17Well, I started this story with a friend of mine (Sneakyflea) and she decided to give it up. I am going to go on with the story, with a few changes here and there. This is different to what I usually write, but there will be some action later on. Enjoy.
The door flew open with a cry of "NYPD" that echoed through the warehouse. Two men ran towards the back, followed closely by Detective Flack and Detective Taylor. Footsteps sounded along the ground as the suspects tried running away from the two detectives chasing them.
The detectives were at a disadvantage as they were quickly lost in the maze of rooms and passages. After a few minutes of chasing, Flack ran into Mac.
"Damn bastards got away!" Flack panted slightly.
"Don't worry, they were surrounded," the optimist that was Mac Taylor answered, also slightly out of breath. They radioed their position and made their way back to the front, keeping a guarded eye on their surroundings. The case was plain and simple: they were investigating a drug smuggling ring that led them here, to the warehouse. Problem was, they didn't see any drugs. They would have to look for it. Mac looked over at Don who was looking at the rows of rooms. These rooms were clearly not part of the original warehouse and were built recently.
"What do you think are in these? Think the drugs are in here? " Flack asked motioning to the rooms.
"I don't know, let's find out shall we?" Mac said walking to one of the rooms and reaching for the door handle. He glanced at Flack who was covering Mac from behind. He opened the door and shined his flashlight, illuminating the inside.
Mac drew a sharp breath as his flashlight fell over two women huddled in the corner. Flack swore softly and moved away to call in their find and request an ambulance. Mac made his way inside, speaking softly and showing his hands in front of him, hoping to come across in a non-threatening way.
"Hi, my name is Mac. I'm here to help. I won't hurt you." He took a step forward after bending down to put his gun on the floor. The older of the two women pushed the younger one behind her and eyed him suspiciously. He went down on his knees and took his badge off the chain around his neck and showed it to them before shoving it across the floor. The girl picked it up and looked at it. A look of relief crossed her face and she took a tentative step towards Mac.
Mac stood his ground, not making any sudden movements at all. The younger girl threw herself at Mac latching onto him like he was a lifeline. He cautiously put his arms around the small girl and stood up holding his hand out to the bigger girl- she took it, still looking at him suspiciously. They walked out and, with some effort, Mac handed the girls over to the paramedics. Other girls were coming out of similar rooms. Mac now realised that they were dealing with something much bigger than drug smuggling. They had unearthed a human trafficking ring.
Only one room remained. Mac and Don moved towards the room and opened it cautiously. The room was different from the others. This one had a bed, where the others didn't, and there was a small bed-side lamp casting light into the small room. Mac walked into Don as he stopped suddenly.
"Don? What the….?" Mac said as he walked around the stationary detective. He looked at the woman and he froze. It couldn't be.
He glanced at the two small children clinging to the woman's legs and he knew immediately who their parents were. He looked into their familiar eyes and glanced at the woman again, she looked scared and surprised, but relieved at the same time. Don put his hand on Mac's shoulder as he took a step forward. His breath caught in his throat and his voice was hoarse as he choked out one word. The woman's eyes widened in shock. A small tuck from one of the scared children by her side caused her to bend down to whisper something in the young children's ears.
Both looked scared, but broke into a smile and looked at Mac shyly. Mac spoke again, but it sounded like a strangled sob as he took another step forward. Don tried to hold him back, but the woman moved forward at the same time reaching for Mac. Both needed to make sure the other was real. They clung to each other as the little boy nudged the girl forward. The woman reluctantly let go of Mac and turned to the small kids. The girl flung herself onto Mac and the boy held out his hand; Mac shook his hand solemnly, still not believing his own eyes. When he came on this raid, he had not expected to run into this woman. Not to mention the fact that there were children involved now. For more than 10 years he had thought his wife was dead. The biggest regret was that he didn't get a chance to say goodbye and now that had changed. He would find out why they were here and how she was captured and he will find the bastards responsible.
Don turned around to give them some privacy and to see how the released women were holding up, leaving Mac to reconcile with Claire. Taking his phone out he made some calls, they were going to need help.
Like I mentioned, not really my type of story, but I want to try my hand at a fluffy story. I find Mac and Claire fascinating and would have loved it, if they had found her alive after all. Let me know what you think. Once again, thanks to my beta, for making this readable.
Recognizable characters belong to the show. The rest is mine, all mine…
Till next time,
Flea…