Disclaimer: I do not own anything recognizable from either Mag7 or Glee. I also don't own the ATF AU (I think MOG does). I am just borrowing to play! (Disclaimer good for all chapters…just in case I forget to post it!) Yes, I know part of this is highly unlikely, but that's the fun of fiction! Short chapter, but TWO chapters are going up today!
Chris sighed. "Of course we do."
"We're out of communicators. You'll have to use a cell phone." JD explained.
"How the hell am I supposed to do that? I need both hands for the bomb!"
Vin narrowed his eyes. "Maybe use one of your security group as a go-between?"
"Rachel!" Puck's anguished cry rang out. Their heads snapped around to see Nate and the paramedics working more frantically than earlier. Nate's eyes swung up to catch Chris's. He tilted his head towards the distressed teen before looking back to his patient. Chris strode across the room to crouch down by his teammate. Rachel had fallen unconscious.
"Chris, get him out of here. We're managing, but without her to focus on…" Nate trailed off. Chris understood; without Rachel needing him to be strong, Puck might allow his panic to break through, and they did not have time right now.
"Puck?" Distressed hazel eyes turned a pleading look on the blond agent. Taking a deep breath, Chris placed a hand on the boy's arm. "I need your help."
Puck stared at him for a long moment. He looked down at the unconscious Rachel before lifting his gaze to his four other friends. Brittany had buried her face into the crook of Tina's neck, not wanting to see anymore, while the sheen of tears filled the smaller girl's eyes. Mike looked at him, shaking but ready to help if he could. Santana gave him a fierce and determined stare. She lifted her chin and pulled away from the others. Walking over to his side, she dropped to her knees beside him.
"Go on you idiot. Help fix whatever shit that jackass did. I got this." For just a moment tears glazed across her dark eyes before she blinked them away and glared. "Mike can help me look after the girls."
Puck nodded and leaned his forehead against her shoulder for a breath. He reached out and brushed his fingertips across Rachel's cheek. Standing, he turned to Chris.
"What do you need?"
Chris reached out and grasped Puck's shoulder firmly, trying to express both his sorrow and pride in one movement. The teen blinked, forcing back tears. Chris nodded.
"Alright, JD, I'll be in contact by phone. Puck will be the middle man. Anything changes, you let me know."
"You got it."
Chris stalked out of the room with Puck and the security guards just behind him. Vin turned towards JD. "Come on; let's move everything closer to the others."
After setting up, JD began his communications check. "All teams check in and I'll direct you to the exact location of your bomb."
"Gambler's flush; currently entering the AA check-in area from the left."
"Okay, Ezra, you need to go to the third check-in counter from your location. Scan shows the bomb under the computer terminal."
"Copy." Ezra's soft southern drawl came across the line at a whisper. He walked over to the indicated counter. With an apologetic smile, he looked at the young lady working the counter. "Miss, if you will excuse me, I shall need you to step back from the counter. One of these gentlemen can help explain the situation."
Closing the counter, he knelt down and started working removing the door of the cabinet below the computer. While working, he kept half an ear on the conversations taking place over his communicator.
Buck answered moments after JD finished talking to their undercover agent. "Romeo is fine and currently surrounded by a bevy of beauties."
JD rolled his eyes. "Right. Anyway, you need to take a look at the electric box in the back corner of the room. Looks like he wired that one into the system."
"So start the panic with a boom and double it with the loss of lights. This guy was a real peach." Buck's icy opinion of the terrorist coated his voice in disdain. He turned a charming smile on the others in the room. "Ladies and gentlemen, in the interest of safety, would you please follow the nice guards to a different rest area? Thank you."
As the security guards led them out, he moved to the electric box and listened to Josiah report in.
"Preacher's good and entering the UA cargo area from the right."
"Josiah, the cargo area has got some strange readings, but the only confirmed explosive material is halfway across room. You may need a ladder; it looks like it's on one of the columns."
Josiah gave an exasperated huff. "Naturally." He turned to face the guards. "Would one of you gentleman please fetch me a ladder? I also need to speak with the current manager on duty."
Walking up to the column, he started circling, looking for something out of place. A small but powerfully built man strode up to him.
"You needed to talk with me?"
"Yes," answered the agent. "We've confirmed the presence of at least one bomb. I'll be taking care of that one. I need you to get your crew to do a much more thorough search. Let's make sure we didn't miss anything."
The cargo manager's eyes narrowed as he took in Josiah's words. With a sharp nod, he walked away and called to his crew. The ATF agent watched as the search crews split up to search the room. Offering up a prayer for them as well as his brother agents, he pulled his mind back to business as three other men ran up with a ladder.
Josiah sighed. "The Lord's work is never done." He heard a couple of muttered "Amen's" through his communicator.
JD picked up his cell phone and dialed Chris. When Puck answered, JD started talking. "Puck, I don't know if Chris explained anything, but we need you to be a mouthpiece. Chris is going to have his hands full, but the reports need to be accurate going in both directions. Okay?"
"No problem," came the serious reply.
"Great. Then let's get started. Three wingmen have reported in; currently in place and beginning extraction."
Puck repeated the message and Chris nodded.
"Gunslinger entering control tower from main door," stated Chris. A handful of people glanced in his direction, but most of them were too busy keeping their sky space safe and organized.
Puck looked at him. "JD says the device is centrally located. It should be under the workspace smack dab in the middle of the room."
Looking around, Chris determined the most likely place and moved forward. Stepping up to one of the controllers, he gestured at the man's supervisor. When the woman reached him, he showed her his badge.
"I need this man to hand off all of his flights and step away from the desk. Scan's showing a suspicious object."
The woman nodded and gave the orders. As the controller rose and moved away, Chris dropped down on the floor to search under the desk. Puck sat down beside him, phone still carefully held to his ear. He could hear some scrapes and whispers of sound.
"Damn." The quiet word told him that Chris had found the bomb. The blond leader spoke more clearly. "Puck, give JD the confirmation. We've got it."
JD accepted Puck's confirmation and turned towards Vin. "That's all of them. Now we just need them shut down."
Vin nodded. Glancing towards the knot of activity, he sighed and gave his teammate a sorrowful look. "These kids aren't ever goin' to be the same."
JD nodded sadly. Both men turned towards the teenagers as they heard Santana start talking.