Chapter One Hundred Seventeen



Eli's P.O.V.

When all the guys are settled, I say, "Right, we're lead team on this one. No one else knows where the raid is taking place. They'll find out right before we leave. Security is so tight on this and I will be asking everyone to hand their cells in before the briefing tomorrow afternoon. I have to include you all in that as well so it doesn't look like I'm favoring you guys. It's going to be a tough one to breach, so we all need to be on the ball one hundred and fifty percent. No mistakes, no day dreaming. Everything has to be accounted for and planned for. I'm sure it's not going to go like a routine raid, so keep on your guard at all times..."



I proceed to point out all the armed guards, keeping watch, and then let Arrow talk them through the route we're taking, the best way to breach and all of our backup plans. We've planned four ways to enter the building, just in case something goes sideways. We're not losing this opportunity because we probably won't ever get another one like it.



Once Arrow is finished, I say, "Everything by the book, guys. If we don't get this right, they'll shut down this place and use somewhere else but they'll be even more careful and we'll have completely lost our chance. We need to make this right for Dani and for our whole team. Everyone must be careful and watch each other's backs. Let's do this without any casualties. We're still gathering intel, so we'll brief again tomorrow."



After the recon meeting is done, we get to the new house at 10pm. The lights are on, so my mom must still be there. I smell food as we walk through the door and I turn to Dani, "Did my mom say she was staying until we got home?"



She shrugs, "Not to my knowledge."



"Ma?"



"In the kitchen, guys."



I know my mom can be pushy and interfering, but she's also pretty amazing. She's unpacked the kitchen boxes and has cooked us dinner. Just as I'm about the thank her, my pops appears in the doorway.



"Connie, all the boxes are in the right rooms... Oh, hey guys. We weren't expecting you back til really late."



"Did you two seriously do all of this work?"



My mom smiles, "Of course we did. We know you can't take any time off yet, so we thought we'd help you out. The place has been cleaned and all the boxes are in the correct rooms. We haven't unpacked anything except the kitchen and the bed hasn't been made yet. Your pops thought you guys would want to build that yourselves."



"Of course they do. It's character building."



I chuckle, "I don't think building a bed is going to ruin what we've got, do you Dani?"



"No sir."



Then she whispers, "Have you ever built one before?"



My heart clenches at the innocence of her words. She's never had to build any furniture? I don't comment on it right now; not with my parents here.



"Yeah, I've so got this. I'm like the pro at building furniture. We can totally do this."



She nods and shoots me a small smile.



Her voice is thick with emotion when she addresses my parents, "I don't know how I can ever thank you for your help, Connie and Don. Not just for the move, but for everything. You have done so much and I don't know how to thank you."



My mom sounds like she's going to cry, "Oh, you don't need to thank us, dear. You're part of the family; that's what we do. Just don't be a stranger because you've moved out. We still want to see you as often as possible. Is that a fair trade?"



"I still think I should find a way to thank you..."



My pops is more understanding about Dani's behavior and he says, "How about you have us over for dinner when you're all settled in? Would that be a better trade for you? Obviously, you still have to visit whenever you can though."



"Ok, dinner we can do."



"Good. Shall we eat before the food I made gets cold?"



My mom is back to being bossy again, but I don't really mind this time. There are boxes everywhere and the house is completely disorganized, but I love it. I am so happy right now that I think my face might crack from all the smiling. Even Dani is happier than she has been recently. I know she's worried about tomorrow's raid, but she's trying to hide it. I'm looking forward to it all being over and then we can carry on with our lives without the threat of the Bratva looming over us.



My parents leave at midnight and as Dani and I are settling on the mattress in our new room, I say, "I'd like to take you somewhere tomorrow before work, but we need to leave early. Are you ok with that?"



"Can I ask where we're going?"



"To visit your parents."



I hear the breath catch in her throat. She wasn't expecting that. Idon't want to give away the rest of my plan but I also don't want her to be worried about where we are going.



"I thought you'd like to visit them after the last few weeks."



"I'd like that, thank you."



"Let's get some sleep, huh?"



"Yes sir. Night Eli."



"Night baby."





We set out at 5am for the cemetery. I hope everything is as I left it yesterday. That's the reason I was late for signing the paperwork for the house. Dani looks tense as she sits next to me. I know visiting the grave is tough for her, but I also know she likes to have that physical connection to them as well. We're silent for the whole journey and as we pull up outside the gates of the cemetery, Dani wipes the palms of her hands over her pants. She seems nervous, but I don't know why. We've been here before, quite a few times now, so there's nothing new here. I decide not to comment on it for now and leave Dani to figure things out for herself. Maybe she's just got alot on her mind right now.







Dani's P.O.V



I can't help but wonder about Eli's sudden need to bring me here. Why does he want me to visit their grave? Does he think we won't get through this raid tonight? I know I'm not actually going with them, but maybe he thinks someone has found us. If Eli is going to die, then I want to go with him. I can't cope in this life without him.



As we approach my parents' grave, I can see flowers everywhere. Someone has completely covered the area with different types of flowers. It looks absolutely beautiful and the breath catches in the back of my throat because of it.



When I manage to speak, I simply ask, "Did you...?"



Eli nods, "That's why I was late yesterday at the realtors. Do you like it?"



"It's beautiful, thank you. How did you even manage this? Some of these flowers aren't even in season."



"I have my sources. Do you know what the flowers are?"



"Yes sir."



"Do you know what they symbolize?"



I shake my head. I know some of them, but sometimes the meaning of flowers depend on where you look, so I'd like to hear what he has to say.



He smiles in his charming way and he seems truly happy at this moment. That thought makes my heart clench and swell at the same time. How can he be happy with me? I'm not enough for this man, surely.



He clears his throat to grab my attention before speaking, "Birds of Paradise mean freedom and faithfulness, tulips mean a perfect love, roses are various symbols for love, beauty, reverence, remembrance, and lotus flowers mean forgetfulness of the past."



A tear leaks from my eye, even as I try to stop it. How can I not be overcome with emotion at his words?



He takes a deep breath and now he seems nervous again. I don't know if Ishould be scared right now. Does he think he's not going to make it back to me tonight?



My voice is shaky as I say, "Eli? You're scaring me. Are you preparing me for you not coming home tonight?"



I shoots me a sad smile. "I like it when you call it home, but no, I'm not doing that. I wouldn't be so cruel. I'm not going to make promises I can't keep, but I am determined to come home to you tonight."



I nod. I'm still scared. Eli is acting strange; not like his usual confident self. I don't like that. I need his confidence because I don't have any.



Eli takes my hands in his as he speaks, breaking my thoughts completely.



"I love you, with all of my heart. I never want to spend a single day without you. You are my perfect match. We might not be perfect individually, and we might not have what everyone else considers normal, but we are perfect together. Everything we have works and fits together. You are the part of me that I have been missing for so long and I don't ever want to lose you. I don't ever want to be with anyone else and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. If you can see fit to have me forever, I'd like to ask you to marry me."



My mouth falls open. I wasn't expecting that and I don't know what to say. I want to run away. I'm not ready for something like this. With marriage comes certain expectancies that I'm not ready for. I can't do this. I'm just about to turn and run when Eli takes a firmer hold on my hands to stop me.



His next words come out in a rush, like he's trying to calm me down.



"Don't panic. Just listen to me. Please? I know you're scared. I know you think this will change things, but it won't. I promise you I won't and don't expect anything different from you. I love you, Dani, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want the world to know that we've chosen to be together forever. I don't want or expect you to answer now. I want you to think long and hard about your answer. I don't want you to think I'm pushing you to make a decision, because I'm not. I want you to think about it. Take as long as you need. But I thought now was an appropriate time to ask. We've come so far in the last few months. You've been so different and so much more confident. I did this here, because I wanted you to know I came here yesterday to ask your poppa for his blessing. I waited for a sign, for something to let me know he hears and knows my intentions are pure. I know he speaks to you, but I wanted to know if he could speak to me just once. I wanted to know that he trusts me with you."



Despite my fear, my curiosity is peaked and I want to know if he heard my poppa too.



"Did he? Speak to you?"



"Not in words, no. I felt that same breeze you did the first time you visited here. Normally, I would say it was a coincidence, but it was a completely still day and it appeared out of nowhere; right after I begged him for a sign he gives his blessing. Nothing will change, sweetheart. I'm not going to ask you for anything more. I want you to be part of my life and my family that everyone can recognize. I want everyone to know just how much I love you. I need you to understand that. I need you to know I'm not trying to scare you, I promise. I need you to know how much I want to take care of you and love you. Can you understand that?"



I nod. Words aren't exactly forthcoming right now. I take a few minutes to swallow the lump that's in my throat and compose myself.



"I hear what you're saying. I don't understand it completely. I don't know if I'll ever understand why you want to stay with me. I'm trying to learn to accept that, but I don't know if I'll understand it. I can't give you an answer, Eli. I wish I could, but I can't. I'm scared. I'm frightened of that kind of thing. I'm afraid of making decisions in regular life, let alone something like this. I don't know if I can give you an answer."



"I know and I get that. I'm ok with waiting for an answer. I don't care how long it takes, I will wait for an answer. I won't ever love anyone else, not the way I love you, so I will wait as long as it takes. Please tell me you're not going to be scared of me now?"



I shrug, "I don't know. I don't think so, but I can't know the way my mind will analyze everything. I think we've discovered by now that my brain does things I don't want it to, so I can't make any promises."



"I appreciate your honesty and I'm sorry for scaring you. Something told me this was the right day to ask and I have learned to go with my gut feeling over the years. Does today hold any significance for you?"



"No sir. The flowers are really beautiful, Eli. I'll bet my parents appreciate them too. They loved flowers. My poppa always liked the delicate nature of flowers. He said even surgeon's hands couldn't master something as delicate as a flower. My momma said they made her feel like dancing so she could move like the petals moved."



He smiles affectionately at me and I see that he cares in his smile and eyes. I feel awful for not being able to answer or commit to anything. I know he's always putting his life on hold for me, but I can't make that kind of commitment. I'm not built that way anymore. Who knows what would have happened if my life would have turned out differently.



Just as I'm about to apologize, Eli stops me, "No, don't apologize. I know you need time; that you need to process and figure everything out. I knew that long before I planned this moment. I'm ok with that. In fact, I'm more than ok with that, because it's not an outright no.If you'd have straight out said no, then I'd be devastated, but you didn't, so I'm ok with waiting. Do you want a moment on your own here? I can wait just over there."



I nod a little and before he steps away from me, I hug him tight and whisper, "Thank you, Eli. For everything."



He kisses the top of my head and whispers back, "You're most welcome, baby. I won't go far, ok?"



I nod again and wait until he's moved away before whispering in Russian, "Hey momma and poppa. So you knew about this and didn't tell me, poppa? That's not cool. I would have liked a warning. I don't know what to do. I can't be married. How can I be a wife? I can't do anything that wives are supposed to do..."



My poppa's voice breaks through my verbal processing, "Svetlyak, you're getting too caught up with one part of being a wife. Stop thinking about that. Eli wants you as his wife for pure reasons. He loves you very much and he will take care of you better than anyone else can. Please don't sacrifice your happiness out of fear. You need to accept that he loves you completely and you need to stop punishing yourself for things that were out of your control. He's a good man and I want you to be happy with him."



Tears spring to my eyes, "I'm scared poppa. I'm always so frightened. I need you to help me. I need you and momma to be here. I need you both so much."



I pause because a sob breaks free.



"I'm always right here with you, you just can't see me. I know you're scared but I've helped you so far. Please listen to my advice. At least think seriously about his proposal. At least promise me that."



I choke out, "I promise, poppa. Please take care of him tonight. Take care of all of them. Please don't let anyone get hurt."



I don't get an answer, just a warm breeze that brushes across my face. It helps to dry my tears and I take that as a silent answer to my plea. I take a few more minutes to compose myself and then I walk over to Eli. The journey to work is made in silence, except for Eli asking what I'd like for breakfast at the bakery. We eat on the way in to work and as soon as we step on to our floor, it's a crazy house. The phone on my desk is going insane with different departments calling for the Captain. All thoughts of the events of the morning are thrown from my mind completely.



Greggson and his guys appear at four pm but I don't see his guys. Eli takes them straight into the briefing room so they don't stop anywhere near my desk, thankfully. Captain Greggson meets with Captain Michaels before they head into the briefing room too. I keep myself busy with the files on my desk. I'm sure the Captain has given me a bigger workload today to keep my mind off the events of the evening. I feel sick with worry and as the end of my day approaches, I'm becoming increasingly less useful.



Eli steps up to my desk at five thirty. "Hey sweetheart. Can you cometo the rec room with me for a second, please?"



My nerves are on a knife's edge right now. I need a moment with Eli sohe can calm me down and reassure me, so I gladly follow him.



As soon as he shuts the door, his arms are around my shoulders and he holds me tight. I feel and hear his voice as he speaks.



"My pops is coming to take you back to their house in a little while. You can wait with them until I come and pick you up later. I didn't think you'd want to stay here and I don't want you to be at home on your own. Ok?"



"I don't want you to do this, Eli. Please don't do this..."



"I'm sorry, baby, but I have to finish this. I know you are scared and you aren't really trying to talk me out of it. You know it's the right thing to do, even though you're frightened. I'll let you in on a secret that no one else knows. I'm scared too. It's a healthy fear that keeps myself and the teams safe. I need that little bit of fear to keep me grounded and in reality. It helps me to remember this isn't a game and it isn't a training session. In spite of that, I know this is the right thing to do. I have to go through with this. I have to make this right for you and for the other girls. I love you so much, Dani. Always remember that. Just keep that in the front ofyour mind. Every time you get scared tonight, just remember I love you and I'm doing everything to get back to you tonight. Ok?"



"Ok."

"That's my girl. The Cap says you can go as soon as my pops arrives. I'll call you as soon as I can and I'll be back before you know it. Make me something nice for when I get home."



"Like what?"



"How about a huge carrot cake? With that vanilla frosting your momma taught you to make?"



"Ok."



He kisses my forehead and holds me even tighter. I stiffen in his arms when someone knocks on the door, but I relax a little when Ash's face appears.



"LT, your dad is here. Dani, you ready to go, darlin'?"



"I think so. Please be careful; both of you."



Ash's voice is unfamiliarly serious, "We will, I promise. We'll be back before you know it."



I nod, not really knowing what to say. I give Eli a squeeze and whisper in Russian, "Please come back home. I don't want to lose you."



"I'm determined to make it back to you. Everything I'm doing is for you. Just remember what to think every time you're scared."



I nod and he softly kisses the top of my head before finally releasing me to go home with his dad. Despite being scared for the guys' safety, I couldn't bear to watch the surveillance or run comms no this one. I think the Captains both knew that and they have kept me away from everything relating to this case and raid. I guess I'm too close to the whole thing to be allowed it on it anyway. I have no idea how Eli managed to get his team on the raid, let alone running it, but I would assume it has something to do with his stubbornness and refusal to trust anyone else with it all. Stepping out of the precinct signifies the start of the clock of waiting. I'm not looking forward to the next few hours. I want to skip the waiting and have everyone back safely, but I know that's not possible.







Eli's P.O.V.



As soon as Dani has gone, I head back to the briefing room and we get down to business. My face is deadly serious when I cross the doorway into that room.



"Right, before we reveal the location for the raid, I'm asking for everyone's cells. I want someone from Alpha team to search Tango team for any other devices and I want someone from Tango team to search Alpha team. Everyone gets searched. There will be no arguments or refusals or you'll be off the team. I'm not risking any leaks. Does anyone have a problem with that?"



I don't get any response, so I choose Ash to search Tango team, which is Greggson's two teams pulled together. A guy called Young searches all of mine and Carlos' men and the cells and pagers are stored in a locked box in the Cap's office. We get down to the specifics of the raid and I watch everyone's faces for even a tiny reaction to the location. Obviously, we have to fill everyone in on who we're looking for and why we're raiding this place.



I say, "We want the head of this ring alive. His name is Misha Ivankov. This is what he looks like. There will be innocent girls locked up in there and we need to be careful none of them get hurt in the crossfire. The higher up's want Ivankov alive so be aware of your surroundings. Arrow will be running point outside and you'll all be patched into his comms. Trust what he says about the outside. Once we're inside, we're pretty much blind. We have a floor plan, but no way of knowing what is happening in there. They have no cameras that we can tap into so use your instincts and keep your eyes open. These are dangerous guys and they will not hesitate to kill each one of us. Stick together and hit as a team...."



We carry on with the briefing and head out at 10pm. I'm anxious to get this over with, but I have an energy that only adrenaline can give me. I love my job; I love raids and dangerous situations. I love being able to fix things and get a good result, even if I'm being shot at at the same time. Actually, probably even more so if I'm being shot at. I can't help the way I'm wired. That's why I joined the Rangers and why I lead a SWAT team. I don't think I could do anything else as a job because I'd get too bored. I like shooting things. I evaluate my job every time I take part in something like this. I like to appreciate the fact that I am lucky enough to do something I love as an every day job. Don't get me wrong, I don't discard the dangers, but I still love what I do.

The journey to the raid is filled with a tense silence. The guys are all ready to do their jobs. They know the dangers and they want to get through the evening with as little casualties as possible. They're also excited, because that's what people like us feel before a job like this.



Just before we arrive at an alley near the hotel, I say "Arrow, you get yourself situated wherever you have the best advantage. We'll wait for your signal when you're in place and then we'll move. Complete radio silence until we've breached. If anyone breaks that silence, I will have your badge. Understood?"



I get affirmatives from everyone and Arrow is out of the van in a flash. He allows two bursts of static over the coms when he's in place and then we all quietly make our way to the point of entry we've chosen.



There are four guards standing just inside the door and when they see us, they reach for their guns. My team make a quick and quiet disposal of the men. Unfortunately, we can't allow anyone to throw an alert upstairs by any means, so we have to take out anyone who might do that. We've all got silencers on our guns, so it makes our shots considerably quieter.



Once we get to the upper levels, the rooms change considerably. The smell is different and it almost makes me gag. I can smell the sex, the filth, the drugs and the smoke. Dani has often spoken about the smell of this place and now I know what she means. Alpha team stick with me and we lead the teams through the rooms. Men branch off as we go through rooms to make arrests and cuff people and I'm aware of the screams of girls as we go from room to room. I bark out, "Hernandez, get those girls in one room and make sure they're covered up. Get them out of the crossfire. Young, get some of your guys to make sure the rooms are clear as we sweep."



There are literally hundreds of girls here and even more men. We clear through the cells or rooms as they would call them and we come across a huge room that's set out like a strip club. There are a few stages, some dancing poles, and a huge bar. My mind automatically thinks about the times Dani was probably paraded across that stage and how many dances she had to perform. I physically shake my head, trying to clear those thoughts from it. I can't get distracted right now. As soon as we enter the room, shots are fired at us and we fall back enough to find some cover. We're pulled into a shooting match which lasts for quite some time. While we're caught up in this, I hear Arrow say, "LT, we've got someone trying to escape out the back entrance. I'll shoot them back inside because I can't tell who it is. I don't want to kill the guy you're looking for. Take a couple of men and head for the south exit. I'll keep them in place until you arrive."



"Roger. Fuse, Anderson, Hawkins, DeMarco, Walker follow me. We're heading for the south exit."



I can hear Arrow's shots before I see anyone. His bullets are hitting the metal door and I can hear the ping of metal on metal. I hear footsteps heading in our direction. It sounds like a handful of men, so I signal for my guys to hold back and take cover. The corridor we're in opens out into a bigger room behind us, so we fall back into the big room and fan out to keep the room covered so no one can get past us. Six men appear in front of us, wearing shocked looks. Five of them are guarding someone and when I get a look at his face, I can see it's Ivankov. At least we know he's here. Now we just have to get him out of here alive for the Feds. I can see by the hardness of these guys faces and their evil smirks that they are the top men here. Ivankov has the five bodyguards around him and he obviously trusts them enough to protect him, which means they've probably done their fair share of killing. Reasoning with people like this is never easy. They don't want to go to prison. They don't want to be caught because the list of crimes against their names are vast. They'd rather die than get taken in by cops.



We're all pointing guns at each other, just waiting for someone to make a move. I start the ball rolling, "Don't do anything stupid. We've got men everywhere. There's no way you're making it out of here. Who do you think stopped you from going out that exit? That's my men on the other side of the door. You're completely surrounded."



Ivankov barks out a kill order in Russian, but he doesn't know I can understand him, so I quickly yell at my guys, "Shoulders!"



They know exactly what I mean and before the Russians can fire any shots, my team have put a bullet in each of their shoulders, preventing any chance of them firing a gun any time soon. Ivankov doesn't have a gun in his hands and he knows we can't fire at an unarmed man, so he stands next to his men, waiting to see what happens.



My guys zip tie everyone's hands behind their backs and as they're moving the guys against the wall, Ivankov pulls out a gun. He aims it right at Ash. While the word 'gun' is leaving my mouth, I'm running to get in front of Ash. None of my men are dying on my watch. I feel the familiar searing of flesh, as the bullet rips through me. I haven't felt that feeling in a long time, but you never forget it. It's a weird burning sensation before the pain fully hits you. I grit my teeth, roll off Ash and then stand up. By the time I'm on my feet DeMarco and Anderson have a firm grip on Ivankov and the gun he had has been thrown across the room. I march over to Ivankov and punch him in the face.



"I'm not letting you take down another person, you sick piece of scum. You're going away til the day you die. Get to your feet!"



I drag him up, ignoring the pain from the bullet hole in me. At times like this, I'm glad we wear black fatigues so no one can see the blood.



Ash slaps me on the back and I bite back a grimace as the action sends shockwaves of pain through my whole body.



"Thanks, man. I'm glad you were watching out for me there. That could have ended really badly."



"No, it would have ended really badly. Keep your eyes open and your whits about you. Pay attention, Fuse. We're not out of danger yet."



"Roger, sir."



"I'm riding back with this guy, so keep him guarded until I've sorted everything out."



I mutter so only he can hear me, "I don't trust anyone else other than Alpha team, so you guys guard him. Keep him well away from the girls. Seeing him will scare them, I'm sure."



Ash scans for my team and says, "Yes sir. Alpha team, let's get this scum bag secured."



I pass out orders, telling all the other men to make sure every room is clear, arrest guys, read them their rights, and load them into vans. The place will be swarming with patrol officers, and detectives as soon as we ensure the building is safe. The whole of my right side has passed the adrenaline stage and it is now really painful. I grit my teeth and carry on as if everything is ok. Dani had to go through way worse than this within these walls, so a little gun shot isn't going to stop me from completing my mission.



I find Hernandez in a big room with all the girls huddled in a corner. They look petrified and the teams aren't calming them down, despite their best efforts. The girls probably don't understand a word they're saying to them, to be fair.



I say to the teams, "Back off a bit, guys. Give the girls some room."



I switch to Russian and ask, "Do you need any more blankets? Just raise your hand if you do."



They all look shocked that I speak Russian, but a couple of girls raise their hands anyway. I grab a load of blankets and toss them in their direction. I know they probably won't want me going anywhere near them.

I continue to speak in Russian, "Does anyone need medical attention? Is anyone hurt?"



No one moves or answers. I'm sure at least some of them are hurt. That's what they do in this place. Aside from the obvious, I mean. Maybe they're just too scared to say anything.



"Do you understand what's happened here? We're arresting the men that were in here. They won't be able to hurt you anymore..."



Ivankov is somewhere in the distance and I hear him shout, "You whores keep your mouth's shut! I'll take care of anyone who speaks out! Know your place!"



He's not close enough to be able to hear me talking to the girls, so he's throwing out a threat in the hope they'll hear him. He also doesn't realize I can understand him. The girls definitely heard and understood his threat, because they all gasp and huddle together even further away from us.



"I'm not going to let him hurt you. He won't be getting out of prison any time soon. I just need to know if anyone is hurt..."



Still nothing. My side is throbbing and I know I'm losing quite a lot of blood. If I stand still for much longer, I'm going to leave a pool of the red liquid at my feet. I move to my left slightly and try to get the girls to at least hear what I'm saying. I want to get them to safety and get them medical assistance. I need them to know they don't have to see any of these horrible pieces of scum ever again. Nothing I say is having any effect. They're too scared to listen to or respond to me. I guess men aren't exactly in their good books right now.



I do the only other thing I can think of; I grab my cell and dial the number.



Her frantic voice is on the other end of the line before my brain even registers the ringtone and I almost groan with relief. One, because she cares enough to be worried about me and two, because I can actually hear her voice. I didn't know how tonight would turn out and I still don't know what's going to happen. I will need a medic myself, probably sooner than I realize.



I speak in Russian so no one can understand us, "Hey... I'm ok. I need your help."



"What do you need?"



"The girls; they're scared. I tried talking to them in Russian, but they're too scared to hear what I'm saying. I thought maybe hearing a female might put them at ease a bit more."



She chokes on her words and I know she wants to say she can't do it. She doesn't have enough faith in her recovery to think she can handle this. I know she can, but she has to understand that herself.



"You can do this, Romanov. You've got this. You just need to assure them that I can and will help them. You know that's the truth, right?"



"Yes sir."



"Then show them that. They don't know or trust me, so you have to be the negotiator; the middle man. You can do this, I promise."



"Ok."



"Good girl. I'm going to put you on speaker. I don't think any of them speak English."



"Probably not. Ok, go on."



I put Dani on speaker and her fluent Russian is a bit too quick for me to keep up completely.



This is what I do catch, "My name is Tatyana. I know you're all scared right now, but this man is a good man. He will help you, I promise. He will make sure you get to safety. He will make sure no one else hurts you."



One of the younger girls asks, "Why should we believe you?"



Another one, she looks like she's one of the older women, asks, "Are you the Tatyana? With the blue eyes?"



Dani gasps. I don't think she expected anyone to know or remember her. She takes a minute to recover and then she whispers, "Yes."



The older woman says, "I heard about you. They said you were dead. They said even their best girls get put in the ground."



Then she turns to the girls, "If she's still alive then someone has made sure she's safe. She escaped. She sent someone for us."



Dani doesn't comment on that, but she does say, "This man and his team will make sure you're safe. I don't expect you to trust him, but at least let him make sure you're safe."



Then she addresses me, "Sir? Don't let anyone touch them or hurt them. They need female medics and doctors."



"Yes ma'am. I'll get working on that now. Thank you for your help."



"You're welcome."



I take her off speaker and then whisper, "I'll see you soon. I have to get back to work now."



"Be careful, sir."



I notice how she's cautious of saying my name; that's a good thing in this situation. When I ask the girls again if anyone is hurt, I'm shocked by the number of hands that are raised. I use my radio to ask for medical assistance and I repeat a number of times that it must only be female medics that attend the scene. Once the girls are being checked over before transport to hospital, I make sure everything is wrapped up for the SWAT teams and we head back to the precinct. I ride in the van with Ivankov and I'm barely managing to hold it together. I'm sweating and my body wants to shiver, but I'm refusing to let that happen. I really need to assess the damage before anyone else notices. It must be bad, because normal bullets don't just go through our tactical gear. Our gear is made to be bullet proof, but there are some types of bullets that will cut through our vests. So, the fact that the bullet managed to actually hit me, means the damage is probably bad.



We get the men out at the precinct and into processing. I tell all of the detectives to keep these guys separated so they can't talk to each other or do anything stupid. We keep Ivankov with us and lock him up in a secure location. Greggson doesn't want anyone seeing him or knowing where he is. We don't know how far his reach is and we don't want anyone springing him from lock up.



Once everyone is secured and our job is done, I tell the guys to take a break before debriefing. The Cap is waiting for us when we get onto our floor and he wants me to fill him in. I can't do that right now. I need to assess my wound before I can go any further.



So, I say, "I'll be back in a minute, Cap. I need to take a leak."



"Everything ok, Ramirez? You look a bit pale."



"Probably adrenaline. I won't be long."



When I'm locked in a cubicle, I strip my gear off before painfully lifting my shirt. The pain is getting more intense and I manage to see a wound on my side and one on my shoulder. I didn't even realize Ivankov had got two shots off. I do a quick check to see if I can see or feel any exit wounds, but I can't. That's not a good sign. I manage to rip off a few sections of my vest and painfully stuff the pieces of rag into the bullet holes. Anything to try and stem the bleeding. I'll get Ash to call a medic, just as soon as I make sure everyone is back and safe. I need to make sure Arrow is back before I can go to the hospital. I don't want to leave any loose ends, especially if I'm going to be out of action while the doctors sort me out.



I head into the briefing room and everyone eyes me closely. All of the teams are there, as well as the Cap, Greggson and Arrow. I start the debrief, when my vision starts to turn cloudy. The darkness starts around the edges and I can feel myself swaying slightly. The Cap's and Ash's voices are muffled and sound far away as they ask me if I'm ok. My mouth opens to answer, but nothing comes out. I feel myself falling and then everything goes black.