Who is Chloe O'Brian Chapter 9
She pulls the car through the gate leading to a row of storage units. Slamming the car into park, she rests her head on the steering wheel. Looking over, Jack steps from the car, but her vision gets cloudier as he moves.
Jack runs around to the driver’s side when he sees Chloe still not moving from her seat. Gripping her arm firmly, he helps her out of the car. Stumbling, she wraps her arm around his neck. “Jesus… Chloe..” He gasps, seeing her entire right side is now a bright crimson. Watching her wince as her legs give out, he wraps his arm around her waist and holds her up beside him.
“Which one?” He asks.
“Unit 42” She gasps pointing to the door off to the side. Taking her keys from her limp hand, he leans her against the hood of her car and jogs to the unit. Making quick work of the lock, he slides the door up. Looking into the dark space, he pulls the tarp off the object taking up the bulk of the room.
Revealing a black four door sedan, he slides into the driver’s seat. Starting the vehicle, he pulls it out alongside her car. Hopping out, he opens the back door and rushes to Chloe. Grasping her face in his hands, he calls her name urgently “Chloe!” Patting her cheek, he yells “Stay with me, Chloe! You stay awake!”
Picking her up in his arms, he gently lays her down across the back seat. With a quick glance through the parking lot and determining they are still alone, he crawls in beside her. Straddling her, he tears open her blouse. A harsh curse escapes his lips as he sees the wound from the bullet that tore through her shoulder. Gently rolling her over, he whispers an apology when she moans. Tracing the path of the bullet he finds the exit wound and he exhales in relief. Pulling off his jacket, he presses it against her shoulder.
As he slides out of the car, she grabs his hand. Her eyes still closed, she grits out between clenched teeth “Tony…”
Slamming the back door, he slides into the driver’s seat. Jack hits the speed dial on his phone as he pulls out of the parking lot. “Damnit Tony! Pick up!” He pleads.
“Almeida”
“Tony.. It’s Jack”
“Jack? What’s wrong?” His voice immediately concerned as he hears the desperation in his friends tone.
“It’s Chloe..”
Jack hears the edge to Tony’s voice. “Where are you?”
“Turning onto the freeway now, just leaving her storage unit. Tony… she’s hit. It’s bad..” As he chokes on the words, he looks over his shoulder and sees her already unconscious in the seat.
“Get to the docks Jack. I’ll be there in 15” With that Jack makes a quick U-turn and tosses his phone onto the seat beside him. Glancing into the rear view mirror again, he presses hard on the accelerator and speeds down the highway.
20 mins later he pulls along storage trailers and spots Tony’s car. As soon as he puts the car in park, Tony opens the driver’s side door and demands; “Get into the back”
Once in the back, Jack lifts Chloe’s head into his lap. Smoothing the hair off her face, he watches closely as her chest rises and falls. Pressing his hand firmly over her shoulder wound, his brows furrow in worry when she doesn’t move.
“Tell me Jack.” Tony demands as he pulls back onto the highway.
Meeting his friend’s eyes in the mirror, Jack whispers “I know.”
Tony’s eyes narrow before he looks back to the road.
“They came for her.” Tony states firmly.
“Yes.” His fingers trailing along Chloe’s cheek, he feels the rage building inside of him. “We were in her kitchen and suddenly there are bullets coming through her window.”
“God-damnit!” Tony slams his fist into the steering wheel as he looks back into the mirror. “How the hell did they find her?”
Running his hand down his face, Jack shakes his head. “Me…”
Tony turns around in his seat, his voice low and deadly “Explain”
“About 6 weeks ago, I asked Harry Pearce for a background check on Chloe”
Tony’s eyes go wide as he asks “You did what?!”
“I didn’t know. I just knew something wasn’t right….”
“Damnit Jack! This is Chloe! You knew everything you needed to know about her!”
“Well obviously I didn’t, did I Tony?” His voice hostile, full of anger, his eyes bore into his friend’s. With a shake of his head, he sees a mixture of emotions move across Tony’s face before he speaks again.
“Well Jack, if you asked Harry, then that isn’t how they found her. He would die himself before he put her into danger again. Something else must have happened”
Looking out the window as his mind races, he inquires; “Where are we going?”
Turning off the highway, Tony grunts “She has a safe house.”
“We need medical supplies. It’s a through and through, but she’s lost a lot of blood.”
“She’s prepared….. We’ll have everything we need at the safe house.”
Blowing an exhale though his lips, he gives a nod of his head and looks back down at Chloe. His eyes filling with tears, as he wipes a streak of blood from her cheek. Holding her tightly in his arms, he leans his head down beside hers. “Stay with me Chloe… stay with me…”
Jack runs around to the driver’s side when he sees Chloe still not moving from her seat. Gripping her arm firmly, he helps her out of the car. Stumbling, she wraps her arm around his neck. “Jesus… Chloe..” He gasps, seeing her entire right side is now a bright crimson. Watching her wince as her legs give out, he wraps his arm around her waist and holds her up beside him.
“Which one?” He asks.
“Unit 42” She gasps pointing to the door off to the side. Taking her keys from her limp hand, he leans her against the hood of her car and jogs to the unit. Making quick work of the lock, he slides the door up. Looking into the dark space, he pulls the tarp off the object taking up the bulk of the room.
Revealing a black four door sedan, he slides into the driver’s seat. Starting the vehicle, he pulls it out alongside her car. Hopping out, he opens the back door and rushes to Chloe. Grasping her face in his hands, he calls her name urgently “Chloe!” Patting her cheek, he yells “Stay with me, Chloe! You stay awake!”
Picking her up in his arms, he gently lays her down across the back seat. With a quick glance through the parking lot and determining they are still alone, he crawls in beside her. Straddling her, he tears open her blouse. A harsh curse escapes his lips as he sees the wound from the bullet that tore through her shoulder. Gently rolling her over, he whispers an apology when she moans. Tracing the path of the bullet he finds the exit wound and he exhales in relief. Pulling off his jacket, he presses it against her shoulder.
As he slides out of the car, she grabs his hand. Her eyes still closed, she grits out between clenched teeth “Tony…”
Slamming the back door, he slides into the driver’s seat. Jack hits the speed dial on his phone as he pulls out of the parking lot. “Damnit Tony! Pick up!” He pleads.
“Almeida”
“Tony.. It’s Jack”
“Jack? What’s wrong?” His voice immediately concerned as he hears the desperation in his friends tone.
“It’s Chloe..”
Jack hears the edge to Tony’s voice. “Where are you?”
“Turning onto the freeway now, just leaving her storage unit. Tony… she’s hit. It’s bad..” As he chokes on the words, he looks over his shoulder and sees her already unconscious in the seat.
“Get to the docks Jack. I’ll be there in 15” With that Jack makes a quick U-turn and tosses his phone onto the seat beside him. Glancing into the rear view mirror again, he presses hard on the accelerator and speeds down the highway.
20 mins later he pulls along storage trailers and spots Tony’s car. As soon as he puts the car in park, Tony opens the driver’s side door and demands; “Get into the back”
Once in the back, Jack lifts Chloe’s head into his lap. Smoothing the hair off her face, he watches closely as her chest rises and falls. Pressing his hand firmly over her shoulder wound, his brows furrow in worry when she doesn’t move.
“Tell me Jack.” Tony demands as he pulls back onto the highway.
Meeting his friend’s eyes in the mirror, Jack whispers “I know.”
Tony’s eyes narrow before he looks back to the road.
“They came for her.” Tony states firmly.
“Yes.” His fingers trailing along Chloe’s cheek, he feels the rage building inside of him. “We were in her kitchen and suddenly there are bullets coming through her window.”
“God-damnit!” Tony slams his fist into the steering wheel as he looks back into the mirror. “How the hell did they find her?”
Running his hand down his face, Jack shakes his head. “Me…”
Tony turns around in his seat, his voice low and deadly “Explain”
“About 6 weeks ago, I asked Harry Pearce for a background check on Chloe”
Tony’s eyes go wide as he asks “You did what?!”
“I didn’t know. I just knew something wasn’t right….”
“Damnit Jack! This is Chloe! You knew everything you needed to know about her!”
“Well obviously I didn’t, did I Tony?” His voice hostile, full of anger, his eyes bore into his friend’s. With a shake of his head, he sees a mixture of emotions move across Tony’s face before he speaks again.
“Well Jack, if you asked Harry, then that isn’t how they found her. He would die himself before he put her into danger again. Something else must have happened”
Looking out the window as his mind races, he inquires; “Where are we going?”
Turning off the highway, Tony grunts “She has a safe house.”
“We need medical supplies. It’s a through and through, but she’s lost a lot of blood.”
“She’s prepared….. We’ll have everything we need at the safe house.”
Blowing an exhale though his lips, he gives a nod of his head and looks back down at Chloe. His eyes filling with tears, as he wipes a streak of blood from her cheek. Holding her tightly in his arms, he leans his head down beside hers. “Stay with me Chloe… stay with me…”