'd never make a mistake like that with his family! He had two children and now he only has one. Erin. Kid…child…singular!"

"Who the hell cares?"

"I do! I think Frank made that slip up because I think those two little miscreants that are living with him right now want to become Reagans!"

"What?"

Adoption? Sonny leans back in his chair and lifts his narrowed gaze and stares at Frank's tense expression on the TV. Or maybe…you've adopted them already?

"I think Frank Reagan now has more to lose than he realizes."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh…you'll learn in time. But this…makes it even better," Sonny states as his arms fold behind his head and an evil cackle fills the space; drowning out Frank's address to the public.

A/N: yikes! So some tension for all the kids and Frank and Henry in a panic and now Sonny is learning a few more things he shouldn't. How will this all end? Who attacked Troy? And are they a threat to the boys? Please do review before you go and thanks so much!