Jinxed Redux Chap 12 – Fire in the Hole
Afterwards Marshall recalled what he had heard about Mary's time in FTF. She liked to keep her hands near the fire. If there was a chance of a shootout, she was there. At the front, closest to the action. Her Chief had given up assigning her anywhere else. Her instincts had kept her alive this long, but this trip had seen instinct fail to keep her safe.
At the container yard, Mary paced as they waited for the signal. Three thugs inside, twenty armed officers outside. Seemed like good odds to Mary. What in the hell were they waiting for? And where in the hell did the Boy Scout get that oil spray from? The chance to use her Glock on more than paper targets always nerved her up. Not in a bad way. Just the opposite. She never felt sharper, more alive, more aware, and more alert than when guns came out.
Varney split the group. Half at each end of the container. Marshall and Mary at the north end. Once everyone was in place, the signal was given, and the latches were thrown. The doors screeched open and Kevlar covered officers poured in. The pounding of boots on the metal floor of the dark container was punctuated by shouts of "get down, on the ground, now, now." From the north door the backs of several men could be seen, peering over tall wooden crates, aiming at the south door. They suddenly realized both ends of the container were open. Three turned and started shooting. Mary spotted a woman with dark hair on a cot behind the crates near the container wall. She ran and dove low to throw her body over the woman. The officers returned fire. Marshall's heart stopped when Mary was caught in the crossfire.
He saw a bullet hit her. No, no. She landed on the floor next to the cot. He saw her reach up, and grab the woman around the waist. He was relieved her injury didn't prevent her from tipping the wood and canvas cot, dumping the ragdoll of a woman onto the floor next to her. He heard Mary grunt as she got up on hands and knees and covered the woman with her body.
The pace of gunfire picked up and Marshall couldn't watch Mary. He and the others were careful to get the bad guys, caught in the middle, and not one of their own on the other side. Five men, five gang bangers went down. As soon as they hit the floor, Marshall ran to Mary.
"It's Jinx," Mary told him. "I've got her." She sobbed in relief just as the shooting began again. This time from outside the container. "What the hell?" Mary was afraid she'd crush the thin woman under her. She tried raising up again only to have her left arm give out. She settled for lying on her side, forming a human barricade.
The officers had the thugs disarmed and handcuffed. Those that could stand were cuffed to tie down racks on the walls. There were tie downs on the floor for the rest. When the shooting outside started, they were able to close the door at one end, but the other remained open. Getting out of this alive would take a while. The gang had come calling. Marshall saw the Chief yelling over his two way for SWAT and SOG.
Evening had arrived. The grey outside easing to black with bright blossoms of muzzle flashes. It was dark inside the container. It made Marshall think of Rembrandts the Night Watch. Except without the lanterns. He clicked on his headlamp and went to check Mary and Jinx.
"Mary!" he crouched next to the two women. "Let me see." He knew she had caught a bullet, but jacked up on adrenaline, she didn't seem to realize it.
"I'm ok, Doofus. Check Jinx. The vest caught the bullet." Mary couldn't understand why he needed to check her. With the firefight continuing, and medical personnel not coming any time soon, Marshall was the next best thing. Besides she hadn't gotten to fire her gun. Yet.
"Really? Because I'm seeing blood Sunshine." Since Mary was breathing and giving orders, the injury couldn't be too bad. He knew adrenaline can affect one strangely. He needed to be sure the severity of her injury wasn't being masked.
She sat up. "What? Where?" She craned her head around, looking down at the vest. She turned her back to him as she ran her hands down her sides. One hand came away red.
He gently lifted her arm to see that there was a small teardrop shaped hole in the sleeve. A round had clipped her underarm. It didn't look too bad. She hissed as he gently felt her arm to make sure the bullet had gone through and through. No lump. Good.
"Just bullet burn. I've had worse shaving my pits," she insisted. From somewhere in one of the many pockets on his flak vest, he pulled a strip of white cloth. She winced as he pulled her arm straight and started wrapping it around the hole. The cloth quickly developed a red spot. Marshall added a large band aid and more cloth wrap. He stopped when it stayed white.
All that took less than a minute. That was still too long for Mary. Bullets continued to whine and hit the container. It was her mother that concerned her. The thin dark haired woman hadn't moved since being so rudely tossed to the floor. Did I make her worse? Did she hit her head?
"Marshall. Check her. How is she, Marshall?"
Marshall heard the distress in her voice as he knelt beside the woman. He didn't see any bruises. At least her face, hands and feet did not appear to have cuts or black and blue marks. He touched Jinx's face, no fever. He ran his hands over her collar bone and down her arms and legs. He looked down and checked her feet before giving his assessment. "She's unconscious, dehydrated, and malnourished. No broken bones. Judging by the empty whiskey bottles, they kept her sedated."
"Oh Mom" Mary whispered. "Just one nonstop unhappy hour." She knew a diet of alcohol could be deadly and wished Marshall had a stomach pump in one of his vest pockets. He seemed to have everything else.
"What's going on?" she jerked her head to indicate outside. She was hearing gunfire. Lots of gunfire. That wasn't part of the plan.
"It appears this was a set up. They have us pinned down. SWAT's doing what they can, but it's getting dark." Marshall gestured toward Chief Varney. He was talking, yelling actually, on his two way radio, but seemed frustrated.
Mary and Marshall winced as a barrage of rounds hit the container. A line of bumps magically appeared on the side wall. None of the rounds penetrated, but everyone moved away from the walls. Except the bad guys who were tethered there.
"Marshall, help me get her to the middle. Find some cover." Mary was determined to keep Jinx safe. After all, as Marshall had reminded her, Jinx was the only mother she had. And, if she remembered anything, she could even become a witness. That wasn't Mary's call, but she needed to do everything she could to protect Jinx.
The container had wooden crates, odd boxes and trash. There was an old metal desk the gang had been using as a dinner table. Marshall dumped the plates on the floor as he flipped the desk on its front. Mary dragged Jinx to the desk. Just a few feet, but the need to stay low and the fact that her mother couldn't help, had her gasping. Marshall grabbed her mother under the knees and folded her into the knee space.
Marshall pulled out the metal drawers and stacked them like Stonehenge behind Mary and Jinx. Mary stayed close to her mother but chafed at missing the action. She appreciated the additional barrier between Jinx and the rain of bullets, but felt helpless, useless. And Marshall was exposed, in danger.
"Get in here Doofus,"
"No. No room. Take care of her. I'll take care of you."Marshall remained crouched behind her, checking on the officers behind him and the remaining open door. Glock at the ready his head swiveled like a searchlight.
Anguish laden she asked, "What do I do?" Realizing she needed to clarify, Mary added, "What can I do for her."
Without looking at her, Marshall silently handed her a water bottle and whispered "Just wet her lips." He remained vigilant. Watching her back. Mary heard him fire his gun followed by an oof from the doorway. She pictured bodies piled in front of the doorway like cord wood, and approved. They would make an effective barrier.
Mary dribbled some water on her mother's mouth. She used her hand to gently wipe her face. Jinx's eye lids fluttered. Mary held her breath. Her eyes opened slowly, her head turning from side to side. "Mary," she croaked. "What are you doing here?"
"What does it look like? The cavalry is riding to your rescue. Only they kinda got waylaid." Mary was grateful her mother had come around but she didn't want to upset her. She hoped Jinx thought the gunfire was from some giant popcorn machine or a nearby firing range. "How are you feeling?"
Jinx startled as a bullet made a loud noise as it dented the container wall. "What, . . . .what was that?"
"Like I said, the rescue team is on its way. There are just a few bumps in the road to iron out." Mary stroked her mother's matted hair gently. She wondered if her mother was cold with only a thin blanket between her and the floor.
Marshall snorted at Mary's attempt to make light of their situation. That would only work if Jinx was still drunk. Which he admitted, she might be. He hoped so, for Mary's sake. Her mother would be easier to handle and less likely to freak out if she was still inebriated.
"Marsh," she called. "You got a blanket on you?" She couldn't see where he could hide one, but with Doofus, she never knew. His vest seemed to have more pockets than hers. She wondered why that was. Instead of unzipping a pocket, he reached for the back pocket of his pants and pulled out a thin silver square.
"Try this."
The silver square unfolded and became a thin shiny layer to hold in body heat. Mary gingerly laid it over Jinx and tucked it around her getting it as far under her as she could.
"How are you feeling, Mom?"Eyes rolling in fear, Jinx managed to focus on Mary's face and croak, "Thirsty."
Mary put her hand under Jinx's neck and placed the water bottle near her mouth. "Small sips, Mom, small sips." She didn't relish cleaning up vomit in the tiny space. Thank goodness Doofus had a water bottle along. Damn, Boy Scout, she thought admiringly. Always prepared.
Mary was grateful. She couldn't remember ever having someone she could count on. Doofus seemed to know what she would need even when she herself didn't. After a few swallows, Mary gently put Jinx's head back down, and looked to see what Marshall was up to.
"What the hell happened?" The racket of small arms fire tapered off, followed by a heavy silence inside the container.
Since entering the container her world had shrunk to Marshall and her mother. Her mother's face was pale and smeared. The remains of her mascara making her look like a Goth. Her eyes were closed, but Mary could see her chest rising and falling. "Take it easy. We'll be out of here soon," she promised.
Marshall got up and walked to where the others were gathered. Chief Varney was on his two way, getting the 411 on their situation. The gun fire had stopped. Marshall turned to check on Mary and had his back to the still open door.
When Mary saw Marshall turn away from the door, she got her Glock, watching the open door. A gang banger pointed his gun into the container. She aimed, fired and the guy went down, clutching his leg. Mary felt a grim satisfaction at finally getting some action.
A marshal from the Annex rushed toward her. "Inspector," he commended. He ducked outside, and secured the gang banger. He told Mary "They're still mopping up. We should get the all clear soon. Chiefs got a bus coming. EMTs too. This was definitely an ambush." He peeked into their impromptu fortress and asked, "That your mother?"
"Yes," Mary replied. "Jinx Shannon, in the flesh, and not too much the worse for wear. She'll need the medics though."
Jinx roused and looked up as the shadowed face of one officer was replaced by another with a light on his forehead. Maybe she had been taken by aliens. But no, that was Mary's face Mary's voice. She knew her own daughter. "Mom, this is my partner, Marshall." Jinx's confusion clouded eyes focused and she whispered. "Marshal Marshall, she croaked. "I remember." Without warning her eyelids slammed shut as she fainted.
"We need a bus, Marshall. She needs a hospital." Mary had never seen Jinx so lifeless. It scared her to think her Mother had survived the kidnapping and might die here in this hell hole. Mary looked around, checking on the others, anxious to get out of here.
"How many of ours were hit?" Marshall asked the other marshal.
"Two down that I saw. Jace and I pulled them into the container. If I was sure it was ok to move them I'd bring them back here."
"I've got some training in that area. You keep watch here, and I'll go see if there's anything I can do," he offered. He looked at Mary, making sure she was ok with him leaving. Mary looked concerned, but sent him off with "Go for it, Boy Scout." She knew his medical training could save a life. In her book, he'd already saved Jinx.
The container was big enough that she lost sight of him between the gloom, the crates and the other task force members. After one last pop of gunfire, a bullhorn voice demanded that weapons be thrown down "On the ground, NOW."
The bullhorn repeated "Drop your weapons. Get on the ground. On the ground now."
Mary felt her phone vibrate. The task force, requesting all members check in. Mary responded giving her name and container number and said they needed a bus. "We've got Jinx Shannon. Repeat. We have Jinx Shannon, she's alive."
As the remaining combatants were handcuffed and placed under arrest, the uninjured task force members directed the EMTs to their fallen comrades. "The debriefing is going to be fun," Mary commented. "But you won't be there." Marshall told her looking at Jinx.
"Oh, yeah. Right." As much as she wanted to hear the details of what had just happened, she knew she needed to stay with Jinx. Protect her. Look after her mother, just like she always did.
"Don't worry. I'll fill you in. As soon as the debrief is done I'll come to the hospital. Okay?" He needed Mary to be okay with this arrangement. As much as he hated to leave the medical staff at her tender mercies, she needed to go with her mother. Eyes still on Jinx, she nodded. "Leave a little skin on the medical staff, pumpkin."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll play nice," she assured him. Under her breath he thought she muttered disgustedly, "That's all I do since I met you."
Mary got in the ambulance with Jinx. Marshall went to the Annex on the party bus. The party of 20 was smaller on the ride back. As before Marshall sat next to Varney. "Chief, what in the hell happened?"
"The details of the operation were leaked." Chief Varney said grimly."The real question is who. With so many agencies involved, it's hard to tell."
Marshall had been thinking about this since hearing the first shots fired outside the container. "Did it seem to you that it was too easy, too quick to get the authorization for this roundup?"
"I was told the DOJ had been looking for a reason to bust a gang operation. This seemed to be it. Made it seem like a logical move, an unexpected opportunity." Varney reasoned. "Made sense at the time. But I was surprised at how quickly we were given the go ahead. With a kidnap victim, the rush seemed right."
There wasn't much new information available at the debriefing. Four task force members had been shot. Marshall was relieved that none of the injuries was life threatening. He reported the bullet Mary took which brought the number injured to five. They were still counting and processing the gang bangers who had been injured. At least five were dead. Marshall left the debriefing still puzzling over the ambush. Who would have used Jinx for bait to shoot a bunch of law enforcement? Was it planned? Or coincidence? Had the gang learned where Jinx was and decided to confront the task force coming to rescue her? It didn't make sense. Who was pulling the strings on their operation?
Resigned that the mystery wouldn't be solved without more information, he headed to the hospital and Mary.
He found her leaning against the wall, arms crossed, outside Jinx's room. Nurses and orderlies were bustling about inside. Mary looked tired, drawn and relieved. "How are you doing," he asked.
Her head came up, drinking in the sight of her personal protector, her boy scout. "Me?" she questioned. Why was he asking about her?
"Have you had that looked at yet?" pointing to the white cloth still wrapped around her arm.
"What? Uh no. It wasn't bothering me and the EMTs had their hands full with Jinx. We just left the ER.
"How is she?" Marshall inquired. He'd barely gotten a glimpse of the woman in the dark container. Hell of a way to meet your future mother in law.
"Like you said, dehydrated, underfed. They put n IV to rehydrate her and threatened to feed her inconveniently."
"That's intravenously," Marshall corrected.
"Whatever. She kept down a sip of some sort of broth, something. I couldn't tell."
"Yeah, they'll start her off with liquids. Did they pump her stomach?"
"No. Bit late for that. She was running on empty." It made Mary sad to see her mother in such poor condition. Jinx could be quite vivacious, full of smiles even when not full of booze.
Mary poked her head into the room. The hospital staff was gathering their equipment, preparing to leave. Mary saw her mother, resting, eyes closed. She motioned Marshall over as she questioned one of the nurses. She was grateful for her own personal doctor speak interpreter. When they were alone in the room, Marshall said "Jinx is on her way to a full recovery. Rest, fluids and eventually solid food. She can be released in 2-3 days."
At the news that Jinx could be leaving the hospital soon, Mary looked alarmed. "Is she safe?"
She went to the door checking the hall and saw two burley officers walking toward them . When they stopped at Jinx's room she stared at Marshall, eyebrow raised in query.
"Inspector Shannon." The blonde of the pair addressed her. She thought they looked like tweedle dee and tweedle dum, one brown hair, one blonde. Their uniforms looked authentic. Seeing her hesitation, they produced their badges, smoothly in unison as if the move had been performed many times. If they were the real deal, it would have been.
"Marshal Hobbs and Marshal Merritt. We've been tasked to provide protection."
"Yeah? Who sent you?"Marshall was glad to see Mary's paranoia return. They were going to need it.
"Chief Varney and Chief McQueen requested the security detail." Well that tracked, she thought.
"You think Jinx Shannon is still in danger?" she hadn't thought beyond Jinx's rescue.
"No mam." What's with the maam, she wondered. I really am getting old if these wet behind the ears marshals were mam-ing her.
Before she could retort, Marshall asked "Who are you here to protect."
Taking in Marshall's presence for the first time, the blonde marshal answered "Inspector Mary Shannon."
Mary's first thoughts were I can take care of myself. Then she remembered Paddy and the attack in the alley. Maybe for once, she could use some help. After all that's why she had a partner. But she didn't really need these deputies.
Marshall derailed her train of thought by announcing, "Inspector Shannon needs to go to the ER first. Gentlemen would one of you accompany us. The other can stay here; keep an eye on Jinx Shannon."
Blonde and brown hair traded looks. The blonde nodded and asked "Were you injured Inspector."
Mary opened her mouth to deny it, but Marshall said, "She was nicked in two places. She needs to be checked out."
Mary refrained from cussing him out in front of the two newbies, but asked "Two? What do you mean two. Where's the other one?" she demanded, daring him to lie about her injuries.
"Your right ear has been dripping into your hair. Bright color hair streaks are quite fashionable, but really not your style." He gave her a wry look with a tiny smile. Despite the helmet, a bullet had found its way to her upper ear. The helmets purposely fit around the ear, not over it, but Mary hadn't been wearing the protective ear muffs when she dove throught the crossfire.
"Wait, what? Why in the hell didn't you tell me?"
"There wasn't time. C'mon. Let's get you and your escort to the ER." Marshall felt his answer should have been it wasn't time. She had been functioning just fine. Her attention needed to be on protecting Jinx. He didn't think she would focus on her own injuries, but he'd seen odd behavior in gun battles, especially after the shooting stopped. He prayed he'd made the right call.
"Can't you stay with JInx?" She would feel better if her own bad ass lawman was looking in on her mother. After all, he could double as patient advocate.
"No can do, Sunshine." Marshall felt that the threat to Jinx was reduced if not gone. He was sure Jinx had been kidnapped to lure Mary to Jersey. Anyone who knew Mary from her days in FTF would have predicted that she would come alone. Easy pickings.
No way he was leaving Mary's side.