Chapter 20
Chet Kelly's Volkswagen van was parked at a slight angle to the wrought-iron gate, beneath the overhanging "Holistic Unity Gardens" sign. The passenger's side was hidden from the view of those inside the compound, concealing two of the members of the rescue mission who were crouching down beside the side door. The night sky was littered with sparkling stars, stars that always seemed hidden in the bright lights of Los Angeles. It took a while for the eyes of those gathered to adjust to the darkness; the compound was in an area so remote that no street lights had ever been installed. Eventually the light of the full moon seemed to cast a blue tone on the surroundings, creating shadows along the fence and edge of the road where Crockett's gold-colored sedan was hidden from view. The second car was brought along in the hopes that the group of seven would be leaving with two additional people in just a little while.
The junior lineman leaned his hips against the grill of his vehicle, his heart thudding at the base of his throat. He wasn't sure that he was the best choice to be front and center for this meeting, but if their plan was going to work, then he had to do his part. Chet looked over at his two cohorts, Beverly and Mike. Both of them seemed to be just as nervous as he was. The Irishman had thought that Roy would be taking the lead, but reluctantly, Roy had conceded that he was not the best person for Johnny to see at this point. Their last encounter had not gone well, and the group did not want a repeat of that event. They had agreed to allow Beverly to join them, hoping that having another female close by might ease Lily's mind. The counselor was street wise, and knew how to defuse the situation should it begin to spiral out of control. But if their attempt for a peaceful resolution failed, then the rest of the crew hiding nearby would provide the muscle for the not-so-peaceful alternate plan.
Mike stood near the front quarter panel of the van, leaning against the vehicle with his forearms while Roy and Marco crouched along the van, just to his left. He watched as Beverly found a comfortable position on Mike's right. Clearly she was positioning herself so that Marco could see her from his hiding place on the far side of the vehicle, away from the gate. Out of the corner of his eye, Mike caught a glimpse of Marco dropping down to a kneeling position. He wanted to reassure his friend that Beverly was safe with him, that he would look out for her just like he looked out for his shiftmates at every fire, but Marco's eyes were closed and his head was bowed. Mike saw Roy leaning in closely at Marco's side, placing a comforting hand on the lineman's shoulder.
Hiding along the privacy fence were Hank and Crockett. The two men were standing with their shoulders against the wooden planks, poised and ready to intervene.
Crockett leaned his head against the hard wood of the fence, closing his eyes in dread. He suspected he knew the outcome of this endeavor, and he hated the role he was going to have to play in it. He respected the men of 51's, even considered them to be brothers. He listened to the sounds of the quiet night around him. The cricket's chirping and the gentle rustling of the fall leaves created a natural harmony of peacefulness. That peacefulness was about to be broken, and he inhaled a deep, anxious breath.
Hank stared at the ground, noticing the slight shadow the light of the full moon created. He thought of how different this area was from the bright lights of Los Angeles, considered the contrast of the flashing lights and sirens he used on most rescues, and compared it to the night noises and eerie shadows of the Tehachapi Mountains. Silently, he prayed that this night would end with the reunification of 51's family, and Iris' reunion with Lily.
Chet could have sworn that Mike and Beverly could hear his blood rushing through his veins, pulsing to an adrenaline-induced rhythm. This was it. This was what they had been planning for, and he hoped that they would be successful. Johnny had been a major part of Chet's own rescue during the lowest part of his life. Now the Irishman wanted to return the favor, to save his friend and brother from what might be the biggest mistake of his life.
Mike and Chet stood up straighter when they heard the faint hum of the cart returning. Silently, Marco made the sign of the cross, then readied himself for whatever they were about to do. He and Beverly exchanged quick nods, their actions acknowledging their readiness for what lay ahead. Roy inhaled deeply, exhaling a cleansing breath. He pressed his fingertips against the cold metal van behind him, using it to steady his nerves.
Mike coughed into his closed hand, mentally rehearsing the conversation he was about to have with James… and, he hoped, Johnny.
Chet and Mike looked at each other with worry-filled eyes. Only one man was in the cart. Had their plan already failed? Both men stepped closer to the gate, anxious for what the bearded man might tell them.
"I have spoken with Brother James," Ian began, leaning back in the seat of the cart, "and he wanted me to let you know that he will be here, momentarily."
Mike took the lead, wrapping his hands around the iron bars, feeling as if a large stone had dropped into his belly. "Thank you for taking him the message."
"Are you relatives of Brother James?" Ian asked, feeling a need to fill the awkward silence that soon settled between them.
"Um, no," Mike began, "but he… he saved my life a few months ago. I was in an accident near here," he said, jerking his head to his left. "I would've… I would've died if he hadn't found me. I wanted to, ah… to thank him for what he did for me."
"Kind of late for you to be out in the wilderness tonight, isn't it?" Ian continued.
"Well, we were meeting up with some friends near here," Beverly said, thinking of the rest of the men from 51's who were hiding so close by. She stepped forward, stepping between Mike and Chet. "And since we were so close to the accident scene, we just couldn't leave without properly thanking James for saving Michael."
Mike nodded his head in agreement, giving her a shy smile.
Ian, looking over at the woman standing between the two firemen, continued his questioning. "And you are…?"
"Beverly Marsh… And this is Chet Kelly," she introduced.
"I'm Ian," the man stated, tugging at his beard before returning his gaze to Mike. "I do remember the accident. I'm glad that my family was able to save you," he said, dipping his head in Mike's direction. "Brother James and a couple of friends are walking here from the compound. These carts aren't very powerful," he said, looking down at the tiny vehicle in which he was riding, "and it would have been crowded for four people, anyway, so he and Brother John and Sister Lily decided to walk up here. They should be here in just a few minutes."
"Thank you, Ian," Mike responded. "May we come in?"
"Brother James has the key. It is his decision to make."
Ian accelerated the small cart, moving it out of the way of the gate and parking it along the side of the privacy fence. He stepped out of it, but remained only a few short steps away.
"We understand," Beverly commented, wanting to keep the bearded man as calm as possible. She wasn't sure if he was the FBI agent, or if James might be, but she didn't want to do anything to alarm anyone… At least not until she knew which man was their ally.
E!
Walking down the pathway, beyond the knoll, Johnny and Lily held hands as they walked behind James. The air was cool, making the warmth of their handholding seem even more enjoyable. Johnny inhaled deeply, nearly stumbling along the path in his current condition. As they walked over the rise of the hill, Johnny suddenly stopped. He narrowed his eyes, staring at the entrance to the compound, and the familiar faces standing outside the gate.
"Damn it," he whispered, his sudden halt causing Lily to turn back to look at him.
"What? What's wrong, Thorn?" she asked, looking up at Johnny.
"Uh, James, I… I know them," Johnny warned, his words causing James to look back at him.
"Do you fear them?" James questioned, hoping to appeal to the ego of the paramedic. He had agreed to get Johnny to the gate tonight, and he didn't want anything going wrong when they were this close.
Johnny continued to stare beyond the gate, his pulse rate quickening when he saw his three friends talking to Ian. Slowly, he shook his head. "No, I... I'm not afraid of them, but… I think they might be here to talk to me, instead of you." Roy's absence was obvious, and Johnny's heart sank. Had Roy been injured… or worse? Had Christopher had post-op complications? Why was Beverly here without Marco? Was Marco injured? The young paramedic closed his eyes, feeling a gentle squeeze on his hand by Lily.
"They asked for me, John," James stated in a calming tone, gently pulling Johnny out of his worry-filled musings. "It was I who asked you to come with me to the entrance, remember?"
Johnny thought for a moment, then slowly continued his walk towards the entrance of the compound, his body struggling to follow the commands of his drug-induced mind. Why had they asked for James? Something was definitely wrong. The nervous paramedic felt a lump forming in his throat. This had to be bad news.
When the awaiting trio from Operation 51 realized that Johnny was approaching, Beverly clenched her teeth tightly. She had been a part of the rescues of many women from the streets, but those women wanted to leave their environments. She was afraid that Johnny and Lily might feel differently.
James approached the small group at the gate, sensing that the couple were staying several feet behind him. He reached into his pocket, withdrawing the key to the lock.
"Hello, Michael Stoker," James acknowledged, "You are looking much better than the last time I saw you."
"And I have you to thank for that, James. That's why we're here," the engineer stated, waving Chet and Beverly forward. "This is Chet and Beverly… They're friends of mine… and Johnny's," he said, looking beyond James to the place where Johnny and Lily stood.
"You are very welcome, Michael," James said, unlocking the padlock on the gate. "Please come inside, but you must leave your vehicle out there," he instructed, opening up the gate.
"Thank you," Mike relayed, being the first to enter the compound.
"I'd like to introduce you to Brother Ian whom you have no doubt already met, Sister Lily, and… you already know our newest member, Brother John," James said.
"It's very nice to meet you," Beverly said, politely. She looked around at the surroundings inside the fenced in area. "It's so peaceful here."
"We like it," Lily said, her voice sounding meek.
"James," Chet said, extending his hand to the bearded man. "I wanted to thank you for what you did for Mike, too. I came here with Gage," he said, dipping his head in Johnny's direction, "and another friend of ours, Roy DeSoto." He watched Johnny's face blanch when he mentioned Roy's name.
"My family and I are here to serve those in need. I'm glad that I was in the right place at the right time, and that Father Hiram was able to heal your wounds," he said, turning his attention to the taller of the two men.
Mike blushed, feeling a hint of anger at the sound of the religious guru's name. "Well, I don't know if it was your, uh, leader, Dr. Buchanan at the Tehachapi Hospital, or the fact that I'm just too stubborn to die in an accident, but I will always be grateful that you found me."
There was a brief pause in the conversation. Beverly was about to speak up when Mike made the next move.
"Say, uh, James… Do you mind if we talk to Johnny and Lily alone?" Mike asked, hoping for some time alone with the young couple.
"Can't do that," James shot back. "Too many of our people have been kidnapped… We can't allow that to happen again. Say what you want to them, but you must say it in front of Ian and myself."
"We aren't here to take anyone against their will," Chet corrected. "We just want to talk to 'em."
"It's okay," Beverly spoke up, negotiating for the group. "We're not hiding anything, but… you will let us say what we want, right?" she asked, needing James' agreement.
As if reconsidering the situation, James spoke up. "On second thought, you may speak privately, as long as Brother Ian and I are standing at the gate to block any attempt to take them by force," James said, nodding for Ian to go to the gate. "Brother John, Sister Lily… it is your choice. Do you wish to hear what they have to say?" James asked, looking at the young couple for a response. He discreetly gave Lily a slight nod.
"It's okay, Thorn. Our brothers will be here with us. Let these guests say what they want and then they will be on their way. We are safe," she said, taking a step forward, encouraging Johnny to agree to the conversation.
Johnny's muddled brain continued to struggle to process what was happening. His legs felt weak, his body was trembling, and a fine sheen of sweat had broken out along his brow. He felt heart palpitations in his upper chest and swallowed back the bile that was burning his throat. He saw the concerned look on Mike's face as he walked nearer, and he suddenly felt like a cornered animal. Something was wrong. His stomach muscles tightened; the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. It was the same warning his body gave him when he and Roy were entering a dangerous situation, and he had learned to listen to his gut.
"Why are you here… really?" Johnny questioned, narrowing his eyes at the tall engineer.
"We want to make sure that you're happy here," Mike responded.
Johnny didn't believe the engineer. He slowly shook his head from side to side. "No… No, there's somethin' else. Why? Did something hap-happen to one o' the guys? Is… 's Roy o-okay?" the paramedic asked, feeling light-headed and slurring his words. "Mar-co?" he questioned, his dark eyes shifting to Beverly.
Hidden from view, Roy felt his eyes beginning to burn. Johnny's first question was about him. Was there hope for their friendship to be restored? He hoped so. He silently sniffled, finding it difficult to remain in hiding.
"No one's hurt, John." Beverly jumped right into the conversation. She was accustomed to taking control of emotional rescues, and in her mind, this was no different. She began slowly moving forward. "They're all fine," she said, encouraged when Johnny remained still. "Well… not exactly fine. They miss you, we all miss you, John… Especially Roy."
Johnny turned his head to the side slightly, arching an eyebrow at Beverly while squeezing Lily's hand. "Then… Why… Why isn't he… h-here?"
"Would you be willing to talk to him if he were here?" Mike asked. He knew how close the paramedics were and he hoped to tug on Johnny's heartstrings.
"M-maybe… Depends…," Johnny commented, noncommittally.
James and Lily exchanged a look that did not go unnoticed by Beverly. She filed it away, needing to focus on Johnny at the moment.
"Johnny, are you happy?" Beverly repeated, getting right to the point.
"It's peaceful h-here," the junior medic responded, carefully avoiding the question. "I love bein' ou-outdoors."
"You love being a fireman and paramedic, too…" Beverly continued, pushing him for answers.
"Um," Johnny struggled to respond to Beverly's questions. This wasn't right. They had come here to speak to James, hadn't they? Why was he the center of their conversation? "I need to be… here," he said, pulling Lily closer to his side.
"With Lily?" the counselor asked, her eyes giving him a warm approval.
"Yea," Johnny replied, beginning to feel more unsteady on his feet.
"Johnny, please…" Mike took a step forward, but was stunned when Johnny inched backwards, tugging on Lily's hand to follow him. He stopped his forward progress, not wanting to cause Johnny to run. "Listen, just… Please, just talk to us for a few minutes, okay?"
Beverly picked up the conversation. "If this is such a good place, then why must you give up what you love doing? Why should you leave those you love behind?"
"I don't wanna… leave those I love… b'hind," Johnny stammered, leaning into Lily, slightly. After all, she was the reason he was here. He had given up everything in order to save her. He needed to convince her to leave with him, to go back to Selma and support him during the murder trial… to return to her mother… And perhaps one day to make a life with him. But she wasn't going to leave willingly at this point, and he knew it. He had to stay until he could convince her to leave with him, which would take more time. His respiration rate increased as the realization hit him that he might not have more time with her.
Beverly watched the body language of those present. It was obvious to her that Johnny was struggling with his words. Had he been drugged tonight? James was behaving oddly, seeming to back out of the conversation, even though it had originally been about him. He had to be the FBI agent, she surmised, but what about Ian?
Mike sensed Beverly's discomfort and decided to press on with the conversation. "Johnny… Let's talk about a friend of ours that the two of you know… Gretchen McDowell."
"Who?" Johnny asked, knitting his eyebrows together.
"Gretchen… The waitress," Chet clarified.
"She isn't here," Lily said, without being asked. "She went h-home," she said, her voice cracking, fearing that she knew the fate of the young woman.
"No, she didn't," Chet spat out. "She lied about being pregnant, faked a miscarriage, then tried to leave, but someone here didn't want her to go."
"That's not true," Lily retorted, fearful of what she was about to hear.
"Yes, it is," Beverly spoke up. "She was never pregnant… But you know that, Lily," Beverly said softly. "And when she tried to leave, someone here shot her up with heroin… tried to kill her."
Johnny's eyes were as wide as saucers as his addled brain tried to sort out the details of what he had just heard. "Wha- What?"
"That's right, Gage," Chet took a step closer to his friend. "You were lied to by these… friends of yours," the lineman spat out.
"There was no pregnancy. She lied about that AND about the miscarriage. She was desperate to get out of here, but when she asked to leave, she was escorted away. Someone here injected her with heroin, then dumped her near the garbage bins behind The Pourhouse, Johnny," Mike relayed. "Left her for dead, but Amy found her… and called us."
Lily was stunned by what she was hearing. "Then… Gretchen's… alive?"
"No thanks to you," Chet shot back, realizing that the young woman had basically admitted that she thought the young waitress was dead.
Mike intervened to prevent Chet from saying anything more. "We got to her in time… Roy and… and his temporary partner managed to save her. She's at Rampart now, recovering. Why don't you two go talk to her, let her tell you the truth."
Lily and Johnny looked at each other, then back at the trio in front of them. "You don't know what you're talking about," Lily argued, her throat beginning to constrict. "No one here would hurt her."
"We speak only the truth," Beverly commented, reassuring Lily with her nonjudgmental eyes. "Someone here DID hurt her, but they failed to kill her."
James shifted his weight, nervously. He had not counted on Beverly's convincing ways, and he wondered if his own covert mission was about to be compromised. Lily knew the details of the inner workings of the Holistic Unity Gardens family, and James had convinced her to work with him to remove Hiram Gardner from power. Now, that plan seemed to be on the verge of collapse.
For Johnny, the pieces were just beginning to come together in his drug-affected mind, and he didn't like the picture that was forming. His chocolate eyes scanned the faces of those present. He saw compassion and caring in the blue eyes of Mike and Chet. He looked at Beverly's dark green eyes, seeing only sincerity there. He shifted his gaze to the fearful eyes of Lily, noting her rapid respirations, and perspiration-soaked forehead glistening in the moonlight. Then slowly his eyes drifted to the bearded face of James. What he saw there made his stomach turn. James seemed to be growing angry, and emotion Johnny had never seen James display.
"Lily, Johnny… Why don't the two of you come with us? We'll take you to Rampart to see Gretchen. Talk to her yourselves, find out the truth straight from her," Mike suggested.
Johnny continued staring at the two men of the cult. Had he just learned the truth about James' late night activities? Was this why James spent time whispering to Ian when they thought no one else was listening? Had James been the one who tried to kill Gretchen?
"You know that we would never lie to you, John," Beverly added, seeing Johnny's doubts written on his face. "We're your friends, your family, and we don't hurt those we love." She waited for her words to hit their mark.
"You… knew this?" Johnny asked, not realizing how soft his voice was projecting due to the unknown drugs he had consumed. His voice was not quite loud enough to carry across the distance to where James and Ian were standing although his eyes were obviously addressing the bearded duo.
James noticed that Johnny was speaking to him, but wasn't sure what had been said. "Brother John? Did you say something?" he asked, walking closer to his recruit.
Johnny remained stoic, unmoving as his brain continued to put the pieces together. Beverly noticed his hesitancy and knew that he was beginning to believe them. She knew she needed to continue with her plan.
"Lily… You're mother loves you, and she's very sorry she didn't tell you the truth about your grandparents," Beverly said.
Lily's round eyes widened. "You… You know my mother?"
Johnny stared at the counselor, his attention suddenly jerked back to Beverly and Lily. "What'd… you say?"
"That's right, John. We know Iris Campbell… and we know who she is to Lily… and to you," Beverly said.
"NO!" Lily gasped, releasing her grip on Johnny's hand and covering her mouth. "You… How… how do you know that!" She gasped, shaking her head.
"It's true," Chet commented. "We've talked to her and she… she told us everything, Johnny. And… We…we want to help you, man… be there for you when ya-"
"NO!" Johnny yelled, his carefully constructed world falling to pieces around him, the secrets he had spent years hiding seemingly exposed. "She… told… you?"
"Please, Johnny," Mike spoke up, reaching out for Johnny's shoulder. He felt the younger man shrinking out of his grasp. "I know it's a shock, but… Johnny, Iris loves you and Lily, both. She wants you both to come home."
Johnny's head was pounding, his blood rushing in his ears. Everything was happening too quickly. He was dizzy, his world was spinning… "Nu-um, We… Lily?"
Lily's face became deathly pale. She had been trapped in the cult for several years, believing that to attempt to leave the group would mean certain death. Over time, she had grown to trust a couple of other members of the group. Gretchen, who was in the same situation as herself, and James – the man who had only recently disclosed his true identity to Lily. Together, they had devised the plan that was about to be implemented in just a few hours. She had reluctantly agreed to assist in getting Johnny out of harm's way by walking with him to the front gate. What she had not counted on was having her own mother brought up during the process. Now as she stood at the gate, hearing how much her mother loved her and wanted her home, her already tortured heart seemed to shatter.
"NO! Nooooo! Go away!" Lily yelled at the group, turning to run back towards the compound.
The scene seemed to unfold slowly to Johnny's drug-induced mind, but in reality, it happened in only a few seconds. Lily turned to run as fast as she could back towards the compound. Chet lunged for Johnny as Mike gave chase to the departing young woman. James grabbed onto Mike's shirt as the engineer turned to run after Lily, creating just enough of a delay to allow Ian to pull away in the cart, desperate to help the young woman escape. The men hiding behind the privacy fence and Chet's van rushed through the open gate. Hank grabbed Johnny, helping Chet contain the thrashing man. Marco, worried about the woman he loved, ushered Beverly away from the scene and into Crockett's sedan at the edge of the road. Roy, secure in the knowledge that his partner was being taken care of, shot past James, heading to offer his assistance to his engineer, running as fast as he could to help Mike intercept Lily. Ian drove past Mike, wedging the cart between Mike and Lily, allowing her to slip over the knoll before Mike and Roy reached her. Ian stepped out of the cart, tackling Mike to prevent his catching the young woman.
"Umph!"
A few steps behind them, James saw Roy slowing down because of the skirmish developing in front of them, and he managed to waylay the paramedic.
"Ugh!"
The two pairs of fighting men rolled around on the ground, exchanging blows, while Lily slipped from their view. Crockett, the only man involved in Operation 51 who actually knew what was happening, ran over to the place where the four men were fighting with each other.
"Hold it! Break it up!" He said, pulling Mike off of Ian.
By the time Crockett had the first pair separated, Marco had returned and was breaking up the fight between Roy and James.
"Cut it out!" Marco yelled.
"She's getting away, Marco," Roy yelled, twisting to escape from the grips of his lineman.
"She's already… GOTTEN away…, Desoto," Crockett said, breathlessly, trying to restrain Mike.
"What the hell are you doing?" Roy argued, swearing uncharacteristically as he stared at the detective.
"Keeping you out o' jail for assault, I hope!" Crockett shouted. "We're on private property, man! You can't say you were acting in self-defense!"
"But-" Mike began, quickly cut off by Ian.
"I want to press charges, officer!" Ian shouted, watching as James used his shirt sleeve to remove the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"Go check on her," James said to Ian, nodding in the direction Lily had taken as she fled.
Crockett looked back at Mike and Roy. "Lemme talk to 'im," he suggested. "Go check on Johnny."
"Come on, fellas," Marco encouraged, unhappy with what had just occurred.
Mike and Roy slowly acquiesced. Roy gave one last glaring look at James, feeling the swelling beginning along his left cheekbone.
As soon as Crockett was sure that the three firemen were out of hearing range, he turned his back to them and addressed James, directly.
"That was close," the detective whispered, discreetly removing the zippered pouch from his jacket. He handed it to James, making sure that no one saw what he was doing.
James winced, stretching his arm out to accept the zippered pouch. "I see your… friends can do more than… fight fires," he heaved, grimacing as he rotated his shoulder.
Ronald Crockett looked over his shoulder, grateful to see that Johnny had been removed from the premises. He could hear the skinny paramedic yelling out his slurry speech as Hank and Chet dragged him into the back of Chet's van with the remaining members of their crew hurrying over to assist.
"Are you gonna be okay?" the detective asked.
"Yea… I've had my ass kicked before," James snorted, "but never by a hose jockey."
Ron gave the undercover agent a silent grin, looking back over his shoulder to ensure that no one was watching. He didn't want to risk the others seeing him being jovial with the man they had perceived to be the enemy. "Ahhh, yea…, the fellas at the office will never let you live this one down," Crockett stated, turning to leave.
"Tell the firemen that you convinced us not to press charges," James suggested, holding onto his shoulder.
"I will," Crockett stated, "as soon as I figure out a way to explain how Ian knew I was a cop," he said with a grimace, reminding James that Ian had accidentally revealed more than he had intended.
James squeezed his eyes shut. "Mmm, yea… Sorry about that."
"So what's Johnny on?" the detective asked, knowing that the paramedic was under the influence of something.
"Not sure, man. Probably muscle relaxers and opioids mixed into the tea, but we don't know for sure. He got an extra dose tonight. See if you can talk them into taking him to Tehachapi Hospital for a toxicology test. We're going to need to know what we're dealing with when this place gets raided. It could save lives," James suggested.
"I'll talk to 'em about it," Crockett agreed.
"Was what they said true?" James asked. "About Gretchen?"
Crockett propped one hand on his hip as he studied the battered man. "Yep, but she's gonna be okay."
Relief washed over the face of the bearded man. He had feared that she had been the latest victim of Hiram Gardner. It was her disappearance that had prompted the urgency of the upcoming raid.
"Yea, those hose jockeys, as you called them, got to her in time, and she's expected to fully recover," Crockett explained.
"But she WAS overdosed on heroin?" James asked, needing to confirm what he had heard.
"Yea… Hiram's a real piece of work," Ron said, turning around to exit the grounds.
"More like a real piece of shit," James mumbled, climbing into the cart.
Crockett waved his hand, watching as the other man drove down the pathway, returning to the compound. When he had disappeared over the knoll, Ron turned around and jogged back over to the gate which had been deliberately left unlocked.
E!
Johnny gasped, growling at his captors as they dragged him farther and farther away from Lily. He struggled against their strong arms, trying to fight and kick his way free. He craned his neck, trying to find Lily. Had they gotten her, too?
"Cut i' out," Johnny groaned, his voice creating an echo in his own ears. "Lemme… go… NO!"
"Easy, Johnny… Everything's going to be alright," Hank crooned, grateful to have Johnny back in their grasps, but worried about their other paramedic who was jogging back to the entrance of the compound. Hank had never seen Roy's face so red.
"Nooo," Johnny mumbled, his eyes growing wide when he saw the door of Chet's VW van open. Even his addled brain understood what that meant. "Nu… NOOO! Li-LILY!" he called out, feeling Hank and Chet hoisting him into the back of the van.
Hank continued to keep Johnny's arms pinned to his sides. He hated the agony they were creating in Johnny, but the situation had escalated too quickly, so there had been no other choice but to leave Lily behind.
Hank was sitting in the empty void in the back of the van, leaning against the side wall. Johnny was pulled against his chest with Chet attempting to straddle Johnny's thighs.
"Cut it out, Gage," the lineman grumbled, finding it difficult to stop the constant movement of Johnny's legs. Suddenly, Johnny's knee connected with Chet's groin, sending the lineman tumbling out of the back of the van.
"Arruugh!"
Marco saw Chet grabbing his crotch and knew that could mean only one thing. The senior lineman winced in sympathetic pain, rushing to the fallen fireman's side.
Roy felt torn between his two friends. One he knew was injured, and the other he suspected was under the influence of some unknown substance. His blue eyes locked with Marco's, then each man rushed to the aid of their respective partners.
Marco kneeled down beside his friend who was curled up in agony. "You, okay?"
"What the… hell kinda… question is that?" Chet spat out.
Marco merely patted his friend on the shoulder. "Well, I do seem to remember Johnny saying that he would get you back."
"Huh?" Chet grunted.
"Remember back at your apartment… You charged the door with your crutch, and… you rammed it right into Johnny's…"
"Ahh, shit!" Chet cursed, forcing back the nausea. "Guess I… had this one… comin'."
Roy stepped up to the door of the van, casting a quick glance at the linemen. When he received a reassuring nod from Marco, he jumped into the van ready to focus his energy on Johnny.
Crockett jogged over to the van just as Mike stepped inside to help Hank and Roy. "How's John?" the detective asked.
"Strong as ever!" the captain yelled. "I could really use… a little help in here," he commented as he and Roy wrestled with Johnny.
Mike slipped into the back of the van, straddling Johnny's legs. Hank was struggling with the thrashing man's arms while Roy tried to check his pupils.
"Get… off… m-me!" Johnny groaned. "Get Li-LILY!"
Crockett spoke to both Roy and Mike. "Listen, fellas, I think he's been drugged, so… better take him into Tehachapi Hospital, don't you think?"
"Roy?" Hank asked, deferring the decision to his senior medic.
Roy heaved in a calming breath of the cool night air. "Yes… But we better get out of here before they come back with reinforcements," he said, nodding his head in the direction of the compound.
"Agreed," Crockett added. He knew there would be no reinforcements coming. Everything had gone according to plan… The FBI's plan, that is.
Roy crawled towards the van seats, retrieving his pen light from inside the first aid kit he had brought along. The sight of his best friend being restrained hit him much harder than he had thought it would, but it was more than the sight of Johnny being held forcefully that shook Roy to his core. He couldn't believe that the disheveled, scruffy man on the floor of the van was his normally happy-go-lucky partner. Johnny often pushed the limits of the department's dress code with his somewhat shaggy hair, but he was never unkempt. Now, in the dim glow of the interior lights of the van, Roy thought he looked more like one of the many homeless patients they had treated over the years, than like a Los Angeles County Fire Department Paramedic.
"Johnny?" Roy said softly, slowly positioning himself between Hank and Mike so he could look at Johnny's face. "Take it easy, Johnny. It's just me… Just Roy… You're safe now."
"Wha-Aarrgh!" Johnny growled, moving his head around. "Lily!" he cried out, his glassy eyes beginning to water. He hadn't heard her voice, which could only mean one thing. She was gone. His mind was sent reeling back to the moment when she had relinquished her hold on his hand, the moment when she had been stunned by the mention of her mother's name. Why had he let her go? Why hadn't he held onto her hand, securing her to him like a life line? He had failed her, allowed her to slip out of his grasp. He had lost her - again. "LILY! AArrgguuh!" he cried out in anguish.
"Lay him down, Cap," Roy instructed. "I'll sit on him and you hold his head." Roy turned his head slightly to address Mike. "And watch out for those legs."
The three men maneuvered Johnny onto the floor of the van. While Hank held Johnny's head still, Roy straddled his body, preventing him from getting up. Roy's knees pinned Johnny's arms at his sides and Mike held onto the junior medic's hands while he sat on Johnny's knees. Sufficiently restrained, Roy peeled Johnny's eyelids open, using his pen light to check the younger man's pupils.
"Pin points… damn it," he cursed, sweeping the tiny beam of light across his partner's brown eyes. He looked out the open van door, seeing Crockett and Marco assisting Chet into a standing position. "You're right… Need to get him to Tehachapi Hospital."
"Marco, ugh…you better drive," Chet said, gingerly pulling his keys out of his pants pocket.
"Beverly and I will follow in my car," Crockett said, relieved that this part of the mission was over.
"Thanks," Marco said, tossing the departing detective a nod as he held out his hand for Chet's keys.
"Watch yourself," Crockett commented as he closed the van door while Marco and Chet climbed into the front seats. The detective jogged over to the gold sedan, seeing the worried face of Beverly anxiously waiting in the passenger's seat.
"We're going to the Tehachapi Hospital. Marco's driving Chet's van."
Beverly nodded her head in understanding. "Good… They need to be together," she said, grateful that it had worked out for all the men of A-shift to be with Johnny during this crisis. Then she turned her thoughts towards the young woman who had gotten away.
Crockett cranked up the car, following closely behind the departing van. He was glad to have gotten away from the compound without any more injuries than had been acquired. James' injuries were minor as were Chet's; he hoped Johnny's were, as well. He had no idea what was in the young man's system, but all he had to do was convince the emergency room physician to run a toxicology test on Johnny to see what kind of substance was being used in the compound. With the young man's symptoms, that should be easy enough. The results would determine what would happen next.
The silence between Ron and Beverly was continued as they headed down the winding, deserted road. Both of them were worried about what was going on inside Chet's van… and thinking about the young woman who got away. Finally, Beverly turned to Detective Crockett.
"What was going on between you and James? I saw you talking to him."
"Ahem," Crockett began, having already rehearsed this conversation in his mind. "I'm a cop, Beverly. I felt like I needed to make sure those two were okay. That's all."
"You checked on them, but you stopped Roy from catching Lily?" She questioned flatly, having watched the scene unfold from her vantage point inside the car. "Sounds like you better come clean, Crockett."
Ron shifted in his seat, the accusation making him uncomfortable. "Look, I had to stop him before he crossed over that little hill. We HAD to stay behind it; we don't know exactly what may have been waiting on the other side. If they tried to kill Gretchen… And I have no doubt that they did… Then they might've been armed and waiting for him. Not exactly the way we wanted this night to end."
"No, it isn't the way we wanted it to end," Beverly stated, staring at the back of Chet's van, wondering what was happening in the vehicle. "We wanted BOTH of them… And we almost had them."
Ron rolled his eyes, propping his elbow on the window ledge. "Listen, I WILL get Lily out. I promise you that."
"Well, I think it's Iris you need to be making that promise to," Beverly shot back.
"I did," the detective grumbled.
"What was that?" Beverly questioned as the car eased to a stop at an intersection.
"I DID promise Iris I would bring her daughter home… I just didn't promise it would be tonight."
Beverly made a scoffing sound. "Mmmhmm… When will you do it then?"
"Soon," Ron said. "Very, very soon."
E!
Inside Chet's van, Johnny moaned, his head lolling from side to side.
"Li-Lily?"
The fading paramedic's resolve to fight was waning, his strength to resist the men who were holding him down was dissolving. His eyes burned, his throat seemed to constrict, and his chest tightened. He knew that Lily would never leave the Unity Family on her own. He had hoped to be able to convince her to leave, maybe even help him face the trial in Selma. Now, with his vision fading and the voices of his former coworkers seeming to drift down a long tunnel, farther and farther away from him, he knew that he had lost everything.
Johnny had left instructions for Iris to break his lease and give away most of his possessions; he had resigned from the department, and he had instigated an argument with Roy that he knew would end their friendship. He had failed to keep his secrets hidden from his coworkers and now even the faint glimmer of hope that he might one day return to the job he loved had been ripped away from him. The many friendships he had enjoyed through the years among his brotherhood of firefighters would be washed away as soon as word spread about the dishonor he had brought upon the department and their profession. He had tried to protect his parents in Montana by staying away, limiting his contact with them in order to save them from the threats of a Klansman. But after such a long time away from his family, their relationship had faded, or so he feared. At one time, Iris and Lily were all he had, but now he knew that he had lost them, too. He had literally allowed Lily to slip out of his hands, and he knew that Iris would never recover from the pain his failure was going to cause her. He oftentimes made risky decisions on the job, and usually, he won. Tonight, his luck had run out. He had risked it all for the woman he loved, and now he had surely lost it all – everything that had ever been important to him was gone.
As the van bounced along the dirt road, heading down the mountain, Johnny's body began to relax as he slowly descended into the drug-induced pit of despair, his mind not yet comprehending that the men with him were actually helping him.
"Johnny?" Roy questioned, feeling his best friend's body going lax. "Come on, partner," he continued, trying to coax Johnny back from the abyss. "Stay with me… alright?"
Roy kept one hand on Johnny's abdomen, counting his respirations while the other one sought out Johnny's carotid pulse. It was much slower than usual, in spite of the adrenaline rush he knew Johnny had gotten from the confrontation. His respiration rate was slower than anticipated, as well.
"Cap, his pulse is about 60, respiration rate of 12," Roy reported, needing to share the information with someone. He was accustomed to having a doctor on the other end of the biophone whenever he checked a patient's vitals. Now, he was untethered to a medical facility, and the nearest hospital was small, rural, and twenty minutes away.
Hank grimaced at the numbers he knew were too low for what had just occurred.
Mike, who had been staring at the floor of the van, looked up at his semi-conscious friend and coworker. He allowed his gaze to shift from Johnny to the others in the van. "Hey fellas… When did they do it?"
"Do what?" Chet asked, puzzled.
"When did they drug him? Chet, did you see it happen?"
Chet looked over his shoulder at the men in the back, then turned around to face forward again. He leaned his head back against the head rest, listening to the hum of the engine as they continued their trek. He relived every minute of the operation, from the time Johnny's image appeared at the top of the knoll through this very moment.
"No… I didn't see anything. Lily was close enough to have injected him with something, but I never saw him flinch, or anything. He… He had to have been drugged BEFORE he got to us, but…"
"But why wasn't Lily drugged? I mean, if the feds have a guy on the inside, and they knew we wanted them both out, then… Why was Johnny the only one drugged?" Mike asked the group.
"Sonofabitch!" Chet cursed, slamming his hand against the side of the door as they continued down the mountain. "We were double crossed!"
"What, amigo?" Marco asked, confused.
"Think about it. One of them had to be the federal agent. It had to be James, because that quiet fellow in the little cart….."
"He never fought back… SHIT!" Roy cursed again, putting the pieces together. "He never fought back when I was punching him."
"Fellas, do you think you can explain it to the rest of us without all the colorful verbiage?" Hank asked, feeling frustrated by the situation.
"James… He's got to be the agent, and… The other guy," Roy said, pausing as he relived what Ian had said. "He yelled out that he wanted to press charges against us, but… How'd he know?"
"How'd he know what?" Mike asked.
"How'd he know that Crockett was a cop?" Roy asked, feeling stunned by the turn of events. He ran a worried hand through his thinning hair. "I think I assaulted an FBI agent!"
"We'll bail you out of jail," Marco said, hoping to lighten the mood. "That guy had it coming."
"But how'd he know Crockett was a cop?" Chet repeated, shifting in his seat with a grimace of pain. "Do you fellas think maybe… I mean, could he be an agent, too?"
"Guess I might be your cell mate, DeSoto," Mike stated flatly. He looked over at his comrades beside him, his blue eyes scanning Johnny's limp form, the young man's eyes barely open. Mike had never seen the medic so still; it was unnerving to him. "How's he doing?"
"He seems to be fairly stable. Pulse and respiration are holding steady… but too slow, even for him. Not sure he's really with us, though."
"We're halfway there, buddy. Just stay with us, Gage," Chet said in a raised voice, hoping Johnny might understand him. "Please, jus' stay with us," the Irishman whispered.
E!
James drove back towards the compound, picking up Ian along the way; each man was worried about Lily. As they passed by the meditation gardens, they saw her limp form lying on the small park bench. James eased the cart to a stop, both men jumping out to check on their friend.
"Lily?" James called out, walking up to her. He could hear her soft sobs and see that her shoulders were shaking.
Ian reached her first, gently laying a hand on her shoulder. "Ssshhhh," he crooned. "It's okay."
"No… No it isn't okay," she whimpered, pushing herself up off the bench. She used her sleeve to dry her face then wrapped her arms around her midsection. "It'll never be… al-alright," she said in a ragged breath.
"It had to be done; you know that, right?" James questioned the crying woman, taking a seat beside her.
"No… No, it didn't." She looked into his face, lighted by the full moon overhead. "I never should've gotten him involved. I never should've… tricked him into… joining."
"We needed him," Ian added. "We needed just one more, and he came along and..."
"He'll never for-forgive me," she cried, pulling her knees to her chest.
"You really do love him, don't you?" Ian asked, already knowing the answer.
"I do," she said, nodding her head in affirmation. "I've never loved anyone else."
"And you will be with him soon, Lily." James reached into his pocket, withdrawing the zippered pouch Crockett had given him. "Let's get you wired up, and soon we'll have the evidence we need to nail Hiram's ass to the wall."
Lily stood up, reluctantly lifting her blouse enough for James to attach the microphone to her undergarment. The darkness eased her nervousness at him seeing her partially naked body. She sniffled then spoke up. "Do you think what they said about Gretchen is true?"
Ian, who had been standing by silently, spoke up. "It has to be. Otherwise, they would've said she was found dead. She had to have survived," he added, feeling a sense of relief. "She's… She's really alive," he said, feeling jubilant. "Maybe… Maybe I'll see her again soon, too."
James finished clipping the wire to Lily's clothes, pleased with how well it was hidden by the loose fitting garment. He glanced at Lily and Ian, hoping that both of them would soon be reunited with the people they loved. And if the next few hours went the way he had planned, he would soon be able to go back home, too.