Don't Leave, Please

"Just Relax"

"Just relax, Lance, just relax."

Cathy sucked in a deep breath and forced her eyes to open. When they did, she saw the man with Lance in his arms.

"I was wondering when you'd wake up." The man smiled at Cathy.

"Cathy." Lance's voice shook.

"Hey," Cathy said in a sweet voice, "I'm going to get you out of this ok. You just gotta be strong for me."

Lance nodded his head and focused his attention on Cathy.

"Let him go," Cathy glared right at the man, "he has nothing to do with this."

The man chuckled.

"Oh, I know he doesn't, but his father does." The man pointed his gun towards Zack. He was awake and standing behind Cathy.

Cathy turned around to face Zack.

"Zack, what's he talking about?"

Zack's eyes locked onto Cathy's for a second, then they went back to his son.

Mac groaned as he sat up. His hand was on his forehead. His eyes were red and his cheeks were stained from tears.

Gabby began to wake up as well. When she saw her son in the arms of a stranger, she did her best not to attack the man.

The man sighed.

"I'm surprised you don't remember Cathrine."

Cathy looked back at the man.

"Remember what?"

"Zack used to work with us."

Cathy scoffed.

"I have never worked with you, or Zack, in my entire life!"

The man clicked his tongue.

"I told Dennis not to mess with your memory. I'll have to chat with him sometime."

"Just let him go." Zack said from behind Cathy.

"I honestly want to but," the man chuckled and pointed his gun at Zack, this time, a bullet was in the chamber, "a certain someone has to pay the price for what they've done to me." The man then pulled the trigger. The bullet landed in Zack's side. Zack fell to the ground like a rock.

"DADDY!" Lance cried as the man left the house in a hurry.

"Ambulance is on the way." Gabby's voice shook as she watched her husband suffer.

Cathy bolted out of the house and ran after the man. Mac yelled her name, but she didn't stop, she wouldn't.

"DRIVE!" The man yelled to the driver as he shut the van door, "NOW!"

The driver stepped on the gas and took off. But that didn't stop Cathy. She sprinted towards the vehicle. But as the van picked up speed, she couldn't keep up with it.

"I won't let anyone hurt you Lance, I promise." Cathy's voice echoed in her head.

Cathy stared down the empty road and hit her knees. She let her tears slide down her cheeks.

Mac caught up to Cathy and came to her side. He helped Cathy stand up and began to say something, but Cathy couldn't hear him.

"What?" Cathy asked.

"Are you ok?" Mac asked.

"I lost him, Mac." Cathy let out a sob.

Mac took Cathy into his arms and tried to calm her down.

"We'll find him Cathy," Mac said, "we won't stop until we do."

Cathy wiped her eyes and sniffed.

"C'mon," Mac said as he took Cathy's hand in his, "Let's go back to the house and get that wound cleaned up."

Cathy nodded her head and followed Mac back to the house.

📎📎📎

"Where's Zack?" Cathy asked.

"Ambulance took him to the hospital," Jack said as he walked up to both Mac and Cathy, "Gabby went with him."

"We need medical attention over here please." Mac got the attention of a paramedic.

The paramedic took Cathy to an ambulance and had her sit inside as he fixed up her wound.

Once the paramedic was done, Cathy found Mac and tapped him on the shoulder.

"I want to go home." Cathy said sadly.

"Ok." Mac walked Cathy to their car and started it. Then, they took off.

📎📎📎

Cathy walked into Mac's house and sat on the sofa. Mac sat next to her.

"I promised Lance that I wouldn't let anyone hurt him." Cathy wiped her eyes, "I lied to him Mac."

"It's not your fault Cathy, you can't blame yourself."

"It is." Cathy looked at Mac with glassy eyes. "And I'm going to do everything I can to fix it."

"You mean we?" Mac smiled softly at Cathy.

Cathy smiled back.

"Yes, I meant we."