Chapter VIII: Security Measures

Bilbo made it into the precinct in record time. It only took him twenty minutes to drive to London. He had called Dwalin and had given him the heads up on the hit. Dwalin, in true Dwalin fashion, tripled the security at Ered Luin. Legolas looked up from his computer when he saw Bilbo walk into the squad room. He glanced at his watch as his partner as he sat down. "You got here quick," he said. "I called you twenty five minutes ago. What did you do, use your lights?"

"And my sirens. What do you know?"

"I got Bard running point on the organized crime part. This hit just makes Smaug look guilty. He's going to bring Smaug down for this. Thrain's murder is enough to bring him in."

"But?"

"Smaug has disappeared," Legolas said.

"So, we have to draw him out," Bilbo said. "You know, this hit just might the thing we need."

"What?" Legolas asked.

"Call Bard. I have an idea." Legolas picked up the phone to ring up Bard. The DI from the Organized Crime Unit two floors down came up with his folder on Smaug. He wanted that rat bastard so bad. It seemed after Azog was implicated in being an employee of his, Smaug had gone into hiding as well. The crime lord dealt mostly in drugs and had recently created a high drug called 'Golden Lust'. People have already overdosed on it and died as a result. Bard wanted that drug and the crime lord responsible for it off the street. "Tell us about Smaug," Bilbo said.

"He's a hands on kind of guy. If he has a problem, he'll take care of it himself," Bard said.

"So why hire Azog to kill Thrain?" Legolas asked.

"My theory is that Azog was just the hunter. He brought Thrain to Smaug who killed him, put him on ice and for some reason, dumped his body in the river."

"Could mean Smaug is still in London," Bilbo said.

"He could be anywhere has immunity in at least ten countries, but none in England. He could have killed Thrain and put him on ice until the hype of his disappearance died down," Bard said.

"But it never really did," Legolas said.

"We made him think it did. I wasn't counting on him waiting five years for him to get rid of the body."

"So, if he wants to kill Thorin Oakenshield, he's going to do it himself, yes?" Bilbo asked.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Bard asked.

"I want to lure Smaug out. Use Thorin as bait," Bilbo said.

"Are you nuts?" Legolas asked. "Thorin would never go for that. Will he?" Bilbo shrugged.

"You want me to do what?" Thorin asked.

"Play bait. We need to lure Smaug out. This hit could be just a diversion. He likes his kills to be up close and personal."

"Nice," Thorin said.

"If we can get him to come to you to kill you personally, we can get him on attempted murder and we also have proof he killed your father."

"So, when does this sting start?"

"Tonight too soon?" Bilbo asked and Thorin let out a sigh. "You'll be safe, Thorin, I promise. If it's just Smaug, we can handle it."

"I want Dwalin, Gloin and Oin here too," Thorin said, "and if you're right about Smaug, he'll won't come unless the whole family is here," he said. "I die, the company goes to Dis, Fili and Kili."

"He's right," Legolas said. "Smaug has to know that the whole family is here, or he won't come." Bilbo nodded.

"All right, let's do this."

Just after dusk, Bard arrived with his partner, Tauriel. "Wow," Kili exclaimed. "Would you look at her? That guy gets to look at that every day," he said as Tauriel was introduced to Bilbo and Legolas. Fili chuckled as he watched his brother fall really hard.

"You realize she was an Elf in Middle Earth."

"I know. Maybe I'll have a shot with her this time," he said causing his brother to chuckle.

The security for the night was Gloin, Dwalin and the four DIs; Bilbo, Legolas, Bard and Tauriel. Dis brought them into the living room so they could get their gear on. "According to the encrypted message Smaug sent, he knows where Thorin is now and wants him dead by the start of the morning," Bard said as they got their vests on. Everyone armed themselves and by midnight, the whole house was dark as everyone waited.

Bilbo leaned against the wall looking out the window. He kept the shot gun he chose close to him. Thorin seemed thrilled to be able to see Bilbo work. Legolas was on the other side of the room, looking out the window. "How long before he shows do you reckon?"

"Knowing Smaug, he could wait until 2 or 3 when he thinks everyone is asleep," Bard said from the front door. "T, how are things in the back?" he asked through his communicator.

"All clear so far," Tauriel answered. "Quiet as a church, which worries me." Bard sighed out as he looked at his watch. It was nearing 1 am.

"Are you sure he'll show?" Thorin asked.

"He will. I know how he thinks," Bard said.

"I've got a car coming in from the village," Legolas said getting his infrared binoculars out. The jeep coming down the street made a surprising turn into Bilbo's driveway. "He's going into Bag End," he said.

"What?" Bilbo asked. He got his own pair of binoculars and watched as Max Smaug got out of the jeep. Also with him was his right hand, Azog. "Well, we've got Smaug and Azog."

"Tauriel, keep an eye out for trouble in the back. We got two players in the front," Bard said.

"Copy that," Tauriel said. Bilbo groaned when Smaug had Azog kick in the front door.

"There goes your paint job," Legolas said.

"They better not break anything." After a while, Smaug and Azog came back outside and started walking towards the manor. Another jeep pulled up into the Ered Luin driveway and three more men got out of it. "Another jeep pulled up," Bilbo said.

"Legs, go back up Tauriel in the back," Bard said as two men went to the back. Bilbo watched Legolas head to the back before watching the new minion of Smaug put something on the window. He watched Azog do the same thing to the door before watching Smaug take some kind of remote out of his jacket.

"Bard, get away from the door!" he shouted as he grabbed Thorin to pull him away from the window. Smaug pressed a button and the windows and door exploded, knocking everyone back. He turned, pulling a gun back and walked into the manor. Bard was out cold and Smaug chuckled.

"Find the nephews and sister. I'll deal with Thorin myself," he told Azog. "Do not miss this time," he warned him.

"Yes, sir," Azog said before taking the lackey upstairs with him. Gunfire was heard in the back of the house as Legolas and Tauriel were engaged by the other three minions. Bilbo was dazed when he found himself coming to. He saw Thorin was just the same as they both slowly sat up.

"Are you all right?" Bilbo asked.

"Fine. You?"

"Just peachy," he said grabbing his shot gun and he saw Smaug in the hall. "Get behind something," he said causing Thorin to get behind the wall. He cocked his gun before standing up. "Put the gun down, Smaug," he said. He had little time to react when Smaug opened fire on him before taking cover behind the wall as Bilbo opened fire on him. The crime lord abandoned his own gun and grabbed Bard's, who was still unconscious, shot gun.

"I don't want you, Inspector, just your boyfriend," he said.

"You can't have him, Smaug," Bilbo said. He cursed when his shot gun jammed and he grabbed his hand gun. He came out from behind the couch just as Smaug raised the gun. They both fired at the same time; Bilbo missed, Smaug didn't. Despite having a vest, the shot gun pellets hit Bilbo in the arm, vest and just underneath the vest. He went down as Smaug pumped the gun.

"Bilbo!" Thorin shouted as Bilbo went down.

"Such devotion," Smaug said as Thorin came out from behind his wall. Bilbo was bleeding from his wounds as he tried to control it. Noise from upstairs told Thorin that Azog and the other minion found his nephews and sister. He prayed Gloin and Dwalin would keep them safe. "It's nothing personal, Thorin Oakenshield. It's just business," Smaug said. The crime lord took aim at Thorin with the shot gun, Bilbo trying to lift his wounded arm to fire. A shot rang out, but Thorin didn't feel anything. Instead, Smaug was the one bleeding and he turned to see Bard poised with his gun, bleeding from his head.

"Gotcha, you son of a bitch," he said. Smaug growled before raising his gun, prompting Bard to shoot him again, this time in the head. Smaug was dead before he hit the floor.

"Get an ambulance. Bilbo's down," Thorin said.

"We're all clear in the back," Legolas said coming into the room, turning the light on. "Bilbo!" he shouted seeing his partner down on the floor. Tauriel was already on the radio for an ambulance as Legolas began pulling off the vest. "Hold on, Bilbo," he said as he found a wound in the stomach of his partner. He immediately pressed on it to stop the bleeding. Oin came down from upstairs and started to help Legolas with the wounds.

"Hold on, love," Thorin whispered to Bilbo. "Hold on," he said again as Bilbo started to lose consciousness. The last thing Bilbo saw was Thorin's face as his eyes were over taken with dream. "Bilbo!"

End of Chapter VIII