Thanks again (and again) for all of your reviews. They make my day over and over again! Thus, here's the next chapter.

Constable Lewis Young should have gone home after work. After more calls in one day than they sometimes get in three, he had every excuse to head home and sleep through all of tomorrow, which the team had off. All day they had been running from scene to scene, researching the subjects, maintaining a perimeter, discussing less-lethal tactics. His body was weary, yes, but it was in on mode from the day's events, and he needed to wind down.

Lou and Spike opted to share the wind down in the shabby bar down the street, open until three in the morning. It was only about 11:30 by the time they had finished their first round and called for another. They talked like nothing had happened in the day and relaxed like they were just two buddies enjoying a beer on a Friday night. They pretended the day never happened.

The bartender, an older man with a scruffy mustache and a hard face, placed the beers in front of the two with a nod. It was nice, the way he left them alone to their devices. Sometimes it was fine to have conversation on a lonely night, but not tonight. The guy seemed to notice.

"Can you believe that?" Lou asked, tilting his beer in the direction of the dingy television hanging off the wall. It was another hot call for the SRU. Behind the muted reporter, their black van could be seen.

"Another one? I swear it's go-crazy-with-your-gun day or something," Spike said, squinting to see the screen. Lou didn't bother attempting to read the subtitles at the bottom. He knew that the details were irrelevant. The team on shift would be able to manage. He looked back to the swirling amber liquid in his mug, foaming from the movement.

"Must be a full moon or something. I'm just glad we got out of there while we still could."

"Everyone has to sleep sometime, right?" Spike laughed. Then his voice slowed down a bit. "Thing's will settle down."

Lou looked to Spike, but Spike's eyes were still glued to the television. His previous impish grin had died down a little, settling to a frown.

Lou turned back to see what had captured Spike's attention. Nothing jumped out at him. A blonde reporter with a curvy body and larger than natural hair stood in foreground. Behind her, the SRU truck was visible, as well as flashing lights and uniforms. In the very back there was some store, it appeared. None of this really alerted Lou, handling situations like that was there job. Of course the SRU was there.

"What's up?" he asked, still watching the news program for some sort of clue as to why Spike had sobered so suddenly.

The moment he spoke, though, he recognized Spike's confusion as he read the scrolling subtitles across the bottom of the screen.

Four armed men hold hostages at Great Values Grocery Store during a robbery gone bad. Sergeant Gregory Parker seems to be the lead negotiator for the case. The men are still unidentified, but two of the hostages have been confirmed as employees, 17-year-old Erin Matthew and 29-year-old Jerry Clark. Matthew's mother is on scene.

Lou stopped reading when Spike spoke. "What's the Boss doing still working?"

Lou shook his head, squinting back up at the screen. It offered no answer. "He's not on shift. You think something might be up?"

"You bet I do." Spike pulled out his wallet and put enough down to cover both of their drinks plus a tip, standing up for Lou to follow. "And I intend to find out."

"Can you do something with your computers?"

"Technology can only get you so far," Spike said. Lou followed him out of the bar with over a thousand responses to that on the tip of his tongue. He'd asked the question to get this sort of response, but Spike had done even better. He bit back a grin, about to make a retort. That was when he thought of why they were leaving, and once again his brow furrowed. What was Sarge doing as negotiator? Team four was on call, not them, obviously. So what was he doing?

They were close enough to walk to the store in question, which was Spike's plan, or so he assumed. It was his plan for sure. It could be nothing. Sarge might have just wanted to go on another case. Somehow though, Lou doubted this. He doubted another sergeant would willingly let him on scene either, unless something happened. He quickened his pace, Spike matching it almost immediately.

"Maybe he's involved with the case, knew more, could connect better with the gunmen," Spike offered. His attempt to rationalize the situation was almost the same as Lou's. In the pit of his stomach, and he was sure Spike felt it too, he knew something was wrong.

"Did Sarge leave with us?"

Lou tried to think back to when they were still in the SRU to answer his own question. He and Spike were the last to leave the locker room. Ed had been on automatic, hurrying through his routine. Sam had been in a rush, the second to leave only moments after Ed. Wordy laughed with them a bit, interested in Spike's story. He denied the offer of drinks to go home. He had a wife and kids to wake up with in the morning. He tried to think if the Boss had ever even entered the locker room. He didn't.

"He must've hung around," Spike said.

They were rounding the block to the SRU building. Only a little farther to the store. Maybe the news had gotten the wrong name for negotiator. This wouldn't be the first time they'd messed things up. He'd been Louis Young, Kevin Wordsworth, or simply an SRU officer more times than he could remember. The teams had just switched. Maybe the news station was working off of old information.

They made quick time with no pedestrian traffic to deal with. The streets were mostly deserted, even if it wasn't too late yet. The days were getting shorter, weather getting colder. That coupled with the odd storm that had sprung up earlier today, causing on and off rain, it made sense that people stayed indoors. Lou didn't complain about it, made it easier to travel and that's what mattered at the moment.

Their gait was nearing a trot by the time the store was in sight. Uniforms set up a perimeter to keep out the odd bystander who considered getting a closer look and the obnoxious reporters who thought they were invincible. Sarge was nowhere in sight, but Inspector Stainton was talking to a paramedic near the yellow tape.

"Inspector," Lou made his voice loud enough for the man to hear, and official enough for him to look up.

"How did you guys hear about this? I made sure it's not in the news yet, but I don't know how long it will stay that way," Stainton responded, walking closer to the perimeter.

"What's going on? Why is Sergeant Parker on this case?"

"You don't know yet?" He lifted the yellow tape and Lou and Spike ducked underneath. "Two of your team are in there."

Lou took a fraction of a second to think about what he said, that two of his teammates were in the store. He wasn't even sure the fact had processed before Spike interrupted his thinking.

"How's that possible?" he snapped, not in anger, but needing answers. Lou felt the same way, or at least he thought so. He thought back to the information Stainton had just given them. Two members of the team. Where they working the case along with Sarge? How had half of their team gotten roped up into this call when they supposedly were off duty? He and Spike were half-way to getting drunk, and his teammates were suited up for a call, apparently inside the building?

"You guys should go talk to Sergeant Goebel. He's by the van."

Perhaps he would have demanded more information from the man at a different time, but being a member of the SRU made him recognize the importance of time in dire situations. It was always best to go with the source who could reveal the most, rather than having to go to two and get the same facts. Rather than questioning why Stainton suggested they spoke to Goebel rather than Sarge, he moved in the direction of the van with Spike only half a step behind him.

They looked out of place, even with the professional demeanor both he and Spike had adorned the moment they crossed the tape. He'd changed from his uniform into casual civilian-ware after the shift. It was hard to look like they belonged in jeans.

It was funny, that the thought even occurred to him. What did it matter what he was wearing? Without looking down, he couldn't say what color shirt he had picked out this morning. Still, the thought did occur to him. If he wanted to psychoanalyze himself- which he didn't, that was Dr. Luria's job- he'd say it was to distract himself from other thoughts. There was probably a term for it, but Lou wasn't going to ask, not now or ever.

Goebel was standing next to the van, as Stainton had informed the pair. He had his notes out in front of him, but he still managed to look up in surprise when they approached.

"How'd you hear?" he looked just as confused as Stainton.

"On the news. What's going on here, sir?" Lou tried to keep it as short as possible. Spike kept glancing to the storefront, but it looked pretty normal apart from the cops swarming around.

Goebel looked down at his notes for a moment before returning his gaze. "What do you know?"

"Greg Parker is negotiating with the subjects. Stainton said some of our team is in there."

Lou needed to know the answer to his unasked questions, but he knew they would come soon enough. His mind was still working through possible situations, starting with the more convenient rather than the more likely. It didn't take long for his thoughts to grow bleak, despite his best efforts. "What's happening?" he asked for the third time in as many minutes.

"The subjects demanded to speak to Parker and nobody else, that's why he started the negotiations. We figure one of your guys gave him the name. Subjects are only escalating. We're in a damned if you do, damned if you don't kind of situation here. Tactical risks the hostages and the team, but things are only getting worse."

It seemed stupid, the thing that mattered to Lou the most at the moment. He cared for the entire team, they were like a family at this point. Slightly dysfunctional, maybe. But they had spent enough time working out and goofing off that Lou more than trusted each one with his life. It didn't matter who was in the store, any answer would be the worst. But because of the bond the team had, knowing who was in there was the most important fact to him at the moment, one that Goebel neglected to inform them of.

Spike beat him to the punch. "Who is it?"

Spike was the kind of guy that allowed almost all of his emotion in his voice. When he got excited, the pace picked up, the pitch varied more than anyone else Lou knew. He'd seen Spike down too, and he knew the bleak air that overwhelmed his words. Right now though, it was neither of these. It was professional, like he was asking about any other hot call. Lou admired him for this.

Spike had always been his best friend on the team. He might have said that he cared for each of his teammates the same, but Spike was the only one that he would have been friends with outside of work. He would never say so, but in the fraction of a second it took for Goebel to respond to Spike's question, he was glad that he'd opted to share a beer with Spike after work. Still, if it wasn't Spike, it wasn't Sarge, and it obviously wasn't himself, it was somebody else.

"Ed and Sam are inside with three other hostages. The only two that seem to be fairing are the employees. Ed's brought on all the attention to him. He's been doing most of the negotiations as a middle man."

"How are they doing?"

"That's our problem. Sam was shot, having breathing problems according to Ed. The CS gas is dangerous, but so is leaving all of them with the gunman. The leader shot off two rounds about five minutes ago. Just into the ceiling, but he's escalating and it's only a matter of time before he shoots someone else," Goebel said as he continued to examine his notes, as if they were going to give him the answer.

Lou bit back anger. The guy didn't even have the decency to look him in the eyes when giving that kind of news. Lou focused on this anger rather than the alternative. He didn't really like the implications of the words, of the events that had occurred.

"What can we do to help?" Spike asked.

"Can you remain professional? I know those are your teammates, and I have to ask."

Spike nodded.

"Of course," Lou said, forgetting the anger for something far more productive. He didn't even stop to consider the veracity of his statement. He was capable of remaining impartial in any situation, even if it involved his own life. He trusted himself to make the best call for the event, no matter the people involved.

"We have a couple uniforms in the van, go gear up."

Lou could almost say that he relaxed at these words. With something to do, something that was going to make a difference and keep his mind and body occupied, he didn't have to worry about the what ifs floating around in his head.

This time he was following Spike as they entered the van. Lou had spent a lot of time in here with Sarge, researching subjects and working the auto-transcriptor. It was because of this that seeing a young constable he did not recognize working on the computer seemed odd, particularly because next to him was the Boss. And he didn't look good. One thing that Lou could always count on was his ability to remain in control of the situation, but right now the worry lines on Sarge's forehead gave him little confidence.

When Sarge noticed them, he made the same looks as both Stainton and Goebel. It looked different on him though.

"We saw you were the negotiator on the news and came to check it out," Spike said. "Sergeant Goebel cleared us to gear up."

Sarge nodded and he almost looked relieved at this. Lou turned and pulled out the spare uniforms they had in the van, handing one to Spike. "How're you doing?" Lou asked the Boss.

He rubbed his forehead with a shake of his head. "They're not talking. I can't get anything from Tyler, the leader. We still don't have last names."

"And Sam and Ed?"

"Ed's alright. We got eyes in, looks like he got hit over the jaw. There's some pretty bad swelling." He indicated to the screen next to the other constable in the van who remained silent. "Sam needs medical attention."

After Lou strapped on his vest, he approached the screen, where the inside of the store could be seen. There were three masked men. One was leaning against a display, hands on his knees. One was gesturing with the gun all over the place, moving close to the hostages, while another stood straight near the cash register. "I thought there were four gunmen," he said.

Sarge pointed to one of the hostages, crouched over a figure. "He came in as one. Ed said he's not going to cause any more trouble. He's been taking care of Sam when Ed can't."

Lou didn't like how the Boss acknowledged the prone figure as his teammate. It made his eyes immediately train on what was visible of him, which wasn't much. The friendly subject covered his upper body and head from the camera's angle. Only Sam's legs could really be seen, and they didn't tell much of a story. Lou steeled himself and searched for his other teammate. Ed was crouched on the other side of Sam, closer to his legs. His hands were tied in front of him with what might have been duct tape.

Sarge had been right about Ed's jaw. Despite the blurry image, he could see the disfigurement. He also had blood smearing his shirt, from a wound that definitely needed more attention than a band aid. Even though he knew most of the blood was not Ed's, at this angle, it was more difficult to see his team leader in such shape than his teammate. He surveyed the rest of the hostages. An older man appeared to be slumped over in between his friends and the two employees. The employees looked alright.

"We're getting ready for entry any second," Sarge said in a way of dismissing them. What surprised Lou, however, was that the Boss stood up to follow the two of them out. "There's nothing I can do in the van anymore."

"Ed's going to set the distraction and get one of the gunmen away from the hostages when the siren's go on," Goebel informed Lou and Spike, reiterating the fact to the rest of the team. "I want Lou and Spike to enter from the black wall. Greg, I need you as backup in the front. Let's do this."

"Copy that," one of the members of team four said. They must have already gotten their assignments.

This was any other tactical maneuver as Lou followed Spike and two other SRU officers to the rear of the building. He and Spike provided cover for the other team, who had their weapons ready. A siren rang from the front, and Lou knew they were giving Ed a moment to work inside of the store.

Over the com link, Lou heard the other team speaking to each other. He stayed quiet, more so than if this was his own team. He was here simply for backup. He didn't belong on this team. Part of team was in the store. That's why he was here.

The thirty seconds they gave Ed felt significantly longer than half a minute. His thoughts wandered further than he would have appreciated, to grim images and dark ideas. There was no time to consider a worst case scenario, not when he was working.

He glanced over to Spike, who appeared to be collected. Lou hoped he was the same way. He met Spike's gaze when he heard the order to enter.

Constable Lewis Young entered the premise. It was what he was trained to do. He did not flinch at the release of the Flash-Bang. His mask protected him from the irritating agents of the CS gas. He used his shield in conjunction with Spike's, forming a moving wall. Shots rang out from the front of the building. He heard them before he saw the chaos, or what he could see of it through the aggressive entry devices.

Constable Lewis Young performed his job, shooting at the subject who opened fire upon the shield. He didn't think about this as anything but his job, something he did on a daily basis, something he was trained to do. Lou waited outside, his mind focused only on insuring his teammates were alright.

What'd you think? Will everyone make it out alright? I wish I could add dramatic music to this… but not really because that would be annoying. This fandom proved to be awesome about reviews for my last story, so maintain that belief for me by continuing the review! You're awesome!