Happy Wednesday, everyone! Enjoy the newest installment of Requiem!
Disclaimer: Not mine!
PsychPsychPsychPsych
"Everyone, get out of the hole!"
The officers scrambled out of the whole, leaving only Juliet, Henry and Gus with Shawn. When Juliet realized that Henry and Gus weren't budging, she glared at them. "Get out of here!" To her, it was an acceptable risk, to stay in the hole with Shawn. But Henry and Gus were civilians, and she wouldn't risk anything happen to either of them.
"Don't even try that, Juliet!" Henry's eyes burned. "This is my son. I'm not leaving him!"
"Me, either!" Gus added.
"You two are civilians-"
"Don't give me that crap, Detective. I used to be a cop. I know the risks. This is my son!"
Juliet looked at Shawn, who was still clinging desperately to her hand and didn't seem to hear any of them. "Henry..."
"Please."
Finally she nodded, realizing that she would never be able to convince either of them to leave.
Finally a member of the bomb squad arrived and lowered himself into the hole, opposite Juliet, Henry and Gus. He nodded at them, then set about trying to get a good look at the bomb.
Juliet held Shawn's hand tighter, her free hand running through his hair. The action soothed both of them.
Henry continued to hold Juliet's jacket against the wound in his son's stomach. He didn't dare say anything, but Shawn was losing a lot of blood. And fast.
After finally identifying what he was dealing with, the other officer looked up at Juliet. "This is going to take a few minutes, but it looks pretty straight up." He kept his voice calm and level. "Get your man out of here. A bus is waiting for him."
Relieved, Juliet looked at Henry, then Gus. "Let's get him out of here."
PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych
Vick stared at the flames, her heart racing violently against her ribcage. It had been several minutes since McNabb had disappeared into the flames, and there was no sign of him.
She was almost ready to go in there herself when McNabb suddenly emerged, dragging a chair with him.
"Oh, thank God..."
Vick launched herself forward and helped McNabb pull Lassiter a safe distance from the flames. They stopped once there was a good distance between them and the burning warehouse.
McNabb breathed heavily. "His hands..." he managed, motioning to Lassiter.
Vick looked at Lassiter's hands. They were bloody and bound behind him with... barbed wire? Her stomach did a sickening flip. "Someone, get me some wire cutters, now!" She knelt down in front of her senior detective. "Carlton? Can you hear me?"
His eyes flickered briefly, and Vick gently pulled the gag away from his mouth. Immediately he began to cough, sucking in lungfuls of fresh air.
"That's it... take it easy..." she encouraged, nodding.
Wire cutters were produced, and the barbed wire digging into Lassiter's flesh was cut, then pulled away.
Lassiter winced and continued to cough. But he was alive…
Vick patted her detective's arm, relieved. They had gotten him out in time, and she was positive that he would be fine.
But what about Spencer?
PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych
Once they were given the word, Henry and Gus didn't hesitate. They got to their feet, then proceeded to lift Shawn out of the coffin.
The bomb squad member frowned when he heard a clicking sound. His face paled. "Put him back!" he shouted, catching Gus and Henry offguard.
"What?" Juliet screeched.
"Put him back! If we shift the weight any more, this bomb is going to blow!"
"We can't leave him in there!" Juliet shouted as Gus and Henry gently laid Shawn back down.
"We're not going to, Detective." Harris swung his head to the side. "I need a backhoe, and about two hundred pounds of dirt, now!"
Henry immediately understood where he was going with this, and he didn't like it. But it was going to get Shawn out.
Shawn whimpered softly, distressed, and Juliet rested her hand on his head. "Shh, Shawn," she whispered, her voice cracking. "We've got a plan. I need you to stay calm for a few more minutes..."
He didn't speak, but he clung to her hand, which she took as a sign that he understood.
Within a few minutes, a backhoe was driven within a few feet of the hole where Shawn's coffin was.
Harris produced a rope and attached it to Shawn's belt. "Okay, I need the three of you to get out, now!"
They hesitated before finally climbing out. Juliet was the last to go, and she kissed Shawn's forehead as she released his hand. "I'll be waiting for you," she whispered.
He whimpered again, and it broke her heart to leave him. As she climbed out, she heard Harris say to Shawn, "Okay, buddy, when I say so, take a deep breath and hold it."
Juliet joined Gus and Henry. They were holding onto the rope that Harris had attached to Shawn, and she grabbed it as well. Half a dozen other officers also grabbed the length of rope.
Harris got out of the hole and grabbed the rope, then shouted, "Go!"
As the dirt from the backhoe was poured onto Shawn, everyone holding the rope pulled.
Just as Shawn was pulled free of the dirt, there was a small explosion. He hit the ground, and Juliet lunged forward, covering his body with hers as a second explosion, much larger than the first, rocked the ground beneath them.
Juliet could feel heat and debris hit her back, and she made sure Shawn's head was covered as she waited for the assault to end.
Finally Harris made his way to the spot he had been standing at just a minute ago, and he cringed. No one would have survived that.
Finally Juliet lifted her head in time to see Gus and Henry rush toward them. She eased off of Shawn, then pulled his head into her lap. "Shawn?" She smoothed his hair back. "Shawn, can you hear me?"
Henry reached out and placed both hands firmly over Shawn's abdomen. "Come on, kid," he said quietly. "Open your eyes."
"Please, Shawn."
PsychPsychPsychPsychPsych
Vick had the foresight to bring EMTs to the scene before Lassiter was found, and she watched as they hurried over to tend to her injured detective.
Lassiter winced as one EMT began searching for injures. "I'm fine. Get off of me," he growled.
Vick glared at Lassiter. "Carlton, shut up and let them get a look at you."
Lassiter was silent for a minute before he spoke again. "Is Spencer okay?"
Vick hesitated. "I'm not sure, Detective." The last she had heard, Juliet was leading the search in combing the cemetery to find Shawn.
Wrapping an arm around his middle, Lassiter struggled to his feet. "I should be helping find him."
"No, you shouldn't. You should be going to the hospital to get checked out."
Lassiter wavered on his feet, and Vick sighed, motioning to the EMTs. "Take him."
Under protest, the EMTs lead Lassiter to the waiting bus.
Vick watched as they loaded Lassiter into the back of the bus, then drove away, sirens blaring.
TBC...
A/N: I'm evil, huh? Mwhahaha. Thanks for reading, and please review!