by Anne Welch
"I can't stand to see my baby lying there with all those tubes coming out of him," his mom told Rachel.
"His room is the third curtain on the left; go sit with him, sweetie," his dad said.
Rachel nodded in reply. If she said anything, she would break down in front of them, and that was the last thing they needed. When she walked through the ICU doors, the smell assaulted her senses, reminding her of all the hours she'd spent in the hospital by Grace's side. The protein bar she'd eaten earlier began coming up her throat. She made it to the bathroom just in time. Afterwards, she washed her face and rinsed her mouth with the mouthwash in her purse. Get it together, Webber, she chastised herself. She made her way down the hall and pulled the curtain back. Her eyes filled up with water at the sight of Blake lying there.
This big, burly, larger than life man lying helpless on that hospital bed was hard to see, even for her. Although he had several draining tubes coming out of him, he was not on a ventilator and was able to breath on his own.
She gently kissed his forehead and whispered in his ear, "I need you to wake up; I need my partner."
She held his hand and began talking to him. She told him about Jay and herself—about how they were close to catching this SOB and about what a hero he was. The officer he risked his life to save had been released from the hospital and would make a full recovery. She just kept talking, willing him to wake up. She even told him how cute his nurse was that day. She was blonde and had a huge rack—just his type. The longer he remained unconscious, the more likely he would have permanent damage.
"Come on, Blake, I need you to wake up. Your parents are worried. So are the guys at the fire house. Hell, you got me worried, now. You hard headed lug, why did you have to try to be a superhero?" She pulled the stool up to the bed and held his hand up to her face.
She could have sworn his fingers moved against her cheek, but she thought it may have been her mind playing tricks on her. But she felt it again. He touched her cheek. She stood up and ran her hand across his stubbled cheek.
"Blake, can you hear me? It's Rachel. Open your eyes, sweetie."
She saw his eyelids move and, suddenly, she was staring at the most beautiful pair of blue eyes she'd ever seen. He struggled to speak.
"Shhh. Don't try to talk; you had surgery on your neck." She yelled for the nurse.
Before the nurse ushered her out of the room, she could have sworn he said he was Superman.
Chapter Nine
The task force meeting had been going strong for over two hours, meticulously planning their next move. The TBI profiler agreed with Jay and Mike's two suspects, and they were put in charge of bringing them in. The military records were sent over. Both suspects had gone through sniper training and they'd both served in Iraq, although not in the same unit. Their DNA was sent to the lab to be compared to the cigarette butts. They were so close to catching these bastards but Jay still had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something told him it wasn't over yet.
His phone buzzed and he glanced at the screen. It was from Rachel. She let him know that Blake was awake and stable. The doctors were now more optimistic about his recovery. He shared the news with the people in the room and it broke the tension somewhat. He texted her back, Great news, babe. I'll call you when I can. Her reply was, Be careful. XO. The call came from the DA's office that the judge signed off on warrants to bring the two suspects, Randy Pope and Raymond Carson, in for questioning. Team one, which was led by Jay and Mike, would go after Carson and team two would go after Pope.
Adrenaline was pumping through his veins as he and Mike suited up in their tactical vests. Jay added extra ammo clips to his and rechecked his weapon. His team loaded up in the blacked-out van and headed to Carson's address. He lived just outside downtown Nashville in a small two-bedroom house surrounded by five acres of land. From the aerial pictures, there appeared to be a small shed on the property, close to the house. There was a wooded area on the right side of the house that would provide them with the cover they needed for their approach.
They did one last com check and proceeded carefully through the woods. They couldn't be too safe on this approach. This guy had sniper training and he was part of the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) unit in Iraq. Mike paused at the end of the tree line and pointed to the ground. There was a trip wire. They alerted the other team members to avoid it. The side of the house closest to them had no windows so they approached without drawing attention. Slowly, Jay stepped on the porch and ran his hand around the door frame, checking for wires. He didn't find any, so he motioned for them to ram the door.
It took two times, but the door opened, and they began to search the house. It was small and didn't take them long. It was empty and didn't look lived in. They tossed the place, looking for any clues or evidence that he was the suspect they were looking for. After they were done with the house, they searched the shed out back. So far, they'd turned up nothing. It was looking like Mr. Carson wasn't their guy. He ordered some of the team to do a perimeter search and called in the bomb squad to deactivate the trip wire they'd found. He checked in with team two, and they said Pope couldn't be the guy; he was in hospice care for cancer. He was about to leave the shed, when a streak of light caught his attention.
He knocked on the wood around the area, and one wall sounded hollow. He yelled for a hammer and hit the board until he could get his hand through. He heard a click and pulled the wall open. What he saw made his heart race. Pictures of all the Music Valley Gas stations were hung up, along with newspaper articles about the accident in the park. There was a beautiful blonde woman, holding the hand of a five-year-old browned hair little boy hanging there, as well. This must be his wife and son. But the pictures that caught his attention the most were of the fire station. Rachel's fire house.
"Mike!" He yelled.
"What's going on, man?" Mike said, coming to stand by Jay.
"Oh, shit!"
"He's going after the fire station, man. We have to go," Jay told his partner, already running out of the shed.
***
Rachel stood in the locker room at the fire station and put on her uniform. She'd been at the hospital with Blake when the chief had called her in to work. He'd told her they were short on paramedics for this shift and could really use her. She'd promised Jay she would wait at the hospital on him but she needed to help at work. She tried to call him twice but his phone went straight to voicemail. She left him a message and told him she was going to work a shift and that she caught a ride to the firehouse with Tommy. He was a firefighter who was stationed at her house and they'd worked together for years. He had stopped by to see Blake on his way in.
She secured the straps of her vest under her navy blue uniform shirt. She was still feeling queasy so she splashed her face with cold water. One last look in the mirror, and she was ready. She stopped by the kitchen and grabbed a Coke and some crackers to ease her stomach. Sipping her Coke, she walked into the garage to make sure the ambulance was stocked and ready to go. Normally, Blake beat her to it. When she approached the ambulance, she saw black boots sticking out the back.
"Step away from my ambulance," she said, setting her Coke down.
"Rachel?" came a feminine voice.
"Jaz? What are you doing here?" she said, pulling her in a tight hug.
"With everything happening, they are rotating some of us here to help out."
She and Jaz had gone through EMT training together.
"It's so good to see you. I was so sorry to hear about Blake. How's he doing?" Jaz asked, patting her hand.
"He woke up today and is doing much better. He's got a long recovery ahead of him, but he's strong."
They'd just completed the ambulance check when Rachel's phone rang. She saw it was Grace, so she stepped away to answer the call.
"Well, hello, Mrs. Raines."
"Not for long, if he keeps this shit up," was Grace's reply.
"Uh oh, what did Zach do?"
"Can y
ou believe he made us miss our connecting flight home? Now we are stuck in Miami. Oh, and I know the only reason is because of that psycho on the loose."
"Gracie, he just wants you safe."
"I am not a fragile doll who needs protecting."
"Give him a break; he only did it because he loves you."
"I know, Rach, but I wanted to get back to be there with you. I know how much Blake means to you," her friend told her, blowing out a frustrated breath.
"And I love you for that, but I feel better knowing you are out of harm's way. It's bad enough I have to worry about Jay going after this psycho." She hesitated. Oh, I hope I didn't give too much away. She wanted to tell Grace about the two of them face to face.
"Tell me now, Rachel Elaine Webber. What are you keeping from me?"
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"If you're worried about my brother, he can take care of himself. He's great at what he does. But I do worry about him, too. Listen I need to go, but we will be home in a few days. Be careful, Rach, and we love you."
"I love you guys, too."
She missed talking to Grace so much. She was more than her best friend. She was the sister Rachel never had but always wished for. If anyone deserved a happily ever after, it was Grace. She and Zach had been through so much to be together. Smiling at the thought of her friend giving her husband a hard time, she headed back inside. Her stomach was calming down now and she was starving. Surprisingly, the shift had been quiet so far and she was grateful for that. She checked her phone again and hadn't heard back from Jay. She knew, when he was with the task force, it was hard for him to communicate with her.
Jaz put a plate of food in front of Rachel and sat down beside her.
"The way those boys were eating, I didn't think there would be anything left, so I grabbed you a plate."
"Thanks Jaz." She was touched by the sweet gesture.
Before Rachel could take a bite, the alarm sounded. Jaz stood up, and they prepared to leave. When the dispatcher made the announcement, it was for fire only, no ambulance or squad needed. She sat back down and Rachel continued to eat. She texted Jay one more time so he would come by the station to find her and not the hospital. She also texted Blake's mom to check on him. She told her his sister was with him now and they were moving him into a regular room in a few days. She felt a weight lift off her chest. Now, if she and Jay could make a go of it, things were looking pretty good for her.
With the ladder truck handling the empty warehouse fire, the station was almost empty. She and Jaz cleaned up the dishes and put the food away. They played a game of pool and caught up on each other's lives. Even though things had been fairly quiet on this shift, she still felt an uneasiness. Maybe it was because she hadn't heard from Jay or because the shooter was still out there.
Chapter Ten
Jay sped down the interstate in the patrol car he borrowed while Mike was on the radio with their police captain. The DNA results were a match to Raymond Carson. That, along with the evidence they found at his house, proved he was the guy they were looking for. The one question still nagging him was why now? Jay asked them to find out what facility the man's son was in. He wanted to send someone over to see if Carson had been by there lately. Jay reached in his vest for his phone and tried the fire station again. For some reason, none of his calls were going through there. He'd tried to call Rachel, as well, but no luck there, either.
He was just grateful she was safe at the hospital with Blake, and his sister, Grace, was still out of town and not at the firehouse. He put his phone back in his vest; he'd have to have it checked out soon. Jay slammed the car in park to a stop about a block from the fire station, in front of the perimeter that was set up. The senior officer told them shots were being fired at them when they got any closer to the fire station.
"He's here, Mike. I know it's him," Jay said to his partner.
With the officer's help, they began to pinpoint where the bullets were coming from. There was a five-story apartment complex directly across from the fire station, and Jay's gut told him that was the place. The shooter was there. He knew they should wait for more backup but he wasn't letting him get away again. Mike agreed, and after leaving instructions with the senior officer, they took off. There was an alley behind the apartment building so they could mask their approach. When they walked in the lobby, it was empty. They brought two officers with them for backup and they took the elevator to the top floor.
Jay slowly pushed the door that said roof access open, with his gun in hand. He could hear the bullets being ejected from the gun so he knew he was right. He instructed the two officers to go to the left and he and Mike would approach the shooter from the right. There was no way this bastard was getting away. He could see the man's back as they quietly approached him.
"Freeze! Drop the gun! Nashville Police Department," Jay called out.
The firing stopped and the man turned to face them. He dropped the gun but his right hand was balled in a fist. The man just smiled at them.
"You're too late."
***
"Hey Rach, I'm bored so I'm going to recheck the ambulance," Jaz said to her.
"I'll be out to help in a few," she said back to her.
She wanted to make a fresh pot of coffee, first. She scooped the grounds in the filter and hit the button, when she heard the garage bay doors opened. The ladder truck must be back, she thought to herself. She reached in the cabinet for her favorite Star Wars mug, when she felt the ground shake. Rachel tried to maintain her balance, but the building began collapsing around her. She hit the floor with a thud and did her best to cover her head from the falling debris. She crawled on her hands and knees and sought cover under the kitchen table. Blood began trickling down her face and she tried to wipe it from her eye. But before she could, her world went dark.
***
Jay saw the smoke billowing up from the fire department as Mike was handcuffing Carson. In his right hand was a small detonator. He radioed in to let them know the suspect was in custody and to send help for the firehouse. The task force showed up, moments later, and they handed Carson over to them. Jay took off running out of the apartment building to help with injured. Tommy was the first firefighter he ran into. He was covered in dust but, other than a few small cuts, appeared to be ok.
"Hey, man, how bad is it?" Jay asked him.
"Most of the damage was towards the back office areas, away from us. We just back from a call so we were in the garage bay. We tried to get out, but this asshole kept shooting at us," he said, coughing.
The ambulances and other fire trucks began arriving from other stations to help.
"Hey, Jay, have you seen Rachel?" Tommy asked him.
"She's at the hospital with Blake; I dropped her off this morning."
"No, man. She was at work today. She rode in with me from the hospital. We were shorthanded so Chief called her in."
Jay's legs turned to rubber and he felt like he couldn't breathe.
"Where the hell is she, Tommy?" he yelled and ran towards the building. He had to find Rachel. It took two strong men to hold him back, including the fire chief.
"You can't go in there yet, Jay, it's not stable," the chief told him.
"Rachel's in there!" he yelled at the man.
"We will get her out, I promise. Now, step back and let us do our job."
He felt so lost as he stood there watching the firefighters work. Considering the explosion, most of the fire station appeared to be unaffected, except for the offices and the kitchen/sitting room area. Almost everyone was accounted for, except two office workers and Rachel. One of the other paramedics, Jaz, said Rachel was in the kitchen when bomb went off. They were focusing the search there, now. After what seemed like hours, he heard one of the guys yell that they were bringing someone out. He would recognize that black hair anywhere.
They loaded her into the ambulance, and Jay jumped in the back with them. Her head was wrapped in a huge white ban
dage and she was covered in blood and dust. The paramedic treating her, Jaz, said she was breathing on her own and that her vitals were good. He reached out to hold her hand but it was covered in cuts, so he placed his hand on her arm, instead. He had to touch her—to assure himself she was alive.
"Open your eyes, baby," he pleaded with her. "Let me see those beautiful brown eyes."
He tried to stay out of Jaz's way but he had to keep touching Rachel. They were turning into the hospital when she opened her eyes. He'd never seen anything more beautiful.
"Hey, baby."
"Jay?" she whispered. "What happened?"
"There was an accident, but you're gonna be fine." He kissed the top of her head.
He did his best to hold onto her while they rolled her in the ER, but they pushed him out of the treatment room. He lifted his hand to push his way back in the room when he felt a hand on his arm.
"Let them work on her; she's in good hands, big brother."
Jay turned to see his baby sister standing there with his new brother-in-law.
"Gracie?" He pulled her into a fierce hug. "How did you get here?" he asked, wiping the wetness from his eyes.
"You know what a stubborn woman your sister is, man. She couldn't stay away, so we caught a non-stop flight," Zach told him as he ushered them to the waiting room. "The chief called me and filled me in, so we came straight here."
"Our girl's going to be fine," Grace tried to reassure him.
"She's as tough as your sister," Zach said, taking a seat beside his sister and putting his arm around her.
