Jim crept quietly down the hallway. Luckily this section of the hotel had several alcoves and open meeting areas, giving him plenty of places to hide from the guard he was sneaking up on. Finally he was right behind the guard and easily knocked him unconscious with a chokehold.

Grabbing the guy by his feet, Jim dragged him into the room across the hallway. It only took a few seconds to secure him and relieve him of any weapons. Jim then headed back across the hall and knocked on the door.

"Hey, I need a hand out here."

He only had to wait a few moments before the second guard came out. Jim grabbed the end of the rifle, forcing it away from him, and snapped his elbow back into the guy's nose, knocking him out. Shoving the guy out of the way he tucked and rolled into the room, gun ready as he searched for the third guard.

What he saw made him grin as he rose to his feet. Several of the hostages, led by Buck, Josiah and Nathan, had overwhelmed the remaining guard.

"Good to see you, Brother," Josiah greeted him, clasping his hand. "What's going on? Besides the hotel obviously being taken hostage..."

"Moran's here. He's up in the Presidential Suite which is where I'm headed. Saw you three through the ventilation grate and thought I'd drop in. Chris and Vin are in here too. The plan is to make our way up to Moran and take him out before he starts shooting people. Bomb squad followed us in to get at the explosives Moran has rigged around this place."

"You talk like you know this guy," said one of the freed hostages, a burly man who looked none too pleased about the whole situation.

"I do. We were at the same base for a while in the Army. He was court-martialed and sent to jail for the torture of six Privates while on a training mission."

"Jesus. What's the bastard doing here?"

"Getting revenge," Jim replied grimly, then turned back to Josiah and Nathan. "Between these three it looks like you can scrounge at least three rifles and three hand guns. I want you guys to continue freeing hostages. Work your way up floor by floor. I'm heading up after Moran."

"Hey, any word on JD, Ezra, Trent or Carlos?" Buck asked.

"Carlos is outside with Banks. He was across the street when the shit hit the fan. Moran  has Trent already. The others, I don't know." Jim frowned. "I thought JD would be with you, Buck."

"He was, but the chambermaid tranqed me and I think she took JD."

"The chambermaid? Why the hell would..."

"We believe that Ezra's Stalker is not a man but a woman," Josiah interrupted.

"A woman? Huh. Never would have figured that one.”

“Most wouldn’t which is why she’s escaped detection for so long. Do not underestimate her though. She has shown that she’s intelligent, cunning, and absolutely ruthless.”

Jim snorted. “You mean she’s a sociopath.”

“That too,” Josiah agreed easily.

“Fine. Either way, I've gotta get going. Runt's on his way up there and I don't trust Chris to be able to control him."

"Don't know if it's a matter of can he, so much as will he?" Buck commented. "But yeah, you get going. We'll take over freeing everybody else on this floor."

"Good. See you later."

"Good luck."

"You too." Jim popped open the vent in the wall and climbed in.

Picking up one of the guard's rifles, Buck looked around at the people in the room. "Anybody here got Special Forces or Military training?"

Two men and one woman stepped forward.

"Good. Josiah, divvy up the weapons. You three along with Josiah, Nate and me will act as point and rear guards. Let's go kick the crap out of some terrorists," Buck grinned wolfishly as he headed to the door.

*******

Vin met up with Chris and Jim outside the Presidential Suite. It had been easy work to distract and knock out the two guards at the door.

“Any idea how many people are in there?” Chris asked quietly.

Jim cocked his head to the side to listen. “Total of seven people in the outer room, an eighth in a room beyond that. Four goons, Moran, a woman far too calm to be a hostage, and Trent. I can’t get a clean scent on the eighth but I’m pretty sure it’s Ezra. How do we want to do this?”

“I suggest you boys stand back out of sight,” Vin said already pulling his rifle strap off his shoulder and handing it to Chris.

“What are you doing, Vin?” Chris demanded, grabbing his arm.

Vin shrugged him off. “Just be ready, cowboy.”

Jim grabbed him this time dragging him back a few steps. “No. I’m not gonna let you commit suicide, runt.”

“And I’m not going to just sit here while they torture Ezra and Sensei,” Vin growled.

“No you’re not, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let you just turn yourself over to Moran.”

“Really. You got a better suggestion?”

“Actually I do. You and Chris are going back into the ducts. I want Chris to take a covering position on the main room while you work your way back to where they’re keeping Standish. I’ll be providing a distraction while you’re getting him the hell out of there.”

“I should be the one going in there,” Vin insisted.

“No. You want vengeance against Moran, I get that, but it is Moran in there. He’s got Malloy and Standish. There’s a good chance that you walk in there and you’ll zone. You need to concentrate on getting your Guide out of there. I’ll take care of Moran for you. Got it, runt?”

Vin stared at him a long moment before nodding. “Yeah. I got it.”

“Good. Get moving, both of you. I’ll wait a couple minutes for you both to get into position.”

Moving down the hallway, the found and popped open another grate into the ventilation shaft. Vin slipped in easily, his mind already focused on the task of freeing his friend and Guide. Chris paused for a second to look back at Jim.

“Good luck.”

“You too.” Jim nodded. Once Chris was gone he tapped his earpiece. “Blair, listen up…”

*******

Simon chewed unhappily on his unlit cigar, watching the minutes tick by. It was getting uncomfortably close to the deadline Moran had set. He glanced over at Blair who was leaning back against one of the patrol cruisers. There was an intense look of concentration on his face as he stared at the hotel, his gaze dropping periodically to the watch in his hand. Every five minutes like clockwork he would speak softly into the headset he was wearing.

Sometimes he would report what Jim said to him. They knew that the Bomb squad were disabling the explosives. He’d also reported that Jim had found and freed Buck, Nathan and Josiah. No sign of Ezra yet. JD had been taken by the Stalker just before the hotel was taken over. They could only pray they would fine the young man alive and whole after this was all over.

Carlos was pacing off to the side, glaring at anyone who came near him. He too had developed something of a routine while waiting. He’d pace two full circuits, pause to look at Blair, then stare at the hotel for several long moments before starting to pace again. Guilt was eating the young man alive but there was little Simon could say at this point that would make him feel better.

“What?!”

Blair’s sharp exclamation had everyone staring at him. He ignored them. “Jim, you can’t. Jim. Jim? Jim! Dammit!” He ripped off the headset and tossed it on the cruiser’s hood.

“What’s going on, Sandburg?”

“Jim thinks he’s John Wayne.”

Confused looks were exchanged. “You want to translate that into English please?”

Blair scrubbed his hands over his face, letting out a sharp exhalation of breath before looking up at Simon. “Moran has Ezra too. Vin is just this side of feral. Jim is sending Vin to where Ezra is to rescue him and Chris is taking a covering position in the ductwork. Jim... Jim is turning himself over to Moran to give them time.”

“He what?!” Simon bellowed. “I want to talk to him!”

“He took out his earpiece,” Blair said with a shake of his head. “Don’t you think I’d still be arguing with him if he hadn’t? Sir.” He added belatedly at Simon’s raised eyebrow.

“Sorry, Sandburg. This whole thing is one big mess.” Simon sighed looking towards the hotel. He glanced back when Carlos spoke.

“Did he say anything about Trent?” Carlos asked quietly.

“Just that he’s alive. Sorry, man, that’s all he said.”

“No, that’s good. That’s good. He’s alive.” Carlos nodded jerkily, his arms wrapped around himself. “He’s alive.”

Blair looked at him in concern. A hand coming up to grip Carlos’ forearm. “This isn’t your fault, man. Seriously. If you’d been in there too... You said Moran went after Trent’s brother first. Don’t you think that if he knew you were in the building he wouldn’t have snatched you too as leverage against Trent. No, man, Fate can be a fickle bitch but she did us all a favor by talking you into going to get donuts.”

That startled a laugh out of Carlos and chuckle from Simon. Blair was right. Things could have been a hell of a lot worse.

“Captain Banks! We’ve got movement at the door!”

They all turned back to the hotel and sure enough someone had stuck a white piece of cloth out the door and was waving it around.

“EVERYONE HOLD YOUR FIRE!” Simon bellowed. Before he could take the bullhorn that someone was holding out to him the door was pushed open further giving them a clear shot of a woman in typical dressed down cop clothes – jeans, a blousy button down shirt. She was wearing a shoulder holster but it was empty. As they watched she began directing people out the door and along the front wall of the hotel towards the next building over and the police blockade setup there.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Simon muttered.

“What?” Blair asked.

“They’re the hostages. They freed themselves. You!” Simon pointed his finger at a patrolman standing nearby. “Get over here.” As soon as he was close enough Simon grabbed the radio on his shoulder. “Those are our hostages, people. Keep them against the building but help them out of there. I want everyone detained until they can be positively ID’d. Move it, people.”

Before he’d even finished speaking Blair and Carlos were making their way behind the barricades towards the fleeing hostages. Simon sighed and hurried after them. Ellison and Malloy would kill him if anything happened to either of them.

*******

Jim stepped into the room, closing the door behind him before nonchalantly crossing his arms over his chest. He seemingly ignored the guns aimed at him, his gaze resting squarely on Moran.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Trent strung up on the wall. He didn’t need his enhanced senses to tell him the damage that had been done to the younger man.

It took all of his self control to not give in to the rage that filled him. Vin and Chris needed time to get into position and rescue Ezra. He was just he distraction, though Moran wasn’t walking out of this room alive as far as he was concerned.

“Heard you were looking for me?”

“Well, well, well. So you thought you’d just walk in here and what? Sacrifice yourself for that little shit Tanner? Or maybe I’d let Sensei,” he sneered the title as if it were a curse, “Molloy, go.  Not a chance in hell. Want to know what I think?”

“I think you’re going to tell me either way.”  Jim replied with a shrug.

“Don’t push me Ellison. One press of a button and I can bring this whole place down around us.”

“You could, but you won’t.”

“Really,” Moran sneered, “and what makes you so sure. I have you and Molloy.”

“True, but you want Tanner. Blow up the building and you won’t get him.”

“Is that so? If you’re here then it’s probably safe to say Tanner is too. He’s probably listening to us as we speak. So I blow up the building and I get to kill all three of you at once.”

“You could do that, but you won’t.  Two reasons.  One, blowing up the building right now would kill ‘everyone’ in it,  which happens to include you.” Jim cocked his head to the side. “I could be wrong, but you strike me as the type who likes to gloat over his enemies. Can’t do that if we’re all dead.”

Jim smirked at Moran’s snarl. “And of course, reason number two why you won’t hit that button. Vin’s not in the hotel”

“You’re lying, Tanner would never let you in here by yourself or leave his precious Sensei here to be tortured.”

“No, he wouldn’t.  Which is why his superior officer knocked him out and left him locked up in a secure location to prevent him from doing anything ‘stupid’.”  He made little air quotes with his fingers.

“You’re lying!” Moran spat out again, advancing towards Jim. “He’s here. I know he is!”

Jim shrugged. “Believe that if you want or you can take the deal I’m about to offer you.”

He watched Moran’s men shift around nervously. Apparently they were starting to realise that things weren’t going as well as Moran had planned.

The glaring woman standing behind Moran close to a closed door, puzzled Jim for a moment. She was too well dressed to be one of Moran’s ‘men’ but was hardly a hostage. Then Josiah’s words came back to him “Ezra's Stalker is not a man but a woman. She has shown that she’s intelligent, cunning, and absolutely ruthless.”

This was the person who Ezra was so afraid of. This was who had Ezra now. The urge to kill her with his bare hands was strong but he held it in check. It was Vin’s and Ezra’s right to kill the bitch for the things she had done. His concern was Moran and making sure he didn’t hurt anymore of his tribe.

“What deal?” Moran demanded, drawing Jim’s full attention back to him.  Before he could answer the woman grabbed Moran’s arm.

“What are you doing, you fool? This is obviously a trick of some sort. He’s stalling.”

“Get your hand off of me.”

“Fine. It’s your funeral.” The woman snapped as she stepped away from him.

“What’s your deal, Ellison?”

“I beat you in hand-to-hand your boys here surrender peacefully and the hostages go free.  You beat me … you get me, Molloy and the location of Vin.”

“Now that’s an intriguing offer. You’re rather confident that you’re going to win.” Moran seemed to take a moment to consider it. “Very well, I accept.” A gesture of his hand and two of Moran’s men move forward.

“What the hell is this, Moran?”

“You actually expected this to be a fair fight? You should know better than that, Ellison. Get through my men and I’ll give you a shot at me.”

Jim didn’t have a chance to argue as the two men attacked. He certainly hadn’t expected Moran to fight fair but he hadn’t expected this either. If Moran thought Jim would win he could easily blow up the hotel, but Jim couldn’t take the chance of losing. Not with Trent, Vin and Ezra’s lives on the line.

How the hell was he going to pull this off he had no idea.

*******

Vin snarled softly at the sight of Ezra tied to the chair, bruised and naked, reeking of sex and fear. He would kill the person that had hurt his Guide. It took only a minute to undo the grate and slip inside. The sudden increase in Ezra's heartbeat and the renewed scent of fear fueled Vin's rage. Landing with cat-like silence, Vin turned so Ezra could see it was him. There was an immediate look of relief on Ezra's face.

Before Vin could move to release him, the door swung open admitting a well-dressed woman. The look of anger and fear on Ezra's face, the familiar scent told Vin all he needed to know.

"Freeze. ATF," he commanded, training his rifle on her.

She stopped and turned towards him, a sardonic smile on her lips. "Would you really shoot a helpless woman, officer?"

"You? In a heartbeat, bitch."

The smile was swiftly replaced by anger. She dropped and rolled, coming up next to Ezra, a gun in her hand. He held his fire, afraid of hitting Ezra.

"Well, it seems I was right. You aren't going to shoot me. Men are so predictable."

"No, we're not," Vin replied, pulling the trigger. She fired at the same time, but Vin had already started moving so it hit his arm instead of his chest. She wasn't so lucky, Vin's bullet tearing right through her heart, dropping her like a stone.

Vin immediately turned towards the door, but from the sound of it they were having their own problems out there. Quickly stepping over the woman's body, Vin pulled his knife and cut first the ropes on Ezra's ankles then his wrists. He then snaagged the cover from the bed and helped Ezra stand so he could wrap him in it. Vin held him loosely as Ezra leaned into him, trembling.

Vin would never know what had alerted Ezra, but suddenly the smaller man turned, Vin's Glock in his hand. One shot to the head finished the job Vin had started. Ezra fired five more times before he lowered the gun.

He leaned back against Vin and he wrapped the blanket around him once more.

"I gotcha, Ez. I gotcha."

******

Jim fought as ruthlessly as he could, trying to disable or knock out Moran’s goons. Another time, another place and he would have simply killed them all, but the cop in him and the fear of what Moran would do held him in check.

He was fighting the last man when he saw Moran heading for the desk and the detonators. Knowing he had mere seconds, Jim slammed his heel into the side of the guy he was fighting’s knee. In one swift move he took the knife the guy held and threw it at Moran. At the same time three gun shots rang out simultaneously.

Moran jerked like a puppet on strings, his arms flailing. Jim could only watch in horror as Moran managed to the detonators. A quick glance around as time seemed to slow to a crawl showed him Vin and Ezra standing in the doorway of a bedroom guns in hand. Chris was half in-half out of the ventilation grate gun aimed at where Moran had stood. Trent hung limply from the wall unconscious, though the shot blasts had started to rouse him.

Then the explosions started.

And the hotel began to shake.

******

Blair worked as quickly as he could, helping to move the fleeing hostages along the building fronts until they were out of danger. There was very little panic thankfully. Probably because most of them were law enforcement or the family of law enforcement.

He smiled gently at the barely teenaged girl who’d been handed to him. “Hey, sweetheart. What’s your name? Mine’s Blair.”

“G-Giselle,” she stuttered out, silent tears tracing down her cheeks.

“Giselle? That’s a pretty name. Listen, Giselle, I want you to keep up with me as best you can. We’re heading over there where you’ll be taken to a safe distance and they’ll help you find the rest of your family. Okay?”

“Okay,” she whispered, nodding.

Wrapping an arm around her small shoulders, Blair started quickly ushering her along the hotel front. There was almost no warning. A low rumbling sound, the ground trembled. Blair instinctively pulled Giselle to him, dropping them to the ground just as the window they were in front of exploded outwards. He heard Giselle screaming as he covered her as best he could. There was a moment of blinding pain...then nothing.

******

“We shouldn’t be too much farther now, boyo. Down the hall and around the bend should be one of the back entrances.”

“Great.” JD frowned as a thought occurred to him. “Uh, Jericho? Won’t it be guarded by some of your buddies?”

Jericho snorted. “Wouldn’t call them that. I’m an independent contractor, I am. But you’re right. I’m going to leave you here for a moment.”

JD bite back a moan as his abused muscles protested his being lowered to the floor. He watched Jericho slip silently down the hallway and around the bend. A few seconds later he could just barely hear a muffled thud. Another few seconds passed before Jericho reappeared.

“We’re good to go, lad. Up and at ‘em.”

He got JD back onto his feet and they continued slowly forward. They were about five feet from the door when they heard the first explosion. A quick glance at each other had them bolting towards the door.

They just made it out when JD felt himself being thrown through the air, Jericho wrapped protectively around him. He landed with a hard thud, crying out as more bruises where added to his already battered body. Jericho landed heavily on top of him along with something else.

It took several moments for his ears to stop ringing. When it did, JD could hear sirens and the sound of shouting in the distance.

Jericho groaned above him, slowly rolling to the side so JD could move. Once he was free, JD turned back to Jericho and found that the metal fire door that they had just exited was what had fallen on them.

Considering the state he was in, it took JD several tries to get the door off the other man. “You okay Jericho?”

A low moan was his response. After a second Jericho slowly rolled onto his side, his left arm clutched to his body.

“Been better, boyo, but I’ll live. You?”

“New set of bruises and some nifty pavement burn but I’ll live.” He replied with a crooked grin. “Hotel’s still standing.”

“You’re bomb squad must have gotten most of the charges.”

“But not all of them which means they probably got caught in the ones that went off.” JD said heavily.

“Most like.”  Jericho agreed.

They sat for several minutes watching the smoke. Finally JD turned to Jericho.

“Can you walk?”

“Probably, why?”

“You should get going before the guys come looking.”

Jericho stared at him. “You’d let me go.”

JD shrugged. “You saved my life. You weren’t in this to hurt my friends.”

“You sure about this, lad? You’re letting one of the bad guys go.”

“Not so bad I think and yeah I’m sure.”

“Alright then.”  It took him a couple of tries but he finally made it to his feet. He held out his good hand to JD. “Up you go, lad. Best try to make your way around front as no one seems to be coming to look this way.”

Gripping Jericho’s hand, he whimpered as the strained muscles in his arms were pulled but he made it to his feet. JD shook Jericho’s hand.

“Thank you.  For everything, Jericho.”

“Thank you, lad.  Now get a move on.”

With a smile JD turned and began walking towards the corner of the building. About half way there he stopped to look back.   Jericho had already disappeared.  Shaking his head, he continued forward.

******

Pushing himself out of the ventilation shaft, Chris landed on the floor with a grunt. Pain lanced through his shoulder, but it was only momentary. Judging by the way Malloy was screaming, his shoulder was nothing. Chris scrabbled to his feet, staggering as the floor rolled and bucked beneath him. He nodded to Vin and Ezra standing in the doorway, clutching the doorframe and each other to stay upright.

Chris made it across the room to Malloy at the same time as Ellison. Together they steadied the slim blond and got him unchained from the wall. The sight of the rather large knife jutting from Malloy’s thigh had Chris wincing in sympathy.

As suddenly as the shaking started it stopped. There was a moment of absolute stillness as they waited, uncertain if it was over.

Malloy groaned breaking the moment and spurring them into action. Chris yanked off his belt, using it to tourniquet Malloy’s leg. Jim gently checked him over for any broken bones.

“You boys okay over there?”

“I’m good now, cowboy.”

 “I have been better, Mr. Larabee, but I shall survive.”

“Good to hear. I take it your Stalker problem has been solved?”

“The only place that bitch is going is six feet under,” Vin growled.

Jim and Chris both raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. “If you’re up to it, why don’t you two go and check out the stairs. We need to get Malloy out of here and the elevators won’t be working.”

“On it.” Vin looked at Ezra. “You alright to come with me or do you want to stay here?”

“I’ll accompany you. I would prefer not to remain within these rooms any longer than absolutely necessary.”

The two of them headed out into the corridor; Ezra pulling the blanket tighter around himself as they went.

Part 19