Ezra answered his cell while buttering some toast in his kitchen. He put down the knife and licked his fingers, but the phone still slipped around in his grasp when he tried to answer it.
"Standish," the undercover agent said, as he eventually clamped the greasy phone to his ear.
"Ez, it's Chris, the familiar voice said. "We've just had a call about Harper. Purely by chance, we've tracked down where he's been living. A cop went to investigate a report of gunshots and when he arrived on scene a witness described Harper as the owner of the suspect house. The cop luckily had one of the posters we'd been handing out and he showed it to him just to confirm matters, but he'd described him to a T." The blond team leader paused. "Everyone else is busy, so can you head over and check it out? It's been cordoned off and there's a police guard there. Harper's disappeared but there may be something to give us a clue to say where he might be now. I'll come with Nate when we've sorted out things this end."
Harper was a fugitive. He had been part of a large gang that smuggled arms into the country. Team 7 had been involved in the bust to capture the gang but Harper had evaded them. He'd been on the run for the past six months and despite a lot of effort had not been found. To get a lead on him now was unexpected to say the least. It seemed the fickle hand of fate had intervened on their behalf and brought the criminal to the surface.
"I'll set off now. What's the address?" Ezra wrote down the answer and discovered that it was only a fifteen minute journey away from where he lived.
"I'll be with you in about half an hour, okay?" Chris said.
"Fine. I'll take care of everything until that time." Ezra nodded and put away his cell.
He collected his coat, went back to the kitchen and picked up his toast. He ambled outside, eating his sparse breakfast as he went to his car. He finished his toast, lowered himself into the Jaguar and set off to the address Chris had given him.
Ezra arrived quickly on site and saw it was fairly quiet for an ongoing crime scene. There was only one squad car and two policemen in sight. He pulled in down the street and hurried along to the police line. He showed his ID and was beckoned inside by the policeman on duty.
Ezra carried on into the house to look for possible clues. He set to work, hoping to find some damning evidence before Chris and Nathan arrived. He frowned when he saw that there seemed to be no signs of a struggle and no indication of blood. He wondered distractedly whether the noises that the neighbor had heard had been gunshots or something entirely harmless.
It was probably a car backfiring, he thought to himself in amusement.
He poked his head into the other rooms quickly before heading on to the bedroom. The bed was made and the room was neat and tidy. Ezra frowned again but went straight to the drawer in the nightstand and began sifting through the contents. He always found that it was a good place to look first. People tended to be careless with personal documents, leaving them where anyone could find them. Ezra pulled out a passport and several credit cards and he smiled in satisfaction. He then checked under the mattress and shook his head at the stupidity of criminals. He discovered an envelope containing a very large amount of money there. Ezra flicked through it and whistled. Harper obviously didn't trust banks to keep his money safe.
The Southerner turned as he heard a noise, expecting one of his colleagues to have joined him. Instead, he saw a stranger with a very large knife in his hand. The man was close to him and Ezra automatically backed up to give himself some room to work. That was not a good idea, though, because he found he was almost wedged between the closet and the nightstand near the wall.
He'd had training in hand-to-hand combat, and what he learned kicked in as he decided that it was high time that he tried to defend himself. The lack of space made it hard for him to maneuver to get the upper hand, though. He felt cramped and his attacker was not backing up, knowing he had Ezra cornered and worried.
Ezra raised his hand and attempted to grab his assailant's wrist but the man moved at the last minute and Ezra missed, clutching his shoulder instead. The blade flashed and Ezra's eyes were transfixed on it as it swept ever nearer his body. The weapon's direction changed at the last minute and Ezra's forward momentum made him move toward the blade instead of away. The stranger was obviously a trained knife-fighter and was using his skills to the utmost by catching Ezra's arms with the blade every so often. The knife was lowered suddenly and it was drawn across the top of Ezra's inner right thigh, right near his groin. He gasped, although as yet, he felt no pain. He bent over in reaction to the stabbing, reaching out a hand toward the resulting wound. Ezra felt himself pushed backward as the knife was withdrawn from his body. The hilt was then aimed at his head as he folded over. The injured agent was knocked off his feet as it struck him hard at the base of his skull. He fell to the floor heavily, darkness claiming him momentarily.
His assailant took off out the door, only to be collared by the policeman in the yard. The cop's partner, who had been in the nearby squad car, came running into the house to discover Ezra flat out on the floor, bleeding badly.
"Shit!"
He pulled out his radio and put in a call for an ambulance. He then took up position beside the injured agent and tried to help him.
Five minutes later, Chris pulled up outside, unaware of the ongoing situation. He wandered toward the house, seeing that Ezra was already there by the presence of the Jag. The policeman in the yard had dispatched his prisoner to some hastily summoned colleagues and was hovering anxiously by the front door. He saw Chris and strode to meet him, not looking forward to his next task.
"Mr. Larabee? Um…something's happened."
"I know that. That's why I'm here," Chris said in exasperation, unprepared for the next bombshell. He thought the man was just being an idiot by stating the obvious.
"I mean something since the original call," the cop said anxiously. "Um...your agent. A suspect, not Harper, was still on scene and he stabbed your man. We thought it was clear when we let him in," the man finally blurted out.
"Obviously not clear enough," Chris snapped furiously. "Where is he?"
"In the bedroom."
Chris barged through but stopped when he saw a now conscious Ezra curled up on the floor groaning loudly. The black-clad man pushed the second policeman out of the way and dropped to his knees beside his friend.
He pulled Ezra's body out flat very gently, not yet seeing where he was hurt.
"Dammit," he cursed when he saw the very large bloody patch on Ezra's groin.
He undid Ezra's pants gently and tore his already ripped underwear, too. He pulled the material away from the groin area and growled angrily. He studied the wound briefly before reaching out a hand to cover it. It was pumping blood, the red liquid pooling on the floor under Ezra's hip.
"Shit, Ez. Just hold on, bud." He turned as the policeman came back with another first aid box. "Why wasn't this place cleared properly? How could you be so negligent?" he ranted, needing to let off steam.
"We thought it was empty. I'm sorry, sir," the man replied with an uncomfortable shrug. He experienced the dreadful sensation of a prey about to be pounced on by a predator. Chris was bristling with the look of an angry cougar out for a kill.
The blond's eyes flashed furiously. "Sorry's no good. He coulda killed my agent. Your superiors will be hearing about this, officer."
"Yes, sir," the cop mumbled unhappily.
"I suppose you're competent enough to have called for an ambulance?" the black-clad man almost snarled. He looked at the cop in something close to contempt.
"Yes, sir. One's already on its way."
"Chris? What the hell's going on?" Nathan called out worriedly at that point. He'd just been apprized of the situation and he ran into the room at top speed. The medic had a good knowledge of knives and he feared them even more than guns.
The blond looked up and grimaced. "Ez's been knifed, I can't stop the bleeding."
"Outta the way," the medic ordered urgently. The unfortunate policeman was standing right in his line of sight. It seemed he could do nothing right at the moment.
Nathan knelt down quickly and checked Ezra's overall condition first. The injured man felt slightly clammy to the touch and was shivering.
"Get a blanket," he ordered to no one in particular.
Nathan then turned his attention to the wound and studied it in increasing concern.
A blanket appeared in view over his shoulder.
The medic looked up irritably when it wasn't put over his patient. "Put is over his legs, but not up where the wound is," he said shortly
Chris, meanwhile, took off his jacket and put it under Ezra' head as he wiped the hair from his brow gently.
The blond then spoke to the cop who was hovering around like a spare wheel. "Don't let anyone else in here, and make sure Forensics is on the way. I want this bastard caught."
After making sure that the cop understood the simple instructions, the blond turned to look to Ezra again. His agent looked whiter than snow, a stark contrast to the bright red blood that was pumping out of him. Chris looked up at Nathan and tried to read his face. The medic looked grim and unhappy.
"How is he, Nate?" Chris asked in trepidation.
"Bleeding badly as you can see. Hand me another pad, will you?"
Chris obeyed silently.
"Ah," Ezra mumbled as his eyes opened briefly. He could feel Nathan touching the painful wound and he wanted to knock the man's hand away. It almost felt like the knife was still in the wound and being moved about.
"Easy, Ez, easy," Nathan said softly as he put a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder.
Ezra tried to touch his leg, which had suddenly starting throbbing while feeling terrifically hot. Chris managed to catch his hand, though, long before it got anywhere near the injured area.
"No, Ezra. Relax and try to keep still," he ordered quietly, feeling the resistance against his grip.
Ezra didn't seem to hear and attempted to curl into a ball. He was in agony and didn't know what to do with himself. Keeping still was no better than moving around. Even so, he couldn't help but twitch and wriggle continuously.
"Ez? Quit moving. I can't help you if you keep fidgeting," Nathan pleaded. "I know it hurts but you're only making things worse," the medic said anxiously as he tried to maintain contact with his friend's body. He was in danger of losing his grip on the pad and that would cause Ezra to start bleeding profusely again.
Ezra whimpered, his eyes fluttering open and closed uncontrollably. He knew that some of his friends were with him, but he couldn't work out who. His eyes wouldn't open properly and the voices he could hear sounded distant and fuzzy. It was almost as if they were talking in a foreign language – nothing they said made sense to him.
"Hush, Ez," Chris said as he bent down close to his friend's ear. His knees were beginning to ache and he fidgeted slightly to ease the pain. He wasn't going to let his own discomfort distract him from what he was doing, though. He knew that Ezra was in a hell of a lot more pain than he would ever be.
Chris could tell that his friend didn't really understand what Nathan had said to him. Ezra seemed to be past concentrating on anything. Chris reached out a hand and stroked Ezra's hair repeatedly. The blond continued talking softly to the injured agent and Ezra finally relaxed.
Nathan sighed in relief and set to work again. "Thanks, Chris," he murmured.
Nothing Nathan did seemed to do any good, so he sat back on his heels while still keeping pressure on the wound. "Ez? I need to stop the bleeding. I'm gonna have to use a pressure point in yer groin, okay? It'll be real uncomfortable, but it's necessary. It's quite close to your wound, so Chris'll keep the pad held over that while I do the other bit."
Ezra nodded, knowing an answer was required but not knowing what he had been asked. A simple ‘yes' seemed appropriate at the moment, though. He was drifting toward unconsciousness, the pain being the only thing keeping him awake.
Nathan pulled Ezra firmly onto his back and bent Ezra's injured leg up so that the flat of his foot was on the ground. That movement had Ezra screaming in pain and blood pumping from the wound. Chris reached out a took over possession of the pad while Nathan quickly put a fist on Ezra's body to press against the femoral artery so that it was squashed against the underlying bone. He increased the pressure and Ezra squirmed and moaned as he was touched in the sensitive area.
"Sorry, Ez. Can't help hurting you, I'm afraid."
Sirens finally sounded in the distance and they got steadily nearer until coming to a halt outside. Chris had never heard a sweeter sound. The ambulance's arrival seemed Heaven sent because Nathan had been losing the fight to stop the bleeding up until this point. Chris knew the medic really needed some help, and it was now here.
"You'll be outta pain real soon, Ez," the medic said in a placating tone as he flicked an anxious look toward Chris.
The blond stood after making one of the policemen take over the hold on the pad, and went to meet the two paramedics. He escorted them carefully into the bedroom, trying to make sure that no vital evidence was disturbed. It was probably way too late already, but Chris wasn't going to give up on getting a forensic lead on who had stabbed Ezra.
The paramedics took up position beside the injured agent. They set up oxygen and an IV first of all and administered a painkiller as soon as they could. Nathan stayed where he was, keeping a steady pressure on the femoral artery. Next, one paramedic started Ezra on plasma to replace the blood that had been leaking out of his body. The policeman moved aside after the paramedic replaced the blood-soaked pad and kept hold of it himself.
"Thank God," Ezra muttered as the pain meds finally kicked in. He felt as if he was floating and he accepted unconsciousness gladly. Now that the pain had been eased, he was able to give in to his body's desire.
"Nate?" Chris asked anxiously as he saw Ezra pass out.
"He's weak and was in pain, Chris. Surprised he stayed with us as long as he did." Nathan looked at his companion and frowned. "Have you called the rest of the guys?"
"Not yet. I'll do it when we get to the hospital."
Nathan nodded and stood as he walked alongside the gurney as the paramedics wheeled Ezra out to the ambulance. The medic stepped up inside the vehicle, still with hand clamped to his friend's body. He hadn't let go the pressure at all on the journey.
Chris, meanwhile, hurried away to get in the Ram to follow along behind.
+ + + + + + +
Chris left the Ram a few hundred yards away from the hospital, having been unable to get in the parking lot. He pulled out his phone as he hurried along the sidewalk to meet up with Nathan. He punched in his best friend's number and waited impatiently for the call to be answered.
"Tanner."
"It's Chris. There's been an incident. A suspect was still on scene when Ez went to Harper's house. He's been stabbed."
"Shit. How bad?" the sharpshooter asked anxiously.
"We've only just got to the hospital, but I'm scared for him. Nate's worried, and when he's worried, I get worried," Chris admitted as he came to a halt outside the building. He looked in through the doors and tried to catch sight of Nathan while he continued talking.
"Okay, I'll call the others and come in," Vin promised.
"Thanks, Vin. Ez was real pale and in a hell of a lot of pain. Never seen so much blood, either."
+ + + + + + +
Vin ran into the waiting room and came to a halt beside Chris. For once, the blond was sitting down, not even fidgeting. It was an unusual sight because Vin was used to seeing him pacing around when one the team was injured. The sharpshooter didn't quite know what that meant – good or bad news.
"Cowboy? How's Ezra?" he asked in trepidation.
Chris shrugged forlornly as he rubbed his eyes and sighed. "I don't know. I haven't heard any news at all and I don't even know where Nate is. Nobody will tell me anything."
Chris had been torn between doing as he was told and waiting, or stomping through the ER searching for his friends. In the end he'd decided to wait for Vin, knowing Nathan would come to find him when the time was right.
"Where was Ez stabbed?"
"His leg - well, groin really. He was slashed more than stabbed, right here," Chris said as he indicated the wound's exact position. "Nicked the artery maybe ‘cause, as I told you, there was a lot of blood. It was a real deep wound, I guess."
Nathan walked in looking serious and sat down beside Chris. He ran a hand down his face and let out a long, low sigh. He didn't look at his companions, taking a minute or two to calm himself before having to speak to them.
"Nate?" the blond asked in trepidation as he turned sideways in his chair. He studied the medic closely and saw the fine beads of sweat on his brow. He narrowed his eyes and wondered what that boded. Nathan never had been much good at hiding his feelings.
"He's just been taken to surgery. They're doing all they can," Nathan said quietly.
"Are you okay, pard?" Vin asked, also seeing how affected Nathan was.
"Just worried. He was still bleeding despite all I did."
The blond reached out a hand and rubbed the medic's back gently. "Don't let it get you down, Nate. You did the best you could in the circumstances."
"Hope it was good enough," Nathan mumbled softly as he covered his mouth with his right hand.
Even though he was no miracle worker, he considered himself a very good EMT. He therefore hated it when his skills couldn't solve every problem.
"'Course it was. Don't put yourself down, Nate. Without you being there he woulda been in even worse shape, or dead" Chris said meaningfully.
"I guess."
+ + + + + + +
A tall, slim doctor entered the room just after the rest of the team had arrived. He found himself surrounded by a human wall and he stared back at the concerned faces. It was a sight that he was confronted with every day and it never got any easier to deal with.
He flicked his gaze round the group as he tried to pick out the man he wanted. "Mr. Larabee?" he eventually called.
"Yes, that's me," Chris said with a small wave of his hand.
The young man, Dr. Handley, smiled. "Mr. Standish is in ICU. He's doing pretty well, but we just want to keep a close eye on him over the next day or so. He lost a lot of blood despite all Mr. Jackson's efforts. The wound was very deep and it's going to take quite some time to heal. It's in a very awkward spot when it comes to moving and walking."
"Can we see him?"
"Just two of you," the doctor said with an agreeing nod.
He knew the group of men by reputation and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure they obeyed the rules. He didn't want Ezra to get worse because he was tired out by visitors. At the moment that wasn't a problem because he was unconscious, but the doctor wanted to set the ground rules from the very beginning.
Chris didn't argue and took Nathan along to ICU with him. They entered the room to find Ezra's upper leg and pelvis were encased in thick bandages. The affected limb was slightly raised and Ezra looked pale and feverish.
Nathan moved to the bed and immediately reached out a hand and felt the injured man's brow. He then ran his fingers gently through his friend's short locks and sighed. "He's real hot."
Dr. Handley nodded sagely. "He's on antibiotics to combat any infection. He's gonna be in the hospital for a few weeks. Even when he gets out he'll have to take things easy."
The medic nodded and took the seat beside the bed. He didn't want to leave Ezra alone. Everyone should have company when they were in the hospital and Nathan was going to make sure that his friend did.
"I'll go and update the others if you're all right to take first watch then, Nate," Chris said, knowing he needed to let Nathan stay first.
"Yeah, I'd like to stay if that's all right with you. Can you relieve me tomorrow?" Nathan asked with a wry smile.
"Sure." Chris studied the worried medic. "I'm sure he'll be all right, Nate. He's a tough bastard. Tougher than we give him credit for."
"Yeah, I know."
Twelve hours later
Ezra's hearing returned first. He could detect rustling nearby and the sound of another person breathing. He couldn't think where he was, and none of the noises he could hear helped to identify his location. He tried to open his eyes, but gave up when it appeared to need a lot more energy than he currently had. He then smelled a distinctive odor. He frowned and flared his nostrils as he sniffed again. He knew that smell well and he smiled.
"Nathan?" he mumbled, eyes still closed.
"How did you know it was me?" the medic asked in amazement from where he'd been watching his friend closely. "You haven't even opened your eyes yet."
"You smell," Ezra murmured softly as his smile grew.
"What?" Nathan asked, not sure if he should be offended. He surreptitiously sniffed his armpits just to see if he was a bit ripe.
"Aftershave. No one else that I'm acquainted with wears that particular variety," Ezra replied slowly as he finally peeled open his eyes.
"Oh, I see," Nathan said with a relieved laugh. "Never knew your nose was so sensitive, you hound dog. How ya feeling, anyway?"
Ezra turned his head toward Nathan's voice and blinked a few times before squinting at the fuzzy shape beside him. "My leg feels odd."
"That's not surprising. You were stabbed in the groin, remember?"
Ezra didn't reply. He was tired, weak and uncomfortable. A slight feeling of sickness made itself known and he swallowed quickly, feeling the burn of bile in his throat.
"Ez?" Nathan asked anxiously as he sat forward.
"Still here. Just not up to much." Ezra swallowed again and got even paler. "I feel rather unwell."
"Well, you lost quite a bit of blood." Nathan quickly reached out and picked up the small bowl from the nightstand. He'd seen a tell-tale sign in Ezra's eyes that meant he was on the verge of vomiting. Sure enough Ezra was afflicted by a bout of nausea.
"It's the anesthesia, Ez, although I've never known you to have a bad reaction from it before," Nathan said sympathetically as he wiped Ezra's face gently. "Vin's the one who's usually affected like that."
"I know. I've taken care of him enough times while he's suffered. Perhaps it's catching," Ezra said before throwing up again.
The medic stayed with his friend for a while longer, but the man seemed to have stopped vomiting for the time being. "Just take it easy while I find the doctor," he said as he patted Ezra's shoulder.
Nathan rose and went in search of the elusive doctor. Ezra, meanwhile, spent the time staring at the ceiling, trying to stay awake. He finally heard Nathan's voice getting louder as he returned to the room. It felt like he'd been gone for ages, but it had only been a matter of minutes.
"Mr. Standish? I'm Dr. Robbins and I'm standing in for Dr. Handley today. He'll be back to take care of you again from tomorrow." The doctor smiled. "I'm just going to check how your leg is. The dressing probably needs changing by now anyway, I should think."
Ezra nodded and then lay and suffered the doctor's examination. He sucked in a sharp breath as the man touched his painful limb. He jerked involuntarily in the doctor's grasp, unable to control the movement at all.
"Sorry. You know you can adjust your pain meds if you need to?"
Ezra nodded slightly and smiled weakly. "Yes, I know. Haven't the energy at the moment to activate the button."
Dr. Robbins smiled in understanding and did what was necessary for Ezra instead.
Nathan reached out and took hold of Ezra's hand gently, knowing the man liked being touched during times such as this. He squeezed the appendage gently and then rubbed the back of it. "It'll kick in soon, Ez."
Dr. Robbins re-bandaged Ezra's leg and pulled up the covers slightly. He checked Ezra's pulse and temperature and pursed his lips.
"Doc?" Nathan asked.
"Well, it's a bit early at this stage to be too confident. It looks very nasty, but it didn't become as infected as it could have done, which is good. The medication has done its job very well in this instance. As I said before, the injury is in a very awkward place. He won't be able to put any real weight on it for quite some time, and sitting will be uncomfortable, too. His fever is dissipating, but we'll take things one day at a time." Dr. Robbins wrote his notes on the chart and put them back ready for Dr. Handley to see.
"He was sick earlier, doc. Is it just the anesthetic?" Nathan said, thinking he ought to mention it.
"Yes, I would imagine so. Even though he was operated on yesterday, some people suffer a delayed reaction to it. I'll go and get something that should help. Give me a call if you are still having problems after that, though. Mr. Standish may need something a bit stronger to sort him out. It can affect people differently and some suffer for days after their operation."
The medic smiled gratefully and watched the doctor leave the room. "Feel better, Ez?" Nathan asked as he turned his attention back to his friend.
"Not after what the doctor just said. I don't look forward to the prospect of being sick for days." Ezra sighed. "Anyway, I can say that the pain is easing, although I still feel a bit sick," he said weakly as he rubbed his brow.
"Well, you heard what the doctor said, but maybe you'll get away lightly with the sickness. If you're sick later, though, I'll go find him. Just save your strength for now."
Ezra let out a light huff of laughter as his hand dropped back onto his chest. "Not sure that I have any strength to save, Mr. Jackson."
Nathan smiled. "Go to sleep, Ez. You've only just woken up so don't expect to be up to your old tricks so soon."
Dr. Robbins came back just after Ezra had fallen asleep and gave him some more medication through his IV port to combat his sickness.
"Thanks, doc."
"You're welcome. I'll come back and check on him again in a couple of hours."
Nathan nodded and settled back to read a newspaper that Chris had brought for him the previous day.
+ + + + + + +
Chris ambled into Ezra's room a couple of hours later. He smiled at Nathan and moved to stand next to him. It seemed that all was quiet in the room and Chris wondered if Ezra had woken up yet. At the moment he had his eyes closed and looked very peaceful and calm. That in itself was a miracle. Ezra and hospitals didn't get along and he was usually working himself up into a lather about having to stay in one. Maybe the fact that he wasn't just showed how bad he was feeling. Anyway, Chris thought to himself, there's plenty of time for him to catch up on his grousing. He's gonna be in here for a week or so at least.
"He okay?" he asked Nathan.
The younger man shrugged. "Kinda. He woke a while ago but he was sick from the anesthesia. He's been all right since, though. Resting and quiet for a change."
"Yeah, I was just thinking that he was acting outta character. How's his leg?"
"The doc changed the bandages and he seemed pleased. It isn't as infected as he thought it could have been and Ez doesn't appear to have a temperature anymore, although he's still in pain." Nathan paused and studied Chris quietly, but the man did not speak to him. The medic sighed and asked, "What news have you got? Have you questioned the man that stabbed Ez?"
Chris nodded and looked unhappy. "Yeah, but from what he says he just walked in through the open front door as an opportunist thief and got trapped when the cops arrived. He managed to get up into the loft through a trapdoor in the closet while the police checked the house, which is why they didn't find him. He was just coming down when he saw Ez arrive and he panicked. I think I believe him too, so we're still no nearer finding out what happened to Harper."
"Another case of wrong time, wrong place for both the thief and Ez," Nathan mused. "Bad luck for Ez again. He just can't get a break, can he? He was only in here last month when he had that concussion after that fall out riding."
Chris shook his head at the fickle hand of fate. "Well, I'll take over here if you want. Is there anything I need to know?"
"Not really, but if Ez is sick again, go and find the doctor, will ya? He might need a bit more medication to help him out."
"Sure. You go and get some rest, Nate. Josiah's keeping in touch with forensics, so when you get back to work again, you can take over from him. Maybe they'll find some clue as to what happened in that house before Ez got there."
"Okay, I'll see ya later." Nathan waved and headed home.
Chris settled back in the chair and dozed until he heard Ezra moan. He sat up and leaned forward as Ezra peeled open his eyes slowly. The injured man didn't look entirely awake and he squinted at Chris as if he didn't know who he was.
"Hey, buddy. It's Chris. How ya feeling?"
"Oh, Mr. Larabee. I thought it was you." Ezra smiled weakly. "To tell you the truth I feel rather uncomfortable and stiff. My leg is throbbing quite a lot as well." Ezra automatically reached out to rub the tender spot but stopped before he actually touched himself. He let his hand drop to the covers with a sigh and then yawned.
"Do you want me to find the doctor?"
"No, thank you. Can you just press my pain med button? My thumb isn't obeying my brain at the moment."
Chris took the device from Ezra hand and pressed the button on the top gently. "Tell me if I didn't do it enough. I didn't give you too much 'cause I'm scared of giving you an overdose by pressing the button too long."
"I don't think that would be allowed to happen, Mr. Larabee," Ezra said as he yawned and fell asleep again.
+ + + + + + +
At the office during this time, the rest of the team had been trying to get another lead on Harper. The man seemed to have gone to ground again and despite speaking to every informant they employed they couldn't even get a sniff of the fugitive.
+ + + + + + +
Weeks passed and Ezra slowly recovered from his injury. He still relied on a cane to help him walk but he was improving every day. He'd gone to stay with Nathan during his recovery and had endured excruciating intensive physical therapy.
For the first time he was being allowed out for a trip into town. Vin had volunteered to escort his friend and the sharpshooter arrived to collect Ezra from Nathan's house mid-morning.
"Hey, Vin," the medic greeted on opening the door to find him on the doorstop.
He escorted the man through to the living room where Ezra was waiting impatiently. The injured agent looked slightly harassed and Vin was soon going to find out why.
"Now, I've packed a coat and your pain meds in your back pack in case it rains. Don't forget to take your pills during the day, will you?"
"No, Mr. Jackson," Ezra said sullenly. Who are you, my mother? he thought to himself as he flicked a pleading look at Vin.
The medic saw it and turned his attention to the long-haired sharpshooter. "Vin? Make sure he doesn't tire himself out. Don't get him overexcited either. He's still not back to full fitness, so you may have to come home early."
Vin smiled as he saw Ezra mimicking Nathan behind his back, and he knew that the medic must have been fussing for ages. He nodded. "It's okay, Nate. I'll take good care of him. I've done this before and I know how to keep him in line."
Ezra threw his gaze up to Heaven and indicated that he wanted to be going.
Vin and Ezra finally set off to enjoy a leisurely day shopping, but not until after Nathan had gone over his list of do's and don'ts once more.
"Praise the Lord. I know Mr. Jackson's heart is in the right place, but he does overdo the mother hen routine sometimes," Ezra said once he got out into the fresh air and headed toward Vin's jeep.
"Know what you mean. I thought you were going to explode in there," Vin agreed as he laughed heartily.
"Well, I was getting near boiling point. He's been giving me advice and instructions since we got up this morning."
Vin grinned. It was now 11 o'clock so Nathan had been talking for hours.
On arrival at the town center, the two agents headed to the strip mall and took their time ambling from one store to another and having frequent snacks in various diners as they went. Ezra was beginning to tire but, so far, he'd managed to hide it from his companion. He knew if he said anything he would be told that he had to go home. He was enjoying his freedom too much to allow that to happen so early.
As Ezra exited the sixth store of the morning, he stopped in his tracks.
"Ez? You okay? You tired or somethin'?" Vin asked anxiously. He moved to see if his friend looked pale or wobbly but the man was just staring fixedly at something in the distance. Vin turned and tried to see what he was looking at.
"No, Mr. Tanner, I have seen a vision. I do believe that the gentleman over there on a seat is Harper."
Ezra indicated the man he was talking about and Vin looked closely at him. He was quite a distance away but Harper had a distinctive shape and was instantly recognizable.
"Yeah, I reckon you're right." He was just going to suggest that he went and apprehended him when the man was joined by a group of four others.
Dammit, what's he up to? Vin said to himself as he watched the group head off toward an empty store that was for sale. Looks like he's maybe going to be doing some business, and I bet it's illegal. He wondered what to do, knowing that he didn't want to lose this opportunity to apprehend the man, but not wanting to leave Ezra on his own for too long either. "Stay here, Ez and I'll go see what he's up to. Sit on the bench where Harper was so I know where to find you."
Ezra did as he was told while Vin hurried after the five men. The undercover agent had never been so pleased to sit down in all his life. His groin area was now throbbing non-stop despite the fact that he'd taken some of his pills within the last couple of hours. He hobbled to the seat and eased himself down onto it carefully. He gave a heartfelt sign and a small groan during the maneuver and he wiped his brow to rid it of the sweat that had appeared. He rubbed the top of his leg gently and slowed his breathing as he tried to relax.
Vin, meanwhile, was still following Harper. Unfortunately for him, his quarry turned round at the wrong moment and spotted him. One of the other men was in the process of unlocking the door to the store and Harper had taken the opportunity to survey his surroundings for the final time before entering. He grabbed a nearby pedestrian and yelled for Vin to stay away. Pandemonium struck the rest of the public nearby and Vin could do nothing as the hostage was dragged into the building. Pedestrians screamed and ran away, bumping into each other in the process. Slowly the area in front of the store cleared, though, but Vin kept his distance, not wanting to spook Harper.
"Shit." He pulled out his cell and called Chris. "Cowboy, we've got a hostage situation in town. Harper's here and he spotted me. He's got a woman prisoner in an abandoned building with four other men."
"Is Ez safe?" the worried blond asked quickly.
"Yeah, he's fine."
"Okay, tell me exactly where you are. I'll bring your rifle and arrange for some cops to seal off the area. I want Harper caught."
Vin gave precise directions and when the call was finished he started herding onlookers away from the scene as best he could. Ezra stood up and moved to join him but he knew he wouldn't be able to stay upright much longer because of his tiredness.
"Go back and sit down, Ez. You look like shit, pard." Vin turned and escorted the man to the seat and hovered anxiously nearby while keeping an eye on the building where Harper was. He could do nothing more until he had backup.
Chris and the rest of the team arrived fairly quickly and they spread the accompanying police around the area so that the main street was deserted.
"Where is he, bud?" the blond asked when he joined Vin and Ezra.
"In that building. I ain't seen anyone at the windows since they went in," Vin admitted.
"Just one hostage?"
Vin nodded unhappily. "Yeah, but that's one too many."
"Ez? You okay?" the blond asked as he turned to the injured agent. He eyed his friend and gave him a quick top to toe examination.
"Yes, just fatigued," he admitted, knowing that his day out had come to an abrupt end anyway. There was no need to pretend that he was all right any more.
"Nate? Take him away from here now," Chris said when he saw just how tired Ezra looked. He looked on the verge of collapse. All the extra excitement couldn't have done his cause much good.
The medic nodded and escorted the shuffling undercover agent to one of the nearby squad cars. He made sure that he was far enough away from all the activity and so not in the line of fire. He eased him into the front and tried to make him as comfortable as possible. He then checked him over thoroughly to see that he hadn't harmed himself in any way.
"I told you not to get overexcited," the medic said wryly when he felt Ezra's rapid pulse.
Ezra wasn't in the mood to be given any more advice or instructions, though. He rubbed his eyes and laid his head back with a groan. "Please don't start Mr. Jackson. I've had about as much as I can endure today."
"Well, you just sit there, relax and do as you're told and I won't bug you," Nathan said with a smile as he felt Ezra's brow.
Ezra opened his eyes and looked Nathan full in the eye, almost in disbelief. "Hallelujah," he commented wryly.
"Have you had your meds?" the medic asked as he squatted down beside his friend.
"Yes," Ezra mumbled, almost asleep.
The medic studied his friend critically and pursed his lips. "Well, I think you'd better have another dose. You look like you're in a bit of pain."
Ezra did as he was told and then closed his eyes as he rested his head back on the seat again. Finally the pain meds kicked in and he drifted off to sleep, exhausted.
Back at the hostage situation Chris was still organizing things.
"I'll take the high ground, cowboy," Vin said as he took possession of his rifle and headed to the building opposite the one involved.
"Okay, but keep an eye on the roofs too in case they decide to escape topside."
"Will do."
"JD? Buck? Get round back and make sure they don't get out that way," the blond ordered as he watched Vin walk away.
The two agents did as they were told, but Buck called back on his radio within minutes with news.
"Pard? There's no way out of the back. It's a firefighters' nightmare round here," the ladies' man informed his boss.
Chris nodded but didn't want to leave anything to chance. "Okay, but stay there just in case."
"Sure thing."
By this time Vin had got up high and he looked down at the scene below. All he could see was policemen scattered around the area, all dressed in black. They were hidden behind cars, dumpsters and anywhere else that afforded a bit of protection. The sharpshooter could even see Ezra fast asleep in the squad car as he looked around the area through his rifle sights.
"In position, Chris," he said as he turned his attention back to the building concerned.
The blond acknowledged the call and took possession of the megaphone he was handed.
"Harper? We've got you surrounded. Let the hostage go unharmed."
No reply came from the building. Not that Chris really expected one at that time.
He wasn't going to give up, though. "We're not going anywhere, so you may as well give up. Just let the hostage go now and things'll be a lot easier for you."
Still no reply.
"Tell me what you want," he called, knowing that would get a response.
"I want out of here without you arresting me," a voice yelled back through an open window.
Up on the roof opposite, Vin got a lock on the man and waited for instructions.
"You know I can't agree to that," Chris said as he continued negotiations.
"I'll kill the hostage," Harper warned.
"What good will that do? It just means you're gonna go to jail for longer."
Harper wasn't going to be put off, by that threat. He knew he would be going to jail for years as it was anyway. "Get me a car and a clear ride to the airport."
"I can't agree to that. I'll need to speak to my superiors."
"So do it," the call came back aggressively.
Silence reigned for a few minutes as Chris contemplated options. He looked round the area as he began to formulate a plan in his head.
"What you gonna do, Chris?" Josiah asked.
Chris looked at the tall profiler and shrugged slightly, still thinking hard. "Play along for the time being. I'll pretend I've called Travis for his opinion, but I need to let Harper sweat for a while so he thinks that's what I'm doing. If I agree too quick to his demands, he'll be suspicious."
"You can't let him go."
Chris shook his head forcefully. "Don't intend to. Vin's up on the building opposite and as soon as it's safe to do so he'll shoot him. I just need to ensure the safety of the hostage. Maybe I can get him to trade her for me," he mused, liking the idea.
"We need you here, bud. Let someone else go. I'm willing," Josiah said calmly, not wanting to head down that road at all if it could be helped.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Chris agreed, putting an end to the debate. He had no intention of putting one of his own men in danger. He would offer himself and no one else.
Two hours passed in this standoff situation. Chris finally decided it was time to act and he had now come up with a proper plan.
"Harper? We've got a car that will come outside the building to collect you. Let the hostage go first or you're not going anywhere. I'll trade myself for her."
Josiah shook his head and waved his hands to try and change his mind, but the blond steadfastly ignored him.
Chris beckoned a car with darkened windows forward to let Harper see that he was supposedly serious. He then turned his attention back to the building to see what would happen next.
"We'll give you a clear route to the airport. I'll drive you," he cajoled when no movement was seen.
He sighed and went to speak to the man who was currently in the car he had chosen. He discussed things and put the final stages of his plan into action.
After another half an hour of quiet, the door of the building opened and the hostage was almost thrown out. A cop ran forward and pulled her to safety. She looked shaken but unharmed.
Chris went to the car again, leaving Josiah with the megaphone. He exchanged places with the other driver and then drove the car toward the building. He pulled up, but kept quite a bit of distance between it and the building to give them room to work with.
The four strangers eventually came out with Harper trying to hide in amongst them, but the nearer they got to the car the more spread out they became and Harper was exposed.
"Take him down," Chris said into this ear piece to Vin.
A sharp barking sound was heard from Vin's rifle twice and Harper dropped to the ground with incapacitating injuries to shoulder and leg. The four other men hurried on to the car only to find it full of hidden armed police. The gang had been unable to see if anyone other than Chris had been inside because of the darkened windows. Chris's plan had worked a treat. The group had no choice but to raise their arms in the air knowing they'd been beaten. They were disarmed and cuffed within seconds and led away to be taken to the nearby police precinct for questioning.
Chris left the cops to deal with their prisoners as he called his team together and then wandered back to meet up with Nathan and Ezra.
As they approached the car, the medic put a finger to his lips and pointed to the slumbering undercover agent with a smile.
The group talked over events in low voices but they still managed to wake Ezra even so.
"Is all well?" he asked as he looked round the group to make sure that they were all present and unharmed.
Chris explained what had happened and then said, "Yeah, my plan worked like a charm. It's a good job they let the hostage go or it could have turned into a bad situation, but Harper was way too trusting and he let her go."
"Was she harmed?"
Chris shook his head negatively. "Nope, just shook up."
"Thank Heavens for small mercies."
Chris shook the hands of all his men and then indicated their cars. "Well, let's go back to work. You'd better come too, Ez. I need to speak to you about your version of events."
Chris waited until Ezra had got out of the car and then took him along to the Ram. He helped him climb in and took him back to work to get his statement.
On arrival at the office the group first reconvened. They lounged around the office, taking some time to chat and relax and grab a cup of coffee before getting back to work again.
Chris looked round his team and smiled in pleasure that they had all survived intact. There could have been a shootout, but that thankfully hadn't happened. He watched Ezra hobble toward his desk and sit on the edge gingerly.
"You sure you didn't have a premonition about Harper being in town today, Ez? You remind me of that Johnny Smith character from The Dead Zone who can see the future. You've even got the cane," Chris said as he laughed, looking the man up and down.
"Oh, no. I couldn't bear to see people's futures. Never being touched in a normal fashion would be something I would miss. I do like a tactile relationship."
"Yeah, I know you do. It would sure be a nightmare to live with," Chris agreed.
Ezra smiled and shrugged. "Anyway, who needs special skills when fate lends a hand? If I hadn't been stabbed then I wouldn't have been there to see Harper today. Fate works in mysterious ways. That's the only positive thing that I can take out of this entire situation."
"I think I have to agree with you there, although I wish fate hadn't had to hurt you in the process."
"Amen to that, brother," Josiah said.
The End
