A/N – Thanks for the comments! Glad you liked the action and are still hanging in there!

Chapter 16

Jason's body jerked, causing all the gunmen to train their weapons on him.

Anna held his face as he struggled to come around. "Just lay there. You were shot."

Pain radiated throughout his body as he struggled to suck in air.

"Try to stay calm," Monica said softly. "You'll be bruised, but I think you'll be fine." Hopefully, it didn't do any internal damage.

Jason's chest heaved as he writhed in pain.

"Hurts like a bitch, doesn't it?" Gabriel asked. "That's just a preview of what's to come if you don't deliver."

Jason's adrenaline is pumping. He really wants to beat the crap out of Gabriel. It took a few minutes, but he finally felt like he could breathe a little bit better, although it was still a struggle.

"If you sit up, it's really going to hurt so just lay there a while longer." Anna suggested.

"Okay."

"He's fine. Go back to where you were."

She squeezed Jason's hand for a second and then moved.

Milo is listening intently.

"What's happening?" Liz asked.

"Maxie was hurt and Jason….."

"Please Milo, tell me."

"He's alive and bruised, but he was shot."

She gasped.

"The Kevlar protected him."

"This is insanity." She didn't know how much longer she could sit there and let other people get hurt. The guilt is eating away at her.

Back inside, Alan's heart rate is going down and Jason is trying to keep still. His chest hurts worse than he thought it should and he is worried that something is seriously wrong.

Mac has SWAT officers set up around the perimeter of the building. The National Guard had also arrived. Stan had released more information, so the government is considering it a possible terrorist act and sent several agencies. Since the hotel is actually attached from behind the lobby and not above it, they decide to access it from the other side and get people out. It is taking a long time since they had to move floor by floor to clear it. They used government hackers to get into the hotel computers to see how many guests they were dealing and where they were located.

Elizabeth couldn't take it anymore, so she bolted from the car as Milo gave chase. By the time he caught up to her, she had made it to a grassy knoll in front of the building next to the hotel. A loud boom echoed through the air from close by and Milo tackled her as two projectiles raced through the air above them. Everyone outside ducked and took cover the best they could as the metal pierced the doors of the building and the ground shook as they slammed into the structure. The noise was deafening as windows burst when the explosives ripped through the lobby. The roof partially caved as a fireball billowed into the sky. Several people were knocked unconscious and it was chaos when a crowd tried to flee only to be told to drop down and take cover. They had no idea where the rocket launcher was or the enemy. The guardsmen armed their weapons and took off in the direction it came from.

Elizabeth desperately screamed Jason's name as Milo held her back.

Ronnie glanced at Mac with disbelief. "You think anyone could survive that?"

"I don't know." It was hard to process the enormity of the situation.

The firemen put some water on it from afar, hoping it wouldn't spread because the building is unstable.

Sonny groaned as he shifted his aching body. "Call Cal and get some construction guys over here. They won't go in if the structure isn't shored up." They need to get to Jason and Francis fast.

Johnny made the call. People are starting to stand as officers shout directions and they learn that the site of the launch was vacated and only the weapons were left behind. He rushed over to Mac and told him what they were doing. The man wanted to get into the building just as much as they did.

Smoke poured out of damaged structure, but it had changed colors, so they knew the water had worked to quell the flames.

The police tentatively approached the building with a few SWAT members and firemen and shined some flashlights inside the smoky haze of darkness that had enveloped the interior. There is a body near the door and they drag it out. The man on the ground came to life and tried to get up, clearly confused and overwhelmed.

Milo and Elizabeth stood and she starts to run towards them as the man wobbled and partially leaned against a firefighter. His eyes met with Elizabeth's and she stopped.

Gabriel face contorted and he ripped the gun out of his pants, but before he could shoot, his body was riddled with bullets as Milo covered Elizabeth with his body after they fell to the ground.

The firefighter propelled himself backwards and was lucky that he wasn't hit.

Officers scrambled towards where the shots were fired. Mac called back all personnel from the building. It was definitely a precision hit because no one standing around Gabriel was harmed.

They just can't take the chance of people getting hurt until the area is secured. The military called for the evacuation of all buildings within a few blocks. Helicopters circled the area, looking for anything suspicious as bomb units were called. They have no way of knowing if Gabriel had really set bombs. In fact, most likely the projectiles would have set them off, but they are not taking any chances. People are hiding behind vehicles, wondering if there is more to come.

Jim and Doreen parked and walked up to an officer who had blocked off the street. "I have friends in there. Is there any way I can get through?"

"I'm afraid not. We're on lockdown right now."

They had heard the latest reports. "Do you think they are still alive?"

"I really can't say. It depends on where they were in the room. Until it's safe to go inside, we can't ascertain that."

Max ran towards them. "The construction guys are almost here. They'll figure out how to secure the building."

"Okay. Give me a name."

"Cal Mancelli."

"I'll make sure he gets through."

Max starts to turn and Doreen and Jim stopped him.

"Do you know if Elizabeth and Jason are okay?"

Max was surprised. "Who are you?"

Jim pulled Max away from the cops. "We helped them hide. They stayed with us."

"Oh. I'm not sure about Jason. He was shot earlier, but he had Kevlar on. Elizabeth wasn't in the building. She's near it though and upset."

"Tell her Jim and Doreen are here." He wished that he could help with the search, but he knew they wouldn't let anyone else in.

"I will."

Max left and walked up to his brother. "The guys are almost here." He turned to Elizabeth. "Jim and Doreen are here if you need them."

She is shocked, but glad that they thought to come. "Thanks."

It took twenty minutes for the area to be secured. At least a hundred cops have descended on the area and helped lock down a quarter of a mile radius around the building. Streets were lined with their patrol cars.

Cal rushed towards Sonny after he looked at the carnage of the hotel in disbelief. "Wow."

"I know. What do you think?"

"That roof is going to come down. We'll have to get in and get out and try not to move anything around too much." Mac and the fire chief are listening raptly.

"I'm not forcing my men to go in there."

One of the firefighters stepped forward. "I'm in."

Several officers and men who are in the Guard stepped forward as well. "I'm in," Johnny said. His best friends are in there and he needs to make sure they are okay.

"You'll need flashlights, masks, and backboards. Do not move anything that is still attached to the building. It could cause the whole roof to cave in."

"I'll go in with you and make sure nothing is disturbed," Cal said.

"Alright, let's get to it," Mac said.

Two army medics volunteered to go in as well. "We won't have a lot of time to stabilize. Get them on the back board and get out. Place them on the ground and the EMTs can assist them from there."

The group of brave men headed towards the building, hoping that this is still a recovery mission.

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiI

Earlier, inside the lobby, Gabriel walked around Jason then boldly stepped in front of the doors. "These represent your freedom. If Elizabeth comes walking through them in a few minutes, I'll let you all go. If not, you can blame Jason Morgan."

Nicholas felt Maxie trembling next to him. She is a wreck. Lulu whimpered and he pulled her closer and that is when Maxie bolted. Halfway to the door, they heard a weird sound and Gabriel dove to the side.

Francis had heard it too and he made a run for it, but only got halfway across the lobby before the projectiles pierced the double doors. There is screaming, then nothing. His world went black.

Alan had scrambled towards Jason and partially fell on top of him. Carly dove in front of a couch and Anna had done the same. Nicholas covered Lulu with his body and Edward did the same to Monica. The other armed men in the building took the brunt of the explosion and fire.

Parts of the building had fallen and slammed down onto the victims. The ones by couches actually had a better chance because the furniture helped block the debris.

They were cut, bones were broken, and for some, their lives were extinguished.

Francis started to stir. He is wet and it is pitch black. He coughed as the smoke seared his lungs. After trying to move his leg, he cried out in pain. It is lodged under something heavy and his head hurt and his whole body ached. "Anyone there?" he yelled.

There was no answer as the building creaked and water dripped from everywhere.

Suddenly, he saw flashlights.

"Hello! I'm over here!"

Johnny recognized his voice. "Francis?"

"Yeah. I'm trapped on your right in the middle towards the wall."

"We can't get to you right now, but hold on," Cal said.

The room is a disaster and the responders are immediately overwhelmed by the twisted metal and debris field, not knowing where to start.

They saw an arm and one of them ran towards it. It is Anna. They pulled away some furniture and plaster. "She has a pulse." Quickly they got her on a backboard and hauled her away.

One of the guardsmen found Maxie. "No pulse." They moved the desk off of her which had landed on her back after the explosion. It is heavy and had probably killed her instantly. He picked her up and carried her outside as Mac ran towards them and dropped to his knees when the man shook his head no.

Elizabeth starts to cry. It is looking bleak.

Someone almost stepped on Edward and they removed all the debris and rolled him over, exposing Monica. "They're alive," the officer said after checking their pulses.

Quickly they loaded them on backboards and got them help.

The building suddenly moaned and shifted, forcing those who remained inside to run. A little more of the ceiling fell as the remaining crowd gasped. The responders gathered together to reassess the situation.

The fire chief stepped forward. "I can't send my men back in there."

Sonny was angry. "You're going to let the rest of those people die?"

"I can't ask them to sacrifice their lives when the ceiling can collapse at any minute. It's like sending them to their deaths."

Everyone started yelling at each other and Mac whistled. "Enough! I'm going back in. Who is with me?"

One by one, the men who had already been in there stepped forward. They couldn't live with themselves if they didn't try again.

"Let's go."

They carefully reentered and heard a moan.

"You still with me, Francis?"

"Yes. Hurry..." He is in unbelievable pain. When the ceiling further collapsed, he had thought he was a goner.

Carly awoke. "Hello?" she said weakly. It is hard to focus her head hurts so badly and then she tried to take a deeper breath and coughed, making the pain worse.

"Who's there?" Mac asked.

"Carly."

"Keep talking."

She kept saying help and they made their way over to her. "Are you alone?"

"Yes. I think Nikolas and Lulu were across from me on my right."

They carefully freed her and put her on a board. She is crying as her eyes scan what is left of the lobby. Mac held her hand as they walked out and then quickly returned. They found Nikolas and Lulu and dug them out before carting them to the awaiting ambulances.

Elizabeth recognized her and ran to her. "Carly?"

"You're okay."

Liz nodded as they loaded her on the gurney.

"Jason?" Carly asked.

"I don't know," Liz said emotionally.

They pushed her away and Liz started to cry and Sonny walked over to her and hugged her.

"You have to have faith."

They both glanced over at the door as another body is brought out. It is the mayor and he is pronounced dead from gunshot wounds.

Johnny struggled to make his way over to Francis, knowing that time is of the essence. He almost fell a few times, cutting himself on some jagged metal, but he didn't care. His friend needed him. "Francis?"

"I'm over here."

He cleared some ceiling tiles out of the way and then finally saw his face. "I see you." Another man scurried behind him with the backboard. "Where are you hurt?"

"I can't move my leg."

Johnny tried to see what is going on. "You have a pillar on it so you probably broke something."

"I need lots of drugs."

Johnny grinned. "Let me get a few more guys over here. Hang in there." He yelled for a few more men and they made their way over. They got lined up and tried to lift it. When they finally got it to budge, the EMT slid Francis backwards.

Francis muttered curse words under his breath as they got him on the board. "Jason?" he asked as the men carefully walked through the rubble.

"We haven't found him yet."

"Shit."

They got him outside.

"Monica just woke up. She said Alan and Jason are together."

Johnny ran back inside and the roof where Francis had been totally caved sending a debris cloud into the air. Everyone pushed their way and stayed back until it cleared.

Elizabeth's eyes fluttered open and shut as her body starts to collapse. The stress of the situation is just too much. Milo picked her up and set her down over to the side.

"Is she okay?" An EMT asked as he rushed towards them.

"She's just distraught. Her boyfriend is in there."

He took her blood pressure which was racing. "What's her name?"

"Elizabeth."

"Okay Elizabeth, I need you to try to take a couple of deep breaths."

Liz tried, but couldn't stop crying.

"We're doing everything we can to get everyone out."

Sonny walked over to her and held her hand. "We're going to get him out. There's one area they are having a problem getting too. They are going to focus on that. Monica let us know where they were."

"Okay."

She closed her eyes, willing her heart to slow down a little so she could be strong for Jason.

A/N – I think this is the first time that I didn't let a perpetrator who was after Liz get to Liz.