Rayne nods at Dave’s last words, “Fair enough,” she says, happy to know he isn’t planning something that could put him in danger, but also knowing that probably meant Pam would be consulted and on the case. She gives his arm a gentle squeeze, then gets off the bed. “I’ll get things ready to go, then drive you home. I just want to grab a few things...wait here?”
As the meds start taking effect, his voice is weaker “I think I can do that. Think that we might want to talk to Angela in the morning about lowering the dose on what they prescribed me.” through a smile “I am afraid you might have to do that weight lifting one more time when we head to the car.” looking over toward his weapon on the end table “Might want to care for that one more time too, not a good idea for me to try and hold it.”
Rayne laughs, “Okay big guy, but I’m getting hazard pay.” She picks up his weapon and shoves it into her purse, carrying it out with her into the hallway. She goes into the kitchen and grabs an empty box, starting to fill it with different kitchen tools she had placed on the table earlier. When the front door opens, she freezes, realizing she had not locked it when they entered earlier. Her back to the door, she reaches for her purse when she hears a male voice instructing her to keep her hands in plain sight. Footsteps behind her indicate at least three people are in her home, and as she is shoved forward, her upper body pushed down on the table, her wrists are grabbed and yanked behind her. She lets out a cry as she tries to twist away, seeing in her peripheral vision a police officer, dressed in a Tacoma PD uniform, heading down the hallway. As handcuffs are placed on her, she calls out to Dave, trying to warn him, before a hand is placed over her mouth.
Having heard the commotion at the table and Rayne’s crying out a moment ago, Dave has gotten out of bed, still not fully coherent, slowly he starts toward the bedroom door. As the door is open, the officer that starts in the room is met with a palm in his throat staggering him backwards. The strike was not delivered with the usual effectiveness. As Dave comes out into the hallway, a shot echos from the living room. Rayne could smell the burnt powder as Dave is taken off his feet. Dave doesn’t feel the round enter although it staggers him backward before dropping him to the floor. Dave places his hand to the pain his chest produces feeling the warmth of his blood as it flows from the wound. The cop that he had struck by now has entered the room with his weapon drawn lowering it toward Dave. Looking toward the others, still reeling from the punch he took, in a hostile tone the cop questions “Looks like the guy is done, should I end him with another?”
A voice comes from the kitchen “Nawww, let the fucker bleed out, no need to make this one look like an obvious hit” before looking to Rayne “You have been a naughty girl, shooting that Carter Lake cop like that.”
In shock, Rayne stares numbly down the hall into the bedroom's entrance where Dave's body lays, watching as his blood blossoms onto his shirt. She hears the officer's accusation and briefly looks to him...his gloved hands holding Dave's weapon. The one with her finger prints on it. What he has said registers, but it is fleeting...forgotten as soon as she looks to Dave again. A choked cry comes from her and she finds it difficult to breathe…to pull in a breathe. Almost silently she says his name, then anger overcomes her and with a surge of adrenaline, she twists against the hand gripping her arm. With a strength she normally does not possess, she manages to free herself from the hold and make her way to Dave, the voice behind her calling to ‘grab the bitch’ echoing in her ears. She feels herself slammed up against the wall, unable to resist with her hands restrained, but no pain registers. There is only Dave...and the blood...so much blood. As hands press against her, patting her down, she barely feels the man reaching into her pocket and withdrawing the drive, her phone soon following. A grey curtain is sliding over her vision as tears slide down her cheeks and she is pulled away, back towards the front door. She screams Dave's name, watching helplessly as an officer takes his phone from his pocket and grinds it into the blood stained carpet with his booted foot. When the door opens her knees buckle, the man leading her almost having to carry her to the squad car. She feels a hand push her head down as she is placed in the back of the vehicle, her gaze still locked on the house.
----
Monitoring traffic, Deputy Larson perks up at the call
‘King 12, assist Carter Lake, report of shots fired, area of 3500 block and Larkspur.’
‘King 12, 10-67’
Karen quickly flips open her notebook thumbing through recent entries. Her eyes glued to Rayne Summers, 3535 Larkspur. She hits her overhead lights, tires squealing as she accelerates grabbing her radio
“Control King 17, show me in the area of shots fired call.”
“King 17, 10-4”
Having checked on Miss Summers address earlier in the day, the address still is fresh in her mind, not one to believe in coincidences. One block out, she kills the overhead as well as the headlights. As she pulls to the house, she noticed the door adjared. She hits the headlights on bright and spins her spotlight to the door
“Control King 17, show me 10-7 3535 Larkspur on an open door, possibly related to the shots fired call.”
“King 12, King 17 out at 3535 Larkspur, code 2, all units on shots fired, King 17 out at 3535 Larkspur, King 17, keep advised”
Karen is already to the front door, her service weapon in hand calling inside “Rayne Summers, Sheriff Department!” as she swings the door open, weapon at the ready. As she picks up the unmistakable odor of blood
“King 17, start a squad, code 4”
*beep* “all units and squad 4, 3535 Larkspur, call is now code 4”
As Karin proceeds inside sweeping the area, comes to the bedroom and almost drops her weapon. In a highly excitable tone “Signal 100, Officer down!” rushing in the bedroom, weapon at the ready. She kneels next to him holstering her weapon removing a pressure bandage from the case next to her ammo holder. Tearing the packaging open, she applies the gauze to where she could see blood spurting from.
In moments the quiet street fills with police vehicles from every jurisdiction as Karin is knelt next to Dave “You fucking better stay with me Dave!” as he lay cold, nothing registering. The only thought through his mind is Rayne.
----
Surrounded by laughter, Rayne sits motionless as the car speeds towards Tacoma, lights flashing. She recognizes two of the officers, the third in the backseat with her, unknown. She hears Dave's name spoken between chuckles and she closes her eyes, ignoring the hand on her knee and the way it inches up to her
thigh. A voice from the front…”I wouldn't if I were you, Detective Masters catches you feeling up his girl and there will be hell to pay.”
“Unless he says it's okay,” the other chimes in.
“Yeah, there is always that.” ...and the laughter kicks in again.
'Shut the fuck up!' Rayne screams in her head, wanting nothing more than the numbness again. Images flash through her head...Dave on the floor, his gun in the officer's hand, flowers of blood, her purse, open, contents scattered. She wonders briefly where her purse is now...where Dave is now… ‘Dead.’ This one word is the strongest and she can't clear it. She gasps with a sharp intake of breath and the laughter grows louder. She screams, but the sound is only in her head. Weakly at first, then with growing persistence, she starts twisting her wrists against the cuffs, struggling against the seat belt holding her, then the hands trying to restrain.
-----
In a matter of minutes, the ambulance pulls into Mercy Hospital Emergency entrance, Dave is set on a gurney as the door open. He had flatlined once enroute and a trauma team was ready. A quick trip for chest X Rays and to the OR.
His clothes are cut away and the blood washed away. The surgical team keeps fluids and plasma running till they get the X Rays back to locate the bullet or bullets to remove. As the film panels arrive on the screen for the surgeon, he steps away under his breath “you must be a cat with all those lives..” before announcing to the team “A clean in and out, get the wounds closed and the patient to ICU. If he makes it till morning, that would be his first battle.”
The surgeon steps out of the surgical doors to the waiting officers “He's got no family?”
Karin pushes past the others
“No, none in state, how bad is it doc?”
“The bullet was in and out, X Rays show no fragments. He lost a lot of blood, obvious internal damage we are going to have to monitor if he even lasts to morning. That said, if you have family contacts listed, start making the calls. I would be surprised if he lasts the night.”
Her gaze hard on the doctor trying to catch her breath, she turns and slowly makes her way down the hall. The APBs are already out for Rayne Summers for questioning. No, the other guys will not bring her in, Karin's one and only thought now is ‘Bitch, you belong to me.’
As she gets to her patrol car, she sits for ten minutes trying to compose herself before starting the car where she pulls out back into the streets of Carter Lake. A short drive she pulls in back of a strip mall recently opened, rather isolated. She drives down an unlit service road before she backs her patrol car between two of the buildings, darkening the vehicle lights. Dark, secluded, only then would she allow herself to break down and cry.
-----
The Tacoma squad car pulls up to a house that Rayne has never seen before. With the outside lights lit, the place is almost welcoming, until the familiar form of Jeffry appears on the stoop. Dragged from the car, she is deposited before him, barely able to stand with her eyes at half mast.
“Had to drug her..the bitch went psycho,” the tall man (that she still doesn't know the name of) explains and Jeffry merely nods.
“She's prone to emotional outbursts Jonathan, but you haven't been with us long. Can't expect you to know that. You boys did good work, especially with the meddling boyfriend. I'll make sure there is a bonus in it for you.” He takes Rayne's arm, still shackled, and leads her inside, pushing her roughly onto a blue plaid sofa. “Speaking of bonuses, I hear you have something for me?” and his hand goes out, palm up. He smiles at the flash drive, lime green in color, as he makes a fist around it. “Make sure Andre is aware that we have the girl and the evidence,” he says as the other men join him. “I assume you have checked the contents already?”
“That's a negative sir, passcode only and Sleeping Beauty wasn't much for talking,” Steven answers...what he neglects to mention is that no one bothered to ask. 'Above their pay grade and all that.’
Jeffry nods again. “Give me a few hours with her and then set me up a meeting. I want to hand her over personally.”
-----
2:27 AM at Carter Lake Police Department, Detectives have processed Rayne's house, pcp baggies were taken from the living room floor, Dave's weapon is processed in as evidence, Miss Summers prints confirmed on the weapon used and ballistics show the round in the house were fired from Dave's gun. Such a cut and dry open and shut case … until area residents were interviewed.
Several witnesses confirmed police vehicles outside the Summers home just before the shot was fired. Statements were consistent that two cars and six officers were at the location and drove off with Miss Summers screaming after the shot, the officers were described as laughing using Sergeant Nichol's name, Miss Summers described to have been distraught. Grainy cell phone video shows the vehicles were Tacoma Police vehicles. Calls to Tacoma showed no record of any officers going to King County.
By 3:31 AM, the APB for Rayne Summers wanted for questioning was cancelled. Curt currently sits in his office awaiting a call back from Tacoma PD to clear up what they had cars in King County for. Hourly updates on Sergeant Nichols are sent to the Station, his prognosis is still listed as critical.
-----
Rayne awakes in the middle of the night, her shoulders aching and her arms still secured behind her. She blinks rapidly, everything that has happened this evening crashing back on her. She moans, the light from a floor lamp turning on suddenly drawing her attention to the form of Jeffry sitting in an armchair watching her from across the room. He looks impatient...and after multiple attempts to get her to regain some semblance of awareness...from forcing coffee down her throat to throwing ice cold water on her...he had given in to letting her sleep the sedative off hours ago. As soon as he notices her looking at him, he joins her on the couch, pushing her up into a sitting position.
He doesn’t waste any time with pleasantries. “Time to talk Rayne. I need the password,” he says simply.
She looks at him blankly, neither knowing nor caring what he is asking her for. She hurts...her body...her mind...her heart...and she justs wants to go back to sleep. She closes her eyes again and lets her head drop, her body held in place by the arm of the sofa and Jeffry’s body against hers.
She is shaken roughly until she finally opens her eyes again, making her turn her head and give Jeffry such an angry look that he can not help but laugh.
“Tell me the password on this drive and I’ll let you sleep some more,” he promises. The look he gives her is one she remembers well. In a different time under different circumstances it would have been considered cute. Right now she just wants to head butt it off his face.
“Bastard.”
He laughs harder. “Calling me names is not productive Ray. I don’t want to hurt you. I can pay men to do that. Just the password and we are through.”
Rayne repeats, “Bastard,” a pause, “...779. That’s your damn password.” If it had been a day earlier, she would have held out...now she just doesn’t care. She is full of not caring, and if her damn hands were free...
A moment passes while he enters the information in, a smile coming to his face when years worth of Rayne’s probing into his life comes on the screen. “Very good. Now...just one more thing. George Stamus. Do you know his whereabouts? Last I heard the two of you were sharing a hotel room. You should see the pictures he sent me.” His words are followed by more laughter and Rayne wants nothing more than to scratch his eyes out...after she head butts him. Instead she retreats back into herself, forcing her body to relax and calmness to settle back into her mind.
------------------
The monitors on Dave have sensors attached to his chest, fingertips and wrists and fluctuate with abnormal sounds as an intern sits updating his vitals every 30 minutes.
Doctor Anderson enters the room with an additional intern, the intern with the doctor has a sizable bulge under his white jacket. Dr. Anderson walks to the intern who taking Dave's 30 minute vitals, her tone firm and direct
“Go get some coffee, I need to do a couple more tests on the patient.”
Dr. Anderson's intern steps toward the other, grumbling “You still here?” pressing hard against the other nearly taking him off his feet. Jimmy enters the last number and makes real quick pace out of the room.
Dr. Anderson then turns to her intern
“G, the door, no Fucking body enters.”
G simply nods and steps outside the room remaining in front of the door.
Pam moves to Dave's side looking at the chart and the monitor. She leans over giving her brother a kiss on the forehead. Her tone soft
“Dave, you better come back to me. Seems that Ray was taken. Hurry up and get your ass out of that bed…” reaching up wiping her eyes “..I had to see you..” having already hacked the hospital system, knowing they have the hospital chaplin in the building anticipating last rights would be given. Pam holds his hand, choking on her words “..I am sorry I cost you Kathy, those responsible suffered before they died..” wiping her eyes again “..if you finally your Kathy again, I promise you this little brother, I will NOT let your Rayne die.” She bends down kissing his forehead again “Love you lil brother. Sissy has to go talk to someone again, I am not going to be gentle.”
Pam turns leaving the room looking to G “Anyone tries touch him, throw them out the fucking window.”
G nods as Pam walks back down the hallway ready to head back to continue talking to George who had passed out when she castrated him with pliers over a 10 minute period. Those fucks shot her brother, no, she will no longer be gentle.
----------
Morning comes much too soon for Rayne, light streaming in through the windows hitting her directly in her face. She struggles against her cuffs, her wrists already raw and the movement only cutting the metal in deeper. With difficulty, she manages to sit up, cursing the scratchy surface of the couch and her bound hands, but mostly cursing Jeffry for leaving her like this.
Sitting and staring at nothing, she tries not to think of Dave, and fails. It is almost an hour later when Jeffry comes into the room and by then she has already cried herself out. With hardly more than a glance in her direction, he comes behind her and opens the cuffs.
“You need to get in the shower,” he says in an almost neutral tone, “...we’ve got a big morning ahead of us. Can’t have you meeting the boss looking like that.” There is a hint of regret in his voice, as though this is not a day he has been looking forward to, and Rayne picks up on it, her body stiffening against her will. Any doubts she had about her future solidifying in those simple words.
Rayne does as she is told without hesitation, too afraid to do otherwise, knowing any refusal will only be met with force. The numbness in her at the loss of Dave now tinged with apprehension at what she is sure lies ahead. She dresses in the clothes set out for her, a gauzy long-sleeved blouse and a short skirt, then stares at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Haunted, dark rimmed eyes set in a pale canvas stare back at her. With a heavy sigh she walks back into the room with the plaid couch where Jeffry waits for her.
-----------
The ride to meet Jeffry’s boss is a short one and as he pulls up to a ten-story apartment complex, the exterior of which mimics a high-scale hotel, Rayne can’t help but to be impressed. She leans forward, staring at the life-sized lion sculptures which grace the entrance, two well-dressed men standing on either side of them by the doors. As Jeffry leads her towards them, her hands once again secured behind her, she notices the nod of recognition between the men as they pass.
Gold gilding with marble floors open before her as she steps into the lobby and once again she thinks of a hotel rather than an apartment. She is led to an elevator and the button for penthouse is pressed by the attendant as soon as Jeffry boards.
Rayne is led into an office and set into a chair before a large oak desk. She doesn’t resist, merely stares at everything around her. A large man stands as she tries to get comfortable. He is a tall man, large of stature, and she guesses him to weigh close to 300 pounds. In ordinary circumstances she would describe him as handsome, but now, she can only see him for his deeds, and he is ugly and corrupt in her eyes. As he appraises her, his eyes studying her closely, she sits taller, refusing to let herself be intimidated by his presence.
Andre signals to Jeffry to undo her hands, then sits behind his desk again. As Rayne rubs her wrists, he smiles at her. “So you are the thorn in my side?” he starts, his eyes still on her. “Such a little thing to cause so much trouble. Pretty though. I can see why Detective Masters wanted to protect you. Such a shame your time is over.” He rubs his hands together as his gaze shifts to the detective. “Your last game seems to have failed...your little reporter does not look…high. Also a shame. Her credibility still stands. I suppose it’s a good thing her obsession has been with you. The flash drive you sent me contains little else.” He goes to stand again when the phone on his desk rings.
As Andre picks up the phone, Curt’s voice is on the other end. Ordinary he would be screaming and cursing, yet the man he is calling, he knows better. There is a genuine nervous respect in his tone
“Good morning Sir, this is Chief Johnson over in Carter Lake. Do you have a moment sir, there is a development I need to inform you about, this is about the package I delivered to the carriers last night.”
Andre looks at the other occupants of the room, then nods to himself. “Yes, of course. I am a bit involved at the moment, but I can spare you some time. Please, tell me of this ‘development’.”
Curt’s tone has a obvious shakiness “Sir, I gave them the girl’s location but sir, they showed up in Tacoma police vehicles! There was even a cell phone video captured of them dragging the girl out of her house. I am doing my hardest to discredit what I can, you know I have always done what you ask, but I need ask if I could get some additional funding, this is going to cost me big to make this go away. Why did they have to come in police ca… no sir, please forgive my words, I don’t mean to question you.”
A moment as Curt drinks some water to calm his nervous throat “Sir, also they were suppose to remove my Sergeant, that did not happen either, the report from the hospital is that the sergeant is starting to improve. I will prove my worth to you sir, however I would never ask if not necessary, however I ask for additional funds so I can get this swept under the rug. They even left bloody boot prints in the carpet, I have those covered, but I need help with the rest sir.”
Andre nods again, his expression never betraying his altering mood. “That is...regrettable...my dear man. I will of course see to things on my end and have accounting see to your needs.” His gaze drifts over to Jeffry, then to Rayne again. He truly is captivated by her...such a pity she has become expendable. “Expect some additional assistance on this matter shortly. I’ll send some muscle your way.”
Curt biting at his bottom lip, the boss muscle never ends well, he offers “Thank you sir, as always your men will have free reign. I must tell you this, the sergeant .. he might not be reachable for now, there are ‘people’ around the hospital, will not identify themselves, but got a call from Homeland that they are not to be interfered with, they seem to be looking over the sergeant for now.”
“That is good to know...we will deal with that particular hiccup at a later date then.” He mentally adds Homeland to his list of meddling nuisances that will need to be checked into during his spare time. “If that is all...my good man...then I shall need to get back to my current meeting. One should never make a beautiful woman wait.”
Curt already at his computer setting up reservations “I have nothing else sir, I appreciate you taking time to speak sir, and I am making the usual accommodations for your associates. Thank you again for your help sir.” as Curt disconnects the call, palms and forehead dripping sweat still concerned that the boss would be displeased with his not having access to the sergeant. He does not want to be the next news story of being found in an airport parking lot.
Andre hangs up the phone,the smile on his face never faltering as he turns his attention back to Jeffry and Rayne. “Now...I have been giving this a lot of thought and have decided we need to keep this clean. Under the rug sort of deal. Miss Summers is too well known to be disposed of in the ‘normal’ matter. I was thinking we could add her to the list of missing persons that Carter Lake is so famous for.” He turns his attention now to Jeffry. “Although having her caught on camera being led to a Tacoma PD vehicle will add a little difficulty to this matter. I assume you can come up with a plausible explanation for that...and get it on paper? I’m thinking that is something you can handle before dealing with our lovely lady here?”
As Jeffry reassures Andre that that is the case, Rayne sits in stunned silence. She can’t believe they are talking about her removal while she is sitting right here. Her preference is to be ignorant of her fate. Instead, she is allowed to hear every detail of the plan as it unfolds in front of her, the fear she felt earlier doubling with each minute that passes.
------
Thirty minutes later, Rayne is back in a Tacoma PD cruiser, sitting between two of Andre’s body guards while Tacoma’s ‘finest’ drive her towards the mine on the outskirts of Carter Lake. Even if she wants to create a fuss, she can barely move as she is pressed in from either side. Jeffry sits in the passenger’s seat, typing away on a computer linked to the station, creating a bogus report in regards to Rayne’s alleged arrest the day earlier. According to the report, three officers were dispatched to her home to follow up on the request for questioning due to damages incurred at the Tacoma Sleepy Inn. (A request to the Carter Lake PD had been filed and ignored.) Rayne Summers was apprehended at her residence where packets of illicit drugs were discovered. She proceeded to resist arrest, resulting in a call for backup. She then managed to grab her boyfriend’s weapon, one Sergeant David Nichols, and accidentally shot him during a struggle, the officer she was aiming for suffering no injury. She had to be forcibly removed from her residence, following her attempted attack on the officer and taken into custody. The whole ordeal pulling two cruisers and six officers to the scene. He then created a second report that allegedly had Miss Summers transferred to the Carter Lake PD, transfer papers signed and dated yesterday.
Detective Jeffry Masters closes his computer with a audible click and looks back at Rayne with a satisfied look. Although disposing of her is not his preference, he does enjoy the look of fear on her face. She looks so insignificant between the two well-muscled men and it is hard to understand how she can be such a pain in their collective necks. As the mine comes into view, it is approaching mid-afternoon, the day overcast and the sky threatening rain.
-----------
Curt sits in his office monitoring the investigation proceeding. A detective comes in holding a document “Chief, you have got to see this. Some BS about Tacoma requesting our assistance on that Summers woman seems to have been entered in the system.”
Without missing a beat, Curt replies “I told you about that Hank. Damn, with all those cold cases and missing persons swamping you, I realize that might have slipped your mind.”
The detective not wanting to look like he dropped the ball or had memory lapse from his bottle he keeps in his desk, taps his forehead “Well just fuck me sideways, sorry Chief, you’re right, with all that crap lately, that slipped my mind. About that transfer of Miss Summers…”
Curt pulls a file from his desk, having already printed and signed the transfer document Jeffry had inserted moments ago hands it to Hank, paper clipped to the document is an envelope with 5 $100.00 bills “You forgot this in my office yesterday.. that is yesterday.”
Hank looks over the document first ready to protest the date on the document before looking in the envelope slipping it in his pocket “If this damn workload ever slows down, I would not forget these things.”
Curt simply replies “You are a good detective, these things happen, just make sure you get this in records. I wonder if they *winks* might have messed the transfer up if they couldn’t find the transfer order. Miss Summers IS somewhere, transfer mishaps DO happen all the time.”
Hank leaves the office “I know Chief, damn fucking civilians that handle jail transfers could fuck up a wet dream.” Hank after all doesn’t care anymore about the happenings in town or the department, his morals are easily for sale.
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