Kidnapped
"Hey partner! How's it going?" Van stood on the glassy floor of the basketball court and tossed Deag the ball as he entered the Candy Store.
"Everything's going as planned. It goes down Saturday night." Deaq tossed the ball into the basket.
"Don't get too comfortable boys. This gang plays for keeps. The last two kidnap victims ended up dead." Billie stood with her hands on her hips looking back and forth between the two men.
"Well, they didn't have you two to watch their backs." Van smiled.
For the last two and a half months Van and Deaq had been working undercover trying to infiltrate a gang that was suspected of kidnapping and murder. Van was portraying a multi millionaire's spoiled son, Chad Hanson Jr., a man who loved to blow money on women and booze. Deaq, alias Mike Williams, had managed to get accepted by the gang by helping the leader escape a fake raid by the cops at a bar two months earlier. The gang was suspected of kidnapping three men within the last two years. One man was killed after the ransom was paid. The second died from injuries shortly after being found. The third was never found. The gang enjoyed torturing their victims while making them call their families and beg for money. They had already singled out Van and were just waiting for the right moment. They had decided next Saturday they would grab him in the parking lot of the Golden Door, a bar where he had spent the last five Saturday nights and most weeknights. Deag would be there and be wired. When the grab went down, Billie and her backup would storm the parking lot and arrest the gang in the act. The M.O. of the gang was to get close to the victim about a week before the kidnapping went down. They would get the victim to trust them, which would make the grab all the more easier.
"Billie, everything's going as planned. Don't worry." Deaq tossed the ball back to Van.
"That's what I'm worried about Deaq. This goes bad, Van could die, you too it they catch onto you."
"We'll be careful Billie." Van walked over and stood in front of Billie and gave her his most charming smile. "Nice to know you care."
"We spent too much time to let this slip through our fingers." She said sitting down and picking up the latest report on the gang.
On Wednesday the gang met at the Golden Door. Van came in about one hour later and sat at a table, which was soon filled with women, each competing for the rich, handsome man's attention.
"When he gets up to use the john I want you two to join him." Scott Collar, the leader of the gang nodded to Deaq and another gang member Tony. "Grab his wallet and rough him up a little. Me, Sonny, and Walker will come in and save the day. We'll be his heroes." Scott gave a little laugh. "He'll trust us, then on Saturday we shouldn't have any trouble with him." Scott looked over at Van's table and smiled. "Soon Hanson, Papa's going to be paying a pretty penny to get your ass back."
About a half hour later Van got up and headed toward the restroom. Deaq and Tony followed. Once inside Tony grabbed Van by the shoulder and spun him around.
"Hey rich boy, hand over your wallet." Tony said. Deaq tensed as Tony pulled out a knife and pointed it at Van. Deaq looked into Van's eyes. Please don't try and fight him Van
"Hey boys, I don't want any trouble." Van put his hands up.
"Give me your wallet!" Tony lunged forward and punched Van in the stomach with his free hand. He gasped in pain, grabbed his stomach, and fell to one knee. Deaq looked on in horror thinking Tony had just stabbed Van. He was about to break cover and run to his partner's aide when he realized he hadn't been stabbed but only punched. He reached down and pulled Van's wallet out of his back pocket.
"Thanks." Deaq said as he knocked Van over onto his side. Van lay on the floor trying to catch his breath.
Just then Scott, Sonny and Walker entered the restroom.
"What the hell's going on here?" Scott shouted.
"Doesn't concern you." Tony started for the door.
"They got.........my wallet." Van gasped out.
"Give the man his wallet back." Scott ordered Tony.
Tony ignored him as he and Deaq headed out the door. Scott suddenly reached under his jacket and pulled out a gun.
"I said...........give the man his wallet back."
Deaq quickly tossed Scott the wallet and he and Tony hurried out the door. They headed to a table in a dark corner of the room to watch what would happen next.
"Thanks." Van said as Scott reached down and helped him up.
"No problem. You okay?"
"Yeah, just a little sore." Van rubbed his stomach.
"Gotta be careful flashing all that money around here."
"Yeah, guess I better." Van opened his wallet and took a fifty out and started to hand it to Scott. "Thanks again."
"Keep it. Only trying to help."
"Why don't you and your friends stop at my table for some drinks, my way of saying thanks."
"Sounds good."
Deaq watched as Van, Scott and the rest of the gang headed toward Van's table and sat down. Van ordered a round of drinks. The rest of the night Deaq watched as Scott played up to Van. Later when Van was getting ready to leave he patted each on the back and thanked them again. When he was gone, Scott and the gang walked over and sat down at Deaq's table.
"That boy's going to be real easy to grab. Saturday we'll just lead him over to the van and before he knows what's going down.........Bamn!"
"Where're you going to hold him?" Deaq asked hoping to get some info to give to Billie. If anything went wrong at least they'd have the location.
"You'll find out on a need to know basis. Kid's loaded, bragged about his dad being a millionaire." Then Scott added. "Nice kid. Too bad we'll have to kill him."
"I want to do it this time. I love hearing them squeal." Tony said as he drew his knife out and made a stabbing motion with it. Scott smiled, then yawned.
"Well, it's been a long night. I'm heading home I'll see you guys here tomorrow around the same time. We'll butter Hanson up some more. Can't wait to see his face when it goes down."
Deaq left the bar and drove around for a while to make sure he wasn't followed. He then headed to Van's apartment.
"Van." He knocked on the door. There was no answer, he knocked harder.
"Van open up." He said louder.
He heard the lock being opened.
"Sorry man, I didn't hear you." Van walked stiffly away from the door.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, just had the wind knocked out of me." Van rubbed his stomach. "Your boy sure can throw a punch."
"Just be glad he didn't use the other hand." Deaq sat on Van's sofa. "You had me scared, for a second I thought he stabbed you."
"Yeah I saw the look on your face." Van gave a small laugh and headed toward the refrigerator. "Want a beer?"
"Why not."
Van handed Deaq a beer then sat on a chair facing him. Deaq , not realizing he was doing it, kept tapping the side of his can.
"Don't do that. That's your worried tapping and when you start that you get me worried.
"It's just that everything is flowing too easily. Something's bound to go wrong."
"Well it's still on for Saturday isn't it?"
"Yeah."
"Well, what can go wrong? Billie and her crew will be in the parking lot listening, as soon as they grab me that's it.......... end of story."
"I don't know..........I just have a bad feeling is all." Deaq looked over at Van. "You know they're planning on killing you after they make arrangements with your so called dad."
"Deaq, relax man. It's not going to get that far. Billie has the best crew in town. It'll be all over in the parking lot." When Van noticed Deaq still looked concerned he continued. "You need to chill out man, you'll get an ulcer. Want to go to the Candy Store and shoot some hoops?"
"Nah it's late, think I'll head home. They're going back to the bar tomorrow night, they're expecting you to be there."
"I'll be there." Van smiled at Deaq. "Relax. What can go wrong?"
"I can think of about a million things." Deaq stood up.
"See ya tomorrow partner." Van made a fist and Deaq tapped his with Van's.
Thursday night Van got to the bar earlier then usual. He sat at a table and was one more immediately surrounded by women. He bought a round of drinks then sat back and waited for Scott to arrive. Two hours later Scott and his crew came in minus Deaq and Tony. They arrived fifteen minutes later and once more took a table back in the corner to watch the activities. Van motioned Scott and his boys over and they all sat around drinking and laughing.
"You ever kill anyone Mike?" Tony asked Deaq.
"No, can't say I have."
"I've killed me about four so far. There's nothing like the feeling you get as you look into their eyes as they die. To know that you're the one that controls how long they live, and how much they suffer before you waste them. Nothing like it in the world."
Deaq took a sip of beer and glanced over at Van. Tony leaned forward and looked at Deaq.
"You know..........I like you. Maybe I'll ask Scott to let you do the Hanson kid. Sort of an initiation."
Deaq looked at Tony and raised his glass in a mock salute. You son of a bitch. I can't wait to take you down He thought to himself.
"Last guy I did kept begging me to stop and I kept slicing and dicing. It was beautiful." Tony laughed. "I cut out his tongue to keep as a souvenir. I'll have to show it to you sometime. Stuck it in a bottle of booze to preserve it. Maybe you could cut his eyes out. Kid has nice eyes."
"Where are they going to take him? Back to the ranch?" Deaq fought the urge to grab Tony by the throat.
"Scott decides that. He never lets anyone know until we're on the way. He likes it that way."
"How much is he going to ask for?"
"Probably around five million. He said the kid's dad is loaded. He'll settle for less but that will be his starting price. Poor daddy won't know he's buying a corpse."
"Why must you always kill them?"
"Why not. That's the fun of it. Besides most of the time they've seen our faces. Can't leave any witnesses you know."
Deaq shook his head and looked at the table.
"You're not going soft on me now boy are you? Because if you are, you better back out now. Come Saturday Scott will kill you if you try to interfere."
"I ain't backing out. Just want to know a few details before I commit myself."
"All you need to know is that it goes down Saturday night. Just be there and stay out of the way. Kid should be easier to take then candy from a baby. He trusts Scott and all he has to do is lure him over to the van."
They continued drinking for about two hours when Scott, Sonny, and Walker finally got up and headed out the door. As he walked by Deaq and Tony he nodded. They waited a few minutes then followed him out.
"I've got a few things I have to attend to. We'll meet back here tomorrow night." Scott and the rest of the gang got into the van and sped off. Deaq got in his car and headed for the Candy Store.
"Hey Billie." He greeted her as he entered.
"Hey. Everything okay?"
"Far as I know. It goes down Saturday night, not sure of the exact time. Just hope everything goes smooth."
"It should, I'll have some of the best men in our unit there." She walked over and stood in front of Deaq. "You look worried. What's the matter?"
"I don't know..........I just don't feel right about this. I've just got a feeling........."
"Do you think they suspect anything? Because if you do we'll back out."
"No, it's not that. It's just.......... I don't know, maybe it's nothing."
"Where Van?"
"Still at the club as far as I know."
"Well, you better stay clear of him till it goes down. They may have someone watching him and if they see you talking to him..........."
"Okay. We're suppose to meet back at the club tomorrow. If anything changes I'll give you a call."
"Okay. I'll expect you here Saturday morning. We'll wire you up. When it goes down, we'll be taking you down too so just play along."
"Well, I'm going to head home, get some rest. If Van calls tell him to be careful. The one member Tony is psycho. He's just waiting for a reason to hurt someone."
"We're going to get to them before they have any time to hurt anyone."
"I hope so Billie."
Friday morning Deaq got up and hung around his apartment till eleven. He dialed Van's number but got no response. Damn, Why the hell ain't you home? He would have liked to have talked to him. He decided to get some lunch then head to the club; maybe Van was there already. Scott and the rest weren't going to meet till late in the afternoon but Deaq figured he'd hang around till they got there. He had nothing better to do and it would pass the time. He got a table and waited, hoping to see Van come in. More then likely he wouldn't show up till early evening. Deaq smiled to himself. With all those women hanging around him he probably went back to one of their apartments for the night. Lucky dog He didn't blame Van. Next time he was going to be the one playing the rich kid. Around four o'clock Scott came in by himself. Spotting Deaq he walked over and stood by his table.
"Mike, I need to see you outside."
"Sure, what's up?" Deaq got up and followed him outside.
"We need to go for a little ride."
"Where?" Deaq tensed up. He prayed his cover hadn't been blown.
"I got a surprise for you." Scott smiled and opened the back of the van and motioned Deaq to climb in. Deaq hesitated a minute then climbed into the van. He had no choice. If his cover wasn't blown he would blow it by refusing to go with Scott. He swore to himself, it was a panel van and from the back he couldn't see where they were going. They drove for a little over half an hour then Deaq could feel them driving down a rocky lane. The van came to jerky halt. Scott got out and opened the side door for Deaq. He got out and looked around. It looked like they were on the outskirts of L.A. The house stood by itself and appeared to be a Mom and Pop old grocery type store. It was in bad need of repairs. Scott put his arm around Deaq's shoulder and led him into the house. Tony, Sonny and Walker sat at a table in the kitchen playing cards. They looked up and nodded.
"What's going on?" Deaq asked glancing around.
"Follow me."
Tony got up from his card game and followed behind Deaq. He was led into the basement. He could feel cold damp air rush up to meet him as they walked down the steps.
"What's up Scott?" He asked again starting to get nervous.
"You'll see."
They walked to a door, which appeared to be the door of an old walk in freezer. Scott pushed the door open. Deaq felt like he had been punched in the stomach. Van was hanging from a meat hook in the ceiling in the center of the room. His arms stretched tight above him and his hands tied around the hook, his feet barely touched the floor. He had been stripped of his jacket, shirt, belt and shoes. They lay in a pile on the floor by a small sink. His slight frame hung shivering in the cold, his lips already tinted blue. Van was actually lucky; the freezer had long since stopped functioning properly. It felt like the inside of a refrigerator rather then a freezer. But it was still very cold for the half naked man. He looked up when the door opened and his eyes met Deaq's. Deaq instinctively took a step toward Van, his arms starting to reach out for him. Van gave his head a slight shake to warn Deaq off then left his chin once more fall to his chest. Deaq forced himself to stand still, trying hard to keep the emotion he was feeling from showing on his face. Damn partner, what did they do to you? Van had bruises covering his face and body, blood had dried on his lip where it had been split open.
"What's he doing here? I thought we weren't going to take him till Saturday." Deaq said to Scott.
"Changed my mind. The opportunity arose and..........well here he is."
Deaq winced as they walked closer to Van and he could see how badly he had been beaten.
"Kid put up a hell of a fight." Tony laughed. He walked over and picked up Van's jacket, shirt, shoes and belt. "Hey, hey, hey, pretty classy. I can use these."
"You can have everything but the belt. Leave it and get the phone." Scott ordered Tony who left and returned a short while later with a cordless phone and handed it to Scott.
"What's your father's number?" Scott asked Van.
Van glanced at him and shook his head. He was rewarded with a hard slap across his face reopening the cut on his lip.
"I said give me the number."
Van looked back up, his eyes met Scott's. Scott reached into his pocket and pulled out a small caliber gun. He put it against Van's temple. Deaq clenched his fists. He knew if Scott cocked the gun he'd have to make a move. No way was he going to let them kill his partner. Van glanced over at Deaq. He knew he couldn't let his partner break cover because of him. He shut his eyes for a second then looked back at Scott. He softly gave him one of the numbers at the Candy Store. The phone rang twice and was picked up by Billie. Scott held the phone between Van and himself so he could listen.
"Hello."
"Andrea, this is Chad." Van said. His teeth chattered as the cold sunk into his body.
Billie knew immediately that Van was in trouble and went along with him.
"Chad, what's up?"
"Sis.........I'm in trouble. Is Dad there?"
"No, he won't be back for a few hours. What's wrong?"
"Some men have me.........they want money."
"Oh God Chad! What can I do?"
Scott pulled the phone away from Van and spoke to Billie.
"You just tell Daddy we want five million or he's gonna get his boy back in pieces. No cops. We'll call back later." He hung the phone up.
Billie immediately called one of her men to come in to portray Van's dad. She hung up, a worried look on her face. The call had been too short to trace. Van's in big trouble and what's happened to Deaq She could only pray that Deaq was still alive, still undercover, and with Van.
"Good boy." He patted Van's face. Van jerked his face away and was rewarded by a punch to his stomach by Tony. He gasped in pain and tried to catch his breath.
"You gotta learn respect boy." Tony hissed.
Deaq clenched his teeth. He knew there was nothing he could do. Not now. The only way to help his partner was to stay under cover and wait for the right move.
"Let's go up and get warm. It's cold down here and I'm hungry Scott said to Deaq and Tony. They started to file out of the room. Deaq looked at Van who was shivering uncontrollably. His heart broke that he couldn't help him. But at least if they all went upstairs he knew no one would be able to hurt him any further. I'll be back Van. Stay strong
"Water...........please just a little water." Van said softly as they started to leave.
Scott nodded to Deaq. He walked over to the sink and filled an old metal cup. He held it up for Van to take a drink. He blinked back tears as he looked into Van's eyes. Just as he was about to drink, Tony knocked the cup out of Deaq's hand. The cold water splashed over Van's naked chest.
"What the hell was that for? He just wanted a little water." Deaq shouted angrily as he spun around and faced Tony.
"Whoa.........."Tony put his hands up laughing. "Let him suffer. Kid had everything growing up. I didn't have nothing. Now it's his time to suffer. Don't worry..........we'll kill him before he dies of thirst." He patted Deaq on the back.
"Let's go." Scott yelled. Deaq reluctantly followed them out the door. He looked over at Tony. You're mine..........When this is over, you're all mine.
They went up to the kitchen and Scott opened the refrigerator and handed everyone a beer.
"The kid just wanted water. Why make him suffer, he didn't do anything to us?" Deaq asked Scott.
"Tony likes to have his fun. He grew up poor.........hates rich kids. We're going to have to kill the kid anyway so don't worry about it, he won't be suffering for long."
"You going soft on us Mikey?" Tony looked over at Deaq.
"No, it's just that I can't see making someone suffer like that. He didn't do anything to us. If he had .........well then that would be a different story."
"Mike, I took you in. I told you what we were about. I appreciate you helping me out with the cops but if this is going to be too much for you, you shouldn't have come along. But since you did, you're in it for the long hall. No one leaves here until we pick up the money. If you don't want to see the kid hurt then stay up here. We'll handle it."
There was no way Deaq was going to let them go back down to Van without him. He didn't want to see his partner hurt anymore but knew he had to be there in case things got too rough. If they did he'd have to find a way to stop them.
"I'll be okay. I told you I wanted in on this. Just first time jitters is all."
"Okay, you'll be fine. Just stay out of our way. We'll wait about an hour then see if his dad's home."
They waited a little over an hour then went back to the room. Blood ran down from Van's wrists where he had tried to struggle free from the ropes. Tony walked over to him and wiped a finger in the blood.
"You've been a bad boy Hanson."
He pulled on Van's body to make sure the ropes were still tight. Van cried out then clenched his teeth in pain as the pull put more stress on his sore wrists and outstretched arms.
"We're going to call daddy again. He better be home. I want you to beg him to cooperate with us." Scott nodded at Tony who picked up the belt from the floor, looped it, and then swung it hard at Van's back. Van gave a little yelp of pain as the belt put a welt across his back and the buckle gouged a hunk of skin out. Deaq shut his eyes to the scene as Tony hit Van again. It was killing him not being able to help Van but he knew if he tried and failed they both could end up dead. Somehow he would have to try and get to Van alone. Scott walked over and dialed the number. He held the phone up to Van and listened on the other side.
"Hello." A man's voice answered. Billie switched on the speakerphone and listened.
"Dad, it's Chad."
"What the hell's going on Chad?"
"Some men have me. They want five million."
"Is this some kind of a joke?"
"No Dad. They'll kill me if they don't get it."
"Chad, I know how you are son, are you trying to extort money from me?"
Billie had instructed her man to act like he didn't believe Van in order to buy more time to run a trace. She also knew if she instantly gave into their demands they would have no reason to keep Van alive.
"No Dad..........Please."
Tony swung the belt as hard as he could. Then struck him again. Van gritted his teeth against the pain but said nothing. Deaq took a deep breath and tried to control the rage and frustration he was feeling as he watched his partner being beaten.
"Dad please! They'll kill me!"
"Let me talk to one of the men."
"Hello Daddy." Scott said mockingly into the phone.
"What's going on there?"
"You want to see your son alive, you better get us our money."
"This is one of Chad's friends isn't it? He put you up to this."
"This is no joke. Your boy doesn't look too good."
Tony hit Van three more times till he finally cried out.
Billie winced at the sound of Van's pain filled cry.
"We'll call you back tomorrow. No money ........your kid dies."
Scott hung up and put the phone on the small table near the sink. He walked over and grabbed Van's face.
"Your papa doesn't pay. You die tomorrow." Scott said then turned to leave. Tony hit Van one more time with the belt, then followed Scott. Deaq looked at his partner as he left. Blood ran down Van's back in little trickles from where the buckle had connected with his skin. Eight angry red welts covered his back as well. Damn bastards! Deaq looked at his partner's face. Van kept his eyes downcast and didn't look at Deaq. He stared at the floor, breathing heavy, shaking from the cold and pain. I'll be back partner. Stay strong. Deaq knew if he was going to do anything it would have to be tonight. Billie wouldn't have had time to trace the call and Scott had said he was going to kill Van tomorrow if his dad didn't pay. Deaq knew Van would die even if his dad agreed to pay. The only plan he could think of was to try and get everyone drunk, then when they were sleeping it off, he'd come down and free Van. It had to work; there was no other way.
The rest of the night was spent drinking and playing cards. Deaq acted like he was keeping up with the drinking but when no one was looking he poured most of his drink down the sink. A little after two the men began going to various rooms to sleep it off. Deaq knew he had to act now or Van would die.
He quietly snuck down to the freezer and opened the door. Van slowly looked up. Deaq saw the fear in Van's eyes turn to relief when he saw his partner. Deaq hurried to his side.
"You .........were right partner." Van said through chattering teeth. "There was .........a reason to worry." Van tried to smile but shut his eyes as a wave of pain shot through him.
"I'm getting you out of here." Deaq took out a small pocketknife and started cutting through the ropes. Van gave a little yelp as Deaq touched his hands. His body felt like ice.
"I'm sorry partner........I'm so sorry. They told me it wasn't going down till Saturday." Deaq's eyes welled up with tears.
"Not your fault buddy." Van gave another small cry of pain as Deaq bumped against him. "Deaq.........I don't think I can walk..........I think they broke one of my legs."
"Damn them son of a bitches! I swear I'll kill everyone of them!"
"You gotta..........you gotta hold it together partner. Listen to me..........They left the phone over there." He motioned with his head. "Call Billie, then get the hell out of here."
"Not without you." Deaq momentarily left Van hanging, grabbed the phone, and dialed Billie's number.
"Hello." She answered anxiously.
"Billie, it's Deaq. I can't talk.........I'm with Van. I have no idea where we are. I'm going to leave the phone on so you can trace this."
"Are you okay? Is Van okay?" Billie pressed a button that started a trace.
"He's alive but he's been hurt.........hurt bad. I gotta get him out of here."
"Deaq.......... listen to me. Get out of there now if you can. I don't need both of you getting killed. We'll get Van."
"Sorry Billie..........I'm not leaving my partner. I gotta go......" Deaq laid the phone back on the table.
"Deaq!......Deaq!.....Damn!" Billie pressed another button and called for backup. "I'm running a trace...........by the time you get here it should be done. Come fully loaded." She shut her eyes. Please God let us get there in time.
Deaq continued cutting Van down. When he was done, he gently lowered him to the floor.
"Oh God......." Van groaned in pain.
"Deaq started rubbing Van's arms, trying to get the circulation and warmth back into them. Van's wrists were rubbed raw and bleeding, his hands were blue.
"I can't walk Deaq........Please....just get out of here."
"No way partner."
"Deaq, I got myself into this...........I let my guard down. I don't want to take you down with me."
"We're leaving together. I'm going to have to carry you..........it's going to hurt." Deaq continued rubbing Van's arms.
"Deaq.........you can't make it carrying me. You know that. Don't die because of me bro."
"I'm not leaving you here Van. We're partners. We're going together." Deaq was just starting to reach down to pick up Van when the door opened. Scott and Tony entered. Scott was holding a gun.
"What the hell's going on?" Scott shouted.
"I came down to check on him. He was almost through the ropes so I cut him down." Deaq said trying to sound casual.
"Why didn't you string him back up?" Tony asked.
"He wasn't going anywhere. He's busted up........half froze to death."
Tony went over to Van and wrapped a fresh rope around his raw wrists. Van squeezed his eyes shut in pain and clenched his teeth as he was once more hoisted up to the hook.
"Oh God............just get it over with.............please just get it over with." Van groaned softly. He couldn't fight it anymore the pain was becoming unbearable. Deaq's heart broke as he heard his partner Don't give up partner, Billie's coming. Just a little while longer, you got to hold on just a little while longer
"You heard the kid. He wants to die."
Tony grabbed Van by the face and kissed him on the mouth. Van spit in his face. Before Deaq realized what was happening, Tony took out a small pocketknife and plunged it halfway into Van, an inch below his naval right above the waistband on his jeans. He slowly started cutting upward. Van threw his head back, his eyes wide with pain and fear, his mouth opened in a silent scream.
"Nooooooooooo!" Deaq screamed as he lunged at Tony and grabbed his arm preventing him from cutting further.
"What the hell are you doing? We need him alive to call his father." Scott yelled at Tony.
"I know what I'm doing. I'm just softening him up a little. I didn't cut too deep."
Tony slowly pulled the knife out of Van's abdomen, enjoying the pain he had inflicted. Blood gushed from the wound. Deaq immediately covered the wound with his hand, pressing hard. Blood flowed through his fingers. He leaned close to Van and whispered in his ear.
"Hang in there partner. Help's coming."
"Sor........sorry...." Van looked at Deaq with pain filled eyes. He could feel the darkness closing in around him and he willingly gave into it. His body hung limp as he slipped into unconsciousness.
Deaq kept the pressure on Van's wound and tried his best to lift him a little to get the tension off of his arms. He swallowed the lump in his throat. Van looked terrible but at least he was still alive. Come on Billie! Hurry!
"Oh, that's just great Tony, now what are we going to do? I need him awake to talk to his father." Scott said angrily.
"I'll wake him." Tony went to the sink and got a cup of cold water. He walked over and tossed it on Van. He groaned as he slowly started to come around.
"You..........move away from him." Scott pointed the gun at Deaq.
"He'll bleed to death!"
"You don't move, I'll blow his brains out right now." Scott redirected the gun till it pointed at Van.
Deaq had no choice but to move away from Van. Blood ran out of the wound and down the front of Van's jeans as he removed his hand. Deaq stepped back his eyes never leaving his partner. First chance he got he was going to go for Scott's gun. Tony picked up the phone and handed it to Scott. Deaq prayed he wouldn't notice that the line was still open. He didn't. Without realizing it, he dialed and when it didn't ring he hung up and dialed again. Deaq let out a sigh of relief. Billie should have had enough time to trace the call. She should be there soon.
"Hello." The same man he had talked to before answered.
"This Hanson?"
"Yeah."
"Your son's dying. You give us the money and I'll tell you where you can find him."
"Can I talk to him?"
"Boy's not going to feel much like talking but I'll try."
"Say something to daddy." Scott held the phone up to Van. When Van didn't speak, he grabbed him by the hair and forced his head back.
"Oh God!............Please Dad, I can't take this!" Van painfully gasped out still playing along with the cover.
"So what is it? You paying or does the kid die?" Scott pulled the phone away from Van.
"I'll pay. Where do you want the money?"
"First and most important, I see any cops and your kid's dead. Understood?"
"Yes."
"Okay, take it to the park at Elm and Waterford. When you pull into the park, drop it in the second trash barrel on the left, then leave. Once we have the money we'll notify you where you can pick up your kid."
"It's going to take a few days to get the money."
"I'll give you till Monday at ten PM. No money, no kid." Scott hung up the phone.
"Well, your suffering is about to end." Scott raised the gun toward Van's head. Van shut his eyes waiting to die. He almost welcomed it. Deaq knew he couldn't wait for Billie, he had to act. He flung himself at Scott knocking him to the ground. They both fought for control of the gun. Tony rushed past Van, knife raised to strike Deaq in the back. Van, mustering what little strength he had left, wrapped his legs around Tony and held on. Tony began frantically stabbing Van in the legs in an attempt to free him self. Van held on as long as he could till his strength finally gave out. By then Deaq had control of the gun. Tony, free, spun around and raised the knife over Van's chest. A shot rang out and Tony, a stunned look on his face, fell dead at Van's feet. Deaq rushed over to Van. Behind Deaq, Scott took the knife from Tony's hand and started advancing on Deaq.
"Freeze! Police!" Billie cried out as she entered the room followed by six men dressed in black with masks over their faces. Scott dropped the knife and put his hands up. Two of the men grabbed him and pushed him out the door. Billie ran over to Deaq.
"Hand me the knife Billie."
She picked up the knife and handed it to Deaq who carefully cut Van down and laid him on the floor, he knelt next to him cradling his head. His stomach and legs were covered in blood. Van glanced up at Billie and gave her a small smile, then looked at Deaq.
"We got them partner?"
"We sure did."
Deag could feel Van's body go limp in arms as he passed out.
"I need an ambulance!" Deaq shouted once more pressing his hand over Van's wound.
"There's one outside. My men will tell them it's clear to come in." Billie knelt next to Deaq, tears in her eyes. "My God Deaq what did they do to him?"
Van lay on the floor, his blood flowing between Deaq's fingers. His wrists, rubbed raw from the ropes, oozed blood and pus. His breath came in short quick gasps.
"My God it's freezing in here." Billie said.
"He's been in here since Thursday. Those bastards kept beating on him." Deaq then looked over at Tony's still form. "We won you son of a bitch." He looked back at Billie. "There's two more upstairs."
"We got them when we came in."
Two paramedics rushed into the room. One ran to Van the other knelt by Tony till he saw there was nothing he could do for him. He then helped his partner with Van.
"What kind of injuries do we have here?" Dave, one of the paramedics asked Deaq and Billie.
"He was stabbed in the stomach and legs." Deaq removed his hand from the wound and let the paramedic take over. "He was beaten and might have a broken leg, possible internal injuries. He has some whip marks on his back...... and rope burns." Deaq motioned toward Van's wrists. Billie shook her head; tears welled up in her eyes as she listened to Van's injuries.
"Someone really worked him over." Dave started an IV drip while the other paramedic, Rick, worked on the stab wound. They did as much as they could for him at the scene.
"We got to get him out of here. Let's go!" Dave said to Rick.
"I'm going with him." Deaq started following the paramedics.
"I'll finish up here then meet you at the hospital. Deaq..........he's going to be okay." Billie was trying to offer some hope to him. She could tell he was frantic with worry. Van and him had become good friends and she knew how it felt when your partner was hurt. You blamed yourself, even if there was nothing you could have done, you still blamed yourself. God, please let him be okay
"Can't you go any faster!" Deaq shouted to the driver from the back of the ambulance. He kept his hand on his partner's arm.
"You're going to be okay Van. I'm here and I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You just hang in there you hear?" Deaq kept talking soothingly to Van throughout the ride to the hospital. Van's breathing started to get worse.
"What's wrong?" Van looked at Dave.
"Hanging in that cold room is starting to catch up to him. Between his injuries and the cold I wouldn't be surprised if he had a touch of pneumonia. Don't worry, when we get to the hospital we'll start him on antibiotics that should take care of it."
Van started to wake up. He began groaning and moving around on the litter. He opened his eyes, and started to panic.
"Deaq!.........Deaq!....." He shouted between gasping for breath.
"I'm right here Van. I'm right here." Deaq reached over to grab his partner's hands but when he saw how blue and swollen they were he stopped. Instead he laid a hand on his chest.
"Oh ........thank God.........I thought you'd been shot." Van relaxed and shut his eyes for a moment. When he opened them Deaq could see them glistening with unshed tears. "Deaq.......I'm scared. I'm really scared .........I feel lousy."
"You hang in there partner. I'll be with you. You gotta hang tough." Deaq reached up and pushed Van's hair out of his eyes. Van started coughing and couldn't catch his breath. The paramedic added something to his IV to calm him.
"Oh God Deaq.........." He gasped as wave after wave of pain shot through him. His green eyes locked with his partner's brown ones. "If anything happens.......I want you to know.......I loved your brother.......and I love you too, partner."
Don't do this to me Van Deaq fought to control his emotions.
"I love........ you too, partner." Deaq choked on the words.
"You want to marry me?" Van said jokingly trying to ease the tension but started coughing again and squeezed his eyes shut as pain shot through his entire body.
"Sure, Billie can be our best man, or maid of honor, or whatever." Deaq said trying to keep the mood light. He looked over at Dave, concern written all over his face.
"He'll rest easy in a few minutes." Dave adjusted the medication.
"Thanks again ........ partner." Van said as his eyes slowly shut and he drifted into unconsciousness.
They arrived at the hospital a little while later. Van was rushed into the emergency room and Deaq tried to follow.
"I told him I wouldn't leave him." Deaq fought the doctors as they tried to push him out of the room.
"We'll let you know how he's doing, but you got to stay out here."
Deaq turned back to the waiting room. He never had felt so helpless and alone his entire life. He paced back and forth. Oh God, please don't take him Billie arrived an hour later and immediately went to him and hugged him.
"How is he Deaq?"
"They're still working on him." Deaq wiped at his eyes. "Oh God Billie, I wish I could do something."
Just then the emergency room door opened and the doctor came out.
"How is he?" Both Deaq and Billie asked in unison.
"He's stabilized. We won't know the full extent of his injuries till we get him to the operating room. He's young, he's strong, there's no reason to think he won't make it. You can wait here or I can call you at home when he's in recovery."
"I'm waiting." Deaq spoke up.
"Me too." Billie grabbed Deaq's hand.
Four hours later the doctor walked into the waiting room. Deaq who had been standing at the window staring out of it for the last two hours spun around. Billie stood up from the sofa where she had been paging endlessly through magazines.
"He had a lot of injuries. I'll run them through for you. He has a mild case of pneumonia, a broken leg, and bruised ribs. The stab wound was about an inch deep. It appears that the man started slicing upward much like you would gut a deer. Fortunately he didn't go too far but he did knick his bladder. We repaired everything and with rest there should be no problem. We had to give him blood transfusions because we had a little trouble stopping the bleeding, but that's under control. The thing I'm really concerned about are his hands. The circulation had been cut off from them for a long period. The right one I think with time should be fine. It's the left one I'm concerned about. It appears your friend tried to put most of his weight on his left arm because more then likely he's right handed and was trying to protect that hand. We're doing everything possible but I'm afraid there is a chance he might lose it."
"Those bastards." Deaq muttered.
"When can we see him?" Billie asked.
"He's in recovery now. When he starts to come around we'll move him to a room. I'd say about another three hours. I suggest you both go home and come back later. He's been through hell and might sleep the whole day."
"I ain't leaving till I see him." Deaq sat down on the sofa.
"I'm staying too." Billie sat next to him.
Four hours later a nurse came into the waiting room. Billie and Deaq had both fallen asleep on the sofa. The nurse gently woke them.
"He's in his room if you'd like to see him. It's room 312."
"Thanks." Billie said as she and Deaq got up and headed out the door.
They quietly entered Van's room. He was still out. He had an oxygen mask on his face and two different IV's were in his arm. They walked over and looked down at him. They could see that his leg had a cast on it. Blankets covered the bandages on his stomach, but they could see the bruises on his face. His right hand was bandaged at the wrist and color seemed to have returned to it, a good sign. His left arm was tied to the side of the bed, his wrist and hand enclosed in a bag of warm liquid in an attempt to warm it and improve circulation. It still had a touch of blue to it.
"My God, he looks so young." Billie said softly.
"Hey partner, you're going to be okay." Deaq said as he patted Van's leg. "Look what those bastards did to him Billie." He sadly shook his head.
"He's strong Deaq, he's going to make it." She put her hand gently on the side of Van's face. The slight touch started to bring him around. He groaned softly and started to move. His eyes suddenly flew open; a look of panic in them when he realized his arm was tied down. He struggled to free himself.
"Van, it's okay. Take it easy, you're in the hospital." Deaq said as he put his hands on Van's shoulders and tried to keep him from moving. He looked up at Deaq his face slowly coming into focus.
"Deaq." He said softly. He then shifted his eyes over to Billie. "Hey Billie. How're you doing?" He shut his eyes for a few seconds then reopened them.
"The question is.........how are you doing?" Billie smiled and put her hand on his shoulder.
"You.........you tell me." He winced as he tried to move.
"The doctor said you should be fine with a little rest. You took quite a beating." Billie said.
"Yeah..........I remember some of it." His eyes shifted back to Deaq. "Deaq, you okay partner? I remember you fighting with..........Scott.........then a shot. I can't remember much, just hearing the gunshot."
"I'm fine. You covered my back partner."
"I did?" Van had forgotten how he had grabbed Tony with his legs while Deaq fought with Scott. Van tried to move again; he then remembered that his arm was tied down. He looked at Deaq and Billie.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"What?" Billie asked.
"Why am I tied to the bed?"
"Just trying to keep you from moving your arm too much." Deaq answered trying to sound casual.
"Why? What's wrong?" Neither Billie nor Deaq answered him. He tried to move his hand but he could barely move the fingers. "Deaq, what's going on man? I can't move my hand. What's the matter with it?" Van started to get agitated. A nurse hearing him came in, examined him then gave him a shot in his IV.
"That will calm him down a little. The doctor doesn't want him moving around too much." She checked his blood pressure and the IV drips then left.
"What's.......what's wrong....with.....my........." Van fought the medication but it was no use. As exhausted as he was, he fell asleep immediately.
"What are we suppose to tell him Billie? That he might lose his hand? I know him Billie, he's not going to handle it well."
"At least he's alive Deaq. You both are. This bust could have gone bad, real bad."
"Damn.......I swore I wasn't going to get close to him. We'd work together but there was no way I was going to let him get under my skin. But the son of a bitch did anyway." Deaq turned away and wiped his eyes. "Maybe I should just go back to New York."
"Deaq." Billie turned him gently around. "You don't mean that. Your home is here. Your partner needs you..........now more then ever."
"I'll be here for him Billie, but when this is over..........I don't know. I always told him we were partners, not friends......." He shook his head sadly. "It's hard Billie, it's just hard."
"I know.........Look I need to get back to the Candy Store, clean up some loose ends. Maybe you should go home, get some rest. You're not going to do Van any good if you're exhausted."
"Maybe I'll go home, get a shower and some clean cloths but I'm coming back. I want to be here when he wakes up."
"You call me if there's any change."
They both left the room. Billie headed to the Candy Store and Deaq headed home. He quickly showered and dressed. He rushed back to the hospital, not wanting Van to wake up alone. He pulled a chair over to his bed and sat down. The rest of the day was spent watching the doctors and nurses go in and out of Van's room while he slept. He finally drifted off to sleep and was awaken late in the afternoon when Van finally woke up.
"Hey partner." Deaq stood up.
"Hey."
"How're you feeling?"
"Glad to be out of that refrigerator." Van gave Deaq a sleepy smile.
"You were starting to look like a vanilla popsicle." Deaq smiled back.
"Deaq........tell me the truth. What's wrong with my hand?"
Deaq looked down at the floor.
"Deaq?"
"You're hand.........the circulation was cut off.........They might........" Deaq tried to find the words to tell Van that they might have to amputate.
"I might lose it?" Van asked, he was terrified but tried to stay calm for Deaq's sake.
"They.........they don't know." Deaq shook his head. "I'm sorry man. I should have done something ........."
"Hey partner, it's not your fault. There's nothing you could have done. Hey.........at least I'm alive. Right?" Van said trying to sound brave.
"That's right, and your hand might be fine." Deaq glanced over at Van's injured hand. "Look, every minute the color seems to get better."
Deaq wasn't lying. The blue was slowly leaving Van's hand replaced gradually by pink. It was a very slow process, but it was happening.
"It looks a hell of a lot better then it did earlier." Deaq added.
"Deaq.......I want to thank you. I didn't think I was gonna make it."
"You had me worried partner."
"Tony? Scott?"
"Tony has met his maker and Scott and the rest are going away for a long time."
The door opened and Van's doctor entered. He nodded to the two partners.
"How're you doing?" He asked Van as he lifted the bandage covering his stomach to examine the incision.
"Well I won't be running the marathon anytime soon." Van smiled.
"Looks good." The doctor replaced the bandage. "Now let's take a look at this." The doctor picked up Van's injured hand. Van winced a little as the doctor removed his hand from the liquid. The doctor then pulled a sharp pin out of his jacket. "Can you feel this?" The doctor pricked each of Van's fingers.
Van answered yes to each prick. The doctor smiled.
"That's good isn't it?" Deaq asked anxiously.
"No, it's great." The doctor smiled at Deaq then turned back to Van. "You're coming along nicely. In fact I didn't think I'd see this kind of improvement, if any, for a few days yet. As long as you continue to improve as fast as you are I might be able to let you go home in a few days. You'll have to take it easy and won't be able to work for a few months, but I think with a little time you'll be as good as new."
The doctor left and Deaq called Billie with the good news.
"That's great Deaq, give him my best. Tell him I'll be in later to see him... ...and Deaq...........you staying in L.A.?"
"Yeah Billy.......I'm staying." Deaq smiled down at his partner.
The End
"Hey partner! How's it going?" Van stood on the glassy floor of the basketball court and tossed Deag the ball as he entered the Candy Store.
"Everything's going as planned. It goes down Saturday night." Deaq tossed the ball into the basket.
"Don't get too comfortable boys. This gang plays for keeps. The last two kidnap victims ended up dead." Billie stood with her hands on her hips looking back and forth between the two men.
"Well, they didn't have you two to watch their backs." Van smiled.
For the last two and a half months Van and Deaq had been working undercover trying to infiltrate a gang that was suspected of kidnapping and murder. Van was portraying a multi millionaire's spoiled son, Chad Hanson Jr., a man who loved to blow money on women and booze. Deaq, alias Mike Williams, had managed to get accepted by the gang by helping the leader escape a fake raid by the cops at a bar two months earlier. The gang was suspected of kidnapping three men within the last two years. One man was killed after the ransom was paid. The second died from injuries shortly after being found. The third was never found. The gang enjoyed torturing their victims while making them call their families and beg for money. They had already singled out Van and were just waiting for the right moment. They had decided next Saturday they would grab him in the parking lot of the Golden Door, a bar where he had spent the last five Saturday nights and most weeknights. Deag would be there and be wired. When the grab went down, Billie and her backup would storm the parking lot and arrest the gang in the act. The M.O. of the gang was to get close to the victim about a week before the kidnapping went down. They would get the victim to trust them, which would make the grab all the more easier.
"Billie, everything's going as planned. Don't worry." Deaq tossed the ball back to Van.
"That's what I'm worried about Deaq. This goes bad, Van could die, you too it they catch onto you."
"We'll be careful Billie." Van walked over and stood in front of Billie and gave her his most charming smile. "Nice to know you care."
"We spent too much time to let this slip through our fingers." She said sitting down and picking up the latest report on the gang.
On Wednesday the gang met at the Golden Door. Van came in about one hour later and sat at a table, which was soon filled with women, each competing for the rich, handsome man's attention.
"When he gets up to use the john I want you two to join him." Scott Collar, the leader of the gang nodded to Deaq and another gang member Tony. "Grab his wallet and rough him up a little. Me, Sonny, and Walker will come in and save the day. We'll be his heroes." Scott gave a little laugh. "He'll trust us, then on Saturday we shouldn't have any trouble with him." Scott looked over at Van's table and smiled. "Soon Hanson, Papa's going to be paying a pretty penny to get your ass back."
About a half hour later Van got up and headed toward the restroom. Deaq and Tony followed. Once inside Tony grabbed Van by the shoulder and spun him around.
"Hey rich boy, hand over your wallet." Tony said. Deaq tensed as Tony pulled out a knife and pointed it at Van. Deaq looked into Van's eyes. Please don't try and fight him Van
"Hey boys, I don't want any trouble." Van put his hands up.
"Give me your wallet!" Tony lunged forward and punched Van in the stomach with his free hand. He gasped in pain, grabbed his stomach, and fell to one knee. Deaq looked on in horror thinking Tony had just stabbed Van. He was about to break cover and run to his partner's aide when he realized he hadn't been stabbed but only punched. He reached down and pulled Van's wallet out of his back pocket.
"Thanks." Deaq said as he knocked Van over onto his side. Van lay on the floor trying to catch his breath.
Just then Scott, Sonny and Walker entered the restroom.
"What the hell's going on here?" Scott shouted.
"Doesn't concern you." Tony started for the door.
"They got.........my wallet." Van gasped out.
"Give the man his wallet back." Scott ordered Tony.
Tony ignored him as he and Deaq headed out the door. Scott suddenly reached under his jacket and pulled out a gun.
"I said...........give the man his wallet back."
Deaq quickly tossed Scott the wallet and he and Tony hurried out the door. They headed to a table in a dark corner of the room to watch what would happen next.
"Thanks." Van said as Scott reached down and helped him up.
"No problem. You okay?"
"Yeah, just a little sore." Van rubbed his stomach.
"Gotta be careful flashing all that money around here."
"Yeah, guess I better." Van opened his wallet and took a fifty out and started to hand it to Scott. "Thanks again."
"Keep it. Only trying to help."
"Why don't you and your friends stop at my table for some drinks, my way of saying thanks."
"Sounds good."
Deaq watched as Van, Scott and the rest of the gang headed toward Van's table and sat down. Van ordered a round of drinks. The rest of the night Deaq watched as Scott played up to Van. Later when Van was getting ready to leave he patted each on the back and thanked them again. When he was gone, Scott and the gang walked over and sat down at Deaq's table.
"That boy's going to be real easy to grab. Saturday we'll just lead him over to the van and before he knows what's going down.........Bamn!"
"Where're you going to hold him?" Deaq asked hoping to get some info to give to Billie. If anything went wrong at least they'd have the location.
"You'll find out on a need to know basis. Kid's loaded, bragged about his dad being a millionaire." Then Scott added. "Nice kid. Too bad we'll have to kill him."
"I want to do it this time. I love hearing them squeal." Tony said as he drew his knife out and made a stabbing motion with it. Scott smiled, then yawned.
"Well, it's been a long night. I'm heading home I'll see you guys here tomorrow around the same time. We'll butter Hanson up some more. Can't wait to see his face when it goes down."
Deaq left the bar and drove around for a while to make sure he wasn't followed. He then headed to Van's apartment.
"Van." He knocked on the door. There was no answer, he knocked harder.
"Van open up." He said louder.
He heard the lock being opened.
"Sorry man, I didn't hear you." Van walked stiffly away from the door.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, just had the wind knocked out of me." Van rubbed his stomach. "Your boy sure can throw a punch."
"Just be glad he didn't use the other hand." Deaq sat on Van's sofa. "You had me scared, for a second I thought he stabbed you."
"Yeah I saw the look on your face." Van gave a small laugh and headed toward the refrigerator. "Want a beer?"
"Why not."
Van handed Deaq a beer then sat on a chair facing him. Deaq , not realizing he was doing it, kept tapping the side of his can.
"Don't do that. That's your worried tapping and when you start that you get me worried.
"It's just that everything is flowing too easily. Something's bound to go wrong."
"Well it's still on for Saturday isn't it?"
"Yeah."
"Well, what can go wrong? Billie and her crew will be in the parking lot listening, as soon as they grab me that's it.......... end of story."
"I don't know..........I just have a bad feeling is all." Deaq looked over at Van. "You know they're planning on killing you after they make arrangements with your so called dad."
"Deaq, relax man. It's not going to get that far. Billie has the best crew in town. It'll be all over in the parking lot." When Van noticed Deaq still looked concerned he continued. "You need to chill out man, you'll get an ulcer. Want to go to the Candy Store and shoot some hoops?"
"Nah it's late, think I'll head home. They're going back to the bar tomorrow night, they're expecting you to be there."
"I'll be there." Van smiled at Deaq. "Relax. What can go wrong?"
"I can think of about a million things." Deaq stood up.
"See ya tomorrow partner." Van made a fist and Deaq tapped his with Van's.
Thursday night Van got to the bar earlier then usual. He sat at a table and was one more immediately surrounded by women. He bought a round of drinks then sat back and waited for Scott to arrive. Two hours later Scott and his crew came in minus Deaq and Tony. They arrived fifteen minutes later and once more took a table back in the corner to watch the activities. Van motioned Scott and his boys over and they all sat around drinking and laughing.
"You ever kill anyone Mike?" Tony asked Deaq.
"No, can't say I have."
"I've killed me about four so far. There's nothing like the feeling you get as you look into their eyes as they die. To know that you're the one that controls how long they live, and how much they suffer before you waste them. Nothing like it in the world."
Deaq took a sip of beer and glanced over at Van. Tony leaned forward and looked at Deaq.
"You know..........I like you. Maybe I'll ask Scott to let you do the Hanson kid. Sort of an initiation."
Deaq looked at Tony and raised his glass in a mock salute. You son of a bitch. I can't wait to take you down He thought to himself.
"Last guy I did kept begging me to stop and I kept slicing and dicing. It was beautiful." Tony laughed. "I cut out his tongue to keep as a souvenir. I'll have to show it to you sometime. Stuck it in a bottle of booze to preserve it. Maybe you could cut his eyes out. Kid has nice eyes."
"Where are they going to take him? Back to the ranch?" Deaq fought the urge to grab Tony by the throat.
"Scott decides that. He never lets anyone know until we're on the way. He likes it that way."
"How much is he going to ask for?"
"Probably around five million. He said the kid's dad is loaded. He'll settle for less but that will be his starting price. Poor daddy won't know he's buying a corpse."
"Why must you always kill them?"
"Why not. That's the fun of it. Besides most of the time they've seen our faces. Can't leave any witnesses you know."
Deaq shook his head and looked at the table.
"You're not going soft on me now boy are you? Because if you are, you better back out now. Come Saturday Scott will kill you if you try to interfere."
"I ain't backing out. Just want to know a few details before I commit myself."
"All you need to know is that it goes down Saturday night. Just be there and stay out of the way. Kid should be easier to take then candy from a baby. He trusts Scott and all he has to do is lure him over to the van."
They continued drinking for about two hours when Scott, Sonny, and Walker finally got up and headed out the door. As he walked by Deaq and Tony he nodded. They waited a few minutes then followed him out.
"I've got a few things I have to attend to. We'll meet back here tomorrow night." Scott and the rest of the gang got into the van and sped off. Deaq got in his car and headed for the Candy Store.
"Hey Billie." He greeted her as he entered.
"Hey. Everything okay?"
"Far as I know. It goes down Saturday night, not sure of the exact time. Just hope everything goes smooth."
"It should, I'll have some of the best men in our unit there." She walked over and stood in front of Deaq. "You look worried. What's the matter?"
"I don't know..........I just don't feel right about this. I've just got a feeling........."
"Do you think they suspect anything? Because if you do we'll back out."
"No, it's not that. It's just.......... I don't know, maybe it's nothing."
"Where Van?"
"Still at the club as far as I know."
"Well, you better stay clear of him till it goes down. They may have someone watching him and if they see you talking to him..........."
"Okay. We're suppose to meet back at the club tomorrow. If anything changes I'll give you a call."
"Okay. I'll expect you here Saturday morning. We'll wire you up. When it goes down, we'll be taking you down too so just play along."
"Well, I'm going to head home, get some rest. If Van calls tell him to be careful. The one member Tony is psycho. He's just waiting for a reason to hurt someone."
"We're going to get to them before they have any time to hurt anyone."
"I hope so Billie."
Friday morning Deaq got up and hung around his apartment till eleven. He dialed Van's number but got no response. Damn, Why the hell ain't you home? He would have liked to have talked to him. He decided to get some lunch then head to the club; maybe Van was there already. Scott and the rest weren't going to meet till late in the afternoon but Deaq figured he'd hang around till they got there. He had nothing better to do and it would pass the time. He got a table and waited, hoping to see Van come in. More then likely he wouldn't show up till early evening. Deaq smiled to himself. With all those women hanging around him he probably went back to one of their apartments for the night. Lucky dog He didn't blame Van. Next time he was going to be the one playing the rich kid. Around four o'clock Scott came in by himself. Spotting Deaq he walked over and stood by his table.
"Mike, I need to see you outside."
"Sure, what's up?" Deaq got up and followed him outside.
"We need to go for a little ride."
"Where?" Deaq tensed up. He prayed his cover hadn't been blown.
"I got a surprise for you." Scott smiled and opened the back of the van and motioned Deaq to climb in. Deaq hesitated a minute then climbed into the van. He had no choice. If his cover wasn't blown he would blow it by refusing to go with Scott. He swore to himself, it was a panel van and from the back he couldn't see where they were going. They drove for a little over half an hour then Deaq could feel them driving down a rocky lane. The van came to jerky halt. Scott got out and opened the side door for Deaq. He got out and looked around. It looked like they were on the outskirts of L.A. The house stood by itself and appeared to be a Mom and Pop old grocery type store. It was in bad need of repairs. Scott put his arm around Deaq's shoulder and led him into the house. Tony, Sonny and Walker sat at a table in the kitchen playing cards. They looked up and nodded.
"What's going on?" Deaq asked glancing around.
"Follow me."
Tony got up from his card game and followed behind Deaq. He was led into the basement. He could feel cold damp air rush up to meet him as they walked down the steps.
"What's up Scott?" He asked again starting to get nervous.
"You'll see."
They walked to a door, which appeared to be the door of an old walk in freezer. Scott pushed the door open. Deaq felt like he had been punched in the stomach. Van was hanging from a meat hook in the ceiling in the center of the room. His arms stretched tight above him and his hands tied around the hook, his feet barely touched the floor. He had been stripped of his jacket, shirt, belt and shoes. They lay in a pile on the floor by a small sink. His slight frame hung shivering in the cold, his lips already tinted blue. Van was actually lucky; the freezer had long since stopped functioning properly. It felt like the inside of a refrigerator rather then a freezer. But it was still very cold for the half naked man. He looked up when the door opened and his eyes met Deaq's. Deaq instinctively took a step toward Van, his arms starting to reach out for him. Van gave his head a slight shake to warn Deaq off then left his chin once more fall to his chest. Deaq forced himself to stand still, trying hard to keep the emotion he was feeling from showing on his face. Damn partner, what did they do to you? Van had bruises covering his face and body, blood had dried on his lip where it had been split open.
"What's he doing here? I thought we weren't going to take him till Saturday." Deaq said to Scott.
"Changed my mind. The opportunity arose and..........well here he is."
Deaq winced as they walked closer to Van and he could see how badly he had been beaten.
"Kid put up a hell of a fight." Tony laughed. He walked over and picked up Van's jacket, shirt, shoes and belt. "Hey, hey, hey, pretty classy. I can use these."
"You can have everything but the belt. Leave it and get the phone." Scott ordered Tony who left and returned a short while later with a cordless phone and handed it to Scott.
"What's your father's number?" Scott asked Van.
Van glanced at him and shook his head. He was rewarded with a hard slap across his face reopening the cut on his lip.
"I said give me the number."
Van looked back up, his eyes met Scott's. Scott reached into his pocket and pulled out a small caliber gun. He put it against Van's temple. Deaq clenched his fists. He knew if Scott cocked the gun he'd have to make a move. No way was he going to let them kill his partner. Van glanced over at Deaq. He knew he couldn't let his partner break cover because of him. He shut his eyes for a second then looked back at Scott. He softly gave him one of the numbers at the Candy Store. The phone rang twice and was picked up by Billie. Scott held the phone between Van and himself so he could listen.
"Hello."
"Andrea, this is Chad." Van said. His teeth chattered as the cold sunk into his body.
Billie knew immediately that Van was in trouble and went along with him.
"Chad, what's up?"
"Sis.........I'm in trouble. Is Dad there?"
"No, he won't be back for a few hours. What's wrong?"
"Some men have me.........they want money."
"Oh God Chad! What can I do?"
Scott pulled the phone away from Van and spoke to Billie.
"You just tell Daddy we want five million or he's gonna get his boy back in pieces. No cops. We'll call back later." He hung the phone up.
Billie immediately called one of her men to come in to portray Van's dad. She hung up, a worried look on her face. The call had been too short to trace. Van's in big trouble and what's happened to Deaq She could only pray that Deaq was still alive, still undercover, and with Van.
"Good boy." He patted Van's face. Van jerked his face away and was rewarded by a punch to his stomach by Tony. He gasped in pain and tried to catch his breath.
"You gotta learn respect boy." Tony hissed.
Deaq clenched his teeth. He knew there was nothing he could do. Not now. The only way to help his partner was to stay under cover and wait for the right move.
"Let's go up and get warm. It's cold down here and I'm hungry Scott said to Deaq and Tony. They started to file out of the room. Deaq looked at Van who was shivering uncontrollably. His heart broke that he couldn't help him. But at least if they all went upstairs he knew no one would be able to hurt him any further. I'll be back Van. Stay strong
"Water...........please just a little water." Van said softly as they started to leave.
Scott nodded to Deaq. He walked over to the sink and filled an old metal cup. He held it up for Van to take a drink. He blinked back tears as he looked into Van's eyes. Just as he was about to drink, Tony knocked the cup out of Deaq's hand. The cold water splashed over Van's naked chest.
"What the hell was that for? He just wanted a little water." Deaq shouted angrily as he spun around and faced Tony.
"Whoa.........."Tony put his hands up laughing. "Let him suffer. Kid had everything growing up. I didn't have nothing. Now it's his time to suffer. Don't worry..........we'll kill him before he dies of thirst." He patted Deaq on the back.
"Let's go." Scott yelled. Deaq reluctantly followed them out the door. He looked over at Tony. You're mine..........When this is over, you're all mine.
They went up to the kitchen and Scott opened the refrigerator and handed everyone a beer.
"The kid just wanted water. Why make him suffer, he didn't do anything to us?" Deaq asked Scott.
"Tony likes to have his fun. He grew up poor.........hates rich kids. We're going to have to kill the kid anyway so don't worry about it, he won't be suffering for long."
"You going soft on us Mikey?" Tony looked over at Deaq.
"No, it's just that I can't see making someone suffer like that. He didn't do anything to us. If he had .........well then that would be a different story."
"Mike, I took you in. I told you what we were about. I appreciate you helping me out with the cops but if this is going to be too much for you, you shouldn't have come along. But since you did, you're in it for the long hall. No one leaves here until we pick up the money. If you don't want to see the kid hurt then stay up here. We'll handle it."
There was no way Deaq was going to let them go back down to Van without him. He didn't want to see his partner hurt anymore but knew he had to be there in case things got too rough. If they did he'd have to find a way to stop them.
"I'll be okay. I told you I wanted in on this. Just first time jitters is all."
"Okay, you'll be fine. Just stay out of our way. We'll wait about an hour then see if his dad's home."
They waited a little over an hour then went back to the room. Blood ran down from Van's wrists where he had tried to struggle free from the ropes. Tony walked over to him and wiped a finger in the blood.
"You've been a bad boy Hanson."
He pulled on Van's body to make sure the ropes were still tight. Van cried out then clenched his teeth in pain as the pull put more stress on his sore wrists and outstretched arms.
"We're going to call daddy again. He better be home. I want you to beg him to cooperate with us." Scott nodded at Tony who picked up the belt from the floor, looped it, and then swung it hard at Van's back. Van gave a little yelp of pain as the belt put a welt across his back and the buckle gouged a hunk of skin out. Deaq shut his eyes to the scene as Tony hit Van again. It was killing him not being able to help Van but he knew if he tried and failed they both could end up dead. Somehow he would have to try and get to Van alone. Scott walked over and dialed the number. He held the phone up to Van and listened on the other side.
"Hello." A man's voice answered. Billie switched on the speakerphone and listened.
"Dad, it's Chad."
"What the hell's going on Chad?"
"Some men have me. They want five million."
"Is this some kind of a joke?"
"No Dad. They'll kill me if they don't get it."
"Chad, I know how you are son, are you trying to extort money from me?"
Billie had instructed her man to act like he didn't believe Van in order to buy more time to run a trace. She also knew if she instantly gave into their demands they would have no reason to keep Van alive.
"No Dad..........Please."
Tony swung the belt as hard as he could. Then struck him again. Van gritted his teeth against the pain but said nothing. Deaq took a deep breath and tried to control the rage and frustration he was feeling as he watched his partner being beaten.
"Dad please! They'll kill me!"
"Let me talk to one of the men."
"Hello Daddy." Scott said mockingly into the phone.
"What's going on there?"
"You want to see your son alive, you better get us our money."
"This is one of Chad's friends isn't it? He put you up to this."
"This is no joke. Your boy doesn't look too good."
Tony hit Van three more times till he finally cried out.
Billie winced at the sound of Van's pain filled cry.
"We'll call you back tomorrow. No money ........your kid dies."
Scott hung up and put the phone on the small table near the sink. He walked over and grabbed Van's face.
"Your papa doesn't pay. You die tomorrow." Scott said then turned to leave. Tony hit Van one more time with the belt, then followed Scott. Deaq looked at his partner as he left. Blood ran down Van's back in little trickles from where the buckle had connected with his skin. Eight angry red welts covered his back as well. Damn bastards! Deaq looked at his partner's face. Van kept his eyes downcast and didn't look at Deaq. He stared at the floor, breathing heavy, shaking from the cold and pain. I'll be back partner. Stay strong. Deaq knew if he was going to do anything it would have to be tonight. Billie wouldn't have had time to trace the call and Scott had said he was going to kill Van tomorrow if his dad didn't pay. Deaq knew Van would die even if his dad agreed to pay. The only plan he could think of was to try and get everyone drunk, then when they were sleeping it off, he'd come down and free Van. It had to work; there was no other way.
The rest of the night was spent drinking and playing cards. Deaq acted like he was keeping up with the drinking but when no one was looking he poured most of his drink down the sink. A little after two the men began going to various rooms to sleep it off. Deaq knew he had to act now or Van would die.
He quietly snuck down to the freezer and opened the door. Van slowly looked up. Deaq saw the fear in Van's eyes turn to relief when he saw his partner. Deaq hurried to his side.
"You .........were right partner." Van said through chattering teeth. "There was .........a reason to worry." Van tried to smile but shut his eyes as a wave of pain shot through him.
"I'm getting you out of here." Deaq took out a small pocketknife and started cutting through the ropes. Van gave a little yelp as Deaq touched his hands. His body felt like ice.
"I'm sorry partner........I'm so sorry. They told me it wasn't going down till Saturday." Deaq's eyes welled up with tears.
"Not your fault buddy." Van gave another small cry of pain as Deaq bumped against him. "Deaq.........I don't think I can walk..........I think they broke one of my legs."
"Damn them son of a bitches! I swear I'll kill everyone of them!"
"You gotta..........you gotta hold it together partner. Listen to me..........They left the phone over there." He motioned with his head. "Call Billie, then get the hell out of here."
"Not without you." Deaq momentarily left Van hanging, grabbed the phone, and dialed Billie's number.
"Hello." She answered anxiously.
"Billie, it's Deaq. I can't talk.........I'm with Van. I have no idea where we are. I'm going to leave the phone on so you can trace this."
"Are you okay? Is Van okay?" Billie pressed a button that started a trace.
"He's alive but he's been hurt.........hurt bad. I gotta get him out of here."
"Deaq.......... listen to me. Get out of there now if you can. I don't need both of you getting killed. We'll get Van."
"Sorry Billie..........I'm not leaving my partner. I gotta go......" Deaq laid the phone back on the table.
"Deaq!......Deaq!.....Damn!" Billie pressed another button and called for backup. "I'm running a trace...........by the time you get here it should be done. Come fully loaded." She shut her eyes. Please God let us get there in time.
Deaq continued cutting Van down. When he was done, he gently lowered him to the floor.
"Oh God......." Van groaned in pain.
"Deaq started rubbing Van's arms, trying to get the circulation and warmth back into them. Van's wrists were rubbed raw and bleeding, his hands were blue.
"I can't walk Deaq........Please....just get out of here."
"No way partner."
"Deaq, I got myself into this...........I let my guard down. I don't want to take you down with me."
"We're leaving together. I'm going to have to carry you..........it's going to hurt." Deaq continued rubbing Van's arms.
"Deaq.........you can't make it carrying me. You know that. Don't die because of me bro."
"I'm not leaving you here Van. We're partners. We're going together." Deaq was just starting to reach down to pick up Van when the door opened. Scott and Tony entered. Scott was holding a gun.
"What the hell's going on?" Scott shouted.
"I came down to check on him. He was almost through the ropes so I cut him down." Deaq said trying to sound casual.
"Why didn't you string him back up?" Tony asked.
"He wasn't going anywhere. He's busted up........half froze to death."
Tony went over to Van and wrapped a fresh rope around his raw wrists. Van squeezed his eyes shut in pain and clenched his teeth as he was once more hoisted up to the hook.
"Oh God............just get it over with.............please just get it over with." Van groaned softly. He couldn't fight it anymore the pain was becoming unbearable. Deaq's heart broke as he heard his partner Don't give up partner, Billie's coming. Just a little while longer, you got to hold on just a little while longer
"You heard the kid. He wants to die."
Tony grabbed Van by the face and kissed him on the mouth. Van spit in his face. Before Deaq realized what was happening, Tony took out a small pocketknife and plunged it halfway into Van, an inch below his naval right above the waistband on his jeans. He slowly started cutting upward. Van threw his head back, his eyes wide with pain and fear, his mouth opened in a silent scream.
"Nooooooooooo!" Deaq screamed as he lunged at Tony and grabbed his arm preventing him from cutting further.
"What the hell are you doing? We need him alive to call his father." Scott yelled at Tony.
"I know what I'm doing. I'm just softening him up a little. I didn't cut too deep."
Tony slowly pulled the knife out of Van's abdomen, enjoying the pain he had inflicted. Blood gushed from the wound. Deaq immediately covered the wound with his hand, pressing hard. Blood flowed through his fingers. He leaned close to Van and whispered in his ear.
"Hang in there partner. Help's coming."
"Sor........sorry...." Van looked at Deaq with pain filled eyes. He could feel the darkness closing in around him and he willingly gave into it. His body hung limp as he slipped into unconsciousness.
Deaq kept the pressure on Van's wound and tried his best to lift him a little to get the tension off of his arms. He swallowed the lump in his throat. Van looked terrible but at least he was still alive. Come on Billie! Hurry!
"Oh, that's just great Tony, now what are we going to do? I need him awake to talk to his father." Scott said angrily.
"I'll wake him." Tony went to the sink and got a cup of cold water. He walked over and tossed it on Van. He groaned as he slowly started to come around.
"You..........move away from him." Scott pointed the gun at Deaq.
"He'll bleed to death!"
"You don't move, I'll blow his brains out right now." Scott redirected the gun till it pointed at Van.
Deaq had no choice but to move away from Van. Blood ran out of the wound and down the front of Van's jeans as he removed his hand. Deaq stepped back his eyes never leaving his partner. First chance he got he was going to go for Scott's gun. Tony picked up the phone and handed it to Scott. Deaq prayed he wouldn't notice that the line was still open. He didn't. Without realizing it, he dialed and when it didn't ring he hung up and dialed again. Deaq let out a sigh of relief. Billie should have had enough time to trace the call. She should be there soon.
"Hello." The same man he had talked to before answered.
"This Hanson?"
"Yeah."
"Your son's dying. You give us the money and I'll tell you where you can find him."
"Can I talk to him?"
"Boy's not going to feel much like talking but I'll try."
"Say something to daddy." Scott held the phone up to Van. When Van didn't speak, he grabbed him by the hair and forced his head back.
"Oh God!............Please Dad, I can't take this!" Van painfully gasped out still playing along with the cover.
"So what is it? You paying or does the kid die?" Scott pulled the phone away from Van.
"I'll pay. Where do you want the money?"
"First and most important, I see any cops and your kid's dead. Understood?"
"Yes."
"Okay, take it to the park at Elm and Waterford. When you pull into the park, drop it in the second trash barrel on the left, then leave. Once we have the money we'll notify you where you can pick up your kid."
"It's going to take a few days to get the money."
"I'll give you till Monday at ten PM. No money, no kid." Scott hung up the phone.
"Well, your suffering is about to end." Scott raised the gun toward Van's head. Van shut his eyes waiting to die. He almost welcomed it. Deaq knew he couldn't wait for Billie, he had to act. He flung himself at Scott knocking him to the ground. They both fought for control of the gun. Tony rushed past Van, knife raised to strike Deaq in the back. Van, mustering what little strength he had left, wrapped his legs around Tony and held on. Tony began frantically stabbing Van in the legs in an attempt to free him self. Van held on as long as he could till his strength finally gave out. By then Deaq had control of the gun. Tony, free, spun around and raised the knife over Van's chest. A shot rang out and Tony, a stunned look on his face, fell dead at Van's feet. Deaq rushed over to Van. Behind Deaq, Scott took the knife from Tony's hand and started advancing on Deaq.
"Freeze! Police!" Billie cried out as she entered the room followed by six men dressed in black with masks over their faces. Scott dropped the knife and put his hands up. Two of the men grabbed him and pushed him out the door. Billie ran over to Deaq.
"Hand me the knife Billie."
She picked up the knife and handed it to Deaq who carefully cut Van down and laid him on the floor, he knelt next to him cradling his head. His stomach and legs were covered in blood. Van glanced up at Billie and gave her a small smile, then looked at Deaq.
"We got them partner?"
"We sure did."
Deag could feel Van's body go limp in arms as he passed out.
"I need an ambulance!" Deaq shouted once more pressing his hand over Van's wound.
"There's one outside. My men will tell them it's clear to come in." Billie knelt next to Deaq, tears in her eyes. "My God Deaq what did they do to him?"
Van lay on the floor, his blood flowing between Deaq's fingers. His wrists, rubbed raw from the ropes, oozed blood and pus. His breath came in short quick gasps.
"My God it's freezing in here." Billie said.
"He's been in here since Thursday. Those bastards kept beating on him." Deaq then looked over at Tony's still form. "We won you son of a bitch." He looked back at Billie. "There's two more upstairs."
"We got them when we came in."
Two paramedics rushed into the room. One ran to Van the other knelt by Tony till he saw there was nothing he could do for him. He then helped his partner with Van.
"What kind of injuries do we have here?" Dave, one of the paramedics asked Deaq and Billie.
"He was stabbed in the stomach and legs." Deaq removed his hand from the wound and let the paramedic take over. "He was beaten and might have a broken leg, possible internal injuries. He has some whip marks on his back...... and rope burns." Deaq motioned toward Van's wrists. Billie shook her head; tears welled up in her eyes as she listened to Van's injuries.
"Someone really worked him over." Dave started an IV drip while the other paramedic, Rick, worked on the stab wound. They did as much as they could for him at the scene.
"We got to get him out of here. Let's go!" Dave said to Rick.
"I'm going with him." Deaq started following the paramedics.
"I'll finish up here then meet you at the hospital. Deaq..........he's going to be okay." Billie was trying to offer some hope to him. She could tell he was frantic with worry. Van and him had become good friends and she knew how it felt when your partner was hurt. You blamed yourself, even if there was nothing you could have done, you still blamed yourself. God, please let him be okay
"Can't you go any faster!" Deaq shouted to the driver from the back of the ambulance. He kept his hand on his partner's arm.
"You're going to be okay Van. I'm here and I'm not going to let anything happen to you. You just hang in there you hear?" Deaq kept talking soothingly to Van throughout the ride to the hospital. Van's breathing started to get worse.
"What's wrong?" Van looked at Dave.
"Hanging in that cold room is starting to catch up to him. Between his injuries and the cold I wouldn't be surprised if he had a touch of pneumonia. Don't worry, when we get to the hospital we'll start him on antibiotics that should take care of it."
Van started to wake up. He began groaning and moving around on the litter. He opened his eyes, and started to panic.
"Deaq!.........Deaq!....." He shouted between gasping for breath.
"I'm right here Van. I'm right here." Deaq reached over to grab his partner's hands but when he saw how blue and swollen they were he stopped. Instead he laid a hand on his chest.
"Oh ........thank God.........I thought you'd been shot." Van relaxed and shut his eyes for a moment. When he opened them Deaq could see them glistening with unshed tears. "Deaq.......I'm scared. I'm really scared .........I feel lousy."
"You hang in there partner. I'll be with you. You gotta hang tough." Deaq reached up and pushed Van's hair out of his eyes. Van started coughing and couldn't catch his breath. The paramedic added something to his IV to calm him.
"Oh God Deaq.........." He gasped as wave after wave of pain shot through him. His green eyes locked with his partner's brown ones. "If anything happens.......I want you to know.......I loved your brother.......and I love you too, partner."
Don't do this to me Van Deaq fought to control his emotions.
"I love........ you too, partner." Deaq choked on the words.
"You want to marry me?" Van said jokingly trying to ease the tension but started coughing again and squeezed his eyes shut as pain shot through his entire body.
"Sure, Billie can be our best man, or maid of honor, or whatever." Deaq said trying to keep the mood light. He looked over at Dave, concern written all over his face.
"He'll rest easy in a few minutes." Dave adjusted the medication.
"Thanks again ........ partner." Van said as his eyes slowly shut and he drifted into unconsciousness.
They arrived at the hospital a little while later. Van was rushed into the emergency room and Deaq tried to follow.
"I told him I wouldn't leave him." Deaq fought the doctors as they tried to push him out of the room.
"We'll let you know how he's doing, but you got to stay out here."
Deaq turned back to the waiting room. He never had felt so helpless and alone his entire life. He paced back and forth. Oh God, please don't take him Billie arrived an hour later and immediately went to him and hugged him.
"How is he Deaq?"
"They're still working on him." Deaq wiped at his eyes. "Oh God Billie, I wish I could do something."
Just then the emergency room door opened and the doctor came out.
"How is he?" Both Deaq and Billie asked in unison.
"He's stabilized. We won't know the full extent of his injuries till we get him to the operating room. He's young, he's strong, there's no reason to think he won't make it. You can wait here or I can call you at home when he's in recovery."
"I'm waiting." Deaq spoke up.
"Me too." Billie grabbed Deaq's hand.
Four hours later the doctor walked into the waiting room. Deaq who had been standing at the window staring out of it for the last two hours spun around. Billie stood up from the sofa where she had been paging endlessly through magazines.
"He had a lot of injuries. I'll run them through for you. He has a mild case of pneumonia, a broken leg, and bruised ribs. The stab wound was about an inch deep. It appears that the man started slicing upward much like you would gut a deer. Fortunately he didn't go too far but he did knick his bladder. We repaired everything and with rest there should be no problem. We had to give him blood transfusions because we had a little trouble stopping the bleeding, but that's under control. The thing I'm really concerned about are his hands. The circulation had been cut off from them for a long period. The right one I think with time should be fine. It's the left one I'm concerned about. It appears your friend tried to put most of his weight on his left arm because more then likely he's right handed and was trying to protect that hand. We're doing everything possible but I'm afraid there is a chance he might lose it."
"Those bastards." Deaq muttered.
"When can we see him?" Billie asked.
"He's in recovery now. When he starts to come around we'll move him to a room. I'd say about another three hours. I suggest you both go home and come back later. He's been through hell and might sleep the whole day."
"I ain't leaving till I see him." Deaq sat down on the sofa.
"I'm staying too." Billie sat next to him.
Four hours later a nurse came into the waiting room. Billie and Deaq had both fallen asleep on the sofa. The nurse gently woke them.
"He's in his room if you'd like to see him. It's room 312."
"Thanks." Billie said as she and Deaq got up and headed out the door.
They quietly entered Van's room. He was still out. He had an oxygen mask on his face and two different IV's were in his arm. They walked over and looked down at him. They could see that his leg had a cast on it. Blankets covered the bandages on his stomach, but they could see the bruises on his face. His right hand was bandaged at the wrist and color seemed to have returned to it, a good sign. His left arm was tied to the side of the bed, his wrist and hand enclosed in a bag of warm liquid in an attempt to warm it and improve circulation. It still had a touch of blue to it.
"My God, he looks so young." Billie said softly.
"Hey partner, you're going to be okay." Deaq said as he patted Van's leg. "Look what those bastards did to him Billie." He sadly shook his head.
"He's strong Deaq, he's going to make it." She put her hand gently on the side of Van's face. The slight touch started to bring him around. He groaned softly and started to move. His eyes suddenly flew open; a look of panic in them when he realized his arm was tied down. He struggled to free himself.
"Van, it's okay. Take it easy, you're in the hospital." Deaq said as he put his hands on Van's shoulders and tried to keep him from moving. He looked up at Deaq his face slowly coming into focus.
"Deaq." He said softly. He then shifted his eyes over to Billie. "Hey Billie. How're you doing?" He shut his eyes for a few seconds then reopened them.
"The question is.........how are you doing?" Billie smiled and put her hand on his shoulder.
"You.........you tell me." He winced as he tried to move.
"The doctor said you should be fine with a little rest. You took quite a beating." Billie said.
"Yeah..........I remember some of it." His eyes shifted back to Deaq. "Deaq, you okay partner? I remember you fighting with..........Scott.........then a shot. I can't remember much, just hearing the gunshot."
"I'm fine. You covered my back partner."
"I did?" Van had forgotten how he had grabbed Tony with his legs while Deaq fought with Scott. Van tried to move again; he then remembered that his arm was tied down. He looked at Deaq and Billie.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"What?" Billie asked.
"Why am I tied to the bed?"
"Just trying to keep you from moving your arm too much." Deaq answered trying to sound casual.
"Why? What's wrong?" Neither Billie nor Deaq answered him. He tried to move his hand but he could barely move the fingers. "Deaq, what's going on man? I can't move my hand. What's the matter with it?" Van started to get agitated. A nurse hearing him came in, examined him then gave him a shot in his IV.
"That will calm him down a little. The doctor doesn't want him moving around too much." She checked his blood pressure and the IV drips then left.
"What's.......what's wrong....with.....my........." Van fought the medication but it was no use. As exhausted as he was, he fell asleep immediately.
"What are we suppose to tell him Billie? That he might lose his hand? I know him Billie, he's not going to handle it well."
"At least he's alive Deaq. You both are. This bust could have gone bad, real bad."
"Damn.......I swore I wasn't going to get close to him. We'd work together but there was no way I was going to let him get under my skin. But the son of a bitch did anyway." Deaq turned away and wiped his eyes. "Maybe I should just go back to New York."
"Deaq." Billie turned him gently around. "You don't mean that. Your home is here. Your partner needs you..........now more then ever."
"I'll be here for him Billie, but when this is over..........I don't know. I always told him we were partners, not friends......." He shook his head sadly. "It's hard Billie, it's just hard."
"I know.........Look I need to get back to the Candy Store, clean up some loose ends. Maybe you should go home, get some rest. You're not going to do Van any good if you're exhausted."
"Maybe I'll go home, get a shower and some clean cloths but I'm coming back. I want to be here when he wakes up."
"You call me if there's any change."
They both left the room. Billie headed to the Candy Store and Deaq headed home. He quickly showered and dressed. He rushed back to the hospital, not wanting Van to wake up alone. He pulled a chair over to his bed and sat down. The rest of the day was spent watching the doctors and nurses go in and out of Van's room while he slept. He finally drifted off to sleep and was awaken late in the afternoon when Van finally woke up.
"Hey partner." Deaq stood up.
"Hey."
"How're you feeling?"
"Glad to be out of that refrigerator." Van gave Deaq a sleepy smile.
"You were starting to look like a vanilla popsicle." Deaq smiled back.
"Deaq........tell me the truth. What's wrong with my hand?"
Deaq looked down at the floor.
"Deaq?"
"You're hand.........the circulation was cut off.........They might........" Deaq tried to find the words to tell Van that they might have to amputate.
"I might lose it?" Van asked, he was terrified but tried to stay calm for Deaq's sake.
"They.........they don't know." Deaq shook his head. "I'm sorry man. I should have done something ........."
"Hey partner, it's not your fault. There's nothing you could have done. Hey.........at least I'm alive. Right?" Van said trying to sound brave.
"That's right, and your hand might be fine." Deaq glanced over at Van's injured hand. "Look, every minute the color seems to get better."
Deaq wasn't lying. The blue was slowly leaving Van's hand replaced gradually by pink. It was a very slow process, but it was happening.
"It looks a hell of a lot better then it did earlier." Deaq added.
"Deaq.......I want to thank you. I didn't think I was gonna make it."
"You had me worried partner."
"Tony? Scott?"
"Tony has met his maker and Scott and the rest are going away for a long time."
The door opened and Van's doctor entered. He nodded to the two partners.
"How're you doing?" He asked Van as he lifted the bandage covering his stomach to examine the incision.
"Well I won't be running the marathon anytime soon." Van smiled.
"Looks good." The doctor replaced the bandage. "Now let's take a look at this." The doctor picked up Van's injured hand. Van winced a little as the doctor removed his hand from the liquid. The doctor then pulled a sharp pin out of his jacket. "Can you feel this?" The doctor pricked each of Van's fingers.
Van answered yes to each prick. The doctor smiled.
"That's good isn't it?" Deaq asked anxiously.
"No, it's great." The doctor smiled at Deaq then turned back to Van. "You're coming along nicely. In fact I didn't think I'd see this kind of improvement, if any, for a few days yet. As long as you continue to improve as fast as you are I might be able to let you go home in a few days. You'll have to take it easy and won't be able to work for a few months, but I think with a little time you'll be as good as new."
The doctor left and Deaq called Billie with the good news.
"That's great Deaq, give him my best. Tell him I'll be in later to see him... ...and Deaq...........you staying in L.A.?"
"Yeah Billy.......I'm staying." Deaq smiled down at his partner.
The End