WHACK! THWACK! WHACK!

"Where are the chemicals??"

WHACK!

"Up your fucking Russian ass..."

Sergei cackled victoriously as the Butcher's head rolled back with another blow. "Does that jog your memory? Or should I hit you again?"

Jamal snarled a bloody smile. "You can't hurt me, you weak piece of shit. But you, Captain, I'll bet you could do better than that. Think I forgot your face, SAS? That was your bitch I killed back there, right? Huh?!" he jeered. "Tell me, how long did it take her to die? Was it slow... Painful, SAS?"

Price was clearly disturbed, but even more disturbed than him was Gaz, who charged forward, teeth bared and fists clenched. "You motherfucker!" spat the Sergeant as Price reached out and stopped him. "Sir, this fucking prick..!"

"Hey!" barked Price, locking his steely blue eyes on Kyle's. "Keep your head in the game, Sergeant!" Gaz could see that the Captain's eyes were still misty from the loss earlier and took a deep breath, knowing that Price was doing everything in his power not to react the same way as him. 

"We need to break this bastard, sir," he said through gritted teeth.

Price slowly bobbed his head. "We're about to..." He touched the com in his ear. "Nikolai, do you have the package?"

"Pulling in now, sir," replied the Russian.

The Captain nodded to Gaz. "Go get the package from Nikolai, take a minute to clear your head, and come back. Alright?" As the Sergeant walked away, he looked the Butcher dead in the eyes. "You talk big for a man tied to a chair at my mercy," he growled.

Jamal chuckled and spat a mouthful of blood at him. "And you act tough for a man who cries over a squealing quim."

Price heard footsteps outside the door. He closed it behind him, speaking to someone in a hushed tone. Jamal tried to make out the dialogue, but before he could the Captain returned with Gaz as well as a woman and child...

His wife and child...

"Ousa..?" Jamal asked with a sudden alarm in his tone. "Amon?" The child cried out to his father, but Price grasped the woman and pushed her to her knees. The Butcher struggled in his bonds. "Hey! Be careful with her, you son of a bitch!" 

"Like you were with my woman?" Price responded coldly. "What difference would it make if I just..?" He put the barrel of his pistol against her head and she began to wail, and Jamal strained harder against the cuffs on his wrists. 

"FUCK!" he yowled. "Let her go! Please!"

Price looked over his shoulder. "Hey, we can make this even more interesting; Kyle, you have no problem hurting children, right?"

Gaz narrowed his eyes. "No problems at all, sir..." He grabbed Amon by the arm as he started to cry, the boy shrinking back only to be dragged closer by the Sergeant.

Jamal was screaming now. "God's sake, let them go! They have nothing to do with this!"

"Tell that to the little boy at the embassy!" spat Gaz, tears stinging his eyes.

Price pushed the woman to the floor and pushed the gun harder against her skull. "Last chance: where's the gas, Jamal?!"

"Fuck you!"

The Captain snarled. "So be it..." Slowly, he squeezed the trigger.

"No! Stop! STOP! IT'S IN KARATEKA THEATER!" he cried just before the shot could ring out. "The gas is in Karateka Theater! I swear! I swear, now let my family go, please!"

"And where's Hadir?" Gaz followed up. 

The Butcher creased his brows. "The Youngblood? Already gone... You can't stop him. By the time you find him, Barkov will be dead."

Gaz's eyes rounded and he looked at the Captain. "He's going after Barkov..!" 

"We're done with him. Let's go," commanded Price. Gaz let Amon go, and as they started to leave the room, there was a low chuckle.

"I knew you didn't have the balls to kill a woman," the Butcher murmured ominously, making eye contact with Price who was just letting Ousa up off the floor. "You're as weak as that bitch I left in the street, SAS..."

BANG!

A splatter of blood painted the wall behind the Butcher and his wife screamed.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! Click!

Price stood with his arm shaking, his eyes unmoving from what was left of Jamal's corpse. Gaz ran back in and tugged at his arm.

"Sir, we're leaving!" he said. "Come on, snap out of it!"

John let out a sputtering, uneasy breath. He turned away furiously and ran up the stairs. "Nikolai," he said, trying to keep the tremble out of his voice. "Karateka Theater. Call it in. We're going after Hidir before he can get to Barkov."

Nikolai dipped his head and walked beside the Captain. "On it. The cruiser is yours, Yegor just brought it in; should let you run under the radar."

"Good," he said. "Garrick, get in the car. Cover us."

"Captain Price," called Nikolai. "Before you go, Yegor wanted you to know something..." He opened the back of an ambulance parked not far from the police cruiser. Inside, you were lying unconscious on a stretcher. 

Price turned his face away. "Nikolai, please..."

"Captain," said Kyle. "I think... I think she's breathing..."

He looked up and without another word jumped into the back of the rig. "Is she..?"

Nikolai nodded. "We'll take her to a hospital to be treated, but she's alive and she's breathing. She's in good hands until you're ready to come back."

"... Oh my God..." Price released a tense breath and knelt beside you. "Honey," he whispered. "I'm right here. They're taking you to a hospital, but Garrick and I have to go after Hadir. I promise I'll come find you when it's over. Just get better... For me. Please, baby." He kissed your forehead and stood. "Alright," he said to Nikolai. "Keep us posted." and he bounded away for the cruiser.

It was some time before you were finally discharged from the hospital. As you left the building, you were convinced that Nikolai would be taking you home. Instead, as the front doors opened and you stepped outside, John was standing there with a smile on his face. "John!" you called, running (at least as much as a recovering stabbing victim can) to him. He folded you into a hug and kissed your face, and you managed to catch him by the mouth.

"God, it's so good to see you again..." he said, resting his forehead on yours. 

"It's good to see you, too," you said. "I was afraid I wasn't going to."

He smiled sadly. "I know... I know, sweetheart." John took a deep breath and stood straight. "Come on, you've been here long enough. Let's get you home."