Author's Notes: I'm hoping to be able to do another midweek update this week. No, we aren't expecting more snow (at least not that I know of) but the next chapter is pretty much planned in my head, so I'm hoping it will be easy to get down on paper. No promises though. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I don't think it's as difficult to read as some of the previous chapters but it does get a little rough. Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews. I can't believe the response I've gotten. Reading your comments always makes my day.

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 9

Practically everywhere she looked, Jules saw faces that no one else seemed to be seeing. While this would normally be a cause of worry for most people, Jules found it extremely comforting and reassuring. She could see what the guards and the inmates staging the break out couldn't see because she knew where to look and what to look for. While usually SRU was a high profile job, there were times when a situation, such as this one, called for a degree of stealth. Those times when the team needed to be in position to cover or intercept without the subject or subjects being aware of their presence.

So while Dog and his crew left the building that had been their home since being incarcerated thinking they were about to be free, Jules knew help was carefully positioned ready to save her and the guards. She'd made out the mostly familiar faces of the members of Team Four and the welcomingly reassuring face of Spike scattered about the yard. Spike was the only one of her team she saw but she knew the others were around. If she had to guess, Raf was probably hidden inside the van that was supposed to be the getaway vehicle for the convicts. Sarge was probably somewhere behind her, ready to pop out of the building they'd just vacated to further negotiations if needed. She glanced up just slightly and caught the glint off the muzzle of the sniper rifles that only someone who knew what she was looking for would notice. That's where Ed and Sam would be.

Jules felt her lip tremble a little around the gauze that was acting as the gag. As comforting as the familiar faces she could see were, the one face she really wanted to see was Sam's. She considered herself an independent person, not one who needed someone else to lean on. That didn't stop her for wanting Sam in this moment. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her, wanted him to assure her that nothing that happened in that laundry room today meant anything, wanted to look into his eyes and know he was being honest with her.

It wasn't that she felt like what Snake had tried or what Dog had insinuated would happen to her had changed who she was or had affected her sense of worth. As revolting as the whole experience had been, as much as her stomach still twisted in knots and her skin crawled just at the memory of Snake putting his hands and mouth on her, she knew she was still the same person she'd been when she'd first entered the prison to question Barrett Browning. She'd fought back as much as she could and had done nothing to be blamed for. She knew it wouldn't change the love she had for Sam or that he had for her. But would it change things? Whether he'd seen what had happened or had just heard about it, could he look at her without dwelling on how she'd been hurt? Would he look at her and be reminded of what happened to the point that he felt an overwhelming need to smother her with protection?

The guard who'd sent her questioning looks inside the room was now sending her another such glance. She could read the meaning as clearly as if he'd verbally spoken. Was help nearby? Would this soon be over?

She nodded with her eyes, not wanting anything in her body language or reactions to give anything away to the man who was half carrying and half dragging her along. She knew if any of the inmates actually reached the van, the advantage of space the team had gotten by luring the out would be gone. She might not be in the periphery with the rest of the team, but she could help stall things as long as possible.

She began to struggle in Dog's arms. With her hands and feet bound and the gag in her mouth, there was a limit to what she could do but Dog had to stop walking in order to reestablish his hold on his captive. Seeing her fighting again Dog, the guard took the same cue and also began to struggle. He called out to his fellow co-workers telling them they shouldn't just allow them to escape without fighting back. The others joined in the struggle, but Jules wasn't sure if it was because they were taking his words to heart or they realized he was up to something.

Though their hands being bound meant the guards didn't really have a chance of overpowering their captors or even getting away, their struggles did serve two purposes. One, it brought the forward motion toward the parked van to a grinding halt. The second advantage was that the inmates were forced to turn their full attention to trying to subdue their struggling captives. Almost as if it had been a carefully rehearsed training exercise, the hidden SRU officers didn't waste the opportunity that presented itself.

Jules knew what was coming; while this wasn't a training drill that they could practice over and over again until they had it down perfectly, she'd participated in many such drills in the past. In a situation were there were this many subjects and hostages to worry about, the less lethal options of flash grenades and CS gas were the best offense the team had. Knowing what was coming and even knowing the directions the canisters would be coming from, however, didn't mean she could escape the full effects of their use.

She could, and did, shut her eyes a split second before the first flash grenade went off. It prevented the photoreceptor cells in her eyes from fully activating and momentarily blinding her. Though even with her eyes tightly screwed shut, she still saw colored lights flash before her as the brightness of the grenade penetrated even her closed eyelids.

There wasn't much she could do to prepare herself for the sudden, loud, concussive blast that accompanied the flash. She was momentarily deafened but she knew it was only a matter of moments before the loss of hearing would be replaced by an annoying ringing of her ears. In several minutes, she would have full hearing back.

The CS gas was harder to protect herself from. Sure, they occasionally ran drills involving CS without their gas masks so they would know what would happen if they were accidentally exposed during a call. Though they all hated those painful but necessary drills, Jules was glad for them as the irritating mixture filled the air.

Her closed eyes saved her from the worst of the burning that was a trademark of the use of the non-lethal gas. However it didn't stop it completely. Besides the flashes of colors swirling in her head, her eyes were watering as if she'd been crying for hours. The powdery substance that made up the irritant, went up her nose, making her cough violently. The gag stuffed in her mouth acted somewhat as a filter from inhaling too much of the substance but it also made the coughing that was a natural reaction more difficult. It also made it harder for her to catch her breath. As much as she hated to admit it, it was probably a good thing Dog had such a tight grip on her or she would have quickly lost her balance, even if her feet had been free.

As her body reacted to the rescue measures the team was taking, she was unable to focus on the actual rescue itself, but she trusted that the team was doing everything possible. Even in her misery from the effects of the flash grenades and CS canisters, Jules expected at any second for Dog's hold on her to not only loosen but to unhand her completely. After all, he would be even more affected than she was. Therefore, she was surprised when rather than releasing her, Dog's grip tightened on her waist to the point that her already sore ribs felt like they were about to be snapped in two as easily as Bear had broken Snake's neck earlier. It made breathing, which was already labored thanks to both the gag and the gas, even more difficult and painful. Was it reflex or design?

She opened her eyes but they were too blurry to make out anything but the shadows of the uniformed members Team Four and Spike as they surrounded the area. She couldn't make out details but she thought - or maybe it was hoped - they had several of the escaping inmates back in custody. She was pretty sure the others would give up now that they knew escape was impossible.

Her eyes were watering, her lungs were burning, and her ears were ringing but Jules was fully capable of knowing what the cool touch of metal at her neck meant. Instead of giving up, it seemed Dog was more determined than ever to get free. He was shouting but she could only make out some of his words but the shiv threatening to cut her throat filled in the blanks.

"Don't…step. I…slit…Bitch's…death…hands."

- FP - FP - FP -

From the moment the door opened and the first figured stepped out of the laundry room into the bright sunshine, Sam had his scope trained on each face, searching for the one face that he not only longed to see but needed to see. Stranger after stranger emerged, some clad in prison garb and others in the uniform of a guard, but no Jules. Sam's frustration and worry grew in equal measures with each successive face that wasn't the one he was looking for.

Logically, he knew nothing had happened to her. Well, nothing more than she'd already suffered. Adam was watching the screen from the snake cam and would have reported if she'd been hurt. He just had to be patient.

Patient, yeah, right. He thought. How the hell am I supposed to sit back and pretend this is just any ordinary hot call after what I saw? The image of that bastard taking sick pleasure in the way he was touching Jules earlier kept replaying in his mind like a horrible movie he couldn't turn off. It had been bad enough seeing him violate the woman he loved, but seeing the change in Jules's posture as it was happening was even worse. He'd seen her go from carefully schooling her emotions so that no one except someone who knew her better than she knew herself could tell what she was feeling to it being painfully obvious how bothered she was. She only lost control of her composure like that when she felt like things were completely out of her control, a situation Sam knew she hated as much as she hated what was being done to her.

"There's something I don't think we've considered with this plan," Spike suggested from his position on the ground.

Sam frowned. Everything was in motion; he didn't want to hear how it could go wrong. Sarge's voice filled his ear asking Spike to elaborate.

"There's so many involved here; what if some reach the van and get in before the rest are out of the building? If we use the flash grenades and CS too early, some could go back inside and then we're right back where we were. Or some are in the van unaffected by either."

"Adam and I will handle things if any come back inside. Raf will take care of any that get in the van. Hopefully it won't come to either of those possibilities. We're going to hope we're able to corral all of them at the same time." Sarge assured them.

Sam stopped listening though as Jules came into view. His breath caught in his throat as he got a better look at her through the scope than he'd been able to see on the snake cam. It was still frustrating to know she was still too far away for him to be able to really look at her with just his own eyes or to hold her in his own arms. Currently, she was being half carried and half dragged by the leader of this coup. This time however, he was able to get a closer look at her face. He didn't focus on the bruises or the blood though it hurt him terribly knowing they were even there. Instead, he focused on her eyes. There was a fire still in them. That hot Callaghan temper that he loved so much, the one he'd sometimes rile up just to get her going. She hadn't lost that spark that made her one of the strongest people he knew. It gave him more reassurance than just knowing they were about to end things.

He also saw her looking around and knew she'd spotted the team. He was glad she knew they were there; she didn't have to handle everything alone. When she started to struggle in the arms of her captor, he knew it was more about stalling things in order to help the team rather than anything else. Then the guards picked up on her cue and also began to struggle. If it had been a part of the tactical plan, it wouldn't have worked as well.

Intentional or coincidental, the sudden struggle gave the team the opportunity they needed. With their gas masks in place, they lobbed the flash grenades and the CS canisters into the thick of the crowd. Sam and Ed were both far enough away that they didn't need gas masks and could still safely maintain their aim with the rifles. Still, Sam found himself holding his breath as he watched the captors and captives, especially Jules, react to the combined effects of the non-lethal means of containment.

Perhaps because he was so focused on Jules, he was the one who noticed that the man holding her was not reacting the same way as the others. Sure, he'd blinked rapidly with the flash of the flash grenade but the CS didn't seem to have any effect on him. Sam swore. He knew that, while it was rare, there were some people with a natural immunity to the effects of the CS. Why did the guy threatening Jules have to be one of them? He saw a glint of metal and swore once again.

"The guy holding Jules has a weapon, can't tell exactly what it is but he's got it at her throat."

"Don't take another step. I swear I'll slit the Bitch's throat if you do. Her death will be on your hands." Dogland's voice didn't so much as quaver as she yelled out his warning. It was in stark contrast to the coughing fit Jules was currently experiencing.

"Team, status?" Sarge asked as he came out the laundry door behind the escapees. He had his own gas mask in place and there was still enough of the CS filling the air to make it difficult for him to full access the situation.

Ed was the one to answer. His and Sam's positions above everything gave them both the best tactical view of everything that was happening. They were high enough up that the gas wasn't as condensed as it was on the ground and gave them the vantage of being able to see what those in the midst of gas couldn't. "Team Four and Spike managed to contain almost all of the subjects with the initial assault. The main threat right now is Dogland. He wasn't affected by the CS and he's threatening Jules with what looks like a shiv."

"Copy that. I've got a visual now. Do either you or Sam have a solution?"

"Negative." Ed's answer was immediate. "No solution without too much of a risk to Jules."

Sam checked his position once more. He had a perfect line straight to Dogland's head. If it wasn't for the shiv pressed against Jule's jugular, he could make the shot with very little risk to Jules. However, since the weapon was in play, there was little he could do. Even a perfect kill shot would also kill Jules since the weapon would slit her throat either by gravity dragging Dogland's body downward or by a split second reaction from the man before he died. "No solution…yet."

"Copy that." Sarge again replied. He had to trust that negotiation would either talk Dogland down completely or at least give his Sierras time or opportunity to find a solution. Then he raised his voice to address Dogland.

"Dogland, Sgt. Parker again. We talked on the phone earlier. Let's talk this through. No sense in anyone getting hurt here. Let's figure out a way to make that happen."

"Only one way that's happening. You let me walk over to that van unhindered and it drives me out of here. Otherwise, your pretty little officer here is going to have a second smile."

It didn't escape anyone's notice that Dogland's pronoun use had changed from us to me. He didn't care what happened to the rest of the inmates trying to escape. He was in full survival mode and only cared about himself.

"Sarge, he doesn't know I'm in the van. Maybe we could let him think we're giving him what he wants and I can contain the situation in here." Raf suggested from his position in the van.

"Too risky. We'll only go there if we have to." Then to Dogland, he continued. "It's not as easy as that. How about you lower that weapon just a little? We wouldn't want something to accidentally happen.

Dog smiled, looking every bit the predator. "Accident huh? You mean like this?"

His wrist flicked out but instead of cutting Jules's throat, he cut another swatch of her hair, this time on the opposite side from before. Jules flinched as the one handed movement pulled her hair as much as cut it. The strands of brown fell to the ground as Dog laughed. "Oops. I'm not going back in and if I had to prove I'm serious by cutting off locks of her lovely hair until she's bald headed, I will. Then I'll start cutting skin instead. You really want me to do that to this pretty thing?"

Sam felt his jaw clinch. He didn't have a Scorpio call and he couldn't make the shot without risking Jules's life in the process, but his finger twitched with the need to pull the trigger. Sam took a slow measured breath to calm himself down and refocus on the task before him. He couldn't and wouldn't let his personal feelings get the better of him. He owed it to himself and to Jules to show he could still be professional even when Jules was threatened.

"You know we don't want that." Sarge assured Dog. "Look, so long as you are holding that shiv to her throat, we've got to consider you a threat. We take threats very seriously, especially when it's one of our own being threatened. We'd have a better chance of working out a solution if you would just lower that weapon."

Dog's answer was another flick of his wrist and a little more hair falling to the ground. Sam could see tears slipping down Jules's cheeks but he couldn't be sure if she was crying from the unwanted hair cut or the CS gas making her eyes water. Either way, it made Sam want even more than before to do something. His heart pounded with the need to do something other than wait.

"Sarge," Sam baredly breathed the name even though he knew his voice wouldn't carry past the headset. "When he cuts her hair, there's a brief second when I have the solution."

It galled him that more of Jules's beautiful hair had to be sacrificed in order for him to get a clear, unthreatened shot. But if it meant getting her out safely….

"Hold, Sam. I don't think he'll actually hurt her; if he does, he loses his bargaining chip."

Wouldn't actually hurt her? Was the CS gas still swirling in the air blinding him to the bruises and other injuries that were already visible? Didn't the boss think having her hair sawed off with a makeshift knife hurt her, if not physically then mentally? Sam understood what Sarge really meant but it still bothered him.

"Maybe you don't care about me giving her a make over. Maybe I need to go to more extreme measures to show you I mean business." Dog threatened.

"If he makes a move to actually cut her, take the shot no matter the risk." Sarge ordered.

This time, the shiv didn't move. Instead, the hand around her waist moved lower, playing with the waistband of her pants. His threat and intention was crystal clear. Sam's eyes narrowed. "He's taunting us. I think he knows he's not getting out of here and he's trying to make us take the shot." And believe me, I want to take the shot.

Sarge didn't take his eyes off Dog and Jules. He knew this was hardest on Sam and admired the way the younger man had handled himself with the situation. He'd been dead on with the theory about the outside help the inmates had been counting on. However, this newest theory didn't make sense. "Why? He doesn't have to. Even if he knows the escape is impossible, this doesn't have to be an end game for him. He can give up peacefully."

"And live out the rest of his life in the prison he's now trying so hard to escape from. Ed, you remember what Browning told us earlier? He said Dogland wants out, that he's made no secret that he doesn't want to be in there and he's not going to let anything or anyone stop him from getting what he wants. Think about it. What if he'd rather die than spend another day in prison.? He'll kill Jules if he has to in order to make us kill him."

"I think Sam's right, Sarge." Ed backed Sam's theory. "His actions now are more goading than threatening. I don't think it matters to him whether he escapes in that van or a body bag so long as he doesn't go back into the prison walls."

Sarge considered both men's words. Finally he conceded. "Okay, you both have Scorpio if you can make the shot without endangering Jules." Out loud, he tried a different tactic to try to help Jules. "You don't have to hurt her. We know you are serious about wanting out of here. Why don't you release her and then we can discuss things."

"Ain't nothing to discuss. I've told you what I want. Why don't you just tell all these bug-faced clowns to back away so I can get to the van. Once I'm out of here and safe, then I'll release her. If she still wants to leave that is."

Dog's hand hadn't completely disappeared inside her pants but it was dipping closer. Suddenly Jules went completely slack in his arms. Her sudden dead weight made Dog have to move both his hands in order to re-establish his hold on her. In that splint second, Sam didn't hesitate. His finger tightened on the trigger, a shot rang out, and both Jules and her captor fell in a heap to the ground.

Neither moved.