Tan was sitting next to Rocker in the back of their armored vehicle, racing toward the spot where Luca's tracker was intermittently showing up.
"Why is it cutting in and out?" he glanced sideways at Rocker who just shrugged. "Tech figures it might've gotten damaged in the blast,"
"But that doesn't explain how he got across town without it showing up," Tan adds and when their driver, Cole, announces they are close he checks his gear.
Everything is strapped and ready. The vehicle comes to a screeching stop and Tan pushes open the back door. "This way," Rocker points toward an industrial structure. "Looks like Luca is behind it or at the back of the building.
"Tan, with me we go around back," he orders "Cole, Miller front, the rest two side. Stay alert!"
The team moves swiftly into position and Tan whishes he brought thermal with him. Rocker's fist goes up above his head and Tan slows his steps to a halt. "I have two armored cars at the back, four tangos, possibly armed," Rocker radios and motions for Tan to get ready again. "On my count," he whispers and Tan's eyes go to Rocker's hand. Three fingers, two… one.
They move around the corner and no suspects are in sight. "They must've gone back in," Tan states and they hear Cole report 4 tangos inside.
No sight of Luca though.
Tan checks in with Rocker. "He has to be close. Tracker indicates about 5 yards," the team leader shows the map and Tan nods to the cars.
Maybe they have some special coating that keeps the signal contained most of the time.
They carefully approach and open both back doors to find the truck bed empty. Tan's hope dwindles and Rocker radios to HQ. "Can you trigger the emergency beacon remotely?"
Seconds later Tan can hear a screeching sound coming from the chassis of the truck to the right. In a flash he is on the concrete and fumbles around the underside of the truck until he finds what he is looking for.
"Found the tracker, but Luca isn't here!" he reports in.
The rest of the team had arrested the four men. None of them were talking.
"Okay, we need to know where these trucks have been today!" Rocker orders, "Tan grab what you need and figure it out. The rest of you, sweep this place and double check that our people aren't here!"
While Tan starts work on an uplink to tech and figures out how to get the location data out those trucks Street is trying to distract himself. He chose a workout on the bikes closest to command, just so he could listen in and be informed. He is constantly fighting the urge to just grab his gear and go help, but he knows Hicks will fire him for real this time if he screws up.
He prays they will find Luca on location and that they can find the rest of the team too. But most of all his thoughts swirl around Chris. What if he lost her now?
"Street," a voice to his left draws his attention and he has to shake his head twice to focus and recognize Annie. He can't stop the pained expression on his face.
"Annie, let me go and grab Hicks," he rushes out before noticing that that wasn't the right thing to say. Annie's face immediately goes from just annoyed to worried and scared.
"Give me a minute, okay. I'll be right with you," Street grabs a towel and hurries to the command center.
"Sir, Annie is here," he reports and Hicks takes a deep breath.
"Brief her. Carefully, and then it's your job to make sure Annie and her family are taken care off," the commander relays his thoughts clear and short and Street hears it in his tone. He should pull himself together.
He goes to change out of his work out gear and when he leaves the locker room Rocker and Tan bring in the four arrested suspects. He shares a look with Tan, who just shakes his head.
Street's stomach sinks. Now he has to try to explain what little he knows to Annie.
When Street is back with Annie, she looks at him expectantly.
"The team is missing," he decides on just telling the truth and Annie nods stoically. She seems to be taking this way better than he did. "They just brought in four suspects and are doing everything they can to find them," he continues.
"And what about you? Why only they, why not we?" Annie furrows her brow. She had picked up on that. Street's inner voice screams at him for his choice of words.
"Hicks won't let me help," he explains curtly and Annie's face immediately softens. "You're worried too. Don't worry, have faith. The officers in this building are apparently the best LA has to offer," Annie offers her arms in a hug.
"And here I was supposed to brief you," Street manages a laugh.
"You just hate not being able to help. Welcome to the other side," Annie replies with a kind smile. She checks her watch and then grabs her purse. "I gotta get back home. Keep me updated,"
Street nods and when Annie opens the door he can hear commotion from the operations center. Just seconds later Rocker, Tan and their team rush out in full gear.
"Looks like they found something," Annie comments and Street nods.
50 squad is rolling on a location where the trucks stopped in between the mines and the warehouse they were found at.
Meanwhile Luca is slowly waking up in a dark place. He can feel concrete beneath his finger tips. He feels groggy and like someone knocked him flat on his ass. His head is throbbing and his memory foggy.
Last he remembers they were entering the mines in formation. He was bringing up the rear while Deac and Chris had taken the lead.
With a start Luca sits up and his head starts spinning immediately. He presses his eyes shut and then slowly opens them back up. Staring into the darkness. He can't see anyone of his teammates.
He starts feeling around in a wider circle until his fingers hit fabric.
"Deac? Chris? Miller? Davis?" he shout-whispers trying to wake up the figure he just found.
A low groan is his answer as the other person slowly wakes up. "Luca? What happened? Where are the others?" he hears Davis mumble questions into the darkness.
"I don't know. This place is pitch black. I haven't found anyone else yet," Luca replies and then has to shield his eyes. Davis shines a flashlight at him.
After a second or two his eyes have adjusted and now the two men let the light wander around until they find the bodies of Deac and Miller at the other side of the room. They both still seem out cold.
"Where is Chris? And what the hell have they given us? My head is killing me," Davis grumbles while he tries to make his way over to their colleagues.
While Davis and Luca try to wake up Deac and Miller, they hear an explosion from outside.
In the dim glow of the flashlight they share a look. They recognized that sound. Someone found them. Or at least the place they were at.
