Daniel Chalmers glanced into the rear view mirror of the rental car for the about the tenth time in the span of one minute. He had been driving around London for about half an hour now, and hadn't caught site of one person tailing him.
Laura had been absolutely certain when they switched roles that Silver would have men following them to make sure they didn't involve the authorities. Daniel, knowing Silver, had thought the same. He always took every precaution. Still, as he glanced back yet again, Daniel saw nothing out of the ordinary. Something was wrong.
He had been feeling wrong about the change of plans all night. He had lost a loved one once for misjudging Dale Silver. How was he to know that his best friend was capable of being so malicious? He knew now. So why was he out on the road instead of going to his son's aid?
It wasn't that he didn't trust Laura. In fact, oddly enough he'd grown quite fond of her since the ordeal began. She was just like Annie had been. She was beautiful, had a big heart, tough as nails and scared as hell to let any of it show. Daniel could see why Harry was so attracted to her. He would have to have a talk with that boy when this was all over about how to treat a woman...
Still, he feared for his son's safety and he knew that if it came down to it, Silver would shoot them if he didn't get what he wanted...ransom demand or no. How could Laura compete with that? What had ever possessed Daniel to believe Mildred's crazy plan would work?
Suddenly, he knew what he had to do. Driving around wasn't going to save his son. He wasn't going to give Silver the chance to take away someone else he loved. This had to end. Slamming on the brakes, Daniel did a sudden U-turn and headed towards the address given to him in the ransom note. Whether it was part of the plan or not, Daniel was going to save his son.
****
"Are you sure this is where it's happening Ms. Krebs?" The lead policeman asked her. Mildred checked the address again and nodded. The bar looked harmless enough, but it was obviously the right place. Just looking at the basement door sent a shiver through Mildred's spine.
"As soon as Mr. Steele and Murphy leave, get ready to capture the slime ball!" Mildred told them. The police nodded and proceeded to seal off the ally way. There was no way Silver would get past them when he came out of there.
"What's going on?" A voice behind Mildred asked. Whirling around, she came face to face with Daniel Chalmers. Upon seeing the police's questioning looks, Mildred informed them that Daniel was a friend. Turning back to him, she gave him a curious glance.
"I thought you were supposed to be throwing Silver's men off the trail!" She exclaimed.
"I was, but there's no men to throw off Mildred." Daniel replied. "Silver didn't send even one of his goons to follow me."
"Really?" Mildred asked suspiciously. From what Daniel had told them, this guy had seemed pretty smart. So why hadn't he covered every loose end? Was there something she had missed?
"Really." Daniel replied. "Look Mildred, I hate to break it to you, but even if Silver gets his hands on the tape, he's not going to let them go. You should send the police in right now."
"No way Chalmers." Mildred replied with a shake of her head. "Ms. Holt gave orders. I'm not going to jeopardize anything by doing something stupid."
"Please Mildred." Daniel pleaded. "I know this guy. If you don't send the cops in, they're all done for!"
Adamantly, Mildred shook her head. With a resigned sigh, Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out a small hand gun.
"What are you going to do with that?" Mildred questioned. Daniel looked at her, a determined glint in his hard gray eyes.
"I'm going in there myself." He replied.
"You can't!" Mildred cried, aghast.
"I have to." Daniel told her. "This has to end between Dale and I. I can't let him kill my son just like he killed Annie. Don't worry. I won't let Harry get hurt. That you can believe."
"How are you going to get in?" Mildred demanded. "Just walk on in through the door?"
"No," Daniel replied with a smirk. "I happen to know there is a very helpful ventilation system in this bar. I used to come here all the time. I'm just going to drop in on the party."
"Be careful." Mildred warned him. "Mr. Steele would never forgive me if you got killed."
"I'm not the one that's going to die tonight." Daniel replied evenly.
****
"Laura NO!"
Harry wasn't even aware he had cried out in fear as the crack
of the gun sounded. All he was conscious of was the stingging
pain he felt in his bodyas he dove in front of the bullet meant
for Laura's heart. Falling to the ground in agony, he felt his
own life's blood begin to leave him, and
everything went black.
A strangled cry of horror and pain ripped through Laura as she watched the man she loved's body crumple to the ground like a rag doll. Wrenching sobs followed as she witnessed the blood begin to seep from him.
Murphy watched the entire scene unfold in a state of wonderment. First, after Silver realized he'd missed the intended mark, he decided to make lemonade out of a lemon. Turning to Harry, he pointed the gun at his head and grinned.
"Not who I was aiming for, but it will do." He said calmly. "Looks like Daniel doesn't give enough of a damn about you to make a serious attempt to save you."
"That's where you're wrong Dale." Murphy turned his
head as the vent in the basement roof fell to the floor with a
loud clatter overshadowed only by Laura's loud, heartbreaking
sobs as she sank to the floor and clutched Harry's hand. To his
surprise, Daniel Chalmers came through the vent and
landed on the cement floor in front of Silver, guns pointed at
each other.
"Daniel!" Silver's eyes lit up with genuine warmth. Murphy found it quite unsettling. "Good to see you."
"Wish I could say the same Dale."
"Surely there are no hard feelings between us!" Silver said, this time in mock horror. The evil had returned to Silver. It was almost as if he'd been so happy to see his old friend at first, he'd forgotten why he hated him. Whatever it was, he remembered now. Daniel set his jaw firmly.
"He better still be alive." He said, looking to his son briefly, then turning in disgust from the grisly scene. Silver shrugged indifferently.
"Hard to tell. He dove in front of the gun. I don't know where the bullet hit him."
"Let's finish this Dale." Daniel said to him. "You and me."
"In that case," Silver said as he raised his gun. "It's time for me to shoot you."
****
After hearing the gun shots, Mildred was frantic. Running around from squad car to squad car, she urged them to move in. The police however, stuck to the orders they had originally been given and refused to do anything.
"Oh I'm sorry Ms. Holt." Mildred whispered. "Looks like you're on your own."
****
"Do you really need a weapon to beat me?" Daniel said disdainfully. "That's really sad Dale."
"What are you saying?" Dale asked him. "You want us to finish this without the guns?"
"That was sort of the thought in my mind, yes." Daniel replied.
Murphy looked at Chalmers like he'd just lost his marbles. Dale Silver, while older than Murphy was, was still younger than Daniel and in far better shape. If it came down to a physical fight, Daniel wouldn't stand a chance!
He looked to where Laura sat, clinging to Harry and felt his fear heighten. Harry was in rough shape. He wasn't sure where the bullet had connected, but blood was everywhere. If they didn't get to the hospital soon, he wouldn't survive the blood loss. Where the hell were the police anyway?
"You have yourself a deal Daniel." Silver said. "Don't ever say I wasn't a fair man. On the count of three we drop our weapons OK?"
Daniel nodded.
"One...two...." Silver's grip on the gun loosened and the gun fell to the floor when Silver reached, "three."
Only one gun hit the floor however, and in the instant it took Silver to catch on to what had happened, Daniel was already pulling the trigger of his gun which was aimed at Silver's head.
The rest of what happened was a blur in Murphy's eyes.
Somehow, the police ended up inside the building carting out
Dale Silver's dead body and Harry's seriously injured one on a
stretcher. Someone unchained Murphy, although he really didn't
see who, and then Laura was in his arms clinging to him with her
bloodied hands and sobbing into his
shoulder, all her defenses stripped away by the traumatic event.
Mildred ended up inside as well, gasping aloud when she saw her injured boss being loaded into the ambulance.
The other bodies in the dumpster were soon discovered and they too were carried away on stretchers in body bags.
Daniel just stood in the din and confusion, staring at his gun in awe. He had killed him. The man who took away the only woman he ever loved, the chance to turn his life around, his son's mother...was dead...by Daniel's own hand. He should feel happy at a time like this...elated even. He didn't.
At that moment, instead of feeling proud, or happy, all Daniel could feel was shame for lowering himself to Silver's level. He had killed a man in cold blood, something he'd never thought he'd ever do. Why did it make Silver feel like some sort of God and not Daniel?
"They're taking the boss to the hospital now," Mildred said softly, interrupting Daniel's own personal agony. "Do you want to follow the ambulance? Ms. Holt is going with Murphy. If you want, I can drive your rental. You're in no shape to be behind the wheel."
Daniel nodded, still not taking everything in. He must have looked as dazed and shocked as he felt because Mildred picked up on it almost immediately.
"I'm sorry." She told him gently. "I know he was a friend of yours." Daniel shook his head.
"I lost my best friend years ago." He replied as they climbed into Mildred's car. "Tonight, I buried him."
****
Murphy had always hated hospitals. This was no exception. He wished he could take pleasure in the fact that he was holding Laura in his arms in the hospital waiting room, whispering soothing words and stroking her hair as she clung to him, but the reality of the situation prevented that.
Steele was in bad shape. The wound itself wasn't fatal, but the loss of blood had him in critical condition. It was unknown as to whether he would make it through the night or not.
Laura was a basket case. Murphy had never seen her so frightened or hysterical in his life. This was a totally different side of Laura Holt and honestly he wasn't sure how to handle it.
Still, he did his best, and together the four of them kept vigil through the night waiting for news on his condition.
<If only he could see this> Daniel thought to himself as he surveyed the worried faces. <Harry my boy, so many people care for you now. You have a life, and a place, and people that need you. Don't die...don't throw it all away...>
"He'll be OK." Mildred murmured. "Don't worry Miss Holt, Mr. Steele won't die."
"I hope you're right Mildred." Laura whispered through
her subsiding tears. The exhaustion of the day's events was beginning
to take it's toll and Laura's eyelids began to droop. Murphy removed
his jacket and placed it around her to keep her warm. At least
if she slept, she wouldn't be crying.
"He can't die...he still doesn't know..."
Mildred didn't ask what she meant to say. Laura was already drifting off while Murphy stroked her hair softly.
As they waited, they all prayed.
****
Doctor Gregory Emil Hansen checked his clip-board and entered the waiting room. All four people inside, were instantly on their feet. The younger woman, he noted, looked slightly more rested, but not one bit less worried. He attempted a reassuring smile for her benefit.
"What's the news Dr. Hansen?" Daniel asked the white haired surgeon that stood before them. Mildred bit her lip in anticipation of bad news and Murphy pulled Laura a little tighter.
"I'm relieved to say he made it through the night." Dr. Hansen informed them. Relief became present in all their features. "He's still pretty weak at the moment, but I'm pretty certain that a full recovery is in order. You people should thank your lucky stars he made it."
Daniel looked to Laura and smiled warmly.
"He had a lot to come back to."
"That reminds me." Dr. Hansen said, turning to Laura. She was shaking slightly now, relief and happiness coursing through every vein in her body. "You're Laura right?"
"Yes, why?"
"He kept calling for you." Dr. Hansen informed her. "It seems you were his lifeline."
"When can we see him?" Laura questioned, her voice unusually thick with emotion.
"He's asleep at the moment, but I think in a half an hour or so he can have visitors." Dr. Hansen replied. "One at a time though, I don't want him getting too excited. He's still rather weak, understood?"
They all nodded. Mildred turned and looked out the window. The sun had come up and was just beginning to shine. It was going to be a beautiful day.