Not-the-Authors Note: I am posting the last four chapters of this story for Duchessfaleen, who was unable to do so herself. But she didn't want to leave you guys hanging. So without further ado, the conclusion of I'll Be There by Duchessfallen.
Standard Disclaimer: Neither Duchessfaleen nor I have any claim to these characters, sadly.
Chapter 9
Abby was beyond pain now.
She was disoriented and too exhausted to even think. Dangling on the edge of consciousness, she could hear a strange sound dripping into her head. Hes still here, she thought. I have to stay awake. Forcing herself to open her eyes, she realized that the sound was coming from her attacker, a strange, sort of maniacal laughter.
"You shouldn't have tried to fight it. Fighting it will only make me angrier, baby."
"Stop calling me that!" Abby managed to say. Even though she was weak and barely able to move her lips, she was going to fight.
He responded by giving her another slap across the cheek. Then he took her by the hair and forced her head back.
"Don't you DARE tell me what to do!" he growled. Abby could see his eyes were filled with rage, but it was a different type of rage; a kind of unrestrained fury that was mixed with madness. And for the first time, Abby was afraid he would kill her. She braced herself for the onslaught she knew was coming, but it never came. He released her and spun around to face the door. Abby couldn't quite tell, but it seemed like he was talking to himself. She shivered. She was truly frightened, more than she wanted to admit, even to herself.
"Connor, please come find me!" she screamed. She thought she had screamed it in her head, but the minute he whipped around, she knew she said it out loud. Instead of yelling and beating her, he smiled grimly.
"Oh Connor boy won"t be coming to your rescue. I made quite sure of that!"
Abby's heart dropped into her stomach. "Wh...what do you mean?" she asked, hoping, no praying, he wouldn't notice the tremor in her voice.
He paused before he responded, looking as if he was savoring the moment. Finally, he said, "He's dead."
Those words hit Abby like a lead weight. She felt the hot tears coming, but she refused to let him see her cry. She tried to cling to reason. He isn't dead! He's lying! she thought. I would know if Connor was dead...wouldn't I? Abby didn't want to believe him, but she was so weak and tired that something in her confused and dazed mind said that maybe, just maybe, he was right.
On the verge of hysteria, she yelled, "No...NO! You're lying! I don't believe you!"
"How could I be? I am the one who killed him after all!" he stated smugly.
For a moment, Abby was too shocked to respond at all, but then shock turned into something primal. She forgot all her bruises and pains, and with a guttural cry of rage mixed with despair, she tried to attack the monster who had taken everything from her. Unfortunately, she also forgot that she was still tied to the chair.
As she struggled in vain to try and loosen the ropes, he just laughed that chilling laugh and said, "Temper, temper. I thought you would be happy! I did you a favor, you know. He's not going to bother you any more, baby. It was quite pathetic the way he died. He begged me for mercy. He also tried to bargain his life, saying that if I let him live I could keep you." He paused again, enjoying the pain he was inflicting.
"You should've seen it. He died like a coward, whimpering and whining until the end!"
Every word he said made Abby angrier, made her try harder and harder to free her hands so that she could wipe that smug grin off his face. All the time screaming, "I hate you! I HATE YOU!"
Her captor just stood there, watching her strain. Before long, he said, "Hm? Yes, well look at the time. I should get back! So sorry baby, but must dash. And I wouldn't be too upset, you have me after all."
Then he was gone. He left behind a cold, dark room containing the bruised and battered woman who was left alone in her thoughts. Abby let the tears flow freely. Connor couldn't be dead. They had been a part of each other's lives for so long now, surely if he was dead, she would know it! Wouldn't she? She knew one thing for certain, if she had lost him, she would be dead too!
~o~o~
Connor jolted awake. He had barely slept since Friday. Every time he tried to sleep, he would have the same nightmare over and over again. He missed Abby so much that it was a physical pain. He had to find her, but everything they could think of seemed to just lead to another dead-end!
The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He turned around to see who was watching him. Jarred Neal was standing in the doorway.
"Hello Jarred," Connor said, mentally rolling his eyes. He could barely stand the guy at the best of times. Right now, Jarred was the last person Connor wanted to see.
"What can I do for you?" he asked, unable to keep the annoyed edge out of his voice.
Jarred stood there for a moment, looking very uncomfortable. "I-I just wanted to ask how you were doing." Connor noted the anxious tone in Jarred's voice.
Connor's fragile nerves snapped. "I'm doing splendid! WHAT DO YOU THINK?" he yelled. Connor wished the words unsaid the second he spoke them. Jarred seemed to fold in on himself. Connor took a deep breath. Calm down Temple, he told himself. Not even Jarred deserved that! He stood up and went to put his hand on Jarred's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get at ya. I am just a little on edge."
Jarred relaxed and timidly smiled. "Never mind. I'm sure you are worried for Abby. You know, with her going through all those beatings and everything."
Those words made Connor stiffen, alarms going off in his head. How did he know that? His grip on Jarred's shoulder tightening, Connor's eyes narrowed menacingly.
"What did you just say?" Connor's voice was low and menacing.
Jarred's eyes filled with panic. Trying to loosen Connor's grip, he stammered, "N-n-nothing!"
Connor's only thought was that this man knew something about Abby. He had to know what it was. He didn't stop to think as he grabbed hold of Jarred's shirt with both hands, pulling him so that their faces were almost touching.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Connor repeated.
"No! Let me go!" Jarred screamed, squirming under Connor's iron-like grip. "Help!"
By this time, Becker had come to investigate the commotion. He paused as he walked into the room, momentarily shocked by the scene that met his eyes. He recovered quickly though, and ran to wrench Connor away from Jarred.
"Connor! What has gotten into you, man?" he cried, trying his best to keep Connor from Jarred.
"Let me go, Becker!" Connor growled, daggers shooting out of his eyes.
Lester had arrived as well. "What is this about?" he asked, walking into the room.
As Connor looked at Lester, he realized that Jarred had disappeared. "Perfect! You've let him get away now!" he yelled as he shoved Becker aside and went running in pursuit of Jarred.
Connor ran all through the ARC, searching room after room, everywhere he could think of. As he ran, the picture that filled his mind was of Abby, that dress she looked so beautiful in, torn, her face bloody and bruised. But above all, the look of pain and suffering on her dear face. If Jarred was the one who did that to her, Connor knew he would not rest until he found him and gave him exactly what he deserved.
Connor kept running and running, but Jarred was nowhere in sight. All the time, Becker was trying to stop him. But Connor seemed to be fueled by wrath. Becker was only able to catch up with Connor once he finally fell to his knees, panting for breath.
Lester had been following the pair as well, but at a more decorous pace. "Connor!" he cried, catching up with the two men. "What in GOD'S name is going on?"
His face contorted with rage, Connor yelled, "I'm going to kill him!" as he started to get back on his feet. But Becker caught him before he could start running again.
"Bring him to my office!" Lester said.
Once they were back in Lester's office, Becker sat a seething Connor down in a chair facing the desk, while Lester took his seat. Taking a deep breath, he said as calmly as he could, "Now, would you mind telling me exactly what happened?"
Connor was ready to explode. He knew he had to calm down, but he couldn't. Once again, they were sitting here, wasting time while Abby's kidnapper was getting away. Connor had a lot of respect for Lester, so he tried his best to keep from taking out all his frustration on him.
"Jarred Neal," Connor said through clenched teeth. "Jarred Neal is the one who took Abby!" Oh, why had he not seen it before? Looking back, all the signs were there!
Lester and Becker exchanged surprised looks. "How do you know this?"
"He just said to me that he knows about Abby being beat. The only people who know that are standing in this room. So how could he possibly know anything about it?"
Lester was silent, taking in what Connor had just said. "You are absolutely sure about this?" he asked.
"I am positive," Connor said, shaking with impatience. "Now can we please get him?"
Lester looked at Connor as he picked up the phone. "Jess, please have Matt come to my office."
Connor was impatient; he needed to get to Abby. Why Lester was bringing Matt in, he had no clue. Matt came into Lester's office. He saw how agitated Connor was and knew something was wrong.
"Have a seat," Lester commanded.
Matt listened as Lester explained the situation. "So Matt, I want you to go with Becker to Neal's flat."
"I'm going too!" Connor interrupted. "There is no bloody way I'm not!"
"Alright, but Connor..." whatever Lester was going to say died on his lips when he saw the desperation in Connor's eyes.
As the three men left Lester's office, Matt spoke to Connor, "We'll get him, mate. I promise. But let me and Becker go. He WANTS you to lose control. Don't give him that satisfaction."
For the first time, Connor saw Matt as a friend. "I know, but you don't understand…she has always been there for me or with me. At night, she's always beside me. When I come to work, she's there watching my back. Even when I dream, she's always there. We have been a part of each other's lives for so long nowYit's like we've become a part of each other. If I lost her now, it wouldn't just be half of me that would die. I would die too."
Something in the way Connor spoke told Matt that this wasn't Connor being emotional or dramatic. This was Connor stating fact. Somehow Matt knew that if, God forbid, Abby did die, Connor would too.
"Come on then," Matt said as he patted Connor's back. "Let's to get Abby back."
The ride to Jarred's flat seemed an eternity! Connor was seething, radiating anger. Not at Jarred so much as himself. He should have seen it. Why was he so stupid? Abby was in the clutches of a psycho maniac. Finally they arrived at the flat. Becker and Matt told him to wait. Connor was about to reply, but Becker stopped him.
"Connor, please, let Matt and I go in first."
Connor wanted to protest, but didn't. He understood his friends were trying to protect him as much as possible. Jarred lived on the third floor, and Connor followed as Becker and Matt took the lead. When they reached the door, Becker took one last look at Connor.
"Jarred?" Becker called, banging on the door. "Jarred? It's Becker. Are you in there?" He waited, but everything was silent inside.
Matt and Becker exchanged looks and nodded. Becker kicked in the door and Matt walked in, horrified by what he saw. "Make sure Connor doesn't see this!"
Becker turned to walk out, but he saw Connor approach. Connor heard what Matt said.
Becker stopped him. "Connor, mate, I think it would be best if you stayed out here."
Bile rose in Connor's throat. "Why? What's going on? What's in there?"
Before Becker could reply, Connor pushed past him. Matt turned and saw Connor rush into the room.
"Connor wait! I want you prepared!" Matt stepped in front of Connor to stop him.
"Oh God! Abby's dead, isn't she?" And before either Matt or Becker could answer, Connor ran into the room. He stopped dead in his tracks. There was no Abby, but what he saw made him sick! There were pictures plastered everywhere there was space. Pictures of Abby. Abby shopping. Abby driving, working and cooking. Every photo had some sort of note on it. But then there were the pictures of Abby and Connor together. Of them walking down the street, sitting on their couch, and even of the day in Brighton.
Connor looked closer at the pictures, and he noticed that in each picture of him, Jarred had burned holes where his eyes were. Connor was trembling with anger, and maybe he could have handled it. The emotions were leaving him sick and cold with fear, but then he saw it. Standing there looking at what seemed to be hundreds of pictures, each one more sickening than the last, Connor's eyes fell on a familiar object. Pinned up on the wall between two pictures, there hung a pair of woman's knicker's. The pair that Abby had lost no too long ago.
Connor roared with rage as he tore down the pictures. Matt and Becker just watched, feeling helpless as they watched Connor spiral out of control.
Still-not-the-author's note: So there's chapter nine! As soon as I get chapters ten through twelve formatted, they'll go up as well. Any reviews you leave I will gladly pass along to Duchessfaleen.