12 Days of Ficmas - Day Sixteen: Midwinter Crisis - Chapter 8
Greetings on Day 16!
Only one post today. I have another first chapter almost ready, but it's not quite to the place I feel I can post it yet. Hopefully tomorrow. :D
We're getting closer to the end of Midwinter Crisis. :D Hope you've enjoyed the tale so far.
And please, if you have suggestions for a different title, please share. Or if you like Midwinter Crisis, let me know.
Okay, enough with the chit chat…on to the story…
CHAPTER EIGHT
Jess shifted her weight, ready to fire a kill shot. The tension in her shoulders had nothing to do with being crouched in cramped quarters and everything to do with Murph.
Placing himself in harm's way again. Stupid man…moving between her and Forbes.
God, she should've called him back. Or contacted him after the debacle with Jim Hodges. She'd know then there could be no one else for her but Murph.
She was so stupid. Why hadn't she called him? Because staying buried had to be easier than facing him.
She had stayed buried under the covers until she heard the front door close and Murph's car pull away. She had no idea if he'd seen her almost imperceptible agreement for him to call or not.
She'd been too lost, felt too displaced at breaking things off, to worry about it.
Until she decided it might be better if Ben hadn't seen it. She didn't know if she'd answer when he called.
Six months…and she hadn't picked up. Not two days after he'd left, nor for the two months that followed.
She'd screened all the calls.
Didn't reply to the emails.
Deleted the text messages.
Until they stopped coming.
She spent the next month waiting.
For Murph to show up at their place. Or work. Or maybe the gun range.
But he didn't. Hadn't.
She spent the following week trying to decide if she was pissed at him for giving up or relieved that he respected her choice to end things.
Relieved. She'd needed the time. To figure out why it mattered so much. She'd known going in Ben's schedule went from crazy to insane then dropped back to nuts for a few days. After almost five years, it shouldn't make such a difference.
But it had. Deep down where she didn't wish to admit it. She wanted to have a place of importance in Ben's life. She didn't doubt his love for her…that never became an issue. But after listening to him say he needed to find someone he could train, to do the job he did, and watching it never happen. Something snapped. Patience never her strongest suit, she'd finally had enough.
Decided she couldn't deal and broke it off to protect herself…them. Didn't give Murph a chance. Hell, didn't even discuss it with him. That part bothered her. She could've given him an opportunity to listen, or might have explained her side. But once she worked it all out in her head, too much time had gone by and she'd ignored all his attempts to get a hold of her. And couldn't bring herself to contact him. Better to let it all go and move on.
Right. That worked out well.
And seeing him now, even through the scope of her rifle, she noticed different things. He needed a haircut. He usually kept it trimmed up short and it looked shaggy right now. Superficial, yes, but it registered just the same.
The biggest change? She couldn't quite put her finger on. She'd seen Murph in action enough to know his movements, his speech patterns, and how he worked. He had the same calm authority, but something else, too. She wanted to know what…yet might not get the chance. Not if Forbes didn't cooperate.
Regret hit her hard, and she let it take hold. She shouldn't have let Murph go.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
A movement in the control room had her focused firmly back on task.
Jess cursed silently when Ben put a hand on the bomber's shoulder and spoke in low tones. Jess couldn't make out what Murph said, his comms had gone scratchy, but she didn't like his close proximity to Forbes. Get out of the way, dammit. It would be hell if she had to try and make a shot now.
A few moments later, Murph eased back and she adjusted her sites, centering on Forbes' head. If she shot anywhere else, reflex could set the bomb off.
"Muldoon, what's the sitrep?"
Jess didn't jump at the loud, impatient voice in her earpiece. She'd been expecting the question. Everyone else had checked in, except her.
Holding her position, she answered quietly. "I've got a lock on the target. Negotiator is out of range." She braced for Angus Murphy's next words.
"Take the shot."
Shit. Shit. Shit.
~:~
Ben heard the order and had seconds to get the detonator before Forbes was taken out.
Trusting Jess, he stepped forward again and closed his hand over Forbes's. "Get down."
Wrenching the trigger from the man with his right hand, Ben shoved him flat to the floor with his left…but not before the shot was fired. Murph sprawled to the ground, scraping his face on the concrete wall so he wouldn't land on top of Forbes.
Murph felt the warm trickle of blood ooze out between his fingers, still gripping Forbes' shoulder. Letting go, Ben unhooked the explosives from Forbes and laid them off to the side, detonator well out of the way. He shrugged out of his shirt and applied pressure to the man's wound, hoping to staunch the flow.
"Looks like the bullet went clean through. You're going to be alright, Mr. Forbes."
"You can call me Ray." Forbes swallowed hard and took a shaky breath. "My friends call me Ray." The older man gritted the words out against the pain.
Murph nodded. "Let's get you fixed up, Ray." He looked up into the dark recesses of the plant, toward the direction the shot came from. Jess would be up there, he could feel her presence. But she'd have to wait. For now.
He called out in clear tones. "Send in a medic. Target is still alive." He looked down at Ray. "And we need you to stay that way, don't we?" He tried to smile, but the scrape on his face burned, the skin raw and painful.
Ray reached up, placing his hand over Murph's. "Thank you for listening. But they're not gonna let me off the hook for this." The man's breathing became a little labored, but that was shock. At least Murph hoped that was the case.
Ray squeezed Murph's hand in a weak grip. "It's not right, what happened to my little girl. But they'll do something now and that's all I wanted."
Murph heard running footsteps coming closer, help almost there. "Ray, I will testify at your hearing. And I keep my promises." The sound of a stretcher, squeaky wheels spinning quickly, burst into range and Murph wanted to reassure Forbes. "I'll follow up with Defense and National. Alice's death won't go uninvestigated."
Forbes could only nod, growing weaker from blood loss.
The medics rounded the corner. Murph called them over and quickly got out of the way. He faded back and activated his comms.
"-God dammit, Benjamin. Report!" Murph shook his head back and forth.
His father lacked patience on a good day…and today his stress level soared off the charts.
"I'm fine. Forbes took one in the shoulder, but he'll survive. And the situation's resolved."
"That was closer than I like, son."
Ben cracked a smile and winced against the sting on his cheek. "I know. But you should've trusted me to manage." Murph swiped at the spot on his face, dotting the pristine white of his sleeve with pebbled speckles of red.
"I couldn't take the chance and you know it." Under the bark and bluster, Ben could hear his father's relief.
"Right." Three million plus people did take precedence.
The unmistakable sound of shuffling papers came through over the comm. No doubt the authorization of lethal force created a mountain of it.
"Debrief at 2300. I'd like to put this to bed before Midwinter officially begins."
Murph's lips quirked. His father was not overly into the holiday, but as head of the city, he had a responsibility to put a face to the festivities.
At least he had good news to open the day.
"I'll clean up and head down to One Capital Center ASAP."
He braced for the outburst. "I thought you weren't - oh, you're covered in Forbes' blood aren't you?" Angus Murphy ran a city of millions, but sometimes a dad was just that - a dad.
"Yeah, but I've got extra clothes. We can avoid negative spin if I don't look like I've just come from a warzone."
"I appreciate that. I'll send a car."
"You don't have to do that. I have a service, you know."
"It'll be waiting outside the back gate. I'll see you at 2300."
No use arguing with his old man. Especially since he probably felt a heavy burden of guilt for giving the order. It would make Murph's request for leniency easier to get approved.
Splitting his attention between the medics and their progress with Forbes and the check-ins of the STU team, Ben kept his ear tuned for Jess's voice. Forbes ended up loaded onto a cot and Murph made a point to reassure the man before they transported him to the closest trauma center.
"You hang in there, Ray. They'll take good care of you."
The older man laid his hand over Ben's on the side rail of the cot. "I miss her, you know. But I'll take whatever punishment they give me." He swallowed, throat working hard. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
Ben gave a brisk nod and let the medics head out.
He walked over and picked up the file folder. Exited the control room, sat down and wrote up a quick incident report. He also added his recommendation that Forbes be offered a sentence of community service and suggested he be put in the position as unpaid liaison between the various branches involved in veterans' affairs.
Angus Murphy wanted a way to prove the necessity without using taxpayer money. He now had a solution. And once Forbes served out his time, he could apply for the newly created job. Murph knew at least two judges who'd go for the recommendation.
Feeling rather satisfied, he sat back and listened to the chatter over the comms. Things were dying down and everyone had checked in. The STU team would turn in their large caliber weapons then stay on and keep the power plant secure until Angus gave the employees the all clear.
Ben decided he should probably clean up and get ready to meet the car. After the debrief he thought he'd at least try and contact Jess. So much he wanted to share with her - the new partners, his plan to add one more.
Maybe she'd reconsider and they could start over.