As soon as Eddie entered the street she heard her breath going louder, though not yet as loud as the world behind her. She had assumed that once chasing someone, everything else would simply blind out. One of the many false imaginations she had had when starting the job.
"NYPD, stop and drop the bag!" Her voice was stronger now that she was running that it had been with Ed before. Though no real thief would actually leave his bounty behind, left alone waiting for her to arrest him, she felt good out here. This was what she had wanted to do, not sitting in a car – not even with Jamie – for most of the day, but… running. Chasing. Outwitting and overpowering criminals, idiots,… Robert. Whatever.
"Drop the bag!" Her hands around the gun went sweaty and heavy as she kept on running. Slowly, the world was droning out indeed, and eventually all Eddie heard was her own breathing. She stopped, leaning into a house entrance.
That guy must have fled into another house minutes ago. Gun still up Eddie allowed herself to calm down a bit. She had lost a suspect, and it sounded like she lost her partner, too.
"Ten-thirty, ten-thirty on Accord Street. Eddie?"
She froze for a second, then turned around and ran before her mind could really process what was happening. Who had hurt Ed? And how… she would have heard a shot if it had been fired.
A knife? Had she passed the guy with the bag? Would she come too late to save Ed? After all, he was her partner… "Ed? Ed! Where are you?"
"Took you long enough!" Suddenly there were hands on her back, shoving her against a wall so forcefully that her forehead collided with the bricks. The pain was blinding her and Eddie stumbled back, trying to turn around and aim at the aggressor but her arms were exhausted. Painfully easily the other twisted it out of her hands, sending her against the wall again. This time at least Eddie could catch herself before her face hit the bricks, and she quickly turned to the side and kicked at her attacker, a fast smooth move she had trained for months, aiming mostly directly at the other's balls but moving too fast and in an odd curve so her leg couldn't be grabbed in the air.
The other stepped aside and reached for her shoulders again. Eddie tensed. Idiot! She was a cop. She knew techniques that helped her compensate almost any lack of physical strength.
"What have you done to my partner?" she hissed, ducking away under his hands. No answer but a punch directly onto her head. The world went quiet but stayed in a rush of colors, and without being able to do anything against it, Eddie felt herself being laid down onto the cold asphalt. Automatically she curled together, trying to get up, but the attacker seemed to see each of her moves before she could really do it. He easily stretched her body again and sat down on her hips, bowing near to her face, his hands holding hers in a death-grip.
It took a second for Eddie to realize that she stood no chance against this man. She was at his mercy, and it was clear he wasn't up to being merciful. "No" she heard herself whisper, "please don't." Tears built in her eyes but for once Eddie didn't care. She had never been so afraid in her life, not even when… the man's face came nearer, his weight on her body unbearable as he started to move his pelvis against hers. Eddie shivered with fear and disgust. She needed to scream for help. She needed to fight. She was a cop… but she couldn't move. God, where was Ed? Was he dying right next to her?
"So you didn't say yes, did you?" He moved very close to her face till even in the dim twilight Eddie could see every pearl of sweat on Ed Ricker's face. "Well, partner, that's not very loyal from you. You're my partner, remember? Jamie Reagan threw you away, and now you're with me. And…"
"Help!" Jamie's name was the trigger. Eddie's mouth went wide open as she started screaming. "Help! Fire! Somebody help me!"
A fist seemed to break each tooth in her mouth. She tasted blood, and then Ed took both of her hands in one of his to reach down for her trousers. Blindly, Eddie kicked forward, but she knew now she wouldn't be holding up for long. Ed knew every trick she knew, and probably better.
"Help! Somebody help! Jamie!"