Imprisoned - 13. The Final Straw

I ran into the dining room to see Alex covered in blood, but it wasn’t hers. It was Cody's.

"Cody! Cody!" She shrieked through tears, shaking his limp body on the floor.

My heart plummeted as I ran over and dropped to my knees beside him. I felt for a pulse, there was nothing.

"No-no-no-no." I had a panicked tone to my voice and immediately started doing compressions, hoping in some glimmer of hope he would come back.

"C'mon Cody!" I yelled, as if somehow he would hear me.

"Elliott…" Riley's voice broke as he came to stand behind me.

"I'm not giving up on him!" I shouted, continuing to pump on his chest.

Alex was crying, something of a rarity, which made me only want to work harder to save him.

Cody's usually tan complexion had started to turn an awful shade of gray, signaling that he was getting further and further away from the point of return.

I growled out of anger and closed my fist, slamming it down on his chest with all my might.

"C'mon!"

I slammed my fist against his chest again.

"Come," another thump. "On!"

I slammed my fist down on his chest one final time and then by some miracle Cody drew in a ragged breath, before beginning to cough and sputter.

A wave of relief washed over me as the color slowly started to return to his cheeks.

"Oh thank god!" Alex cried.

We weren't out of the woods yet, I needed a hard flat surface so I could work on him and stop the bleeding. I eyed the dining room table, it was better than nothing.

"Help me get him on the table!" I commanded the others.

Riley and Jon stepped in immediately and we scooped Cody off the floor and set him on the table, Cody crying out in pain.

I assessed the damage and found two bullet holes in his shirt, blood saturating the area around them.

I stuck my fingers in one of the holes and ripped his shirt clean down the front to expose the wounds.

There they were, clear as day, two bullet wounds. One just to the right of his naval, the other about two inches off to the left.

"Roll him." I barked at Riley and Jon who grabbed Cody and rolled him to his side.

He cried out in pain again and Alex tried consoling him, which only seemed to work slightly.

I gave a sigh of relief as I saw two exit wounds on his back.

"Through and through, that makes this easier." I stated as Jon and Riley rolled him back softly.

I examined the front of the wounds and they were bleeding profusely. I estimated he lost about four liters of blood judging by what was on the floor, and what Alex was currently wearing. He would need a transfusion if he was going to make it through this. But first I needed to stop the bleeding.

I grabbed Cody's shirt and held it over the wounds, he yelped at the pressure but I kept holding it.

I looked around the room and made eye contact with Ryan, who was pacing nervously, no doubt worried about Cody.

"I need my bag." I urged.

He gave me a quick nod and disappeared.

I turned my attention back to Cody who was looking at me, his eyes pleading for me to help him. His body uncontrollably shivering as a sweat broke out across his body. Shock was beginning to set in.

"Hang in there buddy, I'm gonna fix you. I got you." I reassured him, even though there was a part of me that didn't know if I could. All I knew was that I had to keep him fighting.

Cody's breathing was labored and ragged, and his color was starting to fade again. He was losing too much blood, if I didn't get my bag soon then I was going to lose him.

I was relieved when I heard Ryan's boots approaching, my bag in his hand and a look of urgency on his face.

"I need clamps, sterile water and gauze. Take one of the large irrigation syringes and fill it with the water." I ordered.

Ryan gave me an understanding nod and set the bag on the table. He withdrew the needed supplies and immediately got to work with the water and the syringe. When he was done I grabbed Jon's hand in mine and placed it on Cody's shirt.

"Both hands," I grabbed his other hand and placed it where mine were. "Hold pressure, hard, it's the only thing keeping him from bleeding out." I explained.

Jon gave me a nod that he understood, a look of fear in his eyes at the situation.

I exposed one of the wounds, and held my hand out. Ryan must've read my mind because, before I could ask, the large syringe was in my hand.

"Hold him still… He's gonna fight." I gave them all a stern look and they nodded.

Ryan immediately went for his legs and Riley his arms, while Jon leaned against Cody's torso to help as much as he could.

I began squirting the wound with the sterile water and Cody immediately started writhing, crying out in pain.

"Shh-shh-shh it's okay Cody, it'll be over soon." Alex cooed, stroking her fingers through his hair.

I saw where the blood was coming from, one of the bullets hit a vessel and it was hemorrhaging blood.

"Clamps." I held out a hand and felt the cool metal almost immediately make contact with my palm.

I stuffed the clamps in the bullet hole and clamped down on the vessel to stop the bleeding. It would work for now, but I would need to stitch it later.

"Okay, next one." I pushed Jon's big hands out of the way to expose the next bullet hole, this one thankfully not bleeding as profusely.

I irrigated the wound causing Cody to cry out again, this time louder. Alex tried consoling him but it didn't work, and then he got quiet, body going limp.

"Oh my god is he-" Alex shrieked.

I checked his pulse and sighed, it was still there, faint but still there.

"He just passed out." I stated, clamping off the second bleed.

The shrill sound of sirens had us whipping our heads in the direction of the front of the house.

No doubt the police were called because of all the gunfire. They sounded far away though, which gave us a slight head start.

"We need to get out of here." Jon had a panicked tone to his voice.

"We don't have a car, and we're sure as hell not leaving Cody behind." Riley replied.

What the hell were we going to do? We couldn't just leave him here, but we also couldn't move very fast if we carried him.

"We have a car!" Alex's eyes were wide from the realization as we turned to face her with confused expressions. "It was Cody's Uncle's. He didn't want to get rid of it." She added in a hurried tone.

We didn't have time to debate it as the sirens drew nearer. I pointed to the coffee table in the living room and made eye contact with Jon and Riley.

"Break the legs off and we'll use it to carry him out." I ordered.

They both nodded and went into the living room to do their task while I started shoving supplies back into my bag.

"Alex, where's the car?" I asked.

"In the garage out by the alley." She replied.

"Go get it ready, we'll meet you in the alley."

Alex hesitated for a second, giving Cody a longing look. I could tell she didn't want to leave his side, but we needed to move.

"He'll be fine." I rested my hand on her shoulder. She gave me a slow nod and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before rushing off towards the back of the house.

Riley and Jon stumbled into the dining room with the coffee table, coming over to the dining table and holding it level with the surface.

"Ryan-"

"I got you." Ryan interjected, grabbing Cody behind the knees.

I grabbed Cody underneath the arms and we heaved him onto the other surface, which was just barely large enough for his slim frame.

"Alex is gonna meet us in the alley." I stated as I began rounding up my supplies and any necessary equipment we needed.

"Aren't you coming?" Riley asked with a wide eyed expression.

"I'll meet you out there, now go!" I ordered.

He nodded and him and Jon made their way towards the kitchen with an unconscious Cody. Ryan however stood behind, watching me flit back and forth, rounding things up.

"C'mon we gotta go." Ryan stated impatiently.

Once I was sure I had everything that was necessary we ran out of the back of the house and made our way towards a pair of headlights in the alley.

The "car" that Alex was talking about was more of a truck then a car, and it was old, if I had to guess maybe a mid sixties. It was a faded red color that looked more like a burnt orange and there was a large crack running across the top of the windshield.

"Oh my god... It's a nineteen sixty-three Chevy C-ten. My brother had one of these!" Ryan's expression was full of wonder as he gazed open mouthed at the truck.

"You can take a trip down memory lane later, we gotta go!" I hissed and Ryan nodded, jumping into the front seat next to Jon.

I noticed Alex and Riley in the bed of the truck, I gave her a confused look as I climbed over the side and settled in next to Cody.

“I thought you were driving?” I asked.

"Jon says he knows somewhere we can go." Alex answered with an annoyed tone.

The truck pulled away from the back of the house with a loud rumble, the shocks creaking as we went over potholes in the ground.

What place was this and how did we know that this new place would be any safer? I was still trying to find a way to trust Jon after finding out that he had been working for The Order this whole time, how did I know he wasn’t leading us to something sinister.

We finally pulled out onto a paved road and began heading north, both my head and ass thankful for the lack of bumps bouncing us around the bed.

Looking in the direction of Cody's house I could see the red and blue lights of cop cars and emergency vehicles, casting their glow over the street and roofs of the houses.

I sighed and relaxed my head against the back window, we were home free, for now.

"Did he say exactly where we were going?" I asked Riley and Alex.

They both shook their heads at me and I looked over my shoulder, knocking on the back window. Ryan shoved the tiny window open and gave me an expectant look.

"Where are we going?" I asked Jon.

He paused for a second, a nervous look splitting across his face.

"San Marino."

"San Marino?" I questioned.

"Don't." He said before I could speak another word.

"Jon." I let out a sigh.

"I know what you're gonna say, but it'll be fine. They haven't been home in months." Jon argued, his brows furrowing.

"Someone wanna clue me in here." Ryan asked with raised eyebrows.

Jon let out a huff of air, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

"It's… My parents house." He grumbled.

Ryan shook his head. "We can't go there, they'll have your parents address on file.”

Jon shook his head this time, turning his gaze on Ryan.

"My parents and I haven't talked in over a decade, they're not even on my file."

"How are they not on your file, their your parents?" Ryan asked.

I knew why, but I wasn't going to spill the beans. It was Jon's story to tell, no one else's.

I placed a hand on Ryan's shoulder and he gave me a questioning look.

"It'll be fine." I stated.

Ryan leaned towards me. “I don't trust him." He spoke in a hushed tone.

"Then trust me instead." I countered.

Ryan scrunched up his face in thought, clearly at odds with himself.

“We need to get somewhere quickly so that I can work on Cody. If I don’t, then we might lose him.” I urged, hoping he would sway in my favor.

Ryan bit his bottom lip and readjusted his baseball cap with a frustrated noise. He finally looked at me and gave me a nod before turning his gaze towards Jon.

"Okay. San Marino it is then." He spoke in a stiff tone.

I wasn't about to complain, it was better than nothing and certainly better than what we had just left behind. I turned back around to tend to Cody, who was starting to stir slightly.

"Wha-"

I cut him off by placing a hand on his shoulder and forcing him back down which made him wince from the pain.

"Save your energy, I still have to fix you up but we had to move.”

"Alex?" He croaked, ignoring my orders. Stubborn little shit.

"I'm here." She smiled at him through misty eyes.

"You 'kay?" He asked through garbled speech.

Typical Cody, he's the one with two bullet holes and blood loss, yet he's more concerned about everyone else.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me,” She stroked his cheek gently and he smiled softly at the touch. “Now listen to Elliott and save your strength." She commanded in a kind tone.

"Bossy." He mumbled back.

"You know it." She whispered back to him.

“Just hang in there buddy.” I urged.

I checked Cody's vitals as he drifted back off to sleep. He was surprisingly stable since I clamped the bleeders. But he wasn't out of the woods yet, and those clamps couldn't stay in forever.

I've performed trauma procedures in the field plenty of times, so this wasn't anything out of my realm. However this was Cody. The kid I taught how to do his first stitch, who I stayed up late with to study for his exams, who I taught how to flirt with girls. He was the little brother I wish I had growing up.

"He's gonna be okay. He has to be okay." I reassured myself.

After about twenty minutes of driving, and a really sore ass later, we pulled off the main stretch of road and began driving down a long and narrow driveway.

It was lined with palm trees, some of them tall, some of them short and some beautiful tropical flowers. After driving a few yards the driveway opened up to reveal a large and brightly lit house.

The house was more like a mansion, it was a gorgeous two story, modern mission style home. Light tan stucco siding coated its exterior, and a red clay tile roof sat comfortably on top.

Jutting out of the left corner was a circular turret, lined with floor to ceiling windows.

The front doorstep was fairly deep and tall with a wrought iron glass door, a large window above that, and a sturdy metal chandelier hanging down, showering the doorstep in an inviting glow.

We pulled up in front of two large garage doors at the side of the house and came to a slow halt.

Jon killed the engine before stepping out of the truck and coming around towards the tailgate.

"This is where you grew up?" Riley asked in an astonished tone.

"Unfortunately." Jon grumbled, dropping the tailgate.

He grabbed the surface Cody was lying on, but I stopped him and grabbed it in his place.

"Here let me, that way you can get us in." I explained.

Jon nodded and released his grip. "Let's go through the back door. I know the code." He stated, leading us toward a tall wooden gate just to the right of the garage door we parked in front of.

"You never told us you were rich." Riley stated, still taken aback by the beauty of the house.

"I'm not rich. My parents are." Jon growled, apparently there was some tension behind that subject.

Alex opened the tall wooden gate and held it open so we could pass through, Ryan closed the gate with a soft click and then followed us down a narrow cobblestone path, lined with more flowers and palm bushes.

The path opened up to a large outdoor space, most of it clad in the same cobblestone the path was made out of. An infinity pool sloshed around in the center with a hot tub nestled in the far corner. There was a pizza oven settled near the back porch and a gas fire pit which was surrounded by teak wood chairs with comfy white cushions. It was a beautiful space and screamed the typical Southern California style.

As we walked along the pool edge around a few teak wood chaise lounges, strings of garden lights flicked on, which had us all on high alert.

"It's okay, they're automatic." Jon stated, not paying any mind to them as he continued leading us towards the back door.

“Riley move, you can gawk later.” I urged, pushing on the surface and nudging him forward slightly.

He snapped out of his trance and looked over his shoulder at me. “Sorry.”

Jon made it to the back door first, a set of large glass French doors, big enough for even the tallest person to step through.

He began typing a code into the touchpad which emitted little beeps at every press. When he was finished there was a grinding sound of a deadbolt sliding and then a beeping noise which indicated the door was unlocked.

He pushed the door open and we all rushed inside, thankful to be under another roof again.

The inside of the house was even more gorgeous than the outside, which I didn't think was possible. The walls were off white, and the floor was a dark hardwood. There were bronze, mission style light fixtures hanging from the tall ceilings which were lined with dark wood beams.

The furniture was covered with soft white sheets, my guess was to protect from dust while the house stayed vacant for an unknown amount of time.

“I have to disable the alarm, I’ll be right back.” Jon explained before walking off and disappearing into a tall archway on the opposite side of the living room.

“Dude, is Jon a trust fund brat and we haven’t known this entire time?” Riley was looking around the living in awe.

“Riley, focus.” I ordered, trying to steer off this delicate topic.

“I’m just saying-” Riley stopped short as the living room lights faded in and Jon came waltzing back in through the archway.

“C’mon,” He waved an arm for us to follow. “My dad has a workbench in the basement. You should be able to work on Cody there.”

Anything that was waist level would be good. If I had to kneel I was going to kill my back. I estimated this procedure would probably take an hour, barring no complications.

He led us over to a door just off the living room, which had a wide set of stairs on the other side. He led us down the stairs, Riley and I being careful not to drop Cody or worse, miss a step.

We reached the bottom of the stairs and what I saw was not the typical basement I was used to. It looked like something out of a science fiction film.

Everything was modern, and sleek, with its shiny surfaces glinting in the light. Everything from the floor, to the walls, and even the pencils looked clean, with us being the only dirty objects in the room.

Jon ushered us over to a workbench, which I was pleased to see was waist high, and he and Ryan helped move Cody onto the workbench.

Cody stirred slightly with a soft whimper, but then was out again.

“I gotta go make sure everything is okay upstairs, and then I gotta hide the truck,” He pointed to a small screen about a foot to my left. “If you need anything, use this. It will broadcast you to every unit in the house.”

“I’m gonna stay with you.” Ryan stated, the tone in his voice making it clear there was no alternative.

I nodded at him, a warm smile spreading across his face.

“Riley will you help me?” Jon asked.

“Sure thing boss.” Riley responded, leaning the broken coffee up against the wall.

They both made their way up the stairs, leaving Ryan and I alone with Cody. I opened my bag and pulled out the needed supplies and a package of sterile gloves, sliding them over my hands with swift motions.

“Are you oh negative?” I asked Ryan as I began stitching the vein back together in Cody’s abdomen.

“I’m sorry?” Ryan asked with a hint of nervousness.

“Your blood type? Are you oh negative?” I reiterated.

“Oh! Yeah, I am actually… Why?”

“He’s gonna need blood, oh negative is the best transfusion type.” I set my supplies down and grabbed an IV kit out of my bag.

“Can I see your arm?” I asked.

Ryan nodded and pulled his sleeve up, revealing plenty of suitable veins. I stuck the best one, a big vein running up the length of his forearm, and grabbed a blood bag out of my supplies.

“Jeeze, how much stuff you got in there?” He asked with an astonished expression.

“Anything I deem necessary.” I pulled out a red stress ball and slapped it in his hand with a smirk.

He smiled back at me and began pumping the ball in his hand while scarlet red blood made its way down the IV line and into the bag.

I turned my attention back to Cody’s wounds, I was almost finished stitching up the vein. Once I was done with that and I unclamped it to check my work, then I could close this hole up and move onto the next one.

“How is he?” Ryan asked.

I sighed and gave him a small smile. “He’s lucky, a few more inches and we would be burying him instead.”

“The only thing that made him lucky was having you there.” He responded.

A sheepish grin split across my face as I placed another stitch.

Me? Cody would still be in the same state if it were another Doctor. I knew what Ryan meant and maybe I should just take the praise, but I was still struggling with that whole "pat on the back" thing.

I placed the last stitch and eyed my work with critical detail. I didn’t want to unclamp this thing only to have one of the stitches break and have Cody bleed out.

“Moment of truth.”

I unclamped the vein and held my breath, waiting for any sign of leaking or if the stitches would hold.

I exhaled once I saw the vein begin to do its job again, no signs of leaking or the stitches failing.

“Perfect.” I whispered with a smile.

I poured some QuickClot in his wound and watched as the powdery substance hardened, sealing the wound. If I could meet the person who invented this stuff I would kiss them, it was such a lifesaver out in the field.

"I think the blood is done." Ryan gestured towards the bag.

"Yep, it is." I confirmed, disconnecting the IV line and hanging the blood from a hook above the workbench. I connected the line to Cody's IV and released the clamp, letting the blood flow into him.

"Thank you." I gave Ryan a smile.

He smiled back at me and shrugged his shoulders. "Anything for you, and Cody."

My cheeks flushed at that and I began working on the second bullet hole, this one not as extensive so I didn't think it would take me long.

God I needed a shower, and sleep, and something to eat. But as I thought about the location of the bomb, sleep and a shower seemed less important.

Riley was right about one thing, we needed to act fast. We didn't know when they were going to decide to detonate the bomb and that unsettled me. I tried to put myself in the General's shoes.

If I were the General, when would be the perfect time to strike?

I shook the distracting thoughts from my head. I needed to concentrate on the here and now, and right now Cody needed me at my best.

I finished up the second bullet hole and then placed some gauze pads over Cody's wounds, taping them down to keep them secure.

I pulled off my gloves and wiped my forehead with the back of my forearm.

"That was quick." Ryan pointed out.

"Was it? It seemed like forever to me." I admitted.

"It was only an hour." He gave me an amused expression.

I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and I looked over to see Riley, Jon, and Alex walk into the room, Alex looking like she was about to bite her lip off from anxiety.

"How is he?" She asked nervously.

"He's out of the woods, for now." I informed her with a sigh.

She stepped around me so that she could get a better look at him, and in that moment I could see all the worry and anxiety roll off her shoulders.

She turned towards me and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a hug.

"Thank you." Her voice broke.

I didn't say anything, I just returned the hug. Being a Doctor I was always in this situation, a loved one hugging me, tears of relief coming out of their eyes as they thanked me profusely. But I didn't feel like I needed a thanks for this, I was saving Cody for myself just as much as for the others.

"Can you guys help me get him upstairs? He needs something softer to lay on than this workbench." I asked.

"Sure thing." Riley volunteered, and he and Jon grabbed the coffee table and together we all lifted Cody onto it.

“He’s out cold.” Alex pointed out as we began walking up the basement stairs.

“I gave him a mild sedative to help him sleep.” I explained.

Alex nodded her head. “Probably for the best.”

We entered the living room and all the white sheets that were once covering various pieces of furniture were all gone. Instead they revealed two brown leather oversized armchairs, a brown leather sectional with a chaise lounge attachment, and a dark wood coffee table to match.

I stared, taking in the space as Jon led us through the tall archway that he had gone through earlier. The room on the other side was revealed to be the entryway. It was tall and circular, with high walls and a wide staircase that hugged up against the wall.

As we approached the first stair I noticed that it was adorned with colorful tiles with intricate details carved into them. They transitioned from Blue to Red and Green all the way to the top

If we weren't in LA I would have sworn we were in Spain with the look and feel of this house. Everything was colorful, and decorated in a way that made it feel warm and welcoming.

"Are you hispanic?" Riley asked as we climbed the staircase slowly.

"No, I'm Greek dude,” Jon’s tone was taken aback slightly. “My parents just really love the Spanish style, that’s actually where they are right now."

“I thought you don’t talk to your parents?” Ryan asked suspiciously.

“My Uncles still talk to them from time to time.” Jon replied stiffly.

We reached the top of the stairs and Jon led us down the hall and into a large bedroom, where a rather large and comfy king size bed sat. The bed was adorned in a teal colored quilt, and there were enough pillows on the bed to make a kid's wildest pillow fort dreams come true.

"Careful." I urged as we lifted Cody off the surface and onto the comfy bed.

I checked the bandages and made sure there wasn't too much bleeding. They were holding up good, for now. I trusted my work, but everybody was different in how their bodies reacted to trauma.

Once I was satisfied with my assessment I stood up and made eye contact with the rest of the team, Alex sitting on the side of the bed holding Cody’s hand.

“Team meeting, now.” My voice came out a little more stern then I wanted, and they all gave me confused looks as I brushed past them towards the hallway.

I wasn’t upset with the team, not by a long shot. I was more upset at the fact that the General attempted to have us killed, and almost succeeded with one of us. I was tired of playing games and playing it safe. I wanted him to pay for what he did.

We all filed into the living room and they each took a seat. Jon in an armchair, and Alex perched on the chaise lounge portion of the sectional that Ryan and Riley sank back into.

I stood in front of them, not exactly sure what to say. My heart felt like it was going to pound out of my chest from the anxiety I was feeling. But I pushed through it.

“Listen, Ell… If this has anything to do with what I said-” Riley started, but I cut him off.

“No, it has nothing to do with that.” My tone was flat and somewhat emotionless as I spoke.

As much as I wanted to lay into him about what he said back at Cody’s, I just didn’t have the energy or the drive to go there right now. I only wanted to focus on one thing, and that was taking the General down.

“I know we're all tired, and we're worried about Cody. But we need to get back on track.” I explained.

“Agreed.” Riley nodded his head.

“Wait. Do you think he should be here?” Ryan jabbed his thumb at Jon.

“Still don’t trust me huh?” Jon grumbled with an amused expression.

“You were working with The Order. What would you think if the roles were reversed?” Ryan had an annoyed tone to his voice.

“I don’t have any allegiance to The Order anymore.” Jon shook his head intently.

“So you say.”

“Enough.” I said sternly and they both turned their gazes towards me.

I could understand Ryan’s mistrust in Jon, even I had moments where I didn’t think Jon was being entirely fothrite. But Something inside told me that we needed him, just as much as he needed us.

“He needs to prove himself, and the only way he’s gonna be able to do that is by working with us. Besides, we need all the help we can get right now.” I replied.

Ryan gave a reluctant nod and looked over at Jon. “I’ve got my eye on you.”

“Promise?” Jon responded with a wink and a wolfish grinto match. Ryan scoffed in response and turned his attention back to me.

"We need to come up with a plan on how we're going to get the bomb." I stated, steering the conversation back to the task at hand.

"Well everyone knows my idea." Riley boasted, placing his hands behind his head and kicking his feet up.

"Yeah and apart from that being completely moronic, it's also suicide." Alex retorted.

"I'm all ears for any other plans." I announced.

There was silence as everyone thought for a moment.

“What about Alex?” Ryan inquired.

“What about me?” She responded with a perplexed expression.

“Well, what if you use your tech mojo to get us eyes on the warehouse. Then we can at least see how many soldiers were up against, and what their packing.”

“Well that would be a good idea. But I don’t have any of my tech, it was all destroyed in the shooting.”

“I got you covered.” Jon commented nonchalantly.

Alex gave a snicker and shook her head. “No offense, but no ordinary tablet or computer is going to work.”

“Obviously you don’t know who my mother is.” He responded with an amused expression.

There was another silence as everyone gave him pointed looks, waiting expectantly for him to explain. I knew about Jon's family, hell I was one of the few people that did. The amount of money his family was worth was enough to make even Bill Gates' kids gawk.

“Well… Don’t leave us hanging.” Riley asked impatiently.

He let out a frustrated sigh. “My mother is Alethea Stavros…”

Alex’s eyes got wide at that and she turned her full attention on Jon. “Wait… Your mom is the Alethea Stavros?”

Jon nodded his head, a bright flush running up into his cheeks.

"Oh my god, this is crazy! Your mom is one of my idols. She's amazing!" Alex looked about as excited as a kid in a toy store.

“Does someone have a girl crush?” Riley smirked, and Alex shot him a death glare.

"Whose Alethea Stavros?" Ryan asked.

Alex gave him a look like he just slapped her across the face.

"Whose-Alethea Stavros is one of the most prominent female icons of our generation. She founded Stavros Technologies and she's made Forbes top ten most powerful women like, three years in a row now. She's a legend."

"If that's the case what are you doing slumming it with the Army? You should be sippin Mai Tai's on a private yacht somewhere." Riley threw at Jon in a joking manner.

"Guys…" I trailed off with a sigh.

I didn't want Jon to have to explain to the group why he was in the Army and why he wasn't taking advantage of his family fortune.

"It's okay Elliott. I don't want to hide it, not if I'm trying to earn your guy's trust." Jon replied in a somber tone.

"That's still to be decided." Ryan interjected. I cocked an eyebrow at him and an apologetic look split across his face.

I wasn't expecting him to trust Jon immediately, but he also didn't need to keep reminding him.

"I left home when I was sixteen and legally emancipated myself. That's why I'm in the Army and not “sipping Mai Tai's on a private yacht.”" He gave Riley a pointed look.

"But why?" Alex asked in disbelief.

"My Dad… After I came out he wanted to send me to some gay conversion camp to set me straight, but my Mom wasn't for that, so… She sent me to go live with her brother and his husband in Venice."

"So why doesn't she reach out and try to maintain contact?" Ryan probed, his eyebrows as furrowed as I’ve ever seen them.

Jon paused for a second, a tortured expression splitting across his perfect features. "My Dad… He forbids it. He told her that if she tried to reach out, or help me in any way, then he would tank the company, her reputation, and everything she worked so hard for would be ruined."

"Wow… Your Dad sounds like a real prick." Riley replied.

Jon scoffed. "Yeah, he is."

"Wait," Alex cut in, her face screwed up with confusion. "How could he tank your mom's company? It's not his company."

"My father invested in her company, so he owns shares in it. If he were to pull out then the other investors would follow suit. He's very influential in the business world." Jon explained which made Alex shake her head in disbelief

"It's not like she hasn't tried though," He continued. "When I turned eighteen she reached out and we talked, and every now and then I'll get letters and money from her. But I could care less about the money."

"I'm… I'm sorry Jon." Ryan spoke, but I could tell from his tone and expression that he wasn't just sorry about the information he had heard, and I think Jon picked up on that as well. “I forget how lucky I am to have an accepting family. I can’t imagine what it must feel like for Elliott and you.” He had a pained expression as he spoke.

"It's fine," Jon gave him a reassuring look. "But that's why it's safe for us here. To the government I've been on my own since I was a teenager. They wouldn't think to look for us here."

"It makes sense." Riley stated.

"So that's how you were able to get the information we needed to find the truck." Ryan grinned as the pieces began to file into place for him.

"Like mother like son I guess." Jon smiled back.

Alex stood up with an excited look on her face. "Well… Let's go then. I can't wait to be in the same room where Alethea Stavros invented the Quantum Computer Chip."

"Sorry to burst your bubble," Jon stood up and stepped around to the back of the chair, leaning against it. "She invented that at her lab."

"Don't harsh my mellow man, I was just starting to like you."

Jon chuckled, pushing himself away from the chair, and led her towards the archway that went to the front entry.

I sat down on the coffee table and buried my face in my hands.

It had been such a long day, and I was exhausted. But no matter how exhausted I was I couldn't let it take over.

I was tired of fighting, tired of being hunted, it made my desk back at Medical seem a lot more appealing. I just had to keep going.

"Is everything okay?" Riley asked, making me lift my head up.

He was staring at me, those knowing, piercing blue eyes staring right through me.

"Yeah, just exhausted is all." It was half true, but I wasn't going to unload on him.

Riley glanced over at Ryan who made eye contact with him. I couldn't see the face Riley made but a wide eyed look spread across Ryan's face and he jumped up from the couch.

"Coffee! I'm gonna make coffee, y'all want some?" He gestured to both of us.

We nodded our heads and he turned around, all but running from the room in the direction I'm sure he hoped was the kitchen. Once he was out of earshot Riley turned his gaze back to me, this time he had an apologetic look and I immediately knew what he was going to say before he opened his mouth.

"Look-"

"Don't," I cut him off, raising my hand. "It's fine. Everything is fine." I lied.

He shook his head with downcast eyes. "No, it's not. I didn't even mean what I said."

"You never say anything you don't mean."

This I knew about Riley Monroe, he always spoke his mind, no matter how blunt or scarring it could be. It was both refreshing and cruel.

He nodded his head before continuing. "True, but it shouldn't have been said."

I gave him a curt nod. "That we can both agree on."

He bit his bottom lip nervously and dropped his gaze slightly.

"It's just… Ever since Gray stayed behind in San Francisco I've been so… Angry," His voice broke slightly at that word. "I finally got him, got my guy, and he just… Left me."

I was sympathetic with how he felt, I couldn't imagine how I would feel if Ryan just up and decided to stay behind in a war torn city long forgotten. But at the same time, the things he said to me hurt as well, and the fact that he dragged Ryan into it hurt all the more.

"Why do you blame me? You know it's not my fault." I asked.

"I know," He wiped his eyes and sniffled slightly. "I figured it would be easier to blame you than him. If I blamed Gray, then I was scared that I would hate him, and I don't wanna hate him."

That actually made sense to me, you never want to hate the people you love. You want to love them regardless of their faults and their questionable actions.

"Riley… You know why he had to stay behind. It was his family, the people he had been searching for for years." My tone was calm and even as I spoke, trying to wrap him up in a cocoon of warm words.

"Then why not let me stay too, I could have stayed." He pleaded.

I shook my head sternly at that. "He was looking out for you. He knew odds were that he would be labeled as a deserter, and he didn't want to do that to you."

"Well if he really loved me-"

"Hey! Don't do that," I cut him off with a stern tone. "He does love you… Sometimes we have to do things for the people we love that don't make sense to the other. But trust me when I tell you this. He did it out of love for you, to protect you."

Riley gave a slow nod and brought his gaze back up to meet mine. His blue eyes shone even brighter when glazed with tears, and his pale complexion was flushed from holding back what I assumed was a reservoir full of grief.

"I really am sorry Elliott." His bottom lip trembled.

"I know," I nodded my head in understanding. "Now shut up and come here." I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into a hug.

His shoulders began to shake, softly at first, then stronger as the dam broke and all that reservoir of grief came flooding out. I had never actually seen Riley cry, he was always good at burying his emotions, and by the sounds of things he was letting a lot out. However I was glad, because at least I was there to help him repair the dam after the flooding was over, and isn't that what best friends are for?

I saw Ryan appear in the living room with three mugs in hand, but he stopped short when he saw Riley and I.

"I'll come back." He mouthed.

I gave him a warm smile which he returned, as he backed out of the room and disappeared on the other side of the archway he came through.

"Ryan just saw me crying didn’t he?" Riley croaked.

"No, no he didn't." I replied enthusiastically.

"You're a horrible liar." He laughed through his tears which made me laugh in return, and before I knew it we were both chuckling.

It was nice to laugh with him, hell, it was nice to laugh in general. With everything that was going on, I had forgotten the last time I had genuinely laughed.

Riley broke away from the hug and wiped his eyes, which were bloodshot, and let out a groan.

"Ughh… I hate crying."

"That's good… Because you're a really ugly crier." I smirked at him.

"Hey!" He punched me in the arm and we both laughed.

"Hey," I had a serious tone to my voice. "Don't worry, we'll get Gray back."

Riley nodded his head and his lips turned up into a comfy smile. "I know we will."

"I see the best friends made up." Ryan made his way back into the room once he felt it was safe to do so.

"Yeah… Sorry you had to see that." Riley's face flushed with embarrassment as Ryan handed him a mug.

"Eh it's all good. Everyone needs a good cry every now and then." He had a grin on his face as he sat down on the couch.

He looked over at Riley and his brows furrowed. "Wow… Elliott's right you are an ugly crier."

Ryan and I snorted and began laughing, as Riley flashed us both an icy stare over the rim of his mug.

"You guys suck."

The night seemed to go by slow as we waited for any news from Alex.

She locked herself in Alethea's office, saying that she didn't want to be disturbed and that she needed to concentrate, which all of us obliged. If it got her to work faster, then I was all for it.

I checked on Cody multiple times to see how he was doing. He was holding steady and still not conscious, though with how much sedatives I gave him I would be surprised if he woke up by the time we had to leave.

Ryan, Riley and Jon lounged in the living room watching the news. No surprise that the LAPD was still looking for us. They found Cody's Jeep in the parking garage where we had left it, however they didn't have any leads which was music to my ears. If they didn’t have any leads then I figured maybe the military didn’t either, or maybe that was just wishful thinking.

One AM turned into three AM, and we were all starting to get antsy. It never took Alex this long to hack into systems. Maybe it was nerves? Maybe it was-

"Guys!" She jogged into the living room with an excited look on her face. We all looked at her hopefully, and my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest in anticipation.

"I'm in." She proclaimed.

If there was a choir in the room I'm sure they would be singing Hallelujah. We all jumped to our feet and followed her as she led us back to the office.

"I was trying to get images off the CCTV cameras, but I couldn't pull anything off that was useful to us. Then I got to thinking."

We walked into the office, or maybe I should say command center. Two large flat screen monitors were mounted to the wall opposite the door. In the center of the room was a metal desk with a glass top that had two more monitors settled next to each other.

Alex plopped down in the comfy computer chair and began typing away.

"Last year Stavros Tech launched two satellites into low earth orbit for their space program. They partnered with the Department of Defense and Homeland Security so that the government could more closely monitor terrorist organizations on our own soil."

I stared in awe as she pulled up satellite feeds of the city.

“Are these live?” Ryan asked in disbelief.

Alex nodded gleefully. “Yep, but that’s not all they can do.”

She started typing on the keyboard and one of the screens enhanced onto our location. It was so close that you could make out the structure of the house, and standing in our exact spot within the structure were five, red and blotchy figures with yellow fringe along the outside.

Heat Signatures.

I stepped to the right waving my arm in the air, and one of the corresponding blobs mimicked my movements.

"Alex… This is brilliant!" I gawked.

"Well the access was already there. I just had to hack into Alethea's servers which, I gotta say, even impressed myself."

Jon chuckled. "I guess my Mom's finally met her match… Don't tell her I told you that." Jon said in a nervous tone.

Alex gave a sheepish grin. "I'm no Alethea Stavros, but thanks."

"So, what does this mean?" Riley questioned.

"It means," Alex swiveled around the chair to face us, a cheerful expression set to her face. "We can go get our bomb."