On the side of the highway, Damien and Jewell were in their designated Manectric cruiser, watching the traffic go by.
"Will you cut that out?" She snapped as Hammond rather loudly slurped his milkshake, "You are sometimes extremely infuriating with little things like that!"
"Let me drink my double chocolate delight in peace." Damien grunted, "And I say nothing about your heavy breathing whenever you sit in the passenger seat since you can't stand looking at other drivers." He rolled his eyes, "Can't believe we're back to checking traffic today. I thought the Lieutenant would've briefed us on a case by now."
"Maybe there's no case to take,"
"I call bullshit on that."
The steady flow of traffic was suddenly interrupted by a white car that zipped past all the others.
"Holy-!" Jewell exclaimed, "Wow, does he care about his own safety?"
"No idea," Damien started the engine and pulled the car back onto the freeway, "He's slowing down, that's for sure."
"Good for us,"
"Let's just hope his running skills aren't as fast as his driving." He flipped on the sirens and lights before accelerating in chase. The cars in front began to part, giving him a straight shot at the speeder.
His eyes widened in surprise when the speeding car took an exit. "Wow," He let out a low whistle, "Never seen that before." He parked the cruiser behind as the car pulled off to the side of the offramp and strode up, keeping a hand close to his weapon.
"You do know there is a speed limit on the highway?" Damien said but his next outburst was cut short when he recognized the driver. "May?"
"Damien!" She exploded out of the car, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.
"May," He was puzzled, "What's going on?"
"I'm so sorry about speeding but my mother is dying!"
"Why what's wrong?" Jewell came to their side.
"Harley shot her and Ash at their houses and I only have time to save one! Please! Just help me!" Her tears threatened to spill over.
Damien peeled her off him and placed his hands on her shoulders, still trying to figure out what she was in complete hysteria about, "It's alright. Calm down. What did they tell you to save them?"
"I had to turn myself in to them."
"And you never wondered what they would do to you? They might kill you or do something even worse that makes death sound comforting."
"I didn't know what to do!" May sobbed into his arms, "They threatened to kill them if I called you or the police! Everything was just happening so fast!"
"May, where does your mother live?" Jewell asked.
A desperate May led them to Caroline's apartment and Damien used the siren and lights to sideline everyone in his path as they cut the normal hour long drive into twenty five minutes. They called an ambulance in Littleroot and it was set to be on site just after their arrival.
Damien and Jewell quickly made up an attack plan as they entered the apartment complex where Caroline lived. They dressed themselves in civilian clothes and he strode up the stairs to the front door.
"Is there a balcony in her apartment?" Jewell asked gathering her sidearm from their cruiser.
"Yes," May said, "It's the neighbor's next door."
"Okay. Stay here, we'll get her out." She said before exiting. Coming up next to her partner, she quietly knocked on the next door. The neighbor opened and Jewell flashed her badge and put a finger to her lips.
"I need to use the back door."
"In position," She reported to Damien in about ten seconds.
"Hey Caroline!" He rapped his knuckles on the door, "I got some of your mail in my box!"
Nobody came to the door so he knocked again, "Caroline these look important. I see an electricity bill here. They got your name on them and it looks like you haven't answered them in a while! You sure you put the right number down?"
The door unlocked and an older woman opened the door. She had light brown hair and beautiful blue eyes and a face complexion that was extremely similar to May's. Her face was filled with a fearful expression and she was doubled over. She didn't recognize him. His keen observation skills immediately noticed she had a hand on her stomach and blood was beginning to seep through the fingers.
"Caroline," Damien looked over in concern, "Are you okay?" The fact that she opened the door was a way to pretend that everything was as it should be. However he wanted to bet that right around the corner was one of Harley's goons pointing a gun at the back of her head to force cooperate.
"Yeah," She strained out, "Just a really bad stomachache. No need for a doctor, I have some medicine here."
"Well okay then," Damien held out a handful of envelopes, "I'll just leave these with you then."
Caroline's eyes widened and she had to stop a gasp of surprise. On the top envelope, the special forces operative had written in pencil, "JETS. How many are holding you hostage?"
"Okay um, thanks." She smiled at them before grimacing at her concealed gunshot wound, "It's just these three."
"Alright." Damien had turned up the sensitivity on the mic to relay that information to Jewell, "So uh…Walter down the street wanted to me to ask if you were free for coffee," Damien saw the puzzled look on her face before he lashed out, grabbing her body and pulling her behind him.
Just as she disappeared from the sight behind the corner the man covering her had fired, a loud crack from a shotgun.
"Stay here," Damien commanded, leaping to his feet and rounding the corner.
The sound of Jewell's pistol tapped in the other room and he heard a dying cry of one of the suspects. Keeping his aim forward, he swept the kitchen and living room.
One of the other men had retreated from Jewell's position and spotted him.
Quickly drawing his arm to adjust aim, he double tapped him through the chest and moved on without skipping a beat.
The third suspect suddenly burst into view from the bedroom and made a beeline for the front exit.
Jewell was right behind him and she flung a wire from her wrist that quickly caught up. It entangled itself to his legs and his flashy escape was cut short. He tripped over it onto the ground, screaming as his body hit at a rather painful angle.
"Clear," She said.
"All clear."
The paramedics arrived and May was horrified to see her mother like this. Caroline was normally a carefree person and cheerful to everyone, but seeing her in the gurney made everything feel so dull.
May was still in shock of how close her mother had been with death.
Her heart sank. Even though she saved her mother, Ash was now dead or bleeding out.
And there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.
Ash pulled at his restraints, but the posts held together as if they were made from steel. He was beginning to sweat and his muscles felt tired. Blood from his stomach had flowed onto the blankets he layered over himself to try and stop it and the red stains were beginning to grow in size.
He had to think of something. Quickly.
Putting his back against the headboard, he placed his arms as far in front as possible and pulled his arms down. The chains groaned in protest and he used his legs, as well as every bit of his fading strength to break free of his confines.
With a loud snap, the post on his right side suddenly broke in half. Ash wasted no time in pulling off the entire post keeping his left side restrained.
The door opened and Harley's lieutenant burst in holding a pistol.
Ash swung his arm, using the chains and wooden pole as a makeshift flail. His initial strike was less than what he expected and it took a lot of effort to swing it a second time.
However it did the trick. The jagged bottom edge struck the man in the stomach, splintering at the end on impact. Harley's man screamed in pain and fell down thrashing.
He raised his arms in horror before bringing his "flails" down on his head. Blood spurted out and the body jerked once before laying still.
By now, his body was beginning to feel the loss of blood in his system and he drunkenly stumbled out of the bedroom. Despite his weary state, Ash kept a vigilant eye out for any more of Harley's men as he made his way to the kitchen.
Opening the medicine cabinet, his eyes scanned the contents before finding exactly what he was looking for.
Placing a saucepan and turning the burner on to high heat, he squeezed Vespiquen honey inside and gently stirred it.
After a few minutes, he lifted his shirt and held a spoonful above his gunshot wound. Thankfully the bullet had gone clean through and the pain, combined with blood loss was enough to make him breathe heavily and break out in a sweat.
Ash winced and hissed in pain as he spread the homemade remedy over his wound. The sensation stung, but it was enough to stop the bleeding.
He took his knife and ripped up his tanktop into long strips, wrapping it around his body and tying the ends together in a tight knot. When he was done, a few tugs were made to ensure that it wouldn't unwrap whenever he moved.
Ash placed the dead man's pistol in his holster and pilfered the rest of his pockets. There was an extra clip of ammo plus the one already loaded.
Slipping on a change of clothes, he grabbed the keys and pulled his car out of the driveway.
This was all Harley's elaborate plan of revenge and here was May, paying for what he did. However what particularly stung more than that was Norman's lecture to him the other day.
The words about his lifestyle putting her in danger was coming true. He had warned him about this very thing.
Ash felt tears form in his eyes. For once, he thought that maybe, just maybe there would be a chance that he could prove him wrong. Even if he could save May, what good would it be in his eyes? Norman would use this event as a prime example as to how she would be put endangered because of him. It wasn't his first time with a lady.
And it wasn't going to be the last either.
It sure is not.
Thanks everyone for reading and reviewing, you give my writing purpose.