The two boys walked into the kitchen for more beer just as Holly finished the last dish.
"Oh fine, see how you are," she joked. "You come in just as the chores are done."
‘You know it Baby," Frank quipped, smacking her on the behind and kissing her cheek. "Maybe I’ll keep you around a little longer," Frank replied in jest, a smile on his face.
"Yea. And maybe I’ll go "HI YA!" on your ass," she parried. Frank just smiled, hugged her, and handed her a beer.
Danny grabbed a beer and came to stand behind Sera. "I’m sorry about the dishes, Hon. I would have done them before bed," he said as he bent down to kiss Sera on the cheek.
"It’s all right. Holly volunteered," Sera said, patting Danny’s hand that rested on her shoulder.
"Danny, don’t worry about it. You work hard. And it gave Sera and I time to catch up," Holly said.
With the dishes done, the four of them went back to the living room to finish watching the game.
Sera moaned in pain as a contraction ripped through her body. She got up and went to the bathroom. It was the first contraction. She thought she had time because everyone says the first one takes the longest, so she went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, brushed her hair and put it in a ponytail, and washed her face. Just as she was about to leave the bathroom her water broke. Tile was sure easier to clean than carpet. While she was mopping up the mess with a towel and her feet, since she couldn’t bend over and didn’t have time to mop.
"Ddaannnnyyyy!" Sera yelled, as she changed her clothes, "It’s time!" She laughed to herself as she heard a bunch of stumbling and cursing as Danny was getting out of bed and trying to get her stuff together.
Asking the age-old question, "Are you sure honey," Danny stood before her in his T-shirt and boxers, his hair every which way.
"Yes, Danny, my water broke," she said. "I am ready to go. Can you just carry my bag?" She asked as she gathered up the car keys and started walking out to the car. Sera didn’t worry about an ambulance, since they lived close to the hospital and the police station where Dan and Frank worked at.
We arrived at the hospital and the nurse helped us get admitted and helped with the insurance and paperwork. Sera was poked, prodded, and hooked up to all kinds of machines and IV’s amidst all her screaming and moaning.
"Nurse, is there anything you can give me? It hurts so bad," She asked, squeezing Danny’s hand hard as another one came along.
The nurse checked me and said, "We can’t do an epidural until you are dilated five centimeters. You have a little bit longer to go. Just relax and breathe slow, deep breaths. I will be right back."
The nurse left and Danny stood next to me. "Baby, you are so brave," stroking her hair, "I can take a bullet but I don’t think I could birth a babe."
Sera laughed. Danny always said the funniest things. "That’s ok honey. I will let you take a bullet for me and I will birth a babe for you." I looked up at him and said, "I love you."
"I love you too," he replied, kissing her softly on the lips. Just then his beeper went off. The look on his face wasn’t good. "I have to call in I will be right back."
Danny came back a few minutes later. "Sera, if it were anything else…."
"What?"
"I have to go. It’s Holly. Frank said she was shot outside her apartment and was taken somewhere. I have to go help Frank." The anguish in his face and voice were tangible. "I don’t want to leave you here alone."
"Before you go, call the club and have someone come over. See if either Heidi or Bob (the owner) can do it."
"OK. I will be right back." A few minutes later Danny came in and said they would both be over in the next half-hour. "Are you sure you are OK with this?" Danny asked, worried that I would hate him later.
"Sweetheart, go! I love you. I would die if something happened to Holly or Frank." She watched him leave the room.
Frank sat in the squad car while Danny drove, listening to the tape that was just sent to the station. The voice was distorted for affect, but the kidnapper said his name because he wanted frank to know it was him……
"Fffrraannkkk," the voice said eerily, "You took from mmmmeeee, now I will take from yyoouuuu….."
"Turn that off Frank. It isn’t going to help. That is like the tenth time you’ve played that," Danny said as he followed the SWAT van along the freeway towards Long Beach. Danny didn’t expect an answer and didn’t get one. Frank had clammed up and had barely spoken three words since they left the station. Frank seemed to have reverted back to the way he was when Danny first met him. Sullen, angry and alone.
The tape played on. "You took my people, my drugs, my money. Now, I Hector Villanueava, will take her from you." Then the two of them could here a female scream in pain. Danny noticed a tear rolled down Frank’s face, as his hand gripped around the tiny tape recorder, his jaw clenched. Danny stayed silent, as there were no words to comfort Frank, that they hadn’t said to countless victims.
They rolled into the shipyard. Some homeless bum flagged them down. He handed them another tape recorder. It was turning out to be some like game. It told them where to go next. They were directed to a warehouse, but when they busted in all they found was a cell phone which rang and Franks answered.
"Where is she you mother fucker!" Frank yelled through gritted teeth.
The over exaggerated Hispanic voice came back, " Tut tut, homie. Such language."
Frank thought he sounded like he was on something and if so that did not bode well for Holly. Frank tried again, "Hector, you know there is no hope for you. Let the girl go. If you kill her you will never make it out alive. And even if we let you go now, you will not live long. She has lots of friends and they will hunt you down like the rabid dog you are. So, come on, tell me where you are and you can have me. Just let her go." The silence was so long that he thought he had lost the call, but a second later he heard another blood curdling scream, followed by what he thought were the words..’Frank don’t do..’ and then it sounded like the words were cut off. Frank was going crazy knowing Holly was hurting, but being the brave officer that she was, willing to give up her life for his.
"Hhhooommmiiieeee, I may have gotten the warehouse number wrong. My english it is not so good ya? It is 19 not 91. Come, in time, if you can." And the phone went dead.
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