A specific part of the rescue is horribly exaggerated. Just call it poetic license and ignore the stupidity, please. :-)


___________________________


"Just pull in over there, Judson," Gabriel Patterson instructed, a hint of barely controlled excitement coloring his voice as he pointed to a vacant parking space across the street from the small branch office of The First National Bank. "I'll only be a couple of minutes."


Heaving a dramatic, long-suffering sigh, Judson Cross complied. "You know, you could have easily gotten cash from that ATM we drove by ten minutes ago."


"He could have," Mackenzie Previn chimed in to the conversation from her position in the front passenger seat of the SUV, mischief glimmering in her eyes, "but then he wouldn't have been able to see that cute teller he's had his eye on for the past few weeks. What was her name again, Gabe?"


"Judy," Gabe answered unashamedly before exiting the vehicle and approaching Mac's open window.


"Ah, yes, Judy. The latest love of your life." Mac placed both hands over her heart and gazed dreamily upwards in an exaggerated imitation of a love-struck teenager.


"You know, you're absolutely adorable when you're jealous." Gabe leaned in through the window to plant a quick, playful kiss on the tip of his friend's nose, and then dashed away, leaving a very stunned and speechless Mac in his wake.


"He's right," Judson began, enjoying the rare opportunity to tease Mackenzie. "You get this cute little look on your face… Ow, ow, ow, OW!" His words were halted when Mac suddenly grasped his right arm in a vice-like grip and expertly pinched a pressure point in his wrist, causing enough pain to incapacitate him, but not enough to cause harm. "Okay, okay! I give." Mac released his arm and sat back in her seat with her eyes focused intently on the antique store in front of them.


"Jeez, Mac," Judson whined as he massaged his abused limb, "if I didn't know any better I would say…" Once again his words stumbled to a halt as his companion turned her head just enough to pin him with smoldering, blue eyes. "But, I do know better so I won't say."


"Thank you," was Mac's only response.


Suppressing a chuckle, Judson reached forward, turned on the vehicle's radio, and fiddled with the controls until he found Mac's favorite station, hoping that the gesture would be enough to sooth the savage beast. He risked a quick sideways glance in her direction. She was grinning, but it wasn't something designed to inspire a case of the warm fuzzies. The smile was conspiratorial, almost predatory in nature. It was obvious that the special ops trained woman was already plotting her revenge for Gabe's words and actions, and Judson suddenly felt very sorry for the young man and hoped that he himself would not be included in the retribution.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


Gabe paused at the front door of the bank only long enough to briefly study his appearance in the reflective surface of the darkly tinted glass door. Satisfied with what he saw, he was bout to enter the building when he noticed an obviously pregnant woman approaching. Gabe opened the door, stepped aside, and gestured with one arm for her to enter first.


"It's good to see that chivalry isn't dead. Thank you, young man."


Gabe graciously acknowledged the woman's expression of gratitude while inwardly laughing at the idea of a woman who couldn't be much more than five years her senior calling him 'young man'. He followed the expectant mother into the open lobby and paused to survey the scene.


It was mid-afternoon and probably the slowest time of day for the small branch bank, but Gabe knew that it would change drastically in a few short hours when the nearby manufacturing plant closed for the day and its employees came to cash their weekly paychecks. Other than himself and the pregnant woman, there were only two customers and four employees that he could see.


Gabe stepped aside as two men in business suits entered through the door behind him and walked to the island in the center of the lobby. It was a space provided for customers to complete the paperwork of their pending transactions. It was a waist-high counter that included pens, deposit and withdrawal slips, and calculators. One man lifted a briefcase and set it upon the counter while the other grabbed a pen and bank slip and began writing.


Finally, Gabe's eyes landed on Judy and he was pleased to note that she was smiling and waving him over to her station in the teller line. Without hesitation, he approached.


Judy was an attractive, petite woman with long, golden-brown hair and expressive blue eyes that were only a few shades darker than Mac's. She wore a simple white, silk blouse, a navy skirt, and accentuated the ensemble with a small gold pin of what appeared to be a bug, perhaps a moth. He noticed that the wings of the moth would flutter when she moved.


Gabe smiled at Judy's unusual choice in jewelry. Though his first impression of her had been that she was just another person from the stuffy, pompous world he struggled to escape, it took less than fifteen minutes for this initial theory to be proven wrong. Judy had a certain playful spark, a zest for life, that couldn't be denied. He found this playfulness – the thing that prompted her to wear fluttering moth jewelry – refreshing and irresistible.


"Hello, Gabe," Judy greeted her customer warmly. "Back so soon?"


"Yeah, well, I lost a bet with my friends," Gabe responded, never breaking eye contact for the slightest moment. "Now I have to pay for dinner and a movie for all of us."


"Oh?" Judy asked. "What did you bet on?"


"Um, just a sporting event, nothing much," he tried to answer nonchalantly, but the flush of embarrassment he felt rising on his cheeks gave evidence to the lie. Realizing that there was no way Judy would believe him, Gabe broke eye contact, lowering his gaze to initiate an intensive study of his fingernails.


"What KIND of sporting event?"


Resigning himself to his fate, the young man answered truthfully. "I bet that I could beat Mac in arm-wrestling."


"Mac?" Judy exclaimed through a laugh. "Isn't she the former CIA, Special Ops agent?"


"Uh, yeah," he mumbled in reply.


The bank teller reached a hand across the counter to gently cup Gabe's chin and tilt his head up, forcing him to meet her eyes once again. Her radiant smile was infectious and soon mirrored by Gabe.


"Never, never underestimate a woman," she chided. "We are an unpredictable breed of animal and will not hesitate to use your intrinsic weaknesses, such as overconfidence, against you."


The two laughed whole-heartedly at that for a moment before finally settling into the business at hand. They had engaged in comfortable small talk as Judy processed the paperwork for the cash withdrawal, but Gabe's attention was quickly drawn to another area of the building.


The two men who had entered immediately after him had moved. While that was to be expected, it was their new positions that had triggered his internal alarms. One man had placed himself near the door while the other had edged slightly closer to the teller line. The men had exchanged a number of covert glances, which only served to add to Gabe's unease. It was as if they were plotting something and waiting for the right moment to act.


Upon seeing light glinting off the metal of a handgun holstered under one of the men's jackets, Gabe felt that his suspicions had enough confirmation to warrant action.


"Press the alarm," he whispered to Judy.


"What?" she asked, obviously confused and completely unaware of the possible danger.


"The alarm. Press the button to activate the silent alarm."


"Why?" Judy questioned a little too loudly for Gabe's liking.


"Just do it!" he hissed, deciding that he could offer his apologies later. Right now, being thought of as rude was the least of his concerns. Much to his relief, Gabe saw Judy's hand momentarily disappear below the surface of her workstation. When her hand reappeared, he noticed it trembling slightly, but the expression on her face and in those crystal blue eyes reflected nothing but calmness and control.


"It's the guys in suits, right?" Judy quietly asked after inspecting the people around her.


"Yeah," Gabe answered. "At least one of them has a gun. Just take it easy and try to act natural. Hopefully, once a cop car shows up outside they'll have second thoughts about trying something. They haven't done anything yet, so there's still the chance that they can just walk away."


"Are you always so optimistic?" Judy asked with a smile while shuffling papers in the guise of processing a transaction.


"Just call it an intrinsic strength."


The teller's eyebrows rose and her mouth formed a silent 'O', but before more could be said, the men in suits put their plan into motion.


"Alright everybody, freeze!" the man in the center of the lobby yelled as he waved a handgun in the air. "If you keep your mouths shut and do as we say, then nobody will get hurt."


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


"Where is he?" Mac groused. "How long could it possibly take to get a bit of cash?"


"Come on, Mac," Judson responded with a smile. "You're making yourself sound positively ancient. You were the one who pointed out that he was interested in this Judy girl. Surely you can allow him a few minutes in the interest of 'amour'," he concluded with a phony French accent.


Mac raised an index finger in his direction. "Okay, first of all, that accent…lose it. It's horrendous. Secondly," another finger raised to join the first, "secondly…" She paused as if deep in thought, then sighed loudly, allowed her hand to drop bonelessly into her lap, and studied the bank's reflection in the SUV's side mirror. "Something's not right here."


"What do you mean?" The explorer suddenly found renewed interest in his surroundings. He had learned a long time ago to not discount it when Mac felt a sense of unease. Her instincts were finer honed than anyone he'd ever met and often alerted her to possible danger long before anyone else suspected a thing.


"I'm not sure, but I can feel it." Mac hesitated again and directed her gaze inward, obviously locked in an intense emotional battle with herself. "If the kid isn't out in five minutes, I'm going in after him."


Judson's silence was correctly interpreted as an agreement.


With only fifteen seconds left until the deadline, Mac had begun a verbal countdown, her hand hovering over the Rover's door handle. "Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen…" She was torn between giving her friend the benefit of the doubt and wanting to rush into the building to see for herself that he was safe.


"Five, four, three…"


Before Mac's countdown could be completed, a silver Ford sedan pulled into the space beside the Rover and a familiar figure stepped out.


"Mackenzie, Judson," Lieutenant Garret Anderson greeted as he approached Mac's window.


"Garret." Judson reached across his increasingly agitated companion to shake the police officer's hand. "How have you been?"


"Sorry, Judson, but this isn't a social call. I just needed to ask you to move your vehicle. We need to clear the area." The lieutenant's voice was foreboding.


"Why? What's going on, Garret?"


"The bank." Two sets of eyes locked onto Mackenzie, one filled with disbelief and confusion, the other filled with understanding and shared concern.


"Uh, yeah," the officer finally responded. "Someone's triggered the silent alarm. It's probably nothing. Once in a while some new employee will trigger it accidentally or a glitch in the wiring can set it off."


"I get the feeling there's a little more to it than that." Mac allowed her gaze to shift between a number of men and women in the area who, to her well-trained eye, were easily identified as law enforcement officials despite the fact that they were wearing street clothes instead of uniforms.


Seeing the lieutenant's reluctance to give two civilians the details of the situation at hand, Judson decided to change tactics. "Gabe is in that bank, Garret. Please tell us what's going on."


Anderson's eyes grew wide. "Gabe? Gabriel Patterson? The Senator's son?"


"Gabriel Patterson, our friend." The explorer's green eyes flashed as he corrected the other man, using a serious tone that clearly said he wouldn't allow his friend to be referred to simply as an extension of his overbearing father.


"Damn," the officer cursed. "Come with me."


Nearly hitting Anderson with the door in her haste, Mac exited the vehicle. As casually as possible, she and Judson fell into step with the other man, following him to the end of the block and around the corner. They were both somewhat shocked at the sight of the large number of police officers and the hastily constructed base of operations that greeted them.


"What the heck is going on around here?" Judson demanded with equal amounts of awe and irritation lacing his voice.


After signaling one of his subordinates to bring a couple of bulletproof vests to Mac and Judson, Anderson began his explanation. "We're not positive ourselves." He raised his hands in a placating gesture to halt the obviously hostile Mackenzie's words. "At this point, everything here is merely precautionary. All we know is that proper procedures haven't been followed by the bank employees."


"What procedures?" Judson questioned as he placed a hand on Mac's shoulder in an attempt to calm her.


"When the silent alarm is activated, the 911 dispatch simultaneously notifies the police and attempts to call the bank to both notify them that the alarm has been triggered and to determine whether or not there is a true emergency. If the alarm was activated accidentally and there is no emergency, then a bank employee will reset the alarm and meet with an officer at a predetermined location outside of the building. In this case, that location is over there." The Lieutenant pointed to a secluded spot around the corner from the bank where a uniformed officer stood partially hidden in some decorative shrubs. "If that officer is satisfied, then the rest of the troops are called off and there's nothing left to do but the paperwork."


"I assume it's safe to say that no bank employee has come out to make contact with him," Mac questioned, crossing her arms over her chest and jerking her chin in the direction of the uniformed officer. "What about the phone call?"


"No answer," Anderson stated simply. "The alarm has been going for about 20 minutes now. We've tried to remotely activate the internal security cameras, but they've been deactivated."


"So there's no way to confirm anything," Judson concluded for him.


"Exactly."


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


Gabe and Judy found themselves with the rest of the bank customers and employees being herded like cattle into a secluded corner of the lobby. The fact that the area was far too small to comfortably accommodate everyone seemed to be of little importance to the robbers. In fact, Gabe thought to himself, it seemed to be just another in a long line of intimidation tactics.


Though greatly outnumbered, it had taken only one of the men to maneuver everyone together and into the corner. He'd used wildly flailing arms, repetitive and harshly delivered curt instructions, and, of course, the ever-present threat of the hand gun to confuse and subdue the unwitting victims. In the mean time, the other man had quickly disabled the security camera by simply but effectively cutting through its cables.


Even the men's physical appearance seemed specially designed for their task. Any descriptions he could give the police would be vague at best and could easily match hundreds, even thousands of men in Beau Harbor. Both men were Caucasian, early 30s, approximately six-feet tall, average build, and medium complexion. One had blue eyes and the other had brown, but both had dark hair. In fact, their only distinguishing characteristics were that one man had a mustache and the other had slightly longer hair that was pulled back into a low ponytail. Unfortunately, those things could be changed, quite literally, in a matter of seconds.


Gabe was impressed.


As soon as that thought entered his mind, Gabe pushed it aside. Any admiration he felt for these criminals was highly misplaced. What he needed to be doing was finding a way to stop these guys while keeping everyone safe at the same time.


"You!" The man who had disabled the security camera had pulled out a handgun of his own and was pointing it at the bank's supervisor, Mr. Evers. "Get over here and open the safe."


Evers, a portly, middle-aged man with only a narrow line of short, gray hair circling the back of his head, hesitantly stepped away from the small group of people. He slowly reached a shaky hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out an embroidered handkerchief to wipe away the sweat that was beginning to bead on his bald head before addressing the outlaws in a trembling voice. 


"I-I-I'll do w-w-whatever you say, just pl-please don't hurt me," the bank executive begged. "I've g-got a wife and kids. Please."


"I don't remember asking for your sob story." The crook delivered a vicious backhand across Evers' face, which sent the older man tumbling to the ground and caused many others to gasp or wince in sympathy. "Now keep your mouth shut and do as I say before you really piss me off! MOVE!"


"H!" The second man ran over to catch his accomplice's hand before he could deliver another blow. "Take it easy, man. Nobody's supposed to get hurt, remember?"


The man who had been addressed simply as 'H' took a deep breath, visibly calming himself, then wrenched his arm from the other's grasp. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, B, but if you want this coward to remain free of any new holes, you'll get him out of my sight."


"Fine," 'B' responded. "I'll take him and get the cash. You cover the others." He turned to Evers. "Come on."


If possible, Evers was trembling even more than before as he rose from the floor and brought a hand up to gingerly rub his bruised jaw. He and 'B' made their way towards the safe located at the back of the bank.


Gabe felt something tug at his sleeve and turned his head slightly to meet Judy's worried gaze.


"What should we do?" she whispered.


Gabe matched her whisper. "There's not much we can do right now. Those guys might have an agreement to not hurt any of us, but I don't trust that 'H' guy any further than I could throw him."


"So…what?" a man behind the two hissed. "Are you saying that we should just sit around twiddling our thumbs?"


"That's exactly what I'm saying," Gabe responded, irritated at this man's sudden sense of heroism. A hothead like him could easily get everyone killed.


"Mark," Judy addressed the man, "just listen to Gabe."


"We outnumber them 3 to 1," Mark protested slightly louder. "We should do something. We should…"


"You should follow the kid's advice," 'H' interrupted. "The only thing keeping you alive right now is the fact that my friend over there gets squeamish at the sight of blood." He alternated pointing the barrel of his handgun at Gabe and Mark. "I, on the other hand, have no such problems. Remember that." He lightly tapped the gun against the top of Mark's head before stepping back a few paces.


There was a collective sigh of relief from the small cluster of people. Gabe glanced at Judy and found that she had a horrified expression on her face. He followed her line of sight until his eyes landed on Evers kneeling in front of the small open safe and 'B' standing beside him.


"What is it? What's wrong?" Gabe questioned quietly.


"Evers keeps a gun in the safe."


No sooner had those words left Judy's mouth than Evers whipped around with a pistol in his hand and opened fire. What followed happened in a split second. Evers' first shot hit 'B' in his upper left chest. Immediately incensed, 'H' trained his gun on Evers and, with a single shot, the bank executive fell to the ground, a crimson stain spreading across his chest.


Gabe realized that his hand had been forced. 'H' was a loose cannon and if there was any hope of saving the bank's occupants, he had to act quickly.


"Everyone, RUN!" he yelled as he sprinted the few steps to attack 'H' from behind. As they struggled, Gabe allowed a small piece of his mind to acknowledge the sounds of running feet and the door opening as the captives fled. Above all else, he heard a female voice shouting.


"No! Billy!"


Gabe finally gained the upper hand in his struggle with 'H'. Fisting both of his hands together, he brought them down to meet with the back of the crook's neck with as much force as he could muster. The blow caused 'H' to fall to the ground, but it wasn't enough to render him unconscious.


The young man looked over and noticed that Judy was hesitating at the door.


"Go!" he yelled. "Get help."


"But…"


"Hurry!"


Judy finally relented and exited the building.


Gabe turned back around and came face to face with the young pregnant woman. Her eyes were ablaze with anger. Wordlessly, she brought her right arm up, pointed a gun at Gabe and pulled the trigger.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ 


Two shots were heard in quick succession and all activity in and around the police base of operations instantly froze. Even the officers who openly walked along the sidewalks under the flimsy disguise of street clothes instead of uniforms paused briefly in shock before scattering to seek shelter behind automobiles, buildings, trees…whatever could be found that might have provided sufficient cover from any bullets aimed in their direction.


The moment of stunned silence was broken when the front door of the bank was thrown open and a small group of four obviously terrified people rushed out. Each individual was quickly and efficiently subdued and taken into custody by one of the surrounding officers.


"Wait a minute!" Mac exclaimed upon seeing an officer capture a young woman who had exited the building shortly after the other four. "I know her. She's…"


A third and final shot rang out and then there was nothing but silence.


Lieutenant Anderson jumped into action, shouting orders that his subordinates scrambled to obey. "I want to know what's going on in that bank and I want to know now! Someone open up a secured phone line. Let's see if anyone answers this time. Hernandez!" he called to the officer who had secured the young woman who was the last to exit the bank. "Bring her over here."


Hernandez escorted his charge to the Lieutenant and the two anxious members of Adventure Inc.


"You're Judy, aren't you?" Mac questioned before Anderson had a chance to say anything.


Judy nodded. "Yes. I work in the bank. You're Mackenzie, right? And Judson?" Both gave affirmative answers.


"Now that the introductions are out of the way, I want some answers," Anderson interrupted gruffly. "What's the status on that phone line I asked for?" A young male officer who held a phone to his ear shook his head. "Keep trying," the Lieutenant instructed.


"Judy," Judson gained the teller's attention. "We need you to tell us what's going on inside that building."


"Of course. I'll help in any way I can."


Judson, Mac, and Lieutenant Anderson listened attentively as Judy relayed the events of the last 45 minutes. She was sure to include a physical description of 'B' and 'H' and a detailed account of the actions taken by Evers that had resulted in him and 'B' getting shot, and ultimately, the escape of all remaining captives, with the exception of Gabe.


"But there was a third shot," Mac pointed out.


Slowly, realization dawned on the four concerned people. If what Judy had said was true, one of the would-be robbers was severely injured, if not already dead, and thanks to Gabe, the other was in no position to retrieve his gun and fire it that quickly. That left only one other real possibility.


"There was a third accomplice," Mac and Judson concluded simultaneously. Blue eyes locked with green as the friends took a moment to contemplate this latest development.


"Where's the pregnant woman?" Judy asked as her eyes roamed over the small group of bank employees and customers who were still in police custody but had been gathered together near the center of the temporary police base. 


Upon seeing the blank faces surrounding here, Judy elaborated. "There weren't many customers in the bank, but she would have stuck out in a crowd in her condition. I…I guess I lost track of her when the shooting started." Judy paused, her eyes darting between Judson and Mac who were seemingly engaged in some sort of silent communication. "Do you think she could be in on all of this?"


Instead of answering her question, Judson and Mac exchanged another worried glance. Lieutenant Anderson immediately relayed the information the young woman was able to provide and shouted out orders to his men. 


"Get those civilians back to the precinct for questioning. I want a map of the area and blueprints for the bank ASAP! How's that phone line coming?" The officer assigned to the task shook his head again. "Someone get me a loud speaker. It's time we announce our presence."


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


The sounds of a man and woman arguing slowly filtered through the hazy edges of Gabe's consciousness. 


"We've got to get out of here now!"


"I won't leave him!"


"There's nothing we can do for him. He's as good as dead. We've got to think about ourselves now!"


The voices didn't sound right and the conversation was most definitely wrong. Gabe wondered what he had done that would make Judson want to leave him behind. He struggled to raise himself from the floor, to move his limbs, anything that would alert his friends to the fact that he was still alive, but his entire body felt heavily weighted down, refusing to obey his commands, and he soon realized the futility of his attempts.


"Dammit, Hal, he's my little brother and I'm not going to abandon him because of your cowardice!"


"But, Glory…"


"I would hope that as my husband, you'd stand by me and my family."


The man released a loud sigh. "Fine, but I'd better not wind up spending the rest of my life in some maximum security prison because of his screw-up."


Gabe's mind had finally cleared enough to remember where he was and why there were inconsistencies in what he thought he was hearing. He had been in the bank when someone had attempted to rob it. The voices didn't belong to his friends. They belonged to… 


Gabe's eyes shot open of their own accord as the memories of recent events suddenly returned. 'Shouldn't I be dead?' he questioned himself. He attempted to sit up again and was marginally successful until an intense stabbing sensation in his left upper arm halted his movements and caused him to hiss in pain.


"Well, look what we have here. It seems that our hero has decided to rejoin us." The man Gabe recognized as 'H' approached, his gun still held firmly in his hand. "I have quite a headache thanks to you." He stepped menacingly closer, bringing the gun to within mere inches of Gabe's face. "Headaches make me kinda cranky."


"Hal, back off," the woman, Glory, called out to him from her position kneeling over the crumpled form of the second man.


It took a few moments, but Gabe finally recognized Glory as the pregnant woman for whom he had held the door open. Her long, curly blonde hair had apparently been a wig as it was now replaced by short, spiky, flame-red hair. More shocking than that was the fact that she was no longer pregnant. Off to her side, Gabe could see the powder blue baby-doll style maternity blouse she had been wearing earlier as well as a padded pregnancy belly, similar to something that might be worn by the husbands of expectant women in order to try to understand what their wives were going through. She was now wearing a black t-shirt that hugged her lean body.


"I've got a score to settle with this one." Hal shifted his weight from one foot to the other and tightened his grip on his weapon.


"I said back off!" In the blink of an eye, Glory was off the floor and standing defiantly in front of her husband. "With one dead and the others escaped, we might need him."


Hal visibly reined in his temper and stepped back slightly. With the threat momentarily abated, Gabe allowed his eyes to scan the empty bank until they landed on Evers, whose still form hadn't been moved from its position near the safe at the back of the room. A line of drying blood trailed down from his mouth and nose and his skin was ghostly pale with a slightly blue tinge. There was no rise and fall to his chest. It was obvious that the bank executive was dead.


Satisfied that Hal once again had his volatile temper under control, Glory reclaimed her position kneeling at her brother's side. "Shh," she crooned as she repeatedly ran a soothing hand across the young man's forehead, occasionally brushing a stray lock of his long, dark hair away from his face. "Everything's going to be fine, Billy. Just try to relax and take deep breaths."


Billy whimpered as Glory applied pressure to the makeshift bandage that was used to cover the bullet wound in his chest but was soon calmed by his sister's tender ministrations. His ragged, labored breathing evened out slightly as he surrendered to unconsciousness.


Gabe made another attempt to pull himself completely upright and his efforts were again rewarded with a stabbing pain in his left arm. After gingerly tucking that arm securely against his abdomen, he used his right arm to push himself into a sitting position and support his weight as he scooted until he was able to rest his back against a nearby wall. 


He reached his right hand across to touch his left arm, but immediately pulled it back as that simple, light contact caused a new round of agonizing pain. He felt a thick tacky substance coating the fingers of his right hand and looked down to find that the substance was in fact blood. Gabe took a deep breath to steel himself then looked to his arm. The entire left sleeve of his blue jacket from the middle of his upper arm to his wrist was stained with blood, the color appearing to be a deep purple as the red blood dried onto the blue fabric.


"You're lucky that I wasn't the one behind the gun," Hal declared with an evil smirk.


Gabe's sarcastic retort was preempted by the sound of an amplified voice coming from outside.


"Attention, inside the bank! This is Lieutenant Anderson of the Beau Harbor Police Department."


Tensions inside the bank instantly increased tenfold. Everything including their breathing ceased momentarily. 


"We have the area surrounded," Anderson continued, his booming voice echoing off the surrounding buildings. "We have also secured the phone lines, so all calls in and out of the bank will be channeled through us." The telephone began to ring. "That phone call is from us. Please answer it so we can talk."


Hal and Glory looked questioningly to one another, considering their possible courses of action as well as the pros and cons of each choice. Gabe was surprised to see the hint of fear that briefly flickered across Hal's cold, stony features. The emotion vanished as quickly as it appeared, making the young man wonder if he had imagined seeing it.


Gabe ran his tongue over dry lips and dredged up the strength and courage to speak. "You may as well answer that," he said, indicating the still-ringing phone with a slight gesture of his hand.


"Shut up," Hal ordered distractedly.


"Look, you're never going to escape, so you may as well give up; make things easier on yourself."


"I said shut up!" The gun was once again pointed in Gabe's direction.


Ignoring the threat, Gabe continued. "They're not going to just go away!"


"Are you trying to get yourself killed, runt?" Hal screamed, his face flushing a deep red in anger. "Shut the hell up!"


"Kill me and you lose your only bargaining chip!"


"Damn you!"


Gabe tried to duck away, but was unable to move fast enough. In one swift, fluid motion, Hal grabbed the younger man by the front of his jacket and roughly hauled him to his feet, causing him to cry out in pain as the brutal handling jarred his injured arm. Hal pinned Gabe against the wall by placing one beefy arm across his neck, restricting the amount of air Gabe was able to draw into his lungs. Hal's other hand held the gun, its barrel pressed firmly against the side of his captive's face. 


"Hal, No!" Before the crook was able to do more, Glory placed a firm restraining hand on his shoulder. "Relax. Don't let him get to you," she said. "He's right about one thing. If you kill him, there's nothing to stop the cops from charging in here and absolutely no chance of us getting away or getting help for Billy. We need him alive."


Without releasing or even lessening the pressure on Gabe's neck, Hal considered his wife's words. An eerie silence settled over the trio as Hal weighed his desire to inflict more harm on his captive against the consequences of carrying out such an act. Reluctantly, he was forced to admit that Glory was right. His decision made, Hal gave Gabe a final shove against the wall, causing the injured man to give another strangled cry, before completely releasing his hold.


His support suddenly gone, Gabe crumpled to the floor in an undignified heap. He gingerly massaged his bruised throat as he coughed and gasped, trying to draw air into his oxygen-deprived lungs. After several agonizing minutes, Gabe was able to regain some semblance of control over his breathing. He could hear Glory's voice as she argued with someone.


"We want a doctor in here in ten minutes!"


Gabe struggled until he managed to maneuver himself into a seated position with his back once again resting against the wall and his injured arm nestled securely in his lap. He pried heavy eyelids open and was greeted with the now familiar sight of Hal and his gun. In the background, Glory was speaking on the phone.


"I assure you that he is alive and relatively safe from harm and will remain so as long as you do as I say."


Gabe listened to Glory's side of the conversation with little interest. At that point in time, he couldn't care less what the woman's demands were. A small section of his brain told him that he should care. He should be watching and listening intently to everything and trying to use any knowledge gained to his advantage, but he simply could not summon the energy.


It took a moment for his dazed mind to register the fact that a telephone handpiece had been thrust towards him.


"Here," Glory spat, her venomous tone boring like acid into his brain. "They're insisting on proof that you're still alive. Someone claiming to be a friend of your is on the line. It's your job to convince him that we're serious…about everything."


The handpiece was unceremoniously dropped into his lap. Without conscious thought, Gabe wrapped a shaky hand around the device and lifted it to his ear. "Judson?" he asked, making no effort to disguise the hopefulness in his voice.


An audible sigh of relief was followed by Judson's voice. "Yeah, Gabe, it's me."


There was a soft click of another extension being picked up then Mac's voice could be heard. "We're right here, kid. How 'ya holding up?"


"Doing great. My new friends here are wonderful hosts." The weakness of his voice undermined his attempted humor.


"Listen, Gabe, we're working on a way to get you out of there," Judson reassured him. "Your friend, Judy, was able to tell us what happened before she left the building. We know that there are three of them and one of the men is wounded. Their demand for a doctor is being considered…"


Judson's voice on the phone somehow provided him with a sense of security despite the fact that the overall situation remained unchanged. Gabe relaxed, allowing the confident tones of his friend's voice to wrap around him like a warm blanket. He closed his eyes and tried to visualize his two teammates.


He could easily picture Mac. She was sure to be at the center of activity, hovering only inches away, listening to all of the conversations, and drawing on her years of service with the CIA to help devise the perfect plan of action. She would appear calm and carefree, perhaps interjecting a touch of humor to diffuse the tension around her, but Gabe had known Mac long enough to recognize this for what it was – a façade. It was a mask she would often wear when the situation was dangerous, the stakes were high, and there was nothing she could do about any of it. Mac was a woman of action, but she understood and respected the need to take time to formulate a plan. Her military expertise combined with her feminine charm and beauty made her a perfect Black Ops soldier. Her loyalty to her country was surpassed only by her loyalty to her friends.


Judson and Mac were so much alike in so many ways. They were both fiercely dedicated to their causes, but absolutely nothing could come between them and their friends. Gabe felt very privileged to be considered part of that small group of people.


Though most people would probably consider Judson to be a man of action, Gabe always thought of him as a 'thinker'. Yes, he enjoyed the discovery and subsequent recovery of artifacts, but nothing could compare to the way his green eyes lit up as he worked to connect the pieces of a puzzle. Gabe could easily picture the explorer standing by, offering silent support and an occasional restraining hand to help keep Mac in line. He was probably studying his surroundings, watching and listening to those around him and mentally cataloging everything that could eventually prove to be the slightest bit useful. Even now, he was probably piecing together the information he had gathered and was working on a rescue plan. Gabe often envied his friend's ability to remain calm under adversity and to act as a beacon of hope for others. It was a skill he hoped to someday have.


"Gabe? Gabe! Are you still there?" Gabe's reverie was broken by the sound of Judson desperately calling his name. Judging by the amount of concern he could hear in his voice, Gabe got the feeling that his friend had been trying to gain his attention for some time now.


"Huh? Umm, yeah, sorry Judson," he apologized. "I kinda spaced out there for a second."


"You okay?" Judson asked, instantly concerned by the young man's uncharacteristic lapse of attention.


Gabe glanced to his throbbing left arm and was disheartened to see a trail of fresh blood flowing freely from the wound. "Yeah, I'm fine," he lied. "It's nothing that a Band-Aid and some Tylenol won't cure. What were you saying?"


Another sigh from a completely unconvinced Judson could be heard over the phone line. "Look, Gabe, just try to take it easy. We'll get you out of there as soon as possible."


"And don't do anything to make them mad!" Mac interjected.


Gabe allowed a chuckle to escape before replying; "I think it's a little too late for that, Mac. Hal and Glory didn't seem to like it when…"


The phone was yanked from his hand a split second before a forceful blow to the side of his head sent Gabe sprawling onto the floor. He could hear Hal screaming at him, cursing him for revealing their names to the authorities. Gabe smiled, the sounds of distress coming from his captors provided him with an odd sense of comfort. With a satisfied smile on his face, Gabe surrendered to the alluring blackness of unconsciousness.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


Judson stood rooted to the spot, the dial tone being emitted from the phone seemingly laughing at him, mocking him for his inability to exert any amount of control over the situation.


"Those sons of… When I get my hands on them…"


"Cool it, Mac," Judson ordered as he finally handed the phone to a nearby officer.


"Cool it?" she shouted in frustration, her fists clenched at her sides. "How can you possibly expect me to 'cool it'?"


"Come on, Previn," Anderson chimed in. "You've got to stay calm if you expect me to allow you to stick around here. You've heard from your friend and know that he's okay." The Lieutenant opened his mouth but no more words came. Mac and Judson had both pinned him with disbelieving eyes.


"You didn't actually believe that, did you?" Mac asked incredulously.


Anderson was bewildered. "What? You think he lied?"


"No," answered Judson. "He just didn't tell us the entire truth. But, he did manage to get some information to us before we were disconnected. The people in there with him are called Hal and Glory. What was the name Judy thought she heard?"


"Billy," Mac supplied.


"It's not much to go on," said Anderson, "but I'll have my men run a check on those names and descriptions."


"Good. In the mean time, they're asking for a doctor. I think we should give them one." A devilish smile spread across the explorer's face.


Mac mirrored his expression. "And I'll bet you know just the guy."


"Hold on just a minute here," Anderson objected, knowing full well what Judson was planning. "I'm not about to send a civilian into a hostile situation."


Judson had expected the reaction. "Look, Garret, do you have any doctors on your payroll?"


"Well, no, but…"


"You know me and you know that I can handle this. I've had as much, if not more training in field medicine than any of your men."


"Besides," Mac added, "he's our friend. You're not going to find anyone more devoted to the cause."


Under normal circumstances, Lieutenant Anderson would have never even considered such an idea, but he had known Judson for years. He knew the explorer to be a man of integrity and courage who was more than capable of handling himself in a tough situation. He also had some medical knowledge. True, he wasn't a doctor like the crooks had demanded, but with the limited resources as their disposal, Anderson didn't believe that a doctor would be able to do much more than Judson could. What finally helped Anderson come to his decision was the expectant, hopeful, almost pleading expressions on the faces before him.


"Okay," the Lieutenant acquiesced, earning him grateful looks from both of the Adventure Inc. team members. "But!" he poked a finger into Judson's chest and spoke in a tone that would allow no room for argument, "Things are to be done my way or it's no deal. Got it?"


"Of course," Judson responded as both he and Mac tried to conceal satisfied, cocky grins.


As he helped Judson prepare for his mission, the police officer recited a long list of dos and don'ts, counting each one off on his fingers and repeating them again and again until Judson was sure he would be reciting them in his sleep for weeks. Seemingly satisfied that his standards of conduct would be followed, Anderson delivered one final order. "The most important thing for you to remember is that you're going in there as a medic. I don't want you attempting any heroics. You're not to take any chances that could in any way endanger anyone's life – including your own!


Judson suppressed his impulse to roll his eyes. Of course he wouldn't do anything to endanger lives. Surely Garret would know this after all the years they had known each other. Instead of defending himself, Judson simply nodded and accepted a large bag filled with medical supplies that one of the officers presented to him.


"Good luck, Judson," Mac nearly whispered.


Judson locked eyes with his friend and teammate. In that brief moment in time, so much information silently passed between the two of them. Mac's worried blue eyes begged Judson to be careful and to watch over their friend. Judson's steady green gaze promised this and so much more. 


After receiving final approval from Lieutenant Anderson, who had once again called into the bank to inform Hal and Glory that they would be receiving their medic, Judson secured the strap of the medical bag over his shoulder, raised his hands into the air to show that he was carrying no weapons, and began the slow, cautious journey to the door of the bank.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


As a worried Mac and the police looked on helplessly, Judson knocked lightly on the front door to the bank. After hearing a muffled command to enter, he cautiously opened the surprisingly heavy glass door and stepped into the relative darkness of the bank's interior. The unwelcome sight of a gun barrel pointed in his direction immediately greeted him. Though he had been expecting a welcome of this sort, Judson was still somewhat startled and allowed his gaze to linger on the gun for a few moments before shifting his focus to the stone-faced man who held it.


"You the doctor?" Though the question was asked in a tone devoid of emotion, the man's bottomless black eyes easily conveyed his disdain. If he wasn't mistaken, Judson could also recognize a hint of barely-controlled madness in those eyes as well.


"Medic, actually," Judson answered with what he hoped was a reassuring smile firmly in place. He knew the admission was a mistake a split second after the words left his mouth. The other man's dam broke and a tidal wave of white-hot rage was unleashed. Before Judson knew what was coming, he felt himself crash to the floor and two strong hands wrap around his throat. From his supine position, all Judson could see was his assailant's face. The man's features, which had previously been schooled into a stoic mask, were now contorted by his fury into something that could easily be described as demonic. 


The hands around Judson's throat tightened, completely cutting off the minute amount of air he had been able to draw in. He fought to break the iron grip, but the lack of oxygen soon made him too weak to control the movements of his own arms. As his vision began to gray, Judson's thoughts turned to his two teammates, his friends. His family. Mac and Gabe were counting on him. He couldn't give up. He had to fight for them. 


Summoning every ounce of strength in his being, Judson lashed out at the man straddling him, breaking his hold and pushing him away. Judson rolled onto hands and knees and greedily sucked in a great life saving lungful of air. He gasped and coughed until he finally got enough oxygen into his system. Vaguely, he could hear two people, presumably Hal and Glory, arguing.


"He's not a doctor!" the male voice, Hal, shouted. "They're trying to trick us!"


"He's all we've got!" Glory responded. "If you kill him, do you honestly think they'll send in a real doctor?"


The question was greeted by a lengthy silence, during which time Judson could easily picture in his mind's eye the expressions that crossed Hal's face as he took the time to review the situation. Anger. Frustration. Confusion. Realization. And finally a return to the original stoic expression Judson had first encountered.


With his eyes squeezed tightly shut, Judson sat back on his heels. He took one final deep breath then opened his eyes. Hal was exactly as the explorer had expected. He had once again gained at least partial control over the madman within him. Judson stood, refusing to show any signs of fear while at the same time trying to avoid showing any signs of aggression.


From his new position, he was finally able to see the woman he assumed to be Glory. She was slightly more difficult to assess than her companion. Her features had been aged by a hard life. There was no madness in her eyes, but Judson could easily see that she was tired. Tired of battling her enemies, her friends, herself. Beyond the obvious anger, Judson found desperation and concern.


"We asked for a doctor," Glory said, forcing Judson to suspend his study of her. Her voice was calm and emotionless. She was stating a fact, not making an accusation. 


"I'm all that was available on such short notice," Judson answered truthfully as he slowly retrieved the medical bag from where it had fallen when Hal had attacked him. "I assure you that I am a qualified medic. I'll do whatever I can to help."


In lieu of a verbal response, Glory simply gestured for Judson to follow as she began walking towards the back of the bank.


After taking only a few steps, Judson's eyes landed on a crumpled form lying in a secluded corner. He instantly recognized the form as Gabe. The large amount of blood that surrounded and covered his young friend made the urge to run to his side almost impossible for Judson to resist. Somehow he did manage to resist. He continued past the corner with 

only the slightest hesitation in his step. He thought he had hidden his concern well, but Glory had noticed. 


"Your patient is over here," she announced as she approached another injured man on the opposite end of the small lobby. Secure in the knowledge that Hal was close and keeping a keen eye on everyone, Glory sat and cradled the unmoving man's head in her lap. "Everything's going to be okay now, Billy," she crooned while stroking his forehead. 


Judson lowered himself to the ground next to the pair and grimly took in the sight of Billy's chest wound. Bad didn't even begin to describe it. Even someone with minimal medical training could tell that it was a fatal injury. The blood loss alone would make recovery nearly impossible. But Judson was there to try to help. He sat the large medical bag beside him, opened it, and began to rummage through its contents, pulling out whatever he thought might prove at all useful. Sterile saline to cleanse the wound, cloth towels, pressure bandages, IV supplies, pre-filled syringes of morphine. There was much more in the bag but Judson knew that nothing could be of any real help.


"He's cold," Glory stated, her voice taking on a slight edge of panic. "He needs a blanket. We've got to keep him warm." She rearranged her brother so more of his body was cradled in her lap and wrapped her arms around his torso in the vain attempt to share some of her own body heat.


Judson ceased sorting through the medical supplies and returned his attention to his patient and Glory. Glory's wide, tear-filled eyes told him everything but he knew he had to check for himself. He tentatively reached out and placed his fingers Billy's neck over his carotid artery. Nothing. He repositioned his fingers on the young man's neck several times but still found nothing.


"What are you waiting for?" Glory nearly screamed. "Help him!"


Judson lowered his head and sighed in resignation. He could tell that Glory knew Billy's fate but she was denying it. "Glory," Judson gained her attention and locked his eyes with hers. He continued in a calm but firm tone. "Billy is dead."


He expected her to lash out in denial, anger or sorrow. He expected her to scream or cry. He even expected physical violence, but the only outward sign of an emotional reaction to Billy's death was the single tear that rolled down Glory's pale face.


Glory leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Billy's cool cheek before carefully detangling herself, standing, and taking a few steps away. Her back was towards the men, but Judson thought he could see her façade slip and the grief come forward.


"Since he's dead now…" A simple raised hand from Glory halted Hal's thoughtless words.


After a few minutes of unsettling silence, Judson took it upon himself to retrieve a small thermal blanket from the medical bag and use it to cover Billy's lifeless body.


A low groan from the opposite end of the lobby drew Judson's attention back to the real reason he had volunteered to enter the bank. Gabe.


With slow, careful movements, Judson repacked the medical supplies into the bag, placed the strap over his shoulder, and stood. He hadn't taken even a single step towards his friend when a forceful yank on the bag spun him around again to face Hal.


"And just where do you think you're going?" Hal's voice was hard, rough. Nothing in his demeanor offered any clue as to whether or not the man had been at all affected by Billy's passing.


Judson spared a glance in Gabe's direction. Though not completely conscious yet, Gabe was beginning to stir restlessly. Judson feared that the movement might aggravate his injuries.


"There's a wounded man over there," Judson stated matter-of-factly while fixing his gaze on Hal's dark eyes.


"No." Hal spoke the word so casually, so smoothly, but with such a tone of finality that it surprised the explorer.


"You asked for a medic. Now, let me do the job I came in here for," Judson half pleaded, half demanded. He was finding it hard to keep his temper in check when faced with such an obviously unfeeling individual.


"We asked for a *doctor* to take care of Billy," Hal spat, his own anger flaring.


"Billy's dead!" The defiant words were out of his mouth before Judson even granted them conscious thought. Quickly, he raised his hands in front of himself, hoping to halt Hal's drawn back fist before it could make contact with any part of his body. When he continued, Judson's voice was much calmer. "There's nothing that can be done for Billy now, but I can help him." He jerked his chin towards Gabe.


Hal took a threatening step forward. "I said…"


"Stop!"


Both men started at the hard edge that accompanied the single word. Two sets of shocked, wide eyes focused on Glory as she finally turned to face them. Gone were the sorrow-filled eyes, the tears, and the grief-stricken features. The woman who stood before them was surrounded by a new aura of confidence and determination. There was a new spark in her eyes as well that Judson had some initial trouble recognizing. It wasn't until he glanced at Hal and saw the same spark that he recognized what it was. Insanity.


A small predatory smile tugged at the corners of Glory's mouth. "Let him tend to the boy if it makes him feel better," she said, taking slow, deliberate steps towards the men. "We'll just think of it as a last request."


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


"Where the hell are those blueprints?" Lieutenant Anderson's terse shout caused the men around him to scramble in all directions either to do his bidding or get out of his way. Less than a minute later someone deposited the requested item in his hands. He carefully unrolled it and thumbed through the pages.


"Looks pretty secure to me," Mac commented as she peered over his shoulder at the blueprints. "Only one entrance, no windows anywhere but the front of the building, even the ventilation system is inaccessible. Impressive."


Anderson merely grunted in reply. An anonymous officer thrust another collection of three papers into his hand. The Lieutenant silently scanned through them for a moment before his eyes snapped up and began to search the faces around them.


"What? What is it?" Mac asked as she tried – unsuccessfully – to catch a glimpse of the documents in his hands.


"Where's the girl?" Anderson asked distractedly.


Confused but somehow sensing the importance of the query, Mac pointed to a young woman who was being led away from the area. "If you mean Judy, she's over there. It looks like she's just finished giving her statement and your men are letting her leave. Why?"


"Hines!" Anderson shouted to gain the attention of one of Judy's escorts. "Bring her over here for a minute." He finally turned to address the worry and confusion in Mackenzie's eyes. "We've found some probable matches for our suspects. I just need a positive ID."


Hines and Judy weaved their way through the assembled law enforcement officers until Judy took her place beside Anderson. Wordlessly, the Lieutenant handed the young woman the group of papers.


"Do you recognize any of these people?" he asked after she had a few moments to flip through the papers and carefully study each of the three pictures.


"These are definitely the men," the teller answered instantly. She took a few moments more to study the final photograph. "I'm not positive, but I think this is the woman as well. Her hair was different and she was pregnant, but her facial features were almost identical to the woman in this picture."


"That's what I was afraid of," Anderson mumbled under his breath. In a matter of only seconds, the police Lieutenant's whole bearing had changed. His resolve and self-assurance seemed to melt away before Mac's eyes. It was replaced with a resignation and hopelessness that caused the blood in her veins to turn to ice. No sooner had the expression crossed his face, than the Lieutenant replaced it with the impassive mask that both he and Mac had long ago learned to wear in stressful times.


Anderson reached out to retake possession of the documents but Mac snatched them from his grasp. She scanned the pages with lightning speed, her eyes instantly locking on the pertinent information. 


Each of the three suspects had a criminal history.


Though Billy had only been convicted of misdemeanor crimes and had never served time behind bars, the same couldn't be said for his sister and her husband. Glory had been convicted of several counts of fraud, breaking and entering, theft, and even assault. The thing that worried Mac the most was Hal's record. It contained a long list of violent crimes that began at an extremely young age. Only a couple of years ago, he had been released from a court-ordered confinement in a mental institution. The most recent entry in the man's file said that he was named as a suspect in a multiple homicide. Due to lack of evidence and the sudden and mysterious disappearance of the only eyewitness, the authorities had no choice but to release him.


Suddenly, the bank robbery was no longer ordinary – if the term could even be applied to such an event. The realization of the true danger her friends were in stuck Mac like a slap in the face. Smothering the urge to scream, she schooled her features into that impassive mask, as if it was a simple matter to detach herself from her emotions and turn a blind eye to the entire situation. Yeah, right, she thought.


Mac returned her attention to Anderson who appeared to be lost in thought. "We can't waste any more time! We need to go in there and get them out!"


"No."


Mac was speechless. She stood in stunned silence, eyes wide and unblinking and mouth hanging slightly agape, for a few seconds before literally shaking herself out of it. "Do you want to run that by me again, because I'm sure I must have misunderstood you."


"No, you didn't, Previn," Anderson replied while returning his gaze to the blueprints of the bank. "I refuse to be known as the man who stormed into that building and got the son of a U.S. Senator killed. You know as well as I do that that's exactly what would happen."


"His name is Gabe!" Mac spat, her blue eyes flashing with barely controlled anger. "This has nothing to do with who his family is!"


In a surprisingly calm voice the Lieutenant replied, "Gabe may keep a low profile, but he IS Senator Patterson's son and, like it or not, that is a disadvantage for us. Cross isn't exactly your average anonymous citizen, either. We're going to wait them out and try to negotiate for your friends' release." He waved a dismissive hand and began to walk away but Mac wouldn't allow it. She followed him closely for a few steps before grabbing his arm and spinning him back around to face her.


"You read the same files I did. You know how dangerous those people are! You can't honestly believe that it's safer to leave Judson and Gabe in there. We have to try something!"


"What do you suggest, Previn?!"


The venom in his voice was enough to make Mac take a step back. When she was unable to provide an immediate answer to his question, Anderson gestured for a couple of his men to escort Mac and Judy away. Mac was prepared to fight to remain in position, but a firm hand on her shoulder and a pointed look from Judy told her to not fight the eviction. Mac gave in and the two women allowed the officers to lead them away.


Judy wasted no time. As soon as they were out of the immediate area and had been left alone, she turned to Mac. "I think I know of a way you can get into the building."


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


Gabe's journey back to consciousness was surprisingly pleasant. Without opening his eyes, he lay still for a few minutes and took stock of himself. He was actually somewhat comfortable lying flat on his back with his head resting on something warm and soft. The pain in his arm had receded to a dull throb. If not for a slight headache and the ringing in his ears, Gabe would have easily drifted back to sleep.


"Gabe? Are you with me here?"


Surprised by the familiar voice, Gabe struggled until he was finally able to open weighted eyelids. He was greeted with the welcome, if somewhat hazy vision of Judson leaning over him. It was only then that Gabe became aware of the arm that was draped protectively across his chest, the cool damp cloth that was being used to gently wipe his face, and the fact that his comfortable pillow was actually Judson's thigh.


The wounded man closed his eyes and relaxed against what he decided must be either a dream or a very realistic hallucination of his boss, his friend. The other man's warmth was a welcome contrast to the numbing chill that consumed his own body. A thought tickled at the edge of his mind that he should be concerned about feeling cold, but the lethargy that had wrapped around him like a blanket refused to allow him to dwell on it. He simply sighed, as content and comfortable as possible, and burrowed even further into the loose embrace.


An easy smile spread across Judson's face, due in part to amusement, but mostly from the satisfaction he felt in knowing that his friend was able to derive such comfort from his presence. He was tempted to let the young man be, but he knew the situation wouldn't allow it.


The explorer set the damp cloth aside and gently patted Gabe's cheek to rouse him, being careful to avoid the dark, painful-looking bruise in the process of forming along his jaw. Anger surged through Judson as his mind assaulted him with visions of how Gabe had received that bruise and those encircling his neck, but he quickly pushed past those negative emotions to concentrate on the task at hand.


"Come on, Kid," he urged his friend.


Annoyed by the incessant tapping on his tender cheek, Gabe brought his right hand up to bat away its source. His movements were weak and uncoordinated and his arm was easily captured and pinned against his chest.


"That's it. Come on…" the hallucinated voice of Judson encouraged.


Blue eyes slowly fluttered open and, after a moment, locked on to the explorer's face.


"How are you doing?" the Judson-shaped apparition asked.


Gabe blinked rapidly then brought his hand up to rub at his eyes. When Judson's image didn't fade and, in fact, became clearer, he decided to reconsider the idea that his friend might actually be at his side.


"Jud…Judson?" Gabe questioned in a barely audible, hoarse voice. He licked dry lips with an equally dry tongue then groaned in despair when he realized the futility of the action.


Judson instantly jumped in to help. "Here, do you feel like sitting up a bit so you can have a drink of water?"


Gabe quietly nodded. With careful movements, they managed to maneuver themselves so Gabe was once again sitting upright with his back resting against the wall and Judson was kneeling in front of him. Judson was very careful to ensure that Gabe's wounded arm didn't get jostled around too much and begin to bleed again.


As soon as he had assured himself that Gabe was okay and would remain steadily upright, Judson retrieved a bottle of water from his bag and offered it to the younger man. Gabe gratefully accepted the bottle and took two large swallows of the refreshing liquid before returning it to Judson.


"What is it?" Judson asked upon seeing the disbelieving look on Gabe's face.


"You're actually here. I'm not dreaming. How? 

Why?"


"Whoa, there." Judson placed a hand on his agitated companion's shoulder in an attempt to calm him. "First of all, Yes, I am really here. Secondly, they asked for a medic and I volunteered. Now don't you go moving around too much. It took me a long time to stop the bleeding and… Dammit!"


Gabe's eyes followed Judson's to his own left arm and the large bandage that was becoming soaked with blood before their eyes.


"Is it bad?" Gabe asked with a strange sense of detachment as he watched Judson carefully change the dressing.


"I'm not sure," Judson answered distractedly. "I think the bullet might have nicked the artery as it passed through. The bleeding isn't stopping as it should." He finished his ministrations in silence. "There, how does that feel?" he asked when the task was finally completed to his satisfaction. "Gabe?"


When Gabe didn't answer, Judson looked up to findhim staring intently across the lobby. He followed his friend's line of sight until his eyes landed on Hal and Glory. He was stunned.


"Um, Judson?" Gabe's voice broke the silence. "Are they doing what I think they're doing?"


Judson blinked a couple of times then looked again. Hal and Glory were paying no attention to the two of them; instead, they had converged at the lobby's center island and were hovering over a large black briefcase. The briefcase held a number of components that both Judson and Gabe easily recognized. 


"They're building a bomb."


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


"A way for you to sneak into the bank," Judy repeated patiently.


"Tell me," Mac instructed, eagerness obvious in her voice. She watched and listened as Judy knelt down and proceeded to draw a simple diagram in the dirt while beginning her explanation.


"First of all, those blueprints you saw were wrong," she began. "We just completed remodeling the building and there is one thing that doesn't show up on the new blueprints. We used to have four drive-thru stations." She pointed to a section of the drawing. At Mac's nod, she continued. "The three stations furthest from the building had a carrier system of air tubes to bring the customers' transactions inside to the tellers. Those air tubes were the old type that ran underground." Judy drew a large U-shaped line that connected the boxes representing the drive-thru stations to the bank.


Mac looked thoughtful for a moment. "Okay, I've seen those before, but I'm not sure how that's supposed to help me get inside."


"The window is bricked up and the stations and air tubes are gone, but the maintenance tunnel is still there."


Mac's blue eyes lit up as Judy's message became clear. "How do I get to that tunnel?" she asked excitedly.


"Right here." Judy pointed to a spot on the diagram and then stood and pointed to what appeared to be a small employee parking lot immediately beside the bank. "The outside access is hidden in those shrubs right in front of that red Toyota. The inside access is a trap door in the floor of the ladies' room."


Mac raised an eyebrow. "The ladies' room?"


Judy merely shrugged.


"How about security? Keys?" Mac questioned.


"That's where there may be a problem," the teller stated apologetically. "The doors are hooked to the silent alarm, but since I already set it off, it doesn't really matter. The problem is that I don't have the keys to open them."


Mac took a moment to process this new information. "What kind of locks do they have?"


"Nothing fancy. There's just a standard padlock and dead bolt on each. I guess that with the alarms and the safe, the powers that be weren't too worried."


A slow smile spread across Mac's face. "Not a problem at all." She reached behind her back, pulled out a handgun, and proceeded to check it over.


"Do you always carry a gun with you?" Judy asked, shocked.


"Of course not," Mac answered matter-of-factly. "Lieutenant Anderson should really pay better attention to things."


Before Judy could respond, Mac added. "I'll take it from here, Judy. You'd better get going." Mac turned to leave, but Judy stopped her by placing a hand on her arm. She didn't need to say a word. Her crystal blue eyes transmitted her message and begged Mac to be careful.


Mac gave her a reassuring smile and patted her hand. "Don't worry. Those two men in there are my family and nothing is going to happen to them as long as I'm around."


With a final squeeze to Mac's arm, Judy released her grip and the two women went their separate ways. 


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


Judson filled Gabe in on Billy's passing and the other events he had missed while unconscious as Hal put the finishing touches on the bomb and Glory used the phone to relay their demands and intentions to the horde of police officers assembled outside. Unless they were given a vehicle and free passage out of the area, they would detonate the bomb. Grudgingly, Anderson had agreed to their terms and had promised to have a vehicle ready for them within the half hour.


"There we go. All done," Hal said with a satisfied grin as he stepped back from the newly assembled bomb. Glory approached him from behind and wrapped her arms around his torso. He turned in her embrace so the two were face to face with their arms wrapped around each other.


"Give me the remote," she purred into his ear before swooping in to lock her lips onto Hal's for a deep, passionate kiss. After finally breaking apart, Hal help up a small plastic device that closely resembled a garage door remote. Glory reached for it, but it was pulled out of her grasp at the last moment.


"What do you say?" Hal asked in a chiding tone as he dangled the remote just out of her reach.


Glory locked pleading eyes on her husband. "Please?" she begged while she began to move her body suggestively against his.


"That's better." Hal began to give her the device but kept a firm hold on it as he once again captured Glory's lips with his own. He released both her and the 

remote simultaneously and stepped back to the bomb. "This is going to be fun," he said with a chuckle.


Hal was blocking Judson and Gabe's view of the device, but when he stepped away again, a digital display was flashing two minutes in large, red numbers.


"Is that going to be enough time?" Glory asked. Her voice had taken on a serious edge.


"Any more than that would be to long. We wouldn't get the kind of distraction we need."


Judging by the amount and type of explosives that the bomb was made of, Judson knew that it would be far more than a simple distraction. If the bomb were to be detonated, it would quite easily destroy the entire building and cause considerable damage to the surrounding area – including the crowd of law enforcement officials outside. With a sinking feeling in his gut, Judson realized what the crazed couple was planning. Gabe voiced his thoughts before the explorer's suddenly dry mouth could form the words.


"You have no intention of letting us live, do you?" The words sounded more like an accusation than a question. "You know that the minute we're safe, the cops are going to come after you."


"Of course," Glory replied flippantly, as if there were no other possible option and her answer should have been obvious to anyone. "The car they give us will probably have a tracking device planted somewhere on it and there will most likely be several unmarked police vehicles ready to follow us. The explosion and subsequent injuries will be enough to cancel any plans for pursuit in favor of helping around here. Hal and I should have enough time to change vehicles and be long gone before anyone can even think about us again."


"Huh…Well, it sounds like you've thought of just about everything, haven't you?" Gabe's icy tone triggered Judson's warning bells, but he didn't have time to act to prevent the next sentence from being spoken. "I guess you're not quite as stupid as you look."


Hal suddenly materialized in front of the captives, grabbed Gabe by his shirtfront and hauled him to his feet. He slammed the younger man back against the wall, forcing the air from his lungs in the form of a tortured cry as Gabe's injured arm was jarred. Hal paused for a moment and looked to Glory who had returned to Billy's body, seemingly preparing to take it with them when the car arrived. When she made no attempt to stop him and showed absolutely no interest in his actions, Hal took it as her approval for him to do as he wished. He drew a fist back then thrust it into Gabe's stomach with all of his might. Before Gabe could even double over around the pain, Hal delivered a ferocious backhand that sent the young man sprawling to the ground.


As Hal advanced on Gabe again, Judson lunged into action. Without Glory to call him back, Hal would have no control. Judson had no doubt that the madman would kill his friend with his bare hands. Judson rushed Hal from the side, wrapped his arms around the other man's waist, and tackled him to the floor. The two continued to fight, each temporarily gaining the upper hand, while a completely unconcerned Glory looked on. 


At one point, Hal landed a particularly painful blow that stunned Judson and more than likely broke his nose. During the explorer's momentary lapse in concentration, Hal reached into his jacket for his gun. Fortunately, Judson was able to regain his senses quickly enough to prevent his opponent from drawing the weapon. 


The two continued their battle with renewed vigor. While Judson began to tire after a short time, he saw no such weakness in his opponent. He could only pray that something would happen soon to end the fight that he knew he would eventually lose. 


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


Mac couldn't believe her luck! Gaining access to the tunnel had proven much easier that she could have ever imagined! In fact, she was somewhat disappointed with the Beau Harbor Police Department. With no doors or windows on that side of the building, there had been only a couple of officers assigned to cover the area. It hadn't taken much skill or luck to get past them. She had simply approached from the alley and kept herself hidden behind the vehicles in the parking lot until she had reached the outside access door. It had taken longer than expected to pick the locks, but the officers had not even glanced in her direction once. Mac was actually looking forward to informing Lieutenant Anderson exactly how she was able to get into the bank. She was sure he wouldn't enjoy having his department's incompetence pointed out to him.


A slight sense of claustrophobia rushed Mac through the cramped tunnel. The inside door proved no more of a challenge than the outside door and Mac soon found herself standing in the center of the small employee restroom in the back of the bank building. She silently lowered the trap door back into place and crept over to the door. She pressed an ear against it and immediately recognized the muffled voice.


"You have no intention of letting us live, do you?"


Mac risked opening the door a crack in order to hear more of what was being said. From her position, she couldn't see anything, but she listened closely as Glory explained her plan. She had to admit that it might actually work.


"I guess you're not quite as stupid as you look."


Mac knew that statement was sure to bring trouble and the cry of pain and scuffling noises that followed spurred her into action.


The special-ops trained woman quickly but silently snuck into the lobby. She took only a split second to digest the scene of two dead bodies, Gabe – injured and apparently unconscious on the floor, Judson in a fistfight with Hal, and Glory preparing to end the fight by using deadly force.


Mac attacked the other woman. They tumbled to the ground but quickly righted themselves and began to fight in earnest. Mac was somewhat surprised at her opponent's skill, but a few well-placed punches and a roundhouse kick and Glory was down for the count.


Mac's self-congratulatory thoughts were interrupted by a gunshot.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


Judson saw Glory draw her gun and truly expected the worst, but amazingly, his guardian angel chose that moment to intervene in the form of one Mackenzie Previn. Having his friend join in the battle renewed his hope and recharged his waning energy. He easily dodged a few blows. Hal must have finally begun to tire. Hal clipped Judson's jaw, but the blow lacked any strength. The explorer instantly retaliated with a right hook that knocked the other man to the floor.


Judson turned to see how Mac was faring with Glory. A small noise drew his attention back to Hal. Judson turned just in time to see Hal pull his gun from his jacket, aim, and fire it. He felt the burning pain as the bullet hit the center of his chest. He vaguely heard someone call his name as the force of the impact threw his backwards.


Everything went black. 


"Judson! NO!"


Gabe couldn't believe his eyes. The First thing he saw upon returning to consciousness this time was an enraged Hal aiming his gun at Judson. Hal pulled the trigger. The sound was almost deafening as it echoed throughout the lobby. A large hole suddenly appeared in Judson's shirt and he was thrown backwards to the floor.


Gabe saw red. His mind completely shut down and his body acted of its own accord. Before he even realized he was moving, Gabe had tackled Hal and was sitting on his chest as he repeatedly punched the unconscious man's now bloody face. The only thought that entered his mind was that this…animal had just killed one of his best friends.


"Gabe!"


Mac's frantic call finally broke through the red haze of Gabe's rage. With a disgusted sneer to the man beneath him, Gabe rose to stand on shaky legs and unsteadily made his way to join his friends. He fell to his knees beside Judson's recumbent form. A wave of grief crashed over him as he took in the sight of the other man. His clothing was torn and his flesh was cut from the battle with Hal. He was covered in blood. Some of it was from Gabe's wound, some was from Judson's bloody nose, and some was…


Wait a minute! Something was wrong.


"Mac! Look!" Gabe drew Mac's attention to the wound in the center of their friend's chest. There was no blood!


Mac ripped Judson's shirt open to reveal a bulletproof vest hidden underneath. The bullet was flattened and remained slightly imbedded in its front. She gave a disbelieving snort of laughter before patting her friend's cheek and calling his name in the hope of rousing him. Gabe checked Judson's pulse and was gratified to feel the strong, steady beat beneath his fingers.


"Judson!" Gabe yelled directly into his ear.


"I'm up, I'm up, already," Judson groaned as his friends helped him to stand. He removed the vest and rubbed his chest. "Oh man. That hurts more than I would have ever imagined."


Gabe was too stunned by that fact that Judson was alive to speak but Mac soon brook the silence to voice the question. "Are you okay, Judson?" she asked while visually inspecting the welt forming on his chest.


"Yeah, thanks Mac."


Mac playfully slapped the back of his head.


"Ow! What was that for?" Judson whined.


"You had us worried. We thought you'd been killed." Mac pointed a scolding finger at his face. "Don't EVER do that again, understand?"


Judson pulled himself to an attention stance and saluted. "Yes, Ma'am!" he acknowledged like a perfect soldier. Mac merely rolled her eyes.


The explorer allowed his gaze to shift to his youngest teammate. It didn't take long to see that the young man was standing by sheer force of will alone. His body had been pushed far beyond its limits. Once the shock wore off and the adrenaline quit flowing, Gabe was going to crash – hard.


"Gabe?" Judson was interrupted by a fit of maniacal laughter from behind them. As one, they all turned to see Glory lifting herself from the floor. In her hand she held a small remote control device. A swift punch from Mac rendered her unconscious again, but the damage had already been done.


Almost reluctantly, Judson looked to the bomb and his fears were confirmed. The timer was already at one minute and fifty seconds and it continued to count down.


"Mac?"


"I'm on it, Judson!"


1:30 – Mac studied the tangled mess of wires, but nothing she found made any sense. There were three black wires, two red, one white, one blue, and even a couple of purple wires. It was a very crude device, obviously made with whatever the crooks could find. She couldn't rely on any one color representing anything.


1:15 – Mac decided that a more hands-on approach was necessary. She carefully followed each wire, hoping to find the one that would disarm it.


0:45 – Mac thought she had finally found it, but she couldn’t be 100% sure. She met the gaze of each of her friends, asking for and instantly receiving their approval.


"Do it, Mac," Judson encouraged. Gabe nodded his consent.


Mac took a deep breath and used her Swiss Army Knife to cut through the wire. Her companions echoed her gasp when not only did the timer continue to count down, but also it had more than doubled in speed.


0:30 – Mac was at a loss. She didn't have nearly enough time to trace any more wires and randomly cutting them was out of the question, but she couldn't simply stand there while it exploded and killed or injured dozens of people.


"The safe!"


0:20 – Thankfully, Judson instantly understood what Gabe meant with his frantic cry. The explorer slammed the lid of the briefcase shut, picked it up, and ran over to the small safe.


0:10 – Judson threw the briefcase into the safe and closed and locked the heavy door. He barely had enough time to make it back to where his friends huddled on the opposite side of the lobby. He threw his body over theirs and wrapped an arm around each of them just as the bomb exploded.


The door to the safe was blown open and what money the crooks hadn't already removed was shot out into the room. Bits and pieces of the bills rained down over everything like confetti. 


Judson cautiously loosened the protective grip he had on his friends and stood. Mac stood as well and Judson helped Gabe to his feet. Mac caught a few pieces of the now worthless paper and absently played with them as she studied the room.


"It looks as if the safe and the wall around it took the brunt of the explosion. That was good thinking to…" She trailed off when she realized that neither Judson nor Gabe was listening. Judson's eyes were locked onto the younger man. "Judson? What's going on?" she asked, concern for her friends making everything else seem unimportant.


Judson raised his hand in a halting gesture while still staring expectantly at Gabe who had begun to sway on his feet. "Any minute now," he softly whispered.


As if on cue, Gabe's blue eyes rolled back and his body pitched forward into Judson's waiting arms.


~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~


Gabe passed through the various stages from unconsciousness to consciousness slowly. He kept his eyes squeezed tightly shut, having no desire to open them only to discover that he was still being held captive in the bank and that Judson and Mac's rescue had only been a dream concocted by his cruel imagination. 


As his level of awareness rose, his mind finally registered the inconsistencies between what he had feared finding and reality. There was a strange odor in the air. It smelled…clean. Really clean. After a couple of seconds, the word came to him. Antiseptic. That's what the smell was.


There was a distant sound of voices, footsteps, and the squeak of a wheel needing to be oiled. Under it all was the low rumble of an industrial air circulation unit – not something the bank had. 


Gabe could feel that he was lying on something soft and there was a pillow under his head. He actually felt somewhat comfortable. He tried to move his left arm, but discovered that it had been secured against his side, but it was pleasantly pain-free. Another movement caused Gabe to realize that his right hand was also lightly restrained somehow. He finally decided it was time to open his eyes.


By this time, the sight of a hospital room came as no surprise to him. What he didn't expect was to see that the restraint on his right hand was actually Judson. He found his friend dozing in a wheelchair beside his bed with one hand resting on Gabe's. The explorer was wearing the requisite hospital gown, but the heavy green terry-cloth robe he wore over it preserved his modesty. His nose was taped and his face was covered in bruises and small cuts.


"Judson?" Gabe squeezed the hand that was lightly holding his own to instantly gain the older man's attention.


"What?" Judson sputtered to life. "Oh, Gabe! You're awake!"


"Of course. There's no way I could sleep with you snoring in my ear," he teased lightheartedly.


"I was NOT asleep! I was just…resting my eyes. And I do NOT snore!" Judson tried to act offended, but couldn't repress the smile that crept forward.


"Oh, of course. My mistake." Gabe paused a moment before turning serious. "Is everyone okay? How about you? How badly were you injured? You look like crap. Where's Mac?"


Judson raised his hands to halt the rush of words. "Everyone's fine. Hal and Glory were arrested and charged with a long list of crimes including the murder of Mr. Evers. The only thing wrong with me is this broken nose. Thank you, by the way, for telling me how bad I look. May I point out that you don't look any better?" The two men shared a laugh.


"Mac is probably still with Lieutenant Anderson, gloating about how she was able to sneak past his officers to get into the bank. And YOU, Gabriel, have just been brought back from surgery to repair your arm. I was right, by the way. The bullet did nick the artery. That's why you lost so much blood and why I was having such a hard time stopping the bleeding. The doctors say you'll be back to 100% in no time."


Gabe took a moment to digest all the information that had just been handed to him. "Good," was the only thing he could think to say.


"Hey guys, look who I found!" Mac came into the room followed by someone who was completely hidden by a large flower arrangement. Judson finally released Gabe's hand and allowed Mac to push his chair away from the bed in order to make room for the newcomer. 


The visitor placed the flowers on the bedside table and stepped out from behind them to finally reveal her identity.


"Judy!" Gabe exclaimed.


"Hi Gabe. I hope I'm not bothering you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay and bring up a token of my thanks for getting us out of the bank when you did." She gestured towards the flowers.


"Wow! I wish a beautiful woman would bring ME flowers," Judson whined while attempting to give Mac his best puppy dog expression. It failed miserably and only earned him glares from both of his teammates.


"Thank-you, Judy. I appreciate it." The two young people seemed to run out of words.


Or perhaps they just don't need the audience, Judson thought. "Mac," he called softly. When she didn't respond and continued to stare at the young couple, Judson jabbed his elbow against her leg. "Mac," he repeated slightly louder followed by a jerk of his head to indicate that he thought they should leave for a while.


"Huh? Oh, right. Judson and I are going to go to…that place to do…something." Neither Gabe nor Judy appeared to be paying attention to her words. They only had eyes for each other.


"Yeah, we're just going to go stop that alien invasion and then Mac is going to teach Martha Stewart how to cook while I compete in the Miss America Pageant," Judson said with a grin.


"Okay, see you later," came Gabe's distracted reply.


Mac and Judson chuckled as Mac began to push the wheelchair. 


"So," they heard Judy begin as they approached the door on their way out. "Are your days always this exciting?"


They didn't hear Gabe's response, but Judson supplied his own as soon as they were out of earshot. "Exciting? Nah! We're a team of professional explorers who face the possibility of danger at every turn. Compared to our usual activities, this day was kinda…ordinary."


The End



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