Million Reasons

Chapter Sixty Four: Duck and Run

Kayla Sharpe to Sean Roman: Hey, are you running late? I've been sitting with your turkey sub for over twenty minutes now. You have five mins before I eat it.

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Erin Lindsey: Have you heard from Maggie today?

Jay Halstead: No which is surprising considering I managed to send her that video I made of Ruzek. You worried?

Erin Lindsey: A little. I'm gonna give it half an hour before I take a trip downstairs and mention it to Platt.

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Al Olinsky to Maggie O'Neill: Haven't heard back from you on lunch. Just wanted to make sure your doing ok?

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Kayla Sharpe to Sean Roman: I'm guessing there's a good reason you stood me up?

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Kayla Sharpe to Maggie O'Neill: Are you guys ok? Sean isn't picking up his phone.

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Kayla Sharpe: Hey, have you heard from Maggie and Sean today?

Kim Burgess: Not since they signed out their Squad Car this morning. It's been radio silence from them for the past couple of hours.

Kayla Sharpe: I hate to be this person but I've not heard from either of them in hours either.

Kim Burgess: I'm gonna go look into it. They're probably in the middle of something. I'll let you know what I find out.

Kayla Sharpe: I appreciate that.

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Erin Lindsey: You need to come downstairs, I think we have a problem.

Hank Voight: On way now.

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The past couple of hours had been a blood bath, that was the only way that Maggie could describe it as she half dragged Roman up the concrete stairs by his flack jacket. Her palms were still sticky with drying blood. That plastic knife she'd used to cut a hole in Aubrey's chest so she could jab the straw in, was digging into right wrist from where she had managed to conceal it up her sleeve. She could still feel that wretched bile climbing up from the pit of her stomach as her mind briefly flicked back to the DIY medical procedure that Roman had managed to guide her through.

Jesus, she still couldn't believe she'd been forced to do that and that in the end it had all been for nothing because the son of a bitch that was chasing them had put two bullets in the kid's chest. Her heart was thumping against her chest like a jack hammer as his laughing voice cascaded through the door fire that the two of them had managed to careen through.

The adrenaline was pumping around her body right now, she could feel that steely numbness overtake her as she surged up the stairs, half carrying Sean to the best of her ability. Despite the fact she was trained for this, she could feel herself lagging. Like Antonio, Roman had a boxer's physique, which meant he was packing a lot of muscle under that sinewy frame of his. It also meant he was heavy as hell.

That head injury he'd suffered had rendered him weak and lethargic, his mind was sharp but his body wasn't cooperating with his intentions. She was no medical expert but she hoped that it was just a really bad concussion. The good news was he was still talking, still making sense so that was really the only positive she had to cling onto right now. She had no idea how long they had been missing, to her it felt like hours. As much as she wished that the cavalry would come running in to save them she was a realist at heart and she knew it was up to them to make sure they got their asses out of here.

Roman collapsed against the wall as they made it to the first platform at the top of the stairs. His ragged pants echoing through the chilly air as he sagged, his head tilted back as he stared at the ceiling trying trying to catch his breath. Maggie paused for a moment, her ears straining over the thrum of her own pulse as she listened out for the tell tale signs of Orion creeping up on them. Sean's hand enclosed on her arm suddenly, scaring the hell out of her for a moment before he jabbed his finger at the open window in front of him. The gap was small, big enough for someone slender to fit through.

"You can go!" he wheezed at her, jabbing his finger at the opening. "Maggie get out that window and and get some help."

It was a death sentence for him. They both knew it and she could see when she looked into those azure eyes of his that he had accepted that. He was in no condition to defend himself against Orion when he caught up. The other man wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in his head. Maggie cast a glance at the window and then back at Roman again as he wrenched her towards it with what little strength he had left.

"I'm not going through that window." she informed him, raising to her full height and digging her heels in against his weight as he tried to shove her once more before grunting in pure frustration.

"Maggie." Sean practically screamed at her. "You want to die here with me, or do you want to live and bring these guys to justice?"

Maggie stood firm, straightening her shoulders against the aggression in her partner's bloody features. She knew he was trying to beat her into submission with his words but she was tougher than that. Despite the fact he could be a pain in the ass, Roman was her partner, she'd lost count of the amount of times he'd had her back over her time in the 21st precinct and she wasn't going to run out on him.

"I vote for plan number two." Sean spat, clearly furious at her reaction to him. He shoved her harshly with both hands in the direction of the window once more. "Now, go."

"He's gonna kill you." Maggie snapped, jabbing her finger into his chest as she bore down on him. The two of them were at eye level, their emotions a violent torrent as they stared each other down.

"I'm not gonna ask you again." Roman snarled before shoving at her shoulder blades once more. Maggie didn't move, instead she watched, her face impassive as his knees began to tremble at the exertion.

"I'm not going to tell you again." she returned, her voice firm as she grabbed his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders once more before guiding him to the foot of the next flight of stairs.