Tough Love

Chapter Sixty-Three

Chapter Sixty-Three

Eli

We've been here for hours and we've only found two devices. Bomb squad have taken them away to destroy them, but we have to keep searching. There's such a vast area to cover, and we need to be thorough and strategic as we move through the station. The whole area has been evacuated to minimize causalities. I haven't spoken to Dani in hours. Come to think of it, she hasn't found anything and that's very unlike her. I take a glance at the massive clock in the station, which reads 13:45. Yeah, it's unusual for Dani to not have found something in 8 hours. Something is bugging me, but I'm on the job and I can't afford to lose focus right now. My comms crackle to life as Captain Torres, the head of bomb squad, says, “The two devices weren't live. They're dummy devices.”

I reply, “Do we proceed, sir?'

“Proceed for now, but await further instruction.”

“Roger, sir.”

I really don't like this. Something is wrong and I can't do anything about it. Ash is at my side, “LT? What's wrong?”

“Something isn't right. I haven't heard from Romanov in hours. She was searching the cameras to find devices, but there's been no communication. Hearing that those two devices were dummies does not fill me with positive thoughts. Get Captain Michaels on a secure channel.”

Ash is on it and within a minute he says, “Channel 3, LT.”

“Cap, you heard from Romanov?”

“Not since 0800 hours. What's wrong?”

“I haven't heard anything either. She was looking for devices but she's either found nothing or something's wrong.”

“It's not like her to have found nothing at all. I'll speak to Captain Torres and clear you to leave. You get back there and check on her. You need to read me in after this, Ramirez. I told you about this.”

“Yes Cap.”

“You call me straight away. You hear me?”

“Yes sir.”

I leave the team with Ash and rush back to the truck. I can't believe that the Cap is allowing me to break protocol like this. He must have a serious soft spot for Dani if he's allowing me to leave the scene. Either that or he now thinks this whole bomb scare is a hoax.

I'm sure I turn more than a few heads as I jump out of the truck. I'm in full SWAT gear in a department truck. Not suspicious at all, huh? A feeling of dread fills me as I run up the stairs to Dani's floor. I've never doubted my gut feeling before, but I seriously hope it's wrong this time. As I round the corner of the stairwell, I see Dani's front door at the end of the corridor and I know I'm too late. The door has been blown off it's hinges and I have to brace myself, not knowing what I'm going to find through that door.

When I step into the house, I have my gun out. I have to be cautious, there's no telling who is in here. The first thing I notice is the mess, like someone has tossed the joint. I scan the room and see a dead guy by the couch. Dani must have got some shots off. I quickly count the bullet holes. Seven. Geez, she really went for him. She must have been scared. I clear the living room and make my way in to the kitchen. I see a trail of blood and the panic starts to bubble up inside of me. I can't see Dani and I'm panicking that they've taken her. I follow the trail of blood towards the bedroom and what I find at the end of it nearly makes me sick. Dani is laying there, bleeding and unconscious. She may even be dead; I don't know. I holster my gun and dash over to her. I rip my gloves off and desperately feel for a pulse. I grab my radio, “Dispatch, this is Lieutenant Ramirez, badge number 5837. I have a 10-22. I need a bus forthwith. I'm at 438 49th Street West. Apartment 5. I need urgent medical assistance and I need cops on scene.”