I couldn't even begin to explain how nervous I was as I started driving to the meet site. According to the FBI, they were able to see a black van leaving an abandoned warehouse not too far from the parking garage. He couldn't tell exactly who was in it, but there was good reason to believe that Lydia was in that van.

We went over the plan countless times. Agent Caffrey asked me to repeat it back to them over and over again. We had one chance to get this right. And if it did go right, then everyone would walk out alive and those responsible would be in jail. I kept telling myself that over and over again. Because, I had to believe it. I tried several times to ignore the bad feeling that I had in my gut. And against my own better judgment, I wrote a letter to Lydia and put it in my pocket.

I knew I was probably jinxing myself by writing it, but I couldn't stop thinking, what if? What if something happens and I don't make it out of here? I don't want my last words to her to be over a kidnapper's phone when she was terrified.

"Sean, can you hear me?" Agent Caffrey said through the earpiece.

"Yeah, I can hear you."

"Stick to the plan and everything will go smoothly. I know this is going to be hard, but do not engage him. Don't anger him."

"I got it."

"Good. Until we have visual confirmation that Lydia is in that van, we are going to assume that she is. We will take every precaution to retrieve her safely. Just go along with the exchange as planned, and do whatever he says. We'll handle the rest."

Five minutes later I was turning into the parking garage. My eyes immediately went to that black van that was parked in the far corner. I couldn't tell if she was in there or not. The windows were blacked out. I saw James standing in the center of the parking garage with his arms crossed over his chest. I wanted to run the fucker over.

I stopped the car a few feet in front of him, and as soon as I open the door, he yelled, "Slowly! Let me see your hands."

He really thinks I would be stupid enough to bring a weapon here and risk Lydia's life. "I don't have anything on me."

He pulled a phone from his pocket. "Let's get this done then."

I walked over to him, subtly glancing over to the van multiple times.

"Good job, Sean. Keep it cool."

"Did you come alone?" James asked suspiciously.

I kept my expression as blank as I could. Any hint of lying would mean someone was going to end up dead; and I wasn't going to let it be Lydia. "Of course, I did."

James' eyes darted around the parking garage. "Something's not right."

My heartbeat went into overdrive. My mind started racing, trying to figure out what I should do.

I heard the chatter of the agents over my ear piece.

"Everyone prepare to move in."
"Approaching from the south."
"Copy, that. In position."

"What do you mean?" I asked with the calmest voice I could make. "I'm here. Alone. Let's wire the fucking money already. "

James studied me for a few minutes before he took a few steps back. He reached behind his back at the same time I heard a car door open followed by, "James!"

James and I turned towards the high pitched scream. Amy was running towards us. James looked back at me as he pulled out his gun and pointed it straight at my chest.

I raised my hands and everything seemed to happen in slow motion. James had an evil smile as he got ready to pull the trigger. I heard Lydia's glass-shattering scream as she called my name. I looked in her direction and heard the sound of the two gunshots.

I staggered back from the impact of the shots, and put my hand to my side. I heard the sounds of the agents running and yelling for James to drop his weapon. I saw when the agents took James and Amy to the ground, arresting them. Amy kept screaming something I couldn't understand. Just as Lydia got to me, my knees gave out and I fell to the ground.

"Sean? Sean!" Her voice was panicked and frantic. It almost didn't sound like her.

"Hey, beautiful," I said weakly. She ran her hands over me. I saw the tears streaming down her face and tried to reach out to wipe them away. I frowned when I couldn't life my arm.

Agent Caffrey knelt down next to me with a worried look. "Step back, Lydia," he instructed with a soft and demanding tone.

She leaned back to give him some room. I looked over at her as another agent came and cut her hands free. Caffrey ripped open my shirt, revealing the bulletproof vest I was wearing. I heard Lydia's sigh of relief the same time Caffrey said, "Where's the other bullet?"

"What?" Lydia asked.

Caffrey looked me in the eye. "Sean? You with me? He shot you twice, right?"

"Uh, yeah," I said with a groan. "I can't-- lift my left-- arm." My words were broken. I was barely able to talk.

Caffrey came around to the other side of me and carefully lifted up my arm. He pushed the button on his radio, "We got a GSW under the left arm. Send her in now!"

"What? Send who in?" Lydia asked before she looked back at me. "Oh, my God. Sean, I'm so sorry."

I smiled up at her and knew I was fucking out of it. Probably from shock. I reached out to her with my right hand, she clasped it in hers and brought it to her lips. "I thought I-- wouldn't see you--"

"Shh, it's okay. Don't talk."

I heard someone approaching and, by Lydia's surprised expression, I knew it was Doc Sinclair.

"Move aside," she commanded the officers.

She was in full doctor mode as she assessed my injury. "I got to stop this bleeding before he bleeds out right here. Is the ambulance on the way?"

"Yes," Caffrey answered.

"Good."

I felt her roll me a little to my other side and I kept my eyes on Lydia. I felt myself starting to pass out and I was trying to fight it for as long as I could.

"I don't see an exit wound. Bullet could have traveled anywhere. We got to get him to the hospital. Get the hospital on the phone and put it on speaker."

Once the Chief of Surgery was on the phone, Dr. Sinclair spoke quickly. "This is Dr. Sinclair. I need an OR prepped and ready for a GSW to the left side. No exit wound. Make sure to have bags of O-Neg ready. Loading into the ambulance now and our ETA is five minutes."

I heard the sound of the paramedics talking to Dr. Sinclair. I had no idea what they were talking about. I still had my eyes focused on Lydia. She didn't seem to be paying attention either. Her eyes never left mine.

"Alright," the doc said, "that should be good. Let's get him on the gurney and to the hospital."

I groaned from the pain as they raised the gurney and loaded me into the ambulance. Doc Sinclair got in the front while one of the paramedics and Lydia got in the back. An oxygen mask was placed over my mouth and it was getting harder and harder to stay awake.

"We're losing him!" The paramedic called out.

"Sean? Sean, can you hear me?"

Lydia's voice was faint. I tried to look at her but everything started blurring together.

"He's going into V-TACH!"

Lydia was saying something to the paramedics and they kept asking her to remain calm. The jostling of the ambulance alerted me that we arrived at the hospital. The back doors opened and they pulled my gurney out, rushing me inside.

Lydia's frantic pleas for me to hold on, followed by her "I love you" was all I could think about as my world went dark.