Chapter 100 Aftermath
JASON'S POV
I could not stop staring at Caitlyn. Could not stop watching her breathe. Watching her talk to the paramedic. Watching her put her hand on her stomach where our baby was. She was alive. She was safe. It still did not feel real.
The paramedic was cleaning my shoulder now. It hurt like hell but I did not care. Pain meant I was alive. Pain meant we had survived.
"This is going to need stitches," the paramedic said. "And you definitely have an infection starting. We need to get you to the hospital soon."
"Okay," I said. I was not even arguing anymore. Caitlyn was right. I needed help. And now that she was safe I could finally admit that.
Through the open doors of the ambulance, I could see Detective Rourke talking to other officers. Pointing at the house. Giving orders. He looked tired. Like he had aged ten years in the past few hours.
"Rourke," I called out. "Can you come here for a second?"
Rourke walked over to the ambulance. "What is it Cross?"
"I just wanted to say thank you," I said. "For shooting Hayes. For saving my life."
"You do not have to thank me," Rourke said. "I was just doing my job."
"It was more than that," I said. "You could have hesitated. Could have tried to negotiate more. But you took the shot when you needed to. You saved both of us."
Rourke nodded. "Hayes was going to kill you," he said. "I could see it in his eyes. He had nothing left to lose. If I had not shot him you would be dead right now."
"I know," I said. "And I am grateful. Really grateful."
"Me too," Caitlyn said. She was looking at Rourke with tears in her eyes. "You saved us both. I do not know how to thank you for that."
"Just take care of each other," Rourke said. "And take care of that baby. That is all the thanks I need."
"We will," Caitlyn said.
"What happens now?" I asked. "With Hayes's organization, I mean. With all his people."
"We are arresting everyone we can find," Rourke said. "The ones who survived anyway. Some of them ran. Some are hiding. But we will track them down. This organization is finished."
"Good," I said.
"What about Viktor?" Caitlyn asked. "Is he okay?"
"He is fine," Rourke said. "Roughed up a bit but fine. He helped us breach the compound. Gave us information about the layout. About where Hayes might take you. He came through for us."
"I am glad," Caitlyn said. "He tried to help me during the meeting. Tried to stop Collin from taking me."
"I know," Rourke said. "He told us. That is why we are not charging him with anything. He cooperated fully."
More officers were bringing people out of the house now. Men in handcuffs. Some were bleeding. Some were limping. All of them looked defeated. Like they knew it was over.
"Is Hayes really dead?" I asked. I needed to hear it again. Needed confirmation.
"Yes," Rourke said. "He is dead. I shot him in the chest. He was dead before he hit the ground."
"Did he say anything?" I asked. "Before he died?"
"No," Rourke said. "There was no time. One second he was pointing his gun at you. The next second he was on the ground."
I thought about that. About how close I had come to dying. About how if Rourke had been one second slower I would be the one on the ground. Not Hayes.
"I owe you my life," I said to Rourke.
"You do not owe me anything," Rourke said. "Just promise me you will stay out of trouble from now on. No more vigilante justice. No more going after criminals on your own. Let the police handle it."
"I promise," I said. And I meant it. I was done with that life. Done with fighting. Done with revenge. All I wanted now was to be with Caitlyn and our baby. To build a normal life.
"Good," Rourke said. "Because if you break that promise I will arrest you myself."
"Fair enough," I said.
The paramedic finished bandaging my shoulder and started packing up her equipment.
"Okay you two," she said. "We need to get you to the hospital. You need proper treatment and Caitlyn needs to be monitored overnight just to make sure the baby is okay."
"Overnight?" Caitlyn asked. "I have to stay overnight?"
"Just as a precaution," the paramedic said. "You have been through a lot of stress. We want to make sure everything is okay with the baby. Better safe than sorry."
"Okay," Caitlyn said. "If that is what you think is best."
"It is," the paramedic said.
She climbed out of the ambulance and called to her partner. Another paramedic came over and they started preparing to leave.
"Wait," I said. "What about Tommy and the crew? Are they okay?"
"Tommy is fine," Rourke said. "A few of your guys got hurt but nothing serious. They are being treated now."
"Can I see them before we go?" I asked.
"Make it quick," the paramedic said. "We really need to get you to the hospital."
I climbed out of the ambulance carefully. My shoulder was throbbing. My whole body felt like it had been hit by a truck. But I needed to see my crew. Needed to make sure they were okay.
Tommy was sitting on the bumper of another ambulance getting his arm bandaged. When he saw me he jumped up.
"Jason," he said. "Man, I am so glad you are alive. When you went into that room with Hayes I thought we were never going to see you again."
"I am hard to kill," I said. "How are you? How is everyone?"
"I am fine," Tommy said. "Just a graze on my arm. Nothing serious. A few of the guys got banged up pretty good but everyone is alive. We did not lose anyone."
"That is good," I said. "That is really good."
"How is Caitlyn?" Tommy asked. "How is the baby?"
"They are both fine," I said. "Shaken up but fine."
"Thank God," Tommy said. "When we heard Hayes had her in that panic room we all thought the worst."
"But the worst did not happen," I said. "We got her out. Hayes is dead. It is over."
"It is really over?" Tommy asked. Like he could not quite believe it.
"It is really over," I said.
Tommy smiled. Then he pulled me into a hug. I winced because it hurt my shoulder but I did not pull away.
"We did it brother," Tommy said. "We actually did it."
"Yeah," I said. "We did."
I looked around at the compound. At all the police and paramedics and fire trucks. At the bodies being carried out. At the blood and broken glass and bullet holes. We had won. But the cost had been high.
"Those officers who died," I said. "Do you know their names?"
"Not yet," Tommy said. "But Rourke said he would let us know. Said we could attend the funerals if we wanted."
"We should," I said. "They died helping us. The least we can do is pay our respects."
"Agreed," Tommy said.
The paramedic was waving at me. Telling me was time to go.
"I have to get to the hospital," I said to Tommy. "But I will call you tomorrow okay? Let you know how everything is."
"Okay," Tommy said. "Take care of yourself. And take care of Caitlyn."
"I will," I said.
I walked back to the ambulance where Caitlyn was waiting. She smiled when she saw me. That beautiful smile that made everything worth it.