TorCTheStairwell

“Surprise!”

Rachel jumped back in shock at the sound. Harvey had captured her attention so well that she hadn’t even noticed anyone else in the room before hearing the cheer. He leaned in and kissed her cheek as she stood in stunned silence. “Happy birthday babe.”

“I don’t believe this,” Rachel finally managed after Harvey had ushered her over to Nash and Joe along with their significant others. “I’m not sure if I’m more shocked by the party or the fact that everyone actually took a night off to be here.”

Nash chuckled as he glanced around. “Most of the SIU is here as well as a few others.” He gestured to Victoria at his side. “Rachel, I’d like you to meet Victoria Castle.”

Rachel’s eyes widened. She had heard rumors of Nash seeing someone, but she had no idea that it had been Victoria Castle. “Let me apologize in advance for subjecting you to a station party.”

Victoria’s smiled broadly. “It’s definitely a new experience,” she returned as they shook hands. “Happy birthday.”

“What is with these earrings?” Nash asked as Victoria slipped her arm back around his waist. There were stars and thin silver wires going in every direction, almost completely covering her ears.

“What?” Rachel asked as she reached up and touched them gingerly. “I thought they would be perfect for the office,” she teased, then her innocent expression became an ear-to-ear grin.

“You look like you just got back from a Star Trek convention,” Joe interjected, getting a laugh from everyone.

Rachel slipped her arms around Harvey’s waist as she gazed up at him. “My son gave them to me.” She could practically feel the jolt that went through Harvey. “They’re prefect.”

“Enough said,” Nash returned and lifted his glass in toast.

“How did I get so lucky to get this woman?” Harvey asked loudly.

“We’ve all been asking the same question,” Joe shot back.

When the laughter died down, Harvey was already making their departure. “You’re going to have to excuse us. I’m going to get inappropriate with my wife on the dance floor.”

Harvey gave Rachel a twirl as they stepped out onto the floor, then he gathered her close. “Oh you are so dead,” Rachel promised him with a wide grin.

Harvey laughed at the threat. “I guess I don’t have to ask if you really were surprised.”

“By everything,” she admitted. “Considering everything that has happened recently, I was just going to let this day slip by like any other. I figured we needed some normalcy.”

“Considering everything that has happened is exactly why I thought we needed a night out.” He studied her face. “Don’t tell me I goofed?”

Her arms tightened around him. “Do you think I’m going to complain about getting to dance with the best looking guy in the room?”

“All right,” he feigned disappointment. “You can ask him, but Victoria might get jealous.” He rolled his eyes in jest, then they locked on the man walking through the door. Samuel Chon. His joke was forgotten. He didn’t even hear her laughter, but he forced a smile on his face as he glanced down at her again. “You know what? I could really go for a beer right about now,” he suggested. At least I’ll need one after I kick some ass, he thought. He couldn’t believe that Samuel had the nerve to show up at Rachel’s party. “Would you mind getting us something to drink?” he asked. She hesitated. “I just need to talk with Mama about something,” he added, then saw her expression move from confusion to suspicion.

“Don’t tell me that there are more surprises coming.”

He forced a laugh. “Oh, you have no idea.” When she started to walk away, he stopped her. He knew that the pending confrontation with Samuel wasn’t going to end well. He would have apologies to make later, but he wasn’t going to allow Samuel to destroy everything that Rachel had worked for. Harvey gently took her chin in his hand, then kissed her before letting her slip into the crowd.

Once Rachel was on her way, Harvey didn’t waste any time. He made a beeline for Samuel who was searching the crowd. By the time Samuel notice his approach, he was right on top of him. Harvey grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket and shoved him out the same door he had just entered. “How did you find out about the party?” Harvey demanded as he shoved Samuel against the wall. “You still have someone watching me?”

“What the hell are you doing here?” Samuel demanded as he shoved back. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to weasel you way back into Rachel’s life.”

Harvey was stunned for a second. Samuel obviously didn’t know about their marriage. “You mean you haven’t gotten a full report? What a shame.” He jerked Samuel away from the wall and grabbed him by his jacket collar to propel him down the stairs. “You must be insane to show your face here. What are you trying to do? Ruin any chance that Rachel has for a normal life?”

They had reached the first landing and Samuel broke free of the grasp. “A normal life as a cop? There’s no such thing.”

“And you think a life with you would be any more normal? Grow up Samuel. If word gets out that there’s a connection between the two of you...” He stopped as revelation dawned. “That’s why you’re here.”

“I’m here because it’s my mother’s birthday,” he shot back, “and I promised her I would be here.” He smiled when he saw the surprise in Harvey’s eyes. “She didn’t bother to tell you that, did she?”

There were so many possible reasons for Samuel to be forcing his way into Rachel’s life and he was willing to bet that Samuel had ulterior motives. “I’m not buying the perfect son bit. What is it you want, Samuel? Aren’t your granddaddy’s associates coming through for you anymore? Do you need Rachel’s connections?” he asked. “She’s got plenty of information of the biggest dealers in the area. Looking for someone to move all of that OxyContin?” Harvey saw it in Samuel’s face before he actually saw his hand move. Harvey reacted on impulse and pulled his weapon from his holster. In the next instant, they were both staring down the barrel of a gun. “What’s the matter junior? Did I hit too close to home?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, cop.”

“Who are you planning on pinning it on?” Harvey baited him. “I don’t think you’re stupid enough to use your own password and card unless you plan on letting someone else take the fall.”

Rage coursed through Samuel. He could actually feel his body starting to shake. He never wanted to kill a man more. “I should have known that’s what you would think. You’ll use any excuse. I will...” He was cut off in mid-sentence when the ground beneath them began to vibrate violently. They both looked down at their feet as the noise filled the stairwell.

“No!”

Harvey didn’t have time to react as the landing gave way in the quake. His mind latched onto the thought of Rachel being in that stairwell with them. He was certain he had heard her voice. Please God....

His feet hit first on the way down, but he knew it wasn’t over. The concrete and steel stairs continued to give way, but the sporadic impacts with lower levels slowed their descent. The image of Rachel and Jerry cuddling in the closet floor came to mind and he held onto that as he was tossed forward. He brought his arms in front of his face just in time to avoid impact, and then he flipped backwards again.

He finally landed on his back and all of the air rushing out of his lungs. He remained motionless for a long moment as he watched flashes of light above him. There was a shower of sparks far above, then nothing. He listened to the sifting debris falling lightly around him before he was finally able to draw a breath. He coughed violently at the dust as he rolled onto his side. It was then that he realized he was still holding his pistol and he tucked it back into its holster.

“Help me.”

Harvey heard Samuel’s faint voice and reached into his jacket pocket for his flashlight. “Damn it,” he swore softly. Everything had come out of his pockets in the fall. His cell phone, flashlight and badge were all missing. “Where are you, Samuel?” he asked, trying to get his bearings. He blinked is eyes several times and realized they weren’t in total darkness. Some light was filtering in through the rubble and he was able to make out Samuel’s hand waving.

Harvey had to feel his way over to Samuel and instantly understood why Samuel hadn’t responded. A section of the concrete had landed on his back and was crushing the air out of him. “All right Samuel. You’re going to have to stay with me,” he ordered as he began to feel around for something he could use for leverage and quickly found a steel bar that had been a part of the banister. “You’re going to have to pull yourself out. I’m not going to be able to hold this for long.” He bent down close to Samuel and saw that he was already starting to black out. “Come on junior! You’ve got to get out of this before you can get another shot at me.”

Samuel nodded, then looked around for something to grab onto while Harvey jammed the makeshift crowbar under the slab. “On three. One, two...” Harvey threw all of his strength into lifting the slab a few inches. Samuel took in a gulping breath, then let it out again in a bellow as he pulled himself free.

Harvey let the concrete back down with a thud, then hurried over to Samuel who had spilled out onto the ground. “Hey. Samuel?” Harvey grabbed his shoulder and saw that he had blacked out. He could see that he was breathing and quickly checked for a pulse. When he felt a strong beat, he sighed in relief.

“Rachel!” he called out, then listened. He looked back down at Samuel. “I could use your expertise here,” he said softly. He was beginning to wonder if he had actually heard her voice in the stairwell before it collapsed.

“First things first,” he mumbled to himself, then went back to searching for his flashlight. Once he finally found it, he returned to Samuel’s side. He couldn’t miss the huge bruise on Samuel’s back. “That’s gotta hurt,” he whispered, then saw that Samuel was starting to regain consciousness. “I wouldn’t move around too much if I were you,” Harvey advised.

“Like I care what you think,” he returned weakly.

“Yeah, okay.” He didn’t know why he thought that their confrontation might be put on the back burner for the duration. Samuel had repeatedly proven to have a very short fuse. “You’re welcome, by the way, for saving your life.”

“No doubt that’s how you’ll tell it to Rachel.”

Harvey shook his head. “Man, you are some piece of work.” He started to go through the rubble once more. “Rachel!” he called again.

“What’s the matter, Harv?” Samuel said his name in distaste. “Afraid that your boss is going to get to her before you?”

“Did you hear Rachel come into the stairwell or not?” Harvey asked in return, not willing to let Samuel goad him. One of them was going to have to keep a level head if they were going to get out of there.

Samuel thought about that for a long moment. His mind was fuzzy on the exact chain of events, but he thought he had caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye when she burst through the door. “I think so,” he said softly. As much as he hated Harvey, Samuel knew that Harvey was the only one who could help her if she was in trouble.

“Rachel!” Harvey’s voice grew louder. The fact that she wasn’t with them even though she had only been a few feet away concerned him. He shined his flashlight around the small area. Portions of the roof and the staircase had efficiently boxed them in. He sent up a silent prayer that Rachel wasn’t under any of it.

He heard metal skid against concrete as he kicked at the debris and turned his flashlight onto Samuel’s gun. Harvey tucked it into his jacket pocket, then went back to searching for his missing cell phone. Every minute or two, he would call out Rachel’s name again. “You never did answer me, junior. What exactly is it that you want from Rachel?”

Samuel glared at his back. “I should be asking you that question.” He started to cough and nearly blacked out again from the pain it caused. His head swayed drunkenly. He couldn’t pass out. He was certain he would be left behind if he did. “You’ll never get her money so why don’t you just give it up.”

Harvey didn’t even bother to look up from his search. “You know I’ve discovered that people are usually protective of the things that they want most. I guess that answers my question.”

He let out a burst of air, then wished that he hadn’t. A wave of nausea hit him. “You think you’re so smart. You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know that it would be easier for you if you didn’t have a cop as a mother. I can just imagine what your business associates would think if they ever found out. What kind of retirement plan does the Triad have anyway?” he asked sarcastically. He tossed some of the debris aside and caught a glimpse of a chain. Everything was covered in a thin layer of chalky dust so he hadn’t noticed his badge sitting right on top. He rubbed the dust off with his thumb and saw that it had survived without a scratch before tucking it back into his pocket.

“Rachel!”

“I’m here.”

His heart jumped at the unexpected response and he quickly started to scan the debris for an opening. He had somehow gotten turned around so her voice came from an unexpected direction. Gratitude and concern battled for the dominant spot inside of him. He was grateful that they had both survived, but he didn’t have a clue how to get them out of there.

“Keep talking. I’m coming to you.” She stepped as gingerly as she could. “Is Samuel with you?”

“Yeah, he’s here,” Harvey returned as he glanced back at Samuel. “He’s pretty banged up, but he’ll live. Do you have your cell phone with you?”

“Yeah, which piece do you want?”

“Damn,” Harvey muttered, then he started to shift some of the debris when he caught a glimpse of her penlight coming through the cracks. “I’ve been looking for mine for the past ten minutes.”

Rachel hesitated for a moment. She hadn’t realized that there had been any elapsed time. “Have you been able to find a way out?”

“No, it looks like we’re pretty much boxed in.”

Samuel let out a burst of air. “How’s the claustrophobia?” he asked.

Harvey turned his small flashlight on Samuel’s face. “Considering our situation, I’d think about being a little more polite. I found my gun and yours too, I might add. I just might decide to use your body as a ladder before this is over with so I wouldn’t be too smug if I were you.”

“I’m so glad to hear the two of you are bonding,” Rachel said as she maneuvered into position. She could easily make out Harvey’s movements through the small opening. “You’re going to have to pull me through.”

Harvey grabbed her hands and pulled. Once she was on his side of the rubble, they fell into each other’s arms. “Thank God,” Harvey sighed as he held her close. “When you didn’t answer...” He couldn’t even finish the thought.

“I know,” she returned and held him tighter.

When she looked up at him, he lightly brushed her hair back from her face. “You look good in dust,” he told her.

She smiled. She couldn’t believe that, even in the aftermath of an earthquake, his touch could still cause her heart to flutter. “I thought married life was suppose to be boring.”

“I could do with a little boring.”

“You’re married?” Samuel asked in stunned disbelief. There was just enough light for him to make out the guilty looks that they exchanged. “Great. Thanks for the invite Mom,” he said sarcastically.

“You left a couple of hours earlier on a plane to who knows where,” she returned just as sarcastically. She reluctantly left the circle of Harvey’s arms. She had to see to Samuel’s injuries. Harvey’s flashlight cast an eerie glow with just enough light for her to see that blood was trickling down Samuel’s arm. “Is the cut deep?” she asked as she took his hand.

“I’m fi...” Samuel began, jerking away only to have his words cut off as a lancing pain went through is side. He leaned forward on his elbows, trying to lower his head without moving his body. The nausea nearly overwhelmed him.

Her brow furrowed when she jerked aside what was left of his shirt and saw the huge bruise at the lower left side of his back. She had barely touched him and he had nearly passed out from the pain. “Are you hurt anywhere else?” she asked as her penlight skimmed over his body to make sure that all parts were still attached.

He shook his head and she immediately went to work on the wound on his arm. “So why him?” he bit out through the pain. He needed to stay focused. He couldn’t believe his people had missed something so significant as his mother marrying a cop.

Rachel’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “Because he’s the most amazing man I’ve ever met,” she answered simply.

“Thank you dear,” Harvey said.

“You’re welcome sweetheart.” Her smile grew when she heard Samuel groan at the endearments. She knew it wasn’t going to be easy to get the two of them to talk, but she also knew that she would never have a better opportunity. They were literally a captive audience. She would have to handle things very carefully. “Any luck finding your phone?”

“Not yet,” Harvey returned, running his hands over some of the debris. “Everything is gray. I can’t tell anything apart.”

Samuel looked up at him with hate in his heart. The fact that he was half Asian and half American had made him an outcast in both regions. “Is that your way of saying that we all look the same to you?”

Harvey’s flashlight was back on Samuel’s face. “Do you really want a piece of me?” he asked with a surprisingly calm voice.

Rachel jerked the makeshift bandage tight around Samuel’s arm to stop the bleeding and received a yelp that ended the argument. “I sure hope someone finds us soon or we’ll be drowning in testosterone before long.” That accomplished, she stood to help Harvey hunt for his cell phone.

Harvey caught the hint and he was willing to play nice for her sake. “How is he?”

Rachel sighed as she studied Samuel’s pain-ridden face. “The cut is minor, but the bruise on his back concerns me.” She looked up at Harvey. “It could be internal.” She knew that he would understand her cryptic response. If any of Samuel’s internal organs were damaged, they were fighting against the clock. “Any ideas on how to get out of here?” Rachel asked, fighting once more not to think of what could happen.

He knew that she was scared, just as he knew that she would stay strong. “Well. We could always use the wire from your earrings and make a ladder,” Harvey suggested.

Rachel slapped his shoulder and a dust cloud billowed around them.

Harvey coughed once and waved at the air. “Maybe we should just keep looking for the cell.”

“Good idea.”

While they searched, Harvey came across Rachel’s birthday gift. He blew the dust off of it as he stood, then he looked over at Rachel still sifting through the rubble. He thought about giving it to her, but quickly decided against it. The last thing he wanted was Samuel as an audience, so he tucked it back into his pocket.

They searched for another ten minutes before finally finding Harvey’s phone. “It looks like mine is a little more intact than yours,” Rachel said as she held up the cell phone. The internal wires were the only things holding it together and that only lasted for a few seconds, then parts started dropping off.

Harvey quickly caught the battery when it started to fall. “Great.” He sighed heavily. “Let’s see if we can piece both of our cell phones together to make one that works.”

Rachel looked at him skeptically. That definitely wasn’t her area of expertise. “Just tell me what you want me to do.” Rachel ended up dividing her attention from holding the flashlight for Harvey and making sure Samuel was still conscious.

Harvey had to guess at what parts worked and which ones didn’t. He tried several times to dial out with no success. He’d change out various pieces that looked damaged until he finally managed to get a call through.

“Nashman, it’s Harv.”

“Harv!” He let out a sigh of relief. “Are you okay? We’ve been trying to reach you for the last 45 minutes.”

“We had to piece both of our phones together to get one to work,” he explained. “I don’t know how long this is going to hold up. Rachel and I are both fine, but Samuel is going to need to get to the hospital pretty quick. He’s got some major bruising on his lower back and Rachel’s having a hard time keeping him awake.”

“Does she think it his kidney?”

“She won’t even venture a guess, man. Hey, would you mind putting a call into my house to check on Jerry? I don’t think that we will be able to dial out of this thing again.”

“Joe already took care of that. Robin said that Jerry and the house are both fine and that she would stay until you could get there.”

Harvey let out a sigh. “Thanks man. That’s a load off my mind.”

Nash looked down at the pile of rubble that was the stairwell. “It looks like a good section of the roof over the stairwell has broken apart. Are you getting any air down there? Or light?”

“We can see some moonlight squeezing through, but not much. Air’s not a primary concern.” He wiped at his sweating brow. “For the most part anyway.”

“Hang in there bubba,” Nash encouraged him. “We’ve already got a rescue team on the way and we’ll get you out as soon as possible.”

“Nash?” Harvey said his name when static came over the phone. He shook his head. “Lost him.”

“So how’s Jerry?” Rachel asked.

“He’s fine. Nash said that Joe talked with Robin and that she would stay until we could get home.”

She sighed, then reached out to lightly rub his arm. “I know you’re relieved.”

“So when do we get out of here?” Samuel asked as he propped his head up on his hand.

“Nash said help’s on the way. That could mean ten minutes or two hours, I’m guessing.”

“So what do you want to do?” Rachel asked. “Should we look for a way out?”

Harvey glanced around. The walls were starting to close in on him. He doubted that there was any way for them to escape without help, but he was willing to try. "Other than that crevasse where you came through, I haven’t seen anything.”

She looked over at Samuel doing his best to keep his eyes open. “There’s no way we could get Samuel through there, so that’s out.” Harvey nodded in agreement. “I had a quick look around before I found you. It looks like the interior wall is in tact. No way to get through. It’s essentially a solid box of concrete.”

He thought about their walk up. “I don’t remember any windows in the stairwell. Do you?”

She shook her head. “Just the doors, but I wasn’t exactly looking for windows.”

He smiled at her subtle reference to their brief encounter on the stairs and reached out to take her hand. “Well, unless we’re lucky enough to find a door, we’re going to have to sit tight for awhile.”

She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. She knew that he was starting to feel closed in. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen one.” He silently held her gaze. “Okay. So we settle in,” she said in as cheery a voice as she could muster under the circumstances. Considering the fact that her head was pounding, a little quiet time sounded perfect.

She chose a spot near Samuel so that she could easily check on him, then she smiled at Harvey and softly patted the ground in front of her for him to sit down. Harvey gave her a curious look. Was she actually flirting with him? He wordlessly followed her directive, sitting down close to her. Immediately her hands were at his shoulders and began kneading his muscles. He dropped his head forward and felt himself beginning to relax.

“Thanks for everything you did tonight,” Rachel said as she rubbed at his shoulder blades with her thumbs. “Everything was great. The cake, the party...”

“Throwing your son out,” Samuel added.

Rachel felt Harvey instantly tense. “This is going to be fun,” she mumbled.