The Heist

[JULIE BRADY]

It was that time of year again. The holidays were gone, meaning the staff had to be downsized. There was no longer a rush of visitors and so to pinch pennies, they let one or two people go. With the reports from the kitchen, Julie made the tough decision to let Hector Nunez go. Over the last several months, Hector had been coming into work increasingly late, even regularly starting his shift an hour after he was supposed to. It came to her attention from Sophia that Hector may have been using cocaine, even on the job. This was confirmed by the head chef who saw a packet of it fall onto the floor just a couple weeks ago. At that point, Caroline was involved and Julie had no choice. She knew Hector had a big family, including his parents living with him and his several children, plus an additional brother or sister, maybe two, and he supported all of them along with his wife. They didn’t have high-paying jobs, and his sibling or siblings were in and out of work, so it was hard for Julie to break it to the guy. He didn’t handle it well. Seeing a grown man crying and pleading for his job was incredibly difficult for her, but she had no choice. By the time he left, she was convinced he would never forgive her. Or Caroline and Remy, who had been in the room as well when Julie told Hector they had to let him go. Her bosses were much more hardened than she was and handled it coolly, but it was hard for her to do the same. It took a lot for Remy to cheer her up that night.

She and Remy were still hot and heavy. It was surprising that no one had noticed, though she suspected Caroline was onto them. Mothers usually knew, didn’t they? But if she did know, she didn’t call them out on it, and Julie was grateful for that. That would be one awkward conversation if it ever came up…It briefly went through her mind as she walked from the conference room with Caroline and Remy, she and Remy taking up the back as Caroline led the way back to the offices. “Honestly, I don’t know why these credit card companies have to be so gratuitous with their fees. We have to pay even more just to provide convenience to our customers? It’s absurd!” Remy made some tongue in cheek comment about it only being $50 more a month than what they were paying already and Julie bit back a smile. It was a deal considering the fees credit card companies charged these days, but Caroline waved off his comment with a testy glare. “Fifty dollars a month adds up, Remington. Of course we can afford it, but I don’t understand why we’re being punished for being a successful business.” Julie shrugged her shoulders as they walked along. “Times are tough.” “That they are.” Caroline’s agreement ended her huff and Julie glanced at Remy who rolled his eyes. She smiled in amusement before looking ahead once more.

When Julie looked ahead, they were passing the front desk in the lobby. As Caroline and Remy greeted the staff behind the desk, Remy making some flirty comment to the cute blonde on duty, Julie was distracted by the sight of five men in all black walking through the glass front doors. Two had duffle bags slung over their shoulders and two appeared to be walking with a slight limp. They wore sunglasses and black beanies, leather gloves and big boots…like they were going into battle. Julie had a terrible feeling and instinctively she reached out to grab Remy’s arm, keeping her eyes glued on the approaching men. “Remy…do they look suspicious to you?” she asked in a hushed voice as the men pushed through the doors and into the lobby. If he answered, she didn’t hear it. She was too caught up in the fact that she recognized one of their faces even adorned with the sunglasses. Hector, who had been one of the men with a limp, now brandished a semi-automatic from beneath his coat. In the seconds that she watched him raise it in the air, she thought for sure that it was fake. And then the bullets exploded in a raucous spray of fire into the molded ceiling. Julie was transfixed as arms dragged her close and screams echoed around the lobby. “NOBODY FUCKING MOVE!!”[/i] That’s when she knew it was real.

Remy was tugging her behind the desk and holding onto his mother’s wrist as they all made to hide. The men were all cocking weapons, the distinct clicking noise ringing in Julie’s ears as her heart raced. When they were ducked behind the desk, legs curled into their bodies, Julie realized she was clinging to Remy’s arm like a terrified child. Her eyes fixed on his, wide and frantic, her knees feeling like jelly. If her hands hadn’t been fastened to Remy’s arm, she was sure they would be trembling. “That’s Hector!” she said as quietly as she could with all of the noise going on around them. Remy showed no sign of knowing what she was talking about and a glance at Caroline’s distraught face told her she didn’t know either. “The coke addict that we fired two weeks ago!” Now recognition showed on their faces and Julie felt all of her guilt surge over her again. People could get hurt because of this…The men were ordering over and over with evident Hispanic accents for everyone to get down in the middle of the lobby. She couldn’t see what was going on, but from the sound of it, the men were forcing people on the ground. Would they find them there, hiding behind the desk with the two women and the man that were on duty, tucked under the desk as best as they could? Julie’s heart was pounding so hard she was afraid it would give them away. Maybe it did, because within moments one of the men in black appeared behind the desk and aimed two pistols at the group he found hoping for safety there. “GET THE FUCK OUT THERE!! ON THE GROUND IN THE MIDDLE! MOVE! MOVE!!”[/i] Julie was closest to him and he grabbed a hold of her arm roughly, dragging her to her feet as she yelped in pain and panic. Stumbling, she looked back to find the man yanking Remy out of the way and throwing Caroline at him. Julie’s legs were shaking and tears were forming in her eyes as she fell into step beside Remy. “Don’t leave me, okay?” she requested of him in a soft, choked voice. Her hand clasped onto his arm again, praying for any comfort as pure fear pumped through her veins. It felt like they were being rounded up for the slaughter.

[REMY GRAHAM]

There was something so relaxing about the new year. The holidays were over and things could begin to get back to normal. It also meant a drop in business which sucked financially, but it made the logistics of hotel operation easier to manage. It also meant less late nights which meant more time to play around. Julie was still the easiest to get to so he still spent most of his time around her, but every now and then an old fling would pop up and make plans. He usually did whatever he could to make those plans happen, which helped keep his life a little spiced up and not so damn dull. Remy was having a difficult time focusing on the stupid things these days, tired of hearing about the absurd prices for this and that, or the fees from the credit card company for the upteenth time that year. “Honestly, I don’t know why these credit card companies have to be so gratuitous with their fees. We have to pay even more just to provide convenience to our customers? It’s absurd!” His head lulled back and his jaw gaped a little as his eyes rolled up. How many times did his mother have to whine about the stinking $50 a month fee? It was $50! And it was a convenience for their patrons which kept business coming in. She couldn't change it, so why did she need to whine about it? "You know what's absurd? The fact that you can't get over a $50 fee that will never go away. It's just $50. We make that back on one idiots binge night with his mini bar." He toyed, and it was true. He'd seen people rack up huge mini bar bills. “Fifty dollars a month adds up, Remington. Of course we can afford it, but I don’t understand why we’re being punished for being a successful business.” Julie's shoulders rolled in a shrug and he looked at her as if he was ready to tear his own eyes out. “Times are tough.” The petite girl mused and Remy knew in her subtle way she was teasing his mother, though Caroline certainly didn't pick up on it. “That they are.” He rolled his eyes and sighed. There was nothing more to say on the matter.

As they passed the front desk Remy looked over the staff. The cute little blond was working again! She had to be early twenties at best, and he could never remember her name. A quick glance at her name tag got him smiling. Jessa.. It was a weird name to him, no wonder he didn't remember it. He wondered if he would remember it if he had to groan it out during sex. "That's a beautiful sweater, Jessa. Matches your eyes." His tone was flirty and coy and she smiled bashfully at him, her pale cheeks turning pink and making her freckles pop as she uttered a soft thanks for his compliment. It was a shame that Julie and his mother were with him... “Remy…do they look suspicious to you?” Julie asked pulling him out of his little flirting session. He turned his head to look, the smile on his face dropping along with his stomach. Men wearing all black with covered eyes and duffel bags were rarely a welcomed sign. "Uhh.. let's get behind the counter Jules, shall we?" Julie didn't move. Hell, she didn't even seem to hear him. Suddenly one of the men pulled a gun from behind his coat and aimed it at the ceiling, shooting off several loud rounds of bullet that made his hear pound heavily in his chest. "Call the police!" He hissed to the girls behind the counter, unsure if any of them actually hear him or not. “NOBODY FUCKING MOVE!!” This was definitely bad news.

Remy, in his fear, grabbed both Julie and his mother and made the quick move behind the desk. Keeping them from getting harmed his main priority. He could hear the guns cocking, but before anymore shots were fired he had them safely behind the desk, ducking below it to keep safe. His mother was frantically rambling about calling the police and what was this world coming to while Julie clung to his arm with a vice like grip. “That’s Hector!” She said in a hushed voice as he and his mother looked at her with confusion. "Who?" “The coke addict that we fired two weeks ago!” His eyes widened. Was she serious? What motive did that screw up have for holding them up! He couldn't really believe they would keep a drug abuser on board. He was preparing food for their customers for crying out loud! He was a pathetic waste of space and a huge liability. Remy couldn't think of that right now, though! He could hear the men screaming at the patrons to get on the ground and he needed to think. Had someone called the police yet? He fished his phone out. Surely they would be there in record time! They wouldn't need to hide for long.. He was dialing when a man appeared with two guns pointing at them. Remy hit send, his eyes wide as he looked up the barrels of the guns, his heart hammering as he feared his life was seriously about to end. “GET THE FUCK OUT THERE!! ON THE GROUND IN THE MIDDLE! MOVE! MOVE!!” He grabbed Julie and tugged her out, throwing her aside. "Don't!" He yelped, but the man grabbed him and his mother next, pulling them out of their little shelter. The police better hurry if they knew what was good for them! Julie grabbed his arm and held tight, Remy's other arm slipping around his mother and also holding her close. She was actually scared into silence, something he didn't think could actually happen. “Don’t leave me, okay?” Julie begged softly and he looked down at her with terrified eyes, his brows furrowing as he gave a nod. "I'm not leaving you, not with these psychopaths here. It's going to be alright, you'll see." He got his phone tucked into his pocket, the call, as far as he knew, had gone through though he hadn't been able to say anything. With any luck they would know to come, surely others had called!

The guy with the guns pointed towards to the main lobby and began screaming at them to move again. Remy kept the women close, not wanting to get shot either, and escorted them to where the other hostages were cowering. "ON THE GROUND!" He helped his mother to the ground as Julie lowered herself, putting himself between the women. He panted a moment before glowering up at the men in black. "It's not to late, you know.." He said cautiously. "The police aren't here yet, but it's only a matter of time before they are. You can still get away.. If you don't leave before they get here you'll either be shot or go to jail, or potentially both. It doesn't need to be like this." He pleaded, seeing one of the guys coming toward him looking pissed. He shut his eyes, bracing himself for the blow, and praying it wasn't with a bullet..

[JULIE BRADY]

Julie stayed huddled close to Remy, watching as one of the men locked every door to the lobby, including the revolving door. Apparently he had locked one before. Caroline was panting and Julie realized Remy was too. He was frightened. She’d never seen him frightened before and it unnerved her further. Just as she was about to reach for his hand, however, she saw the glower come over his face as he looked up at the men holding them and their guests hostage. “It’s not too late, you know…The police aren’t here yet, but it’s only a matter of time before they are. You can still get away…If you don’t leave before they get here you’ll either be shot or go to jail, or potentially both. It doesn’t need to be like this.” Julie’s blue eyes were wide with surprise and fear. One look at the man Remy had spoken to told her that he was not pleased with Remy’s words. He advanced quickly, raising his shotgun with the butt aimed at Remy’s face. It connected with a loud crack, smacking her lover in the middle of his forehead. She gasped and then yelped as the butt caught Remy in the nose smartly as the man raised the gun again. Blood poured from Remy’s nostrils as he fell backward, his phone slipping out of his pocket just enough for his assailant to see. Caroline was already scrambling to help her son up and possibly hide the phone once more, but the man in black shoved her back to the ground. He snatched up Remy’s phone and Julie saw enough to see a call had gone through to 911. Her heart raced as she saw the rage slip onto the man’s face and tears filled her eyes as she looked at Remy coughing and trying to right himself. The man threw the phone to the ground, shattering it before bringing the heel of his boot down on the remains repeatedly until it was little more than random computer pieces. He took the last of his rage out on Remy with a kick to the stomach and Julie jumped at the blow. Finally the man skulked away and she scampered to Remy’s side along with Caroline, both women helping him back to a sitting position. Caroline pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and pressed it to Remy’s undoubtedly broken nose. “Don’t say anything unless you’re spoken to, do you understand? You’ll get yourself killed!” Her words were said in a panicked whisper, her eyes pleading as she gazed at her son. A tear slid down Julie’s face as she wished for a heartbeat that her mother was there with her. Then she remembered it was better that she wasn’t.

Once everyone was rounded up, another man methodically moved his gun from side to side, giving everyone a threatening glare behind his shades. “Everyone empty your pockets. Now.”[/i] His voice was firm but quieter now that everyone was in the same area, huddled together. Everyone did as he said, Julie removing her keys and cell phone with shaky hands, setting her few possessions on the cold tiled floor. The rattling of her keys drew Hector’s attention and their eyes met at last. Julie’s heart dropped to the ground as she saw the fierce, satisfied smile cross his lips. “Miss Brady!”[/i] His voice was laced with triumph and she swallowed hard, sniffling. Then his eyes trailed to the two beside her and he gave a harsh laugh. “And Mr. and Mrs. Graham! Today is my lucky day!”[/i] With his semi-automatic in hand he sidled over to the three of them. “You know why I have to do this, right?”[/i] The question went unanswered until he came to a stop in front of them, Julie watching his every movement with fear and regret coursing through her. “Because you guys fired me. Now? I can’t support my family. My wife calls me a failure.”[/i] Remy began to make a smart remark about him being a drug addict and before Caroline or Julie could shut him up, Hector was taking care of that with a boot toe to Remy’s gut. Julie took the opportunity to try and calm him down. “Héctor, lo siento mucho. No queríamos hacer daño a su familia de ninguna manera. Te damos lo que necesites. Sólo vámonos. Deja que estas personas van.” Hector gave her a hard look before chuckling softly, darkly. He knelt down in front of her, the muzzle of his gun tapping against the tile as he got close to her. “Es demasiado tarde para eso.”[/b] Julie’s eyes flooded with tears as he got back to his feet. Before she could relax into her despair, however, she found the muzzle pressed against her forehead. Her heart stopped and her eyes looked up to Hector’s in sheer terror. “Cierre las puertas de los ascensores y las escaleras. Ahora.[/b] Julie glanced to Remy and Caroline and saw the fear etched on their faces. Swallowing hard and steeling herself, she carefully wrapped her hands around her keys and slowly got to her feet, the muzzle of the gun following her the whole way.

Finally on her feet, one of the men with pistols in his hands swooped in behind her and pressed the muzzle into her back. “Vaya.”[/b] The command put her feet into motion and she made her way, hands raised and showing her keys to the other men who followed her with their eyes. Leering smiles curved their lips as they watched her move past them and she trembled at what she knew was running through their heads. “Héctor, ¿estás seguro de que no podemos tener diversión con ella?” “Tal vez más tarde.”[/b] The answer Hector gave turned her blood to ice while the other men laughed cruelly. Would they really rape her? Bile rose up in her throat and she swallowed hard to keep from vomiting. Finally they reached the elevators and she used her special key to lock them in place. Buzzing briefly filled the elevator shafts and she knew there must be people on them. They would be terrified…but maybe they would call the police. The lock to the stairwell soon followed. She could hear a commotion from the restaurant area and when she was finally led back towards the huddle in the middle of the lobby, she found the frightened kitchen staff looking around in utter bewilderment. Sophia’s gaze locked on Julie’s as she got close and the Hispanic woman’s dark skin visibly blanched. Julie could only tremble and cry in return.

The man behind her led her over to Hector once more, but she couldn’t look him in the eye. She was terrified and ashamed at her tears. Hector turned to her and brushed the tears away, drawing her surprised and apprehensive eyes to his. “You don’t have to cry, Miss Brady. You’ll be fine as long as you do everything I say.”[/b] Julie needed to try and get these people out of here. Especially Remy and Caroline…She nodded in agreement and Hector lowered his hand from her face. Her eyes flashed to Remy before she swallowed hard and looked back at Hector. “I’ll do anything, I promise. Just…let them go. The guests, the staff, Remy, Caroline…let them go and I’ll do whatever you ask.” Hector gave her a hard stare before looking down at Remy and it was if something dawned on him. He looked between Remy and Julie and then he laughed, grinning as if he was privy to some explosive secret. “Oh, ya veo. Usted quiere proteger a su novio.”[/b] She shook her head, but he was already moving away. “It’s not like that.” Her insistence fell on deaf ears and soon her breath was caught in her chest as Hector put the muzzle of his gun to the back of Remy’s head. He grinned wide at the terror on Julie’s face. “Motivation. Now tell us where the money is hidden here.”[/b] Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and she struggled to find the answer to Hector’s question, too distracted by the gun pressed against the back of Remy’s head.

[REMY GRAHAM]

Remy felt a sick twisting in his stomach as the man approached. Those could have very well been his last words. Instead of a bullet in the head, though, Remy felt the butt of the mans gun connect with his nose. "Sonuva bitch!" He gasped, grabbing his face as he fell over, groaning in agony. Blood spilled from his nose, wetting his hands. He didn't see the everything that happened after with his phone coming out or the man stomping on it, too busy coughing and trying to sit back up, but before he could succeed a boot came crashing into his stomach knocking the wind out of him. Bloody hands left his face to cradle his now agonizing stomach as he fell over again. The world spun around Remy as gentle hands grabbed onto him, coaxing him back into a sitting position. "Jesus.." He groaned, letting out another heavy cough as his mother pressed a handkerchief to his nose. Remy flinched at the pain that burst from the simple touch, assuring him that his nose was certainly broken. “Don’t say anything unless you’re spoken to, do you understand? You’ll get yourself killed!” Remy opened his eyes to look at his mother, knowing for certain they would both be black by the evening. "You think?" He rasped, obviously angry at the situation. What he would give to sucker punch that guy in the face right now..

“Everyone empty your pockets. Now.” Remy took the handkerchief from his mom and pushed it to his nose, not moving to take anything out of his pockets. His mother didn't have any pockets but shoved her hands into Remy's fishing out his wallet. He silently fumed but didn't fight her, knowing he probably would be shot, and he could just cancel all his credit cards later. It was a major inconvenience at best. Those idiots couldn't ruin him. “Miss Brady!” Remy looked up at the cocky voice, glowering at the owner of that voice. “And Mr. and Mrs. Graham! Today is my lucky day!” Remy bit his tongue for now, still trying to get himself together. “You know why I have to do this, right?” Oh he had to do this? He had to be an idiot who hurt and stole from people because he was too incompetent to hold a damn job down and support his family? “Because you guys fired me. Now? I can’t support my family. My wife calls me a failure.” "Yeah, it's our fault you shoot up every ni.." Before he could finish his sentence, Hector's boot made contact with his stomach once more and Remy was doubling over. Julie was pleading with his assailant but he couldn't even pay attention to what she was saying, the pain consuming him. He felt his mothers hands on him, pulling him back up but all he could do was groan as he leaned into her. He really needed to learn to keep his mouth shut.. It was the dark chuckle that made his eyes wander back angrily to this Hector fellow, just in time to see him put the barrel of his gun to Julie's head. The blood seemed to drain from his face as fear froze him. He wouldn't...would he? “Cierre las puertas de los ascensores y las escaleras. Ahora. He had no clue what the guy was saying, but he knew Julie spoke Spanish. Hell, he'd talked her into using it in bed a few time, because Remy liked the idea of foreign chicks. Julie got the keys and got to her feet and Remy wished he knew where Hector was taking her. He wished he could save her, protect her somehow.. but how?

The men were having some sort of exchange and laughing and he wondered what they were saying. He couldn't see Julie's face to get any idea though, his eyes moving to his mother. "The police will be here soon." He saw the broken phone on the ground and then looked back to his mom. "They won't get away with this. It will be alright." She was shaking her head. In all his years he'd never seen his mother so upset over anything. She was a callous old bitch and it took a lot to really work her up. These guys were doing a number on her. "I don't know about that. Even if we live no one will want to come stay here! We're going to need to up security!" She hissed and Remy wanted to roll his eyes at her. Of course she was thinking business right now. One of the armed men yelled at them to shut up and Remy threw him an angry glance, wrapping a bloody arm around his mother and holding her protectively close.

“It’s not like that.” Julie's voice caught his attention once more and he looked over just in time to see Hector making his way back over. He froze as the man's gun came to the back of his head, his breath catching in his throat. “Motivation. Now tell us where the money is hidden here.” Remy felt his body begin to tremble slightly. He needed to think.. needed to get them out of this situation. "There isn't much money on the premises. There's some in a safe in the back room but most of the cash is in the restaurant. You won't get more than five grand here." He assured Hector as calmly as possible. "All the money is in the bank. We do very little cash exchange anymore." He wondered if he could lure the man away from the group somehow. One less danger.. but that would leave Julie and his mother and the other innocents in the gangs hands and who even knew what would happen then. "Please.. let everyone go. I'll write you a company check for whatever you want." Of course the check would never clear, but he didn't think an idiot like Hector would think that far ahead. "Just don't hurt anyone. Deal? You get what you want and we get to walk away."

[JULIE BRADY]

Tears were filling Julie’s eyes as she saw the fear on Remy’s face. She’d never seen him scared before. One look at Caroline and she could see the terror in the woman’s eyes. Julie felt like it was her fault there was a gun being held to the back of Remy’s head—it was her fault his mother was panicked right now. “There isn’t much money on the premises. There’s some in a safe in the back room but most of the cash is in the restaurant. You won’t get more than five grand here. All the money is in the bank. We do very little cash exchange anymore.” Julie swallowed hard, looking up at Hector who was glaring suspiciously down at his hostage. She knew it was true. If she could empty their coffers for the men, maybe they would leave them alone to be arrested later. Or would they let them survive it? They knew at least one member in this gang to identify to the police. They were liabilities, each and every one of them…“Please…let everyone go. I’ll write you a company check for whatever you want. Just don’t hurt anyone. Deal? You get what you want and we get to walk away.” She knew exactly what Remy was getting at and her heart raced in excitement. He could write a check, but he could call the bank to cancel it before Hector was even able to cash it in! Good thing Remy could keep his wits about him in a crisis! But would Hector fall for it? Her blue eyes darted up to Hector, full of anxiety and hope that he would take the bait. He looked like he was seriously considering it. The man holding the gun to her back pressed it closer to her spine and her heart stopped. “Don’t do it, man. He trying to trick you. He ain’t gonna let that check clear the bank, man.”[/b] Julie’s eyes slipped shut and she sighed softly in disappointment. When she looked back at Hector, there was rage written all over his face. “Don’t fuck with me, motherfucker!”[/b] He brought the butt of his pistol to the side of Remy’s head, the blow making a sickening thud as it struck. She winced with Remy’s sound of pain and knew she had to get them away from Remy so they would stop beating him.

“If I get you the cash that we have, will you let us go?” She knew she shouldn’t be offering the Graham family money, but judging from the terror on Caroline’s face as she fretted over Remy’s wounds, they wouldn’t mind. Hector’s still furious gaze lifted to hers and she froze in place, trying to look brave. Slowly his face slid to a cocky smirk and he made his way towards her. She swallowed hard, almost backing up but stiffening again as the muzzle of her guard’s gun pressed harder into her back. Hector set his feet in front of her, bringing the barrel of his pistol between her breasts and looking suggestively between her face and chest. “What else are you willing to give up?”[/b] His friend behind her gave a menacing chuckle and she could feel the little color left in her skin drain away. She fought not to look to Remy, knowing Hector would take it as another sign that they were an item and try to pit them against each other. Instead, more tears glistened in her eyes and she gulped. “I’ll do whatever I have to. Just let all of us leave here alive. Please.” Her words were little more than a whisper and Hector grinned in return. “Deal.”[/b] She felt like the ground was falling beneath her. They were going to rape her. She was going to give them the money and they were going to take her into a backroom and do whatever they pleased. Maybe she could weasel her way out of it. There had to be a way of getting help. Surely the people in the elevators were calling the cops, the fire department…someone. Anyone.

She didn’t notice that with Hector and the other men distracted with her bargaining, Caroline had slowly grabbed her cell phone from the floor in front of her. She hid it between her and Remy’s bodies, keeping one nervous eye out for the other men. They didn’t notice. Quickly she opened the emergency keypad on the screen and dialed 911. The call began and she waited to see the call connect before she muffled the sound of the operator’s voice with the palm of her hand against the speaker, appearing as if she was resting her weight against the tiled floor while leaning close to Remy. Their eyes met and she knew her son understood what she was doing. She then looked at poor Julie, pale as bone and scared stiff, her big eyes wide with tears. “Just do everything they say, Julie. You have keys to the safe and the cash registers.” Hopefully that would be enough of a clue for the operator on the phone, knowing her mouthpiece wasn’t covered by her hand. Julie looked at Caroline and almost wished the older woman would step in for her. These men wouldn’t rape an older woman, would they? Just the thought that they might…no, she had to do this. Remy would never forgive himself if something happened to his mother.

Julie nodded at Caroline and then slowly began leading the way to the restaurant. Better to remain where she was in view of the others for now. Until she could figure something out. The host stand was where they kept the registers and she began by emptying those first into a take-out bag. She bent down to open the safe with the extra cash beneath the register and the man with his gun trained on her made a sound of vulgar approval. “Apuesto a que usted hace por un buen polvo.”[/b] Julie almost threw up on the spot, looking back at the man nervously before lowering into a squat, her knees pressed firmly together. “Yo voy primero.”[/b] The second voice sent chills down her spine and she looked up as the man with the rifle sidled up to them, an icy smirk on his lips. His friend laughed. “Yo no lo creo!”[/b] Their bickering was meant as a scare tactic and Julie knew that. Hector must have sent the other guy to make sure Julie didn’t try anything to get away. She simply kept her eyes down while they argued over who would have her first, praying their plans wouldn’t come to fruition. When the safe was empty, she slowly rose to her feet again, handing the bag of cash over to her original guard. He ordered her to walk back toward the main group, ready now to raid the backroom. That’s when she heard the sirens.

[REMY GRAHAM]

For a moment Remy believed the guy would take the bait and maybe they would have a chance to get out of there alive. His stomach ached in a way that made him feel ill, and his nose was steadily dripping blood down his front. Not even a dry cleaner could get these stains out, the whole suit would need to be trashed. “Don’t do it, man. He trying to trick you. He ain’t gonna let that check clear the bank, man.” Remy tensed at the other man's words, abgry and scared at the same time. What he would do to throw his fist in that fucktards face. “Don’t fuck with me, motherfucker!” The butt of Hector's gun made contact with his head, which rang again making him fall to his hands and knees, yelping in pain. His eyes slipped shut and he breathed through his mouth, unable to do so through his nose, and tried to calm himself down. He needed to think! He was about to suggest letting Hector go cash it while the goons watched when Julie opened her mouth. “If I get you the cash that we have, will you let us go?” His mother was hovering over him, trying to get him to sit back, still trying to stop the bleeding from his nose with her silk handkerchief which was not only nonabsorbent, but also soaked with his blood already. He heard Hector leaving before he saw him, glaring at the back of the pricks head as he made his way to Julie. Remy shook his head at the girl, not because he didn't want her to give them money, but because he wanted her to shut her mouth so she wouldn't get hurt. It was bad enough he was getting the shit beaten out of him, he didn't need something to happen to her!

“What else are you willing to give up?” Remy moved to get up, fuming at the suggestion in Hector's voice, but Caroline's firm grip stopped him in his tracks. "Don't you dare." She hissed. "They'll put a bullet in your brain!" He didn't look at his mother, watching the men with Julie, but he knew she was right. He was helpless to do anything to save Julie, because his mother was right; he'd probably die. “I’ll do whatever I have to. Just let all of us leave here alive. Please.” Fury pumped through his veins and his body tensed, adrenaline helping the pain ebb away to some degree. He could kill them with his bare hands if given the opportunity! “Deal.” "Motherfucker.." He growled, again moving, but his mothers fingers dug in deeper. "Don't." The older woman shot back. He never even saw her get the phone. When Caroline leaned closer to Remy he finally looked over. The look in her eyes told him something was up, and when her eyes darted down before looking away, he let his gaze fall to the place between their bodies. That's when he saw the phone. He could have hugged his mother! “Just do everything they say, Julie. You have keys to the safe and the cash registers.” His eyes moved back to Julie's apologetically, wishing he could stop them, but knowing that the police would definitely be on their way. No way they could hold the cops off and rape Jules at the same time!

The two men walked away with Julie and Remy looked around at the others who were keeping an eye on them. His body ached and his nose was still dripping. "How long does it take the God damn police to come when a call's been made?" He hissed at his mother, and as if to answer his question the sound of sirens. "Not that long." His mother looked proud, and had he not been so furious and in pain he might have smiled at her. One of the men yelled out towards Hector while another seemed to notice Remy and his mother. "la vieja bruja tiene un teléfono!" Remy didn't speak Spanish, but even he knew what telefono meant. He turned to the man who saw what his mother had and he quickly moved to try and conceal it. The guy was stupid, but not fooled, especially since he'd seen the little phone between them. He made his way over, shoving Caroline out of the way before throwing a swift kick into Remy, wrestling the phone from his fingers as he fell to the ground once more, groaning in pain. He seriously wondered if he'd broken a rib yet. "Héctor!"

[JULIE BRADY]

Julie’s heart leaped as the familiar whirring of sirens could be heard off in the distance. Thank God! She didn’t realize she had stopped, her head tilted up so her acute hearing could really pick up the sound. It was the sound of hope. “¿Qué coño es eso?” “Es la maldita policía!”[/b] If Julie weren’t still afraid of what they could do to her, she might have grinned. Warmth tingled through her and her legs felt like jelly. One of the men suddenly pushed her and she stumbled forward, barely catching herself before she glared back at the men. “Mantenga perra en movimiento!”[/b] She did as she was ordered to, looking over towards Remy and Caroline to see how they were holding up. The fury on the fourth man’s face made her stomach drop to the floor. "La vieja bruja tiene un teléfono!"[/b] Had Caroline…? No. She wouldn’t be that bold, would she? Remy attempted to move in the way of something on the floor, but the fourth man wasn’t having it. He shoved Caroline to the ground and kicked Remy so hard, he fell down, something clenched in his hand. It could only be the cell phone. Julie’s pace quickened, needing to get over there. Remy groaned in pain as the fourth man held up a cell phone triumphantly. "Héctor!"[/b] Hector was already on his way over, no smile on his face now as he advanced quickly on Caroline. He was reached into the back of his jeans and Julie’s heart hammered as her legs moved quicker. No…no, no, no, this couldn’t happen. She was running by the time Hector had reached the older woman who was glaring defiantly from the ground. A pop echoed through the large lobby, followed by panicked shrieks.

“Caroline!!” Julie screamed as she watched the woman falling back to the floor, Hector’s pistol still pointed at her gut where Caroline pressed her hand. Blood was gushing through her fingers. The sound Remy made was like a roar and her heart was throbbing in her ears as she watched Hector spinning his gun towards Remy. “No!!” she cried, screaming as the gun went off just before she reached her lover and his mother. Remy was gripping his arm, sheer agony on his face as he cursed loudly. Julie was trembling from head to foot as she fell to her knees beside him. There was blood pouring down his arm from a gunshot wound and she felt dizzy with panic. She had to think! Tie it off to stop the blood flow…Her foot slipped out of her shoe, tugging at her stocking. Thank God she hadn’t worn pantyhose instead! Just as she was pulling it off, there was a click and the feel of metal at her skull. She froze, looking up at the man on the other side of the gun. Hector was glaring down at her with fury, the smell of gunpowder assaulting her nose from the close proximity of the barrel. “Don’t fucking move, bitch.”[/b] Julie didn’t move, but she glared up at him, the sound of Caroline’s agonized breathing giving her courage. “Mom…” The sadness in Remy’s voice tore at her heart and she reached to take a hold of his hand, her eyes fixed on Hector’s. “You’ve already shot two people and the cops are right outside by now. These people can be helped. If you shoot me, you’ll have one, maybe two bodies on top of an attempted robbery, drug possession, and assault lined up against you. Do you think they would let you slide with anything less than the death penalty?” Hector glared down at her, but she kept her wide eyes on him. There was sweat on his brow and she knew he was scared. Finally, with a twitch of his lip, he uncocked his gun and lowered it from her head. Adrenaline sieged her veins and she was glad she wouldn’t have to stand up for a time. She didn’t think she’d manage it.

Remy was scrabbling for his mother and Julie took the chance to look down at Caroline. She was panting and sweating, her distinguished face twisted in agony. Remy looked completely terrified, his eyes flitting from his mother’s wound to her face. “Remy, take your jacket off and place it under her head.” He looked at her as if she had just ordered him in Spanish. They didn’t have time for this! She reached out and grabbed his face in her hands, making sure his eyes stayed on hers and he listened attentively. “Remy, calm down. She’ll be alright. Just do what I say, okay?” She’d taken a first aid course and seen plenty of crime shows and movies to know how to triage a bullet wound until the professionals came in. He nodded and started to strip his jacket off, wincing and slowing as he pushed it down his bad arm. Meanwhile she finished taking off her stocking and moved to his side, grabbing gentle hold of his bad arm while he tucked his jacket beneath his mother’s head. “This is going to hurt, okay?” Without hesitation she wrapped her stocking around Remy’s arm and tugged either end hard until it was good and tight around his arm just above his wound. He didn’t like it and vocalized it with a curse, but Julie ignored it, her hands working quickly to tie off her tourniquet. Then she turned to Caroline and immediately stripped off her own jacket, scooting so she was by the woman’s side.

Caroline looked up at her as if she was both surprised and in pain. Julie bunched up her jacket and covered the woman’s wound on her stomach, gently moving her hands away. “I’m going to pressure on it, okay Caroline? It’s going to hurt but it’ll stop some of the bleeding.” Caroline barely had time to nod before Julie pressed firmly down on the hole. The older woman groaned, her head pushing back into her son’s jacket and Julie’s eyes began to fill with tears. How could this be real? How could this all have happened? Caroline’s eyes finally moved to Remy’s face, a bloody hand reaching out to grab hold of his good hand tightly. She said a few sweet words to him, ones that filled Julie’s eyes with more tears that dripped onto her pale cheeks. Remy himself was crying, something Julie had never seen and she wanted nothing more than to wrap him in her arms and comfort him. Caroline wasn’t going to die. She wouldn’t let it happen! Sniffling, she kept her hands pressed firmly to her boss’s gut, barely hearing the phone ringing in the background. Caroline’s other bloody hand touched Julie’s arm gently and it shocked Julie into looking up at her, her face wet with tears. “Make sure my boy doesn’t get into too much trouble.” More fat tears rolled down Julie’s cheeks as she forced a smile. “You know that’s a two person job, Caroline. That’s why you have to stay and help me. I can’t do it without you.” She gave a soft chuckle, but the motherly smile Caroline gave her broke her heart and her face melted into one of utter pain. “Please…you’ll be okay! You’ll see.” Julie sobbed gently before forcing another smile. Caroline had given her a job for the first time. She gave her the support she needed to get on her feet in the work world after college. She had always trusted Julie and praised her—she was Julie’s mentor and Julie couldn’t picture doing any of this without her. She couldn’t let that happen. She couldn’t let Remy lose his mother.

There was talking in the background and Julie turned to look at the front desk. Hector was there with a phone to his ear, sweating profusely. There were tears on his cheeks as he jabbered in Spanish about failing, how he couldn’t let them go. Julie’s heart hammered painfully in her chest. They needed to get out of there! Caroline and Remy needed help and damned if she would it end this way! Her mind raced, trying to think of how they could escape. How could they be convinced to let them go? It was the negotiator’s job to talk Hector down, but surely there had to be something she could do to convince him. Why couldn’t her brain work faster to salvage this situation?

[REMY GRAHAM]

Hector was coming their way and Remy felt a sickness in his stomach. He looked between his assailant and his mother, realizing a moment too late what was going to happen as Hector reached into his back pocket. "NO!" He yelled, reaching out as the gun went off, his mother falling back onto the floor. Remy sat shell shocked for a moment, his jaw slack, staring as the blood bubbled up and began soaking her clothes. It was just like a movie! He turned towards Hector, rage making his vision red and he moved to get up and attack him when another shot was fired in his direction. Remy didn't even feel the pain right away, just the sudden blow throwing his body back to the side. All at once a fierce, blinding pain shot from his arm. He gripped his arm, staring horrified and angrily down at it. "You sick, son of a bitch!" He snapped as Julie fell beside him. His head was a whirlwind, not knowing what to do next. His mother! He had to help his mom, but before he could move over Julie was pulling her shoe off and Hector put his gun to her head. For the first time Remy actually shut his mouth, terrified that if he opened it he would have Julie murdered by accident. What could he do? What could possibly be said to get this druggy to back off?

“Don’t fucking move, bitch.” Rage was an understatement. He hated Hector, and he would see this man rot in prison for a long time. His mother made a noise and he was brought back to the situation at hand, his blue eyes moved to the woman who had raised him. “Mom…” He croaked, wanting to move closer to her, to hold her, help her somehow, but knowing if he moved he'd probably get shot again. “You’ve already shot two people and the cops are right outside by now. These people can be helped. If you shoot me, you’ll have one, maybe two bodies on top of an attempted robbery, drug possession, and assault lined up against you. Do you think they would let you slide with anything less than the death penalty?” Julie's hand was in his and he squeezed it, his heart pounding, glad to have something to hold onto as he gazed at his mother who was probably dying before his eyes, helpless to do anything about it. To his surprise, Hector took the gun away and the second he did Remy moved to his mothers side. All he could do was watch, looking around the area as if something magically would appear that would somehow to make her better. “Remy, take your jacket off and place it under her head.” His wide, terrified eyes moved to his lovers, processing her words. She grabbed his face suddenly, his eyes focusing on hers as she forced his attention. “Remy, calm down. She’ll be alright. Just do what I say, okay?” He swallowed but his throat felt like a desert; dry and hot. He peeled his bloody coat off, groaning as it slid down his wounded arm which he had to move to pull the entire thing off, the process bringing tears to his eyes. Remy had lived a charmed life, and though he'd broken things in the past playing sports, he had never been in a situation like this that was equally painful and emotional. With his good arm he tucked the coat under his mothers head as Julie moved to his side more. “This is going to hurt, okay?” He looked back just in time to see her tying the stocking around his arm. He shook his head as she tied the knot tight, earning a groan through gritted teeth from Remy. "Jesus, FUCK!" He spat, pulling away a little but Julie finished tying the tourniquet and moved to his mother.

Julie took charge of the situation and he silently admired her for doing it. It was what she always did; took over and let him take credit later by involving him. She took her own coat and had it over his mothers stomach. Blood was pooling around her and he knew it wasn't looking good; if she didn't get help, and soon, she was going to die for sure. Julie applied pressure to the wound and Remy scooted over and took his mothers hand in his own, squeezing it and looking down into her face. What he'd give to have her bitching about the credit card companies now instead of hearing her groan in so much discomfort. "My Remington." The older woman said softly and Remy felt a lump in his throat. How long had it been since she'd said that? It had been a strange term of endearment when he was a boy, during those rare moments he wasn't being a wild pain in the ass, she would simply cup his face and murmur those words with something resembling affection. "I'm proud of you. You've stepped up these past few months. I honestly never thought you'd make it." Normally he would tease about her obvious lack of confidence, but he knew she was being her brutally honest self and it was a compliment. "Mom.." He croaked again hoarsely, his voice cracking. She was going to die.. he knew it, she knew it! This was it, and yet he couldn't even find the words for her, his eyes brimming with tears. “Make sure my boy doesn’t get into too much trouble.” His stomach twisted as he looked over at Julie, his brows low over his eyes. Did she know about them? Should he tell her? This was a hell of a time to come forward with that, especially since they weren't really an item. “You know that’s a two person job, Caroline. That’s why you have to stay and help me. I can’t do it without you.” He didn't like the way they were talking, wanting her to be okay, wanting this nightmare to be over! “Please…you’ll be okay! You’ll see.” Julie was sobbing and Remy could see his mother was trying to be brave, her breathing was wheezy, though, and Julie's jacket was slowly becoming soaked, but what could they do? He couldn't call for help, and trying to plead with these psychos had only made things worse. Remy leaned forward and nuzzled his mothers face affectionately, sighing before sobbing softly, his body heaving gently as he tried to come to terms with the fact that he would lose his mother, the pain in his arm barely even noticeable when compared to everything else going on.

[JULIE BRADY]

Julie’s eyes moved from Hector to Caroline, her hands now getting soaked in blood through her jacket. She would’ve passed out if it weren’t for the adrenaline racing through her. Remy leaned over his mother, nuzzling his mother’s face in a show of affection she’d never seen him display with Caroline. The wheezing woman, leaned into it and Julie could hardly keep herself together as Remy began to sob. Her chin and bottom lip quivered as hot tears spilled onto her cheeks. One of her hands, the cleaner one, left Caroline’s stomach to brush through Remy’s hair gently, too heartbroken by his pain to care who saw. She sobbed softly, knowing she had to get them out of here. There had to be something she could do. All she could think of was appealing to Hector. She looked back at the man again, sniffling as her tears flowed steadily. She found her resolve. Turning back to Remy, she tucked her hand behind his jaw and drew his reddened eyes to hers. “I need you to hold my jacket here. I need to talk to Hector. Please.” Remy was reluctant, but he brought trembling hands to his mother’s stomach, taking over to apply the pressure. Caroline groaned again but eased as she adjusted to the sensation. Julie got to her feet and rushed over to the front desk in front of Hector.

When she reached the long, wooden desk, her bloody hands gripped the edges hard. His dripped eyes looked up to her, stopping his babbling into the phone. Maybe it was the desperate look in her big blue eyes. “Hector, please. At least let Caroline and Remy go. They’re hurt bad. Caroline might not make it if you don’t let her go.” He glared at her, sniffing like a petulant child. “I can’t let her go. This is partly her fault. This wasn’t supposed to happen! Why did she have to call?! Why couldn’t she just do what I told her to?!”[/b] The drugs in his system were making him volatile, but she was certain she could get through to him. She had to! “She was afraid for her son, Hector! You have sons, right? Wouldn’t you do the same for them?” He sniffed, glaring at her with shameful consideration. “Yes…”[/b] His response was slow and reluctant. Tears came to her eyes, her lip trembling again, feeling the minutes passing by too quickly. Caroline needed help now. She reached across the desk, taking Hector’s arm and sobbing gently. “And your mother lives with you too. Can you imagine losing her like this? Please, Hector. I’m begging you; please let her go. Don’t make Remy suffer this way.” He was crying again and he pulled his arm away, but only a little bit. “But he deserves it! He ruined my life!”[/b] Julie shook her head. “No, Hector. Cocaine did. Look what it’s done to you, to your family. They’re going to lose you forever now because of this.” He sobbed and covered his face with his hand as he whimpered into the phone receiver. Julie reached up to his shoulder, tears leaking onto her cheeks. The time was slipping away from her. “But you can still see them. If you let us all go, you can still see your family. They can come visit you. But if Caroline dies, you know they won’t let you see them again. You know that. So please, please Hector. Let us go.” She was desperate to free the guests, the staff, Caroline and Remy. And what would her mother do if she never came home? Tears stung her eyes at just the thought.

Hector’s head bowed as he sobbed into the phone. Julie could hear a voice on the other end, but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. Whatever they were saying, it worked. “Okay. We’ll surrender.”[/b] Julie’s heart pumped hard with adrenaline, tears pouring down her face. The voice on the other end of the receiver began to give directions, something Julie heard as she reached across the desk to grip Hector’s arm in thanks. Caroline could survive. Hector set the phone down, but didn’t hang it up. He motioned to the other three men who were watching him, stunned and sickly green. Hector told them to put their guns on the ground and walk over to the doors with their hands raised. Julie reached across the desk, grabbing the phone. “Hello?” she asked in a frantic voice. “Hello? This is SBPD, who’s this?” Julie’s eyes slid shut in relief, sobbing gently. “My name is Julie Brady, I’m one of the managers of hotel operations. The owner has been shot in the stomach and her son in the arm. She’s going to bleed out if you don’t send someone in soon. Please, please hurry!” She sobbed again as the voice on the other end assured her the EMTs were on their way. Her heart raced as she watched the assailants unlocking the doors and then saw a SWAT unit advancing towards them, shouting orders with guns drawn. The four men sank to their knees and pressed their hands to the backs of their heads. When cuffs were being placed on them, EMTs rushed through one of the unblocked doors, a stretcher in hand. Time slowed and Julie felt like her knees were going to give out beneath her.

Remy was slumped over his mother crying when the EMTs reached him, placing a hand on his good shoulder and guiding him away. Julie rushed to his side, placing a hand on the shoulder of his bad arm and guiding him back by gripping onto his good one. They both watched as Caroline was laid out on the stretcher and strapped in carefully, her skin far too pale. More EMTs surrounded them, focusing in on Remy and helping them both to their feet. Julie latched onto Remy’s good hand and refused to let go, not wanting to be separated from him. The world was a blur as the pair was escorted from the building. Julie could see reporters already pulling up, cameras rolling behind the line of cop cars. Hector and his gang were tucked into four cop cars, their hands bound behind them. She watched as long as she could, catching Hector’s gaze from behind the glass on the cop car door. In the moment, it felt like blame and apologies passed between them on silent waves. When she came to her senses, she was being left at the back of an ambulance. “You have to stay here.” One of the EMTs was holding her back. Remy looked at her, his hand still held tightly in his, and it seemed to her neither one of them wanted to let go. She shook her head as she looked at the female EMT. “No. No, I’m going with them.” The EMT shook her head insistently, taking her other arm gently. “There’s only room for one more and he needs treatment too. She needs to get to the hospital now. She’s lost a lot of blood.” Julie’s big eyes fell on Remy’s again. She knew what she had to do. Her hand squeezed his before slipping away. “I’ll find you at the hospital, okay? I promise I’ll be there soon.” Their eyes held each other’s until Remy finally had to climb into the ambulance. Then his eyes fixed on his mother and Julie watched the ambulance roll away with a spinning head. The EMT was still at her side, and she stepped in front of her, taking her hands and inspecting them. “Is this your blood?” Julie shook her head, numbly. “No. It’s theirs.” She couldn’t focus on anything and it felt like she couldn’t breathe. “Is he your boyfriend?” Julie again shook her head. “Not exactly…” The world was spinning under her feet. The EMT grabbed her arms firmly, drawing her gaze insistently. “Hey, hey. You gotta breathe, sweetheart.” Julie swallowed, nodding as she forced a breath.

“Julie!” The sound of her name made her turn and relief flooded through her. Sophia was rushing towards her, tears on her cheeks. Julie could only begin crying again as her best friend wrapped her in a bear hug. “Thank God you’re alive!” Julie’s eyes squeezed tightly shut, clinging to Sophia for dear life. The other woman pulled back and cupped her face almost forcefully. Their eyes met and Julie sobbed as Sophia’s tears dripped onto her tan cheeks. “You were so brave in there, Julie. You’re a god damn hero, you know that?” Julie’s eyes squeezed shut as she clung to Sophia’s arms, bowing her head as she sobbed. “But Caroline and Remy…” Sophia pulled her face up again. “They’ll be okay.” “JULIE!” The desperate cry of the most familiar voice in the world made Julie whip around. Her mom was running towards her at breakneck speed, abandoning Captain Hagan at his car as he climbed out. Julie didn’t hesitate, pulling away from Sophia and hauling ass to her mother. She needed her. She just didn’t know how much until this very instant. “Mama!” she sobbed, tears blinding her. The moment Cora’s arms spun around her, Julie lost all composure and strength in her legs. Her knees buckled as she clung to her mother, wailing like a child. All her terror, agony, and raw need to survive flooded out of her as her mother cradled her close, petting her black hair frantically. It occurred to Julie that Cora was crying too, but she shushed her gently and rocked her from side to side. “You’re okay now, baby. You’re okay. I’ve got you.” Julie sobbed. “They were going to rape me and shoot me! And then they shot Caroline and Remy! I tried to stop it, but I was too late!” Cora held her tighter as her daughter’s body convulsed with sobs. “It’s over now. No one is going to hurt you, baby. Remy and Caroline are going to the hospital. They’ll be okay.” Julie continued to cry until Captain Hagan came over and rested a hand on Cora’s shoulder, drawing both sets of blue eyes. His eyes met Julie’s and she was reminded how kind Cal had been to her since he came into their lives. “I’m going to take you over to the hospital, okay? While we drive over there, I want you to tell me everything that happened.” Julie nodded eagerly, forcing strength back into her legs so she could shuffle to the car that would take her back to Remy. She hoped he would be okay.

[REMY GRAHAM]

Remy didn't even notice the hand running through his hair, or maybe he did but was so overcome with his own grief that he simply didn't feel it, numb to the world around him, a feeling he wasn't used to. When Julie's fingers tugged at his jaw, he looked up reluctantly. “I need you to hold my jacket here. I need to talk to Hector. Please.” He looked at her for a hard moment before back to his mothers face. He'd never seen her so pale. Her face was twisted in a strange calm sort of agony and his fingers somehow found their way to Julie's, his eyes never leaving his mothers face. He applied pressure, Julie's hands guiding his own, and flinched as his mom groaned. This was a nightmare.. he'd wake up and it would all be over. Just a nightmare! "Breathe, mom." He begged, her dark eyes opening to his. He gulped, wishing words would come from his mouth, but he didn't want to say goodbye, that childish hope that if he didn't she would simply just live. Her hand slipped over his and a tear trickled down his cheek, unable to focus on whatever Julie was saying in the distance. He couldn't think of that, not when he had possibly only minutes left with his mom.

His captors were moving and Remy pulled his eyes away from his mother to look at what was going on. The men were putting their guns down and going to the doors, his own heart almost stopping. Was it over? Were they surrendering? Everything happened so quickly; Hector and his men sinking to their knees, hands behind their heads, SWAT guys came rushing in with guns, handcuffing the men, EMT's running towards him and his mother. It was as if he was watching it all on slow motion, sweat beading at his brow. An EMT grabbed him by the shoulder, pulling him from his mother and he struggled a little with a harsh "No!" Before groaning with his own pain. When he looked over his shoulder at the person pulling him back he was shocked to see Julie, and a little relieved. She was the port in his storm. By the time he looked back at his mom, the EMT's had gotten her on a stretcher and were strapping her in. Julie was helping him to his feet, which he found difficult to maneuver. His head was spinning, lights flashing everywhere, screaming in the distance, his body aching and the loss of blood making him dizzy at best. He leaned onto Julie as they were escorted from the building, cameras flashing, reporters shouting incoherent questions over one another. He held tight to Julie's hand, genuinely afraid of being alone in that moment. The sounds blurred together into one strange murmuring noise, piercing his ears. He was being pushed into the ambulance with his mother, stopping only when the hand attached to his own wouldn't move any further.

“You have to stay here.” His eyes widened, silently begging her not to leave him. "No. No, I’m going with them.” “There’s only room for one more and he needs treatment too. She needs to get to the hospital now. She’s lost a lot of blood.” His throat was dry and he felt like a child. Remy wasn't equipped for this. Her hand squeezed his and then was slipping free. He tried to hold on, but the cold sweat of his palm made it difficult and soon she was free. “I’ll find you at the hospital, okay? I promise I’ll be there soon.” She promised and the EMT's were pulling him in. He had no choice.. Once settled his gaze fell onto his mother, shock paralyzing him in his seat. The ambulance was moving, the sirens blaring, and the paramedics were working to try and stop the bleeding. At some point his mother passed out and the EMT's surrounded her, him getting pushed aside as they worked. All he could do was watch in horror, unable to do anything, fear and pain once again paralyzing him. It all was coming as a blur, and the worse his mother got, the worse he did.

And then there was blackness.

When Remy woke up he was in an unfamiliar room. Everything ached and he groaned, moving his arm to wipe his eyes. His arm throbbed like hell and when he got a good look at it, he could see why. It was bandaged and suddenly everything flooded back. His mom! Remy sat up, grunting and wincing with pain. His head immediately began to spin and he knew then he must be doped up on some strong shit. He got his feet over the side of the bed but had to stop, the wires getting in the way and the head rush from sitting too quickly. One look outside and he could tell it was the wee hours of the morning. "Fuck meee.." He groaned, gripping the side of the bed and pushing himself up onto his wobbly legs. He needed to find his mother! He needed to get these fucking wires out of his arm! Remy yanked the wires attached to the heart monitor right out of the machine, the rest of the pieces still attached to his body. He took a step forward and grabbed onto the privacy curtain, trying not to fall. The door suddenly opened and a nurse came in. "Whoa, whoa.. What do you think you're doing? Trying to kill yourself?" He raised a brow. "Taking a stroll is deadly now?" The woman chuckled, smirking at Remy as she grabbed him around the waist and turned him back towards his bed. "In your condition it might be. Honey, you lost quite a bit of blood. You need to rest up." The older black woman got him back on his bed and he ran his good hand over his face. "Is my mom.." He looked worriedly up at the nurse who shook her head at him. "She's alive." She assured. "Critical condition, but alive. I don't know much more than that." He looked around the room, suddenly sad that he was alone. Julie was probably home sleeping. "She's getting coffee." He looked at the woman curiously as she plugged the cords back into the machines he'd ripped out. "Julie." The nurse confirmed with another smile. "She got here when you were in surgery." Surgery? He looked down at his arm and then sighed. "Come on, sugar, lean back. Put your legs up.. thatta boy." Remy looked out the window as the nurse began taking vitals, the sky getting more orange by the second, though it was still dark out. He looked at the clock; 5:07 in the morning. "Now if you need something, this button right here will call me. My name is Bernadette." She pointed to the little whiteboard in the room. "It's written right on there if you forget." Remy gave a nod and another sigh, just as the door opened. His deep blue eyes looked up, relief flooding them as he saw Julie. "Right on time. Sleeping Beauty's up Miss Julie." Julie smiled and thanked Bernadette, who stopped her before leaving and told Julie in a soft voice not to let him get back up. He rolled his eyes and relaxed a little more. Maybe Julie would know more about his mom.

The nurse left leaving him along with his lover and he could see the concern all over her face. She asked how he was feeling and he shook his head. "I'm fine." He lied. His stomach was swimming as much as his head, his entire body aching, though he was certain it would be aching a hell of a lot more if it weren't for the drugs dripping into him. "How's mom? Where is she?" He needed to know if she was okay.

[JULIE BRADY]

Julie let the story spill from her lips in Captain Hagan’s car, sparing no detail. He tore through the streets and when they got to the hospital she still wasn’t done telling the story. Hagan got her into the emergency room, quickly finding the rooms they were treating Caroline and Remy in. Her eyes were wide and wild as she watched the way the doctors swarmed about them. Within minutes of her arrival, they were wheeling Caroline out of her room and into an O.R. Julie’s heart jumped into her throat when she saw Remy unconscious in his bed, trying to fight a nurse to his bedside. She had to explain in a calm but firm voice that Remy had lost a lot of blood and he needed to go into surgery as well to remove the bullet and suture the wound. With a heavy heart and spinning head, Hagan led Julie out to the lobby where he helped Cora get her into a seat. A couple minutes later, the nurse who had explained Remy’s need for surgery came back out with a worried look on her face. “You might as well head on home and clean up. It’ll be another hour or so before you’ll know anything more.” Reluctantly, Julie let Hagan drive her and her mom back to her mom’s house and she finished her tale along the way. Hagan and Cora congratulated her on her bravery, but she didn’t feel like she had been brave. If she was brave, why had she been trembling and crying so much when she should have focused earlier? If she had just cleared her head, she might have been able to prevent everything. Her brain knew there was nothing she could have done, that she had done the best she could in a terrible situation, but her heart wasn’t convinced. When she returned to the hospital, she was in a clean sweater and a pair of blue jeans, all the blood washed from her body. It felt like it still clung to her skin for hours after.

Half an hour after she got back, the nurse came and found her to announce that Remy was out of surgery and she could go back to see him. Her heart was stuck in her throat as she tried to walk calmly with the nurse down the halls. When they got to his room he was still asleep and though Julie was a little disappointed at first, she found she was more relieved than anything. He had gone through a lot today, his eyes blackened and his nose being pinched by a small brace to keep the bone straight. There were other bruises on his torso the nurse said, but nothing life threatening. Julie’s eyes leaked with relief, thanking the nurse for updating her. When she asked about Caroline, there was nothing she could tell her except that she was still in surgery. Julie sat by Remy’s bedside for three more hours trying to watch TV as she held his hand before a doctor came by and updated her on Caroline’s status. She was alive and in the ICU, but it was still very touch and go. The news sank heavily in her gut, wondering how she would tell Remy when he woke up. His mother was in a coma and being pumped full of antibiotics to stop an infection that would probably occur anyway. She insisted on going up to see her and felt her heart drop when the doctor ushered her into the room. Caroline had machines breathing 90% for her, hissing as they pumped her weak chest up and down. There was a look of pain on her face, the same look she had when she went unconscious, but color had returned to her skin with the blood transfusions she’d received. Her entire middle was bandaged, but where Julie had seen everything stained with red before, it was now stark white and clean. For about an hour she sat by Caroline’s side, holding her hand and crying, silently praying to any being that would listen for her to wake up; neither Julie nor Remy was ready to face the Remington without Caroline at the helm. They weren’t ready to face a life without her.

When she was satisfied that Caroline wouldn’t get any worse, she went back down to Remy’s room. The TV droned in the background, but she couldn’t focus on it. For about an hour she rested her head on Remy’s bed, hoping to regain some energy. Her slumber was interrupted by dreams of smirking men and loud gunshots, however, and she woke with a start and a cold sweat. For hours she didn’t even try to sleep. Around midnight, however, the kindly Nurse Bernadette came in and demanded to know why she was still awake. She was armed with pillows and warm blankets and Julie had to smile as the woman fixed her up comfortably in the chair beside Remy’s bed, turning down the lights as she left. For a few hours, Julie was able to sleep before her terrified memories shook her awake violently and she woke up in another cold sweat. It was enough sleep for the moment and Julie sighed as she pushed herself out of her chair and turned the lights in the room back up. Some coffee would surely soothe her sorrows. She left Remy to Bernadette’s care as she ventured to the café for a coffee the size of her head. What she found wasn’t as big as she had hoped for, but it would do well enough for now.

She was contemplating whether a coffee IV drip would be possible and if Nurse Bernadette would hook her up when she walked back into the room and found Bernadette plugging cords back into her equipment. Her eyes shot to Remy and found his deep blues on her, almost causing her to drop her coffee. Thank God he was awake! “Right on time. Sleeping Beauty’s up, Miss Julie.” She grinned at the nurse and walked over to Remy’s side again. “Thank you so much, Miss Bernadette. I hope he wasn’t too much trouble.” Bernadette waved her hand, making her way to Julie’s side before leaning in close. “Don’t let that boy outta bed, now.” Julie smiled wider and nodded. She really liked Bernadette—she made Julie feel just a little more herself after her ordeal. The nurse left and she turned back to Remy with a nervous sort of smile, pulling her chair over to face him before she sat down. His eyes locked on hers and her smile faded a little, concern written on her face. She hated to see him like this. “How are you feeling?” she asked softly. He shook his head and her brow knitted more in concern. “I’m fine.” No he wasn’t, but she wouldn’t fight him on it.

“How’s Mom? Where is she?” Julie’s face fell a little and she bit her lip momentarily. This was the moment she’d been dreading. She swallowed and reached out to take a hold of his hand. It wasn’t something they normally did, but she felt he might need something to hold onto. “She’s in the Intensive Care Unit. She’s alive, but the machines are mostly breathing for her. They have her on painkillers and antibiotics for a very probable infection. The doctor said when there are injuries to the intestines, waste leaks into the body and gets into the blood stream, causing a blood infection—septicemia. If she becomes septic, which is very likely for the amount of time she was untreated, she’ll get a high fever and her body will have to work very hard to fight the infection off. He says there’s a fifty-fifty chance that if she becomes septic…” She swallowed, unable to continue the sentence as tears burned in her eyes. Remy’s hand tightened around hers and she squeezed back. “But the doctor says that’s good in her condition. He says she’ll probably be in a coma for several weeks while her body recovers. If the coma continues longer than six weeks…there’s a chance she won’t wake up. But he says if she begins to turn around for the better at three weeks, there’s a good chance she’ll wake up.” She could see the fear and agony on Remy’s face and it drew more tears from her eyes. Standing, she placed her coffee on the side table and went to sit on the edge of Remy’s bed, facing him. Her hand reached out and brushed against his scruffy cheek gently. “I’m so sorry, Remy.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, ready to comfort him as he needed it.

[REMY GRAHAM]

Julie’s face fell and so did his heart. He knew she was alive based on what Bernadette had told him, but he didn't know the severity of the situation. Julie's face told him he had a right to be worried, though. Her fingers wrapped around his and his face fell into a hard look of concern. “She’s in the Intensive Care Unit. She’s alive, but the machines are mostly breathing for her." Remy felt ill. Machines breathing for you was rarely a good thing. "They have her on painkillers and antibiotics for a very probable infection. The doctor said when there are injuries to the intestines, waste leaks into the body and gets into the blood stream, causing a blood infection—septicemia. If she becomes septic, which is very likely for the amount of time she was untreated, she’ll get a high fever and her body will have to work very hard to fight the infection off. He says there’s a fifty-fifty chance that if she becomes septic…” He'd woken up, why was the nightmare still going on? His hand tightened around hers, his body tensing in general at the news as his eyes bore through hers as though he didn't even see her at all. His mother could die. “But the doctor says that’s good in her condition. He says she’ll probably be in a coma for several weeks while her body recovers. If the coma continues longer than six weeks…there’s a chance she won’t wake up." Nausea threatened him as her words pierced him. Why couldn't they give him more pain killers? He didn't want to be awake anymore. "But he says if she begins to turn around for the better at three weeks, there’s a good chance she’ll wake up.”

Remy had no tears, only the fear and anxiety of his situation. Who, he wondered, had hired Hector in the first place? He would crack down on hiring at the hotel. Rigorous background checks and thorough drug tests prior to hiring. No one was getting on his payroll without his or Julie's permission. This would never happen again, no one like Hector would ever have a place among his staff again. In fact he would be performing more random drug tests and the staff would know it. Give them a chance to get out before he kicked them out. He felt nothing short of angry at this scenario, this whole situation could have been prevented if someone had done their job when hiring in the first place!

Julie got up and sat on the bed, his eyes focusing on her once more as he was pulled from his own thoughts. Her fingers brushed over his face and he stared up at her; his port in the storm. “I’m so sorry, Remy.” If it weren't for Julie he and his mother could both be dead. His face leaned gently into her touch, grateful for her in that moment. He didn't want to think about any of this, though. He didn't like knowing his mothers condition, especially since he felt so helpless in doing anything about it. "I want you to bring in coffee and pastries from your mothers bakery." He croaked, giving her a hard, but sad look. "Use your company card, we'll sort it out later. Bring enough for the entire ICU staff, I want them all to know that my mother is their priority, and if they take care of her, I'll take care of them. Make sure this is done every shift change. I'm sure Bernadette could assist you with times." It was the only thing he could do, and if Julie had done anything these past months working with her, it's been to give him a proper work ethic. You don't get breaks when you have a job like this. "I want a memo sent out to all staff that effective immediately there will be random drug tests and anyone that tests positive for any drug will be terminated immediately. I want a copy of everyone's background checks sent to me at once for when I return. If they don't have one, they will receive one. Make sure the proper paperwork is filled out for that. If they refuse a background check, they will be terminated." He instructed, his voice cracking a little as he barked his orders, something he didn't usually do, especially with Julie. If anything, it was often the other way around. "I want security hired for twenty-four hours a day, I don't care what the cost." His hand came up to his face, taking hers as it stayed on his cheek as he softened some. "When you've finished you can take the rest of the week off." He said softly, squeezing her hand and pulling it to his lips, pressing his lips against her knuckles and sighing into them. "I know how much she means to you.." He admitted with downcast eyes, afraid to look at her. "There are times when I believed she liked you better than me." He gave a sad sort of laugh and shook his head. "Actually, I think she still does.." He gulped, pulling her hand down into his lap and running his thumb across her fingers. "I'd love if you could sneak a flask in here for me.."

[JULIE BRADY]

Remy’s head leaned into Julie’s touch and it brought more tears to her eyes. For a long moment he said nothing, just leaned against her hand. “I want you to bring in coffee and pastries from your mother’s bakery.” Her eyes widened slightly, her eyebrows knitting a little more as she studied the hard, sad look in his deep blue eyes. “Use your company card, we’ll sort it out later. Bring enough for the entire ICU staff, I want them all to know that my mother is their priority, and if they take care of her, I’ll take care of them. Make sure this is done every shift change. I’m sure Bernadette could assist you with times.” Julie nodded, for once made alert by the authority in his voice. But even as they talked business, her thumb slid across his cheek rhythmically, slowly stroking back and forth. “I want a memo sent out to all staff that effective immediately there will be random drug tests and anyone that tests positive for any drug will be terminated immediately. I want a copy of everyone’s background checks sent to me at once for when I return. If they don’t have one, they will receive one. Make sure the proper paperwork is filled out for that. If they refuse a background check, they will be terminated.” Her eyes grew sadder as she nodded, the crack of his voice tempting her to wrap him in her arms. “I want security hired for twenty-four hours a day, I don’t care what the cost.” Again she nodded, thinking that sounded like an excellent idea. Maybe one of Remy’s best. His hand came up and his fingers curled over hers still rested against his cheek. He pulled her hand away, but continued to hold it close. “When you’ve finished you can take the rest of the week off.” Well if she had to do all that this week, she might not have much left of the week to take off. She didn’t complain, though—she would do whatever Remy asked of her right now. His hand squeezed hers gently and she squeezed back, watching as he brought her fingers to his lips and planted a sweet kiss against her knuckles. She flushed just a little, taken aback by the romantic gesture, but she didn’t have much time to consider it before he sighed against her fingers.

“I know how much she means to you…” Julie’s eyes flooded with fresh tears as she silently called to mind everything Caroline had done for her, how important the woman had been in her life. “There are times when I believed she liked you better than me.” His sad laugh and head shake made her frown. “Actually I think she still does…” Julie shook her head slowly, keeping her eyes on his sad face as he lowered her hand to his lap and slid his thumb affectionately over her fingers. How could Caroline ever like her better? “I’d love if you could sneak a flask in here for me.” That made Julie’s lips twist into a sad smile for a brief moment. “I’ll see what I can do, but if they catch you with it, I’m not bringing another one.” They would know it was her who brought it in and she wouldn’t go through the shame of getting in trouble a second time. Her half-assed attempt to make him smile faded quickly. The free hand resting in her lap reached out and covered his hand still clasped in hers. His eyes came to hers and she gave him a serious, sad stare. “Don’t give up hope yet, Remy. There’s a lot that can change in the next week or so. You know better than I do how much of a fighter your mom is. She’ll fight this too.” A small smile curved her lips, but it was brief. Her hands held onto his a little more tightly. “And I’ll be here. If you need to talk, or a drinking buddy, or you just need a shoulder to lean on, I’ll be around.” And she would be. Any time he needed her, Julie knew she would be there to help Remy. He meant much more to her than she had even realized.

Their hands still clasped, Julie leaned into Remy and planted a tender kiss on his lips. Just hours before she had wondered if she’d ever get to do that again. As they kissed, her hands released his and she rested them on his rough cheeks. It was far more comforting to kiss Remy than she thought it would be. There was familiarity in his kiss, familiarity that had been all too scarce today. A tear slipped down her cheek before she pulled back from his lips to peck him a couple times after. “Scoot over some.” It was a quietly spoke directive, one that Remy awkwardly followed, struggling with his shot arm in a cast and sling. Luckily she was tiny and didn’t need a lot of room. Julie curled up beside Remy, her head resting gently on his good shoulder while one of her arms draped over his torso and held tightly. Her forehead rested against his jaw, one leg falling over his on the bed, their feet intertwined. She didn’t want to leave him yet and she needed the comfort of lying next to him. His hand on the side she was curled up into rested on her hip and for a long pause they just lay there saying nothing, taking comfort in each other. “I was so scared we were going to get killed today. I can’t close my eyes without remembering something.” With a soft sigh, she tilted her face up into his, her nose nuzzling his jaw gently, her eyes slipping shut. “Can we just stay like this for a little while?” She just needed his comfort a little while longer until she felt safe again.

[REMY GRAHAM]

Julie gave a sad smile before agreeing to his request. “I’ll see what I can do, but if they catch you with it, I’m not bringing another one.” He gave a nod of thanks, leaning back a little more. "Thank you." He practically grumbled forcing a small smile for her before his eyes dropped once more. This was all very hard on him and he knew it was on her too, he just didn't have any comforting words to share. Her hand came over his and he looked up, his head still bowed slightly, though his eyes remained on hers. “Don’t give up hope yet, Remy. There’s a lot that can change in the next week or so. You know better than I do how much of a fighter your mom is. She’ll fight this too.” Just because she fought this didn't mean she would prevail and deep down he had to come to terms with the fact that she might not wake up, and so did Julie. Her hand squeezed more tightly when he refused to show any sign that her words were comforting. “And I’ll be here. If you need to talk, or a drinking buddy, or you just need a shoulder to lean on, I’ll be around.” He watched her a moment, knowing he wouldn't want to talk about it, but nodded anyway before letting his eyes fall down to their hands. "Drinking buddies are always nice to have." He admitted, knowing he'd need a few drinks this week and the ones following.

Julie leaned in suddenly and planted a kiss on his lips, gentle enough to show she cared and nothing more. He leaned into it, letting his sadness poor out against her lips despite his best efforts not to. Her fingers moved over his cheek and he sighed against her lips, enjoying the way she caressed him in this weird time of mourning. She pulled back and he could tell by the way she was breathing that she was crying, her mouth planting several small, adoring kisses on his lips before pulling away completely. “Scoot over some.” He didn't fight her, carefully moving his body, wincing the entire time, as he made room for her. It was a lot easier said than done in his condition, but fortunately there wasn't much to Julie and she was able to wriggle into the small space he created for her. Julie curled up beside him, her head resting gently on his good shoulder while one of her arms draped over his torso. Her forehead came to his jaw, resting there as one of her legs fell over his on the bed. He slipped his arm around her, his hand laying against her hip, his fingers stroking gently.

For a long moment they laid there in the silence, grieving the day they'd had while finding comfort in each others warm bodies. “I was so scared we were going to get killed today. I can’t close my eyes without remembering something.” He sighed, not wanting to hear this, not wanting to be reminded. His brows knit and he felt her eyes move up to his, his head tilted down to look back, though he said nothing yet. “Can we just stay like this for a little while?” He sighed and nodded, pulling her body in closer to hers, leaning down and pecking her forehead as he moved his hand to her arm, rubbing it roughly. "Stay as long as you need." He offered softly, obviously enjoying her company. Remy looked up at the ceiling, comforting Julie silently as he considered his situation. What would happen if his mother died? What would he do? He'd taken her for granted all these years, never thinking he'd lose her so soon. His eyes slipped shut, silently hoping for a miracle.

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