A/N: Again, this follows parts of Pay Up, I don't own anything you recognize.
Chapter 21:
Pay Up (Part 2)
"A short while ago, Detective Holly Scott passed away from injuries suffered during the shooting." Mac said, he paused and took another breathe "She was a damn good cop, who displayed exceptionally bravery, honor and devotion while keeping the people of this city safe, she fought hard, what's important now is we fight equally as hard to find the cowards who did this. You're the eyes and ears of this department, I want you pressing every informant, every new arrest, and every crook who owes you a favor, rattle cages, do what you have to do. No one pulls off a job like this without leaving some footprints. We have a proud history in the NYPD, when one of our own is taking from us; we always get our man…always. Now go out and do what you do best. Her family is counting on us." Mac said honoring their fallen hero.
Don entered the diner moments later and made his way over to where Mac and Danny were talking. "Hey" Danny said
"How's Jess doing?" Mac asked "How's Benton?"
"They're fine" Flack answered, "Nick has to stay overnight and Jess needed some alone time." he said running his fingers through his hair "I was feeling a bit useless"
"We're going to check out the hummer those bastarders used" Danny said, "Want to come?"
"I'm in" Don said
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Jess sat outside the operating room, Holly's body was still inside. She was waiting for Josh to finish saying his goodbyes before she went in. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head there, she still couldn't comprehend that this morning had really happened.
"Jessica" Sid said walking down the hallway and approaching her.
She looked up, tears streaming down her face "Oh, Jessica, I'm so sorry" He said sitting next to her, "I don't know what to say or do. Umm…love is stronger than death even though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either."
"Thanks Sid" Jess said wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "She loved you, you know. She used to get a kick out of your randomness"
Sid smiled and sat down next to Jess "Do we have any idea who did this?" he asked
Jess shook her head "Not yet. But we will and may god have mercy on them when we do" Jess said
Josh walked out of the room, his eyes blood shot. "Jessica, do you want to go in before I do my thing?" Sid asked
Jess turned to stare at the door "I changed my mind. I'm not going in there." She said
"Jess" Josh started to say
"No, I can't go in there and have my last memory of her, be her lying there" Jess said "I need to remember her in Tillarys laughing and plotting to sleep with my brother." She stood up "That's not Holly in there, she's already gone"
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Jess drove up to where Danny, Mac and Flack were investigating the hummer. She opened the glove department and pulled out her gun and badge before getting out of the car and slamming the door. Jess made her way around the front of the car and walked towards the boys. "I need to be here," Jess stated
"Did the doctor clear you for duty?" Mac asked
Jess nodded her head "My arm is superficial; nothing serious" Jess replied, "I talked to O'Bryan when I gave my statement. He said I can work it, as long as you are alright with me being here."
Don didn't think it was okay for Jess to be there, she was hurt physically and mentally. However much, he wanted her to go home and be safe, he knew she needed to be here; she had to do this for Holly.
"Ok then Jess" Mac said, "I have a nine millimeter" he told Danny and pulled it out of the hummer's window.
"That's Nick's" Jess said, "I think mine is in the SOB"
"You're right," Mac said opening the doors and discovering blood, "he was injury badly before getting in"
"I didn't hit him hard enough" Jess stated "He's still breathing" she mumbled, no one but Don heard her comment.
"This hummer is completely pimped out" Danny said "Bullet poof windows, the whole nine yards"
Mac shone his flashlight on the floor, he noticed what look like an IV and picked the bag up.
"What's that?" Flack asked
"Artificial blood. These guys are serious, I'm thinking military and if I'm right then we better prepare for war."
"You can count on it," Jess said
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"Alright, Stella" Mac said into the phone "La Guardia Airport, yea we got it"
"Dunbrook?" Danny asked
"Yea, Stella thinks he's going to flee" Mac said, "Danny head towards La Guardia Airport, Don get on the radio and request backup"
Jess stared out the window, watching the scenery go past and not paying attention to what was going on in the truck. "Jess" Don said "Are you with us?"
"I'm here" Jess said "How involved is Dunbrook?"
"Don't know yet" Don answered. He wanted to reach out and take her in his arms, just hold her and made all the pain he knew she was feeling disappear but he understood that this wasn't the time or place. He promised himself that he would hold her later.
Jess nodded "Stella filled me in when I dropped my clothes off for evidence." she said as Danny pulled into the parking lot of hanger 18.
"Do you think they have Connor in there?" Flack asked
"And ten million dollars and a jet" Danny said
"They are going to be out of here before backup arrives" Jess stated
Mac silenced everybody so they could hear their surveillance "It's a drop and ransom," he said
"And he's going to get Connor killed" Danny said
"We don't have time for backup, ready?" Mac said
Everyone got out of the truck, Jess heard the first shot "Down" she yelled as they took cover behind the open doors.
"There on the roof" Don said once he spotted the sniper.
Jess moved herself so she was still covered but still had a shot and pulled the trigger; she was determined to hit the asshole. She ducked again as a bullet hit the window; shattering it.
"We need to get in there" Danny said, he popped the hood and moved the truck forward until they could safely enter the hanger. Jess spotted the crew jumping into another vehicle and took another shot as they drove away.
Dunbrook turned "You just got my son killed"
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Jess made her way into the blue green café; she glanced around until she saw the two men she had came to meet. "Hello, Mr. Scott, Jason" She said
"Hey, Jess" Mr. Scott said giving her a hug before she sat down to the table with them.
Jess reached into her pocket and pulled out the saint Michael necklace and handed it to Holly's dad "I wanted you to have this back" Jess said
"Thank you" He said, "I gave her this, the day she got her badge. Told her it would protect her. I guess it didn't work"
"She wore it everyday; it meant the world to her. I have her badge too sir" Jess said, "I'll make sure it's returned to you, I just need it for tonight"
"The bar tradition" Jason said
Jess nodded "We come from a long line of cops" Mr. Scott said "Me, my father, Jason. It is in our blood and it was in hers too. Holly was so smart, I wanted her to be a lawyer but there was nothing I could do, nothing I could say to stop her from becoming a cop"
"I know" Jess said
"When she took the lab job, I was so happy I thought it was safer" Jason said, "She was my baby sister, all I wanted was for her to be safe"
"Jess, I want to thank you" Mr. Scott said, "You were always a good friend to my girl, and I am grateful"
Jess nodded "I want you both to know, I won't stop until I get the persons who do this" Jess said "I promise you that"
"I know" Mr. Scott said
"I have to get back," Jess said. Mr. Scott and Jason stood with Jess, each giving her a hug.
"You take care of yourself," Mr. Scott said
Jess nodded "I will" she said before walking away. She got outside of the cafe and had to wiped the single tear that had formed away from her eye.
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Jess walked back into the precinct and sat at her desk. She just needed a moment to herself, to process. Don strolled over and placed the four pictures of the men, Mac had identify on her desk. "These are the guys?" Jess asked looking at the photos of Carl Miller, Vic Denton, Blaine Spezak and Simon Cade.
"Yeah" Don said "We also got a location: an abandoned building that was once used for off base housing in Fort Hamilton. Tactical is meeting now then we're heading out. Are you in?"
"Absolutely" Jess said
"Promise me something," Don said as they made their way out to join tactical.
"What's that?" Jess asked.
"You will be careful," Don said
"I always am" Jess said
The drive to Fort Hamilton wasn't long. Jess could feel butterflies in her stomach, something she hadn't felt since her rookie days.
"Are you sure about going in there?" Mac asked her as they climbed out of the truck
"I'm sure" Jess said, "I have to do this"
Mac nodded his head in understanding "Ok, let's do it"
Jess rushed into the building behind tactical. She heard shots being fired so she took covered behind a wall, Jess moved around and fired back. She saw one of the suspects run down the corridor and she chase after him. He fired and she fired back hitting him in the stomach. He got back up and ran towards the boiler room. Jess followed, she carefully descended the steps on guard. She reached the bottom step and saw Simon Cade lying on the ground. His shoulder bandage from her bullet, the 50-caliber desert eagle just out of his reach. Jess held her gun up, her finger tighten around the trigger. The imagine of Holly, laughing, joking and smiling floated into her mind.
"Jess, no" Don said coming down the stairs behind her. He understood what she was planning. He could hear her deep breathing and saw her hands shaking. Don walked around so he was standing in front of the gun "Babe, listen to me, you don't want to do this" he said
"He killed her, move out of my way, Don" Jess said
"Listen to me, in the car with Holly, she told me to take care of you. I'm going to do that. You won't recover from this, if you pull that trigger. Holly wouldn't want you to handle it this way," Don said
Jess let his words sink in and she slowly lowered her weapon. Jess walked around Don and bend down to Simon, she took her hand and pushed on his wound, making him scream out in pain "I hope you burn in hell" Jess said then she turned back to Don "Cuff him, I can't" she said before heading back up the stairs where she ran into Danny.
"We got Connor," Danny told her "ESU says there is one more suspect"
"He's down there" Jess said "Don's arresting him"
"You OK?" Danny asked concerned.
"Yea, I'm fine" Jess said
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Jess sat at the bar next to Stella and Lindsay. Sheldon started to pour shots and passed one to everyone. Silence and sadness filled the atmosphere.
"Come on guys, we said we weren't going to turn this into a tear fest" Lindsay said
"I have one" Sid said, "We all know Holly was a lottery junkie and she always played the same numbers"
"Her mother's birthday" Josh said
"Right" Sid said, "She truly believed she was going to win. Last April fools, Mr. Ross and me made it look like her numbers got called. She though she won the jackpot, when we yelled April fools, she was so mad"
Everyone laughed "So mad" Adam said, "She put super glue all over the inside of my lab coat, that hurt"
That made everyone laugh harder.
"Oh" Josh said "Holly turning 30"
"She did not want too" Stella said, "Turning 30 was the end of the world. Her eel prints on still imprinted on the countertop here from where she attempted to do the dance from Coyote ugly"
"It's weird that she won't get to turn 31," Lindsay said
"Are you going to do it?" Stella asked Jess, "or do you want me to do it?" That's when Mac came into the bar and joined the ritual.
"No, I'll do it" Jess said, she pulled Holly's badge from her sweater pocket, she rubbed her fingers over the numbers 9241. Don helped Jess up so she was standing on the stool; she raised the badge "Holly Scott was a special person with a giant heart. She was a damn good cop, she took down scum, dodge bullets, didn't hesitate and now she's gone" Jess paused so she could get control of her emotions. "And now this badge gets retired, number 9241, before Holly this badge belonged to her dad, Benjamin Scott. This is how it works we pass the badge down until it kills you, no one will ever wear this number again. Lets raise our glasses to Holly, she's gone but not forgotten" Jess finished, she raise her glass to her mouth. Due to the fact, she was standing a head over everyone else, she had a better vantage, she saw the silver car pull up to the bar, and she saw the gun first. "Gun" Jess yelled "Get down"
The sound of shots filled the bar, the windows shattered and everything went dark.
The end of season 5
Ok so I ended with a big cliff hanger and that's it for this story. Don't worry I'm already planning the sequel entitle "time heals all" which will take place in my season 6 which is probably not going to follow CSI NY's actual season 6. That is if people want me to continue.