Chapter 8
Mac skidded to a halt when she spotted the abandoned sedan. She and Tony jumped out of the car and ran to it. It was empty, but there were signs of a struggle. "Oh shit" Tony muttered as he and Mac took in where they might be. There were several tall buildings surrounding them, and many possible choices. Mac pulled out her phone once more and called her sister-in-law.
"Abby, I need an exact location on Kate's cell, it's an emergency"
"Give me a second" she said, and Mac heard beeping and the tapping of keys. "She is at… an office building, 54 Saltire Avenue"
"Thanks" Mac said, lamming shut and looking around again. "There" she pointed, spotting the gold plaque with the number 54 on it. It read: Green & co, lawyers. She pulled out her sig and Tony did the same.
"I'll go round back" he whispered in her ear.
"Got it" she said back. She waited till he had disappeared from view and slowly turned the door handle and entered, sig leveled. She slowly looked around the main entrance, but saw no one. Since there were no other rooms on this floor she opted to move up a level. She exited the stairwell in the same fashion as she had entered the building. This time she struck gold. In one of the many offices on the first floor, she saw a hand holding a gun. She could tell by the height it was held at that is defiantly wasn't Kate, but she did see the pregnant woman's coat lying on the floor. She prepared to move forward and apprehend Rankin, but was glad she hadn't when she spotted the hand holding the gun gesturing to Kate to move out into the hallway. Mac ducked back into the stairs and waited a while before reemerging. Kate was standing with her hands above her head, Rankin's gun leveled at chest height. They were both side on to Mac, and she focused so she could hear what they were saying. Kate stayed silent while Rankin started to talk.
"You will pay for all of this. And by the looks of things, I'll get two kills in one." She said, gesturing the gun downwards towards her stomach.
"Please don't" Kate began to plead.
"Save your breath honey, I ain't gonna show any mercy" she said cocking he gun. "Say goodbye bitch" she said, but was shocked when something moved in the corner of her eye. She was distracted but pulled the trigger anyway. A millisecond later, she realized that the movement was a corner of her eye was another figure. She had moved in front of Kate and taken the bullet. Mac fell backwards into Kate's arms as the gun shot rang out, her blue eyes showing pain. She still managed to bring her leg up and smack it into the hand holding the gun, disarming Rankin. Three bullets erupted out of her chest, narrowly avoiding Mac's head. Rankin fell forward, dead, leaving Tony standing there, gun raised.
"Are you ok?" he asked, concerned towards Mac.
"Does it look like it" she managed to utter before pressing her hand over her abdomen. The pregnant woman buckled from the extra weight of Mac and the both fell to the floor. Mac struggled to roll off of her, but managed to do so. Tony jumped over Rankin's body
and knelt down at Mac's side. She rolled onto her left side and coughed. Tony wiped his hand around her mouth and cursed when he saw the red stain on his thumb.
"Mac, don't try to get up" he said softly as Kate pulled out her phone and called for an ambulance. She coughed again, and Tony felt blood soak up through the knee of his jeans. "Oh shit" he said, starting to panic. Mac didn't answer. He looked at her face and saw her eyes were closed. "Mac wake up!" he yelled, slapping her on the back of the head.
"Hit me again DiNozzo and I'll slap you silly" she whispered in between gasps.
"Mac, hold on, ambulance is on its way" he said, brushing her long hair out of her face affectionately.
"Tony, put pressure on in" she moaned, grasping his leg hardly to distract herself found her GSW.
"Mac, I am" he said confused.
"What?" she asked, just as confused. She moved her head so that she could see her own stomach. She saw Tony's hand pressing his jacket onto her wound. "I cant feel it" she whispered, coughing again.
"At all?"
"Just not you, harder DiNozzo"
"I have never had that said to me before Mac"
"First time for everything" she said, gritting her teeth.
"Now shhh, save your energy." He said, putting a finger on her lips. Her head flopped to the side again as she laid it his knee.
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