Chapter 15 – The Rescue Part One

Lindsay almost shot out of skin as the phone rang. Her eyes lit up as she saw Danny's picture smiling back at her. She grabbed the phone, her heart in her mouth. "Danny!"

Sheldon and Sid turned around, looking up from the results that had just come in on another case. As though sensing that something was about to happen Adam appeared in the doorway. They all stared at her in anticipation.

"Oh thank God! Are they all right?"

Everyone let out a sigh, a little of the tension draining away at what appeared to be good news.

"Yes … yes … what?" Lindsay's mouth opened in an oh. She paused listening carefully. "But?" The oh widened as did her eyes. Her lips formed a word but no sound came out as she listened. Eventually she said, "Of course, I'll call them right away … okay … bye. Bye."

She looked a little confused as she tried to process the information that Danny had just transmitted. She hesitated for a moment clearly searching for her words. "They've found them," she began silently berating herself for stating the obvious. "Stacy's unhurt. Mac's fine ...well," She hesitated again. "... he's got a dislocated shoulder, a mild concussion, an infected, cauterized gunshot wound, a fractured cheekbone, and multiple contusions and abrasions … but apart from that he's … fine." She finished lamely. Sid, Sheldon and Adam looked at her as though she'd taken leave of her senses. "Er ... I'm going to call Stacy's foster parents and give them the good news." With that parting shot she walked zombie-like past Adam and headed for her office.

Adam turned his head to watch her before looking back at Sheldon and Sid, a look of disbelief on his face. He did an excellent impression of a goldfish before stammering, "How could she … possibly … use the words dislocated, infected, cauterized and fractured in the same sentence as FINE?"

Sheldon's forehead creased into a frown as he gave a small helpless gesture with his hand as tried to figure out how on earth 'cauterized' even made it into the list. Sid pulled a face as he contemplated the question but then he broke into a lop-sided smile. "Well, this is Mac we're talking about." Sid ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I don't know about you but I've had quite enough drama for today. I think I'm in need of a little pick-me-up. Anyone care to join me for a drink?"

Sheldon nodded his mind still dwelling on the 'cauterized'. A drink sounded like a very good idea. "I don't mind if I do."

"How about you Adam?"

Adam smiled at them shyly, pleased to have been included. "Yeah, that'd be great. I'd like that."

Sid clapped his hands together. "Excellent. First round's on me."

.

While Sid and co headed out to celebrate the good news that everyone was 'fine', at their favourite bar, another group were sitting in the less glamorous surroundings of the local hospital cafeteria. Don and Danny were contentedly listening to Carl Rogers and his daughter tell a highly dramatized tale of their daring rescue to Randall Wade who, as he was now off duty, was wearing jeans and a USMC tee-shirt confirming Danny's suspicions that he was another Marine.

Jo was staring out of the window waiting for Alice and Hank Graham to arrive, her mind still full of the events earlier that day:

.

Stacy's eyes filled with tears as she looked up Jo. "He told me to run. He told me to find you," she gulped. "He made me promise. I had to leave … him. He made me … promise. I'm sorry." Jo's heart sank, a feeling of dread coming over her as Stacy's eyes bored into hers. " I think … I think they shot him."

Jo felt that she had been punched in the stomach. She didn't seem to be able to breathe. The blood rushed in her ears as she held Stacy in her arms. He couldn't be dead. She squeezed her eyes shut burying her face in Stacy's hair feeling the girl's bitter sobs shudder through her body.

"No! He's not dead." Danny stated vehemently forcing the others to look at him in amazement. He hefted the bag more firmly on his shoulder. "I'm going to find him."

Seeing the determination in his face, the others nodded in agreement. Jo looked down at Stacy who was looking at Danny with a strange expression on her face. Suddenly she pushed away from Jo and angrily scrubbed the tears from her face. She straightened up. "It's this way. I'll show you. Come on." Before Jo could suggest that she remain in the helicopter Stacy set off back towards the trees. Jo rushed after her.

"Stacy wait! What about the men who took you?"

Stacy stopped and looked at Jo. "They're gone. I heard them leave. They've got their stupid diamonds and now they've gone."

Don looked at her in amazement. "Diamonds?"

"That's why they made Mac climb down to the plane. To get their stupid diamonds. They said they'd kill me if he didn't," she spat with a disgusted look on her face. Then she turned and walked determinedly back the way she had come. "Come on," she called without turning. Left with little choice, they followed Stacy through the trees, winding their way along a narrow trail with Carl, Lina, Danny and Don carrying bags of equipment. It took them the best part of thirty minutes to get back to the crash site. As they emerged onto the escarpment above the river they spotted the ropes tied to two trees and fixed to an O-ring, the third rope disappearing over the edge. Various objects were strewn around as though the previous visitors had dumped excess baggage in a hurry. Leaving his bags Danny vaulted over a discarded ruck-sack and ran to the edge, dropping to his knees and gripping the edge as he looked down.

"Mac?" He sounded frantic as his voice was drown out by the sound of river below. "Mac?" There was only silence and the sound of rushing water. Everyone's heart sank. Then a strange electronic squawking sound came from a nearby pack. They all twisted around in search of the odd noise. Danny lifted what looked like a folded tarpaulin. There on the ground was a walkie-talkie. Danny grabbed at it. "Mac?" he asked tentatively.

"Danny?" came a distant voice. Despite the distortion it was clearly Mac's. There was an audible sigh of relief among those gathered at the top of the cliff-face as the faint voice called back to them. "Danny, that you?"

The relief on his face was visible. "Yeah, it's me. I'm here with Don and Jo. Mac can you you make it back up?" Danny asked as he leaned out over the edge searching for any sign of Mac. There was a pause and a burst of static from the walkie-talkie. Don stood over Danny and leaned forward feeling slightly queasy at the sight of the sheer drop to the mass of rocks and vegetation framing the foaming river below. All they could see were the ropes trailing down the rock face and one pulled taut over a large overhang in the rock-face. "Mac?"

Finally a crackly voice answered. "No … need help .."

"He's got to be just underneath that overhang," said Carl. Lina nodded in agreement.

"Danny!" Don pointed to the ground where several shell casings glinted in the late afternoon sun.

Danny raised the walkie-talkie to his lips. "Mac are you injured?"

"Shoulder … dislocated ..." came the faint answer. Danny and Don looked at one another each thinking the same as the other. He didn't sound good. They looked round to where the others were waiting. Jo stood with her arms around Stacy both looking as white as sheets.

Danny gripped the walkie-talkie tighter. "Okay Mac. Hang on. Help's coming." Danny looked around at Carl and Lina who didn't need to wait to be told what to do as they were already opening packs and gearing up.

"Seriously?" They all froze looking at one another in confusion at the word crackled from the device in Danny's hand.

Frowning Danny lifted the walkie-talkie once more. "What?"

There was another crackle and what sounded like a laugh. "Hang on. That's the best … you can … come up with?"

Danny glanced up at Don in disbelief then he realized what he had said. Don, his face breaking into a smile, shook his head in amusement and muttered something that sounded liked 'crazy sonofabitch.' Danny sank onto his heels, some of the stress fading away by Mac's attempt at a joke. He thumbed the speak button. "Funny Mac. Funny."

"Danny?"

"Yeah Mac?"

"Stacy. … you gotta find Stacy."

"It's okay buddy. She's right here with Jo. She's fine." Danny looked up to see Stacy smiling at him. When Danny realized Mac wasn't answering he called again. "Mac?" There was no answer. "Mac? You still with us?"

"Still here … nowhere to go ..."

"Okay." Danny rubbed at his face and handed the walkie-talkie to Carl.

"Mac, my name is Carl Rogers. Lina and I are on our way down to you. We''ll only be a few minutes. Okay?"

"Okay."

Carl handed back the walkie-talkie and nodded to his daughter as she clipped herself to the rope. The others watched as she leaned back over the edge and disappeared down the rock face in several elegant swoops. Don and Danny glanced at each other impressed. Clearly she wasn't joking when she said she could climb before she could walk. Within a few minutes she was down on the ledge and connecting herself to a safety rope. Then she walked to the edge of the overhang, lay down and leaned over. Danny looked up to see that while Jo and Stacy had dropped to their knees and were watching the proceedings nervously Carl was lowered a gear sling over the side of the cliff. He followed it's progression down till it reached the overhang where Lina lay still talking to Mac, all the while wondering how on earth they were going to get him back to safety.

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