"FFUUCCKKK!!!" Frank screamed and threw the phone in rage, the sound echoing through the building. He ran out, giving instructions as he went. Danny drove and the SWAT team followed him to the other end of the pier.
"Dammit Danny, I don’t know if we will get to her in time. He was hurting her while I was talking to him and she said something and he cut her off. I don’t know if he just taped her mouth or she is unconscious."
"We’ll get him." Danny said trying to assure Frank.
Frank, Danny and the SWAT team made it to the other warehouse, staying back at the previous warehouse. They all converged onto the warehouse with as much stealth as possible. They wanted to be able to get inside, neutralize the criminal, and pose the least amount of threat to Holly.
Hector picked a building that was extremely hard to get to. The windows were at least at the two-story level, making it hard for a sniper to get him. There was one set of stairs at the back, which was the route Danny, Frank and a couple of the SWAT team were going to take. The Lieutenant has staked out one of his best snipers on a building across the way just in case. Another set of team members were going to try to get in from the ground floor with blow torches (trying to keep the noise level down so as not to spook Hector. Meanwhile, they waited for the keys to be provided by the managers of the docks, but they were a long time in getting there.
Danny, Frank, and Sean had finally gotten in the door at the back and followed a maze of stairs and cat walks, before finally spotting Hector and Holly. Frank saw her. From the spot where they were he could not tell if she was alive or dead. He could tell that she had no clothes on. Most naked people were beige or tan, but she looked black and blue, another indication she was not in good shape. It was all he could do not to go to her or if she was dead, not to just jump to his death and be next to her.
He actually started to stand up but Danny, having the cooler head, held him down. "Frank. Don’t. That won’t help her." He said, knowing Frank was not thinking clearly. He knew Frank would end it all if she were not alive. Or he would just run down there and let Hector shoot him.
"Fuck Danny. Look at her." Frank growled. "That fucker probably let all his guys have at her. There is blood everywhere down there."
"From the looks of it we can only get so close and still have some cover. He could be tripping and we have no idea how he is going to react. So we need to be careful. Do you have any ideas?"
Frank took a second to gather himself and calm down just a little. It looked like they could get to the first floor, but the warehouse was so big, he couldn’t get to Hector and Holly without Hector seeing him. "Sean can you get a fix on Hector? Can you take him down from here?"
"Let me try," Sean said as he found a spot to set his rifle and look through the site to see if he had a clear shot. Sean saw the shot and was slowly squeezing the trigger when Hector bent down and pulled Holly’s limp body against his shielding himself, knowing somehow that he was being watched. Sean pulled his rifle aside and cursed. "He has her up against him. I can’t shoot right now without hitting Holly."
Frank said, "I am going down further. Cover me. Sean if a shot comes up with minimal injury to Holly take." And with that he slowly made his way down a set of stairs that ended at some stacks of pallets. He had a better view of Holly. She had on part of her blouse, but that was it. Her hands were tied, thankfully in front of her, but they looked awfully blue from lack of circulation. Hector was becoming more agitated as he could hear the SWAT team trying to get in. Frank took one more look and found he could shoot Hector in the back of the head just as he turned towards the front of the warehouse. At the same time Hector raised his gun and shot the first cop through the door, Frank fired at the distracted Hector hitting him in the back of the head. The sound of his 45 was music to his ears as it exploded. He would never forget the sight of gray matter flying from Hector’s head, some of it landing on Holly.
Frank ran to her, taking off his jacket on the way, covering her up before anyone else saw her. He also took off his shirt and put it under her head to cushion her. He petted her hair and whispered to her, "Hang in there sweetheart. I love you. Please fight. Don’t die," as his tears fell on her face. The EMT’s finally got her on a stretcher and into the ambulance. Frank went with her and Danny said he would be right behind them.
One of the EMT’s said she was alive but barely. "Frank, she is hanging in there, but just barely. They really did a number on her if you get my meaning."
Frank just nodded his head knowing exactly what that meant. At the hospital they whisked her away leaving Frank standing in the hallway feeling bereft. A few minutes later Danny came up to him and asked how she was. "Danny she is hanging in there and that is about all I know right now."
"Come with me, then, and let’s go check on Sera. I left my poor wife and your sister to give birth by herself." So the two of them went up to the maternity level to see how Sera was, and if Danny was a new dad yet and Frank a new uncle. When they got to her room they saw Bob and Heidi still there.
"Danny," Heidi said, hugging him, "Congratulations, it is a girl!"
"Congratulations Danny," Bob said shaking his hand. "Now that you are here I will let you take over. I don’t think I can go through that again. I don’t think I will ever have kids," He said as he walked away.
Frank was so happy for his sister and Danny. He smiled a little thinking he was an uncle. He had never been an uncle before. He walked over to the side of the bed and stood next to Danny. Sera was awake and feeding the little girl.
"Have you to decided on a name?" Frank asked.
"Not yet," Sera said, "But what happened to Holly?"
"Sera," Frank said quietly, trying to keep his emotions in check, "she is alive but unconscious. She is with the doctors now."
Sera took hold of Frank’s hand and said, "I am so glad." She looked up at Danny, taking his hand next, and said, "I think Danny and I are going to name her Holly," hoping he would not object.
Danny took Sera’s hand and kissed it, replying, "I think that is a perfect name." He then bent down and kissed his wife.
Epilogue:
A year later little Holly was teetering around her Uncle Frank’s backyard during a Fourth of July BBQ. Sera was keeping an eye on her while sitting next to a recovered Holly, as she nursed her niece, Heather.
"Heather is the apple of Frank’s eye," Sera said. "I am so happy for the both of you. Frank is a new man having met you. I am so thankful."
"Thank you Sera. He was worth fighting for. I couldn’t ask for a better husband and father."
The two women smiled as they could hear their men yelling at some referee making a bad call during some ball game.
The End