Beauty & The Beast (Book 1)

71. Partners In Crime

(A/N: Season 1 Episode 17 - "Partners in Crime")

Cat's heart dropped the second she heard the gunshot. She ran faster.
There was a second gunshot and she saw Tess standing with her gun pointed at Vincent. He held onto his stomach, blood coming from the wound. He topples over onto his side with a groan.

"No!" she shrieks. "No!" She runs to the edge of the water tank and jumps in. She runs over to him, and gets onto her knees, her hands on his over the blood. "It's okay, it's okay. You're gonna be okay." Vincent writhes on the floor. Cat checks his pained face in worry.

"He was about to attack me, cuff him!" Vincent's eyes go to Tess and snarls.

"Tess! Tess you need to put your gun down!" Cat looks over her shoulder at Tess. "He needs help!"

Vincent's face was now shifting between human and beast. He was having a hard time keeping control.

"He's changing!" Cat cries. "Okay, call an ambulance!"

"No ambulance," he groans out, lifting his head. Shd stares at him. "Get my bag." Cat moves to the bag on her knees and Vincent starts to sit. Hearing ambulance and Cat's worry had him back to human real fast. He was still on the edge but it was handlable.

"Cat! Stay back!" Tess forces out.
"Stop  - "

"Okay! I know but he's not gonna hurt us okay!" Cat looks at Tess. "Vincent? What do you need?" she unzips the bag.

"A knife. In the front pocket."

"Is that Vincent Zalanski? That you've been dating? That's the serial killer we've been looking for?!" Cat glances at Tess and takes out the pocket knife. "You are not giving him a knife!"

"What do you need it for?" Cat ignores Tess.

"Need to get...the bullet out..."

"What?" Cat gasps. Was that even safe? "Ho - "

"Just give to me," Vincent takes the knife while Cat tries to breath normally. She was panicking now.

"Put the weapon down! Now!"

Vincent places the knife's blade against his skin and Cat turns to look at Tess in desperation while holding him down. "Tess, he just needs to get the bullet out!" Vincent groans, gasping as he feels the change again at the intrusion of the knife but he manages to fight it, digging into his wound. Cat watches with wide eyes. She's seen some stuff but this? Oh my God, oh my god...

"You're acting as an accessory! Stand up! Walk backwards with your hands in the air!" Tess was done watching this, her partner helping a criminal was just too far. She was as guilty as he was now.

Vincent looks at Cat, sweating. "Go to Tess," he grunts.

"No," she shakes her head and looks at Tess again. "No, Tess he is not a serial killer! Please!"

Tess already had her walkie out, still pointing to them with her gun. "Precinct 125, this is Vargas, I need backup. Do you copy?" She could only hear static.

"Please don't do this!" Cat begs, her eyes full of tears.

"Do you copy?" Tess repeats with more force. Again only static. They must be out of range down here. She stares at Cat and Vincent and then she turns and runs. She'll just tell them herself, and get away before that guy comes back fully to his senses.

"Tess?! Tess!" Cat screams after her.

"Go!" Vincent says roughly. "Get her! Shs will tell everyone!" Cat shakes her head. She couldn't leave him. "Go! I will be fine!" Vincent pulls his arm away from her clutching hands. "Go! Go now!" Vincent starts to take out bandages and stitching kit and Cat runs after Tess.