Author's Notes: A midweek update courtesy of the winter weather that hit the area this week. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter ready by this weekend. I hope you continue to enjoy. I always look forward to seeing your comments.

Disclaimer: The show Flashpoint and its characters were created by Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern and belong to them and the networks who air the episodes. Since the show has ended, our only way of getting new Flashpoint is through fan fiction. This story is my attempt to help fill the void, and the only profit I make is the warm fuzzy feeling reviews give me. Anything that does not come directly from the show is my own creation and should not be used without my permission.

Break Out

Chapter 8

Sam had watched the computer screen until his eyes were watering from fatigue. After doing everything he could to fully relay the layout of the room including the location of all the subjects, he'd returned the focus of the lens back to Jules, to hell with the consequences. If anyone questioned him about it, but he didn't think they would, he'd say he was making sure he could give an adequate report of her current condition. He'd noted the gag and the plasti-cuffs on her hands and feet. He could make out what appeared to be spots of dark stain on her leg that he was afraid was blood. Most of all though, he was glad to see that her clothes seemed mostly intact. Whatever they'd done to her so far, it didn't appear it had gone that far. He'd take small favors where he could find them. He sighed and glanced over to Ed, his eyes but not his heart needing a brief respite.

"I've been thinking." He began.

Ed frowned. "Jules is trapped in there with a bunch of dangerous criminals and we're out here unable to do anything to help her. I'm not sure thinking is such a good idea right now." Then when Sam didn't look away, he relented. "What about?"

"Why here? Why did they gather in the laundry room? Yeah, it's one of the few rooms with an outside door but why didn't they use it? They had the guards and with them the access cards for the doors. You heard Browning; he wasn't a part of their plan but he knew enough that he was planning on slipping out while things were still crazy. Why didn't they immediately get out before reinforcements had a chance to arrive?"

Ed considered his questions and followed where his logic seemed to be heading. "They had a reason for gathering here, a reason that has nothing to do with just it being big enough to hold them all. You're thinking this was their escape route not a gathering area, but things didn't go according to plan."

"Yeah," Sam breathed the word out. "I'll bet you anything they had a ride out of here planned but for some reason, that ride didn't show up. If we find out who it was supposed to be, we might could lure them out of the room where we've got the tactical advantage."

Ed didn't smile - the situation was too extreme for smiles until Jules and all the guards were safe. However, his eyes softened just barely, indicating his pride. "I change my mind; I like the way you think. Good catch, Sam. I'm going back to the office to talk to Greg, see if we can get a lead on who and figure out how to use it to our benefit. You okay staying and keeping an eye on the screen?"

Sam nodded. Spike and Raf had already left to escort Barrett Browning to a holding cell and then to coordinate with the three Team Four teams that were finishing their task of securing the other inmates not involved with the breakout. Ed started to walk away but then stopped and turned back. "Sam, I know you know this, but I feel like I've got to remind you. You are one man vs. more than two dozen. You can't play hero and go rushing in on your own if things get tricky in there."

"I know that." Sam insisted, trying not to sound offended but not quite succeeding. Did Ed think he was still a rookie? Or did he just think he would be too blinded by his personal feelings to do his job properly?

Ed reached out and put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I know you know that. I said that already. I also know that Jules is in there and she's in danger. I know that those guys have already hurt her and there's no guarantee they won't hurt her again. I know that you love her and I know you don't want to see her hurt. I also know that you'd feel the same if it were any of us in there, but especially since it's Jules. And knowing all that I know how difficult it will be on you if they do something worse to her. If something goes down in there, it would be hard for the most seasoned, unaffected cop to stand by and just watch it happen. But, short of threat of death, that's what you've got to do. Rushing in will only put Jules, the guards, and yourself at risk."

"It wouldn't be the first time I've pushed aside my need to rescue Jules when her life was in danger. I might not like it; it might tear me up inside to do it; it might even make me physically sick inside but I think I've already proven that I can put my feelings aside and do the job."

The biolab. Jules lying on the floor slowly bleeding to death and breathing in deadly anthrax spores. His worst nightmare. A nightmare that had replaced his prior worst nightmare of the day on the roof when Jules had been shot by Petar Tomasic when he'd sought his revenge on Ed. Somehow Sam thought it was a worst nightmare that was about to be replaced by today's events.

"I remember." Ed admitted. "I had to say it though. And now that I have, I'll also say this. If something happens and you are forced to stand by and watch when you'd really like to get in there and kick some ass, you can put the blame on me for not being able to. Not that I think Jules would ever blame you, but I know you'd blame yourself." Ed started down the hallway without another word.

Sam turned back to the camera. Immediately his eyes went back to Jules, who was thankfully still alone. He made a mental promise to her that it would all be over soon. As soon as the thought formed in his head, he saw her head turn toward the door. He knew she'd spotted the camera by the way her eyes widened just slightly and her breathing changed ever so slightly. He was probably the only one who could read her that way but he was glad that he could. He hoped that knowing he and the team were so close would make things a little easier for her. Knowing she knew certainly made him feel better.

"Just hold on, Baby. We're going to get you out."

- FP - FP - FP -

As soon as Ed explained Sam's theory to Greg and the warden, Jenkins picked up the phone and dialed a number. After speaking to a guard at one of the other detention blocks, Jenkins hung up the phone and looked at both Greg and Ed.

"Lenny Beemings. I should have put two and two together before now. He handles our outside laundry service. Today is his regular run and if he'd been on his normal schedule, he would have been at this building when those explosions happened. Chances are, since they captured the guards assigned to this building before they could sound the alarm, we wouldn't have known anything was wrong if your officer hadn't been in the building and on the radio with you when the explosions occurred. It was after your dispatcher called that I even knew to check to see what had happened and order the lock down. Lenny could have driven them straight out without anyone thinking twice."

Sarge frowned. "Where's this Lenny now? What made his schedule different today?"

"He got delayed at one of the other buildings. Once we went on lock down, he had no choice but to stay put. I've got an officer bringing him over right now; without letting him know why of course."

Sarge nodded, glad that Jenkins had used discretion. "Ed, if we could lure the subjects out of the room and out into the open, could you make a tac plan work that would be safe for the hostages?"

Ed nodded, moving to the blue print of the entire compound. He pointed out two close buildings. "Sam and I can take Sierra positions here and here; since we're not actually in the building, we can use real ammunition instead of rubber bullets. Everyone else could be in position hidden around the area. With flash grenades and CS gas, I think we could neutralize the situation with little to no injuries to the hostages."

If Sarge questioned the idea of Sam taking a Sierra position, it never showed on his face or crossed his lips. He simply nodded. "Okay then, get things set up. As soon as Lenny gets here, we'll have him call in and act like the plan is back in play. He can lure them out without them expecting to be captured. While their guards are down, we'll get the drop on them."

Ed continued to stand there for a moment, looking at Greg with his patented no-nonsense piercing stare. "Two problems with that plan, Boss. One, we don't know for sure yet that Lenny was the one conspiring with the subjects."

Before he could even voice his second concern, Greg answered the first. "True, but he's our best bet and we can't afford to waste time. We can get everything in place and if it's not Lenny, then we'll work out a different way to lure them outside."

It made sense, but Ed wasn't completely satisfied. "Okay, let's say Lenny is the one working with them. That brings me to the second thing worrying me. How are you going to convince him to work with us?"

Greg's shoulders slumped ever so slightly. Not so much that Warden Jenkins probably noticed but Ed knew Greg better than practically anyone. The tactical leader could tell the toil this call was taking on Greg; was it just that one of his own was in danger or was it something he'd heard while listening in through the phone line? Greg didn't quite meet Ed's gaze. "I'll remind him that even if he didn't get to carry out his part of the escape plan, even being complicit in the knowledge of what was planned makes him accountable for anything that happens during the escape attempt. We already have one guard in critical condition and we don't know about the others. His only hope for leniency is by helping us to bring this to a peaceful closure."

The door opened and a guard entered leading a man in a white uniform, presumably Lenny Beemings. Ed studied him carefully. Even though he had heard Jenkins say the guard wasn't going to let on to why Lenny was being brought in, the laundry man's nervousness was palpable. Ed's concerns disappeared. Greg's skill at negotiation against Lenny's obvious guilt would ensure that Lenny would help them. Ed glanced back toward Greg. "I'll get started on everything."

After leaving the office, he pulled Raf and Spike as well as the members of Team Four aside where they could talk without Lenny hearing. Plans were made based on Ed's initial suggestions of the situation. Spike suggested that Raf position himself in the van with Lenny so that the suspected and probable accomplice didn't somehow alert the subjects to the set up. Team Four's leader also suggested leaving one of his people at the door leading out of the laundry room into the detention block proper in case someone tried to sneak out that way for any reason. Ed agreed with the both suggestions.

With the plan set and with Sarge's acknowledgment that Lenny was on board for helping them, Ed left his teammates and Team Four to get into position. He made his way back to the laundry door. With him was the member of Team Four that was going to man that door. Once Ed had collected Sam, the two of them would have to retrieve the Remmys from the trucks and get into their sniper positions on the nearby roofs.

As soon as he got close to Sam's position, he could tell something was wrong. Sam's whole body practically vibrated with unbridled tension, like a rubber band that had been wound way too tight. A rubber band that the slightest touch would send it snapping completely out of control. "Sam?"

The younger man merely glanced at him, his eyes barely leaving the computer screen. That brief glance, however, spoke volumes. There was a smoldering fire of barely contained rage, the kind that made the normally easy-going guy seem dangerous and almost out of control. There was a slackness in his jaw that suggested he'd seen something that he couldn't quite fathom or stomach. Considering all he'd probably seen during his tours overseas, that bothered Ed more than anything.

Without further questions, Ed took the screen from him and studied it intently. Jules was still sitting on the floor much as she had the last time he'd seen her. The only thing different was the addition of a body lying still next to her. Ed recognized him as one of the subjects but couldn't tell if he was merely unconscious or dead. He handed the screen back and looked once more at Sam, the question obvious in his expression.

"He's dead." Sam mumbled, his voice harsh and not the least bit sorry.

Ed glanced back at the screen once more even though he knew it didn't hold any answers. "What happened?"

Sam opened his mouth to explain but the words wouldn't come. How the hell was he supposed to explain what he'd witnessed in those moments before a man's neck had been snapped like a twig? How was he supposed to tell how he'd wanted to forget his training, forget the warnings Ed had left him with, forget everything but getting in that room and stopping the man who was doing unspeakable things to the woman he loved? He glanced back at the screen again, taking comfort in the fact that the bastard had been stopped before doing any lasting harm to Jules. He couldn't feel any sympathy for the dead man at all; if anything, he felt the man had died too easily.

"He was going to…. He was…" The words wouldn't come and then Sam noticed that Ed wasn't alone. No way in hell was he going to try to explain while a member of another team was standing there. "It doesn't matter now; the situation was neutralized. Tell me we have a tactical plan."

Ed knew eventually Sam would have to talk about what he'd witnessed but let the matter drop for now. Jules appeared to be in one piece and considering she and the guards were all bound and unable to do much, the death of the man had to have come at the hands of one of the other subjects. Details could come later. He nodded. "We do. Adam's going to man the camera here while you and I get the Remmys."

Even though the idea of a tactical plan appealed to Sam more than standing there useless, he was a little reluctant to leave the only contact he had with Jules. He frowned. "I don't think our rubber bullet cartridges fit on a Remmy."

"Trust me, I don't plan on us using rubber bullets. I'm Sierra One and you are Sierra Two; if we're needed, we'll be anything but less lethal. You up for that?" The question was lighthearted and rhetorical, but Ed knew Sam would understand the real undertone of it. Given whatever he'd witnessed on that screen which Ed could only guess must have been horrific, Ed was asking if Sam could push it aside in order to handle the equally tough task of being Sierra.

Sam nodded slightly. "Yeah, this needs to end. The subjects are on edge and it's only a matter of time before they start taking their frustration out on the hostages. You can fill me in on the plan as we go."

- FP - FP - FP -

"Van just pulled up." An inmate who'd positioned himself near the door announced. "Why didn't he get closer?"

"Lenny's not going to draw attention to himself. If he parks right next to the building, he could make someone suspicious and that would make it more likely the guards will search the vehicle when he leaves. This way it'll just look like he paused to check some of his load." Dog explained. "Let's get ready to go."

He threw one of the access cards to one of the other prisoners. "Riggs, take Gary and check it out, make sure it's not a set up."

The inmate that caught the card just stared at him. "Why are we checking for a set up? I thought you said we were in the clear."

Dog looked annoyed. "We are, but there's no sense taking chances. Just go out there to the van and make sure there're no cops around. Once you're sure it's clear, then signal us and the rest of us will come out."

"And if it's not?" The man argued back. "Then Gary and I take the hit. How fair is that?"

Dog's expression hardened. "Perhaps you'd rather I just leave your ass here when we get out of here. Do I have to remind you that if it weren't for me, you'd still be in a cell right now? The way I see it, if I want you to put your ass on the line and check things out, it's the least you can do. Now get out there before Lenny gets nervous and takes off. Or perhaps Bear needs to remind you what happens if you don't do as you are told."

For a moment, Jules thought the inmate was going to refuse again. She was once more being held in Bear's tight grasp. After watching what he'd done to Snake, his hold felt even more dangerous. She realized he could snap her arms much the way he'd done Snake's neck. Apparently Riggs was thinking along the same line because he didn't protest further.

Even though she'd watched Bear take a man's life, she didn't quite feel as endangered being held by him as she had in Snake's or even Dog's presence. She knew the large man didn't have sexual designs on her the way the other's did and that gave her just a little more security. Even if he beat her or broke every bone in her body, she could withstand that sort of physical pain better than she could the things Snake had done to her.

Despite her earlier concerns, she was pretty sure that this new development in the escape attempt was a set up. No way during a lock down would this guy have been given permission to just leave no matter how much they trusted him. Even she would have had trouble getting out of the prison if she'd hadn't been captured and she was SRU. But she was also convinced that Riggs and Gary wouldn't see any signs of a trap when they went out. The team would be well situated and out of sight until all the inmates and the hostages were out in the open.

She stole just a brief glance back toward the interior door. The snake cam was still in place, probably with someone other than Sam watching to alert the others as soon as the room was clear. Feeling someone watching her that didn't have anything to do with the snake cam, she stiffened slightly, hoping she hadn't drawn attention to the camera's presence with her look. Then she realized that it was a guard that was looking her way. When he realized he had her attention, he raised any eyebrow. Of course, the guards would have also realized the story didn't match with the protocols they worked with. She gave just the slightest of shrugs, hoping Bear would think she was just stretching her muscles.

She hoped the guard would take the shrug for what it meant. She didn't know how the rescue attempt would come, but they should be prepared for anything. The guard's answering nod was just as slight.

Bear gave her a little shake. "Won't be long now. I'm sure Dog has a hideout all ready for us and then they won't have anything holding them back. Between the sexual fantasies your presence here has built up in them and their natural hatred for cops in general and SRU in particular, by the time they all finish with you, you'll probably be wishing I'd given you the same easy death I gave Snake. I won't do it though. I'll get my pleasure watching you suffer at their hands."

"Okay, Riggs and Gary are signaling that it's all clear." Dog reported. "Grab the guards and let's go."

He stepped toward Bear and Jules. Bear released her arms and gave her a push in Dog's direction. Dog could have easily caught her but didn't even make the attempt. Jules went down heavily to her knees. Pain radiated up her body from the jar and she was glad that the gag swallowed up her groan of pain. She didn't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing she was hurting. Dog reached out and grabbed her hair at the back of her head. He gave it a jerk. "I have to say I like you in that position. Rather fitting you might say. I almost wish I had time to take advantage of you being on your knees. Guess that'll have to wait until we're out of here and I can remove that gag."

Pulling on her hair with one hand and her arm with the other, he jerked her to her feet once more. Since she couldn't walk with her feet bound, Dog wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her off her feet. As he carted her off toward the door, he leaned in closer to her ear. "I bet you thought your friends were going to rush in and save the day and your body from all kinds of imaginable hell. Instead, we're gonna be long gone before they get a chance to rescue you and these other jackasses. I almost wish I could see their faces when they bust in here and find nothing but Snake's dead body over there. I guess we get the last laugh."

Though the day was warm as they stepped outside into the sunshine, Jules couldn't help but shiver slightly. She trusted her team; she trusted Sam. She was pretty positive, despite all appearances, the inmates were walking into a trap rather than freedom. All she had to do was be patient and keep her eyes opened and wait for the team to do whatever it was they had planned. They'll show you, she silently warned Dog. We'll be the ones having the last laugh, not you."

- FP - FP - FP -

Author's Notes 2: Please don't think I wimped out by not showing Sam's reaction to what happened to Jules. That will come out in later chapters, I promise.