The Taken

Over the straining rotors, they couldn’t hear if the gunfire had stopped, but by now they were almost seventy metres high above the lake. “Jesus Christ,” muttered Qui

Hazel had scrambled to her feet and was radioing Port Dundas. “I need backup on the north shore road of Pickamore Lake, shots fired, we have three men in the water and a damaged aircraft -”

“I have to go back down,” said Qui

“Copy,” said Hazel’s radio, “cars dispatched. Injuries?”

Hazel looked at Wingate’s bleeding cheek. “One… so far. Stand by.”

Qui

Childress caught Hazel’s eye. “The gunshots came from the shoreline,” she shouted. “You want me up front?”

“No,” called Hazel, heading for the cockpit. “This is between him and me now.” She came up beside Qui

“You want to be a target?”

“No,” she said, “I want to end this.”

Qui

Then there was a flash of white in the distance, from within tree-cover, and a half-second later, the empty seat behind Hazel’s head spat a tuft of cloth and foam and Qui

Qui

“Let’s get out of here!” she called, and Qui

“Turn around,” he shouted, rotating his index finger in the air, and Hazel did and he ran his hand up the back of her jacket and under her shirt, feeling for the wound he was sure he’d find. But there was nothing. “He shot the glass in the door out – you were standing right there,” he said, but Hazel shook her head at him.

“It was my turn,” she said. “Not his. I hit him. Call dispatch, I want any way in or out of this side of the lake blocked and I want teams working on a grid in those woods until they find him or his body.”

He called it in, and then Hazel leaned down to Eldwin’s motionless form, and pulled the drenched layers of cloth away from his throat. She felt along below his chin for a pulse. “I want to know how hard we should be trying to save this man’s life,” she shouted to Childress. “Call your people now!” The constable backed away and turned to face the rear of the cabin. “I don’t feel a pulse,” Hazel said.

“He was alive in the water,” yelled Calberson. He leapt to the back of the cabin and dragged his emergency kit out from under one of the benches. “Move aside.” Someone finally closed the door and the howl of the wind moved to the front of the helicopter, where the windshield had been shot out. Calberson cut the soaked cloth off Eldwin. “There’s a survival blanket in the kit -”

Childress shook the reflective blanket out and passed it to Calberson. Eldwin was naked beneath his windings; it was a pathetic sight, and Calberson put the thin survival blanket on top of him. He held one edge of it up. “You,” he yelled to Childress, “get in.”

“What?”

“You’re the smallest one here, so you’ll put the least strain on his chest. But we got to warm him up or he’ll die for sure.” She hesitated and he reached out and grabbed her wrist. “I’m not asking.” Childress lay down on top of Eldwin, face to face with the unconscious man.

Hazel leaned down to her. “Did you get through?”

“I’m on hold.”

“Jesus Christ,” she said, “give me that phone.”

She took off her helmet and put the phone to her ear. Calberson picked up the helmet and spoke into the mic. “Mr. Qui

“The only ER that can handle this is in Mayfair,” Qui

“Go.” He had Eldwin’s left wrist and was feeling the pulse. “He’s twenty beats a minute. He’s lucky it got cold or he’d be a corpse by now. As it is…”

“Hello?” said Hazel into the phone. “Who is this?” The man on the other end gave his name as Fredricks. She pressed the phone into her shoulder. “Childress? Fredricks is your guy?”

She nodded. She was looking ill – Hazel imagined Eldwin was somewhat ripe. Her radio buzzed and she passed it to Wingate.

She put the phone back to her ear. “Fredricks? I’m Detective Inspector Hazel Micallef, from the Port Dundas detachment of the OPS. I’m sorry, I’m in a helicopter – we’re waiting on some forensic results.” She listened for a moment. Wingate was saying 984, but we’re going direct to Mayfair, call ahead 951 and Hazel put a finger in her other ear. “We know that already, but I sent the superintendent some… evidence yesterday afternoon. That’s right. Okay,” she said, squinting to hear better, “say that again.”