"Lose My Breath" by Destinys Child, great song. I couldn't of found a better one for this chapter. The snar, bass and tenor drums totally work with the action.

Frankie ran out crouched over and yanked her toward the bushes, dragging her limp body threw glass and rubble to the cover of shrubs. She was hit on the side; Frankie couldn't tell if it was a graze or the bullet was lodged in her body, there was too much dirt, blood and glass stuck there.

Mac ran from the parked car he was using for cover, which was now peppered with bullet, holes to behind the police cruiser where Bubba squatted firing relentlessly in the direction the shots were coming from. Roach was still inside the door of the station and knelt on the floor firing above his head, while Parker and Sweet fired from the opposite side of the entrance.

Virgil, Bill and Aaron ran out the back of the station and stopped when they saw Lonnie waving for them to get back as the tow truck he was using for cover was getting pumbled by bullets. He crunched down as the they relentlessly smashed into the vehicle. 'I gotta move before this blows.' He looked around for more cover, then shot at the ominous shadows running through Sparta Square. Virgil, Bill and Aaron joined him from behind Dee's blue pickup.

The three men split up and went around the station from the back and Lonnie covered them with heavy fire. He sprinted to the side of the building where Chief Rizonou knelt shooting. He hugged the wall and dove behind the Sparta Fair billboard as mass bullets flew passed his head. He peered out and shot a round toward the Square, then edged over to the corner of the front of the station again. Both men firing at the shadow figures shooting at them, Lonnie just barely missed getting one in the leg.

                                                                   __________________________

"THERE!" Roach yelled over the blasts "THE TOWER!" there were two men on the Lookout tower adjacent to the station and several others in the Sparta Square, but no one was sure how many. Dee, Luann and Luke herded the few residents in the streets at that hour inside the Magnolia Café and radioed Butler County for back up. Luke broke the window at the front and fired out when an on slot of bullets smashed the other front window opposite the door. Dee and Luann pushed the people down using their bodies to cover them as best they could.

"STAY DOWN!" Luann hollered and her and Dee crouched under the glassless window firing out with Luke.

                                                             _________________________________

"MAC! – GUN!" Frankie screamed over the noise and Mac threw the Glock 22 toward the bushes. She reached out and snatched it, firing at the tower. The blood from the slit in her face throbbed and stung with the salt from her sweat making her hands slippery. She fumbled the hand gun, quickly regaining her grip and continued shooting. Frankie checked on Reba as she lay still in the mess of branches and dead leaves. She was unconscious but breathing. Frankie tied her torn shirt around Reba's waist trying to stop the bleeding, but it would only do for so long. She needed a hospital.

"MAC! MAC!" He couldn't hear her. She dipped down and ran for the squad car. A bullet ricochet off the ground and hit her in the arm knocking her over and her back slammed against the door of the cruiser with a crunch. She winced in pain as she reloaded.

"YOU ALRIGHT!" Bubba asked kneeling beside her. "YEAH ITS NOT BAD! REBA NEEDS AN AMBUL-"

The car was being sprayed with bullets from a different angle and they both threw their arms over their heads and faces instinctively trying to protect themselves from the new on slot of bullets. More firing came from Roach, Parker and Sweet from the top of the stairs. Down the street where the row of squad cars ended, Frankie saw Chief Rizonou and Lonnie behind a forest green Chevy reloading. Chief Gillespie was behind the truck door giving them cover, then crept around to the back and all of them fired at the silhouettes sprinting across the street at the same time.

The firing lagged momentarily and Frankie knew she wouldn't get another chance to run and yelled to Chief Rizonou to get his attention. He couldn't hear her at first, the gun fire was almost deafening. When he looked out to shoot she caught his attention, and pointed to herself, then pointed across the street. The majority of fire was coming from over there; she needed to find out how many and what their weapon situation was. If she timed this right, they wouldn't notice one person snaking across. Even if they did, the heavy fire coming from this side would be enough to pull their attention away. It would be long enough for her to get behind the 18 wheeler parked near the café. He put his hand behind his head, palm up and swept if over forward, signaling for her to move out, then turned to Lonnie and Bill telling them to concentrate all fire to cover her. Lonnie's eyes shot back between Aaron and Frankie with distress and anger on his face.

"WHAT THE HELL DOES SHE THINK SHES DOING!" He yelled over the noise. Fear setting deep in his guts.

"MOVEIN' OUT!" Aaron hollered back, and fired a round straight ahead.

"NOT ALONE SHE AIN'T!" he saw Frankie getting ready to run and he quickly positioned himself to cover her. There was no fucking way he would allow anyone to hurt her. He would kill anyone who tried.

"WHEN SHE'S CLEAR I'M MOVIN' OUT!" Bill and Aaron nodded and the three men shot in the morning haze relentlessly.

"REBA NEEDS AN AMBULANCE!" Frankie waved to Roach with a hand sign 'man down' and his face dropped, then went red with rage. He knew it was Reba. Roach jumped into the tall shrubs from the entrance in to Headquarters to get to her, and Sweet and Parker covered him. He saw her limp, bloody body and all the veins at the side of his forehead popped out at the site. He quickly flung her over his shoulder and propped her up over the railing to Parker as Sweet covered them. Parker ran inside with Reba and Roach was right behind him.

"MAC – BUBBA - COVER ME!" Mac nodded and Bubba pointed telling Sweet to cover her. They fired continuously as she took off across the street; ducking and crouching around parked cars and trucks. Frankie ran with her arms extended shooting randomly until she dove behind the 18 wheeler hauling lumber near the café. She slid underneath and hid behind the wheel near the front axle. Her arm and face were throbbing. She looked at her arm leaking blood and tried to find something on her she could wrap around it. Reba had her shirt and she only had her tank top on. "Shit". It wasn't as loud here, and she hoped to be in ear shot of someone and get some intel on what their objective was. It was a long shot but it had happened before. It was bright enough now for her to get a sense as to how many and what their fire power situation was. She hoped no one snuck up and shot her.

Lonnie yanked the shotgun from the squad car, never taking his eyes off Frankie. He fired his Glock just behind her to give her as much protection as the bullets would offer. Bill slid him his gun and he loaded another quickly, his eyes going from the gun, to Frankie, and back. He flung the strap of the shotgun over his shoulder and holstered Bills gun for back up.

"COVER ME!" Lonnie ran out, bolting for the 18 wheeler.

Out of the corner of her eye Frankie saw feet coming up on her fast from across the street and she clicked in another cartridge. She stood up between the cab and the trailer and pointed to unload then snapped her arm back in surprise moving to the huge wheel making room for more cover. Lonnie ran up to where Frankie was ducked down. She looked at him dumbfounded before bullets moved them both back to the shelter of the lumber. They returned fire then knelt down checking their ammunition supply.

"Lonnie what..." Frankie gasped but he cut her off.

"Let me see your arm." Lonnie took her arm and examined it quickly. "The bullet grazed your arm but tore a good chunk out of you; can you move it?"

"Yeah, hurts."

"Your face needs stiches." He put his hand on her cheek to see how much blood she was losing. There was a lot.

"I gotta get you to Headquarters. I need the First Aid." He had nothing to put on her face to slow the bleeding, or her arm to wrap it. He remembered he had a bandana stuffed in his pocket from his locker. He pulled it out and she grabbed it out of his hand and completed a full field dressing on herself in seconds. Lonnie cocked his head and stared at her.

"You a medic?"

She didn't answer as more bullets flew at them and they stood up to return fire. Lonnie yanked Frankie over from the bullets hitting cab and the gas tank. He grabbed her and ran almost dragging her behind the Magnolia café. Both fired ceaselessly until they were around the corner of the building. Dee, Luann and Luke fired from inside the café.

"WHAT ARE YOU!-" She yelled at him and he cut her short.

"TOO MUCH FIRE AROUND THE TANK- COULD EXPLODE!" Yelling back.

They returned fire coming from Sparta Square and could hear screaming, a lot of screaming. They stopped and listened as bullets ricochet off the brick. Bill and Virgil were hollering for everyone to cease fire. In the distance the sounds of sirens blazing up Main Street from Butler County filled the air. The squad cars screeched to a holt and blocked the exit streets on Main. Tons of officers jumped out and ran behind the cars with shot guns pointed in every direction, waiting.

Silence. Not one shot fired.

No one on either side spoke a word or moved. Lonnie and Frankie stood behind the corner; guns pointed out. Echoes of footfalls moving hastily in unfamiliar territory kept running then stopping – like they had something they were moving and trying to get out of the way, perhaps just themselves, perhaps something more deadly.

"What do you think?" Frankie whispered to Lonnie.

"Don't know. But I reckon the folks that were firing just realized they are sorely outnumbered."

They both turned around at the same time to the sound of footsteps dragging on the pavement behind them and Frankie scoffed at the sight.

"Hello bitch."

A full fist to Frankie's face and her head cracked off the brick wall and her lip bled from the gash. She grabbed the woman's hair and bounced her face off her knee and the crack of her nose ripped through the small alley. Blood poured from it and she wiped it across her face with a smile before lunging at Frankie. She ducked and came around behind her jabbing her first in the gut with her fist, then in the chest, then in the face. They repelled off each other and stared hatefully in to one another's faces. Lonnie stood there stunned. He'd never seen two women fight before; they were vicious - brutal. It just didn't seem right..should he do something? He could never hit a woman...

"Mellisa, you're looking hideous as always." Mellisa Tardell; bitch for hire. Taking any job any sleezy organization was offering for the right price; a testament to her extremely comfortable living conditions. This wasn't her and Frankie's first rodeo – not by a long shot.

"Oh Mis, when did satan let you out?"

"This your man?" Mellisa's beastly voice would be a means of torture in some countries.

She turned abruptly around and hoofed Lonnie right in the crotch, and he went down painfully. He was completely unprepared and taken by surprise. It was a weak, cheap move. Just her style.

"You bitch" He spat through gritted teeth at her as he held himself trying to stand.

"Pl-ease" She rolled her dead eyes. "No one needs you people breeding and filthing up the place." She laughed cruelty and spat near Lonnie's head. Frankie's blood reached the boiling point.

"At least I'm not related to my man - you fucking waste of skin." Those two words were not lost on him; she called him 'My man', and he liked it. A lot.

"You should look outside your family tree for your bed buddies. Oh- I forgot, they're the only ones who will have your dirty ass." Mellisa's lip cured up in a snarl and she lunged toward her.

Frankie's leg shot up and three powerful hook kicks hit her in the ribs. A swift upper cut to the jaw sent Mellisa buckling over backwards. She punched her side hard and slammed her head against the wall. Melissa ground her thumbs into Frankie's eye sockets and she screamed tumbling back. She grabbed her tank top sitting on her stomach and drove hard punches into her sides and temple. Frankie clasped both hands together and knocked them into the right side of her face with a loud crack pushing her off. Mellisa flipped herself up off the ground and just as she landed Frankie round housed her and she smashed off the wall again forcing all the air out of her lungs. Three fast punches to her face and a jab to her throat, Mellisa gasped for breath as she hit the pavement on her side with a thud and lay there gurgling.

Frankie wearily stumbled over to her and turned Mellisa on her stomach. Sitting on her back she pinned her arms hard, digging her fingers into the small space in between the wrist bone until it began to make a squishing noise from under the skin.

Lonnie pulled himself up and stared at Frankie with a half open smile. He had never seen anyone fight like that; and watching her kick ass made him want to ravish her right there. It was sexy as hell. Their movements were so quick – precise, meant to do a lot of damage in a short time. 'Fuck where'd she learn to do that?' He wondered in amazement.

"Lonnie" Frankie breathed heavily, out of breath and coughed before continuing "-Cuffs" He tried to stand up straight but the excruciating pain in his groin only allowed him to hunch over. He took out the cuffs from his belt and she reached for them, but he pulled them to the side.

"Let me." He said in a spiteful tone and reefed the cuffs on so tight Mellisa's fingers began to change from pink to purple. He could care less. He'd never stuck a woman in his life, but he felt with this one right here he'd have no problem making an acceptation.

"Low life disease" He spat his words at Mellisa's motionless body. "You okay Frankie?" Lonnie asked kindly.

"Yeah, you okay?"

She put her hand on his arm and her touch was like that feeling of coming home. Comforting. Familiar. He took her hand from his arm gently and held it in his, interlocking their fingers together. She looked at him with raise brows to answer the question with concern on her face.

"Oh yeah, I'll be good in a couple of hours, and a few bags of ice I reckon. I ain't made of sugar." He smiled at her, this time a real smile and she thought it was the most gorgeous thing she'd ever seen.

And she melted a bit, right there. Sitting on Mellisa's back with her face ground into the pavement; bruised, cut, and covered in blood.

Some girls get candle lit dinners and flowers - she got a fight with a nasty bitch, and a sexy, southern cop with swollen nards. It was perfect.

Lonnie looked at Frankie and eyed her injuries. A large bruise under the eye was starting to show, and he placed his hand tenderly on her face, and she rested her cheek there in his hand perfectly content. The other side of her face was still throbbing but she was too busy looking at him to care.

Dee and Luke came around the corner and stopped. They saw the two of them on the ground and grinned at each other.

"I think they're smitten" Luke said with a wink.

"You think so do ya" Dee teased, and they walked over.

"Hot damn where did you learn to fight like that!" Luke looked at Frankie excitedly. "Wow ma'am, that was something else." He complemented her and she smiled at him. Lonnie squinted and tilted his head at the statement. Dee answered the unspoken question.

"We all saw from the back window" She said, nodding her head in approval. "That girl is welcome to ride with me anytime. Maybe teach me some of those moves too." She walked over and stood by Mellisa smirking, with her hand on her gun. Just in case.

"Luke" Lonnie began "Put her under arrest for assaulting a police officer, disorderly conduct, intent to do bodily harm, and whatever else you see fit. Get an ambulance to take her to the hospital, and get Sweet and whoever else, and whatever OPS folk need to go with you and get there. I reckon they'll want to have words with her before she rots in our cell where she belongs."

"Yes Lieutenant." He stared at Frankie with a dazed look in his eye and a boyish smile. Lonnie glared at him until he stopped staring and delt with the mess on the pavement.

"You need to get checked out." Lonnie's deep voice made her shiver.

"You should too; Aaron can take-"

"No. I'll take you."

He stood, up almost upright this time and pulled her up. He bared the brunt of her weight; she was more beat up then he thought. She held her ribs as they staggered out from the back of the Magnolia café. Lonnie saw the Butler County police wrangling up the shooters with Sparta's finest. He guessed they were the Mafia's grunt men from the case he had been working on; all the trouble at the ports. There weren't as many as he thought, and it didn't sit right with him, but for now he had to get his lady to the hospital. He loved how that sounded – 'His lady'.

And he planned to make damn sure she was. His lady. And only his.

Frankie held on to Lonnie as they walked. She felt a bit woozy and stopped to look around for a bench. She didn't want to sit on the ground.

Lonnie had been staring at her since she stopped "You okay?"

"I want to sit down. There's a bench." She pointed to one riddled with bullet holes, and Lonnie held her tight and walked them over. Frankie sat down and moaned when he let go of her. 'Fuck' he thought as he grinded his teeth. He liked the way that sounded.

Frankie turned to looked up at him and she sucked in her breath when she did. He was so close to her; his face was just millimeters from hers. Her breathing slowed and her lips parted. When he saw her bite her bottom lip staring at him that was it - he couldn't take anymore.

Lonnie roughly grabbed the back of her hair and pushed her mouth on his. All their yearning poured out when their mouths crashed into each other's, and it was intense, and electric. He felt her body give in to him and he yanked her so close to him she moaned at the feeling. Her hands went to his face, then wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. Frankie's fingers tangled in his hair while his mouth kissed down her neck then back up to her lips. Lonnie grabbed her waist, pulling her onto him and shoved her leg in between his, trying desperately to get closer to her. His tongue slid smoothly in and out of her mouth, and Frankie sighed at the feeling, loving the way his lips tasted, the way he felt against her. The noises she was making was driving him crazy, only fueling his intensity more and he forcefully pulled her body impossibly closer to his. She was lost in him, she kissed him ferociously like she was starving. He held her so tight it made her body weak, and even if she wanted to fight it, there was no way now she could. He had her. She was his - and she loved it.

When they finally came up for air their breathing was fast and hard. Frankie rested her head against his chest and held his shirt tightly in her cut hands. Lonnie's forehead rested on her head until he could catch his breath. He placed his index finger under her chin and lifted her face to his. He gently kissed her lips again before he spoke.

"Frankie...I" Lonnie sighed "I've never been good at...um..." He struggled to say what he wanted to say. He couldn't find the right words to tell her what he was feeling. He stared into her eyes and his deep well of emotions, the ones he kept from prying and loose lips, began flooding over top of the hard wall he built for himself. He took a deep breath, and looked down at her beautiful, bruised and injured face.

"Frankie I..."

"FRANKIE!"

Lonnie caught Frankie as she hurled forward toward the ground. Her body went limp and bloody mucus poured from her mouth and ran down her chin to the pavement. He lifted her back up and her head bobbed lifelessly back and forth as he tried to stabilize her. More blood spat from her mouth and hit him in the face leaving a blood splatter dripping down his cheek. He turned her face forward and down so she wouldn't choke. He was screaming at the top of his lungs for a medic. He watched as the color disappeared from her face, and he screamed louder.

The Magnolia Cafe