Bulletproof Series – 5

This is number 5 in my 'Bulletproof' series. I didn't realise it was a series until I was writing collide. It brings in the ESU – the guys in black and body armour – that back the team up regularly, with the introduction of a few OC's. They are in the show a fair bit, so it seemed logical (don't try and work out my logic – I can't!) to bring them into a main story. It also revolves around Flack and an OC, 'Krazy' Kate Howard who is from ESU, with the other members of the team involved. It introduces new characters from the beginning that stay through (unless I get the urge to kill someone off again that is!). Thank you for reading if you've read this far :)

Showtime

Prologue

Mac Taylor faced the ESU team.

"Make no mistake" he said gravely "This kid is armed, he is angry and upset, and he may snap"

Kate and Bo poured over the building plans "Here" Kate pointed to a rooftop that would give her the best shot of the perp "There are a few places to hide that I might not be able to see him, but I think it's probably the best place"

"Right" Bo said "Go, take Sol with you"

Kate and Sol ran through the school, low and fast, guns raised. The perp had a teacher held at gunpoint in a school room, luckily for Kate in his rampage, the kid had ripped down most of the blinds in the room, she had almost uninterrupted vision.

"Ryan Hall?" Kate heard Mac through the two way headset they all wore "This is Detective Taylor"

"I'm not coming out!" came the reply, through her scope Kate locked onto the boy, he was moving erratically, agitated, waving a handgun around.

"Sniper has contact" she said to the headset.

"Hold your fire" Mac said in an undertone, then louder "Ryan, I just wanna talk, I know you didn't kill anyone, I know that because I studied the evidence"

"So you know who it was?" Ryan said, sounding hopeful "You know it was this piece of shit in here? He killed my girl, because he raped her!"

Kate watched as the kid stilled, facing the door that Mac was talking through "Sniper still has contact" she informed them, she wouldn't take the shot until told to do so, or the situation demanded it.

"I know he did" Mac agreed "And he'll pay for that, trust me, but not like this"

The kid started moving again "It was the baby wasn't it?" Ryan almost sobbed "It wasn't mine was it?"

"No Ryan" Mac opted for truth, he always opted for truth "It wasn't. It was Hardle's, that's how I knew what you were telling me was right"

"You Bastard!" Kate heard and stiffened, her rifle following Ryan as he pointed the gun at the teachers head "Mr Hardle" Ryan mocked "Biology teacher! That's a joke!"

"Ryan listen to me!" Mac shouted, his tone urgent. Kate knew he saw a version of what she could see, the classrooms had cctv, and Adam had tapped in and was following what occurred in the room.

"If you shoot him" Mac continued "Everyone loses, because someone will shoot you, we don't want that, this can still be sorted out"

Suddenly the teacher, Hardle, lunged for Ryan as his attention was diverted, they struggled on the floor, the gun skittered across the room.

"Sniper has contact" Kate said, he voice breathless from adrenaline. Other ESU officers battered the door, the desk behind it holding it firmly shut.

Ryan reached the gun at the same time ESU battered their way in, he turned the gun and fired at Mac and the officers streaming through the door, one shot was all he got, imminent danger to life, Kate's training flowed through her head in less than a split second. Fire without authorisation when there is imminent danger to life.

She squeezed the trigger, glass shattering from the window opposite her almost instantly, Ryan dropped, the gun falling from his hand. Kate kept her weapon trained, barely breathing.

"Gun clear!" an officer shouted, Ryan was on the floor, bleeding from a sucking bullet wound in his chest, Kate had used a body shot, instead of a head shot.

"Get EMT in here!" Mac shouted "You!" he pointed to Hardle "That should be you!"

Kate saw no more, she picked up her rifle and ran down to meet her team.

…...

Kate watched as they loaded Ryan onto the waiting ambulance, for the first time in her career, she regretted pulling the trigger. Mac saw her face.

"It was the right call" he said "As tough as it is now, you followed protocol, he was a threat"

"Protocol" she said with a sneer "Can kiss my ass, he's a kid Mac!"

"Yes he is" Mac replied "But he was a kid with a gun, and he pulled the trigger, you saved lives, it's your job"

She ran her hands over her eyes "Don't make it any easier" she said.

"You're tough Howard" he gave her a lopsided smile "You'll be OK"

"But will he?" Kate stared after the departing ambulance.

…...

Kate stood in the small garden of the town house, her cigarette was almost gone, she toyed with the idea of lighting another.

"That my secret stash or yours?" she jumped slightly as she heard Don behind her.

"Yours" she said "I smoked all mine"

"Hand 'em over" he said, sitting next to her on the bench "I could do with one"

"They're bad for you" she warned as she gave him the packet.

"Back 'atcha" he replied, lighting one.

"We gotta be the worst secret smokers ever" she gave him a sad smile.

"Don't do it that often" he said "Guilty pleasure"

"A bit like Top Gun?" she teased.

"I like Top Gun" he said, exhaling slowly "It's a classic"

"More like every little boys dream" she leaned her head on his shoulder "To fly a plane and look like Tom Cruise"

"There is that" he replied "I heard about today"

"Oh you did huh?" she sighed.

"Mac called me, make sure you're all right. Are you?" he asked.

"I don't know" she replied honestly "It was a bad day at the office"

"Mac thinks you made the right call, and from what he told me, I do too" he said, swinging an arm around her shoulders.

"A kids's still in hospital, having one of my bullets removed from his body" she said "That sucks Don, I shot a kid, a kid who just wanted someone to listen"

"A kid who fired a weapon at police officers after taking a hostage" he pointed out.

"A kid who lost his girlfriend and got blamed for her murder" she retorted "A kid who knew who'd done it and why, a kid no one would believe"

"He's gonna be OK" Don said, kissing the top of her head "And so are you"

"How d'ya know that?" she sighed.

"The kid? I don't" he said "But you got a body shot, you gave him the only chance you could. And you? I know you, you'll get drunk somewhere and then proposition some poor schmuck you used to work with, and then he won't be able to get you out his head and you'll end up driving him nuts for the rest of his life"

She laughed quietly as he fiddled with her engagement ring.

…...

Kate put the phone back in it's holster, smiling.

"The kid's gonna be OK?" Don asked.

"Yeah" she said "He's going to be in hospital a while but he's doing good"

"See?" he smiled, putting his arms around her "You should listen to me more often, I'm a wise man"

She gave him a sly look "Of course you are, you're marrying me"

"Hmmm" he said, moving to take a bottle of wine from the refrigerator "I'm not sure that decision is all that wise" he teased.

"Oh shush" she said laughing, handing him two glasses.

"I told you Hawkes and Camille are gettin' married right?" he added.

"Yeah" she smiled "They're so cute"

"You mean they're nice to each other?" he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah" she sunk onto the couch, curling her feet underneath her.

"We should try it" he grinned at her.

"As I recall" she replied smartly "I was real nice to you last night"

"Good point there Krazy" he stretched out on the recliner opposite her.

"I used to hate that" she commented with a smile.

"What?" he frowned, flicking though TV channels.

"Krazy" she said "I really hated it"

"You did?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the TV "You never said anything"

"What and give you another stick to beat me with?" she retorted "I don't think so, you'd have never let up with it then"

"You make me sound like some sort of playground bully" he grumbled.

"You were" she grinned.

"Humph" he replied "So you want me to stop sayin' it?"

"No, I kinda like it now" she said "Only you that calls me it, and sometimes Danny"

"Krazy Katherine Howard" he mused "At least when you marry me you won't sound like one of Henry the Eighths wives any more"

"Don't even go there Flack" she warned "She was beheaded for treason, for cheating on the King"

"Let that be a lesson to you then" he said distractedly "Die Hard, another classic film" he made himself more comfortable.

"Oh I'm gonna take a bath" she laughed, standing up, stopping in front of him she looked down "Wanna join me?"

"Sssh" he said, a sly grin on his face as he pushed her out the way so he could see "Bruce is talking"

"Yippe'ki'aye!" Kate said, heading off to the bathroom alone with a smile.

…...