a/n: Welcome to my new story Dark Temptations. Since today I am officially fifteen, this is my birthday present to you. I just want to get this out there, I do not own any thing from Divergent or Criminal Minds. I will be using a lot of scenes from the TV series because it's amazing and I love it so much. I hope you enjoy!
Prologue
BEFORE
There's a small house in the southern part of New York. Around it, there is nothing but a large mass of land. The house was build by a couple back in the fifties. They had recently immigrated from Germany five years after the war had ended.
The man, a veteran soldier, was only twenty-six when he came to America. He and his newly wed wife at the time wanted to move past the horrible memories, and the only way to do so was to move away from where it had all started.
The couple had barely any money with them. He and his wife both struggled to stay alive. Even after WWII, it was difficult for people to move on and find new jobs. But fortunately for the couple, they stumbled upon this very large mass of land. With only using very scarce tools and other resources, he and his wife built this very house.
The house is made of wood and painted white. Vines wrap around the perimeter of the house due to it being abandoned for several decades. The fields are no longer green, but dried up dirt. There's a small sign that hangs from a fence that says,
DO NOT TRESPASSING, OR ELSE...
The old couple, lived happily with two children and grandchildren later on. However, rumor had it the old couple were murdered in their house twenty years after their first grandchild.
There was a legend that the spirits of the old couple remains in the house today. They haunt the land with their spirits, taunting and mocking anyone who passes by.
But no one knows that within the house sits a frightened girl. Her face is covered in blood. Her hands are bound together. She's tied onto a wooden chair with her ankles bound to the legs. She screams in agony but no one can hear her.
The spirits laugh at her. They laugh because she's completely helpless. They laugh because no one can save her. They laugh because that's exactly how they died. Tied up and in the darkness.
She's in complete darkness.
+++
AFTER JUNE 24, 2014
Tris' POV
When I was in high school, I almost sacrificed my life to keep a promise to they guy I loved. This means nothing to you, because promises means nothing. A child can promise to do the dishes or lawn the grass, but if he or she wants to watch TV or if the child goes to a friend's house,
there is no longer a promise.
I remember reading a book the night that you didn't come home. You were a war soldier and you were supposed to come back the night before Christmas. You promised that nothing bad would happen to you. Of course it must have happened to me. You would always tell me your silly little promises of coming home in one piece. But me being the foolish person I am, completely believed you.
We met in high school sophomore year. You were a junior at the time and I was new to the school. I came in the middle of March because by dad got a job offering in Chicago. It was those type of jobs that you couldn't dismiss. So our family and I packed up our stuff in New York and moved to a simple house in Chicago.
Anyways, on my first day of school, you saw me lost in the halls and you decided to ask me for help. I didn't think much of you at the time, but then I noticed you starting to show up all over the place. You would wave at me in the hallways and give me a cute smile and wink. I would see you with your group of football jockeys. You would always see me and then leave your group to talk to me. My friends would tease me about it because they knew that I liked you, but just the tiniest.
But I remember one specific day.
The day you asked me out.
You invited me to a football game, and being the introvert I was, it took a whole week for you to convince me to go.
I didn't, still don't understand anything about football. But after the game, you and the whole varsity football team stood up and lined up in a line. I remember the sign clearly. It was so cheesy, but you knew I was a sucker for romantic things. You guys danced to some song by Bruno Mars, and then after the song everyone ripped off their helmets and stripped off their tops and protective gear.
I was horrified at first. Why were thirty five boys stripping in front of the whole school?
But then I say the paint across each of their chests.
TRIS PRIOR, WILL YOU BE MY GIRLFRIEND?
It read. I was so embarrassed. I remember feeling the burning heat across my face. My face turned as red as a tomato, but I will always remember that look on your face. You looked so carefree, so happy. You were grinning so wide, and the. You had to announce in on the speaker for me to come to the middle of the field. You didn't see me at first but then I started walking down the stairs of the bleachers. And that look, that beautiful look on your face was so breathtaking.
I rushed towards you and our bodies crashed together. I couldn't stop smiling. The guy I had a huge crushed on me had just asked me out. I had to dismiss the total embarrassment I felt at the moment and all the attention. But once we moved passed that, I said yes.
You looked into my eyes and I look into your green emerald eyes. There was a glint and you were smiling so wide that you had this tiny dimple on your left cheek.
But, my love, when you told me you were going to leave and join the army, you didn't know how broken I felt.
You promised you wouldn't get hurt. You said that you'd come home. Well, alive at least.
You promised me, and I believed you. You hurt me on so many levels. How could you leave me alone all by myself. You said you'd be okay. You promised. But I guess all promises are meant to be broken, huh? You left me in a pit of darkness.
With you, everything was a living cliché, but I loved every minute of it. I was the shy girl. You were the popular jock. I always hated reading books based upon clichés because they were based off fantasies and impossible dreams. But I was wrong. Our love story may have been so cheesy, but you were always to kind. Always so forgiving, and don't forget one of the best things that have ever happened to me.
My therapist told me to start writing these letters to you. I don't know why, but he told me that it would help. So there you go.
But my love, I forgive you. I know you are in a better place. I love you. Be safe. Until next time, my sweet love.
Yours forever,
Beatrice Prior
The letter is sealed into an envelope and is tucked besides the corpse that rests in a wooden coffin.
"Bye, my love."
+++
AFTER THE AFTER
Almost every pair of eyes stare at the large screen in from of us. The air is filled with a tense tension and the patience within me deteriorates rather quickly. My knuckles turn white as I grip onto the file folder way too hard. I can feel the blood rising up my neck and spreading through me cheeks.
That sick minded bastard.
"I'm sure you detectives enjoy the screaming of little Amy. Don't you just love the way her blood slides down her cheeks. I always loved the color red. It's beautiful, isn't it?" The anger intensifies and I have to restrain myself from saying or doing anything stupid. "She's so beautiful." He strokes his hands along her jaw and cheek.
Closing my eyes, it's as if I can feel the faint touch of his hands.
"I suggest you come save her before I kill her myself. You have twenty minutes starting now. And Detective Prior, if I were you and your dirty scums of police trash, I'd hurry up. Tick, tock, goes the clock along with Amy Standock." He sings as the video goes out. I scream in frustration as I call for a SWAT team. I run and get a vest and my gun.
"Coleman! Get your ass her now!"
"Relax Prior." Eric says calmly. "We need to locate her first. And it doesn't help that we have no idea where she is."
"You send a search team to any abandoned factories from the 70s, and I will look through the files." One of the cops hands me a recording of the video call that just occurred.
15 minutes.
I replay the video over and over and get frustrated every time because nothing is coming to me.
"Wait, wait! Rewind that please." I notice as Amy's body sways involuntary. "Why is she...? They're at a port! It's not a factory! He used that to mislead us." I call Eric and immediately bombarded him with a load of information.
8 minutes.
"Coleman, send your team to the nearest ports available. They're not in a factory." I type furiously on my computer getting the list of nearest ports. "Manhattan Cruise Terminal, I want a group of twenty men there. I'm on my way." I rush my way towards my car and take out my sirens and attach it to the roof of my hair. I'm sure I speed over thirty mile over but who's going to give me a ticket anyways?
There are over twenty cars surrounded the port and I run towards a small boat because it seems as if everyone is there.
"Coleman!" I grab his attention as I see him. "What's up?"
"They spotted the Time Bomber in that boat. We just need your signal to raid in."
"Let's go." I motion with my head and the SWAT team follows behind. I pry open the door of the boat and search the hallways inside. "Clear!" My gun is tight around my fingers.
"Clear!" I hear from behind.
I notice lights seeping through the from under a door and slowly approach it. My right hand grasps around the door knob and within a matter of seconds I open it wide open.
"Beatrice." His voice almost makes me cringe. Almost. "I've been wondering when you'd arrive." Time Bomber's back is faced towards me.
"You knew I'd come?" My voice remains steady.
"Of course." When he turns around there is a large smile plastered across his face. "I was actually expecting you six and a half minutes ago. Baby doll, you disappoint me."
"Don't call me that." I hiss with clenched teeth. My jaw is tense and I almost shoot him on the spot.
"Why, Baby doll?" He starts to approach me and I take a step back. Behind him, Amy, the fourteen year old girl silently cries and squirms in her seat.
"What I'm wondering is why you basically handed yourself over. Why is that Time Bomber or do you want me to call you Fernando?" I taunt.
"Don't call me that." He hisses. "I hate that name."
"You could have been anything. Your young, twenty-four to be exact. You got into law school and had a girlfriend. Jessica? Remember her? Why did you do this to yourself?" I ask.
"Shut up! I don't need you telling me how much of a failure I am. I do this because it makes me happy. I could of been a lawyer that put criminals away, but you know what I hated law school. I craved for freedom. For blood. And guess what, Beatrice, he's looking for you. He's not going to stop until he finds you. You can't run forever because eventually the darkness will consume you. It will-" Before he can say anything else, a group of men burst through the doors and scream at him to put his hands up. He's lucky that they came when they did otherwise, I swear, I would have killed him on the spot.
Eric cuffs him and states his Miranda Rights to him.
I approach Amy and untie her from the chair. "You're going to be okay. Uhm, Medic! I need a medic!" I shout.
Her voice is small and raspy. "He wanted me to tell you that some key thing is looking for you."
Keystone Killer.
My blood runs cold and everything around me disappears. The shouting and yelling around me suddenly turn muffled and my mouth runs dry.
I need to get out of here.
I stand upright and leave the boat immediately.
"Hey Tris, aren't you going to...? Where are you going?" Eric asks as I sped walk towards my car.
"Out. I need some air." I say and slam the door shut after I get into the car.
I can't believe this. First I let him get away, and then he's out to get me again? How many lives are at stake because of my stupid mistakes?
+++
"UGH!" I take a folding chair and slam it against the interrogation room wall. "This is so frustrating."
"Woah there tiger. You okay there?" Coleman approaches me and sits on the chair across from where I am standing.
"Why are you here Eric?"
"I should ask you the same Prior. Captain will skin you alive if you finds scratches along his wall. After all, this is his favorite place to be." He smirks and entwined his fingers together and rests them on the table.
"Yeah." I scoff. "I swear, he takes pleasure in interrogating people."
"I bet he does." He says. "How are you, Tris?"
"What do you mean?" I say as I casually lean against the wall.
"Don't be so coy. It's okay to be scared. We're god damn detectives for fucks sakes in New York of all places! There's shit going left and right and don't get me on all the criminals and serial killers we have to deal with every so often. So tell me Prior, how are you holding up?"
As the words leave his mouth I bite my lip to keep it from trembling. Water gathers in my eyes. " I don't know." I say and then suck in a tagged breath. "I'm scared."
"I know."
"And it's so hard to forget the kidnapping. But I have nightmares. I try to forget, but my nightmares are reoccurring and they don't stop. I can still feel his lips on me and the the way he dragged down the knife through my arm. It disgusts me. And I just want to forget so badly, but it keeps coming back." Suddenly the tension I felt is no longer there. I almost feel relaxed.
Almost.
"We're going to catch him, okay? We're going to catch that bastard and put him behind bars. I promise."
I wipe my tears and give him a forced smile. "You can be a real ass, you know. But when we aren't working, you're a great friend."
"I know. Now go home. You need to rest." He practically pushes me out the for.
"Thanks. Night, Coleman."
"Bye Prior. See you tomorrow. Nine am, sharp."
"It was one time."
"Yeah, yeah. Now go. I don't want to see your face until tomorrow."
"Ass." I roll my eyes.
"Bitch."
"Cunt."
"Fucktard."
I give him a weird look. "Fucktard? Really?"
"Go! Rest!"
"Night." I say before grabbing my belongings and rushing out the front door.