Category: Gen
Setting: 1X17 "One Man's Terrorist"
Characters/Pairings: Jake Green, Roger, Bill.
Rating/Warnings: T
Summary: It wasn't Roger's gun that he was concerned with, it was the sniper on the roof.

Note: Set during the scene where Roger holds Jake hostage and Bill is on the roof prepared to take a shot at Roger. All quotes come from the episode "One Man's Terrorist" and are spoken by (in order of appearance): Bill, Gail, and Jake.

Disclaimer: Neither Jericho nor its characters belong to me.

Sniper

Jimmy was worried, it was evident in his eyes. He had been expecting Roger to come down alone, not to be pointing a gun at Jake's head. But he reacted quickly and hurried to warn the gathered town. Jake watched him go, struggling to go down the stairs without tripping. Roger had clearly never held someone hostage before, so it was all he could do to keep his balance. He blinked as they exited onto the street and felt Roger tense behind him. The hand wrapped across his chest tightened, the gun barrel was tauntingly close to his cheek. He could feel that unpleasant itch you get when something is so close to your skin but not quite touching.

If I get the shot, Jake, I'm taking it.

And yet, it wasn't Roger's gun that he was most concerned with. Jake turned his head as much as possible, scanning the rooftop in an effort to find Bill. He just barely caught a glimpse of movement and knew that Bill was leveling his rifle at them. He could almost feel the crosshairs lined up around his face. Looking forward, Jake saw his parents watching the events unfold. His mother gave a scared "Oh God" when she saw the gun pointed at her eldest son's head. He wondered if she knew that Bill was on the rooftops that moment, staring down the scope in an attempt to get a shot around him at Roger. He doubted it, and he was grateful for that. She didn't need to worry about two guns.

Roger. It's over. They can stay. We found them homes.

Jake felt nothing but admiration for his mother and what she had accomplished in that moment, but Roger didn't seem to register the words. The gun stayed where it was, and so did the sniper rifle. Jake felt chills go down his spine and he wondered if Bill could hear what had just been said. With the height and how soft Gail had spoken, he didn't think Bill would have been able to hear. All the deputy would know would be what he could see, and that was a gun pointed at Jake's head. The man didn't have the best aim to begin with, but add in the pressure and the fear he would surely be feeling and Jake couldn't help the sinking feeling in his gut. The chances of Jake being hit if a shot was taken at Roger were high, practically a guarantee. And what if Bill missed? The crowd was packed in tight and growing bigger every second as the refugees climbed off the bus. One misplaced shot could hit any of them, and if one shot went off more would surely follow. It would be a massacre.

Just put the gun down, Roger. You won. Come on, put it down.

Roger hesitated one moment more before pulling the gun back. The arm wrapped around Jake's chest was lifted into the universal sign for surrender and Jake let out the breath that he had been holding ever since exiting Town Hall. He took a shaky step away as Jimmy and another deputy forced Roger to the ground and handcuffed him. All the adrenaline drained out of him, and Jake doubled over, his breathing hitched. Gail was at her son's side instantly, grasping at him to assure herself that he was alive and all right. Johnston wasn't far behind and placed a supporting hand on his son's shoulder. Jake took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and straightened up.

Instantly, his eyes went to the rooftops were he saw Bill lifting his rifle into the air. The deputy looked down, meeting Jake's eyes. Even from the distance, Jake could tell the man was having difficulty keeping his hands from shaking. Jake kept the eye contact for a moment before Bill looked away, unable to confront Jake. The deputy waited a few moments longer before slowly making his way to the ladder and climbing down from his sniper's post. Jake let out a sigh of relief, the fear he had felt melting away as Bill made his way into Town Hall, the rifle finally pointed at the ground.