"Danny head up to the roof. Hawkes and EMS will meet you up there. Lindsay's heading for the roof vent." Mac said.
Danny frowned. He picked up his radio. "Copy that Mac."
Danny jogged up the metal escape. He was only on the third floor, halfway up the building. He gripped the bars and used them as leverage to propel him upwards. His chest heaved with anticipation and exhaustion. The bars echoed beneath his steps as Danny ascended the fire escape.
He leapt over the edge of the roof. His shoes scraped the rocks on the roof of the building. Danny jogged for the large vent opening near on the east side of the building. He gripped the cover and heaved it off the vent. Danny peaked in, lighting the opening up with his light. The vent didn't even hit the base, it slanted down out of Danny's sight. The sight didn't give Danny any comfort. It would take a great deal to get Lindsay out of there.
Danny frowned again. He pulled out his radio. "Hawkes, make sure ya got rope with ya. Sherman, what's Lindsay's position?"
"Detective Monroe should be twenty feet from the opening but…" Sherman trailed off.
"But what?" Danny asked.
"She's stopped moving on the screen and I can't get a response on the phone." Sherman explained.
Danny froze. Fear struck every nerve in his body. This had to be the worst of it. If Lindsay had stopped moving then her injury was worse than she let on. She'd passed out from the blood loss or the extreme cold in the ventilation system…or both. He pulled his vest off and shoved his gun back into his holster.
"Danny!"
Danny looked up, Hawkes was running across the roof, carrying rope and a harness. Danny caught the harness and clasped it around him. Hawkes set the rope in the harness. Danny stepped to the edge of the vent and climbed in. Hawkes and the remaining S.W.A.T. men grabbed the rope and lowered Danny into the vent.
Inside the vent was like a freezer. Danny shivered at the temperature change. Not that it was a large shift, but it was a change. He watched below as he was lower deeper into the vent.
"Lindsay?" Danny called. His voice echoed through the vents.
There was no response.
"Lindsay Monroe." Danny said. His feet hit the base as it began slanting. Danny held himself up against the wall. He picked up his radio. "I'm down, Hawkes."
Danny dropped to his knees and peeked into the slanting vent. He took out his light and shined it into the vent. Twenty feet in front of him, lying face down in the vent, was Lindsay. Danny's heart stopped beating. Her skin was a pale white and tinted blue, covered in dust form the vent and sweat form exhaustion. Half of her hair was hanging out of her clip in the back. Danny adjusted the light and found the blood soaked section of her shirt on her lower back.
"Hawkes give me some slack!" Danny called. He maneuvered his way down the vent. It was a tight fit for him, but Danny made it work. "Lindsay! C'mon Montana, wake up!"
Lindsay groaned but did not move.
Danny heard a slight shift in the vent. At first, he thought Marty had reached her, but on a second look, Danny realized that Lindsay was slipping back down the vent. "Hawkes give me more slack quick!"
Danny threw himself down the vent toward Lindsay. He reached out, barley grasping Lindsay's fingers. Danny dropped his light and reached with his other hand. Lindsay's cold fingers slowly slipped in Danny's grasp. "Hawkes I'm losin' her!" Danny reached out again, trying to regain his slipping grasp. "C'mon Linds, wake up!"
"D-Dan-ny?" Lindsay weakly lift her head.
Danny stared into Lindsay's exhausted eyes. She seemed only on the end of consciousness. Her frail hands slipped further in his grip. "Don't let me go, Montana."
Lindsay slowly reached out to Danny, grabbing his hand with her other hand. He slowly pulled her closer to him. She shook her head slowly to try to remain conscious. Without a word, Danny leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
"Hawkes, I got her!" Danny called. "Let's get you outta here, Montana."
They slowly began the crawl through the vent. Danny kept hold of Lindsay's hand the entire time. She moved slowly, painfully, through the vent. Danny could see the agony in her eyes as she pushed on. Danny kept his eyes on Lindsay's frail form. She was fighting with all her might not to fall unconscious again. "Stay with me, Linds. Talk to me."
"What are you doing here?" Lindsay asked.
Danny's brows narrowed, not quite what he'd expected. "Why wouldn't I be here? I'm not leavin' my partner on her own."
"Partner?" Lindsay asked.
"Yeah."
"Never heard that one before." Lindsay said.
"Yeah, well it was definitely overdue." Danny explained. He eased himself further back. "Keep talkin, Montana."
"About…what?" Lindsay asked weakly.
Danny shook his head and shrugged. "How 'bout the Policemen's Ball in a few weeks?"
Lindsay gave a faint laugh. "You too, huh?"
"Whadya mean?" Danny asked.
"Flack...was asking…if I was…was planning to…go." Lindsay explained.
Danny could feel his feet reaching the opening. "Are you?"
Lindsay shook her head. "No."
"What?" Danny asked. He slipped himself out into the open, turning his head. "I woulda thought you'd jump at the chance to wear that blue dress again."
Lindsay didn't reply, nor did she continue to crawl. Danny looked back down at Lindsay. She was once again lying face down.
"Hey, hey don't do this Lindsay! Don't do this!" Danny ordered.
"Danny what's happening?" Hawkes asked.
"We gotta get Lindsay out now!" Danny replied. He gently pulled Lindsay out of the vent. He carefully lifted her over his shoulder "Pull us up!"
The rope stressed quickly and they began to rise in the vent. Danny kept a tight grip on Lindsay, making sure she remained still. He kept her from hitting anything in the vent. Danny was thankful the vent was larger there than the remainder of the vent. As they reached the opening, Danny released the rope, grabbed the edge of the vent opening, and pulled.
"Hawkes, take her!" Danny ordered.
Hawkes released the rope and gently took Lindsay from Danny. Danny watched Hawkes move form the opening ease Lindsay onto the gurney. The paramedics worked quickly to stabilize Lindsay by the time Danny had emerged from the vent. He unclasped the harness in time to see the paramedic moved Lindsay toward the door on the roof.
Danny stood on the roof, breathing heavily, watching Lindsay disappear with EMS. Hawkes walked over to him and pat his shoulder. "Marty was pulled from the vents across teh complex. He's on his way to the precinct as we speak."
Danny merely nodded.
"You got her out of there, Danny." Hawkes said.
Danny looked at Hawkes. "But did I get her out in time?"
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oh did he indeed. stay tured for the enxt chapter.
i own nothing.