Chapter 17: Rookie to the Rescue

"You know…" Eddie begins out of breath as a door they just passed begins to open "I really miss being able to call for a 10-13 right about now."

"Will I do?"

Startled, Jamie and Eddie whip their heads around to see Caitlin standing there dressed in civies with her bullet proof vest on underneath pocketing her cell phone.

"Um…" Jamie hesitates.

"Oh please." Caitlin dismisses as she moves towards the couple "I know you didn't kill my parents okay. You weren't even in town at the time now come on…" She instructs as she reaches out to grab Eddie's arm with the simple intention of guiding her in the direction of where she wants the couple to go but she unknowingly grabs Eddie's injured arm and as much as she tries to hold it back, Eddie still let's out a painful cry as Jamie's jacket slips off her shoulder.

Startled, Caitlin immediately pulls her hand back as Jamie reaches out to catch the jacket and steady his wife.

"Oh my god." Caitlin breathes out in alarm and regret "You are injured aren't you?"

"Well we aren't in a hospital for nothing!" Jamie harshly bites back before addressing his wife in concern "You okay?"

Caitlin apologetically cringes as she gets a look at the wound "Oh that looks nasty."

"Feels worse." Eddie grumbles through gritted teeth as Jamie again covers her shoulder and arm with his jacket "But I'll manage."

"Okay well sorry." Caitlin again apologizes "But we need to move because in another thirty seconds it's going to be more than just the three of us here and I'm assuming you don't know your way around this lovely and history filled establishment here do you?"

"No." Jamie admits.

"Then let me give you the guided tour because you're going the wrong way." Caitlin offers as she hooks her thumb back towards the door she just came out of.

"We were trying to get to the parking garage." Jamie explains "And get out that way."

"Excellent idea." Caitlin agrees "But I suggest we take the back, lesser known route to get there…" She explains as she reaches for the door handle "So let's go!" She instructs as she opens the door, pokes her head out looks up and down the hall then seeing the cost is clear she beckons her head for the couple to follow her "Established in 1849…" She begins as she steps into the hall and begins to rattle off historic info.

"Oh she's serious." Eddie lowly tells her husband as they follow but when they see a nurse suddenly enter into the hallway from a side room, Caitlin just smiles and nods at the nurse as she continues giving the history lesson and the nurse smiles and nods back before just continuing on her path down the hall ignoring Jamie and Eddie and when the nurse is no longer within earshot Caitlin glances back at Jamie and Eddie and flashes a smile.

"Seriously used to be a tour guide here." She explains "Staff don't even look at you when the tours come through anymore." She adds while hearing another door open so she suddenly points at the wall "And that painting over there was donated to the hospital way back in…"

Jamie and Eddie immediately feign interest in the painting on the wall as the next nurse that passes completely ignores them too…

….

"There she is." Joe states in relief as he sees The Chevelle parked up ahead with no sign of law enforcement anywhere around her so he pulls in to park behind her.

"Wait." Charlotte realizes "How are you going to start her? You got a key?"

Joe smiles at her and reaches for the shiv he grabs at the last minute off the mechanic's tray "Nope! We're doing this the old fashioned way!"

"What does that mean?"

"I'm gonna hot wire her."

Charlotte's eyes go a bit wide.

"Just keep a look out for me K." Joe instructs. "I gotta change the plates first – that's the most important thing."

Charlotte shakes her head as they both get out of the car "You are going to owe me one hell of a dinner after this."

Joe briefly stops walking and smiles at Charlotte "It's a date." He agrees before simply continuing on his path to the back license plate of The Chevelle.

A smile of approval appears on Charlotte's face.

…..

Caitlin opens another door, pokes her head out then immediately pulls her head back and shuts the door with a furrowed brow "Okay slight problem – Vepspy and Penner are standing guard."

"Fellow cops?" Jamie inquires.

Caitlin nods "Yeah. I really didn't think they would cover this route, it's so obscure…"

In hearing that, Jamie's first thought is 'well if I was running this manhunt, I'd be covering all routes no matter how obscure too' but they didn't have time for that so instead he gives Caitlin a light push towards the door "Well go get rid of them." He instructs but Caitlin resists "Wait! How?"

"You're resourceful." Jamie simply replies as he instead reaches for the doorknob himself, opens it and lightly shoves the rookie through "You'll figure it out." He adds before just reshutting the door.

Eddie frowns "Jamie that wasn't nice. She's trying to help us."

"I have every confidence she'll succeed." Jamie defends.

"And why is that?" Eddie challenges.

"Because she's a Reagan." Jamie explains.

Eddie tosses that one around "Okay." She relents "I'll give you that one but she better hurry up because I'm still wounded over here."

Suddenly the door opens and Caitlin appears "Come on." She prompts in a rush "Let's go!"

"Told you." Jamie proudly tosses at his wife as they move to follow.

….

Charlotte is leaning against The Chevelle repeatedly looking up and down the street as Joe places Meretti's license plate on the front of The Chevelle and picks up the first screw to begin finger tightening it into place when Charlotte spots an RMP turning onto the street and heading towards them.

Widening her eyes, Charlotte pushes herself off the car and hisses "Cops!" to Joe as she walks towards him.

"Damn it." Joe mutters as he has no choice but to let go of Meretti's plate resulting in the plate flipping down and dangling as he tries to slide the old plate and screw driver under the car to hide them from view.

Knowing they need to obstruct the view of the dangling license plate, Charlotte walks up to Joe so they are both standing in front of the plate and just pulls him into a kiss.

The RMP drives by without stopping.

Finally pulling apart both Joe and Charlotte are a bit breathless.

"Um…" Charlotte rasps out "That dinner might turn into breakfast too."

A wide grin appears on Joe's face "You name it." He accepts as he just can't help himself and leans forward for one more quick taste of her lips "And it's yours." He declares before just dropping onto his knees again to continue with his task.

…..

"How are we getting out of the parking garage?" Eddie queries as the trio enter the structure through some back maintenance door.

"My car is in here." Caitlin simply replies "We'll just drive out the exit."

"Because no one is going to think about stopping to check the car of the daughter of the victims." Jamie notes impressed.

"Exactly." Caitlin agrees "You two just need to stay out of sight okay now anymore questions?" She a bit pompously tosses out.

"Actually yes." Jamie admits "I have one. How is it you found us so easily in this hospital when no one else in the department has been able too?"

"Oh I'm just that good." Caitlin boasts in deflection.

"No." Jamie rejects "Try again and the truth this time please."

Caitlin sighs "Okay fine…" She relents "…so I used the find my phone app."

"I'm sorry what?" Jamie queries.

"I got your number from Mrs. Ryerson…" Caitlin begins to explain "Oh and did I mention I was going into computer coding before deciding to become a cop? I was." She nonchalantly tacks on "A smartphone is not really that hard to hack if you know what you are doing."

Flabbergasted at what he just heard, Jamie opens this mouth, then closes it then reopens it "When this is over..." he finally decides "...you and I are going to have a serious conversation about the rules."

"Jamie she's helping us." Eddie again points out.

"I know that Eddie." Jamie confirms "But this is what I was talking about – she could get in real trouble for this!"

"Only if we tell on her." Eddie counters back "And I don't plan on doing that, do you?"

"Well no." Jamie admits.

"So she used it for good and not evil." Eddie points out causing Caitlin to smile.

"See." Caitlin tacks on "She gets it – oh this is us!" She adds as they reach a vehicle. She looks around then unlocks it and opens the back door "In you go!" she instructs.

….

Charlotte is again acting as look out as Joe is down under the steering wheel hot wiring The Chevelle.

Suddenly the car roars to life.

"You are so going to teach me how to do that." Charlotte warns Joe as he stands back up.

"Another date!" Joe playfully decides with a flash of a smile before gesturing back to the vehicle they arrived in "Now go because we aren't in the clear yet and the last thing I want is for you to get caught up in all this."

"Aw…" Charlotte playfully mocks "My hero."

"I'm willing to give that a shot." Joe seriously admits.

"Hmmmm." Charlotte muses "Only time will tell I guess but if you think about it, I'm the hero here. I mean where would you be without me right now? Two cars and only you."

"Good point." Joe concurs "Guess I owe you."

"Oh you do." Charlotte admits before a suggestive little look appears on her face "And trust me, I plan on collecting."

Picking up on her subtle meaning, Joe let's out a delicious groan "Go." He prompts again "Go back to the estate and I'll touch base when I can."

A look of surprise appears on Charlotte's face "You're not coming with?"

Joe shakes his head "No, got a couple of things to take care of first."

Suddenly Charlotte leans up to kiss him again and then pulls back "For luck." She flippantly adds before letting out a hearty laugh "Man I've always wanted to do that…" she muses as she turns to walks away "…you know like in the movies!"

Joe's expression immediately changes and he reaches out to stop Charlotte from walking away and turns her back towards him "Hey." He seriously begins "This isn't a movie okay. This is real and it's dangerous."

"I know." Charlotte confirms.

"I'm serious." Joe presses "So just go back to the estate and if anyone asks, you tell them the truth – I asked you to drop me off here, you did and that's all you know."

"That is all I know." Charlotte reminds him.

Joe flashes a quick thankful smile "I know and for now we need to keep it that way. Hopefully soon I can explain everything to you okay…" he adds "…but for now like I said, just go back to the estate but keep your eyes and ears open and if you see or hear anything that doesn't sound right, you call me okay?" he implores "Otherwise, I'll be in touch when I can."

…..

Just as predicted, Caitlin drives out the parkade with nothing more than a little wave of acknowledgement to her fellow cops in charge of the vehicle check and once she is clear she briefly glances into the backseat "Okay clear. You can sit up a bit now if you want."

"Thank you." Eddie winces out.

"How you doing?" Jamie inquires of this wife.

"I'm okay." Eddie mumbles out trying to put on a brave front but the truth was her arm was killing her "Where are we going now?"

"The one place they'll never think to look." Caitlin replies "Home."

Jamie and Eddie exchange a look wondering when would be a good time to break it to Caitlin that her home is where this all started…

But Jamie shakes his head no at his wife because Caitlin was right – the police would never think to look for them there.

…..

There is again quiet in the front foyer of Caitlin's house when suddenly the door opens, Caitlin enters first then turns and holds the door open waiting for Jamie to help Eddie inside.

"Okay wait, wait." Eddie pleads to her husband as she stops walking and leans on him more for support "I need to sit."

"Okay hang on." Caitlin quickly prompts as she shuts the door then rushes into the dining room to grab a chair. She's back in a flash setting a chair behind Eddie and Jamie eases his wife down onto it.

"What's wrong?" He prompts his wife in true concern "Other than the obvious." He adds.

"I think it's starting to bleed again." Eddie admits in pain as she moves the gauze away from her arm just enough to look then winces as she quickly moves to apply pressure again "Yup." She confirms.

Knowing all their moving around likely only made Eddie's wound worse, Jamie frowns as he immediately jams his hand into his pocket to pull out and rip open a new sterile piece of gauze.

"I'll get the first aid kit." Caitlin decides before just taking off again as Jamie moves to take over applying the pressure to the wound for his wife.

At his move, Eddie gratefully looks up at her husband as she lets her hand slip away from her arm and down so she can rest "Thank you."

"Eddie I'm sorry." Jamie offers in regret.

"Jamie I'll be fine." Eddie promises "It's not like it's an actual bullet hole, it's just a deep graze."

"Yeah well, it may not be an actual bullet hole but it's still taking a lot out of you." Jamie points out.

"I'll be fine." Eddie reiterates

"Except now you're bleeding again." Jamie presses in frustration with both the situation and himself for letting this happen "And you heard the doctor, you still need stitches and we need to be careful of infect…" but at that moment Jamie's eyes land on a familiar looking black and white photo of Henry and Betty Reagan on display on the desk next to them and his voice trails off.

"Jamie?" Eddie questions at seeing a stunned look on his face "What is it?"

"Okay I got the first aid kit." Caitlin announces as she reappears "And some old towels."

"Where did you get that?" Jamie suddenly just demands of Caitlin.

Surprised and slightly confused, Caitlin looks over trying to figure out what he's referring to "Get what?"

"This." Jamie prompts as he lifts his free hand and points at a photo directly behind Eddie.

"That?" Caitlin replies wondering what the fuss is over an old photo "That's my Great Grandparents."

Jamie's face turns to a sheet of white.

...