Danny And Baez

Chapter 3

They're sitting at their desks when the call comes in. Danny's phone buzzes, and he picks it up. He pales and stands up abruptly. "Just make sure she doesn't get onto it," he says, while he half runs out of the squad.

Maria follows after him, as he's forgotten the car keys. She catches up and gives him the keys. Danny barely notices and takes them absentmindely, still talking to the person on the phone.

"What - she didn't know?" He's barely in the car before he crumples into the seat.

"Stop that helicopter," he says, starting the car and driving off.

He's halfway to the hospital before the other person speaks.

"Danny, we realised too late,"

"She's still fine,"

"Danny, they pulled a gun on her and everyone," the speaker says.

"This hasnt happened,"

"Danny, I'm sorry,"

Danny disconnects the phone call and switches on the police lights.

He storms into he hospital. The entrance hall is in chaos, and people in stretchers are pulled in different directions. The receptionist is on the phone, trying to dial the police. Danny runs up to her and hands her his phone. "Dial the contact Baez, and tell her to get here, telephone lines are down outside," she nods gratefully. "There's still more gunmen upstairs. Security is holding them off," she tells him.

He sprints up the stairs to the third floor. Three gunmen are fighting with four security, swiping blows with them in the childrens ward. Three guns lay on the floor. Danny sends three shots, and the gunmen fall to the ground. He races past to the fifth floor, also the top floor. He finds the rooftop entrance and climbs up, gun in his hand to the roof. Five men stand around the helicopter pad, watching the helicopter take off. They notice Danny and pull out guns. One walks forward, and it's the hitman from one of New Yorks most notoriuos gangs.

"Where's my wife?" Danny says.

"She left, just now," he says, a look of fake concern plastered on his face, gesturing to the helicopter. "We could have arranged for you to say goodbye if you had asked,"

Danny shoots him.

Four men shoot at him.

And four shots ring out from behind him, and he's pulled down by someone behind him.

He watches as the four other gunmen fall to the ground. Baez is behind him, having just pulled him down. The security guards took the shots, and they walked over to check if theyre alive or not.

Danny drags himself up and runs to see the helicopter. It's slowly plummeting to the ground over a soccer pitch. He watches as it crashes to the ground, sending pieces of the helicopter up into the air. The firefighters run to stop the blaze. Danny stares at the fire made of the helicopter his wife was on. The tears will come later, but for now, all he feels is numbness and pain. He looks at the ground far below. He wouldn't feel a thing, and he'd see Linda again. He looks over further, and someone pulls him back. He turns to face Maria.

"Dont do that," she says.

"Dont stop me,"

"Linda wouldn't have wanted you to do that. She would have wanted you to take care of Sean and Jack."

"WHY ARE YOU STOPPING ME," He yells.

"You're being really stupid. Think about how everybody else will feel - your children will become orphans, and your family members will lose a brother,"

Danny doesn't look convinced.

"Think about Joe, think about how much that hurt. Your family would go through the exact same thing, and you'll miss out on your life. You dont want to. it's the grief talking,"

Danny looks at her. She's holding onto his hands tightly. He realises what he is about to do and feels ashamed. "You're right, i was just being stupid."

She lets go of his hands.

Loking back at the helicopter, Danny feels the sadness cut through him like a knife. But walking off a building isn't the answer. Maria walks him down the stairs, back to the entrance where Erin is waiting, with red eyes.

"Thanks, Maria," Erin says.

Maria nods and heads to the crime scene with all the police officers streaming through the front door.

Erin puts an arm around Danny and leads him outside.