Work Text:
Maylancholy day 6
Buried alive
*ring ring ring*
*ring ring ring*
Street sighed, reaching for his phone
Answering it without opening his eyes, he figured it was Tan or Luca
"Wakey-wakey"
Now Street opened his eyes, taking in the darkness
"Where- Where am I?"
"See for yourself."
Street used his phone light to look around, realizing pretty quickly where he was
The panic started in quickly, patting around to see if he could get out
"No- No." Street started "No no no no-"
The last thing Hondo remembered was a UC sting with Street, then realizing a second too late what was happening before he was knocked out from behind
Then Luca patting his face and telling him to wake up
"Hondo..Hondo... Hon- Hondo!"
Hondo's eyes shot open, sitting up halfway before pausing
"Look at me, you alright?" Luca asked
Hondo nodded slightly, sitting up the rest of the way
"Get up slow. We heard a bit of a battle, Street code-worded but they were gone by the time we got here." Luca informed
"Where's Street?" Hondo asked, looking around the room "Where- Where's Street?! Street!"
Luca just shook his head, moving to search the room while Hondo grabbed for the bag of cash on the floor
Hondo looked past Luca at the casket sitting on the table
Luca glanced at it too before sharing a look with Hondo that was easily read
Street's in deep trouble
*ring ring ring*
*ring ring ring*
Street sighed, reaching for his phone
Answering it without opening his eyes, he figured it was Tan or Luca
"Wakey-wakey"
Now Street opened his eyes, taking in the darkness
"Where- Where am I?"
"See for yourself."
Street used his phone light to look around, realizing pretty quickly where he was
"Listen. And listen close, 'cause I'm only gonna say this once."
Street recognized the voice, He just couldn't pin point it yet
"You are going to use this phone to call your friend, tell him to bring the cash to the baseball field on the corner of ***** and ****. Tell him to place the bag on home base. Once I have the cash, then we can talk."
Street figured out where he knows the voice from
"That is.."
He and Hondo had set up a sting op to get this guy in the act of taking a job as a hitman
"If you're still alive"
The guy, Spencer Hardison, hung up after that
Luca and Hondo were discussing -arguing- how to proceed this time now that they had no idea where Street is or if he was okay
"I'm telling you, we should reach out to Spencer again."
"And I'm telling you it's a bad idea until we have any clue where they took Street!"
"How are we supposed to know where they took Street if we don't talk to them?!"
"They could kill him if we even try asking!"
Deacon glanced over when Tan's phone rang, raising an eyebrow as he half listened to the other 2
He answered it, not paying the 3 any mind
"Hello?"
"Hello, T- Tan? Tan?"
Tan stood up straight from where he was leaning on the table, snapping his fingers
"Guys!" He cut off the arguing, putting the phone on speaker "Street, where are you?"
"Uh- Um.. I think- I think I'm in one of Sophie's coffins. I- I don't have my phone. I think Spencer took it, he left me a phone but it- It's old school- There's no GPS so you can't track me-"
"Okay, Street, Listen." Hondo cut in "Spencer Must've wanted you to contact us to arrange a trade, did you get his number?"
"Yeah- yeah. Texting it right now."
"Look, if you still have reception then you can't be buried that deep- If you're buried at all." Luca reasoned
"I- I don't know where I am."
Luca leaned over to Hondo
"Thirty minutes of oxygen in that box, Hondo." he mumbled so Street couldn't hear
"Okay, Street, listen to me. The important thing is to stay calm. We are going to find you." Hondo promised
"Why not just give Spencer the cash?" Powell asked
"Wouldn't work. Street, could you hold on just one second?" Hondo hit mute, ignoring the glare from Tan
"Tan? Hondo? Someb- Somebody?"
"Spencer will let Street suffocate just to tie up that loose end. No- No, we have to- We have to find Street first, then we'll deal with Spencer." Hondo decided "Sophie and the others left twenty minutes ago, now they have a coffin in the backseat. They're definitely not gonna go above the speed limit. Take it off the mute."
Tan complied, taking Street off mute
"Street, uh- Well you're definitely, ah- buried in the radius of he funeral home. We're gonna check it out right now." Hondo told him
Hondo pulled up the radius of the funeral home, keeping it to a mile
"There's over a dozen areas of open field there, golf courses, playgrounds, you name it." Luca pointed out
"But it's broad daylight. Spencer's not gonna bury a casket in a soccer field. Street's in a cemetery. You got open graves, back-hoes." Deacon added
"I'm where?!"
Hondo gave Deacon a look
"Oh, just fucking kill me." Street muttered under his breath
Hondo pulled up the cemeteries within the radius
There were four total
"But which one?" Luca voiced
"Alright, Street. Listen, we need your help in tracking you. Can you smell anything? Do you have pressure in your ears?" Deacon prompted
A pause
"Wait- wa- Wait wait. It- it's water- It's water, can you hear that? Can you- Can you hear that? That's water, isn't it? It's all around me, like it just turned on- Like a switch or something.. Okay- Wait- wait wait wait.. Okay- It just- It just turned off.. I.. You all heard that, right?"
Everyone shared quick looks
"The sprinklers." Powell guessed
"He isn't that deep." Luca added
"You know what else I bet he can hear?" Hondo started
Hondo got ahold of some friends of Street's
They need different sirens and he didn't personally know any firefighters or paramedics
So he called Evan Buckley
"You need me to what?" Buckley countered "No- Wait- Street's where?"
"Buried somewhere, in a cemetery. We need to find him before his oxygen runs out and we need you and a paramedic so we got ambulance and firetruck sirens to know which one's closer." Deacon explained "We already got police sirens covered, but please. We don't have time to run this up the ladder. We got fifteen minutes."
"Bobby?" Buckley looked at his captain
"Yeah, we'll do it. Go, get on the engine. Hen, Ambulance. Go!"
"Deacon, you're with them. Tan, The ambo." Hondo ordered
Street realized something was in his pocket
Maybe something helpful
He tried reaching for it but it was just out of reach
Then tried the rose that he had tossed aside earlier
After a few tries, he was able to hook the key chain and grab them
His keys
it was Tan and Hen in the ambo while Deacon went with Buckley and Nash
Hondo and Luca had taken the cop car
Powell stayed back to keep Hicks informed
"Okay, Tan. Tell Street to let us know when he can hear sirens." Hondo ordered
Street was working on trying to use the keys to his advantage (or keep himself busy)
"Street? You there? Street?"
"Tan?" Street returned, taking a shaky breath "Tan?"
"St-t? t-e-?"
"Tan?" Street repeated, panicking as he realized he was losing signal
"Street? Can you hear me?"
He calmed a little as it went back to normal but not enough to respond coherently
"Street?" Tan tried again "Damn it- Hen, he's losing it. You're better at this, he needs you."
"Tan, listen to me." Hen started sternly "You've spent the last three years with Street. Getting through to him, helping him in times he needed it, and learning how he copes. You, more than anyone know how to get through to him and help him control his breathing. He doesn't need me. He needs you."
Tan glanced at Hen before sighing, moving to the back of the ambo
"Vee?"
"Street. Street, listen to me, I need you to calm down, and listen to me. okay? Take a deep breath in." Tan started, taking in a breath as audibly as possible for Street to hear
He heard Street mimic him
"Okay, good. Now let it out." Tan continued, doing as he said to keep Street focused
He didn't hear Street follow along
"Okay, come on, you gotta do this with me, okay?" Tan reminded "Come on. Do this with me, okay?"
He didn't get a response
"Okay, here we go. Let's do this together, okay?" Tan tried "Deep breath in."
He paused, making sure Street did it
"Deep breath out." Tan finished, satisfied when he heard Street let it out too "Deep breath in.. Deep breath out.. Good.. Deep breath in.. Deep breath out.. Good. Okay, good... There you go."
Hen glanced back for a half second, happy to hear the success
Tan.. Don't.. Don't get off the phone...Please, I.. I don't wanna be alone again.. "
Tan closed his eyes for a moment, wishing they could just be at home right now, cozied up in bed with this incredibly shitty day behind them
"I'm not getting off this phone until we get you out of there, okay?" Tan promised
"Okay, this is it. ****** Cemetery, make a right." Hondo instructed from the passenger seat
Luca complied, turning right past the cemetery
"Okay, Street, can you hear anything?" Tan questioned
"N..No. No, nothin'"
"Okay, stay calm. You're doing great." Tan responded
"One down, three to go." Hondo muttered
Then Street heard it, very faintly
He moved his head a bit, making sure it was what he had been hoping for
"Wait- wait wait wait wait- I hear some- I hear something!" He alerted "Sirens."
"That's good- that's good. Is it- Is it an ambulance, police car or firetruck?" Tan prompted
"Ambulance! Definitely an ambulance!"
"He's here!" Tan announced to Hen, who grabbed the radio to get the others here faster
"He's here, ***** cemetery." Hen told them
"Okay, we're on our way." Hondo assured
"We're on our way. hang in there, we're close." Tan promised "We're right here."
"Let's see what Spencer is up to." Hondo added, calling him
"You make the drop off yet?" Spencer asked immediately upon picking up "Where's my cash?"
Hondo hung up just as quickly
"Why'd you just do that?" Luca questioned, glancing over
"I wanted to see if I could hear the ambulance, I could." Hondo informed, grabbing the radio "Tan, Hen, Spencer is watching over Street. Now, go to the back of the cemetery, we'll distract him."
"This should be interesting." Luca mumbled
Hondo pulled up right in front of Spencer, quickly getting his attention
There was another guy with Spencer that Hondo didn't recognize but he had been told to stand down
"Where the hell'd you get that car?" Spencer questioned, gesturing towards the cop car as Hondo stepped out
"It's a rental." Hondo amused
"How'd you find us?"
"You leave the rest of your guys at the drop, waiting to kill me?" Hondo guessed
Spencer sighed, putting his hands on his hips
"I want my cash."
Hondo grabbed the bag through the window, showing them
"I want my colleague." Hondo countered
Spencer turned back, giving his friend a look
A moment later, he had a gun aimed right at him
Hondo glanced at it
"Oh, hm. Yeah.. Luca." Hondo called casually
"What the hell's a Luca?" Spencer asked
Hondo just barely looked past Spencer as Luca came from behind the SUV, tasering the gunman
At the same time, Hondo elbowed Spencer in the face, taking him out
Tan and Hen were running through the cemetery, each holding a shovel and Hen carrying her med kit
"Look for a grave with fresh dirt on it." Hen told him
They both glanced around, spotting several freshly buried graves
"We don't have time to dig 'em all." Tan reasoned, looking at Hen
"Alright.. Look for clues." Hen suggested "Ah- Footprints, anything."
Street hit the top of the coffin, panic starting to creep back in
"Tan-"
Spencer got up, picking the gun up off the ground where Luca and Hondo had forgotten it
"No more Mr nice guy."
Spencer's friend had gotten back up before Luca could cuff him, pulling a big knife out of his pocket
Luca was doing his best to fight him off, he hadn't had time to reach for his gun
He back up a step, grabbing the shovel leaning against the tree
He used that to get the guy back before getting out his gun
Tan and Hen kept searching, trying to narrow down with grave Street could be in
Street ripped open the fabric in the top of the coffin, he had felt something weird in it
He pulled out a compass, using the light from the phone to look at it
"Tan- Tan, Stop. Tan Stop." Street breathed "You're standing right above me, Tan, just- you have that- the- the Metal detector I gave you?"
He had used it once and it really helped so he had gotten one for Tan as well, and he knows Tan takes it everywhere
Just in case
"Yeah, why?"
"Just.. Just dig."
"Hen! He's over here!" Tan yelled as he started digging
Hen came up a moment later, dropping he med kit on the ground to the side and helping Tan dig
"Street." Hen started
"Just dig!" Tan stopped her
Hen looked up when movement caught her eye
"Hondo!" She shouted "Behind you!"
Spencer was close behind Hondo with a gun in hand
A gun that was now raised and pointed in their direction
Quickly, they all dove behind headstones right as Spencer started shooting
Street didn't like hearing the gunshots without being there to cover any of them
"Guys?" He tried "Guys?"
Hondo made it to Hen's spot, getting his gun out
"What do we do?" She asked him
"Working on it!" Hondo countered
Tan thought for half a second before speaking up
"You go that way," He pointed backwards of Hondo before pointing behind himself "I'll go that way!"
"No no no no- Damn it!"
Tan had already started moving so Hondo had no choice but to follow along
Tan got to the next headstone over without a problem
Meanwhile, Street could feel the air was low, he was out of oxygen
'Fuck' He thought as he started suffocating 'Sorry, Vee.'
Luca got the guy on the ground and in cuffs before he started hearing shot fired behind him
He glanced around before cuffing the guy to a bolted down trash can and heading off that way, being weary of stray's
"Street-"
"I- can't breathe-"
"Street, if you can hear me, take a deep breath in." Tan tried "As deep as you can and hold it."
He faintly heard Street do so
"I know you can do this." He added before moving to the next grave
Then skipped it to head for a tree
"Street? Street. You have to make it through this. Because.." Tan paused "Because I love you. And I need you. Do you hear me, J? I need you!"
He sat the for another second before moving again
Hondo had moved from stone to stone as well, until he was close enough to tackle Spencer to the ground
The gun ended up a few feet away, out of Spencer's reach
Hondo hit Spencer a couple times to keep him down as Luca came up the other side, picking up the gun
Street!" Tan called as he grabbed the gun from Luca "Move to your left."
He had to trust that Street listened as he shot at the side, taking out the nails and, more importantly, letting oxygen in so Street could breathe again
They all heard him take several deep breaths, relieved that he had air
Luca and Hondo both jumped down into the hole before Tan could even think about it, getting the coffin open as quickly as possible
Almost instantly, Street started climbing out
Hondo and Luca both helped him out
"Welcome to the land of the living." Hondo teased
Once back on the top, Luca pulled Street in for a tight hug
"Never do that again, man- Don't do that again."
"I won't." Street promised as Luca let go, Hondo pulling him in a second later "I won't."
Hondo didn't let go as quickly, which gave everyone a moment to just breath
And man, it felt like none of them had even taken a single breath of air since realizing what happened
Hen wasn't letting him go without a hug from her as well
Tan walked away before Street could even approach him though, which was.. not unexpected
He tried to pay it no mind
For now, he needed a shower and a bed
And to not be in a casket ever again until he's good and dead
A few hours later
Everyone had gone home after finishing up with their reports
Luca and Street had originally driven to work separately this morning but given.. everything.. Street was practically dead on his feet
So he left his bike at HQ and hopped in with Luca
Tan hadn't said much to him yet since getting back
Buckley had called to check in earlier, promising to stop by later this week
But now home, Street took a shower, switching to his pajamas
Then he laid down to go to bed
He must've dozed off at some point 'cause he woke up to his door creaking open
He sighed, not bothering to open his eyes
"Luca, I already told you four times. I'm fine, I just want to sleep."
"Not Luca."
Street cracked his eyes open and saw Tan standing near his dresser, digging through the drawer
"Hey, what're you doin' here?"
"I didn't get my hug earlier." Tan shrugged "I'm sorry for not saying anything. I just.. Needed a minute."
"I's okay." Street assured through a yawn "You gonna stay?"
"Of course I am." Tan confirmed, already grabbing out a pair of pajama pants
"Luca still up when you got here?"
"Yeah, on the couch with Duke. I think he's debating between video games and stress-cooking." Tan admitted "How are you?"
"I'm fine. Hen checked me out before we left." Street told him
Tan shook his head, sitting down by Street
Street immediately gravitated towards him, barely giving him a moment to get comfortable before snuggling into his side
"Now what I meant, J."
"I know." Street shrugged
"Then answer me honestly, please."
Street sighed, laying his head on tan's stomach
"I hated it.. Being stuck in that coffin.. Then when.. When I almost ran out of oxygen.. I hate admitting when I get scared but.. I was terrified, the whole time.. "
"Me too." Tan agreed, wrapping an arm over Street's shoulders "I mean, we all were.. But.. "
"Yeah.." Street understood
They both stayed quiet for a second
Neither of them had to say anything
They knew how scared the other was, of never seeing each other again
They had both come to terms with the daily possibility of losing each other
They run towards bullets for a living, they know one of them might not be so lucky one day
But they both loved their jobs and each other too much to wanna quit either
And they never even thought to ask the other to do so
But this isn't just getting shot or stabbed
Street had been buried alive
Buried
Alive
That's different
Tan didn't wanna lose Street, full-stop
But even less so by this horrible luck
Street didn't wanna die, full-stop
But even less so by suffocation
Especially in a coffin, that's just twisted
"Thank you.."
"For what?" Tan countered
"Helping me stay calm.. Finding me.. Digging me up.. Thanks.." Street elaborated "And I love you too."
Tan could tell the second Street fell asleep
Before he could say anything
'You don't need to thank me. I love you.'