The sky was dark and the lights in the room shined a dim yellow as SIU had Team One line up in front of them to get photos. "I just want to shower up and go to bed," Sam says as camera flashes fill the room. Eddie stands in front of the camera with blood on the side of his face and an emotionless expression.
"Let's hope SIU feels the same way" Eddie says quietly as heels could be heard clicking against the concrete floor and a woman with shoulder length red hair walks into the room.
"Sequestered means no talking till after your interview" the woman states as she notices the tired faces of the team.
"Sorry, guys, they make me say that" she then says.
"Look, under the circumstances, think maybe we can sequester ourselves home and do these interviews tomorrow? Plus we all have someone we need to go see" Eddie asks as he follows the woman towards the conference table and she places a stack of papers down on top of it. She then turns around and faces Eddie looking at the dry blood on the side of his face.
"It's procedure, and it's not just SIU. The whole country's in shock. You saw all the media out there. Everybody's gonna be needing answers. We're all under the microscope here especially after what happened to Sergeant Alex Parker" the woman explains and Greg walks towards them.
"Well, you have our full cooperation. Team One, cross the T's and dot I's" Greg says as he looks around at the team and then stops as he then turns towards Eddie.
"The faster we get these done, the faster we get out of here" Greg explains and Eddie nods his head as he crosses his arms over his chest.
"I'm the subject officer. Let's get it done" Eddie advises.
"Good. I'll start with you. Where's your lawyer?" she asks, confused.
"Let's just forget the lawyer. We'll record it. Get us all home faster" Eddie says, beginning to feel frustrated and tired.
"I hear you," the redheaded woman states as Eddie walks by her.
Team One turns around and walks out of the conference room, and Wordy's phone begins to ring. "Hey, Shel" he answers.
"Yeah, I know.
"The girls didn't watch, though, did they?" Greg heard him say as he walked slowly behind the team with his arms still crossed over his chest.
"Shel No, I'm okay. But it's gonna be a while" Wordy sighs.
Greg leans against the wall watching as the rest of the team all scatters taking a seat wherever they could. "Hey Sarge" Spike then sighs as he appears next to Greg and he shows a small smile.
"Hey Spike" Greg says.
"Have you heard anything yet?" Spike then asks.
"It's pretty bad. They didn't say much, except that" Greg explains slowly.
"I can't believe we can't leave. I need to go" Spike says, beginning to panic and Greg turns to look at him as he places his hand on his shoulder.
"Spike-" Greg begins but Spike quickly turns to look towards him.
"It's my fault she is there, Sarge! I need to be there" Spike states.
"It's not your fault, Spike. She shouldn't have been there in the first place. That is my fault" Greg sighs and then leans back against the wall.
***
The large metal door closes to the conference room as Eddie sits at the large table with a small mic in front of him. "Look, I know the last thing you want to do is talk about what happened," the redhead SIU investigator Jill Hastings states.
"I'm good. Let's cut to the chase" Eddie says bluntly.
"You ended it. You did your job. I'm not here to discuss the use of lethal force. Clearly, the suspect...sorry, subject, had shown the intent to kill. I just need to hear and assess the details and deliver my report" Jill explains and Eddie sighs as he looks down at the file on the table.
"Well, it's all right there in the transcripts. What else do you need to know? We entered the building, then we contained, isolated and neutralized the threat" Eddie advises camly.
"Are you comfortable with that language?" Jill questions curiously.
"What do you mean?" Eddie asks, confused.
"Well, you don't want to see blase. Neutralize the threat. What you really mean is...
"Kill someone. What's your point?" Eddie questions.
"Does thinking in those terms help get the job done?" Jill asks, crossing her arms on the table.
"Not at all.It's never easy to take a life. Even when that life is what saves a number of others" Jules answers honestly.
"Which, of course, you did tonight" Jill admits and Jules nods her head.
"That's right," Jules says.
"What was the final count?" Jill asks curiously.
"The number shot? Ten dead, three wounded" Spike answers.
"Ten dead. That includes the shooter, the one your team killed?" Jill questions harshly and Spike just nods his head.
Team One arrives on site to see crowds of people running out of the museum in a panic as flashing blue and red lights fill their dark surroundings. "Say, buddy, talk to me, okay? How many casualties?" Greg asks as he walks over towards a security guard who was holding up a woman in a red dress with blood running down her skin who just ran out the front doors.
"Got five. Five dead so far" the guard says.
"Please, my husband, he's still in there! Please!" the woman cries as she reaches for Greg's arm.
"Can we get a paramedic over here?" Greg yells as he waves his hand.
"How long since the last shot was fired?" Greg asks curiously as the woman walks away with the Paramedics.
"Four-four minutes ago" the guard stutters.
"You get a look at the shooter?" Greg then questions as crowds of people begin to form around the emergency vehicles.
"No, I was patrolling the hallway. I didn't see anything out of place, and everything looked as it should be" the guard answers.
"Do you have any idea how many people are left inside?" Greg then asks.
"M-maybe two-two hundred and fifty?" the guard advises and Greg nods his head as Eddie walks towards them.
"Eddie, seven shots fired. Hasn't gone to ground. Looks like a spree. Random shooting pattern, high kill ratio" Greg states and Eddie looks towards the guard.
"What kind of event was this?" Eddie questions confused.
"A company party for Brenton, Inc" the guard advises.
"Brenton, Inc.?" Greg asks, shocked, causing Eddie to look towards him quickly.
"Yeah" the guard nods.
"What is it?" Eddie asks.
"Alex. Alex said she was going with her friend to a charity gala for Brenton, Inc" Greg explains as he turns and looks at the crowds of people before turning and looking towards the building.
"She's in there Eddie" Greg whispers.
"We'll find her" Eddie says as he places a hand on Greg's shoulder and he nods his head.
"We'll find who?" Spike asks curiously as the team gather's around Greg and Eddie.
"Alex is in there" Eddie admits and Spike looks at him shocked.
"What! We need to go in there!" Spike yells but Eddie steps towards him.
"Spike! We need to focus so we can find her...Alive" Eddie says and Spike slowly begins to calm down before nodding his head.
"Okay...This could be a workplace issue, disgruntled employee. Spike, get some floor plans for this gentlemen. We need to track this" Eddie explains as he gently pushes the security guard towards Spike.
"Alright, let's go," Spike says and the guard follows him towards the command truck. Eddie then turns to the officers near the front doors and points towards them.
"Let's lock those exits down! Do it now!" he yells.
"Let's set up a triage area nearby" Greg advises as he walks towards the Paramedics.
"Guys, direct to threat. We contain, isolate and neutralize. Priority is speed" Eddie says as Sam, Wordy, and Jules all stand behind him.
"There were already five dead when you arrived? Things happen fast in spree killings" Jill says shocked.
"That's why ending things fast is so important," Eddie advises.
"Thirty-seven minutes," Jill states.
"Thirty-seven minutes to arrive, contain and neutralize, yeah" Eddie nods.
"You're the tactician, right?" Jill asks curiously.
"I'm the Team Leader, but Greg and Alex Parker are the Sergeants" Eddie answers bluntly.
"Right, Alexandria Parker," Jill says.
"Alex" Eddie corrects.
"Excuse me?" Jill questions confused.
"She goes by Alex" Eddie advises.
"Okay, Alex. Do you think anything changed for your team when you found out that one of your own was still trapped inside that building?" Jill asks curiously.
"I don't think anything changed. The plan stayed the same. We still had only thirty-seven minutes and Greg Parker was not gonna lose track of it. None of us were" Eddie says.
"So you're saying the thirty-seven minutes had more to do with him?" Jill questions.
"He'd seen this kind of shooting before, and he brought that experience to the table" Eddie explains as he crosses his arms on the table and leans forward.
"I'm aware of your Sergeant's background" Jill informs quickly.
"That's right, you used to be a cop" Eddie sighs.
"And now I protect them. It's why I joined SIU" Jill states confidently.
"You've got quite the reputation," Eddie says.
"The killing spree at Cornwall took nine minutes to contain. Chesapeake High took thirteen. The big question the media is going to ask is why did this one take thirty-seven?" Jill asks with attitude in her voice.
"Those were different circumstances. We had a lot more square footage to cover" Eddie explains, still not showing any emotion.
"And while you were covering it, the subject was able to shoot six more people. How do I explain that?" Jill questions.
"Well, if you want to protect cops, you suggest to the media to forget the thirty-seven minutes and focus instead on the lives we saved" Eddie states.
"Fair enough. Let's talk about saved lives" Jill smiles.
"Good, let's do that," Eddie agrees.
"Would you have been able to save more lives and end the incident more quickly if you hadn't allowed Sergeant Parker to override you?" Jill asks and Eddie just sits in his seat looking at her.
"Boss, I need Spike out of the truck and in the building" Eddie states as he runs towards Greg.
"No, he's serving a purpose in the truck, Ed" Greg quickly says as the cops run by them.
"Boss, I need the hands here" Eddie says a little louder.
"We could use the intel more" Greg advises.
"More than quicker containment?" Eddie argues and Greg turns to look at him.
"Eddie, a building like this, without intel, we're blind. We're running around in circles" Greg explains and Eddie sighs and looks up at the building.
"You're not a fan of circles" he whispers before walking away from Greg. Greg turns and notices all of the ambulances and cop cars parked on the street. He watches as the Paramedics and Cops along with all the SWAT officers run around frantically through the crowds of people.
"Guys, this is a spree shooting. Just prepare for it" Greg says through the headset.
"What did Sergeant Parker mean, prepare for it?" Jill asks as she looks towards Sam who was picking at his figures.
"Sam?" she questions causing him to look up at her.
"You were there, you saw it" Sam mumbles looking down at the blood on his figures.
"Sorry, it's hard to wash all the blood off" he sighs.
"I won't keep you long. And try hydrogen peroxide, it helps" Jill advises and Sam interlocks his hands together and places them on the table.
"A shooting spree isn't like a hostage crisis or a bomb scare. Even if you do everything right, there's gonna be a death count" Sam explains.
"Bodies?" Jill questions.
"Yes" Sam nods and then looks down at his hands.
"You spent time in Afghanistan, right?" Jill asks curiously.
"Yes. Two tours" Sam answers.
"Did that experience dull your sensitivity?" Jill questions.
"I don't have PTSD and I do value human life, if that's what you're asking" Sam advises quietly as he looks directly at her.
"I just meant, did the experience make it easier?"
"Made death familiar, not easy. But because the boss warned us, we were prepared for the bodies" Sam explains.
"Was there something you weren't prepared for?" Jill asks and he looks off into the distance behind her.
"I guess I wasn't expecting the shoes" Sam sighs.
Eddie, Jules, Sam, and Wordy all walk into the now quiet museum with their guns held up in front of them. Jules then notices Sam looking around at all of the high heel shoes on the floor. "Easier to run without them," Jules explains quietly. They all turn a corner and see a female laying on the ground, her arms spread out beside her and blood covering her chest. Jules, Sam, and Eddie walk in front of her and stop as Eddie takes off his glove and checks her pulse.
"No" he sighs as he gets back up and they all begin to walk again.
"Two more" Sam advises.
They all stop as Jules checks their pulses. "Both gone" she states and stands back up. They all turn on their flashlights and walk slowly around another corner, seeing two more bodies on the ground.
"Here's the other two" Eddie states camly.
"This is ground zero; the first five victims" Eddie then says as they move closer towards them.
"Not a lot of stray bullet holes" Wordy explains as he walks backwards behind Eddie.
"The shooter knows guns," Eddie says, not taking his eyes off the space in front of him.
"They were heading west" Jules states as she stands back up from beside one of the bodies.
"Away from the exits. The shooter was probably following them, driving them further into the building" Sam explains as he does the same and stands up.
"All right, let's move. Spike, main atrium clear. We're heading west" Eddie says through the headset.
"Got it," Spike replies.
"Boss, I'm gonna send in uniforms and EMTs to follow up, recover the bodies" Spike then says as he types quickly on the computer in front of him.
"Copy that, Spike, but only the areas we've cleared" Greg says from outside as he stands next to a witness.
"Remember, any other details, sir?" Greg questions curiously.
"I don't know. It happened really fast. I was talking to an investor" the man explains slowly as he sits in the back of an ambulance with a sling on his arm.
"Thank you very much," Greg says before turning around and walking away from the man.
"Okay, team, we're getting conflicting stories from all the witnesses, but none of them mention overlapping gunfire, so the shots all came from one location" Greg explains through the headset as Eddie leads the other three down an empty hallway.
"One gun, lone shooter-- fits a spree profile. We got a description?" Eddie asks curiously.
"Nah, no one really got a good look," Greg states.
"Any of the witnesses have guesses about who they pissed off?" Eddie questions as he continues to hold his gun up in front of him.
"Brenton, Inc. is a multinational conglomerate. People love to hate multinational conglomerates" Spike says from the command truck.
"Our number of potentially disgruntled just got bigger. Eddie, how are you guys doing? Are you doing okay?" Greg asks curiously.
"Yeah" Eddie answers.
"Just please be careful."
"Always" Jules says.
The door to the command truck slams shut as Greg enters and walks towards Spike. "Spike?" he sighs.
"No eyes yet, but this should help. The guard said certain areas of the building were closed off for the party. I can confirm that none of these locks have been breached" Spike explains quickly as he pulls up the blueprints of the museum.
"That's good. Narrows our search by half. Eddie, the west side of the building is clear. Just keep heading north" Greg says through the headset.
"Three o'clock" Sam whispers as they walk through a gallery full of stands with statues. Eddie quickly turns and holds his gun towards two men, and two women.
"Drop the weapon! Hands up now! Let's go!" they all yell.
"Don't shoot!" one of the men yells.
"Slowly!" Eddie states the men and women walk towards them.
"We don't have any weapons, okay? There are no guns. Jim and I work for Brenton. These are our wives" one of the men says.
"Anybody see the shooter?" Eddie then asks, still holding up his gun.
"No. We were at the bar. We heard some shots. And then we just ran. We wanted to get out of there" the man explains as they all hold their hands in the air.
"What do we got?" Eddie asks frantically as he sees Sam and Wordy come from behind the four victimes.
"They're clean," Sam advises.
"Alright, let's go" Jules then says as she lowers her gun and holds out her arm, leading them away.
"He ran up those stairs" one of the women stated as she pointed at the staircase next to them.
"You saw him?" Eddie asks curiously.
"I heard him. Everyone else was running. He was the only one walking" the woman explains.
"Just wait here for a police officer," Jules says to them before holding up her gun and walking with the team once again.
"Spike, Asian Gallert's secure. We have four people coming out and they need an escort" Eddie advises.
"Copy that" Spike says through the headset as they all run up the stairs the woman said he went.
"Avian Gallery clear," Jules says as they walk past a glass box full of realistic birds.
"Our shooter's been quiet," Sam states.
"Means he's done, dead or reloading" Greg says through the headset.
"Let's hope for done," Eddie says just before two loud gunshots echo through the empty Galleries.
"Ed!" Greg yells through the headset.
"Shots fired! Shots fired" Ed yells as they all begin to run towards two metal doors. Suddenly a group of people burst through the doors screaming and Eddie holds up his hand.
"Stop right now! Stay right there!" Eddie yells but people keep trying to push through.
"Stop!" Eddie then yells loudly and some of the people screaming quiet down.
"Wordy, contain these people! Get them out of here now!" Eddie yells.
"Let's go!" Wordy says stepping to the side and letting the group of people run past him. Another gunshot goes off a few seconds later as Jules spots a shadow running behind the statues.
"Shooter 12 o'clock!" Jules yells.
"Go, go, go!" Eddie yells as him, Sam, and Jules follow the way the shadow went.
"Wait. This was eight minutes in. Eight minutes since you entered the building and Ed Lane told you to stay" Jill asks curiously as Wordy nods his head.
"Yup" he says.
"Or was it Sergeant Parker?" Jill questions bluntly.
"Ed. We needed the crowd contained. This is all in the transcript" Wordy explains slowly.
"Does your team leader have confidence in you?" Jill asks, causing Wordy to look at her confused.
"What do you mean?" he asks curiously.
"Pursue an active shooter or babysit witnesses. Ed Lane left you behind" Jill advises.
"Those witnesses were putting themselves and us in danger. They needed to be evacuated" Wordy states and Jill nods her head slowly.
"Okay, I get it. It was important to keep them safe, so put a trusted officer on it" Jill says and Wordy takes a deep breath as he begins to feel frustrated.
"What is this, some solo version of good cop/bad cop?" he asks and Jill snickers quietly.
"Sorry. Old habit from the force" Jill admits.
"Okay. Well, it's confusing" Wordy states.
"You would've just made my old partner Brian very happy. He thought it would trip up the bad guys if we sort of switched sides mid-interrogation. I guess I still do it" Jill explains.
"It's hard losing a partner," Wordy says quietly.
"What?" Jill asks, shocked.
"You said it would've made him happy, not it will. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" Wordy begins to say.
"So what happened next, was that a mistake?" Jill asks, changing the subject.
"Police! Stop right there!" Eddie yells as they run after a male who was running down the hall. The male stops and raises his hands as Sam, Jules, and Eddie all run towards him.
"Drop the weapon!" Sam screams.
"It's not me!" the male yells. Sam runs towards him and hits him with his gun, sending him falling to the ground.
"Stay down!" Eddie yells. Sam shearches the man who was laying on the ground as he groans in pain. He then looks back up at Eddie confused.
"He's clean," he says.
"Boss, subject secure" Eddie says through the headset before more gunshots go off.
"Correction. Subject still at large" Eddie advises quietly as him and Jules stand with their guns up.
"Civilians secure. En route to the exit" Wordy states through the headset.
"So you apprehended the wrong suspect?" Jill asks harshly.
"It turned out the man in the tux was a Brenton guest" Jules explains camly.
"With a legally owned handgun. The CEO's bodyguard" Jill advises a little louder then before.
"Our choices were appropriate to the situation" Jules states.
"Taking down a man pursuing the shooter?" Jill questions confused.
"A man discharging his gun in an already volatile situation" Jules says slowly.
"Okay, here's the problem. The public are in shock and they're gonna want somebody to blame. This is how it's gonna spin: your decision to pursue an innocent man wasted time and allowed the shooter's rampage to continue" Jill explains.
"That's not what happened" Jules quickly argues.
"Won't matter," Jill says.
"Make it matter" Jules then says, causing Jill to look at her shocked.
"It's your job" Jules advises and Jill nods her head as she looks towards the table but doesn't say anything.
"Look, you're smart, I'm smart. We can sit here and we can twist the words all day long. What is it that you really want to hear?" Jules asks curiously and with a hint of attitude.
"The truth" Jill answers.
"Makes two of us," Jules says as she leans back in her chair.
"My job is to keep the public informed and the police service accountable. Was the incident mishandled, and if so, whose fault was it?" Jill asks slowly.
"No, it was not mishandled. You have the transcripts. Is there anything else that I can help you with?" Jules asks as Jill looks directly at her.
"I'm good" she says and then Jules gets up from her seat and walks towards the door.
"What was Greg Parker's state of mind today?" Jill asks curiously, causing Jules to stop and turn back around to look at her.
"Excuse me?" Jules questions confused.
"You'd know best. You're second negotiator. In your opinion, does he bring his personal bias to the negotiations?" Jill asks as Jules walks back towards the table, but does not sit down.
"All negotiators rely on personal bias. We're human. We can't erase life experience" Jules explains honestly.
"So, you incorporate it?" Jill asks.
"To an extent. What does this have to do with the investigation?" Jules questions.
"Did Greg Parker's judgment today prolong the rampage?" Jill asks.
"No," Jules answers.
"Spike, I.D.'s on the deceased?" Greg asks as he walks into the command truck.
"The witnesses helped identify them. I'm looking for connections in case this isn't random" Spike explains.
"Anything?" Greg then asks as he looks down at the computer screen.
"One so far: they all worked for Brenton's pharmaceutical arm" Spike states.
"That's something," Greg says.
"But none of them worked in the same division" Spike then says and Greg sighs.
"Alright, try matching the names through executive boards and action committees. If you're right, our shooter needs a motive" Greg demands.
"Copy" Spike says as he begins to type onto the keyboard.
Eddie and Wordy lead in front of Sam and Jules as they all head into the dinosaur gallery hearing their footsteps echo. They all run around a skeleton before they notice the woman in a white dress laying face down on the ground. "I got it" Sam states quietly as he takes his gloves off and walks around noticing her long brown hair soaking in a puddle of dark red blood causing him to stop and look down at her...frozen.
"Sam?" Jules questions as she notices him standing there shocked. She waits for a reply but doesn't hear one so she takes her glove off and checks the woman's pulse herself.
"This was...Thirteen minutes after Team One entered the building?" Jill asks curiously as Sam looks down at the table.
"Yeah, that sounds about right," he answers quietly, causing Jill to place her pen down on the table and look across at him.
"You want to tell me what happened?" Jill asks and Sam looks up at her.
"Why did Jules Callaghan step in after you said, I got it? If there's a problem, if this is too much for you maybe you should consider being put on leave?" Jill explains and Sam shakes his head.
"It wasn't the incident that was it" Sam states quickly.
"Then what was it?" Jill questions causing Sam to sigh and lean back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Most people don't understand why anyone would choose to put their life on the line for strangers" Sam begins.
"It's a good question," Jill says.
"I grew up in a military family and as a kid, I didn't get it either, but...one day when I was nine, I was taking my little sister to the park. We stopped at a crosswalk, and this car jumped the curb and hit her. Sent her flying and I remember looking over at her laying there and thinking, Why is she barefoot? Then I looked down beside me, and there were her sandals. She'd been knocked right out of them" Sam explains as he stares at the floor with tears gathering in his eyes.
"She died?" Jill asks and Sam nods his head slowly.
"Some people are helpless and need to be protected," Sam explains.
"Yes, they do," Jill agrees.
"So you joined up like your dad" Jill then asks and Sam looks towards her.
"Yeah, like my dad," he replies.
"But today, for that one second, it just came back to my little sister. 'Cause this woman in the museum was...she was barefoot" Sam explains as he begins to choke up.
"I got a pulse" Jules states before placing her gun down on the ground.
"EMS, Dinosaur Gallery" she then says through the headset as Sam kneels down beside the woman. He then looks beside her and notices her phone laying there and he picks it up.
"Guys, I think I have something here" Sam states while playing the video.
"Spike I'm gonna send this to you" Sam advises as he gets back up onto his feet.
Spike and Greg watch the video in the command truck and notice the dressed up people enjoying their time before gunshots could be heard causing everyone in the video to begin to run frantically. But just before the video ends Spike notices something appear on the screen. He rewinds the video and slows it down and both him and Greg look at eachother shocked. "The shooter's a woman.
I'll run her face through Brenton's personnel system" Spike states through the headset.
"Put it through the license database, too, females between thirty and forty. Let's keep our options open. She may not be an employee" Greg explains as Spike finishes typing and a fast beeping is heard from his computer as pictures of women's faces flash onto the screen.
Jules kneels beside the woman lying on the ground as she moans in pain, "You're going to be okay.
Just hang in there" Jules states.
"We got EMS!" a police officer says as him and the paramedics run up behind them quickly.
"What's your name, ma'am?" Jules asks as a paramedic kneels down on the other side of the woman and begins to treat her. But the woman doesn't answer, instead she just moans again.
"Spike, we got eyes yet?" Eddie questions through the headset.
"Sort of," Spike replies.
"The motion detectors are working, but not all the CCTV cameras are operational" Spike then explains.
"So some of the cameras have blind spots?" Eddie asks.
"Yep. Like the room you're in now" Spike says, causing both Wordy and Eddie to look up towards the camera.
"It's been shot out," Eddie states.
"Oh, that would do it," Spike says as he continues to type onto the other computer.
"Boss, we're splitting into Alpha and Bravo" Eddie then advises, as Jules and Sam rejoin Eddie and Wordy and they all begin to walk quickly.
"What's your plan, Eddie?" Greg questions.
"We got to get ahead of her. If she's shooting out cameras as she goes, we can track where she's been" Eddie explains.
"And maybe predict where she's going" Greg then adds.
"Yeah, but we got to get ahead of her" Eddie states.
"Back her into a corner. Copy that. Eddie, you and Wordy are Alpha?" Greg asks curiously.
"We're heading east. Sam and Jules, you're Bravo Team heading west. Okay, everybody, I need you to locate the motion detectors above the art and manually redirect them outwards" Eddie explains as him and Wordy begin to move slowly down a hallway.
"Like an electronic perimeter" Sam says as he leads the way with Jules following behind him.
"Spike can monitor movement, but we don't have eyes" Greg says as he sits next to Spike in the Command truck.
Team one continues to roam the museum, as the picture Spike captured from the video runs through the database. Suddenly the computer beeps and Spike looks down at the screen. "Boss, I've matched the shooter's face from the cell phone footage to the Licence plate database" Spike states and Greg leans over and looks at the screen.
"Who is she?" he questions quickly.
"Claire Williams. No criminal record, and not an employee of Brenton" Spike explains.
"It's not a workplace grudge" Greg says. Sounding a little shocked.
"Looking" Spike replies.
"Everything you can find. Track down family, see if they can tell us anything" Greg orders as gunshots echo through the headsets once again.
"Eddie! Status!" Greg quickly says.
"We're right behind her" Eddie replies as him and Wordy enter into a dimly lit gallery holding their guns up with their flashlights on. They both round a corner to see an older man holding his two hands on top of another man's chest.
"Don't shoot!" the man screams, panicked.
"Where is the shooter?" Eddie asks loudly as both him and Wordy continue to hold up their guns. The man holds up one of his hands, covered in blood as tears fall from his eyes.
"I'm not going to shoot you sir" Eddie says, now more calmly as he notices the mental state the man was in.
"The woman with the gun. Can you tell me where she went?" Eddie asks curiously and the man shakes his head.
"I don't know. Sh-she shot Kevin" the man stutters as he places his hand back on Kevin's chest to try and stop the blood. Eddie kneels down slowly, lowering his gun as Wordy turns around to watch his back.
"Is this your co-worker?" Eddie questions.
"Yeah. She just shot him. I...I knew I was gonna die. She was gonna shoot me too. I, I closed my eyes, but... nothing happened, and I opened my eyes, and she was gone" the older man explains panicked as Eddie looks towards him concerned.
"Did you know her?" he asks and the man shakes his head.
"No, I'd never seen her before" the man states and Eddie sighs as he stands back up.
"Wait!" the man then says and both Eddie and Wordy turn to look towards him.
"Do you know why she didn't shoot me, too?" the man asks and Eddie looks towards Wordy.
"She's choosing her victims" Wordy says quietly as Eddie places his hand on his headset.
"Team One, new deal. This isn't a spree shooting...This is personal" he states.
"Okay, we've got fresh eyes on this team. These victims are not random. This is personal" Greg then agrees through the headset.
"Anyone ever accuse your team of bad profiling?" Jill asks and Eddie sighs and closes his eyes.
"No" he simply answers.
"You went in hunting a male disgruntled employee randomly shooting people, when you should've been looking for a woman on a mission" Jill advises.
"Statistics and experience suggest a male shooter. Now the profile evolved. We changed our thinking and we found her" Eddie explains, sounding a bit annoyed.
"After thirty-seven minutes" Jill says and Eddie nods.
"After thirty-seven minutes" Eddie repeats.
"And this evolving profile, did it add pressure to the situation? Time was against you. Were you feeling stressed or--" Jill begins to say but Eddie looks towards her.
"Or annoyed?" he asks bluntly.
"Yes. Were you feeling annoyed? Off your game?" Jill questions slowly.
"No. I was doing my job. We all were" Eddie advises.
"It's natural to feel frustrated," Jill admits.
"We had new information -- from our search, from the sister, from what Spike found. Now adjusting profiles as we go is part of the job, just like reading transcripts is part of yours. Let me ask you this? Do typos annoy you? Do they frustrate you? Do they compromise your uh... your game?" Eddie asks, as Jill looks towards him flustered.
"So, if your analogy fits, you were annoyed" Jill says.
"I am now. You got an actual question?" Eddie asks as he sits with one hand resting on the arm of the chair.
"I do. What did you do with the new information?" she asks.
"Anything line up between the shooter and the names of the deceased?" Eddie questions as Kevin gets wheeled out on a stretcher by the paramedics. After the paramedics pass by Eddie and Wordy lift their guns back up in front of them.
"Spike's still looking through court records, police reports, anything he can find. He says her sister's here, so I'm gonna see what she knows" Greg explains as he walks back towards the Command truck. He opens the door and walks inside to see a woman with shoulder length blonde hair.
"Rachel?" Greg questions and she nods.
"Hi, I'm Sergeant Parker. Thanks for coming. Please have a seat" Greg then says as he pulls a chair out from under the desk and turns it around for her to sit on.
"Do you have any idea why your sister would do this?" he then questions and the woman looks up at him concerned.
"Claire's been through a nightmare. Her husband, Tom, had been in the hospital for months. It was horrible. Then last week, Claire...She had to take him off life support. He lasted for a couple of hours, but he didn't make it" Rachel begins to say as both Greg and Spike look towards her.
"Claire's not... A very outgoing person; Tom was her whole world. She kind of fell apart."
"What's the connection to this company, to Brenton?" Greg asks.
"Tom had been on Neptysol, a drug made by Brenton. An ingredient in it killed him" Rachel explains.
"And that was proven?" Greg questions.
"He had a rare reaction to a binding chemical, rare enough to be considered what the fine print calls an acceptable risk" Rachel states.
"And Claire disagreed?" Greg asks, looking down towards her.
"Yeah, Claire disagreed," Rachel says quietly.
"That day, when she stopped throwing plates on the floor from the frustration and anger that was built up, I asked Ben how much they were offering. Claire just stormed out. That was four days ago. I haven't seen her since" Rachel then said and Greg nods his head.
"Thank you. Thank you for coming. If I have any more questions, I'll call...Thank you" Greg says softly as Rachel walks towards the door to the command truck. When she leaves Greg looks back towards Spike as he begins typing on the keyboard.
"Find who's named on Claire's lawsuit. If the names match up with our deceased..." Greg begins.
"We'll know the remaining targets" Spike says.
Suddenly a loud alarm could be heard through the headset. "Boss, she's set a fire!" Eddie's voice follows as him and Wordy now run through the halls noticing the bright flame that was dancing in a large pot.
"We must be closing in" Wordy states.
"Guys, there's gonna be an automatic lockdown" Spike says through the headset as Eddie and Wordy notice the large metal door rolling down in front of them.
"Wordy, go, go, go!" Eddie yells and they both sprint towards the door, but it closes before they could get to it.
"Damn it!" Eddie shouts as he slams his hand against the metal door. He then looks at Wordy as the alarm continues to echo through the now closed off hallway.
"Wordy get the fire" he then states, watching Wordy quickly run to get the fire extinguisher.
"Spike, override this lockdown now! She's buying time!" Eddie yells.
"I'm trying" Spike says "But, they just renovated the museum" Spike explains.
"I don't care!" Eddie shouts.
"Ah, you do. The security system's upgrade-" Spike begins to explain, but is quickly cut off by Eddie.
"Spike! Do it now!" he yells banging his hand against the metal door once again.
"I haven't dealt with a 2700 before!" Spike shouts through the headset.
"At which point your team leader responded with some colourful language" Jill says as she crosses her arms over her chest and leans back in the chair.
"Ed says what thinks" Spike advises and she nods her head slightly.
"Profanity is an expression of loss of control. Not very reassuring for a team leader" Jill explains and Spike smirks.
"He didn't lose control," Spike admits.
"He didn't make it harder for you to think clearly under pressure?" Jill questions curiously
"No, he didn't," Spike states, showing almost no emotion.
"You sure?" Jill asks and Spike nods his head.
"Active shooter, direct to threat imperative, and you cost your team valuable seconds trying to open a door" Jill explains and Spike leans forward in his chair.
"That wasn't 'cause of Ed. That was because I didn't know this particular system" Spike states quickly.
"Doesn't your team count on you to be familiar with all the advances in security technology?" Jill asks and Spike begins to get frustrated.
"I am! I stay on top of every release, but the 2700--" Spike begins to say.
"The bereaved don't want to hear about the 2700" Jill interrupts as Spike just looks straight towards her.
"They want to know whether charges of criminal negligence should be brought against the leaders of your team for the deaths that occurred after your arrival" Jill advises, now also leaning forward in her chair and placing her arms on the table in front of her.
"When I was unable to override the security system and unlock the door, Ed took care of it" Spike admits.
"When you failed" Jill says.
"When I failed, Ed succeeded. The team succeeded. We all have our roles, our strengths and our weaknesses. We work together. We're not a bunch of guys...we're a unit" Spike explains coldly.
"Spike, I'm taking over" Eddie advises through the headset as he walks towards the metal door and places a small explosive on the metal door that was blocking their way. He activates the switch and looks towards Wordy before quickly running towards him.
"Get down" he says before they both squat down behind the large planter that was previously on fire and cover their heads. A loud explosion then erupts from behind them and they quickly stand back up.
"We're in! Let's go! Let's go!" Eddie says as him and Wordy run towards the now open metal door.
"Okay, let's stop here" Jill says and Eddie looks towards her shocked.
"Excuse me?" he questions as she places her pen on the table and folds her hands together in front of her.
"I know what happens next. I'm more interested in your state of mind at this point" Jill states.
"What do you mean, my state of mind?" Eddie questions.
"Your adrenaline's pumping, the frustration of the locked door, loss of time. Were you more or less likely to use lethal force?" Jill asks and Eddie rolls his eyes in disbelief.
"Hold on a second. Are we debating lethal force here? Really? Is that what we're doing? Because this was textbook" Eddie explains feeling the frustration rush through his veins.
"We both know real life doesn't do textbook" Jill says.
"Active shooter, currently shooting people, we neutralized the threat before the subject can take down more victims" Eddie states.
"That's what your team failed to do. It took you thirty-seven minutes to neutralize the threat, and she took more lives" Jill says a little bit louder.
"It's a judgment call" Eddie shouts.
"Whose judgment? You're direct to threat, right? Let's get the job done. Who got hung up profiling? Who put a team member in a truck instead of another gun at ground zero" Jill questions.
"You're off base!" Eddie says loudly.
"Hey!...Greg Parker" Jill admits.
"My team did everything right today," Eddie explains.
"This is not about your team, Officer Lane" She says, beginning to lower her voice.
"Everything right today" Eddie repeats.
"This is about whether or not Greg Parker... is fit to remain with this unit!" Jill then says loudly before the room went silent and they both sat there looking at each other. After a few seconds Eddie leans back in his chair and sighs.
"Are we done here" Eddie asks.
"Yeah, we're done" Jill sighs and Eddie stands up.
"Thank you" Eddie mumbles as he walks out of the room.
Eddie leaves the briefing room and turns the corner of the compound heading down the hall. "Where's Parker?" Eddie asks an on duty SIU officer.
"Sequestered. You can't go down there" the officer states and Eddie stops and looks towards him shocked.
"What?" he then asks and the officer looks towards the ground before walking away slowly.
"That's what I thought" Eddie whispers as he continues down the hall towards the stairs.
When he gets downstairs, he opens every door in the hall until he finds Greg sitting at a table waiting to be questioned.
"She's gunning for you" Eddie quickly says and Greg sighs as he turns to look at Eddie.
"What are you doing here, Eddie? Get outta here" he says calmly.
"She's out for blood, specifically yours" Eddie advises and Greg quickly stands up looking towards him concerned.
"I didn't do anything, but right now you talking to me doesn't look good on paper" Greg explains.
"I don't care. Something's wrong here" Eddie admits.
"I care" Greg then says, placing a hand on Eddie's shoulder.
"I care," he repeats.
"We need to keep our T's crossed, okay? Just get outta here."
"Greg, is there something I should know?" Eddie questions curiously.
"Just go," Greg says before closing the door in front of Eddie.
"Let's compare lists, every name on Claire's lawsuit. Who's dead, who's safe outside, and who's still missing inside" Greg explains as he looks down towards Spike before turning around in the command truck.
"I need updates. Bravo team?" he then asks through the headset.
"Perimeter's sealed. All stairways secure. No movement possible in or out" Jules states.
"That's good. Alpha team, what's your status?" Greg then asks.
"East is still locked down. Wordy and I have worked up from the south" Eddie advises.
"Okay, that's good. Keep corralling Claire north. She's running out of room to run, now" Greg explains.
Eddie walks back upstairs and towards Sam and Jules and focuses on Jules. "What did you say?" he asks, causing both of them to look towards him.
"Jules, what did you say?" Eddie asks again.
"About what?" Jules questions, confused.
"About the boss to the SIU," Eddie says and Sam looks towards Jules concerned.
"I just told her what happened. That's all" Jules explains and Eddie takes a deep breath and turns around.
"Same here" Sam admits.
"And what did happen?" Eddie questions.
"You were there, Ed" Jules states and Eddie nods his head.
"Yeah, I was, but she's after something and it's not just that thirty-seven minutes. She finds a way to nail the boss and he's facing criminal charges" Eddie explains and both Sam and Jules look up confused.
"What for?" Jules questions.
"Criminal charges? We did everything by the book. What's the problem?" Spike asks as he and Wordy walk towards them concerned.
"Are you sure?" Eddie questions.
"Yeah, aren't you?" Spike asks curiously.
"You think the boss made a mistake?" Wordy questions.
"No," Eddie says, shaking his head.
"So what's going on?" Spike asks.
"She's after him" Eddie explains.
"Why?" Jules questions.
"Well, that's what we gotta find out. I think it's personal" Eddie advises.
"With what happened to Alex, this will make him an easy target," Spike explains.
"Exactly," Eddie says.
"She was a cop. Someone's got to know her. We'll track down her partner." Sam states.
"Have to track someone else down. Her partner Brian's died" Wordy admits and Spike looks towards him.
"I could probably find a way to access her files," he says confidently.
"Let's figure it out before she finds a way to frame him" Eddie quickly says before the team walks down the hall together. But Eddie and Jules stop, noticing Sam standing still while looking towards the ground.
"What is it?" Eddie asks and Sam looks up towards him.
"I didn't mean anything negative," Sam admits.
"What did you say?" Jules questions concerned as she looks towards Eddie quickly before looking back towards Sam.
"I said that, by his directive, to corral Claire into a corner, we were also corralling her targets" Sam says quietly.
"That's the only way we were gonna save those people and stop that shooter" Eddie explains and Sam nods.
"I know that. It was the only choice. It was a risk we had to take" Sam says.
"Well, maybe the SIU didn't agree" Jules states, before turning around to walk away followed by Sam and Eddie.
"And how many lives constitute an acceptable risk?" Jill asks as she looks across the table at Greg.
"Many factors need to be considered" Greg advises quietly.
"But there must be some standard, some method to weighing your options, number risked versus numbers saved" Jill explains and Greg leans forward slightly.
"There's no arithmetic for this. In a perfect world, no life would be sacrificed" Greg says.
"But in your experience that doesn't happen much, does it?" Jill asks and Greg sits there looking towards her for a few seconds before answering.
"I don't work in a perfect world, no. If we do lose a life, it's only to save many more" Greg explains. He then notices the look in Jill's eyes and covers the mic in front of him with his hand.
"Jill, how you been?" he questions curiously causing her to look up at him with a slight hint of anger now showing in her eyes.
"You don't get to ask me that," she says.
"Okay guys, I want to know everything here" Eddie states as he walks around the large desk and towards Sam and Spike who were typing on the computer.
"She's been SIU just under a year. Completed all the standard prep courses: Constitutional law, criminal code, evidence act, coroner's act..." Spike begins to say as he scrolls through her form in front of him.
"Her testimony's lead to the conviction of some bad apples. Her SIU record is solid" Wordy advises, looking back at Eddie.
"She was a cop for seven years. Good performance reviews, promotions. She rose through the ranks fast. She was a training officer for guys applying to SRU" Sam adds.
"Okay. That means she was good. So, why did she leave the force?" Eddie asks, looking down at the computer screen.
"Maybe the same reason she took a two year personal leave and went traveling" Jules admits.
"After her partner died," Wordy says.
"So what happened to Brian?" Eddie questions.
"Come on, Spike, anything else?" Greg asks as Spike continues to type on the computer.
"The Brenton people Claire had meetings with the weeks before her husband's death, three of them are still in the building" Spike explains.
"Okay, I want phone numbers," Greg admits.
"Phone numbers from the company directory coming at you" Spike says as a sheet of paper slides out of the printer beside Greg. He reaches down and takes the paper, and places it on the desk next to Spike while he sits down.
"Let's find these three people before Claire does" Greg says as both him and Spike pull out their phones.
"I got that one," Spike says, pointing towards a number on the sheet.
"Yeah, There were three targeted people still inside the building. All three gave me their location via text message" Greg explains looking towards Jill.
"And?" she asks.
"We told them to stay concealed and that we were coming to get them," Greg states.
"Removing the targets to stop the killing?" Jill questions curiously.
"That's right. We broke off into three teams for the retrieval" Greg continues to explain.
"Jules and Sam, Ed and Wordy, you and--" Jill begins to say.
"Spike. And we knew that Claire would be in one of these three places" Greg says.
"And Alex?" Jill then asks, and Greg looks down at his hands on the table.
"We knew she was in there too," Greg admits.
"Did that change the way your team handled the plan?" Jill asks and Greg shakes his head.
"No. We were not focused on Alex. Yes, we knew she was in there, but she's also trained to handle situations like this. Even off duty" Greg advises.
"We knew she was safe."
"But, she wasn't," Jill says and Greg sighs.
"No, she wasn't," Greg sighs.
Sam and Jules continue walking through one of the gallery's with their guns held up in front of them. "She's not here!" a woman's voice then shouts, causing them to quickly turn and look in the direction the voice came from.
"Come out slowly, hands where we can see them" Sam shouts as a woman in a long black colourd sequin dress walks out from around the corner.
"What's your name?" Jules asks.
"Nora. Nora Pullan" the woman answers and Jules looks towards Sam.
"She's a target," she says quietly.
"All right, we need a civilian escort" Sam says through the headset as Jules looks back towards the woman.
"You're gonna be just fine, ma'am. An officer will escort you out of the building" Jules explains and the woman nods her head.
"Okay, Bravo Team complete" Sam states.
"Sam, you join up with Ed and Wordy. Jules, you come find me" Greg says through the headset.
"Please, you don't need to do this" Greg hears a voice say as him, Spike, and now Jules round a corner with their guns held out in front of them.
"I do. No one would listen to me. Now maybe they will!" a woman's voice yells as the three officers approach a set of large doors.
"I have a family!" the male voice cries out.
"So did I!" the woman shouts before gunshots echo down the empty hall.
"Shots fired. Northeast direction" Greg advises as he opens the door quietly and walks through, followed by Jules and Spike. They all continue through the dark gallery looking in every direction, and making sure to cover every inch of the room.
"Boss" Spike then whispers as he finds the lifeless body laying in the pool of blood. Spike then feels for a pulse as Greg waits for an answer.
"No" Spike whispers and Greg shakes his head slowly.
"Eddie, Text Two is down. We're headed your way. You've got the ball" Greg says through the headset.
Eddie, Sam, and Wordy walk slowly up a set of stairs with their guns held up in front of them listening for any sign of footsteps. But instead of footsteps they hear a voice. The woman's voice they have been listening for.
"We've got a visual on our shooter. Her gun is down. She's talking with our text three" Eddie whispers as Sam holds his gun up around the corner, making sure to stay hidden and not be seen.
"That's a good sign. If Claire's talking to him, maybe she'll talk to us" Greg advises through the headset.
"Sam, you cover Wordy and I'll move in" Eddie states as him and Wordy move around one of the large marble pillars.
"Team One, do not engage until I get there" Greg's voice quickly states.
"Tell me again, how much is a life worth?!" Claire asks loudly towards the guy in a tux, standing next to who the team presumed was his wife.
"I don't know. I'll give you as much as you want" the man says, scared.
"Wrong answer!" Claire screams, waving her gun around.
I don't...want...your money!" she continues.
"She's escalating," Sam states, concerned.
"I want you to pay!" she screams as she takes a step towards the man and his wife quickly steps in front of him.
"Don't hurt him!" the wife says, causing Claire to turn around annoyed and frustrated.
"You comfortable with that, Sergeant Parker? Playing roulette with other people's lives?" Jill asks loudly and Greg holds his hand up quickly.
"I think we should take a minute. We both need--" he begins to say quietly.
"You ever think about how your belief in everyone's inner goodness actually puts more lives at risk?" Jill questions.
"If there's a chance to talk, it's my duty to take it" Greg explains.
"You didn't let your team take Claire down when you had the chance and you lost control of the situation" Jill says bluntly.
"I used my best judgment based on my instinct and my experience in the field" Greg states.
"I'm aware of your experience, Greg, and your instincts" Jill argues.
"I know you are," Greg sighs before he leans back in his chair and Jill stares towards him with anger.
"Look, Jill, you can second guess me all you want. You can refer religiously to those transcripts, but unless you were there, in the room, you can't know all the moving parts of any situation. Claire lowered her gun when the wife intervened. It's my job to take that opportunity" Greg explains calmly.
"But, you didn't take that opportunity. You let your daughter take it instead" Jill states and Greg take a deep breath.
"Boss, what's the plan?" Eddie questions while Greg stands behind Sam looking towards the small room Claire was standing in.
"We need to get her attention away from him" Greg explains.
"Easier said than done" Alex's voice says quietly behind the team and they all look towards her shocked.
"Alex!" Spike whispers relieved as he rushes towards her, and she smiles wrapping her arms around his neck as his arms wrap around the bottom of her back.
"I'm so glad you're okay," Spike whispers.
"It wasn't that hard" Alex admits, as Spike backs away from her slowly.
"What do you mean?" Greg asks curiously as he brings her closer for a quick hug.
"I just had to convince Claire that I believed her," Alex advises.
"She trusts you?" Eddie asks curiously.
"More than she trusts anyone else" Alex says and the team looks around at each other before looking back towards Greg.
"She's not on duty today. I can't send her in there" Greg admits turning back around to look towards Claire as she paces back and forth in the room.
"Sarge. She's got a better vantage point than all of us" Sam says, still holding his gun up.
"Dad, I can do this" Alex says as she walks up behind him, feeling Spike take her hand in his.
"I can't. You don't have the protection. The vest, your gun. You have nothing, Alex. I'm not going to send you on a suicide mission" Greg explains and Alex looks back towards Spike and he nods his head and slowly lets go of her hand. Alex then places her hand on her dad's shoulder and looks towards Claire.
"She trusts me, more than she will trust you. She knows me. Please, Dad. I can end all of this" Alex whispers.
"Boss, we're running out of time" Sam states and Greg takes a deep breath before looking back towards Alex.
"Okay. But, one wrong move Alex, and I'll have no other choice" Greg explains.
"I understand," Alex nods before looking around at her team.
"Let's do this" she smiles and slowly begins to walk towards the room.
"Claire?" Alex shouts, causing everyone in the room to turn to face her.
"Alex, now is not a good time" Claire shouts and she waves her gun up towards the man in front of her.
"Hey! Claire, look at me. I need you to lower the gun. Please" Alex says and Claire sighs annoyed before lowering it back down,
"Claire, thank you for lowering your gun. Now if you could just lay it down on the ground for me, maybe we can work this out" Alex says and she continues to take small steps towards the small room.
"I don't need any more lies" Claire hisses as she stares at the man and his wife standing in front of her.
"When have I ever lied to you Claire?" Alex questions, and Claire closes her eyes for a few seconds before opening them.
"Not you. Everyone else" Claire admits.
"We both know what's already happened here tonight, but it doesn't mean it has to continue. It doesn't mean it has to get worse" Alex states.
"Get out of the way" Claire growels looking towards the wife still blocking the man in the tux.
"No!" She shouts.
"Move!" Claire then yells louder.
"And then the incident was resolved" Greg says slowly.
"After thirty-seven minutes, in which you allowed your team to put lives at risk. Including your daughters" Jill states.
"You know I didn't. Alex insisted. She knew what she was doing. It just took a wrong turn that none of us saw coming" Greg admits.
"And I will make sure it never happens again" Jill says bluntly.
"What are you going to charge me with, Jill? This investigation isn't about today" Greg explains calmly and a little exhausted.
"It is. It's about your judgment. It's about your fitness as leader" Jill states and Greg shakes his head.
"No, no" she says quietly, before reaching over and turning off the mic in front of him.
"For you, this investigation is about Brian" Greg says and Jill looks towards him shocked.
"We found out why Brian stopped being Jill's partner" Jules states as Eddie marches towards the group.
"He made SRU" Jules then says.
"She trained him?" Eddie asks curiously.
"Looks like it. Her name's all over his performance reviews" Spike says handing Eddie the papers from his hand.
"And his letter of recommendation," Sam adds.
"See the kicker?" Jules questions as they all watch Eddie look down at the papers.
"Brian was on the Boss's team" Eddie states as they all look towards the door to the briefing room.
"You put Brian at risk. In that spree shooting, you hesitated. You gave that scumbag a chance to kill Brian and he took it" Jill explained angrily.
"We did what we thought was right in the circumstances" Greg admits calmly as he looks towards Jill.
"You believed the best of that scumbag. You gambled with Brian's life. You put him at risk unnecessarily just like you did today" Jill says and Greg sighs.
"Jill. I know you're in pain. I know you wanna blame me, but I did not cause Brian's death" Greg says and Jill slams her hands on the table.
"You need to take responsibility. You put the lives of your people in danger.
I'll prove it. I'll prove that you should be charged with criminal disregard of human life and removed from duty" Jill advises and Greg leans forward in his chair and rests his arms on the table, not breaking eye contact.
"I can let you believe what you believe. It's probably easier to live with than knowing the truth. You came out of that museum tonight, after seeing...After seeing that tragedy, you came out and you saw me, and all that outrage and all that grief came up again, and this was your chance to right a wrong...For his sake. I understand. But I gotta tell you something. The night you lost Brian..." Greg begins before he lowers his head for a second, swallowing the lump in his throat. He then lifts his head back up and looks at her.
"The night we lost Brian, it's not what you think. The time for negotiation was over. I saw the signs. I called Scorpio like I did tonight" Greg explains.
"After Brian died" Jill says and Greg shakes his head.
"No, Jill. Before...Brian hesitated" Greg admits and Jill's eyes go wide with shock.
"What?" she whispers.
"Tonight, when I called Scorpio, my shooter, Ed, responded immediately. He took the shot" Greg says slowly.
"And Brian...Didn't?" Jill asks.
"No," Greg says, shaking his head once again.
"It was Brian who hesitated?" Jill questions confused before taking a deep breath.
"That's not what it said in the report."
"Reports and transcripts --They don't tell the whole truth. Brian was a good man. I miss him too. And that night he thought he could help. Turns out... he couldn't. Sometimes we can't help" Greg explains.
"Claire, you don't have to do this!" Alex shouts loudly watching Claire stare at the man in the tux.
"Ben's wife has nothing to do with Brenton. She's innocent. Claire...Like your husband was innocent" Alex states and Claire slowly turns to look at her. Alex notices the look in Claire's eyes and takes a deep breath, knowing that she was gone.
"Innocent? Innocent just means...Acceptable Risk" Claire smiles as she slowly lifts her gun up and points it towards Alex.
"Scorpio" Alex then heard her father say from behind her and she closes her eyes, not wanting to see what happened next. Eddie's gun goes off the moment Greg says the word but it was not as quick as Claire pulling the trigger to her gun. Alex feels a sharp pain course through her abdomen and she opens her eyes and watches Claire fall to the ground with a bullet hole in her head.
"Alex!" the team shouts in unison as they rush towards her, watching her fall to the ground as well.
The briefing room doors open and Eddie and the team wait by the large desk as Greg and Jill walk out towards them. "SIU will find that Team One used clear judgment and appropriate force. I'm sorry that you all had to go through this after a night like tonight" Jill says calmly as Eddie looks towards her with his arms crossed over his chest. Jill then looks back up towards Greg and shows a slight nod.
"Thank You" she says before turning and walking away. Once the clicking of her heels disappeared through the compound, Greg looks towards his team who were all looking back towards him.
"We did all we could tonight" he advises and they all look towards the ground.
"Hey...I'm proud of all of you. I'm damn proud to be a member of this team" Greg then says as Eddie places a hand on his shoulder. They all look around at each other and show small smiles and nods.
"We still have another member of our team that needs us," Eddie states.
____________________________________________________________________________
I Finally got the transcripts again! and it feels SO incredible to be back writing this book! I have stayed up late to finish this chapter for all of you ❤️
Thank you guys for continuing to like, vote, and share these stories even while I wasn't writing! Love you guys lots!
Angela_Tillson