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Chapter Text

As the sirens cut through the noise around her, Waverly knew there was no choice. With a long exhale of breath, she pulled over to the side of the road and lay her head on the wheel. She’d only drifted a little over the limit… the problem was, it was the third time in as many months. She knew there was no squirming her way out of this one.

Waverly lifted her head and glanced into her mirror. The police vehicle had now come to a stop behind her with the lights still flashing to affirm it’s presence. Leaning back, she saw the officer’s uniform coming towards her in her wing mirror. Without moving, she glanced up and saw the officer peer into her window. Waverly didn’t move; she hoped if she didn’t move the situation would go away. However a sharp tap of the officer’s knuckles on the window reminded her that this simple wouldn’t work.

‘Do you have any idea how fast you were going back there?’ came a soft voice once the window had lowered all the way down.

‘Would it help if I told you I thought I was doing the speed limit?’

The officer’s unimpressed expression remained unwavering, ‘licence and registration’.

‘… oops.’ Waverly tried a cheeky almost a little flirtatious smile, but it made no impact. With an unimpressed shake of the head, the officer reached into her pocket and pulled out a small black notebook. She flipped it open and began to make notes. A sinking feeling crept into Waverly’s chest as she closed her eyes and realised the inevitability of the situation.

NINE MONTHS LATER

If there wasn’t cheering, smiling and drinks in hand, anyone would think that it was a wake rather than a celebration. Police functions were never held at most uplifting of venues, but nevertheless the mood was light and one of positivity. Despite the dark, dingy surroundings a middle aged mad stood at the end of the table having captured the attention of his colleagues giving a speech which matched the occasion.

At that current moment they were laughing at his previous comment but a simple raise of his hand caused them to hush down and return to sipping their drinks. ‘Okay okay, here’s to Jeremy for his quick thinking, bravery and above all… his selfless act…’

A round of ‘here here’ rippled through the officers as well as a toast of glasses. Jeremy bowed his head embarrassed as the officer next to him gave him a squeeze of the shoulder.

‘… and here’s to Doc for shooting Jeremy… as God knows we’ve all wanted to do for some time…’ Now the toasts accompanied by laughter were directed at a man with a heavy moustache on the other side of the table.

‘Anytime,’ Doc grinned as he swigged back his whiskey. ‘… though I know I must be careful not to follow in his shoes… so I don’t give my new partner the same inclination’.

‘Yes,’ agreed the officer still standing. ‘and Officer Haught, if you do feel that same inclination… you know you have my full backing to shoot this man’s egotistical arse…’

If there was something Officer Haught did not like, it was all the attention being on her. Although she laughed at the joke being told at Doc’s expense, she wished so much that the many eyes boring into her would turn back to her superior at the other end of the table. Bashfully, she tucked a strand of her long red hair behind her ear before attempting to hide behind her champagne glass as she took a sip. She then realised quickly that the eyes were not actually going to turn away until she had made some sort of comment.

‘I’ll keep working on my aim Nedley.’

‘Oh don’t you worry about that… Doc’s head is big enough.’

As laughter burst out once again, Nicole swallowed slight embarrassment as she wasn’t sure if that was another joke about Doc’s ego or about her ability to aim and shoot a gun. To her relief, Nedley picked up on her discomfort.

‘No. Okay. You know what this is really about. It’s to you guys for doing your job and not getting dead.’ The laughter had quickly evaporated as the seriousness of the occasion was remembered. Nedley raised his glass once again and the others followed. ‘Mazeltov’.

No longer at their tables, the officers had scattered themselves across the bar. Some had left citing family commitments or the unfortunate call of the next shift causing the numbers to have thinned out. Nicole had reached for her jacket to leave but had spotted a lonely figure behind a moustache sipping his whiskey at the bar. Hoping to not be noticed by anyone else, she still donned her jacket but slipped into the stool next to her new partner.

‘All those ego jokes get a bit much for you…’ she spoke quietly.

Doc’s eyes left his glass with a forced smile, ‘oh you know me Haught… takes a lot more to hurt a man like me than a few jokes about how I view myself. After all… I am incredibly handsome.’

Nicole smiled back with kind humour but saw that there was something serious lingering in his eyes, ‘you’re thinking about him aren’t you…’ Doc’s face fell hastily sullen. ‘You saw him go into that elevator Doc… there’s no way he could have survived that.’

‘It would seem so… and many have said the same,’ Doc nodded his eyes returning to his glass. ‘… but there’s something… something about that man, going into that elevator, pushing that trigger and giving up in such a way. It just doesn’t sit right with me.’ He gazed up, his eyes flitting over the many bottles in front of him. ‘Fisk was not a man to ever let anyone else win.’

‘Maybe he couldn’t bear the idea of getting caught?’ Nicole suggested.

‘Maybe,’ Doc agreed. His eyes met Nicole’s. ‘But I find it hard to believe that man didn’t have a way out’.
The seriousness in Doc’s eyes sent a chill down Nicole’s spine, ‘have you spoken to anyone else about this?’

‘Do you honestly think anyone of them would believe me?’ Nicole went to reply but Doc interrupted. ‘Or let me put it like this… do you think anyone of them would want to believe me?’ He gestured to those still revelling in the dregs of the night. Nicole observed them. Although she might be relatively new to the police force, she wasn’t naive to how things worked. Doc put his empty glass down on the bar and began to get down off his stool. ‘The case is closed as far as their concerned. Another win for the system. It doesn’t matter what I think think Officer Haught… so I must keep my mouth closed. May I walk you out?’

‘Shouldn’t we say our goodbyes?’ Nicole was always one for formalities and politeness.

Doc smiled slightly amused, ‘they haven’t noticed that anyone else has left… I doubt very much that they will take any interest at all in our departure.’

Nicole took his point and slid off her stool. Respectfully, Doc allowed Nicole to go in front of him as they made their way out of the bar. She looked over the men in uniforms slumped over chairs and tables, laughing loudly in their groups or indulging in self-perpetuating manly embraces as they reinforced to each other how good they were at their jobs. She saw Doc’s point but it was something she had known already. It was something she had come to the police force to change. These people weren’t interested in the truth; they were interested in results – results that got them recognition, money and power. This meant they made mistakes and could get things badly wrong. She just hoped for all the world that in this case, Doc was wrong.

Chapter Text

As the LA sunshine blared in through the window, Nicole pulled on her red flannel shirt. She loved days off, especially those that offered beautiful weather and a chance to take a book to the nearest beach or park. Her eyes swept the large open kitchen in her loft apartment until they fell open her keys tossed on the side next to the fruit bowl. With one graceful sweeping motion she retrieved her book, keys and an apple before making her way to the front door. She paused briefly as she remembered her badge in her uniform jacket. Even on her days off, she never went anywhere without it.

The hiss of an arriving bus could be heard over the muted chatter of customers as Nicole waited for her coffee. It wasn’t long before the driver entered the cafe and approached Nicole with a warm smile. He was not a tall man who stood in his late sixties with thinning grey hair and wonderfully bushy eyebrows. His eyes twinkled behind his heavy square glasses.

‘Ah hello my dear,’ he greeted her. Coffee in hand, Nicole was as happy as ever to see him. ‘Day off I see,’ he continued gesturing to her jeans and shirt.

‘First in a long time Bob,’ Nicole nodded. Her affection for this man would never be matched by any other in the city. Although to many he was just a bus driver, to Nicole he was the man that made her feel welcome and like someone cared when she moved to LA. He had found her once, sitting at the stop where his bus was now parked, wondering whether she had made the right decision to transfer to the large, busy city. In that moment, after a particularly difficult day with the public and her colleagues, she had felt so alone and hopeless but thanks to the simplicity of a stranger sitting down beside her and taking the time to talk, her outlook on her situation had completely changed. It prompted her to get up the next day and continued to graft at the job she knew she loved and where she knew she wanted to make a difference.

Soon that one conversation had become two then three then many more. For a widower with no children whose only routine in life was driving his bus, Nicole knew that the conversations had meant just as much to him as they had to her. Now after many months of chatting at the bus stop or strolling around the town, Nicole looked upon him as almost family.

‘Well you deserve it my dear,’ Bob beamed. ‘You know I think you work too hard.’

Nicole playfully rolled her eyes, ‘you know this is a dangerous argument for us to get into…’ She looked back at the barista who was already in on the joke. ‘You’re with me on this one aren’t you Vince? You know what complete hypocrisy it is for this man to tell me that he thinks I work too hard.’

‘You know it Bob,’ Vinced joined in has he continued to serve. ‘We’ve all got our eye on you.’

‘Tell me… when was the last time you took a day off?’ Nicole asked Bob as he laughed along.

‘And what would I do with it?’ Bob asked. ‘Men like me… we have no use for spare time…’ he face became a little fallen. ‘Ever since my Suzie left me…’ he stopped himself and his face lifted again. He didn’t want to think of such things. ‘I’m better off on the road with my people. Makes me feel useful taking them to where they have to go.’

Nicole gazed fondly at Bob. She admired the man greatly and knew better than to belittle him and what he needed. ‘You’re a lifeline to many…’ she put her hand to his upper arm and squeezed it. ‘… but one day, we’re going to take a day off together… we could go out on a boat, maybe do a bit of fishing… what do you say?’

Bob couldn’t hide the twinkle in his eye, ‘… you hear that Vince? This girl’s actually come up with a damn good reason for me to take off!’

‘You’re a lucky man Bob,’ Vinced grinned. ‘Coffee’s up…’ He slid Bob’s usual across the counter so that it came to rest not far from where he and Nicole were standing.

Nicole fetched it for him, ‘you know I’m going to hold you to this…’

‘You won’t need to,’ Bob smiled taking the coffee. ‘… you tell me the day and I’m there.’

The sun hit their faces as they stepped out of the cafe back onto the street. It might have been early morning but it was already beginning to get busy. There was no queue at Bob’s stop however as it was always where he started his day but not the start of his route. Bob toasted the air to Nicole with his coffee as she watched him cross the road to his bus. Nicole knew that the people who got onto that bus were very lucky as they would always be greeted by a kind, friendly face who would see them safely on their way.

Once Bob had disappeared around the other side of his bus, Nicole took a sip of her own coffee and began to make her way down the street. She heard the bus start and the hiss of the engine as Bob put it into gear. Then a shock wave knocked her off her feet.

Scrabbling back to her feet, Nicole could hear car alarms wailing and screaming. She spun round and saw a sight which sickened her to the stomach.

‘Bob!’

Only a few meters down the road, Bob’s bus was completely ablaze. Still rolling, the front had been completely blown off whilst the rest of the windows down the length of the bus were blown out, fire pouring out of the twisted metal frames. Her legs pumping, Nicole took off down the road after it. As she drew closer the heat from the inferno caused her to steady her approach. She brought her arm up to her face as she tried to get closer to the driver’s cabin at the front. The bus was barely recognisable as the blue colouring was covered in black soot from the explosion. Nicole had to maintain her pace as it continued to list forward. She knew that it was in vain but desperation was spurring her on. It only took a brief glance to tell her what she already knew. Horrified she turned away from the bus and fell to her knees.

Nicole barely had time to register what has happened before she heard a phone ringing. Wiping tears from her cheeks, she moved towards the sound as people spilled out from the buildings along the street. She could hear the gasps and screams but there was only one noise which interested her. In an almost dreamlike state, she reached the public phone and picked up the receiver.

‘What do you think Nicole? You think if they find all of Bob’s teeth they’ll give that damn good for nothing police squad that you work for more medals?’

Nicole’s stomach lurched; she’d only heard the voice a few times in briefings but the recognised it just enough. ‘Jesus.’

‘Your partner was right…’ Fisk went on. ‘I would never give up; I would never let them win. Twenty second delay on the Deadman’s stick. I’m in the air duct when it blows. Of course I am always prepared. I spent two years setting up that job. Two years I invested myself in it. They could never have understood that kind of commitment. Not cops. Not you scumbags. Jeremy was a child; Doc a wise-guy. They ruin my life’s work and think they can just walk away? They’ve got blinders on… but look, I’ve got your attention now… haven’t I Nicole?’

Nicole’s teeth were gritted as she swallowed down her grief and rage. ‘Why me?’ she asked her voice shaking. ‘I wasn’t on that job. Why have you come after me?’

‘Didn’t want you to get too comfortable,’ Fisk went on. ‘Didn’t want them getting their claws into you like they do any new recruit. They turn you Nicole… they make you arrogant and think you can get away with anything. No… I need you fresh. I need you to do things my way.’

‘But Bob…’

Fisk’s voice changed to a slightly softer tone, ‘yes I am sorry about that… but I need you to take my seriously… I needed it to matter,’ then it changed back quickly, ‘this is about my getting my money, the money that I am owed. None of this had to happen if it wasn’t for the hauteur of your colleagues. I hope you realize that.’

Nicole seethed, ‘when I find you…’

‘Pop quiz hotshot!’ Fisk interrupted. ‘There’s a bomb on a bus.’ Nicole’s eyes widened even though she knew he couldn’t see them. ‘Once it hits fifty miles an hour, the bomb is armed. If the bus drops below fifty, it blows up.’ There was a pause. ‘What do you do?’ Nicole was completely lost. She could still hear the fire raging down the road behind her, she could hear the prevailing wail of car alarms and she see Bob’s gentle warm smile in her mind. ‘What do you do?’

Fisk’s voice snapped her back to the moment and the realisation that she had to step up to this challenge took control. ‘I’d want to know what bus it was.’

Fisk laughed, ‘and you think I’m going to tell you that?’

‘Yes’.

‘Very good,’ Nicole couldn’t see him smirk, but she knew that he was from the way he spoke. ‘Now there’s rules Nicole. No one gets off the bus. If you take any passengers off, I will detonate the bomb. If I don’t get my money by 11am, there is a timer.’ Nicole looked at her watch, it was 8:05.

‘What if we can’t pull what you ask for out in time?’

‘Focus Nicole!’ Fisk snapped. ‘Your concern is the bus. Don’t try to call, you’ll find their radio is down. It’s number 2525, running down town from Venice. It’s at the corner of Lincoln and Piko. Should be heading onto the freeway right about…’

Nicole didn’t hear what else Fisk had to say; she was already gone and running down the road.

Chapter Text

‘Sam!’

The bus driver could hear her cries but was having far too much fun. Slowly, he pulled the bus forward but kept it at a speed that was just a little too fast to be caught but just slow enough that it kept the bus within reach.

‘Sam!’

At another cry, Sam knew he had to end his fun and pull the bus over. He indicated and tucked it into the curb. Still chuckling, he opened his doors to a very flustered looking young woman. ‘This look like a bus stop to you?’

The young woman tried to keep a straight face but also found herself breaking into giggles, ‘somehow you are a saint Sam. You’re a good, kind man and someday people will write songs about you.’ Chewing gum, she swung her bag round in front of her and began digging around in the bottom of it. All she could come up with was bills, ‘you got change?’ Rolling his eyes, Sam just waved her onto the bus and closed the doors. He checked his mirror, indicated and pulled out into traffic. Up ahead, was the sign for the freeway.

Almost as if she had seen what was going to pan out, Mrs Kamino was waiting with a hand full of change in the middle of the bus. Of Asian ethnicity and dressed smartly ready for the office, she was the complete opposite of Waverly who was not dressed at all like she was heading out ready for a day of work.

‘Thanks,’ Waverly sighed as she sat down and caught her breath. ‘I have all this change at home but I always forget.’ Dressed in Sneakers, jeans and a large baggy white t-shirt, she looked more like she was on her way to a music festival than a desk. After depositing the change, she took her place in her normal seat near the front of the bus by the window.

Behind her, a man, who was an obvious tourist by his sunglasses, hat and map gripped in his hands, leant forward, ‘first time in LA?’

A little put out, Waverly glanced round briefly, ‘no I live here.’

‘No I mean mine,’ he laughed. ‘Well that’s just funny – you heard me wrong. I’m sightseeing. I hate to use the word tourist, but…’ he gestured to the map and previously concealed camera, ‘… can’t hide it.’

‘Not really.’

‘You know it took me three hours just to get from here to the airport,’ he continued completely unaware that Waverly wasn’t in the least bit interested. ‘I got so lost. LA is one large place. But you live here, so you probably didn’t notice. I’m such a yokel. There I said it.’

Looking for a way out, any way out, Waverly stuck her hand under seat and manoeuvred the sticky substance into place, ‘oh! There’s gum on my seat,’ she showed him her hand on which she had managed to stick the gum she had been chewing. ‘Gum!’ Looking appropriately disgusted, she rose from her seat and made her way over to the other side to much more familiar and tolerable face. ‘Morning.’

The middle aged woman was clearly amused by what she had just seen take place. She glanced at the tourist who was looking a little put out then back at Waverly who was now trying to pull the gum off of her hand. ‘You’re lucky you know, Sam wouldn’t stop for just anyone.’

‘Yeah well, if he was late just once, I wouldn’t have to catch him’.

Frustrated and raging, Nicole wove desperately in and out of traffic honking her horn and yelling out of the window. She knew that it was very much in Fisk’s planning to make this most impossible time for her to get across town and chase down a bus that was carrying a bomb. There was also relief that her black jeep could take the punishment she was giving it as she turn in a controlled four wheel skid onto Lincoln. Once making it to the on-ramp to the freeway, so intent on looking for the bus, Nicole sideswiped a brand new Jaguar convertible. She could hear the driver screaming at her as she left it behind. It was a moment that was gone as quickly as it happened as she sped up to 45. This only quickened her heartbeat as she knew up ahead the bus would be doing at least the same speed… if not more.

Blissfully unaware, Sam stepped on the accelerator and pulled his bus up to 45. He had the radio on quietly and hummed along to a tune playing as the speed continued to climb. Behind him, his passengers were reading, listening to music or chatting like it was any other day. In the middle of the bus, Waverly and Helen remained in conversation.

‘Oh I just couldn’t drive on the freeways anymore. I would just get so tense,’ she was saying as she gestured to the heavy traffic around them. ‘This way I get to relax all the way to work.’

‘Well… I love my car…’ Waverly sighed. ‘I miss my car…’

The bus’ speedometer almost reached 50 but ahead the congestion of the morning traffic caused it to slow and the dial began to drop back down. A ripple of groans coursed through the passengers.

‘Can’t you go over them?’ shouted Annie. Sam simply eyed her in his mirror and shook his head with a chuckle.

‘Don’t spit on my bus now Waverly.’

A little way back, at the sight of break lights, Nicole let out a long sigh of relief. It was going to be okay.

The traffic did however cause Nicole a different problem. With the traffic snarling up, she would find it even more difficult to weave in and out and make her way along the freeway to the bus. Without her police vehicle and sirens, there was no way that the public in their cars on the way to work would react to let her through with just her jeep’s horn. As she began to think around the problem, she spotted the bus. It was caught up in the traffic as well. Hastily, she pulled her jeep onto the hard shoulder, jumped out and continued on foot.

With the morning sun blaring down, Nicole’s open shirt fluttered as she tore between the cars. It was a race against time. Sweat caused her black tank top to cling to her back as she saw that the bus was close to the choke point next to the incident causing the hold up. Soon the bus would be funnelled through and back onto the open freeway. Thankfully this didn’t happen quick enough and Nicole found herself running alongside it and banging on the door.

‘Stop! Open up!’ she shouted. The bus was still moving forward so she had to hold a march to keep up with it.

‘That girl really wants to get on this bus,’ Mrs Kamino said from the middle of the bus. Everyone had risen in their seats and were peering to see where all the commotion was coming from.

‘Can you blame her?’ Waverly said dryly.

Sam however was less impressed, ‘get off my doors man,’ he barked back. ‘Wait for the next one’.

‘LAPD!’ Nicole shouted. ‘Stop the bus!’ He is barely audible from the inside and Nicole can see this by Sam’s confused expression. Fumbling, she pulls out her badge from her pocket and is in the process of holding it up when she is bumped from behind by a passing car. The sudden jolt causes Nicole to drop her badge. As she scrabbles around on the floor to retrieve it, Sam takes the opportunity to speed up a little and get away.

Looking up, Nicole can see that her target is getting away, ‘shit…’ Hastily, she tried to get in front of the bus to force Sam to bring the bus to a halt but there was no opportunity for this as Sam pulled the bus up to speed that was beyond her pace. As the bus began to flash past her, Nicole spotted the rear fire escape doors and tried to grab onto them. This however was futile as her hands slipped from their grasp easily and so too did the bus. Doubled over, Nicole took deep breaths and within seconds, the bus was gone.

Chapter Text

‘Jesus, what was that girl’s problem?’ came a man’s voice from the back of the bus.

‘Don’t know man… getting away from the old man maybe?’ came a reply. This caused some giggling amongst some of the drivers but most were quiet and looked a little unsettled.

‘I didn’t expect that in LA…’ came the tourist’s voice.

‘You clearly are new to LA then,’ Sam laughed.

‘That’s what I’ve been telling everybody,’ the tourist replied.

At this Waverly rolled her eyes and looked at Helen who looked a little concerned. ‘I do hope she’s alright…’

‘I’m sure she is,’ Waverly reassured her. ‘Someone that hot will always have things figured out.’ Looking back at the traffic in front as it began to open up, Waverly completely missed the dumbfounded expression that Helen was now giving her.

Hands on head and panting, Nicole looked back for her car but it was nowhere to be seen. A little panic was beginning to set in. That bus was speeding up, quickly. Despite this, she was not going to give in. She looked down at the badge in her hand and at the cars coming towards her.

Holding it up, she began gesturing it at them. At first she was ignored which was staggering to Nicole considering she was a police officer clearly giving orders. Yet she continued shouting at them one by one as they filed past. ‘Stop!’ Finally, the first one to do was a black Jaguar.

‘What the fuck?’

Nicole had no memory of it being the car she had sideswiped only a few moments before, ‘LAPD, get out of the car.’

The driver remembered her. ‘Oh Jesus… not again.’ The young man was looking almost as desperate as Nicole was. From his carefully styled hair and leather jacket, this was a man who put a lot of time and pride into his appearance. The anger from the damage already known to his car was probably still simmering inside him. ‘This is my car okay… one which you have already damaged today. It is not stolen!’

‘What if I was to say it is now?’ Nicole tried.

‘I’d say fuck you!’ came the quick retort.

‘So this badge means nothing to you then?’ Before he could replied she jumped in. She had no time for arguments. ‘Look mate… how about if you help me out right now, I’ll pay for the repair of all the damages to your car?’

The man’s face changed, ‘all of them?’

‘Yes all of them…’ Nicole insisted becoming impatient but she threw in a flirtatious smile just to try and hasten the deal.

It worked. ‘What do you need?’

Nicole pointed down the freeway as she jumped into the passenger’s side, ‘get after that bus’.

Nicole’s long red hair whipped around her face as the black Jaguar raced through the traffic. She had to admire the driver’s expertise at gliding his car in amongst the traffic as they made good progress. He had certainly heard the urgency in her voice and responded to it. Glancing down at the speedometer her breath was sucked out of her chest as she saw that they were climbing quickly towards 40. ‘Shit…’ she muttered under her breath as she kept her eyes fixed on the bus. It wasn’t far ahead now.

In the bus, Sam looked out gratefully at the open freeway ahead of him as the traffic broke free of incident behind them. It didn’t even occur to him to look down at his speed as he stepped on the gas. The needle had now climbed to 47.

‘Get along side it!’ Nicole ordered the driver as the bus came fully into view. She was also exceedingly relieved that this particular Jaguar had it’s roof down. This was make it much easier to get the bus driver’s attention. At her driver’s slight alarm, she reached across and began honking his horn as loudly as she could. He sunk back into his seat as Nicole’s elbow jerked close to his chest in order to get as much purchase as she could on the centre of his wheel.

A little confused by all the noise, Sam looked through his doors and did a double take as he realised it was the same girl that had been chasing down the bus before, ‘give me a break man… you are not getting on this bus.’ Behind him, people began stirring once again to see what was going on.

With great unease, Nicole stood up in the Jaguar and held up her badge – this time making sure it was in a much firmer grip. ‘I’m a cop!’

With his vision obscured by the thin glass panels in his bus doors and his hearing by the roaring traffic around him, Sam could only gesture at his confusion. His anxiety was beginning to elevate by Nicole’s persistence and his need to keep his eyes on the road. ‘What?’ he cried out. ‘I can’t hear you!’

‘I’m a cop!’ Nicole tried again thrusting her badge forward over her driver’s head. ‘LAPD!’ In the bus, Waverly was both completely bewildered by the behaviour of the woman in the car but also in slight awe of it. She certainly was committed to her cause, whatever that might have been. Her eyes couldn’t help but glance up and down her slender frame as it held firm to keep it’s balance. ‘There’s a bomb on your bus!’

‘There’s a what?’ blurted out the Jaguar’s driver. ‘Fuck!’ He instinctively stooped where he sat as the words echoed in his head.

‘Just keep driving!’ Nicole ordered him. She didn’t have time for him to panic. Looking back at Sam, she could see he was still completely unaware of the message she was trying to get to him. ‘There’s… a… bomb… on… your… bus!’

‘Saying it over and over again is not going to help my nerves lady,’ muttered her driver as remained low gripping his steering wheel a little bit tighter. Every inch of his body wanted him to pull the car away from the bus, but he held strong understanding the work Nicole was trying to do. Nicole dropped back into her seat and began scrabbling around. ‘What now lady?’

‘Pen and paper?’ she asked. He looked lost whilst Nicole more urgent. ‘Have you got any pen and paper?’

He was still perplexed but his brain kicked into gear, ‘glove pocket… grab whatever you need.’ Nicole grabbed the first paper she could find and a pen and began scribbling. The driver saw what paper it was. ‘So she grabs my latest composition…’ he closed his eyes to let the pain pass. ‘You did say she could grab anything…’

‘Get in front of the bus,’ Nicole told him once she had finished writing her message. Her eyes took another look at the speed… 48. Smoothly, the driver stepped on his gas and pulled ahead of the bus. Using his mirror and pulled into it’s lane and sat directly in front of it whilst Nicole stood up once again. Holding onto the seat, she turned herself round so that she was looking directly at Sam, with only a few metres and his windscreen in between them. Nicole readied herself to hold up the paper, but something in the road caused the car to bump and for her to lose her balance. Before he knew it, the Jaguar driver had all of Nicole’s body weight on him. Keeping one hand on the wheel, he used his other to steady her, push her back and help her to regain her balance. As she got back up, Nicole saw the speed… 51. ‘Oh shit shit shit…’

Under the bus a small steel box clung to some piping. Wires twisted themselves between it and other components. One one side was a digital speedometer which clicked from 49 to 50 and next to it a small red light which instantly came on and began blinking. The explosives were armed.

With more urgency, Nicole scrabbled up onto her knees on the seat once again. She ensured the paper was the right way round and held it. However the moment Nicole held it up, the wind whipping past them due to their speed, ripped it from her grasp. It floated and danced through the air between the two vehicles until it came to rest on the windscreen right in front of Sam… now he could see exactly what she had been trying to say as he read the words, ‘BOMB ON BUS’.

Chapter Text

A cold sweat instantly broke out all over Sam’s body as his eyes went wide at the paper still clinging to the windscreen in front of him. It only remained for a few seconds longer then it was whipped away out into the freeway air. As the words sunk in, Sam began to instinctively take his foot off the gas. Slowly the bus’ speed began to decrease 54… 53… 52..

Even from her seat as the Jaguar driver maintained his speed, Nicole could see what was happening. She whirled round to check and could see that if the bus was dropping back it was going slower than the car at 55. ‘No!’ she screamed. Sam’s eyes however were completely glazed over with panic. ‘Don’t slow down!’ She gestured with all her might but she may as well have been invisible. ‘Get alongside again!’ Knowing this was to him, the driver checked the lane and pulled himself into it before slowing down to get alongside. This got Sam’s attention. ‘Open your doors!’ He didn’t hear the words but he must have had the same idea as Sam cranked them open. He and Nicole’s eyes met, ‘stay above fifty!’ she cried. She saw that he heard her as he nodded and pressed his foot down on the gas pedal once again. Feeling a little relief flood over her, Nicole then realised the next thing she needed to do. Calmly she turned to the man next to her, ‘I need you to get as close to that bus as you can…’

‘For what?’ he asked, though a part of him was sure that he didn’t want to hear the answer. He soon got it, as Nicole clambered over the front seats into the back looked towards the open door of the bus. ‘Oh you have to be kidding!’ By the daggered look she gave him, he quickly saw just how serious she was. ‘You are one crazy bitch.’

‘I’m going to take your phone…’ Nicole said as a parting gesture swiping it up from it’s place between the front seats. ‘Just hold it close and steady.’ Her voice was shaking as she spoke but she knew she could not show her fear to those on the bus. They needed her.

‘Lady… if you make this jump and save all those people from a bomb on a bus… you can have my fucking car,’ the Jaguar driver replied before putting his mind to the task.

He glanced in his mirror and slowly pulled his car towards the bus. His heart was pounding in his chest as he tried to ease his Jaguar over and hold the back so that it was as close to the open doors as possible. Beneath them the concrete of the freeway was a brown, grey and white blur as it rushed past. Nicole stuffed the newly acquired phone into her back pocket, readied herself and wished for all the world that the bomb’s speedometer had been set to a much slower speed. The bus’ step was right there in front of her; all she had to do was jump. She took a deep breath and with the wind whistling through her hair she placed one foot on the frame of the car and launched herself forward into the air.

‘Oh my god… did she make it!?’ came Helen’s shrill cries as Nicole disappeared out of sight. Waverly looked out of the window to see the Jaguar pulling away from the bus with Nicole nowhere in sight. She then looked back along the freeway gone behind them. There was no body rolling along the floor.

‘Shit… she must be hanging on!’ Waverly cried as she jumped out of her seat. Once she reached the door, she saw what she feared; Nicole was hanging on for her life her feet scraping along the concrete as she tried to pull herself up. ‘Someone help me!’ Immediately, a strongly built man got to his feet and rushed down the bus. Waverly took one arm and the man the other. Together they hauled Nicole into the bus. As Waverly did so, her legs gave way and Nicole landed on top of her.

The two women needed a few moments to catch their breath before they realised what position in. Their eyes met for a split second until Nicole’s mind clicked straight back onto the serious predicament at hand. ‘I’m so sorry…’ Nicole breathed out as she fumbled herself up.

‘No… no… it’s fine,’ Waverly mumbled as she also got up a little embarrassed and dusted herself off.

‘Thank you… both of you…’ Nicole said with a thankful nod then she turned to Sam and muttered to him so that she could not be heard, ‘you must keep this bus above 50… okay, that is so important.’ She squeezed his arm to give him some reassurance. She couldn’t imagine the terror the man must be feeling. Resuming a professional persona, Nicole turned to face the rest of the passengers including those that had just helped to save her life. ‘Please… take a seat.’ Waverly and her fellow passenger did so without question. Nicole retrieved her badge from her pocket and approached the scared group. ‘My name is Nicole Haught. I am from LAPD. We’ve got a slight situation here. I know you all must have a lot of questions but right now, I have to make a phone call. Please… remain seated and stay calm.’ She knew that that was too much to ask of them in that moment but there were protocols and things she had to put in motion. Returning to the front of the bus she pulled out the phone and dialled.

‘I wish you had just had a hard on for this bus…’ Sam quipped dryly trying to relieve the fear seizing at his chest.

‘Me too man… me too…’ Nicole agreed before hearing the voice she needed, ‘hey Doc!’

In the office, Doc was lolling about in his chair as his sleepy morning had only just began. ‘You better not be calling in sick as I just dragged my ass out of…’

‘Doc… he’s alive…’ Nicole interrupted. ‘… you were right…’

This caused Doc to sit up straight and put his coffee down, ‘what…?’

‘The bomber, the one from the elevator… he’s back Doc…’

‘Oh my god…’ Doc drew in a deep breath. The one thing he had not wanted to be about all of this… was right. ‘What’s the situation now?’

‘There’s a bomb on a bus…’ Nicole told him making sure to keep her voice down. This was not the way to break the news to the passengers who were, to their credit, waiting patiently for her next move to explain the reason for what had happened that morning.

‘Oh what in tarnation is wrong with his guy!?’ Doc shouted down the phone getting the attention of all those around him. ‘Okay…’ he took a deep breath and tried to straight out his thoughts. ‘Okay… where is this bus? Where are you?’

‘Where do you think?’

By the tone of her voice, Doc didn’t even need to ask.

Nicole hoped that when she hung up the phone she would feel a lot better. However, even though things were now in motion back at the station, it still left her in the same situation – standing on a bus which had a bomb attached to it. Calmly, she put the phone back in her pocket and moved forward to approach the passengers once again. As she did so, she didn’t notice Waverly examining her very closely. This was not only to get some sort of a read as to what was going on but because there was something familiar about Nicole to her. Her eyes flitted over Nicole’s long red hair, her brown eyes and soft lips a few times, but she was unable to find the memory.

‘Thank you for waiting,’ Nicole spoke clearly. ‘I had to make that phone call… now things are happening.’ As she spoke, she did not notice the man at the back of the bus looking a little more uneasy than many of the others. He began to twitch and fidget in his seat. ‘If everyone will just remain in their seats, then we’ll be able to defuse… the problem… So please… sit tight.’

‘Get away from me!’ came a scream from the man at the back of the bus. Screams began to echo around the bus as those around him saw that he had a gun in his hand. He pointed it at Nicole. With no gun herself, Nicole could only raise her hands. She looked into his eyes; he looked terrified. He can’t have been more than twenty five years old in baggy jeans, a black t-shirt and arms covered in tattooes.

‘I don’t know you man,’ she said softly. ‘Come on, I’m not here for you… let’s not do this.’

‘Stop the bus!’ the man screamed keeping the gun up.

‘He can’t,’ Nicole told him trying to inch forward without him noticing.

‘Shut up!’

‘Take it easy man,’ came the voice of a passenger next to him.

‘Stop the bus!’ the man with the gun seemed to be getting more frantic by the second causing those around him to become increasingly alarmed. Some tried to move as far away from him as possible squeezing themselves up against the sides of the bus.

‘Look… look…’ Nicole gestured her hands higher into the air to show that she had no intention of attacking the man. ‘Look.. I have no gun. If I did, I would put it away now. I don’t care about your crime. I’m sure that whatever you did… you’re sorry and it’s okay now. Think about it… do you really think I would risk my life and jump onto a bus for just one man? I’m not a cop right now… we’re just two people… hanging out on a bus…’ The man’s eyes seemed to calm and his face with it. Gradually, he appeared to be lowering his gun as he read the sincerity of Nicole’s face. That was until another passenger suddenly took it upon himself to take control of the situation. ‘No!’ The two men bucked and grappled for the gun as one tried to retain possession and the other to take it from him. Nicole rushed forward and also tried to rip the gun from the young man’s vice grip. ‘Get down!’ she screamed at the other passengers but she was too late. Two quick shots pierced the air. At the front of the bus, the partition behind Sam shattered and he lurched forward in his seat. There was a scream from Helen as she saw the blood trickling down his back.

‘Sam!’ Waverly cried leaping up from her chair. The bus swerved to the left as Sam slumped. Waverly toppled into the seats next to her but using one of the vertical bars in the bus she hauled herself up and got to Sam and the wheel. She threw herself over it and pulled the bus back into lane. ‘Someone come and move him!’ Without hesitation, Helen and other passengers came forward and began to drag Sam out of his seat. Watching all this carefully, Nicole had managed to pull the gun out of the young man’s hand and now had him pinned down on the floor. She made sure the gun was safe then stuffed it into her belt at the back of her jeans.

‘He’s bleeding,’ Helen groaned as they lay Sam down on some seats.

Now sitting in the driver’s seat, Waverly looked over the many controls in front of her, ‘I’ve got to stop this thing!’

Still restraining the man, Nicole reacted to his immediately, ‘no… don’t!’ She screamed it so loudly it caused some of those around her to jump. ‘Fifty… stay above fifty!’ Her eyes met the passenger who had helped grapple with the armed man, ‘you got this guy?’ She asked him. She was given a nod as a reply. Without wasting another second, Nicole raced to the front of the bus to where Waverly was still looking to bring the bus to a stop.

‘We have to stop!’ Waverly argued. ‘We’ve got a wounded…’

Terrified of Waverly’s foot on that brake pedal, Nicole’s panic got the better of her, ‘if you slow down, this bus will explode!’ There was a look of disbelief in Waverly’s eyes as Nicole reached her but she could also see that Waverly understood. ‘You must keep this bus above 50.’ Stunned, Waverly looked back at the speedometer and saw that it was on 51 and instantly pressed her foot on the accelerator. Nicole closed her eyes and buckled over for a moment. Jumping onto the bus, the gun in her face, it all just took a few seconds to process. She allowed herself that time then she brought herself back to where she was needed. She addressed the other passengers who were all still gasping or shocked from her revelation. ‘I’m so sorry for you all to here it like that, but there is a bomb on this bus. If we slow down… it’ll blow. If anyone tries to get off… it’ll blow.’

‘Oh this is some bullshit!’ exclaimed the tourist rising from his seat.

‘Are we going to have a problem now?’ Nicole glared at him. His mouth shut and he dropped back into his seat.

‘He’s bleeding bad,’ Helen cried as she pressed a jacket against Sam’s wounds. His eyes were lolling backwards as he stared at the bus’ ceiling. ‘I don’t know what to do, there’s all this blood.’ Her hands were covered in it – a traumatic sight for anyone to see.

‘You’re doing great,’ Nicole reassured her as others continued to help. ‘Just keep on with the pressure.’

Her attention turned back to the new driver who was looking extremely flustered in her new and unexpected position, ‘this is great… a bomb on wheels.’

‘Ma’am, can you handle this bus?’ Nicole asked. A part of her was unable to deal with Waverly’s panic as she gripped the phone praying that it would ring soon, however this young lady was now crucial to the survival of herself and everyone on bored. She would have to find the patience and support for her.

‘’Sure… sure… I can do this,’ Waverly did not sound certain at all. ‘It’s just like driving a really big Pinto!’

‘Can you handle it?’ Nicole said a little unamused. She couldn’t mess around.

‘Yes, yes…’ Waverly snapped back. ‘Is there a plan? Please tell me there’s a plan.’

‘Just for you to drive,’ Nicole told her. ‘We’re okay for now. Just stay above fifty.’

‘I think I got that part,’ Waverly smiled trying to soften the moment. Nicole saw this and she felt the warmth in Waverly’s eyes. It was completely unexpected but it was exactly what she needed. ‘You’re a cop right?’

‘That’s right,’

‘Then I should probably tell you, I’m taking the bus today because I got my driver’s licence revoked…’

‘What for?’ Nicole asked as she dialled a number into the phone.

There was a moment’s pause, ‘… speeding…’ Neither of them could let the irony pass them by as they broke out into tickled grins.

Chapter Text

Banging her hand on the rail at the front of the bus, Nicole willed the phone to ring. It felt like it had been far too long since she had had any word or contact from her colleagues back at the station. There had to be a plan. She needed a plan. Instead, she was standing on a bus wired to explode if Waverly was unable to do the job she needed to do. A job that she had not signed up for when got onto the bus that morning. It was this thought that caused her to take her eyes off the road in front and look over at the young woman with her hands on the wheel who was doing her best to remain calm.

‘How you holding up?’ the officer asked.

‘Oh just peachy,’ Waverly replied. ‘Keeping this bus straight is about as easy to do as my sex life…’

At this Nicole blinked a little taken back, ‘um… I… er…’ she swallowed nervously. ‘wow...’

Waverly closed her eyes a little mortified at herself, ‘sorry… that was… a little brazen.’

‘Please open your eyes…’ Nicole commanded her anxiety elevating. Waverly did so but was still a little too embarrassed to look at Nicole. ‘Thank you…’ Nicole looked down at her phone as she processed what Waverly had actually said. ‘You know… in my experience… when talking to other people of course… not my actual experience, I wouldn’t talk about me, when I’m working… that would be very unprofessional... ‘ she was stumbling nervously over her words, something which did not go unnoticed by the girl in the driver’s seat. ‘Sex lives don’t need to be…’ To Nicole’s relief, as she couldn’t believe that she was even talking this subject, but to Waverly’s annoyance, the phone rang. ‘Hello… Doc… where are we?’

‘We’ve got things moving… there’s people in the air and on their way to you,’ Doc told her as he sat at his desk surrounded by other officer’s listening in. In front on him on the desk was a large array of pieces of paper displaying bomb plans and diagrams. ‘What we need you to do is the check out what we’re dealing with here…’

‘Okay,’ Nicole nodded. ‘Just tell me what to look for.’

‘Look to see if the speedometer as be tampered with… any loose wires?’

Nicole leaned over towards Waverly and craned to see the dashboard, ‘no, it’s clean.’

‘Damn it… it’s going to be under the bus, probably rigged to one of the axels.’

‘I can’t really get under the bus right now Doc… the bus is kinda in motion.’

From behind her came a hoarse grunting as Sam tried to get her attention. He was still lying on the chairs in the care of those around him as they continued to stem his bleeding. For the moment, they had it under control and he was stable.

‘Officer,’ Helen spoke up for him. ‘Hey officer Haught!’

This caught Nicole’s attention and she saw that Sam was pointing to the floor near her feet, ‘access panel… on the floor…’ he wheezed out.

Nicole nodded and acted instantaneously. She dropped to the floor and began to unscrew it. It came away easily to reveal the freeway speeding past beneath them. ‘Hold this…’ she thrust the phone into the hands of the surprised tourist. Nicole went to look under the panel but could see the uneasiness in his eyes. ‘Look at me…’ He did so. ‘What’s your name?’

‘Stephens.’

‘You got this…’ Nicole assured him. ‘All I need you to do is tell the man on the end of that phone what I see… can you do that?’

‘I can do that,’ he nodded.

Nicole tapped him on the knee then dropped to her stomach. With the other passengers watching on, she lowered herself into the hole so that she could see a little way under the bus. At the front of the bus, from her perspective, as Nicole’s legs stretched out back to her, Waverly was enjoying the view.

‘Not helping with keeping the bus or my thoughts straight here Officer Haught…’ she muttered to herself.

Inching forward, Nicole lowered herself a little more. She peered through the darkness and tangling of pipes and metal then she saw it, ‘Okay Stephens… I see a pretty big wad.’

‘There’s a pretty big wad,’ Stephens repeated as instructed.

‘Brass fittings, I think I can reach the circuit wire…’ Nicole went on.

‘She can reach the circuit wire…’ Stephens told Doc.

‘No don’t!’ Doc cried. ‘That would be a decoy!’

‘Your man says don’t… it could be a decoy…’

‘Your man?’ Doc frowned at the other end but shook it off quickly. ‘What else can she see?’

‘What else can you see?’ Stephens called down to Nicole. He was getting into his new role.

‘It’s hard to see with the tank and wires… hold on…’ she adjusted her grip of the panel, shuffled forward on her stomach and was able to lower herself just a few more centimetres. This meant she could see just a little further as her line of sight cleared most of the obstructions. The undercarriage closer to the front came into view and it caused her heart to stop, ‘fuck me…’

Stephens paused and relayed this back to Doc, ‘oh darn…’

Nicole stared at the obscene mass of wires, plastic and metal that had been almost sewn into the very fabric and workings off the bus. There was no easy fix here – Fisk had made sure of that. Also attached to one of the fittings was a gold watch; it was old and some of the gold plating had flaked off to reveal the grey underneath.

Nicole pulled herself out of the hole and grabbed the phone off a slightly startled Stephens, ‘Doc… there’s enough C4 to put a hole in the world.’

‘Okay… I hear you… I just stay calm… what else can you tell me?’ His voice might have been calm but his face read like many of those around him, of complete horror. Some had their heads in their hands. They knew this man; they knew he meant business with this bomb.

‘Three triggers,’ Nicole replied. ‘One on the axle, I can’t really see, a cellular remote and a timer running off a wrist watch.’

Doc stopped a bit confused, ‘a watch? What kind of watch?

‘Too far to see. Gold band… kinda cheesy.’

‘Officer…’ The voice was distant and easily ignored.

‘What’s on your mind Doc?’ Nicole asked as she continued to sit on the floor of the bus trying to collect her thoughts.

‘Officer…’

Nicole still didn’t react to the voice coming from the front as she listened to Doc start to explain himself.

‘Officer Hot-stuff! Now!’ Waverly screamed.

The passengers exchanged a few bemused looks at the cry as Nicole scrambled to her feet and raced to the front of the bus. It wasn’t long before she saw the reason behind Waverly’s panic. Not far beyond them was a sea of brake lights.

Nicole thought quickly, ‘get on the hard shoulder,’ she pointed, Waverly nodded and pulled the bus over. It veered behind the queueing traffic and blasted past it. This alleviation was momentary as up ahead they saw a stalled car being pulled onto a tow truck.

‘Get off or stay on?’ Waverly asked her heart rate rising.

‘Shit,’ Nicole tried to think.

Waverly tried to squeeze the bus between the tow truck and the slow lane. She hit the car on back, sent it flying over the front of the truck. Gripping hard onto the wheel, she kept going, sideswiping several cars. The sound of crunching metal hit everyone on board causing some to cover their ears.

‘Nicole… what now?’

‘Get off! Off!’

They had no choice, the traffic was simply too thick. Waverly steered the bus off the freeway and onto the exit ramp. Every part of her knew that this was not a good development. It roared down the off-ramp, slamming into the water barrels as it struggled for room. Far head, cars were stopped at the light. The ramp was a single lane. Waverly kept the bus pinned to the side causing it to jump the curb, taking out roadway signs, reflectors and car mirrors.

‘If this was a video game… I’d be having so much fun…’ Waverly quipped through her fear.

The bottom of the ramp came into view and it made the joke vanish quickly. There was a right light and heavy cross traffic. Across their view, cars whistled past. Automatically, Waverly’s foot hovered over the brake. She simply couldn’t see anywhere to go. Nicole however remembered their situation and stamped her foot down on top of Waverly’s. Waverly didn’t have time to register the pain as the bus rocketed through the intersection. She held her breath along with a lot of the other passengers, who for the last few minutes had been clinging on for dear life as they knew thrown about.

Once through the intersection, having miraculously avoided any major collisions, the road was clear for about half a mile ahead. It was a welcome sight. Slowly Waverly let her grip of the wheel loosen a little as she and Nicole shared slight relieved smiles. As they did so, unbeknownst to them up ahead, a woman with a pram was preparing to cross the road as she waved goodbye to a friend.

In the bus, Nicole’s phone rang, ‘hi… yes hi Nedley, where have you been? We had to bail on the freeway, we’re in the city!’

Up above in a helicopter, Nedley sat next to the driver looking out of the window with a map of the city across his lap. His eyes darted across the landscape of buildings and roads below until finally they found their target, ‘I can see you Nicole,’ he said into his mouth piece as he nodded to the pilot to stick with the bus. ‘Keep going straight, we’re going to clear the roads for you…’ he went on. ‘We’ll get you out Haught.’

‘Please do Nedley… if we hit anything and slow down…’

‘I know… we’re working on it as fast as we can…’ he looked down at his map to pinpoint the bus’ exact location as on another line, which he could hear, patrol cars were guided in to create a protective shield around it.

Waverly could see and hear the patrol cars in the background slowly gaining on them, ‘oh great… my favourite situation… flashing lights in my mirrors whilst I’m speeding…’

His fingers stroking his moustache, Doc’s eyes skimmed over the evidence from Fisk’s last job. There are dozens of diagrams and photographs but none of it was making sense. Beside him Jeremy was looking just as bewildered.

‘I don’t get it,’ Jeremy said after silence had fallen over them for a long time.

‘A watch is a shitty timer. Why use it? What is he saying?’ Doc sighed.

‘Lot’s of people have watches Doc,’ Jeremy pointed out; though by the look he received from Doc he realised the comment had been rather unhelpful.

Doc returned to looking at the desk, ‘this guy has no M.O. Bombers fall in love with one kind of bomb and they're very monogamous. This guy uses C4, dynamite, different trigger every time, now he throws in this watch.’

‘He’s an encyclopedia,’ Jeremy agreed. ‘He knows every kind.’

A look of slow realisation came over Doc, ‘… and everything we do to dismantle them. Jeremy, I want to look at files from the last, say, ten years…’

‘We did mug shots Doc…’

‘No… I want to look at cops.’

Chapter Text

Waverly grimaced again as they tore through another junction. Every time Waverly saw cars and couldn’t stop, she felt sick to her stomach waiting for the worst to happen. Beside her, Nicole held onto the front rail and tried to help in any way that she could. But her job was to wait for the phone to ring to find out what was going to happen next. As she stared ahead, Bob flitted back into her mind. She saw his kind smile and heard his gentle laugh. Although she did not care for any of these passengers as much as she had cared for Bob, she was not going to allow them to suffer the same fate.

‘You alright there?’

The sound of Waverly’s soft tones pulled Nicole back into the bus and out of her thoughts, ‘yeah… I’m fine… just thinking about someone…’

Waverly felt a little pinch in her stomach at the words, but wasn’t given the time to think about it as a garbage truck pulled out in front of them. ‘Oh Jiminy Crickets!’ she cried pulling the bus over hard to the left. She has no choice but to swerve into oncoming traffic. The bus dodged oncoming cars, trucks and other buses, bumping into a few. The silver colour of the metal bus’ body work was now showing plenty of dents and scuffs. Clear of the garbage truck, Waverly pulled the bus back over right and suddenly the woman with the pram was there. ‘Oh my god!’ Waverly had no time to react as the woman stepped off the curb and out from behind a white van. Screaming, she closed her eyes as the impact happened. The bus slammed into the pram; the woman able to just jump clear. The force of the bus sent the pram flying high into the air and sailing past as the bus kept reeling forward.

Nicole couldn’t help but look back as beside her Waverly continued to scream covering her face with her hands. Nicole had already grabbed the wheel as she saw the pram hit the floor and dozens of cans came spilling out of it. The woman who had been pushing the pram came into view waving her hands in the air furiously at the bus. Now Nicole knew that this was not in horror and grief but in annoyance that her illegal haul from the local store had been not only discovered but destroyed.

‘Cans…’ Nicole said with a smile as she turned back to Waverly.

‘What?’ Waverly asked still hysterical. ‘I just hit a baby!’

‘No… no you didn’t…’

‘I didn’t?’ Now Waverly dared to look back still not believing her.

‘No… the pram was full of cans.’ Nicole told her again still having to steer the bus as Waverly grappled with this information.

‘Cans?’ They were too far gone for Waverly to see what the officer had seen. Waverly simply had to believe her words. Nicole nodded in reply. ‘Really?… oh my god… no baby?’

‘Nope… no baby,’ at this Waverly let out a shriek of delight and threw her arms around Nicole as the officer kept her hands on the wheel. ‘Er… ma’am…’

‘Oh sorry…’ Waverly let go quickly and took back control of the wheel. She was still catching her breath but she was able to break into a little smile of her own.

‘Are you alright?’

‘Yeah…’ Waverly adjusted herself in the seat and shook herself off. ‘… just doing my bit to fight crime you know…’ she cleared her throat and was determined to regain her composure.

Nicole could tell that Waverly was a little embarrassed, ‘I think anyone would have reacted the way you did then…’

‘What scream and hug a cop?’ Waverly quipped.

Waverly had Nicole there, ‘I was just the nearest person…’

‘Yeah… that was totally it… proximity was totally the factor there…’ Waverly gave Nicole a coquettish sideways glance. She could hardly believe she had done it once it had happened. She blamed the adrenaline running through her after the near miss.

A little flustered, Nicole looked away back to the road, ‘Waverly watch out!’

Blissfully unaware, a group of school children had walked out into the road around a bin which was blocking the side walk. Once again, Waverly was forced to swerve the bus out into oncoming traffic to avoid them. The cars coming her way veered out of the way, some onto the curb and others into signs. ‘Why aren’t you in school!?’ Waverly shrieked at them when she was back in the correct lane. ‘Jesus… do you think there’s some higher power up there just throwing these things at me? See how I cope?… well fuck you higher power!’ Nicole couldn’t help but laugh. Waverly found a half smile but she was being serious – it would just take one of these things to cause the ultimate disaster. ‘Can’t your eyes in the sky get us out of here?’

With a nod, Nicole dialled into the phone, ‘Nedley… we’re boned… you’ve got to get us out of here… now.’

‘I know,’ came his reassuring voice. ‘Just keep straight.’

Waverly couldn’t help but overhear this, ‘… hasn’t he got the memo that I find that quite difficult…’ She always liked using humour to break through what might be an overwhelming situation. The sight of Nicole’s eyes briefly meeting hers and the sound of the patrol cars finally catching up to them helped to ease the stress. They now had their protective shield as they continued to bomb along the roads sending car after car reeling.

‘Nicole… there’s another entrance in about two miles…’ he paused. ‘You’ve got to make an ugly turn though…’

‘How ugly?’

‘What’s ugly?’ Waverly asked. She would have made another joke but the solemnity in Nicole’s voice stopped her.

Nicole listened to a little more information on the phone before filling Waverly in, ‘we’ve got a hard right coming up… at the construction site.’

Craning her neck, Waverly raised herself up as far as she could whilst maintaining speed and looked ahead. She could see the construction site as it was just visible. She could not see the turn. ‘That’s a dead end.’

‘Nedley says there’s a turn,’ she too raised herself up as far as she could to look.

As they grew closer the turn came more into view, but Nedley was right, it was ugly. At full speed a patrol car took it and nearly wiped out. This did not fill Waverly or Nicole with any confidence. Another followed more smoothly but it too does not make it easily.

‘Are you kidding me? I can’t make that!’ Wavery cried gesturing angrily at it.

‘Keep left…’ Nicole said.

‘You what…’

‘Keep left… take it wide…’ Nicole pointed to show her.

‘Oh shitty shit shits,’ Waverly muttered as she did as she was told. A horrible realisation grew within her. ‘We’re going to tip over…’

Nicoled looked and saw that Waverly was absolutely right, ‘oh my god… we’re going to tip over…’ she whirled round to address the passengers who were still clinging on for dear life. ‘Everyone get to this side of the bus!’ The passengers hesitated. Most felt like they simply couldn’t take any more. ‘Now!’ At Nicole’s stern order they moved, all scrambling over the right side of the bus and squeezing together. Those who knew each other clung on in embraces and shared looks, they were all terrified. ‘Move over as far as you can…’ Nicole could see their expressions. ‘It’s going to be okay…’ She forced a smile, ‘it’s going to be okay…’ She could see that her words had helped a little then turned back to Waverly who was easing her foot off the accelerator to as far as it was safe. ‘Nedley, you better clear the site…’ Nicole said into the phone which had remained on.

‘Oh fudgenuggets!’ Waverly grabbed the wheel and the bus dived into the turn. ‘Hold on!’
The passengers were thrown straightaway; most were able to hold on but some were scattered out of their seats. As the bus careered into the corner, the wheels screeched on the pavement and one wheel lifted off the ground. Some of the passengers screamed as they felt this movement whilst others held their breath. Waverly began to grit her teeth as she felt that she was losing grip and control of the turn of the bus. The muscles in her arms pulsed as she strained to keep the bus on its trajectory. Nicole noticed her struggle and joined her at the wheel holding on and keeping it turned all the way. Their arms crossed over as they worked together holding the bus in the turn. It feels like an age but as they do so, the bus’ wheels hit the ground again and they’ve made it. The bus had made the turn and missed any possible collision with the construction site. Carefully, they allow the wheel to spin back a little so the bus is once again travelling in a straight line with all four wheels on the floor and the site disappearing behind them.

‘We’re okay!’ Nicole called back to the passengers. Although none of them looked relieved as they staggered back to their feet and back to their original seats, she was sure they were.

Helen looked as white as a sheet, ‘good Lord… we might have been… I can’t think…’

Stephens helped her to a seat and sat down beside her, it’s okay… if you need to… you can go right ahead a vomit…’

On much smoother road the bus soared up the on-ramp and they were back on the freeway. This caused everyone to breathe just a little easier as they now only had to worry about the road in front of them and making sure that Waverly kept that speedometer firmly above 50. Something she was making sure of as she pressed on the pedal and took the speed up to 55.

‘You did good,’ Nicole said to Waverly as they enjoyed a few moments of calm.

‘Thank you…’ Waverly smiled. ‘Though for a moment I thought we were goners… some of the things I’ve always wanted to do and never got to yet flashed before my eyes… like eating geoduck.’

Waverly said it so nonchalantly that Nicole wasn’t even quite sure she’d heard that right, ‘isn’t that the one that looks like a…’

‘Yes it is… and I know, gross… but it’s always good to know you’re going to be alive to have that option, that choice… I mean, what if I die and I’ve never eaten geoduck?’

‘Many people have…’ Nicole chuckled.

‘Well then, in my opinion, their lives were one geoduck experience emptier…’ she could see that Nicole was still unconvinced but allowed it to slide as she wanted to find out more about the alluring lady which stood beside her. ‘Anything that flashed before your eyes that you haven’t done yet but want to?’

‘Not really…’ Nicole replied without thinking. She saw quickly that this displeased Waverly as she was not playing along. She thought for a moment. ‘Getting a cat… I’ve always wanted a cat.’ This was again not adventurous enough for the game Waverly wanted to play. She rolled her eyes to signal Nicole to think again. ‘I don’t think this is the time or place for us to be discussing our deepest desires ma’am…’

‘Waverly…’

‘What?’

‘It’s my name,’ Waverly smiled. ‘As opposed to ma’am… it makes me sound like you’re talking to my mother.’ Nicole nodded absorbing the information and their eyes met again. This time they lingered with new intrigue and curiosity. If it wasn’t for the police helicopter that came into view behind Nicole, Waverly could have very happily stayed there. There was calm and kindness in the officer’s eyes unlike the situation which they found themselves in. Instead, she was pulled away from the momentary escape and the sting of fear in her chest rushed back in. ‘Maybe that person flashed before your eyes…’

‘What person?’ Nicole frowned.

‘That you were thinking of before…’ Waverly was gently trying to dig. She could tell that this officer was quite a secretive person, but her own interest and curiosity were getting the better of her.

Nicole needed to think for a moment, then she remembered, ‘oh… Bob’. A wave of sadness came over her as she said his name. ‘A friend… he died this morning.’

Waverly pushed down her inescapable selfish relief and let concern take over, ‘what happened?’

‘The same bastard that has happened to us…’ Nicole told her. ‘He had to show me that he meant business… so he blew up another bus this morning. With my friend on it.’

‘Oh my god, I’m so sorry…’ Waverly wanted to reach across and take Nicole’s hand but the officer was standing just a little too far away. ‘Why is all this happening? Did we bomb this guy’s country or something?’

‘It’s just a guy that wants money,’ Nicole sighed knowing how ridiculous that sounded.

‘No… I don’t buy it,’ Waverly went on questioningly. ‘This is not a good way to make money. Odds are, we’d be dead already. What’s this guy’s deal?’

Nicole could see that not much would get past this intuitive young woman, ‘a while back this guy held some people for ransom in an elevator. It went sour and now he’s pissed at the police force… and for some reason… he’s chosen to take it out on me. We all thought he was dead. I wasn’t there when it all happened, but he didn’t get his money and was in an elevator shaft escaping the police team who had cornered him when he detonated a bomb. There was a huge explosion, knocked them all off their feet but they never found his body. They figured there just wasn’t enough left to find due to the power of the blast that went up the shaft. My partner on the force, Doc, said that he really was a man who would stop at nothing to get his pay day. Now he’s back, alive, and he wants to get paid. It’s game… if he gets the money, he wins… if the bus blows… he wins.’

‘So what happens if you win?’

It was a thought that Nicole hadn’t even considered, she was already resigned to putting off the worst for as long as possible. She’d seen Bob’s bus; it was haunting her. She looked at Waverly sadly but with a forced smile of almost surrender, one that any police officer, acting or retired, would know, ‘tomorrow I’ll play another one.’

Chapter Text

Jeremy and Doc stood hunched over a computer as the cop sitting at the keyboard caused the images on the screen to change from one to the next. They were mug shots and none of them were what they were looking for. Pained and frustrated, Doc straightened and rubbed his eyes with his fingers.

‘We’ve got no match for that description,’ the cop at the computer explained as he continued flicking through the faces. ‘No one has lost a thumb, at least for the last ten years…’

‘He could be from anywhere,’ Jeremy suggested as Doc looked blank of ideas.

‘I can’t access all that…’ the cop replied.

‘Forget the files…’ he turned to Jeremy. ‘I want you to go through the pension fund. This guys drawing disability. He may not be L.A.P.D. But he's living here now.’ Jeremy nods and headed off obediently. ‘I want pictures!’ Doc called after him. ‘I’ve seen this asshole.’

Doc’s mind filled with the last images he had of Fisk. It was as if he was standing in that high rise elevator lobby all over again. Fisk had drawn them there after his hostage plan had been foiled. Doc could remember the wrath in Fisk’s eyes as he waved the detonator in front of his face threateningly. Doc had so greatly wanted to apprehend the man where he stood, but no one knew where the bomb had been planted. Instead, they had to obey his manic screams as he told them to get back. Arms raised, Doc did as asked and took a few steps back before watching as Fisk dove into the elevator shaft and moments later it fill with flames and smoke.

‘It should be me out there,’ Doc muttered to himself as he thought of Nicole; she was innocent in this matter. This wasn’t about her capabilities. It was about settling a score – the score between himself and Fisk. Now with others in the fray, he would have to ensure he did everything he could for it to come down on the right side.

Slowly, Nicole made her way down the bus as she took some time to check on their well being. Most were shaken and extremely afraid. She took the time to check their bumps and scrapes and tried to reassure them once again that they would get off the bus safely. Sam was also still stable as he lay on the chairs with jackets pressed against his wounds and supporting his head. Whilst the bus was running on smoother ground, he was taking the time to close his eyes and try to reserve his energy, He had appreciated a brief visit from Nicole and she checked in on him also.

Suddenly, taking Nicole by surprised, a flat bed truck pulled up alongside the bus. She rushed back to the front as Waverly opened the doors. The sight of ten officers standing on the back of the parallel vehicle was welcome one to all on the bus. Carefully, Nicole made her way on the steps to get closer to Nedley who was among the officers.

‘Let’s start getting the passengers off the bus…’ he called.

Panic gripped Nicole instantly, ‘we can’t do that sir.’

‘No time for stunts or being the hero Haught,’ Nedley shot back firmly. ‘Time to get those people out of harm’s way.’

‘I’ve got orders,’ Nicole insisted. She points up at the many choppers circling overhead. ‘We move these people, he’ll see. Crazy, not stupid remember?’

Nedley scowled not liking Nicole’s answer but he realised that he had to accept it. ‘Doc is working on finding this guy. We think he might have once been police…’

‘Jesus…’ Nicole inhaled.

‘Hey!’ the call came from the truck’s cab where another officer sat. ‘It’s him… he wants to speak to Nicole.’

‘Give him the number,’ Nedley called back.

Nicole nodded to Nedley knowing her phone would ring imminently. When she did she looked at Sam again, ‘how’s he doing?’ One of the passengers tending him only had to look at Nicole to tell that although the bleeding had slowed, he was running out of time.

‘Are they going to help us?’ Helen asked Nicole indicating to the officers they could all see out of the window.

‘Sure they are. They're the police. Hey, your taxes are paying their salary. If we die they gotta take a pay cut!’ Stephens laughed, but no one laughed with him. He saw straight away that his choice of words had been very badly chosen. ‘I mean…’

Stephens is relieved when Nicole’s phone rings and she put it to her ear, ‘yeah…’

‘Nicole, I think we have trust, but it looks on the TV like you're trying to get those passengers off the bus…’

The sound of his voice caused the anger to rise up inside her, but she swallowed it down. ‘You’ve got to let me have one…’

‘Now… we went over the rules…’

‘Come on… as an act of faith,’ Nicole pushed. ‘We’ve got a wounded man here… there driver has been shot.’

She could hear laughter at the end of the phone, ‘Nicole! Tell me you haven't been shooting the passengers. I thought it was customary for a police officer to shoot the bad men? No one gets off.’

‘Come on! This guy has no time. It'll grease the wheels with the money men if you show a little charity. There's still gonna be plenty of us to kill.’

There was a long pause. ‘Okay, fine. You can try unload the driver.’ The voice was full of condemnation for this allowance. ‘Tell the wildcat behind the wheel not to slow down, though, or he won't get the chance to bleed to death.’

As soon as the phone was hung up, Nicole crossed the bus to the passengers, ‘we’re going to get Sam off.’

‘Just him?’ Helen asked her voice shrill.

‘For now…’ her eyes scanned the passengers for the strongest looking men. Her eyes came to rest on a disengaged man with a sleeveless ripped denim jacket and black hair pulled back into a pony tail. ‘Hey… gigantor…’

‘Ortiz,’ he said gruffly. As he rose his size became even more apparent.

Nicole looked up at him slightly intimidated, she swallowed nervously and cleared her throat, ‘I’m going to need your help Ortiz.’

‘Okay,’ he nodded without argument.

‘What about the rest of us?’ Helen said to the air while everyone else’s focus was on Nicole and Ortiz.

Nicole went to the door to flag down Nedley, ‘he’s letting us get the driver off!’ she shouted. ‘Get as close as you can!’ Nedley put his hand up to show the message had been received and began shouting orders at his officer in the cab. Slowly the flat bed truck began to drift over. Upon seeing this, Nicole retreated back into the bus and over to Sam. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Like I’ve been shot,’ he croaked.

‘Okay… we this isn’t going to feel good…’ Nicole looked at Ortiz who marched forward. He put his arms under Sam’s so that he could support Sam’s head on his shoulder. Nicole bent down to pick up Sam’s feet but she realised that she was not going to be strong enough. She looked down the bus. To her surprise the man who had caused Sam to get shot got to his feet and came forward. Nicole stepped back so that he could pick up Sam’s feet and begin to move him closer to the door. Nicole and Ortiz shared a look, one of a little admiration, it was clear the kid was trying to make amends.

A groan of pain pierced the air as they got Sam to the door. Nedley and a group of officer’s are waiting only a few metres from them. ‘Get me closer Waverly,’ Nicole called to her driver. Nervously, Waverly inched the bus over and held it as steady as she could. Her hands were shaking; now there really was a life in the balance and it was someone she cared about. Through all the months of having to take the bus, Sam had made it that little more bearable. She tried to keep her eyes on the road but she couldn’t help but watch as Ortiz and the young man pushed Sam further out. Sam held his arms out despite the pain so that they could be grabbed by those on the truck. Gradually, the officer’s were able to grab more and more of him as the pavement rushed by underneath them. ‘Just don’t look down Sam,’ Nicole instructed him. Sam instead had his eyes firmly on Nedley who was coaxing him forward. Finally, Sam was able to put his full weight on the truck and the officer’s pulled him on board. He collapsed immediately but he was safe.

Everyone on board collapsed themselves in gasps of relief or into embraces. Nicole patted the shoulders of the two men as they made their way back into the bus. She pulled back the young man and shook his hand with genuine gratitude. It was clear that he was still ashamed of his earlier actions as he avoided eye contact but he accepted the hand shake. As the group made their way back to the other passengers, no one noticed that a figure was going forward towards the open door.

‘Wait!’ screamed Helen after the truck as it began to pull away.

‘No Helen!’ Waverly shouted as Helen stepped down onto the first step off the bus. Her face was etched in panic as she stretched out to the officer’s that were slipping out of reach.

‘Help me please!’ Helen cried out.

Instinctively and not fully briefed one of the cops on the bus waved at her to jump. This only drowned out Waverly’s pleas coming from behind her as she saw her escape.

‘No!’ Horrified at the events unfolding, Nicole raced to the front of the bus.

Helen reached out further, her finger tips were only inches away from the cop who was still encouraging her to jump onto the truck. Then without any warning, he and those around him were knocked off his feet. Blown back, Nicole fell into Waverly and bus swerved across the lanes as Waverly took the impact. Gaining her balance quickly, Nicole threw herself forward and tried to grab Helen before she disappeared but she was too late. The bus jumped sickeningly and Nicole covered her eyes knowing what had caused it. Waverly and all the other passengers had felt it too. None of them looked back to see Helen’s body lying lifeless in the middle of the freeway.

For a moment there was nothing as Nicole sat back and stared at the space where the steps and Helen had just been. Now there was only twisted metal and a gap from where the explosion had taken the steps away. Still feeling the jump of the bus, Waverly was hyperventilating as she kept her eyes locked on the road. Slowly, she was able to calm her breathing but it remained heavy and strained.

In a daze, Nicole picked up her phone and dialled, ‘Nedley, get those fucking choppers off my ass!’

Chapter Text

Nicole let her eye lids drop, leant her head back and collected her thoughts. Like Waverly, there was only one sound and sensation pouring through them. It was as if someone was replaying the moment over and over again. Slowly, as she knew it was the only way to make it stop, she pulled herself back to her feet and turned herself away from the door. Her eyes fell on Waverly, who was trying not to cry.

‘Are you okay?’

Waverly swallowed as a tear escaped down her cheek, ‘no…’

‘What do you need?’ Nicole asked.

Waverly took a moment and brushed some hair off her face. It was sticking to her cheeks as the tears began to run more freely. Seeing that Waverly was struggling with having to keep her hands on the wheel, she began to help, gently tucking strands behind Waverly’s ears. Waverly felt a little comforted by the feel of Nicole’s soft fingers across her skin.

‘When that bomb went off…’

‘I know…’

‘When it blew, I thought that was it, I thought that was the bomb and I was dead, and... when I saw her fall under the bus, I was…’ she paused, the shame was sucking the words back into her mouth and down her throat.

Nicole could see the guilt building in Waverly’s face so said it for her, ‘… you were glad you were still alive.’

‘Oh god,’ she covered her mouth with one hand. ‘I’m so so sorry…’

‘Don't be. You should be glad. We all are. That doesn't mean you don't care. It means you're a human being.’ She lowered herself a little so Waverly could see her face more easily. She wanted Waverly to see the sincerity on her face so the words would have the weight of meaning she intended. ‘A very brave human being… who’s doing a fucking great job of holding it together right now.’

‘You’re swearing a lot more now…’ Waverly pointed out.

‘Yeah… well, I’m pissed off…’ there was indignation in her voice as she spoke. Waverly knew it wasn’t directed at her. ‘Helen was a nice lady who didn't deserve to get killed. But Waverly, if she'd gotten off he would have killed us all. He's the asshole, Waverly, the guy who put us here. Remember that. Okay?’

‘Do they teach you how to talk to hysterical hostages in cop school?’ she asked feeling a little better after Nicole’s kind words.

‘No it’s mostly how to tie knots and build fires… stuff like that…’ Nicole joked. ‘And climbing… I really enjoyed the climbing.’ They were locked again in another gaze as Waverly appreciated the effort Nicole was going to comfort her. She still couldn’t get the sound of the explosion and the sight of Helen disappearing out of her mind, but Nicole’s deep brown eyes and soft lips were serving as ample distraction. Pulled in by the gaze, Nicole moved closer to Waverly and placed a hand on her shoulder. Waverly sighed into it as Nicole gently squeezed her fingers together. She wanted to take her opposite hand and lay it on top of Nicole’s but a mixture of nerves and attention to her duty kept her hands fixed on the wheel. Alternatively, she enjoyed the calmness that the simple touch was enabling her body to feel. ‘We should be okay for now.’

With the traffic clear and nothing but freeway in front of them the bus was safe to continue travelling at the required speed without having to worry about any sudden traffic or pedestrians which might unwittingly sabotage them. All that lay ahead was grey and beige concrete, the traffic having been cleared, and the choppers circling ahead in the pure blue sky. Considering what they had all just been put through over the last half an hour, it was a very welcome sight.

‘Oh my god… are you serious?’ On the flat bed truck the calm had been punctured by some information that had come over the radio. The officer in the truck’s cab was receiving this news. ‘Are you sure? How far?’ He strained round to shout out of the cab’s back window. ‘Sir!’ Nedley reacted and came nearer. ‘We have a serious problem.’

‘What?’ Nedley was already bracing himself.

The officer swallowed nervously, he almost didn’t want to say it, ‘the freeway isn’t finished.’

Nedley stared at him for a moment, ‘Norwood… what the hell are you talking about?’

‘The choppers caught it... it’s about three miles ahead. There's a section missing.’

Nedley fumbled with his map confounded. His irritation was only worsened by the wind smashing against the paper making it hard for him to hold out flat. ‘But it’s on the map…’ Nedley shouted hitting the place on the paper with his hand. ‘It’s on the goddam map!’

‘I guess they fell behind.’

‘Fuck! Fuck… fuck… FUCK!’ Nedley threw the map down which was instantly whipped away by the wind. If it had glaring errors in it such as this, it was completely useless to him. ‘You're fired, everybody's fucking fired!’ He gathered himself to enable more productive thoughts. ‘How big a section?’

‘Fifty feet… at least.’

Norwood could see that Nedley was about to lose his mind, but the professional took a few moments and deep breaths before turning back to the cab, ‘get me closer to the bus.’ Norwood relayed this to the driver who once again moved his truck closer to the bus which was maintaining a steady straight line. Nedley inched closer to the bus’ door which got Nicole’s attention. Nedley gestured her to come closer. Nicole gave Waverly’s shoulder another gentle squeeze before leaving her side and approaching her superior. ‘Nicole…’ Nedley kept his voice down so he could not be heard by the other people in the bus. ‘There’s a gap in the road ahead… it’s big.’

Nicole felt like she’d been punched in the face, ‘you’re kidding…’

Nedley could only pile on the bad news, ‘fifty feet, it's in the interchange, somewhere after the next turn.’

‘What the hell do we do?’

Nedley looked down the bus through the windows at the scared faces, ‘we get them off somehow…’

‘We can’t do that…’ her eyes told him to remember what had just happened to Helen; Nedley understood. ‘Give me a minute… I need to think…’ She turned away from Nedley and resumed her position at Waverly’s side. All she could see in front of her was completed freeway, no indication that there was any kind of problem. She couldn’t think through this by herself. ‘Waverly… there’s a gap in the freeway up ahead… in a couple of miles…’

‘Ut summa stupri balls,’ Waverly spat out. She caught Nicole’s bemused look. ‘That’s total fucking balls in Latin… or something like that...,’ Waverly told her before looking for a way out. ‘Well, what if I, uh, shift to neutral and keep the engine revving high?

‘He’d have thought of that…’

‘Well what then?’

Nicole didn’t have an answer until she looked ahead again and saw where the gap was now it had come into sight, ‘floor it.’

‘What?… no!’

‘Yes! It's an overpass, there might be an incline. Floor it!’

Looking ahead also, Waverly could now see what Nicole meant. As the road bent to the right, it was slowly inclining and it gave them a chance. There was no option to bring the bus to a stop. It was all they had. The fear rising in her stomach once again, she pressed down on the pedal and the bus began to pick up speed.

‘What the hell is going on man?’ Ortiz called sensing that something was wrong.

In her panic and focus on Waverly and the gap, Nicole has forgotten about those behind her. ‘There’s a gap in the road ahead. We have to jump it.’ Various reactions went around the bus mostly accompanied by groans and tears. People looked at each other, realizing these were the last faces they were probably going to see. ‘I want everybody to hold onto the seat in front of them or to whatever is nearest. Put your heads down.’

‘Is this really going to work?’ Stephens asked.

‘I hope so…’ she didn’t know what else to say. ‘We have to try.’ As she made her way back up to the front, the passengers behind her prepared themselves. Some held onto the bars in front of them, some held onto each other. Out of the front windscreen, Nicole could now see construction site signs and lights as they signalled to the unfinished road. Waverly had now taken the bus up to 60 and still climbing. The flat bed truck behind them could only bring itself to stop and watch as the bus disappeared up the incline towards the gap. Some of the officers couldn’t help but mumble prayers under their breath. ‘Keep the speed up,’ Nicole told Waverly as her heart began to race. She looked down at the speedometer and saw that Waverly was doing just that… 66...67...68. ‘Hold on!’ The bus smashed through the barrier and hit the gap. With the last push of 71, the bus left the freeway and was airborne.

As the bus started to sail through the air, Nicole threw herself over Waverly to push her down. Waverly ensured that she kept her hands planted on the wheel but pushed her face down into it. The officers on the flat bed and the news crews in the helicopters watched and held their breath. It was clear it was going to make the gap but what was unknown was how it was going to come down on the other side. The front end began to dive and it hit the concrete hard on the other side of the gap. Everyone in the bus was thrown forward causing some screams and cries of pain and fright. The tires did not burst and they rolled up the freeway surface and kept moving. The tail end followed behind slamming into the freeway causing sparks to fly up around all sides. Some passengers cover their ears at the horrible grinding noise caused by the impact. Finally the back wheels were down and the bus was in tact and still driving forward… they had made it.

Back on the flat bed truck the cops behind Nedley had already started cheering as the bus rolled on down the other side of the gap. Nedley himself could hardly believe what he had seen. A new admiration for Nicole and everyone on that bus was beginning to take hold within him. He’d known Officer Haught for less than a year but she was starting to look like an incredible member of the force.

Hearing the cheering coming from the passengers, Nicole and Waverly dared to look up. It took them a moment to believe what they were seeing as they cruised down the incline and the gap. ‘Are you okay?’ Nicole asked as she got her bearings. She had taken a little knock to the head which was making her dizzy.

‘Yeah…’ Waverly breathed checking the speedometer. It had fallen sharply since their landing but she had caught it in time before it dipped below 55. ‘… I’m alright.’

‘You’re the man Annie,’ shouted Ortiz as he realised just how well she had done. ‘You are the man. Yes!’ He accepted and gave out some high fives with the other passengers. There was a new feeling of comradery amongst them all. They were beginning to understand that if they were going to get through this, they were going to have to get through it together. The only person who had not moved was Stephens as he remained in the fetal position he had been in throughout the entire jump. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked around at his fellow passengers as they continued to embrace and high five jubilantly. A meek smile appeared on his lips but still he couldn’t bring himself to move.

Nicole smiled at the happiness of the passengers then looked back at Waverly to see a little trickle of blood coming from a small wound on her forehead, ‘I think you missed your calling…’ she said as she used a bit of her shirt to dab the blood. ‘You should have been a pilot.’

‘Yeah…’ Waverly smiled as she winced at her wound. Nicole continued to tend to it until the bleeding had slowed. ‘But I wouldn’t recommend doing it in a bus…’

‘I will agree with that one…’ Nicole inspected the wound and was happy with her work. She kneeled down next to Waverly so she could see her more easily. ‘But honestly… you are extraordinary…’ Waverly felt choked, no one had ever said that to her before. Her breath was caught in her throat as she stared at the beautiful cop. Everything around them seemed to fade away; the cheering passengers, the noise of the road and the phone ringing in Nicole’s hand. It was just them, caught in the moment. Then just as Waverly felt the urge to lean forward, they were torn out of it. ‘Get off here…’ Nicole had spotted something. ‘Now… get off this!’

Waverly spotted it but reacted a little too slowly for Nicole’s reaction so Nicole grabbed the wheel pulled it hard to the right. The passengers yelled and screamed as they were tossed about once again. The bus was on another exit ramp which it took with a screeching turn.

‘What the hell are you doing?’ Waverly cried as they screamed around the corner. ‘It’s like you can’t just let us be!’ Nicole wasn’t listening as she finished off the move and took the bus down a road towards a sign reading ‘LAX Cargo Entrance.’ Now Waverly understood, ‘oh…’ She retained control of the wheel and drove the bus towards the gate. Above them, they lost the helicopters as they were forced to avoid the air traffic around them. ‘Never a dull moment with you is there?’

‘Some would say that’s a good thing,’ Nicole quipped back, a little more flirtatiously than she intended. It took them both by surprise. ‘Like friends…’ Nicole stammered trying to recover. ‘… friends would say that…’ Waverly on the other hand, knew that it was not what Nicole meant and was enjoying every moment of Nicole’s awkwardness.

She wasn’t afraid, she didn’t have to remain professional, ‘I would say that it’s a very good thing… but not for a friend…’

Chapter Text

‘She’s at the airport,’ Norwood realised as they got word from one of the helicopters.

‘That’s my girl Haught,’ Nedley smiled proudly. ‘They should be able to circle the runways and buy us some time… I can’t see any of those not being finished!’

Norwood was still a little confused, ‘but we can’t fly in there…’

‘Yes… but neither can those bloody news boys,’ he looked at Norwood and it twigged. ‘Now come on, let’s move, back to the exit!’

A strange calm had fallen over the bus as it continued it’s laps of the airport. A airplane thundered overhead; some of the passengers looked up but some were simply too tired and drained to even move. Many were sporting bumps and bruises from the jump.

Stephens looked glumly out of the window, ‘we’re at the airport…’

‘Yeah… so?’ Ortiz scoffed.

‘I’ve already seen the airport…’ Stephens pointed out.

Ortiz rolled his eyes but still allowed himself to pat Stephens compassionately on the back. He might have been a bit of a nuisance but the man was still involved and being put through the same things as everyone else. Ortiz knew that this was Stephens dealing with it in the best way he knew how and the man deserved as much patience as everyone else. Stephens smiled weakly at Ortiz appreciating the gesture before his eyes returned to staring out of the window. He could see the shadows of people in the windows of the airport. If only he could have been one of those people, starting their day… he knew now, that if he could start his day again... he would not take the bus.

‘How long do you think we have to keep circling like this?’ Waverly asked; her head hurt and she was exhausted.

‘Until I get a call from Nedley… I’m sure he is working on the next move right now,’ Nicole told her. She could see the weariness on Waverly’s face. ‘You holding up okay?’

‘I just… I hate my job… absolutely hate it… and what made it worse was having to take the stupid bus to it because my car was taken away…’

‘You were caught speeding…’ Nicole interjected gently.

‘Not the point!’ Waverly snapped. From Nicole’s reaction, she realised she’d been a little harsh and cleared her throat as an apology. ‘… the point is… I hate my job, I really do… but man would I love to be making phone calls to people who are probably just going to swear at me and tell me to fuck off right now…’

‘What do you do?’

Waverly looked embarrassed, ‘I’d say I’m in advertising, but really I’m the girl who makes the coffee and rings up people trying to get us work…’

‘Someone has got to do it…’ Nicole said trying to be positive. ‘And I bet you do it well…’

‘Not when I’m worn out from my shifts at the bar…’ Waverly added. ‘Again, another job where I’m mostly sworn at... and gawked at by men…’

‘What bar do you work at?’

‘Oh just some seedy crappy bar down town… not the kind you’d want to visit…’

Nicole came a little closer, ‘I don’t know about that… it’s all about the bar staff…’

Waverly became instantly nervous, ‘we also have to wear these ridiculous skimpy t-shirts…’

‘Are you just trying to sell this to me more?’ Nicole laughed. She couldn’t help it, it was like something was controlling her. Before she knew it, her hand had come up and was tucking a piece of Waverly’s hair behind her ear. Keeping her finger on the skin behind Waverly’s ear she run it down the brunette’s neck slowly to allow the attachment to last.

This moment had not gone unnoticed by the passengers. Ortiz and Stephens were watching on intrigued. ‘What do you think is going on there?’ Stephens asked.

‘I don’t know man…’ Ortiz shrugged. ‘Waverly’s probably a bit strung up by this whole thing.’

‘I heard there were lesbians in LA… like a whole scene you know,’ Stephens continued. ‘I never thought I would actually see one.’ Ortiz looked at him in disbelief. Stephens was talking about them as if they were a rare tourist attraction that you would be lucky to see. Catching his eye, Stephens could see that Ortiz was unimpressed. ‘Not that it’s a bad thing… I just… read it somewhere.’

‘I don’t want to think about some of the things you might be reading you weirdo,’ there was a little humour is Ortiz’s tone as he said it, but also a great deal of sincerity.

Back at the front, Waverly and Nicole were enjoying the moment. Nicole had allowed her hand to rest on Waverly’s shoulder and her thumb was now stroking Waverly’s neck. They were completely oblivious to the interest they were receiving from a few of those behind them.

Suddenly, Nicole’s phone rang. She fumbled a little with it as it made her jump, ‘hello…’

‘Very exciting Nicole…’ came the male voice at the end of the phone. ‘Some close calls, but you’ve done alright by yourself.’

‘What do you want Fisk?’ Nicole seethed through her teeth.

‘Money, Nicole. I wish I had some loftier purpose, but in the end I'm just like you and me. I'd like large nonsequential bills in two clear plastic bags. Unmarked. Can you remember all that?’

‘What are you telling me for?’ Nicole had no time for the man’s pathetic reasons for putting all these people’s, along with her own, lives on the line.

‘I want you to help me get it before it gets too late. I don't like negotiators, Nicole. They talk to you like they're your best friend, and they don't know you.’ The voice became angry. ‘Why do they mess with me, do they think I'm doing this for fun?’

‘Well… aren’t you?’ Nicole asked. ‘I bet some part of you is enjoying this.’

‘Oh, that's not fair, Nicole.’ Fisk’s voice was almost a little pained at the accusation. ‘You don't know how I feel about this. You don't know shit about me.’

Nicole had had enough of this man’s pity parade and wanted her attention to turn back to the people that mattered. She didn’t care about getting him his money; all she wanted was to get everyone off this bus… and now, against all her professionalism, one in particular. As Waverly came into her mind she glanced down. Waverly seemed to know she had done so and met her gaze. It made Nicole even more determined. ‘Do you want this money? Come on, show me your commitment. Let me get on the ground.’ There was an empty pause at the end of the phone, it filled Nicole with dread. ‘Just me… that’s not against the rules.’

There was again a long pause and empty silence. Nicole’s heart began to thump. She went to speak again, but to her relief Fisk spoke, ‘Alright… just you… but I want you back within ten minutes… you hear that Nicole… ten minutes!’

It wasn’t enough time, but Nicole knew she had to accept it, ‘fine.’

‘Nicole, nothing tricky, now. You know I'm on the top of you. Do not attempt to grow a brain,’ Fisk reminded her sternly before hanging up.

As soon as he had, Nicole dialled another number, ‘Nedley… come get me.’ There was confirmation at the other end then Nicole turned back to Waverly.

‘There’s a plan now right?’ she asked having heard most of the conversation with Fisk.

‘Could be,’ she addressed the rest of the passengers also. ‘Everybody sit tight, I’m getting off for a minute.’

‘What for?’ Ortiz asked.

Panicked, Stephens chimed in, ‘are you just going to leave us here?’

‘Ha… I would,’ Ortiz blurted out trying to be funny.

‘Don’t worry,’ Nicole said to them all. ‘I won’t go far… and no…’ she looked at Stephens. ‘… I have no intention on leaving any of you…’ She could see that one of the female passengers was crying. Nicole knelt down in front of her and gave the lady’s arms a squeeze. ‘It’s going to be okay… I’m going to do everything that I can… we’ve got this far haven’t we?’ This seemed to work as the passenger wiped her eyes and gave Nicole a few nods. Nicole looked at the other passengers hoping that they had heard that too. They had and although their faces were still riddled with fear, there was a little belief in their eyes. Their attention was then drawn to the sight of a black GMC suburban arriving alongside the bus. This was the signal that Nicole had to go. She paused beside Waverly as she made her way out. ‘Just keep circling… you’ll be fine.’

‘Just don’t forget about us okay…’ Waverly said with a worried smile.

Nicole met her forlorn gaze. The GMC was now hovering right behind her in the doorway and she knew she had to move but her feet were stuck to the floor below her and she was hit by the overwhelming feeling of dread that if something were to go wrong while she was away, she might never see Waverly again. She and this stunning young woman had been thrown into each other’s lives and Nicole knew, she never wanted to forget her. Suddenly, she wasn’t a cop any more and before she could stop herself, her legs were moving forward and she had Waverly’s face in her hands. She pressed her lips gently in Waverly’s and let them linger for a moment before the honking of the horn from the suburban tore her away.

‘Trust me… I won’t forget you…’ Nicole whispered. The horn called her again and she obeyed. Turning to the doorway, she motioned for it to come closer. Once she was happy with it’s proximity, she stepped onto one of it’s ledges and let it carry her away.

Shaking, Waverly’s attention returned to keeping the bus steady in both direction and speed whilst behind her the passengers had gone very quiet due to what they had just seen. ‘Isn’t that supposed to happen when we’re all rescued?’ one asked.

‘Maybe Nicole knows we’re all going to die… so got it in whilst she could…’ came the very unappreciated contribution of another. It was met with some groans and unimpressed looks.

‘Now I’ve seen lesbians in action…’ Stephens droned. ‘… it’s about all I’ve seen since being here…’

Ortiz glared at him, ‘you’re such an idiot man.’

Chapter Text

No one was speaking in the suburban. No one knew what to say. Nicole was just sitting very low in her seat as she and Nedley were driven to the edge of the airport where more officers were waiting. Nicole hoped that maybe Nedley hadn’t seen her kiss Waverly or perhaps thought it was simply an embrace.

Nedley however was about to let her down, ‘do you mind telling me what that was Haught?’

Nicole closed her eyes really wishing he hadn’t spoken, ‘I don’t think I can sir…’

‘We’re in a very serious situation Nicole…’ from his tone she knew this was a dressing down. ‘It is no time to…’

‘I know, I know…’ she interjected. ‘But… this is also quite an unprecedented situation. Sometimes emotions get the better of you…’

‘Ugh female cops and their emotions…’ came a sly comment from the officer driving the car.

‘Shut up!’ Nedley and Nicole both yelled at the same time.

‘That’s enough out of you Champ,’ Nedley barked at him. He wasn’t too impressed with Nicole’s behaviour but above that, he did respect female officers, especially those who show themselves to exemplary members of his team as Nicole had done many times since joining it.

Nicole smiled at Nedley appreciating his attitude, ‘I know that wasn’t the best judgement… but have you ever met someone and instantly known in your heart that they meant something to you?’

Nedley could see in her eyes that there was no need to talk about it any more. Although he was a little disappointed in the slight waver of her professionalism, he was in admiration of her honesty and what she had been able to achieve so far that morning. There were more important things to discuss. ‘The choppers are gone Nicole, let’s get the passengers off now.’

‘No way,’ Nicole jumped in quickly. ‘He’s ready for that.’

‘But how is he…?’

‘I don’t know how,’ Nicole went on. ‘I just know he is. He's been a step ahead of me every time. If we unload he'll take them out, I guarantee.’

Nedley saw he was going to have to accept this, ‘okay, where does that put us?’

There was a pause whilst Nicole mentally went over her options. There was only one she could think of which might actually work. ‘I’ve got to try and dismantle that bomb.’

‘That’s not an option,’ Nedley stated firmly.

‘What else can we do?’ Nicole argued. ‘Somehow, I have got to get under that bus and get to that bomb…’

‘And another thing… female officers are crazy,’ Champ couldn’t help himself as he brought the car to a stop. Nedley said nothing but simply reached forward and slapped the young officer around the back of the head.

As they circled the runway yet again, the passengers ability to hang onto hope was beginning to wane. Many had stopped looking out of the window for Nicole and had begun to think of the inevitable.

‘I’m telling you Waverly… she’s fucked off…’ Ortiz groaned. ‘Who would come back to this?’

Waverly refused to believe that. She could still feel Nicole’s gentle kiss on her lips. ‘She didn’t have to get on the bus in the first place Ortiz,’ she snapped. She looked around to see that Ortiz had moved down towards the front of the bus and was standing in what she now considered, Nicole’s spot. ‘And get your ass behind the yellow line’. He quickly shuffled backwards. ‘I have faith…’ she looked forward and focused on the concrete. ‘I have faith in you Nicole.’

There was a long lengthy silence, until Stephens rose from his seat, ‘what’s that?’ All three and some of the other passengers all stared out of the front and once they realised what it was, their eyes widened.

‘Oh my god…’ Waverly breathed out. ‘Is she insane?’

Swiftly, another truck pulled out in front of them. It swerved a little then fell into a steady line. Attached to the back was a low dolly and Nicole was standing on it. She was now geared up in SWAT gear and a headset. Trying not to look at Waverly, she adjusted the radio attachment and tools that she had fitted to the black vest. Whilst Nedley continued to talk to her, she pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail and took some deep breaths.

‘We’re not going to be able to hold this steady for long,’ Nedley told her.

‘I only need a few minutes, if I can’t do it by then, I can’t do it at all.’

‘Okay then,’ he squeezed her arm. He knew she didn’t need any courage, as she’d already shown she had plenty, but he wanted her to know that he believed in her.

‘Doc…’ Nicole said into the headset. ‘Are you with me?’

‘All the way, Haught,’ Doc replied from the station. ‘I hear there’s a pretty thing sitting in the driver’s seat of this bus…’

‘Fucking Champ…’ Nicole groaned.

‘You go girl,’ Doc laughed. ‘Now let’s make sure we don’t blow her up.’

‘Okay… this is it,’ Nedley shouted over the noise of the truck. ‘Don’t get dead.’

Awkwardly, Nicole clambered down onto the dolly and lay herself down. There was a horrible screeching sound as Nedley released a lever which caused the dolly to move closer and closer to the bus. Nicole tried to ignore the fizzing and slapping sound of the rope connecting her to the truck as both vehicles raced along and allowed herself to look up at Waverly. She could see two other faces with her in Ortiz and Stephens, but only wanted to focus on one.

As Waverly stared back down, what Nicole was attempting to do was sinking in, ‘oh god no… this is a really bad plan…’

‘Have faith, sister,’ Stephens said, but wasn’t sure he had it himself.

Looking up for just a few seconds more as the front of the bus began to loom before her, Nicole managed a tender smile at Waverly. There wasn’t any time to see if she’d gotten one back from Waverly as she disappeared out of view.

‘Oh Jiminy fucking Crickets.’

‘Just keep it steady,’ Ortiz told her in the calmest voice he could muster.

‘Gee… thanks for the tip!’

The truck slowed a little to allow more rope between it and Nicole. Nicole lay herself as flat as she could as her legs slid under the bus. Her heart was racing. She tried to calm it so she could focus on the task at hand. This was not easy with how dark and noisy it was with the bus above her and concrete beneath. ‘Talk about being between a rock and a hard place…’ she muttered under her breath. The dolly kept inching until behind some pipes, the bomb came fully into view. ‘Okay Nedley,’ she said into the headset. ‘Hold it there.’ She looked up at the bomb. The bomb was so close it filled her entire line of vision. There were wires running from the timer to various detonators. Also a few covered wires of different colours sticking in one end of the timer and out the other.

‘What do you see?’ Doc asked.

‘It's pretty standard. Timer's looped to the remote, then feeds out.’ She had to speak loudly so that she could be heard above the grumbling of the bus on the ground.

‘Then we gotta try to bypass the remote current with the battery. Can you find the trip wire for the remote?’

Nicole inspected the bomb, ‘I don't know. I got a few choices here’.

‘Black and red?’

‘And green...’

Nicole could hear him stroking his moustache down the headset. ‘Okay. Listen. I'm guessing he's not going to use standard copper for the remote. Too weak. I'd use a fiber alloy. I need you to look at the wire.’

Carefully, ensuring she still had her balance, Nicole brought her arms up and examined the wires, ‘it’s covered.’

‘I know. You gotta cut off the sheath. But don't cut the wire.’

‘Of course,’ Nicole nodded unimpressed. Despite how afraid she was, her mind shifted back to what she needed to do. She looked through the tools in her vest and found the one she needed.

‘Start with the green,’ Doc instructed.

She had to work slowly. She palmed an exacto and carefully started scraping away at the green plastic covering. Out of nowhere, the bus hit a tiny bump. Nicole slipped and every part of her stiffened up to reduce movement as much as possible. She looked back up at the knife and saw that it had gone a little into the wire so very slowly she pulled it out. Pushing the knife back into her palm she used her fingers to pull apart the sheath revealing a silver coloured wire, not copper.

‘Bullseye,’ she said.

‘Great. Clip on the battery and run it to the lead wire.’

She found the battery and clipped one end to the silver wire with the alligator clip. Next, she searched out the lead wire. She found it but a cloud crossed her expression as every option suddenly shut down out of possibility, ‘I can’t bypass it, it’ll fire…’

There was silence at the other end of the line, ‘collapsible circuit… Shit!’

‘This thing is airtight Doc,’ Nicole sighed as the feeling of defeat washed over her.

Back in the office Doc’s face fell. He knew Nicole was underneath that bus risking her life and his mind had gone completely blank. The desperation stayed by helplessness caused his heart to begin to race.

‘Howard Fisk, Atlanta P.D., bomb squad,’ Jeremy’s voice saved him as the younger man came into the room. He presented Doc with a piece of paper and kept reading, ‘retired to Sun Valley in 1989 when a small charge left him with fingers numbering nine.’

‘That’s our scumbag!’ Doc cried jumping up from his chair. He grabbed his end of the line, ‘Nicole… we found him!’

‘We can be at his place in fifteen minutes,’ Jeremy spoke loudly so that he told them both.

‘Nicole,’ he turned away from Jeremy. ‘Get out of there… we’re going after the source.’

‘Watch your back,’ came Nicole’s sincere reply.

‘Ah, I’m an old timer,’ Doc joked. ‘You’ve got a new hot thing to live for…’ With that, he hung up the phone and threw it onto the desk. Within moments, he and Jeremy had joined a large group of officers pulling on SWAT vests as they ran out of the station.

Chapter Text

Nicole leaned her head back on the dolly for a moment. She screwed her eyes up at the bomb. She was so frustrated that she hadn’t managed to defuse it. Nicole loathed being beaten. But more than that, she hated being underneath the bus.

‘Nedley, get me out of there!’

‘Roger that Haught,’ came his voice. ‘Hold on.’

Unbeknownst to them, one of the tyres of the bus had began to buckle underneath all the strain it had been put under as the bus had roared its way around LA. It was the impact on the gap that had caused the worst damage and now it was beginning to shred. Catching Nicole completely unaware, the edge tore off of the wheel and flew along the concrete making impact with the dolly underneath her. It jumped and skidded with enough tension that before Nedley could react the rope connecting her to the truck was torn away. It skidded and fizzed along the concrete sending sparks flying into the air. Nedley’s eyes grew wide as it flicked beyond Nicole who was still clinging to the dolly towards the back wheel. If the rope connected with the back wheels, the dolly would be sucked underneath - her along with it.

Desperately, Nicole tried to reach the cable but she was too late. The rope hit the wheel snapping Nicole and the dolly towards it. Just in time, Nicole grabbed anything she could as the dolly was snatched away. In the bus, all the passengers felt the bus lurch and their stomachs along with it.

‘’Oh my god…’ Waverly gasped as she clung to the wheel trying to keep it steady.

‘Did we hit her?’ Stephens cried hysterically. ‘What happened?’

‘She’s not behind us!’ came a shout from another passenger as panicked voices began to rise. They had been hit with the realisation they must be dragging Nicole. Searching for ideas they exchanged quick frantic glances. Ortiz thought first. He threw himself on the floor by the centre panel and began to unscrew it.

The dolly no longer beneath her, Nicole was relying on her strength as she clung on perilously to the undercarriage. The muscles in her arms were screaming as she kept her back only inches off the concrete which raced along below her. She kept moving her hands but she simply could not find the grip she needed. She was slipping. In pure desperation, she grabbed a screwdriver and drove it in the nearest part of the bus that she could. As she held onto the screwdriver as a fragile handle, liquid sprayed down onto her. She coughed, reached out, grabbed a hydraulic line and pulled herself away from the spray. As her arms weakened and her lungs ached… she could feel herself letting go.

Ortiz threw the panel to one side and propelled himself forward with his arms so he could look under the bus through the gap. All around him, passengers moved and craned so they could see what was going on.

‘Do you see her?’ Waverly called trying to concentrate on driving but Nicole’s precarious position was not making it easy at all.

Ortiz looked and saw nothing, ‘no!’ He shuffled forward as far as he could and was able to see a little lower and further along the undercarriage. A very tired and dirty figure came into view.

‘Hey,’ Nicole wheezed out her arms and body shaking.

‘Hey man,’ Ortiz smiled. It was strained through thin eyes as the wind from under the bus whipped into his face. ‘Can you reach me?’ Nicole tried to get a better purchase with one hand but with dragging her feet and relying on both arms, there was no way she could make it.

‘Hold my legs!’ Ortiz cried to the passengers around him. They didn’t hesitate to respond and flew straight into action. With two on each, they were able to lower the large man further into the hole. ‘Come on girl.. you got this!’ Grimacing, Nicole let go of the screwdriver and was able to get a hold of Ortiz’s shoulder. Using the very little strength she had left she began to pull herself along the undercarriage to him. Once she was closer, Ortiz was able to grab her other arm. ‘Pull me up!’ he bellowed. Once again the passengers complied and began to drag him backwards. Nicole was able to find some parts of the bus to push against with her feet. Ortiz gritted his teeth and strained every sinew with a pained groan. Finally, with one last heave and clamour both of them fell into the middle of the bus gasping for breath. Elation flooded through everyone, especially in Waverly who, almost teary eyed, looked at her windscreen mirror to take in the whole scene.

‘Thank you…’ Nicole spoke as she pulled herself to her feet. Her arms felt like jelly.

‘Are you okay?’ asked Stephens. People around him blinked at the normality of his question. Nicole appreciated it and nodded.

‘Any luck with the bomb?’ Ortiz asked as he got up.

‘Yeah… it didn’t go off…’ there was sincerity in her joke but she noted the disappointed looks on the passengers’ faces. She wished that she could change them; that was now up to Doc and Jeremy. She could only leave them with that as she staggered up to the front of the bus. She expected a smiling and relieved face to meet her, but instead Waverly stared straight ahead. Brow furrowed, Nicole lowered herself a little to try and meet Waverly’s eyes, but the driver did not move. ‘Are you okay?’

‘You scared the shit out of me…’ Waverly said with a hint of anger in her voice.

‘I know… I’m sorry… but I’m okay…’

‘I could be at my desk… taking shitty calls from shitty people for shitty people…’ Waverly went on. ‘But instead, I’m here, with people’s lives in my hands… watching an extremely attractive cop go under a freaking bus for us.’ A tear trickled down her cheek. ‘When I thought we’d gone over you…’ her voice trailed off as the emotion sucked it away.

‘Hey…’ she pulled Waverly into an embrace but one that allowed Waverly to keep her eyes on where she was driving. Her arms ached from clinging onto the undercarriage of the bus but she was willing to endure it to have Waverly in them. Stroking Waverly’s soft hair she placed a kiss on top of her head. ‘It’s okay… no more me going under the bus, I promise…’

‘Okay,’ Waverly nodded agreeing that this was a very good idea. Her face relaxed for a moment but then her nose picked up the scent of something on Nicole’s clothing. 'What’s that smell?’

‘It’s gas…’ Nicole replied a little sheepishly.

Waverly broke from their embrace, ‘we’re leaking gas?’

‘We are now.’

Waverly stared at her aghast, ‘you’re kidding! What, you felt like we needed another challenge?’ She puffed out her cheeks as she held back all the things she really wanted to say. Nicole tried to look as apologetic as she could but it was not going down well at all. Together they looked at the fuel gauge; it was beginning to drop.

‘Nedley?’ she said into the walkie talkie attached to her vest. ‘Can you get a fuel truck to pace us here? We're losing gas.’

‘I’ll see what I can do,’ came the crackled reply. ‘How much time?’

Nicole looked at the fuel gauge again, ‘I don’t know… ten minutes… it’s not good.’

‘Is that going to work?’ Waverly asked once Nicole came off her walkie talkie.

Nicole yearned to say something positive and could see in Waverly’s deep brown eyes that it was what she needed, but all she could say was the truth, ‘I don’t know.’ She placed her hand on Waverly’s arm and stared ahead. Her eyes glazed over a little as fatigue and rising despondence overcame her. Still, she had to believe. ‘Come on Doc… save my life.’

Chapter Text

Doc and the others pulled up quietly across the street from a suburban home in an unassuming street. Quietly, he and Jeremy emerged from his car and two other SWAT guys from the second car. There was a heavy air of tension holding over them as they began to assemble in silence. All that could be heard was their heavy boots on the sidewalk and the slight clicking from their SWAT uniforms and guns. Those still remaining in their houses would have been completely unaware that anything unusual was happening on their street just outside.

The officers snuck their way to the front of the house in standard formation. They stopped at the windows by the garage. The Venetian blinds were still down not allowing them to see in. Doc motioned for two to go around the back. They obeyed instantly. Hugging the wall, he took Jeremy around the side. There was a door waiting for them. Jeremy reached out and was about to try the knob but Doc grabbed his hand immediately and shook his head. Jeremy could read his mind and realised himself that it was likely that the handle was rigged. Doc motioned for him to go around the back, which he did with an obedient nod. Carefully, Doc tried the window and it gave. He couldn’t help but hold his breath as he pushed it up, inch by inch. It was clean, no wires. Doc went in first. He climbed slowly, pulling his body in.

Doc found himself in the living room, heading for the garage. With some others, Jeremy came silently in through a back window and motioned for another two to wait outside. He and Doc both started converging on the garage, looking around them, guns raised and ready. They knew this man. They knew he would be prepared.

Suddenly, Doc’s heart stopped. Something caught his eye. He looked down at his leg just as it tripped an electric eye in the doorway. The electric eye was wired to something. High on the wall in front of them a red light went on. It’s illumination pierced the hazy darkness. Doc and Jeremy looked at each other, knowing it was the last thing they would ever see. Those waiting outside were blown off their feet merely seconds later. The flames blew out the windows and covered the surrounding area in glass and debris. Some were left groaning in pain on the floor as the street reacted to the blast and came to their aid. There was no chance for those who had been inside.

‘So what would you have been doing today?’ Waverly asked not able to bear the tense silence any longer. It had felt like an age since Nicole had called Nedley to send out a fuel truck. On the dashboard, the speedometer needle was steady but the one displaying the fuel gauge was not.

‘Well police work of course…’ Nicole replied trying to be a bit coy.

‘So the new uniform for LAPD is jeans and flannel?’ Waverly chuckled with the tone of detection.

Nicole knew it had been a bad attempt, ‘maybe I was getting changed at work…’

Waverly could tell she had a tricky customer but it was titillating, ‘are you being all mysterious on me Officer Haught?’

Nicole couldn’t hide that she was enjoying herself also, ‘perhaps I don’t want to tell you about myself now… but when we get out of here…’ Their eyes met in a brief exchange of glances before the phone attached to Nicole’s SWAT vest rang. ‘Hello… Doc?’

‘I’m sorry Nicole, but he and your little officer friends didn’t make it,’ came Fisk’s voice at the end of the phone.

Nicole understood instantly; fury burned inside her, ‘you… fuck!’

‘It was the watch that led him to me, wasn't it? It felt a little hammy to me, building the bomb from a retirement gift. But I figured a sign that said 'I'm Howard Fisk' would be pushing it,’ he was almost laughing. It didn’t help the churning feeling, driven by anger, in Nicole’s stomach.

‘When I find you…’ she seethed into the phone. ‘…I’m going to…’

‘You will do as you are told!’ came the abrupt and impatient response. ‘Doc is gone. You are just going to have accept that. This is a game Nicole… one that I will win.’ There was a pause as he collected himself and his thoughts. ‘Nicole, we both know he was the brains of your particular operation. You're not gonna beat me. You're gonna pay me all of my dollars. Otherwise you, the wildcat and every innocent soul on that bus is gonna end up just like your friends. Now pay attention! Are you listening?’

A tear fell from Nicole’s eye and trickled down her cheek as she tried to push out the faces of her friends from her mind. It was overwhelming. ‘Yes…’

‘Good. Tell them the drop point is Pershing Square. There's a garbage can on the north east corner. Dump the bags and leave. I don't show up until your people are gone and I don't disarm until I'm clear.’ Nicole didn’t want to listen as he spoke. Every word cut into her as her hatred for the man grew even further. ‘Getting on toward 11:00, Nicole... I think it's gonna be a very pretty day.’

Nicole heard him hang up and everything around her seemed to stop. She was trapped, lost in an impossible situation. She stared at the phone. As she did so, she heard Fisk’s voice in her mind and all that anger boiled over. Waverly jumped in her seat as Nicole began to thrash the phone against the bar in front of her. It didn’t feel enough. The smashed broken fragments left in her hand met the closest pole again and again until all they could do was to crumble and scatter at her feet. When there was no phone left to pummel Nicole began hitting the windscreen with her hands and roaring at it like a woman possessed. There just didn’t seem to be an outlet for what she was feeling.

‘Nicole…’ At Waverly’s gentle and scared voice, Nicole ceased shouting but her face was red and there was no holding back the tears flowing down her cheeks. ‘Nicole…’ Waverly reached out and found a hold on Nicole’s vest. ‘Don’t do this…’ Nicole seethed through her teeth as her eyes remained fixed on the floor. ‘Don’t you give up on us now…’ As if it were Waverly’s fault, Nicole whipped her head round and glared at her. For Waverly, it was as if she had been punched in the face but she knew, the anger was not directed at her. She kept hold of Nicole’s vest and tugged at it to try and pull the officer through. ‘I can’t imagine what you are going through right now… but we’re scared… and we need you.’

Behind her, all the passengers sat in silence and shock. They hadn’t heard what Nicole had heard on the phone but from her reaction they knew that their situation had only become more critical. All the hope that they had been holding to was slipping away and now their rock and the person with all the answers was melting down.

‘We’re all going to die…’

The words stung, but Waverly was not having it, ‘no… we’ve got this far…’ she shook her head as her eyes bore into Nicole’s. ‘… you have got us this far…’ she checked ahead to ensure that the bus was on a safe trajectory then looked back. ‘I believe in you…’ Nicole’s face began to loosen. The anger in her eyes began to soften. Slowly, she brought her hand up and covered Waverly’s which was still clasped onto her vest. She squeezed it tightly as she gazed at the beautiful face before her. ‘We believe in you…’

In one motion, Nicole stepped forward and cupped Waverly’s face with her hand. Having such a kind but also desperate countenance in her grasp pulled her away from the fury and grief which had caused her to lose control. She was returning to her body. There was an essence of calm as her heartbeat quietened and she found some composure. She moved forward to place her forehead against Waverly’s but then something to her left suddenly caught her eye.

Chapter Text

Her eyes fixed, Nicole moved towards the hoodie that Waverly had removed earlier that morning and thrown over the driver’s seat behind her. ‘I’ll be damned.’

‘What?’

Nicole ran her fingers over the wildcat situated beneath the Arizona on the grey top, ‘you go to the university of Arizona?’

‘What?’ she look round and saw Nicole’s fingers on her hoodie. ‘Oh… no… my ex girlf…’ she stopped realising the ineptitude of what she was about to say. ‘Er… no I didn’t.’

Nicole shook off what Waverly had nearly said and refocused, ‘good football team.’

‘Yeah… apparently…’

‘Arizona Wildcats…’ her speech was slow and methodical as she thought through her ideas. ‘They went nine straight wins last year.’

Waverly was completely lost, ‘right?’

A smile crept over Nicole’s face as the realisation switched on the light, ‘he can see you…’

‘He can what?’

The smile broadened, then she weight of her own words hit her. She had to hide it quickly. She relaxed her face and her hand from the top and returned her attention to Waverly. ‘He can see you,’ she whispered making it look as though she was delivering instructions. Naturally, Waverly began to look around. ‘No no… act normal… act as though I haven’t said anything.’ Waverly obeyed and looked forward.

Slowly, she looked around at the front of the bus. She knew what she was looking for wouldn’t be obvious so checked the obscure places all around where Waverly was sitting. Curiosity burned inside the brunette but she remained quiet and let Nicole do her work. Just as Nicole was becoming frustrated as she continued to search for it, her idea perhaps incorrect, there it was behind the big convex mirror with a view of the whole bus. The small red box had thin wires and a red light. It was unmistakably a camera.

Nicole shook her head almost amused and knelt back down next to Waverly, ‘he called you a Wildcat before. I didn’t even pick up on it.’ Her tone told Waverly that Nicole was irritated with herself. ‘The bastard has a camera right in your face. He can see the whole bus.’ She ran her hand through her hair to show her annoyance. ‘He’s been playing me from minute one.’

Waverly found her breath caught in her throat, ‘he can see me?’ She paused pushing aside the same vexation that had caught Nicole. ‘Can he hear me?’

‘Doesn’t look like it, I think he’s just watching.’

Waverly suddenly felt very subconscious and didn’t quite know how to behave, ‘what do I do?’

‘Nothing,’ Nicole told her. ‘Act scared.’

‘I don’t play the damsel…’

Nicole couldn’t help but break into a smile, ‘yeah… I’m starting to get that.’ Her hand caressed Waverly’s hair softly as she brought her mouth piece up. ‘Nedley… Nedley… are you there?’ Her face was now back to being serious. Her eyes had flicked over the fuel gauge. Things were now critical.

‘Yeah… I’m here,’ he was now speaking from base camp at the edge of the airport. ‘Go ahead.’

‘Nedley… I know about Doc and Jeremy…’ Her voice was tired and sad for a moment then the concentration returned. ‘Listen, there's no time. They would want us to finish this. Is that news van still around?’

Nedley checked his surroundings and was pleased to spot one, ‘yes it is.’

‘Good. It's time for a little turnabout’.

By the look Nicole gave her, Waverly could tell that the cop had a plan brewing.

Once he had hung up the phone to Nicole, Nedley was on a mission. His eyes scanned the news trucks in front of him. He hated them, every single one. He saw them as leeches – thriving off the misfortunes of others. However today, things were different. In some perplexing twist, he needed them. He spotted one that looked useful and marched straight over to it. He gestured to some officers to follow him.

‘LAPD,’ he flashed his badge at the crew man tampering with some of his equipment. ‘We need this shit. Can you broadcast on a UHF frequency?’

‘Sure,’ the man nodded looking a little put out.

Nedley’s body released it’s tension. He had been ready for the man to put up some resistance or at least bargain for what he could get out of the situation. Now Nedley could concentrate on what needed to be done. ‘There’s a signal coming from that bus… find it.’ The man turned to his monitors and began to adjust the many dials in front of him. The screens fizzed and blurred but no picture appeared. ‘Keep going.’ Nedley urged. The man did so to what seems no avail then one of the screens flickered into life. Nicole, Waverly and the rest of the dishevelled and weary occupants of the bus came into view. ‘Good… tape off this.’ He handed the crew man one of his own tapes that was lying on the side of the truck. The man looked thoroughly unimpressed but could sense the urgency of the situation and that there would be no argument. He took it and slotted it into the space under the monitor and hit record.

Back in the bus, Nicole was addressing the people in the bus. Her eyes scanned their jaded faces some with notable cuts and bruises. It only made her anger for Fisk grow. These people had nothing to do with his anger, nothing to do with what happened with his elevator job. They should be at work filing paperwork, taking heat from customers in their mundane jobs, arguing with spouses or standing staring at items on a shelf at the local store as they decided what they were doing to have for dinner. Yet they were here and had been pulled into his latest despicable scheme.

‘Remember, no big movements… just look whipped.’

Ortiz scoffed out a laugh, ‘that ain’t gonna be too hard.’ He caught Nicole’s eye and he could see she sympathised. She squeezed his shoulder as she went back to the front of the bus. His brow furrowed as he stared forward.

‘Can I look like I’m about to vomit…?’ Stephens asked. He had gone very pale as things continued to go from bad to worse in the bus. ‘I feel like I could vomit…’ By this time, Nicole had already walked past him back to Waverly. A hardy pat on the back from Ortiz told Stephens he could do whatever he needed to. Taking deep breaths, Stephens clutched onto the seat in front of him and wished his stomach would cease churning so voilently.

‘Nicole…’ Waverly whispered trying not to move her lips noticably.

Nicole was also trying to stay as still as possible, ‘what?’

‘We’re running on fumes…’

Looking down, Nicole saw the gauge very much hovering over the red, right at the very bottom edge of it. ‘Nedley…’ she said into her mouth piece. There was a crackled response. ‘Where are we on fuel?’

‘Five minutes Nicole.’

Nicole’s heart sank, ‘that’s not enough time. We’re on fumes. We’re going to have to run the time. Whatever you have.’

‘We’ve only got a minute…’ Nedley started.

‘Just do it!’

‘Run the tape!’ Nicole heard Nedley shout at the crew man. ‘Run it on a loop.’ There was distance clicking and the sound of the man pressing the button. The tape was running.

‘What now?’ Waverly asked. She could feel the bus beginning to lag.

‘We get you all off this thing…’

It had seemed like an age since Nedley had said that they were on their way over the bus. Agitated, Nicole craned her neck and checked around them in every possible direction until finally in the distance she saw the airport transport making its way over to them. Steadily, it caught up and pulled up alongside. She felt a wave of relief flood over the entire bus as the people inside realised what was happening.

‘Okay Waverly,’ Nicole called as she strode to the back. Waverly flipped a switch and the back emergency door swung open. Nedley was there and threw a length of two by four wood and some rope to her.

‘Rig the gas pedal and the steering wheel,’ he explained loudly over the noise.

‘Gotcha!’ she ran down to the front of the bus and handed them to Waverly so she could get to work. Back at the emergency exit another piece of wood had been slid between the doors to connect both vehicles. With the officers in the airport truck helping, the passengers had began to finally climb off the bus. Some flew to the other side, others were tentative and needed support. Once in the airport truck they collapsed into seats exhausted. The men on the bus allowed all the women across first before they scrambled across the fragile bridge. Ortiz and Stephens found themselves last. Ortiz nodded to Stephens that he could go before him. His face still white and drained, Stephens stepped out onto the flimsy piece of wood as it rocked and bounced with the movement of both buses. Safety was so close as he edged out further. Those already there were beckoning him on. All he needed to take was a few more steps.

Then, taking everybody by surprise, the bus hit a bump on the concrete just as Stephens was half way along the crossing. There was a shrill yelp as the wood fell away and he plummeted down between the speeding truck and the bus.

Chapter Text

‘Stephens!’ came the scream from Ortiz as he threw himself forward. He was the first to react and was able to grab Stephens under his arms. Despite his quick reactions, he was unable to prevent Stephens’ feet from skidding on the concrete but he had ultimately saved his life. The officers who were merely a metre away could only watch in awe for a moment at Ortiz’s sheer strength. ‘Grab his legs!’ Shaking themselves out of their stare, the airport truck was inched closer allowing two officers to lift Stephens’ legs up and his feet off the floor. ‘I’m coming over!’

‘Jesus Ortiz,’ Stephens groaned as he clung to the man’s shoulders. ‘You smell so bad.’

‘Not now man!’ Ortiz snapped back. With the officers taking some of the weight by holding the legs, Ortiz tentatively approached the gap between the bus and the truck. The gap had been closed to under a metre but it was still a mighty step. He puffed his cheeks out a few times and muttered a little prayer. Finally, he threw his leg forward and made contact with the door frame of the truck. This enabled the officers to grab hold of him also. Along with Nedley, they all gritted their teeth and hauled both Stephens and Ortiz in. Peering through the windows, Nicole could see the rest of the passengers gather around both Stephens and Ortiz patting them on the back and showing their genuine elation that they were both now safe.

58… 57...

Nicole mentally noted this win before groaning from Waverly pulled her back to the front of the bus. She was struggling to keep control of the the raging vehicle. It was only a matter of time.

‘It’s going Nicole… it’s going!’ she was screaming.

Back in the truck, the rescued passengers watched in horror as the bus began to veer off away from them. It was time for them to be taken to safety but they now only had Nicole and Waverly on their mind. Due to the battering the bus had taken over that morning, the tyres were shredding and the two women on board were now in immediate peril.

‘Wedge down the pedal… hurry!’ Nicole cried. Waverly obeyed by pulling herself off the driver’s seat and pushing the pedal down with a metal bar which Nicole handed her. It was not going to hold for long. As she did this, Nicole took the floor panel which she had removed earlier and let out a length of rope. She threw the other end to Waverly who tied it to the seat for support. Once this was done, Nicole manoeuvred the floor panel down through the hole in the floor. Once the edge of the panel touched the speeding pavement, it bounced and splintered. ‘You all done?’

‘Done!’ Waverly called back as she finished off the knot. They heard an eery creaking sound all around them. Then there was silence. The engine had stopped. That was it. They were out of gas. ‘Oh my god…’

56… 55… 54...

‘Come on!’ Nicole threw her arm around in the air to motion to Waverly to get over to her as fast as she could. She helped Waverly down through the hole in the floor and down onto panel skidding beneath them. Nicole prepared herself for joining Waverly but looked back at the front of the bus one more time - just in time to see exactly what the bus was heading towards. On the other side of the airport a huge dark grey jet was being pulled out right across their line of trajectory. If the bus hit that at the moment of detonation, the explosion would be colossal. The thought was terrifying but there was nothing she could do. In one motion, she slid herself down on the panel next to Waverly. ‘We gotta go!’ She let go of the rope sending the two women blasting out from underneath the bus in a shower of sparks. They clung to each other as the panel flew along the floor. It bucked and spun for metres. Both felt that they could be thrown from it any minute, but they held on until finally it came to a stop amongst some cones on uneven ground. The sand and stones helped them grind to halt. Once it had, they did not take the time to look at each other, their eyes went straight to finding where the bus had gone.

53.. 52… 51...

Just has Nicole had feared. After careering through an empty hangar the bus was heading straight for the jet which appeared to have stalled and was stranded right in its path. Nicole knew that within the bus the speedometer would be showing the speed dropping steadily. Her heart began to pound and beside her, Waverly’s also. Waverly reached across and grabbed hold of Nicole’s shirt. This explosion would be felt, even at their distance.

50… 49…

It happened only metres in front of the jet. The bus bulged and tore apart as the enormous ball of fire burst through its metal frame. The thunderous noise punched its way through the air and filled the ears of Nicole, Waverly and the passengers watching on in the airport truck. Still keeping a speed of 48, it smashed into the side of the huge air plane and it too was ripped apart by further explosions which rose high into the LA sky. Metal was catapulted and thrown all around as the brute force of the detonation showed off its true might. Nicole and Waverly had to throw themselves down as it rained down around them. Nicole threw a protective arm over Waverly’s head as the shards bounced down around their bodies. Some hit them but luckily not large enough to cause injury.

The flames which were raging from both the bus and jet were reflected in the eyes of all those who couldn’t take their eyes of it. Some realising that if that bomb had gone off with them still in that bus, none of them would have survived. It was beginning to sink in, just how close they had come. For the officers and Nedley, it was another reminder of just how sick and dangerous the man they were dealing with was. There was no mercy in that bomb, only complete destruction.

Finally, the rain of debris receded and all that could be heard was the roaring the flames which still gripped both the remains of the bus and jet. Slowly, Nicole lifted her head to check it was safe and turned her attention to the frightened woman she was cradling in her arms. She loosened them to allow Waverly to lift her head.

‘Is it over?’ Waverly asked nervously.

‘Yes,’ Nicole nodded. She was just as relieved to say it as she was to hear it. ‘Are you alright?’

The moment between them was intimate and caring as they gazed into each other’s eyes. Nicole brushed some dirt off Waverly’s cheek as appeared that tears were building in the brunette’s eyes. She was now realising like the others just how close they had been. Then just as Nicole was expecting a release of emotion from Waverly, Waverly began to frown. She was realising something else.

‘It was you!’

‘What was me?’ Nicole asked confused.

‘I can’t believe this,’ Waverly went on. It appeared that Waverly was angry as they continued to lie on the floor. ‘… you gave me that fucking speeding ticket!’ As Nicole continued to look at Waverly a little befuddled, she remembered also. With very little strength, Waverly starting hitting Nicole on her arm. ‘You gave me the ticket which caused me to get a ban!’

Nicole should have been apologetic but instead, she found herself laughing. ‘Waverly…’ she tried to get hold of Waverly’s flailing arms. It took a few attempts but eventually she did and she was able to subdue her. ‘I remember too…’ Nicole’s smirk was causing great annoyance to Waverly. ‘… and I’m fucking glad I did…’

‘How do you work that one out?’ Waverly’ exclaimed still aggravated.

‘Because there’s no way I could have done any of this without you…’ Nicole admitted. Slowly, Waverly began to mellow. Nicole saw this and let go of Waverly’s wrists and instead cupped her face. ‘… you have been… extraordinary.’

Waverly could only purse her lips to try and stay annoyed, ‘I could have died… that’s one hell of a punishment for speeding!’

‘But you didn’t…’ Nicole said softly.

At Nicole’s kindness and beauty, Waverly saw that there was no use and she could not stay angry. She avoided Nicole’s eyes for a moment as she collected herself but was unable to keep herself from them. ‘You’re just going to continue being mushy aren’t you?’

‘Only if you want me to…’ Nicole said coyly.

Slowly, after their eyes had lingered for a little longer, their lips inched closer together, but their moment was interrupted by the sudden sound of sirens. Ambulances and fire crews were racing across the airport towards them and burning bus. Her professionalism kicked in and Nicole pulled herself up on her feet. She offered a hand to Waverly and pulled her up also. Once standing they could see all the activity that had sprung into life around them as the emergency services looked to gain control of the destruction.

‘Relationships based on intense experiences never last,’ Waverly smirked as she dusted herself off. Waverly had taken Nicole’s quick transition back to being a cop as a slight brush off. Once again, she found humour the best way to deal with her disappointment. ‘I’ve read extensively on this…’

‘You thought that was intense?’ Nicole laughed. ‘I do this every day…’ As if Nicole knew of Waverly’s despondence, she allowed herself to wink surreptitiously at the young woman as medics approached them from all directions. Waverly’s heart fluttered and her shoulders relaxed instantly as she turned to the first paramedic to reach her.

Chapter Text

‘Shouldn’t the medics be doing this…’

Waverly and Nicole now found themselves in the safety of an ambulance which had taken them away from the scene of the explosion. Sitting on the back, Waverly allowed Nicole to tend to the wound on her head which she had sustained during the jump over the freeway gap. ‘Why? I probably have just as much medical training as them…’ Nicole shrugged playfully as she dabbed a cotton pad on the cut. She leaned in a little closer. ‘… also something tells me you’d prefer me doing it anyway…’

Waverly had to concede this point. She did so with a smile. ‘So what happens now?’

‘Well…’ Nicole seemed suddenly a little shy. ‘I was thinking… maybe I could take you out for dinner… or drinks…’

Waverly was endeared by this but had to chuckle, ‘I meant with Fisk…’ Embarrassed, Nicole recoiled away but a gentle hand on her arm from Waverly pulled her back. ‘But… that sounds…’

‘Ah there she is…’ Nedley’s voice cut in. Nicole instantly stepped back from Waverly to assume a professional stance. ‘How are you doing?’

‘As well as we can be I guess… sir…’ Nicole replied.

‘Well maybe I’ll let you have the rest of the day off,’ Nedley chortled.

His eyes went to Waverly prompting Nicole to act, ‘Oh Nedley, this is Waverly. Waverly… Captain Nedley.’

‘Hi,’ Waverly said a little gawkily raising her hand.

‘Nice to meet you,’ Nedley nodded. Had he not seen what he had in the bus earlier between Nicole and Waverly, the moment might have felt a little lighter. The awkwardness of the moment was not lost on any of them.

Thankfully the moment was broken by the arrival of Champ as a ran up holding out a phone to Nedley, ‘It’s him. He wants to know when he’s going to get his money.’

‘That son of a bitch!’ Nedley fumed. ‘I’ll tell him what he can do with…’

As Nedley reached for the phone, Nicole grabbed his arm to prevent him from doing so, ‘Nedley… he doesn’t know that it blew up…’

Nedley and Nicole’s eyes met with the same realisation. The anger dissipated from Nedley’s face as it occurred to him, just as it had to Nicole, they had the upper hand. Now he was smiling and feeling enjoyably smug. He took the phone and brought it up to his ear to speak to his colleague on the other end who was relaying the message, ‘twenty minutes.’

There was a bustle around them as the officers sprang into action and began to follow the orders that had been given to them. Waverly had followed Nicole to a patrol car where she was now gearing up. She had lost her SWAT vest but had found a belt in which she could arm up. Skilfully, she prepared a weapon and slid it into it’s place. She adjusted her shirt so that it was covered up. For the watching Waverly, it was clear Nicole was going to be involved in the unfolding operation.

‘What do I do?’ she asked.

‘You stay here,’ Nicole said firmly. She could tell Waverly was fidgety but now was not the time for civilians to be getting involved. ‘And I mean… right here next to this car… I need to know that you are safe.’

‘I just want to see this guy…’ Waverly argued. ‘Give him a piece of my mind.’

‘Waverly… he won’t care,’ Nicole went on. ‘He won’t care what you think or that you were hurt at all in what has happened today. This man cannot be reasoned with. If he sees you and you get in the way, he won’t hesitate to get you out of it.’ Her face fell. ‘You saw that with Helen.’ Waverly’s face also became solemn. Also defeated. Nicole brought both her hands up to Waverly’s arms. ‘If I get face to face to him… I’ll tell him that there’s a woman named Waverly who is really pissed off at him.’

‘Maybe you could hit him for me too?’ Waverly added.

‘I’ll give it my best shot,’ Nicole agreed. Waverly fell into her arms. It took Nicole a moment to react as the young woman clung to her. She snaked her arms around Waverly’s shoulders to pull her in. Her eyes flitted around momentarily and she was relieved to see that there were none of her colleagues eyes around to disturb their moment. ‘I just need to know you’re safe.’

‘What about me? What am I supposed to know if you’re going in there?’ There was real fear in Waverly’s voice as she buried her head in Nicole’s chest.

‘That I’m well trained and surrounded by colleagues I know and trust,’ she pulled away so she could look into Waverly’s eyes. ‘Also… I’m pretty pissed off with this guy too. That’s surely going to give me an edge.’ She would have loved to stay there but she could hear her voice being called. Looking down the road, she saw Nedley beckoning her over. There was no delaying any longer. The women shared a smile but it was apprehensive. Waverly closed her eyes as Nicole placed a tender kiss on her forehead. When she opened them, Nicole was gone.

The morning LA sun was still streaming down on it’s streets. Around the junction, people continued on with their day, completely unaware of what was going on around them. On the street, a garbage truck pulled up next to the can on the Northwest corner. A cop dressed as a garbage man got out, deposited two bags in the garbage, and drove on. This was all watched carefully by officers stationed in numerous buildings and cars in the surrounding area.

In an abandoned office not far away a shadow watched some screens stacked on top of each other. With binoculars it looked out of the window and watched over that very spot where the garbage man had just been. The shadow knew exactly what the man had just done and was getting ready to make its move. As it did so, something on one of the screens caught its eye. Leaning forward it stared at the screen showing Nicole and Waverly still in the bus staring straight ahead as they circled the runway. Behind them, one of the women was holding a bag on her lap as she tried to stay as still as possible. Then the film jerked and jumped with the glitch and the woman was no longer holding the bag. The shadow knew exactly what that meant. It had been fooled. It was looking at a tape. A scream of pure rage filled the room.

In a store, Nicole and Nedley stood side by side as they looked out onto the street. Whilst Nedley preferred to be kept updated by those closer through his phone, Nicole was looking through her set of binoculars right at the bin where the money had been placed. She wanted him to appear. She was willing him to appear so that she could run out of the shop and take him on. Bob, Doc and Jeremy were still very much in her thoughts. She would take on Fisk on for them.

Waverly meanwhile, was staying true to Nicole’s orders and remaining by the patrol car. She had tried sitting in it, leaning against it but ultimately pacing the ground next to it was proving the most comfortable. She however felt anything but comfortable. Glancing up and down the street she could see officers ushering people back whilst staying as out of sight as possible. Naturally, the pedestrians were very interested in what was going on as the police tried to keep the streets as clear as they could. Out of the corner of her eye, Waverly saw one of the officers approaching her.

‘Miss…’ came the soft voice. They became to shepherd Waverly away from the patrol car where she had promised she would stay. ‘We can’t have you this close, we need to move you back.’

‘But Nicole…’ Waverly protested.

‘Officer Haught asked for you to be moved out of harms way,’ came the response. ‘Let’s just move back.’

Waverly had no choice but to relent and allow the officer to lead her away. She looked back over her shoulder in the direction that Nicole had walked before Waverly had lost sight of her. Why did Nicole need her to be moved back further? The scenarios started to spin inside her head. After what she had seen this morning, none of those scenarios were good.

Chapter Text

‘He’s running late…’ came a voice from over Nicole’s shoulder.

The can still stood untouched on the corner.

‘He’s not late…’ Nicole said.

Only Nedley heard her, ‘what?’

‘He’s never late…’ Nicole went on. Doc had talked about this man enough. She’d never met him, never had to deal with him, but she always felt like she knew him.

‘That money hasn't moved. We've got two hundred eyes on that can. We've got a homing beacon in the bags. He's covered’.

‘Turn it on…’ Nicole ordered as she approached the officer who spoke.

The officer looked towards to Nedley who was also a little stunned, ‘what for… he’s not…’

‘Just do it!’

Wide eyed the officer looked at Nedley who nodded. He immediately turned the monitor on and what everyone had feared was happening right in front of them. On the homing device, there was one dot blinking and it was moving across the screen.

‘Shit…’

As if someone had set off a starting pistol, without a second thought, Nicole was off and running out of the shop.

‘Nicole!’ bellowed Neldey but there was not stopping her.

Nicole dashed across the street. There was no thought to checking for traffic. Her eyes were fixed on her target. She pumped her arms forwards, ran to the garbage cans and pushed them over. They bumped and rolled down the street. Below where the garbage can stood, there was a jagged hole in the concrete opening up into a utility access tunnel.

‘Son of a bitch…’ She should have known.

Bracing her weight with her arms, Nicole dropped her legs through the hole and her body after it. Despite the distant hum of the street above, there was silence. Then she heard the sound of hurrying footsteps down the dark tunnel. Nicole pulled the gun from her waistband and took off after the sound. She grimaced at the slight click it made before inching her way along the tunnel to where the sound of the footsteps came. Up ahead, she spotted a shadow. A shadow holding bags of money. As she moved forward, she held up her gun and pointed ahead.

‘Freeze!’ she cried as firmly and calmly as she could. ‘Turn around!’ The person stopped dead in their tracks. Nicole stared daggers at their back as she continued to approach. It was still too dark to make out a full and clear shape of exactly who it was but Nicole already knew. The figure was short and appeared stocky. The exact dimensions of Fisk. ‘Pop quiz, asshole. I got a hair trigger aimed at your brain and I'm in a really shitty mood. What do you do?’ There was no reply. ‘What do you do?’

Slowly, the figure began to turn but instead of the malicious and smirking expression she expected to see, it was one of utter fear. Shaking like a leaf, her hands gripped around the bags of money and her waist was strapped with explosives. It was Waverly.

Nicole dropped her gun down in horror and found that she could barely breathe, ‘oh Christ…’

‘I’m sorry…’ Waverly whimpered.

‘No no… it’s okay…’ Nicole went to holster her weapon and move forward but the sudden opening of an emergency exit to her right caused her to jump back and raise her gun once again. And to Nicole’s astonishment, came the sound of a woman laughing.

‘Oh Nicole…’ the voice was cackling and dry. ‘… you’re such an idiot.’ Nicole’s eyes widened as the full figure of the woman came into view. A slender woman with long wavy brown hair, her eyes manically stared into the officer. She was dressed in a stolen officer’s uniform and in her hand, she was holding another device. ‘Never leave your honey just standing at the side while you go off and act the hero… someone might just come along and take her.’ Nicole was completely lost as her eyes darted between Waverly and the woman before her. ‘Have you really not got it yet?’

‘Where’s Fisk?’ Nicole asked keeping her weapon locked onto her.

The woman’s face dropped like a stone and the monstrous smirk was gone, ‘Fisk is still here… in me,’ she pointed to her chest with the hand holding the device. Every time she moved it, Nicole’s heart jumped. ‘I am Fisk…’

Nicole studied her. There was anger at the mention of his name and in her eyes, there was hurt. ‘Are you related to him?’

‘Oh well done!’ the woman threw her hands in the air. ‘The cop has a brain.’ She enjoyed her joke for only moments before the anger returned to her eyes. She glared at Nicole as if she were trying to will the officer to expire where she stood. ‘I’m his daughter and you fuckers killed him!’

‘No…’ she shook her head trying to make sense of it. ‘He survived the elevator. I’ve been speaking to him on the phone…’

‘Or so you thought,’ she now looked very pleased with herself. ‘It’s why I picked you Nicole… I knew I couldn’t change my voice enough to sound exactly like him. Doc or Jeremy would know instantly… but you... you I could fool.’ As she made a few steps towards Nicole, the officer held her gun firm. ‘Practically a rookie, professional and naive, you were the perfect target. I didn’t however foresee that you would do quite such a fucking good job of the whole thing. That was until you let your guard down…’ she gestured at Waverly who was still standing rooted to the spot. She didn’t dare move. ‘… now I get the chance to get one back for Daddy…’ Her eyes were wide and frenzied as she spoke. ‘I saw the kiss Nicole, I know what she means to you. I’m going to make you hurt like those fuckers hurt me.’

‘You killed them… Doc and Jeremy are dead,’ Nicole pointed out becoming increasingly more afraid for Waverly. ‘Just let her go. You can take the money.’

‘I don’t think I’m going to do that,’ she sneered. ‘And see this…’ she waved the deadstick in front of Nicole’s face. ‘… one move of my thumb… one move… and we’re dust.’ She moved to Waverly and threw a black bag at her feet. ‘Fill it.’ On command, Waverly began unloading the money from her bags into it. Fisk’s daughter looked back at Nicole. ‘I think Doc and Jeremy would be disappointed to find us back where it all started.’

‘Let her go!’ Nicole shouted her chest pounding. ‘You got the money. You don’t need her. Take it and walk!’

‘You still don't understand, Nicole. The beauty of it. A bomb is made to explode; that's its meaning, its purpose.’ She moved her arms as if she was conducting and orchestra. ‘Your life is empty because you spend it trying to stop the bomb from becoming. And for what? For who? You know what a bomb is, Nicole, that doesn't explode? It's a cheap gold watch. It’s my father’s cheap gold watch.’ She looked as if she were recalling a memory. ‘I was his little Wynnona… his everything. I was the bomb he used to say. I was the fire and the excitement in his life. Then it took him over, his obsession, his plans, his every moment. He promised we would go away together and there would be no more bombs. Only me. He said it was all for me.’ Her brow then furrowed in anger. ‘Then you took him from me! And now, I will take every single one of you down!’ Spit shot out from between her teeth and she seethed through them.

Nicole could only stare at her; she could see the resemblance now, ‘you’re crazy.’

‘Poor people are crazy Nicole…’ she spoke calmly as she hoisted the bag of money onto her shoulder. ‘I’m eccentric.’ Her eyes bore into Nicole for a few seconds before she grabbed Waverly’s hand and pulled her through the emergency door. Nicole reacted instantly but it wasn’t quick enough. She reached the door just as it was slammed shut and locked from the other side.

Chapter Text

With all of her might, Nicole slammed her hand, arm and body against the door. Her shoulder burned with the pain but with every second that she was on this side of the door, Fisk’s daughter was getting away with Waverly. She then remembered her gun. Stepping back from the door, she aimed it at the door handle. With one pull of the trigger, the tunnel filled with noise and the lock splintered away. Wrenching the door open this time was successful and Nicole was through.

Light flooded into her eyes as Nicole found herself in the subway station. She was on an upper level with not many people around. This gave her the freedom to dart through it, her eyes constantly scanning for Waverly. There was no sign of them and Nicole found herself lost as to where to go next. Thankfully a frightened face ascending the stairs near her gave her the clue she needed. Turning on her heels, Nicole flew down the opposite side keeping her gun up ready. As she descended she could see more and more concerned faces looking back behind them. Nicole knew now for certain the two women she was looking for had come this way.

‘Get to your nearest exit,’ she told an elderly woman who was looking particularly distressed. ‘It’ll be okay.’ The elderly woman looked wantingly at her but Nicole couldn’t stay. ‘You’ll be okay!’ she could only shout back as she kept on moving.

Up ahead, Waverly had not choice but to keep her feet moving. The vest around her felt like it weighed a ton. The weight more mental than physical. She was so exhausted. She had allowed herself to believe everything was going to be okay as she stood next to that patrol car. Now she had let herself so stupidly get pulled in again. She was hardly registering the faces of alarm and fear around her as the eyes of the public fell on both the gun Wynonna was holding and the explosives strapped around her waist. To Waverly, they were all a blur as after that door had slammed behind her, she was finding it hard to hold onto hope. Yet something inside her, something distant but still there, was telling her to believe in Nicole.

‘Keep moving!’ Wynonna barked pulling Waverly’s arm. ‘No use holding out for your honey… she’s not going to get you out of this.’ she pulled Waverly round so they turned down a flight of stairs towards a waiting train. ‘Get out!’ she screamed firing shots into the air. Instantly, the crowd below dispersed in a wave of panic and screams. Once at the bottom, Waverly found herself thrown into the first available carriage. Wynonna stepped in more gracefully and looked stunned that a young man still remained on the train. She then saw that he was wired into music with huge black headphones on. She marched up to him and stood directly in front. Slowly, he pulled his eyes away from his walkman and looked up at the woman standing over him with a deadman stick and a gun. ‘Is this seat taken?’ she asked with a snarl. After a moment of shock, he quickly shook his head and scrambled his way out of the train and up the stairs. Now the train was empty and all hers.

Waverly looked desperately out of the doors for any sign of Nicole but she was nowhere to be seen. Every part of her body wanted to jump out of that train but she knew if she did she would only become a ball of flame. Gradually, the train began to move and doors shut with it. Just as they closed fully, and the carriage Waverly was standing in disappeared into the tunnel, Nicole screamed down the stairs in pursuit of it.

‘Stop!’ she cried. Seeing that she is not going to be heard, Nicole buried her gun in her belt and used her hands to propel herself forward. As she quickened her run, she found she was gaining on the train. She only had a few metres of the last car left. Gritting her teeth, she put everything into it and threw herself onto the back of the train. She did so just in time as the last bit of the platform fell away. Pressed up against the back door, she gasped to get her breath.

Inside the train’s fourth car, Wynonna found some handcuffs and locked both of Waverly’s hands to the middle vertical handpole. Waverly whimpered as she did so as the situation become more and more despairing. Then Wynonna handed her deadman stick.

‘You don’t want to drop this…’ she sneered ensuring Waverly’s thumb had pressure on the button. ‘I’m counting on you.’ Now it was the stick that felt like a huge weight as Waverly’s shaking hands tried to keep hold of it firmly.

Wynonna meanwhile took stride to the front of the train where a perplexed train driver swivelled in his chair to face her, ‘what the hell is…’ A shower of bullets saw those to be his last words and his question never answered as Wynonna took aim. The driver jerked forward out of his chair, hitting the front desk before he slithered down to the floor in a heap. His eye were fixed and blood filled the compartment. There was silence for a moment, only broken by Waverly’s cries as she realised what had just happened. It was becoming so dreadfully clear that Wynonna simply had no mercy for anyone. Her grief and vengeance for her father had drained that out of her completely.

Having finally prised it open, Nicole fell through the back door of the train and into the first car. Just like the others, it was deserted. She had heard the shots ahead of her and was crouching with her eyes ever searching and scanning her surroundings. Steadily, she moved forward from one car to the next keeping the connecting doors open.

Returning to Waverly, Wynonna scooped up the deadman stick. Waverly found herself not wanting to let go of it but it was quickly wrenched out of her hands. ‘Maybe I better hold this after all. I'm afraid you're a little hysterical and might let go a mite early. It's not 'cause you're a woman…’ she laughed. ‘Obviously… that would be a little hypocritical…’

She turned towards the bags and saw stopped still as she saw something further down the train. In the car she was in, Nicole threw herself on the floor. Just for a second, she thought Wynonna had seen her. Her heart pounding against the metal floor she waited. The silence was excruciating but also reassuring. After a minute or so, after there was no shooting or no shouting, Nicole allowed herself to assume Wynonna had not seen her. She knew now that there was no way that she could continue to move forward as she was. With nowhere to go, she pulled herself up on top of the train.

Wynonna looked down the train again but was pleased to find that it was empty, ‘looks like we’re all alone. Nobody wanted this train.’

Waverly clung to the pole, her eyes tired and angry. ‘You can let me go. You won, you beat Nicole, you beat everyone. Throw me off the train, I don't care. Only let me go.’

With a cruel smile, Wynonna approached her and left only a few inches between their faces, ‘this stick works on a remote. See, when you explode, that's where they'll come. But it's not where I'll be. Mess like that, they don't even count the body parts. Gives me time.’ Her voice was cold and calculated. It along with the words it spoke sent a chill down Waverly’s spine. Wynonna brushed hair from Waverly’s face. ‘It’s not going to hurt sweetie.’
A single tear ran down Waverly’s cheek. Was it the thought of death? Was it fear? Was it not seeing Nicole again, she wasn’t sure. ‘She’ll get over you… someone who looks like that… it’ll just take the next damsel in distress.’

Above them, Nicole was ducking and diving the piping jutting out of the ceiling which was flashing past narrowly over her as she hauled herself along the roof of the train. She was trying to make each inch as silent as the last. Progress was slow and her arms burned with every pull. She was unable to use her knees and crawl due to the proximity of the roof of the tunnel. Every metre was unpredictable as there was no pattern to the placing of the pipes and it was due to this that without warning, her gun was suddenly ripped out of its holster was sent scattering back along the train roof. Nicole grabbed desperately for it but to no avail as it clanged against the metal and flew off down the tunnel. She grimaced knowing that she had given up her position.

Both Waverly and her wretched company had heard the noise and their heads instantly tilted upwards. Waverly’s heart fluttered as she knew who was above them but her thoughts quickly went to the woman standing opposite her and the weapon in her hand.

Wynonna’s lips curled up into a smirk, ‘is that you Nicole?’ she called almost amused. ‘She’s so persistent isn’t she? Determined to get her man… or woman.’ Her eyes fell on the bag of the money. ‘You wouldn’t be interested in a bribe would you?’ She went to it and opened it to reveal the notes in bundles within separate plastic bags. ‘Got plenty to go around!’ Smug, she ripped open one only to be greeted by a dye pack which exploded mere inches from her face. Stunned, she rocked back wiping the purple liquid from her eyes. Waverly wished she could take a step back as she saw Wynonna regaining her balance. She knew that once Wynonna could open her eyes, the realisation that the money was now useless would set in. It did not take long. ‘My money!’ Roaring, Wynonna sprang to her feet and began firing her gun madly into the ceiling. ‘You bitch!’

‘Nicole!’ Waverly screamed seeing the spread of the bullets in the metal above her.

As the bullets pierced the surface all around her, Nicole threw herself from side to side of the train. They bounced and sparked off the pipes and concrete as it continued to flash past overhead. It seemed endless and every muscle in her body screamed. Then one felt pain more than the others as one of the last bullets pierced the skin on her arm. Crying out, Nicole grabbed the wound with her other hand as blood seeped through her fingers.

Waverly bowed her head at the sound of Nicole’s pain. The cry had been muffled by the noise of the train but she had heard it as though Nicole were right next to her. Wynonna however had heard the sound like music and was basking in her success. Neither women knew exactly where Nicole had been hit. ‘That might just slow her down a bit…’ Wynonna cackled. ‘Stupid bitch! You better be dead… thinking you can get me again! You can never get me!’

It appeared for a moment that the sound of Nicole’s pain had dissipated Wynonna’s anger but one look back at her ruined money only inflamed it within Fisk’s daughter once again. With teeth clenched, she uttered a throaty roar and threw down her weapon. Waverly could see it in her eyes; Wynonna was not content with simply wounding Nicole. She wanted her dead. Handcuffed to the pole she stood helpless as Wynonna took off down the train in pursuit of her victim.

Chapter Text

A pitiful wail escaped Waverly’s lips as she tugged and strain against the handcuffs. Her wrists stung and burned as the metal dug into them. ‘Nicole!’ Her throat hurt from screaming. She had heard nothing from above her. As far as she knew, Nicole was already dead and Wynonna was collecting her prize. ‘Nicole…’ Drained, Waverly fell to the floor. If Nicole was dead, her fate was also surely sealed.

Breathing hard, Nicole looked over at her to see blood still seeping through her fingers. There was no time to wait for it to slow. The train was moving too fast and Wynonna surely had a plan. Allowing it to bleed out for a few seconds, she tore a strip of material from her shirt and created a temporary fix. She cried out as the tightening of the make shift bandage caused pain to shoot down her arm. Clenching her fist, she tried to restore some feeling back in her hand but she was out of time. A clang of metal told her that she was no longer alone on top of the train. Pulling herself up, she saw that Wynonna was gaining on her quickly.

‘You bitch!’ the brunette spat as she crawled along the train towards the cop. They had to remain low as pipes and concrete whistled past them overhead. ‘You will not get the better of me… not again.’ Once close enough, she swung an arm at Nicole. Nicole was able to rebuff this and spin out of the way. Wynonna’s movements were clumsy as she still grasped the dead man’s stick. This would be an advantage to Nicole, if she were not wounded and therefore hampered herself.

Wynonna is able to recover quicker than Nicole. As the officer looked up she was met with the hand holding the stick. Metal and bone collided with her face causing her to reel backwards. Disorientated, she was unable to protect herself from the next blow and the next. It was only by chance that one of her flailing arms connected with Wynonna’s cheek and lip and gave her a momentary reprieve. Her face burning she squirmed out from under Wynonna and pushed her foe back. Both women took a moment to assess the damage. Wynonna found that blood had joined the dye from the money bags around her face.

She looked at it then at Nicole as they both crouched low on the train’s roof only a few feet apart, ‘I could blow her up right now you know…’ she sneered waving the stick.

‘Then you’d take both of us with her,’ Nicole pointed out. She wiped her mouth as blood trickled down from her nose. ‘Where the winning be in that?’

‘The knowledge that you never got to be happy,’ Wynonna answered. ‘I would get to be with my father.’

Nicole shook her head at Wynonna’s delusion, ‘no… only good people get to be with the ones they love when they die.’ She watched as Wynonna’s face began to fall. ‘With what you’ve done… the people you’ve hurt… you’re never going to see your father again… and there’s no knowing what you’ll face when I kill you.’

The rage that had been building in Wynonna’s eyes exploded. With a scream, she threw herself forward and sent Nicole flying backwards. The anger had given her more strength as she pinned Nicole down on top of the train. Even with the deadman stick in her hand she was able to gain purchase around the cop’s neck. She began to squeeze. Using her elbows, Nicole was able to push herself up and roll Wynonna over so that she was now pinning her down. She took the opportunity to lay some more blows across Wynonna’s face connecting her her cheeks and nose. Wynonna took these without little answer but then remembered Nicole’s wound. Reaching up, she squeezed Nicole’s upper arm. Everything in Nicole buckled and Wynonna was able to regain the upper hand. She quickly slammed Nicole back down onto the train and this time made sure that she had a firmer hold of the officer.

‘What was that about killing me?’ she spat as her hands found themselves again around Nicole’s throat. She pressed down hard. ‘I’m going to watch you die Officer Haught and then I’m going to kill your little girlfriend… slowly. I was going to blow her up, but now she’s going to suffer… suffer because you couldn’t save her.’ She crouched down so her nose hovered above Nicole’s as the officer began to gasp. ‘… I want you to die knowing that.’

Nicole’s eyes rolled backwards up the ceiling as she felt the air and life leaving her. Her chest had began to burn as she gasped for air that was not coming. Instead, all she could do was stare up at the ceiling as the blurry shapes of the train’s tunnel whisked by. Pipes, blocks and flashes of warning signs. Each went by in turn. Pipes, concrete blocks and warning signs, blaring red. Pipes… blocks… and warning signs. It was right there. She was not going to give up. Her eyes turned back to Wynonna. With everything she had left, she brought her own hands to Wynonna’s chest and pushed as hard as she could. Pipes… blocks… and warning signs. Focused too hard on strangling Nicole, Wynonna was unaware of her body’s proximity to the ceiling. Pipes… Nicole kept pushing. Blocks… the strength was fading with her life. She pushed one last time. Warning sign… red, low and deadly. With one last push, Nicole got Wynonna high enough just at the right moment so that she had no time to react. The next warning sign collided with Wynonna’s head severing it clean off her shoulders. It bounced along the train like a tin can before disappearing over the side. Thinking quickly as she gasped for breath, Nicole grabbed the dead man’s stick out of Wynonna’s hand before her headless body too slid out of sight.

‘Sometimes it’s not a good idea to be daddy’s little girl,’ she choked stroking her neck.

The hiss of the door opening behind her alerted Waverly to someone’s approach but she didn’t dare turn to see who it was. Still crumpled on the floor, she was ready to give up. Her eyes were pinned to the floor. Looking at any window or surface with a reflection might give her the answer that she feared. It was only with a gentle hand slid over her shoulder and gave it a squeeze that she allowed herself to breathe.

‘Waverly… it’s me,’ came a soft voice. Exhaling, Waverly scrambled to her feet instantly and threw her arms around Nicole’s neck. The impact caused pain to sear down Nicole’s arm but she did not flinch, Waverly’s embrace overcame it all. ‘I’m okay…’

‘I thought you were dead… again,’ Waverly pulled away and glared at the woman in front of her. ‘You promised me you wouldn’t do that again!

‘No, I promised no more going under the bus…’ Nicole corrected with a wry smile. Waverly puffed her cheeks out unamused but it abated quickly. She could no longer keep her lips from Nicole’s and brought them together. She could have remained there but the sudden jolt of the train as it lurched around a corner brought them back to the precarious position they were in. As they were pulled apart, Waverly’s eyes fell upon the stick Nicole was now clutching in her hand. ‘What happened to Fisk’s daughter?’

‘She lost her head…’ she wanted them to enjoy the moment, but the train shifted again. ‘Which is what we’re going to do if we don’t get out of or stop this train.’

‘Can you do something about this?’ Waverly asked gesturing to her situation of the explosive vest and being handcuffed to the hand pole. Nicole was able to answer her by working quickly. She skilfully defused the deadman’s stick and ripped one of the wires out of the C-4 on the vest. She thanked Doc and one of his boring down memory lane speeches which gave her the knowledge that she needed. Waverly breathed one restrained sigh of relief as Nicole helped her out of the vest and threw it aside. ‘Okay… that’s one problem…’

‘We’re going to have to jump off this train…’ Nicole said as she began processing the next course of action. ‘If I know Wynonna by now… she’s probably rigged this thing…’

‘Okay… fine… you can just uncuff me then and we’ll get out of here...’

Nicole stared at Waverly as she held up her handcuffed hand, ‘I don’t have a key…’

‘What?’

Nicole’s voice became quiet, ‘I don’t have a key...’

Waverly’s eyes widened with panic. ‘Didn’t you get it off Wynonna?’ Nicole could only remain silent. ‘Great! This train’s shot to hell! Wynonna blasted about five gazillion rounds into it’s controls… how the hell are we going get off?… How the hell am I going to get off?’

A dreadful silence crept over them as Nicole stared helplessly at Waverly’s handcuffed wrist. For all that she had been through in a mere few hours and for every solution that she had managed to muster, she would change it all just to know what to do now. Yet her mind was blank and there was nothing. ‘I don’t…’

Waverly however, did know. ‘You have to go…’ she whimpered. Nicole met her eyes with shock. ‘… you have to leave me here…’ There seemed to be sudden calmness and clarity in the young woman’s voice. ‘You have to go and help more people… you have to leave me here.’

‘Waverly… there is now way I…’

‘You have to!’ There was more earnest in her shaking tone as she tried to remain steadfast. ‘You are valuable and you are needed… This train is going to crash, there is nothing we can do to stop it and you cannot be on it.’

‘No!’

‘Who’s going to miss me?’ Waverly screamed as she pulled at the handcuff. She rattled and banged it against the pole to add weight to her point. ‘You are a cop Nicole… I’m nothing...’

‘Fucking hell Waverly I will!’ Nicole screamed back grabbing her by the face. ‘You need to shut up and you need to shut up now! There is no way that I am getting off this train without you. You got that?’ Waverly could only manage a feeble nod of the head before Nicole rushed passed her to the front of the bus. She stared ahead as the train continued to eat up track beneath them. ‘Faster…’ she muttered. ‘We have to go faster…’

Chapter Text

Reaching forward, Nicole grabbed the only working element on the control panel and shoved it forward. Instantly, the train roared forward with more velocity. It almost knocked Nicole off her feet. Content with her plan, she returned to where Waverly stood forlornly by the pole.

‘What did you do?’ Waverly asked. Tears still rolled down her cheeks.

‘I’m getting out of here,’ Nicole told her. Waverly closed her eyes half relieved that Nicole was going to save herself but also dreading what was coming for her. Nicole could see that Waverly had indeed got the wrong impression. She marched forward and using two fingers raised Waverly’s bowed head so they could look into each other’s eyes. ‘… and I’m taking you with me.’

‘No…’ Waverly wept. ‘Nicole this is madness…’

‘There’s a bend up ahead, if we go fast enough we might jump the track and hit something other than a dead end.’ There was fear written all over the younger woman’s face tinged with a little relief that she would not have to go through this alone. ‘Just hold onto me.’
Waverly didn’t have to be told twice. She threw her free arm around Nicole and they held onto each other as tightly as they could. It wasn’t long before the sheer speed of the train caused their knees to buckle and fall to the floor still holding on. Nicole was determined that no matter how much they were thrown about as the train sped incessantly, she would not let go of Waverly.

A few weeks earlier

‘I really don’t know what I’m doing here…’ Nicole sighed as she stared into the gentle evening sunshine.

‘Ah…’ Bob’s eyes twinkled with his smile. ‘That’s a deep question my dear… one far too deep for my simple mind.’

Nicole chuckled at his misunderstanding, ‘I meant here in LA… I don’t know why I moved here…’

‘Oh I see,’ he shook his head a little embarrassed. Nicole smiled to reassure him. ‘Again, might be too deep for me, but I do believe that everything happens for a reason…’ He could see by her change in expression that Nicole was sceptical. ‘I know I know, that old line… but believing it helps me. It helps me to cope when I miss my Suzie. Of course I would give anything to have her back but maybe we had our best years, with so many wonderful memories, and it was God’s or this world’s design for me to be there for others. It’s what I think to myself every time I get on my bus and open those doors.’

‘Surely it can’t be someone’s plan for you to be lonely?’ Nicole questioned. ‘I wouldn’t want to think that…’

‘No,’ he had to agree. ‘But maybe it’s the plan for me to be helping someone, someone that might make a difference somewhere, have an impact on something.’

‘Like me?’ Nicole noted. ‘You’ve been such a help to me.’

‘Exactly,’ Bob said putting his finger up for impact. ‘Perhaps you are supposed to be here… and you are going to do something incredible… have a real impact on someone.’

‘Do you think we would have met if Suzie was still alive?’

Bob thought for a moment as the evening sun lit up his kind face, ‘I don’t think I would have been sitting in that coffee shop that day, in the right place to glance across the road to see you sitting in my bus stop looking so glum. I would have gone straight home to Suzie if she had still be alive…’

‘I was so close to getting on any bus out of here…’ Nicole nodded. ‘Still am in a way…’

‘My dear…,’ he moved a little closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. ‘… and I say this with much sincerity, I truly believe that you are supposed to be here and you are going to do something truly amazing.’ His eyes sparkled as he spoke. ‘You already are… In all the work you do and even just sitting on this bench talking to me… giving this old man some much needed company.’ Nicole patted his hand affectionately before they both turned to face the sun that was beginning to set across the water as the waves rolled gently in. ‘Someone else somewhere is going to need you more than anything else… and you will be there… and you will save them.’

His words echoed in Nicole’s mind as she tightened her grip on Waverly. This is what he had been talking about. Somehow he had known. That brilliant and kind man who had kept her in LA – he had kept her here for this.

Another platform shot by past the windows as the train rattled along the track, which it was just keeping a hold of. The brief beam of light filled the train but only for a second. Once it was gone the train was plunged into darkness, Waverly and Nicole just shadows as they crouched in the middle. Beyond them, the engine began to overheat due to the sheer strain it was being put under causing smoke to start to rise from it and fill in the first car. The two women were just out of reach from it, for now.

‘Come on…’ Nicole whispered into Waverly’s shoulder. They were running out of time. She could smell the smoke; she could hear the train groaning and puncturing around her. Surely it wouldn’t hold together much longer. ‘Let’s go…’

Up ahead, construction crews worked blissfully unaware of what was bombing down the track towards them. Beyond the curve the track ended to where they were building another station. They joked and laughed in the sunlight which pierced through the hole in the surface above them. It was only when one removed his hat to wipe the sweat from his brow that he noticed the lights in the distance.

He peered into the shadows to make sure he had seen it right, ‘what the…’

‘Move!’ came the scream from another. ‘Everybody move now!’

With a mighty screech the train lifted off the tracks and proceeded to charge it’s way through the construction site sending wood, metal and dirt flying in it’s wake. In all directions, men scrambled out of the way and took cover as the debris rained down around them. Inside the train, Nicole and Waverly clung on as they were thrown around. Due to the sheer force of the impact off the track, the pole which had held Waverly prisoner came lose allowing her more freedom to hold onto Nicole. No longer held in the middle, both their bodies hit the windows as the train was turned into it’s side.

Near the construction entrance, it appeared that a truck would create a barrier to the train and maybe cause it to stop, but it also was sent reeling as the metal torpedo broke free of the underground. Like a breaching whale it emerged air bound before landing with almighty crash on the road. All around, the city came to a standstill as they watched dumbfounded at the sight of the train skidding down the street. Metal screamed and sparks flew as the train finally began to slow and finally came to a stop some distance from where it had appeared.

For a few moments, everything fell still as everyone stood in shock. Some were still processing what they had just seen and some simply did not know what to do. The only movement seemed to come from the stunned and dishevelled work men as they surfaced from the now completely destroyed construction site. After all the chaos, terror and panic that had gripped some of those in the city, there was now calm.

Within the dented and busted shell of what used to be a train, Waverly and Nicole still clung to each other barely able to look up – they didn’t dare to. Both of them could hardly believe that they had survived. It was the broken glass uncomfortably digging into Nicole’s back that allowed her to realise that she was alive and the situation was real. Her movement caused Waverly to push herself up so that she and Nicole could look at each other.

‘You didn’t leave me…’ Waverly smiled.

‘Well… I didn’t have anywhere to be just then…’ Nicole smiled.

‘Not the time to joke Officer Haught…’ Waverly spat giving Nicole a gentle and unimpressed slap on the arm.

‘I thought you liked a joke,’ Nicole protested.

‘Not all the time… I mean definitely not right now…’

‘Well how am I supposed to know when you do or do not like a joke?’ Nicole asked.

Waverly scowled, ‘we’ve just spent nearly three hours together fighting for our lives…’

‘That’s not a long time…’ Nicole pointed out finding this rather entertaining. ‘but… I certainly would love to be able to work it out… over a lot more time…’ Now her face was serious as she and Waverly gazed at each other. ‘I mean… if you want to now the excitement is all over…’

‘You know what…’ she brought her face closer to Nicole’s. ‘I think I’m done with excitement in my life right now… except any that you can give me.’ She grimaced at her own words. ‘That sounded so much better in my head… please step in anytime Nicole because clearly I don’t know how to do this…’

‘Oh I think you do…’

‘Maybe I should stop talking…’

‘See you’re getting better at this already…’ Nicole pushed herself up so that her face was lingering closer to Waverly’s, their noses almost grazing.

‘Maybe you should stop talking too…’

This was simply to tantalizing for Nicole but she held in there, ‘maybe you should make me…’ Now neither could resist and their lips found each other. Waverly’s enthusiasm caused Nicole to fall backwards back onto the side of the train which was now beneath them as the floor but Nicole did not even winced at the broken glass and twisted metal which she landed on. Causing mere discomfort her mind was completely focused elsewhere as she cupped Waverly’s face and held her as close as possible. Lost in each other’s arms, they did not notice the crowd approaching the train and gathering around them. Many were astonished to peer in through the windows as see not only the occupants alive but in such an embrace. If it hadn’t been for the sirens and police pushing their way through the crowd to get to them, they could have remained there for hours.

A few weeks later

The morning sun had risen enough that it was beginning to grace every surface that it came into contact with. It along with the rolling waves and gentle breeze made for a perfect morning. Apart from a solo jogger and a surfer riding the water there was hardly anyone around as Waverly and Nicole made their way along the beach. Their fingers entwined, they allowed their toes to feel the soft cool sand and the wind in their hair. It was only a few steps later that Nicole spotted what they had come for and veered off their course towards a path just behind the beach. As they approached it, Nicole’s pace slowed.

‘You okay?’ Waverly asked squeezing Nicole’s hand in hers. Nicole’s eyes were fixed in front of her but she was able to nod. ‘You don’t have to do this now…’

‘No…’ Nicole said taking a deep breath. ‘I want to…’ She let go of Waverly’s hand and made her way over to the wooden bench. It was brand new and beautifully sun kissed as Nicole approached. In her left hand she held a simple bunch of flowers. Almost nervously she placed them in the middle as her eyes cast themselves on the plaque before her. It was for Bob and Suzie, two people who deserved to be remembered. Nicole kissed her fingers and placed them on the small metal plate before stepping back to rejoin Waverly. ‘He loved the mornings… it’s when each day has the potential to be a masterpiece he would say…’

‘He sounds like a wise man…’

‘He was,’ Nicole nodded. She turned to Waverly. ‘He’s what kept me here… kept me in LA.’

Waverly stepped closer to Nicole and wrapped her arms around the taller woman’s neck, ‘sounds like I owe him one…’ They chuckled and shared a brief kiss.

‘He told me that I would be here to save someone someday… and I was…’

‘You saved lots of people that day Nicole, you were incredible…’ Waverly said proudly. ‘And you will continue to save lots of people whether you are here or anywhere else.’ She took hold of Nicole’s shirt. ‘But for now, it better be here.’

‘Well… I won’t be saving anyone anywhere anytime soon until I’ve had some breakfast…’

‘Noted and agreed,’ she began to playfully drag Nicole back along the beach from the way they had come but Nicole remained steadfast on the spot. She took a few last moments to look back at the bench now adorned with her flowers and fully lit up by the sun. She nodded with a mark of respect and made peace with her mind that she would be allowed to move on. Bob had been there for her. He had kept her in LA where she had needed to be that day. Now he was with his Suzie and she had her Waverly.

‘Where do you want to go?’ Nicole asked returning her full attention back to the beautiful brunette waiting for her.

‘Anywhere within walking distance…’

‘Don’t want to take the bus?’

It only took one look from Waverly to give Nicole her answer.