"No way Captain! I am not doing that!" Sgt Rita Lee Lance stood in front of her Captain's desk, arms crossed. Captain Lipshitz looked up at her, unfazed by her anger. "This is not a request Rita." Rita sat in one of the chairs facing her Captain. "Cap, send me in as a judge, or hell, even a cleaning lady. But not as a singer!"
She heard a snicker from behind her, and turned to glare at her partner, Sgt Chris Lorenzo. He grinned at her and she rolled her eyes. Turning back to face her Captain, she sighed. "Alright, fine. What am I supposed to do once I'm in there?" Lipshitz settled back into his chair. "The talent portion of this group is legit. They've had a few stars go on to Hollywood and end up with chart topping albums. But that's all a cover up for a large drug and prostitution ring. Sending you in is a favor to the FBI, they have been trying to plant someone in the competition for awhile but it seems there's a leak inside the FBI. Anyone they send gets politely but firmly turned away. So, they want you." "What makes you think the leak won't know about me as well?" "Because only the Director of the FBI has any knowledge of this. He contacted us directly and discreetly." Rita shook her head, a bit uncomfortable with it all. "And what am I supposed to do in there?" "Find out who their buyers are, as many as you can. The FBI wants to know where the drugs are going, where the girls are going, and who's collecting the cash."
Chris stepped up from behind Rita. "So Cap, who's going in with Rita?" "No one Chris, this is a solo job, Director's orders." Chris leaned on the desk. "The Director can kiss my ass, no way is Rita going in there alone." The Captain fixed him with a stare. Chris stared right back. "Cap, I have a bad feeling about this. Rita cannot go in there alone." His voice was low but demanding. Captain Lipshitz held his eyes for a moment longer, then gave a slight nod. "Fine. I'll see what I can do." He shook his finger at Chris. "But until then, Rita flies solo. Got it?" "Got it, sir!" Chris said as he pushed himself away from the desk. He turned to look at Rita, expecting a dirty look or smart comment. She met his gaze and quickly looked away, but not before he saw a shadow pass though her eyes. Worried, he moved behind her again, gently squeezing her shoulder as he passed by her.
Meanwhile the Captain handed Rita a folder. "Here's your new identity Rita. Everything's taken care of, the references listed in there will back you up. There's your hotel information with your room number. And on top is the audition location and times. I think you have enough time to go home, change, and make it to today's auditions." The Captain grinned at her, and Rita sighed, closing the folder. "Got it Cap," she said, as she stood. She headed out to her desk, acknowledging the Captain's orders to be safe with a wave of her hand. Chris followed her, sitting on the edge of her desk as she gathered stuff. She knew why he was there. "Want to come to my place with me while I get ready?" She asked, not looking at him. "Yea," he replied as he watched her. She met his eyes briefly, giving him a small smile. They walked out together. Rita hopped into her Jeep, and Chris followed her back to her place.
Up in her apartment, Rita dumped her files on the counter, and went to fix a glass of water. Chris came up behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Alright Sam, spill it, what's bugging you?" She took a sip of her water as Chris' hands began to massage her shoulders. Setting her water on the counter, she leaned back against him and he wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on top of her head. "I'm not sure Chris. Something about all this just bugs me." She rested one of her hands overtop his, her fingers lightly tracing his. She gave a small laugh as she said, "Maybe I'm just nervous about the singing part of this." He squeezed her tighter. "I don't know Sam, something about it bugs me too. And I really don't like the idea of you flying solo. I hope Cap finds me a way in, and fast." "Me too Sam, me too." Suddenly aware of his body pressed against hers, Rita broke their embrace, turning to face Chris. "I better go get ready," she said, smiling at him. He just nodded and watched her walk away.
Chris was stretched out on the couch when Rita came back down almost forty minutes later. He opened his eyes when he heard her heels click on the floor. He glanced up at her and felt his heart jump. He sat up slowly, and Rita twirled around, asking, "How do I look?" She was wearing a green velvet dress that hugged every curve and left nothing to the imagination. "Uh, um, won…wonderful," he stammered. "You look wonderful," he repeated, as he stood. She smiled and blushed. "Thank you," she replied. "Too wonderful," he added, going into protective mode. Rita sighed, reaching down to adjust the strap on her high heels. "Sam, I'm trying to break into a prostitution and drug ring, I'm not going to manage that if I go in looking like little Miss Innocent." A touch of irritation laced her words, and he bit back any more protests. Instead he walked over to stand in front of her. Taking her hands in his, he looked into her sparkling green eyes. "Call me when you're done?" He asked. She started to get defensive again, but saw the concern in his eyes. "Yea," she said, squeezing his hands. He grinned at her, and pulled her into a hug. She returned his hug, and then headed to the audition site.
Rita took a deep breath as she pulled into the hotel lot. She was nervous, and not about going undercover. She was nervous about singing in front of others. The Captain was right to send her on this however, for she was able to sing, even if she might be a little out of practice. She parked her car and headed inside, forcing herself to be calm. She found the auditions easy enough by following the sounds of some horrible singing. Walking into the room she saw the poor girl attempting to sing on stage, and the judges sitting not far away with their hands over their ears. Finally one guy waved the poor girl off the stage. She darted out of the room past Rita, tears falling down her cheeks. Rita sighed, and noticed the room was empty except for her and the judges. The guy that chased the last girl out stared at her. "Well, are you here to audition, or were you just making sure that last girl wasn't dying in here?" Rita laughed despite herself. "I'm here to audition, but I am glad that girl is ok." He grinned at her. "Come on up. My name is Steve, and these two are John and Kenneth." Rita shook hands with all three. "I'm Rita." "Pleased to meet you Rita. What brings you out here today?" "I want to sing." Steve nodded, smiling. "That's what they all say! Up on stage with you then. What song music do you want?" "Do you have Martina McBride, hm, A Broken Wing?" Kenneth fiddled with the computer in front of him, and nodded. "Sure do, ready?" Rita nodded, taking the microphone in both hands. She closed her eyes as she waited for the music to start.
A Broken Wing – Martina McBrideShe loved him
like he was
The last man on Earth
Gave him everything she
ever had
He'd break her spirit down
Then come lovin' up on
her
Give a little then take it back
She'd tell him about
her dreams
He'd just shoot 'em down
Lord he loved to make her
cry
You're crazy for believin'
You'll ever leave the ground
He said Only angels know how to fly
And with a broken
wing
She still sings
She keeps an eye on the sky
With a
broken wing
She carries her dreams
Man you ought to see her
fly
One Sunday morning
She didn't go to church
He
wondered why she didn't leave
He went up to the bedroom
Found
a note by the window
With the curtains blowin' in the breeze
And with a broken wing
She still sings
She keeps an
eye on the sky
With a broken wing
She carries her dreams
Man
you ought to see her fly
With a broken wing
She carries
her dreams
Man you ought to see her fly
The music ended and she opened her eyes again, glancing nervously at the three men. They stared at her, silent for a moment, and then Steve spoke. "Wow, Rita, that was amazing! You have a wonderful voice, and such talent!" She blushed, looking down at her shoes. The other two added their compliments, and she blushed more, but smiled too. Fifteen minutes later she walked out, a spot guaranteed in the talent show.
She called Chris as she drove home. She could tell he was relieved to hear from her. She invited him over for dinner, and laughed when he admitted he was still at her place. They agreed that she would pick up dinner on the way – Chinese – and he would pick out a movie. Rita walked into her apartment with the bag of Chinese food and saw Chris stretched out on her couch. She sat the bag on the coffee table and ruffled his hair as she walked by. "Going to get out of this dress Sam, help yourself," she said. "Need a hand with the dress Sammy?" He asked, grinning at her back. "I think I can handle it Sam," she replied, never looking back. He chuckled as she went upstairs, and started rummaging through the bag of food. He had the containers sitting out on the table and was getting two glasses of wine when Rita returned, dressed in one of his old shirts. He stared at her and couldn't help but think she looked just as sexy in his old t-shirt as she did in the velvet dress. She flopped down onto the couch. "Chris!" she called, looking up. She caught him staring at her. "What?" she asked, smiling. He shook his head, "Nothing Sam. Let's eat!" He brought the wine bottle and two glasses over to the table.
Rita filled him in on the audition as they ate. The rest of the competition was pretty simple. In five days, Rita would compete against 14 other girls for the top prize of a record deal. Of course, the actual competition didn't mean much to them. More importantly, Rita had to find her "in" to the drug and prostitution part of this thing. She would start working on that tomorrow, when she checked into her room at the hotel the show was using. They finished their meal and headed to the couch for a movie. Chris hit play and Rita laughed when Maltese Falcon started.
The next morning, Rita didn't go to the station. She packed a couple of bags and had breakfast before heading over to the hotel. Once there, she checked in, and went to her room. Kenneth visited her soon after, bring her roses and a bottle of champagne. "Just a little present for a beautiful woman and singer!" he said, placing the roses and champagne on the dresser. She smiled and thanked him. He handed her a sheet of paper. She scanned it, seeing it was an itinerary of events for the days leading up to the contest. Kenneth went over it with her, hinting that she was expected to attend all events. The first one was a dinner that night at 6pm. Kenneth told her where and then left. She closed the door behind him and groaned. She checked the time – 11:40am. Plenty of time to pamper herself before the dinner. She ordered some room service for lunch. While waiting she used her cell phone to check in with the Captain. Rita updated him on her schedule and assured him she'd check in when she could. She wanted to talk to Chris too, but he was out on an investigation. She hung up just as there was a knock on the door. Five minutes later she was sitting comfortably on the bed, watching TV as she ate her lunch.
Rita spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around, watching TV and napping. She took a long bath, enjoying the time to relax. She started getting ready for the dinner when her cell phone rang. "Hello?" "Hey partner!" Chris' voice filled her ear. She smiled, happy as always to hear from him. "Hey yourself. Not working too hard without me are you?" "Hah! I'll be sure to save the best for when you're back Sammy!" She laughed. "So how's it going there? Any more on the prostitution and drug ring or are you too busy singing?" "Funny Sam. No, no more on the ring yet. I have a dinner to go to shortly, hoping I can start to weasel my way in there." His voice went serious. "Be careful Sam. I still don't like this. And Cap hasn't found a way in for me yet." "Yea, I will be." They were silent for a moment. "Well, I better go finish getting ready for dinner." "Yea." He paused for a second. "Yea, you do that. I miss you Sam, hurry up and bust that ring ok?" She grinned. "Yea. Talk to you later partner." "See ya!" She put her phone down, sighing. Still smiling, she continued getting ready.
An hour later, Rita stood in front of the mirror. Dressed in a black satin dress that was almost too short, she was stunning. She put the finishing touches on her makeup and slipped her feet into black high heels. She smiled to herself as she remembered how Chris had reacted to seeing her in the other dress, and wondered what he would say about this one. She grabbed her handbag and checked herself one last time in the mirror before heading to the dinner.
Steve spotted her as soon as she walked into the restaurant. He walked over to her, issuing a low whistle. "You look absolutely wonderful!" he exclaimed, grabbing her hand. She smiled and allowed him to lead her over to his table, where Kenneth and John were sitting, along with two men she didn't know. Steve introduced her to the men, Tyler and Carter. Rita smiled politely, but inwardly shivered. Both men looked at her like she was a piece of meat. Of course, that's what she wanted them to think, but it didn't mean she liked it.
The next day she woke early, since she was expected downstairs by 8am. She spent the day with the guys, picking the song she would sing and arranging a mini show out of it. Rita was rather impressed with the length they went to put on a good show. She would be singing Concrete Angel, another Martina McBride song, and they planned to play most of the video while she sang. Instead of the shots of Martina in the video, it would show live camera image of her on stage. Rita laughed at herself when she found herself getting nervous. She didn't even know if the competition would happen, it all depended on when they were able to bust the ring. She rehearsed until another dinner like the night before. And then repeated it all the next day. At the end of the third day, Kenneth told her she'd only have to rehearse once the next day, and then would be free until the competition on Friday night. At Wednesday's dinner, she laid on the charm more, feeling the pressure as time was running out. She thought she was getting somewhere when John asked her if she wanted to make some extra money after the show. She told him she was interested, but he wouldn't go any further into it, saying he'd tell her Friday night. Rita tried to push it, but he just pulled her to him and kissed her roughly, then sent her to her room. Rita worried about it as she got ready for bed, she only had two days to break this thing.
Rita was sleeping soundly when two figures crept into her room about 1:00 am. They watched her for a moment, then one made a motion out the door and three more shadows crept in. They silently surrounded Rita's bed. Rita stirred, as if she sensed them in her sleep, but didn't wake. One figure moved towards her head, a piece of tape stretched between his hands. He quickly covered Rita's mouth with it.
Rita came awake immediately. Out of habit, her hand reached for her gun that wasn't there, but strong hands held her arms. Panicking, she tried to pull away, but was held strong. She kicked out with her legs, but the covers were yanked off her and other hands grabbed her legs, holding them down. She screamed, but it came out muffled due to the tape. She thrashed about, trying to free herself, to no avail. Fear raced through her blood. She could barely make out the shapes of the men in the dark room. One crawled onto the bed, between her legs, kicking the covers further down. She whimpered, and thrashed more, desperate. Tears filled her eyes as the man grabbed her hips, forcing himself down on her. She sobbed as she felt him enter her, screaming at the pain even though it did no good. The men were all silent as he raped her. When he was done, he moved off and another took his place. Rita lay still now, stunned by it all. She hoped it was all a nightmare, but the pain was too real. One by one the five men raped her, each more violent than the last. When it was done, the ones holding her down released her. They pushed her off the bed. One of them spoke for the first time. "Don't disfigure her, or disable her. She has a show to do in two days." The men chuckled, and one kicked her in the ribs. She curled up into a ball, sobbing again. She pleaded for them to stop, but the words were unintelligible. A voice sounded right beside her ear. "Consider this your initiation my dear. If you behave yourself, you'll get a nice paying job with excellent benefits after the show." He licked her ear, then stood and kicked her again. After several more kicks, and a warning to be silent about what happened, they left her. She slowly uncurled from the ball she was in, reaching up to yank the tape off her mouth. She sat up, almost fainting at the pain in her ribs. Rita just knew something was broken. She slowly stood, tears streaming down her face. Rita wanted nothing more than to call Chris. She had the cell phone in her hand before she knew it, but hesitated on dialing his number. She was so close to breaking this, if she got out now they would lose their chance again. Despite her desire to run to Chris' arms, she put the cell phone down. She headed for the shower, eager to wash away every trace of those men.
Rita got no more sleep that night. Her rehearsal was at 9am, and she had to hide any hints of what happened last night. Fortunately they had done as the one ordered, and not left any bruises that couldn't be hidden by her outfits. She went through the rehearsal mindlessly. Her song was perfect, but she wasn't into it. Kenneth fussed at her a little for that, but just assumed she was nervous. She went back to her room after rehearsal. She called Chris to see what was going on there. "Sammy! How's the show going?" "Just lovely Chris. Anything good happening there?" "Not much, think I have an in for tomorrow night, but still not 100 sure." "Ah, hope it works out, could use you there." Chris detected something in her voice. "Everything ok Sammy?" "Just fine." Chris got worried, sensing that she was lying to him. "Don't lie to me Sammy…" "I'm not Chris, I'm just tired and I want to get this over with." Chris let it go, even though he still didn't believe her. They chatted for a couple more minutes, and then Rita hung up to take a nap.
Some time later she woke covered in sweat, tears flowing down her face from a nightmare about last night. Shivering, she huddled on the bed, wanting nothing more than to call Chris back. A knock at her door brought her out of her thoughts. She quickly wiped her face as she called out, "Just a minute!" She tidied up the bed, and her clothes. Running her fingers through her hair, she stepped to the door. Opening it, she found Kenneth outside. He quickly stepped into the room, grabbing her and pushing her to the wall. She gasped at the pain in her ribs. "You're hurting me," she said. He kissed her in reply, one hand groping her breasts. She struggled. He held her tight, but didn't use extreme force. "I won't hurt you anymore sugar, you've got to sing tomorrow. But, when you're done, don't you want to come work for me?" "Depends on what the pay is, sugar," she replied. She tried to pull away from him again, and he let her go. "Pay depends on how good you are. And I think you'd be really good." He winked at her, and left her. She shivered, disgusted by it all. But, she had her "in". Once she was working for them, she could get those lists and get the hell out of there. Sighing, she grabbed the phone and ordered some room service.
Friday morning came way too early for her. The show wasn't until 6pm, so she had the day to do whatever. She headed downstairs to find some breakfast. On her way down, she saw Kenneth, John and Steve leave their rooms and head downstairs as well. They didn't notice her, so she quietly walked down the hallway and stopped outside Kenneth's door. Checking the handle, she noticed it was unlocked. Her heart pounded as she opened the door and stepped inside. Scanning the room, she didn't see anything obvious lying around. She poked around the desk, checking piles of paper, but everything appeared to be legit show stuff. She sighed and started to leave, but noticed a disc sitting under some papers. It was unmarked. She slipped it into her pocket, hoping it would be something worthwhile, and headed downstairs.
At 5:05pm, Chris and Captain Lipshitz walked into the hotel and found their way to where the show was going to happen. They were five minutes late, fitting for the spoiled, bored, rich father and son part they were playing. They quietly took their seats at a table not far from the stage, and ordered expensive drinks. Chris grinned as Cap grimaced at the prices. He turned to watch the stage as the first contestant came out. They watched as contestant after contestant came out on stage. It wasn't too long before Chris didn't have to pretend to be bored. He yawned as a pretty blonde finished up a rendition of "Amazing Grace". He turned back to the Cap, yawning again. "At least they all can sing so far," commented Cap. Chris nodded his agreement as the announcer called out the next contestant, Rita Lauren. Chris met Cap's eyes briefly, then turned back to watch his partner. His jaw hit the floor when he saw her. Rita looked amazing. She was wearing black pants and shirt that hugged her curves. The shirt was decorated with a bit of purple on the edges, and the sleeves were snug until the wrist, where they flared out in a country style. She had black cowboy boots to match, her pants flaring out slightly around them. But what amazed Chris was her hair. Rita had straightened her curls so that her hair lay flat around her face. Chris thought it looked wonderful.
Rita stood up on the stage, nervously clinging to the microphone. She glanced around while waiting for the music to start, and saw her partner and their Captain sitting nearby. She caught Chris' eyes and quickly dropped her gaze. She was afraid she would cry or that he would somehow see what had happened in her eyes. She knew he probably sensed something was wrong already, he knew her too well.
She was right. Chris saw the hurt in her eyes before she dropped her gaze. He noted the tension in her body, and knew it wasn't just nerves. He turned back to Cap. "Something's wrong," he said, keeping his voice low as the music started. "What do you mean?" asked Cap. "She looks wonderful up there." "Cap, I know Rita, I know something is wrong," he insisted, trying to keep his voice down. Cap sighed and looked at him. He knew Chris was most likely right. Turning his gaze back to Rita he replied, "She doesn't look hurt Chris, and this can't be easy work anyway. We have to wait for her." Chris nodded, not really accepting it, but Rita had started singing and he was pulled by her voice.
Rita had closed her eyes when the music started, taking deep breaths to calm herself. She didn't want to be on stage, she wanted to be with Chris, to tell him all that had happened. She forced those thoughts out of her head. She saw the flickering lights from the video beside her through her closed eyes. After one more breath she started to sing.
She walks to school with the lunch she packed
Nobody knows what she's holding back
Wearing the same dress she wore yesterday
She hides the bruises with the linen and lace
Oh...
The teacher wonders
But she doesn't ask
It's hard to see the pain behind mask
Bearing the burden of a sacred storm
Sometimes she wishes she was never born
Through the wind and the rain
She stands hard as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings
And she flies to a place where she's loved
Concrete angel
Somebody cries in the middle of the night
The neighbors hear but they turn out the light
A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate
When morning comes
It'll be to late
Through the wind and the rain
She stands hard as a stone
In a world that she cant rise above
But her dreams give her wings
And she flies to a place where she's loved
Concrete angel
A statue stands in a shaded place
An angel girl with an upturned face
A name is written on a polished rock
A broken heart that the world forgot
Through the wind and the rain
She stands hard as a stone
In a world that she can rise above
But her dreams gave her wings
And she flies to a place where she's loved
Concrete angel
The song finished and Rita stood still on the stage, looking out over the people. A silence descended, and Rita was worried that they thought she was horrible. She noticed several wiping their eyes, and then, one by one, they starting to stand, clapping loudly. Rita blushed furiously and curtsied. Her eyes sought out Chris'. His look told her he knew something was wrong, and he was worried. She wanted to reassure him, but she was scared and wanted out. She broke the look and curtsied again then left the stage. Kenneth was waiting for her. He grabbed her arm, roughly pulling her towards the back. "Come, my little songbird," he whispered next to her ear. "I have someone you should meet." He jerked her along and Rita got the feeling this wasn't going to be pleasant.
Kenneth pushed Rita into a back room where John waited with another man. The new guy looked vaguely familiar to Rita. John spoke up from his chair. "Rita, you remember Kevin, don't you?" She shook her head, "I'm afraid I don't. Should I?" she asked innocently. "Yes you should Sergeant. Kevin Stone. You arrested him in your vice days." Panicked, she tried to deny it. "What are you talking about? You must have me mistaken for someone else." Kevin stood up. "I'd never forget your pretty face Rita Lance." Rita searched the room. The door behind her was the only way out, and Kenneth blocked that path. Kevin pulled a gun and took a step towards her. Rita had to react fast. She stepped towards Kevin and reached for the gun as he aimed it at her. Taken by surprise, Kevin couldn't react in time and Rita knocked the gun from his hand. It went off as it hit the floor, putting a hole in the ceiling. Rita kicked Kevin in the groin, her cowboy boots doing sufficient damage. She pushed him into John, who was just beginning to stand, and turned to face Kenneth. Kenneth had a knife out, and fear raced through her veins when Rita saw it. She had no real time to react as he tried to stab her, bringing the knife down at her face. She threw her arm up, blocking him but taking a stab to her arm. She screamed as the knife tore into her arm. Her scream stopped abruptly as Kenneth plunged the knife into her again, hitting just below her ribcage. She stumbled, and went to her knees. Gasping, she clutched one hand over her side. Blood ran from between her fingers from the last stab, while blood pooled on the floor under her other hand. She felt her hand sliding on the floor and tried to stop it, but she was quickly fading. Her last conscious thought was a quick prayer that Chris had heard the gunshot.
He had. Chris and Cap were cautiously scouting the hall the gunshot had come from when Rita screamed. Ignoring Cap's protests, Chris rushed forward. Cap called frantically for the backup waiting outside to move in as Chris kicked the door open. They rushed into the room together, guns drawn. Seeing Rita on the floor, unconscious, Chris was filled with a fury like never before. He saw the blood then, and fear mixed with the fury. He called out to her once. She didn't reply, and he had to force himself to practically ignore her until the men were restrained. Fortunately none of them wanted to risk being shot to put up a fight. Kenneth dropped the knife soon as Chris pointed his gun at him. Now, Chris herded them into the back corner, furthest from the door, and Rita. He moved over to put himself between them and her. Cap ordered the men to face the wall and put their hands up. All complied, and a minute later backup arrived.
When the backup team moved in and started cuffing the three men, Chris quickly holstered his gun and knelt at Rita's side. He slid his fingers carefully around her neck, feeling for a pulse. He found it, but it was weak and fluttering. He heard Cap give the backup team quiet orders and heard them take the men out as Cap knelt across from him. Together, they gently turned Rita over. "My god," said Cap, seeing the blood covering her. Chris quickly pulled his dress jacket and shirt off. He tied the shirt around the cut on Rita's arm, careful to not get it too tight. The jacket he balled up and pressed against the wound on her side. She stirred slightly. Chris spoke softly to her as he brushed hair out of her face. "Sammy, wake up. Everything's gonna be ok. You're safe now. Sammy…." She didn't stir again. He reached up to brush tears off his cheeks. Cap saw, but said nothing as his own eyes were filled with tears. Cap heard a commotion outside and stood up as the ambulance crew rushed in. Chris didn't want to leave Rita's side, Cap had to pull him away so the crew could stabilize her and get her on the stretcher. Chris rode in the ambulance to the hospital, while Cap followed a few minutes behind.
Cap found Chris in the hospital hallway, pacing. He walked up to him, concerned. "Any word yet?" Chris shook his head. "No, but she was stable in the ambulance." He sat down in a nearby chair. Cap sat down next to him with a heavy sigh. "This was all my fault," he said. Chris' eyes turned to him, shocked. "What do you mean Cap?" "You were right Chris, she shouldn't have been in there solo." Cap's eyes shone with unshed tears again. Chris placed a hand on his shoulder. "Cap, it's no ones fault. Someone figured out Rita was a cop, it would've happened even if she wasn't solo." Cap didn't reply, just stood up and paced the halls. They spent the next few hours randomly pacing the hall as they waited for Rita to get out of surgery. Finally a doctor approached them. "Sgt Lorenzo?" Chris stopped his pacing and spoke impatiently. "Doc, how is Rita?" "Well, the knife did some serious damage. She was stabbed just below her ribs, but that wound was clean, nothing vital was damaged. The wound on her arm however nicked an artery and she lost a lot of blood. We managed to stop the bleeding and repair the damage, as well as giving her a nice blood transfusion. She's got a couple of cracked ribs as well, and it appears she was raped." "WHAT?" Chris' voiced echoed throughout the hall. "Raped?" He sat down heavily in the closest chair, an expression of horror on his face. "We noticed heavy bruises on her thighs when we were operating, so I had a gynecologist do a more thorough exam, and she concluded that Rita had been raped several times, very violently. But it didn't happen the same day as the stabbings." Chris covered his face with his hands, wiping away stray tears. He remembered talking to Rita on the phone the other day, how she seemed upset and how she tried to hide it. He looked back up at the doctor. "Will she be ok?" "She should be just fine. She's asleep now and probably won't wake for another three to four hours. Once she wakes, she's going to be disoriented from the drugs, and very weak from the blood loss and trauma. However, she seems to be a fighter, and I think, physically, she'll be ready to go home in a day or two." "Physically…." Chris echoed. "The woman's been through a lot Sgt. I would expect, mentally, she will take awhile to recover, especially from the rape." He handed Chris a card. "If you need anything, call me, my cell number is on the back. I'm due back in surgery." Chris nodded, and thanked him.
Cap sat next to Chris as the doctor walked away. "Chris, I…" "Don't try to apologize Cap," Chris cut him off. "You know Rita would yell at you for trying to blame yourself." Cap gave a weak laugh. "Yea, you're right Lorenzo." Chris stood up. "Let's go get some food, then we can wait for Rita to wake." Cap nodded and the two headed to the cafeteria.
An hour later, Chris sat next to Rita's bed, her hand in his. He gently ran his fingers over hers. He noticed the hospital had removed her jewelry, and when a nurse came in to check on Rita he asked where it was. She handed him a small bag from a nearby cabinet, and Chris dug through it to find the friendship ring he had given Rita so long ago. He slipped it back on her finger, where it belonged. Bringing her hand up to his lips, he gently kissed her fingertips. He didn't move from her side for the next few hours. Finally, her eyelids fluttered open. Chris smiled at her. "Morning sunshine," he said softly. She smiled at him, but her eyes filled with pain as memories came flooding back to her. "Chris…" she began, but he shushed her with a finger to her lips. "We'll talk about it all later sweetheart, don't tire yourself out talking now." He brushed his fingers over her cheek, aching to hold her. A stray tear slid across her cheek and he wiped it away with his thumb. She closed her eyes, and soon fell into a natural sleep.
Two days later, Chris walked next to the doctor as he wheeled Rita out of the hospital to Chris' waiting car. The doctor gave Rita last minute instructions on taking care of her wounds, then let them go. Chris drove Rita back to her place. Rita laid her head on the headrest and closed her eyes as Chris drove. Her arm throbbed and her side burned. She knew she should ask Chris to stop at the pharmacy, but she just wanted to get home. She shifted in her seat some and a twinge went through her ribs. She flashed back to the night of the rapes and tears filled her eyes. She spent the rest of the ride worried about how she was going to tell Chris about that night, not knowing that he already knew.
Chris parked outside of Rita's apartment and looked over at her. She had kept her eyes closed the entire ride, and she was obviously upset. "Rita, you're home." She opened her eyes, and a tear fell down her cheek. He watched as she took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. He shut the car off and got out, quickly going around to her side. Chris helped her out, and up the stairs to her apartment. As soon as they got in the door, Rita pulled away from him, mumbling something about changing clothes. He let her go, and settled himself on the couch to wait for her.
Rita changed clothes slowly. She realized she was scared to tell Chris about the rape. She pulled on one of his t-shirts and a pair of shorts. Ducking into the bathroom, she washed her face and brushed her teeth. Drying her hands on the towel, she noticed she was shaking. She took several deep breaths, but they did nothing to calm her. Sighing, she went out to Chris.
Chris glanced up at Rita when she walked in. He saw the fear in her eyes, and wondered what she was scared of. He didn't inquire however, just patted the cushion next to him, inviting her to sit close. She sat down, being careful not to touch him. He noticed her tremble, and her hands were worrying with the hem of her shirt. He didn't touch her, sensing that she would just pull away from him. "Sammy?" he questioned. She looked at him, then back to her hands. "Chris, there's something I need to tell you." A tear fell down her cheek. Chris reached for her hand, to offer support, but she pulled away. He was momentarily hurt, but realized she was just trying to keep her emotions under control. She spoke the next three words as if they physically hurt her to say. "I was raped." Suddenly Chris understood her fear. She was afraid of his reaction. He realized she was starting to think like most rape victims would. He gently took her hands. "Ah Sammy, I'm sorry. If I had realized this was what was causing you so much turmoil, I would have told you that I already knew." She looked at him, confused. "You knew? How?" "The doctors discovered the bruises on your thighs when stitching you up. They did a more thorough exam and discovered you had been raped."
Rita closed her eyes. Chris let go of her hand and she felt him shift on the couch. She opened her eyes as he pulled her over to him. She moved into his arms, her back against his chest. She tensed up at first when he wrapped his arms around her to rest his hands on her stomach. He felt it and started to let go, but the gesture was enough to remind her she was safe and she put her hands on top of his, letting him know it was ok. Running her fingers over his hands, she skimmed over the events up to the night of the rape. Rita trembled again remembering that night, and Chris' arms tightened around her. She told him everything. The words spilled from her in a rush.
"I was asleep. I woke up when they put tape over my mouth. Then they grabbed me, and held me down." Rita's voice broke as she described how four of the men held her arms and legs. "The fifth man… he climbed on the bed, forced my legs apart, and raped me." Anger and disgust filled Rita as she relived that horrible night. "Once he was done, he took one of the other men's spots holding me down, and the next man raped me. Over and over, Chris. I tried to fight them, but they were too strong." Chris pulled Rita tighter against him as she cried. "It seemed like forever before they were done. Then they pushed me on the floor, and kicked me. One of them told me that was my initiation. They left after that." Rita sensed how tense Chris was behind her, and knew he was pissed. "Why did you stay? Why didn't you call me Sammy?" he asked. "I wanted to Chris, so badly. I was so scared, and never had felt so lonely before. But I was too close, I didn't want to ruin it." Chris let out a low sound, almost like a growl. He buried his face in her hair. "Don't ever do that again Sammy. Please." His voice was pained and desperate. She nodded once, then turned her head, cuddling closer to him. She tried to fight the tears, but it was too much. Chris ran his hands comfortingly over her back, seething inside with anger at those men. His anger faded a bit as Rita's sobs got worse. She was crying so hard she was gasping for air. Chris rocked her back and forth. His voice cracked with emotion as he spoke again. "Sammy, calm down. C'mon Sam, you're safe now, it's going to be ok. Please Rita." He kept talking in a low voice, trying desperately to get her calmed.
When her tears finally slowed a few minutes later, Chris didn't know if it was from his words or simply because she was exhausted. She tried to sit up, and gasped in pain, falling back against him. She trembled, and Chris folded his arms back around her small body. He sat up slowly, cradling her against him. Her body felt hot against his and he worried about her. She carefully disentangled herself from his arms and he let her, keeping one arm around her. She met his eyes and he blinked at the raw pain he saw there. She looked away, embarrassed. Chris wiped the tears off her cheeks. "Where's your prescriptions Sam?" She reached for her purse, but he grabbed it first. He found the prescriptions and stuffed them into his pocket. He kissed her cheek and told her he'd be back soon.
Rita watched the door close behind him and shivered, missing his body's warmth. She felt the weight of all that had happened hanging over her. Resisting the urge to lock her emotions away as she often had in the past, she carefully laid down on the couch, managing it with only a few gasps of pain. She reached up and grabbed the blanket tossed across the back and pulled it over her. Still not quite comfortable, she shifted to her side, her good arm below her. She could feel that the earlier pain medicine was quickly wearing off, and she hoped Chris got back soon.
Ten minutes later, Chris wasn't back, and every last bit of pain medicine had worn off. Rita closed her eyes, but the dull aches in her ribs and the sharp pains in her arm and side chased away any thoughts of sleep. She wasn't even sure she wanted to sleep. She jumped when the phone rang. Rolling carefully onto her back again, she reached for the phone with her good arm. "Hello?" "Well, well, the pretty little songbird flew home." Kenneth's voice was like ice, and Rita shivered. She tried to be angry, but her voice trembled. "How did you get my number Kenneth?" "Oh, I have friends Rita. They can get me whatever I want. Do you know what I want Rita?" "What?" she whispered. "You. I'm coming to get you Rita. I'm going to fuck you over and over, then slit your pretty little throat and dump you out with the gators." The last was said with an evil laugh. Rita dropped the phone to the couch as he hung up on her. She realized she was shaking she was so scared. Then she heard a click as the lock on her door turned.
Rita had her gun trained on the door when Chris walked in. He saw the fear on her face and knew something had happened. He quickly scanned the room, noticing nothing out of place as he closed and locked the door behind him. Meanwhile Rita lowered her gun, placing it on the table as she realized how close she had come to shooting her best friend. She was still shaking when Chris sat next to her and wrapped his arms around her. She tried to pull away at first. He wouldn't let go however, and she gave in, burying her face in his chest. Breathing deeply she took in his scent, trying to let it calm her. It soon worked, and she shifted so that she could meet Chris' eyes. "What happened?" he asked. His eyes were soft, but his voice stern. She told him about Kenneth's call. He was furious. He gently pushed her away from him. "Go pack some clothes, enough for a few days. We're not staying here." "But Chris…" she started to protest, but he silenced her with a finger on her lips. "Please," he whispered, pleading. She sighed, and headed upstairs to pack.
Chris was just hanging up the phone when she came back down, suitcase in one hand and a bag over her shoulder. He came over and took her bags. "I called Cap. He'll look into how Kenneth got your number." Rita nodded. "He's still behind bars, right?" she asked as she walked by him to feed her fish. He stayed silent, and she asked again as she put the top back on the fish food. He turned to look at her and she knew before he said it. "He escaped, Rita. They're looking for him now, and two cars are already outside." She turned white as a ghost and Chris rushed to her side, scared she would faint. She was too scared to pass out however. For the first time in her life, she wanted to run and hide. "Can we leave now Chris? Please?" He nodded. "Yea, let's go." He picked up her bags again and followed her out. There were several officers patrolling outside her building. Chris nodded at them and put Rita's stuff in his car. They headed out, one unmarked car following discreetly.
Chris drove almost randomly around for half an hour with the unmarked behind him. They watched carefully for any cars following, but all appeared to be normal traffic. Then he signaled the unmarked to back off, and drove another forty-five minutes alone. Confident he wasn't being followed, he turned down a road heading for the beach. No cars were in sight as he parked at his beach house. This was his secret hideout. Rita had known about it for as long as he could remember, but no one else at the station even knew he had a beach house to use. He couldn't even think of another soul in Palm Beach that knew, and he liked it that way. It was really handy now, with Rita in danger. He hopped out of the car, scanning the area for anything abnormal. All was still and quiet as he got Rita's bags out of the back. She stepped out of the car, and Chris hated seeing how weak and scared she looked. Rita was not a weak person. The recent events were just too traumatic for her. He knew she'd make it through it and back to her old self, but he wondered what type of scars this would leave. She walked over to him and took the smaller bag from him, throwing it over her shoulder. Slipping her hand into his, she started for the door. He tugged on her hand gently as they reached the door, letting her know he wanted to go first. She released his hand and he unlocked the door, gun drawn. He quickly searched the house and then, satisfied it was safe, carried Rita's bags into the bedroom and dropped them on the bed.
He went back into the living room and panicked for a moment when he didn't see Rita, until he noticed the patio door open. Walking outside, he saw Rita at the railing, staring out over the waves crashing in the evening sunlight. Careful to make enough noise to alert her that he was there, he walked up behind her. In a sudden urge to be close to her, he wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek on top of her head. She turned in his arms, burying her face against his chest and holding on tight to him. She obviously needed the closeness too.
Rita clung to Chris, Kenneth's threat echoing in her mind. She shivered. Chris gently squeezed her, and the echo faded. Turning her head, she looked out over the beach. She could hear Chris' heartbeat in one ear, and the ocean sounds in the other. Chris leaned his head down on hers, speaking softly. "Are you ok sunshine?" "I don't know Chris." Her voice was soft and trembling. She closed her eyes, and a small sob escaped her. Chris kissed the top of her head and gently rubbed her back. "Want to go sit on the beach?" He felt her nod in reply. He stepped back from her, taking her hands in his as he looked down at her. He squeezed her hands once and then disappeared inside to get some blankets.
When he came back out, Rita had already wandered down to the beach. Chris followed, and laid out a blanket over the sand next to her. He sat another blanket on top of it, as well as a bottle of wine in a bucket of ice and two glasses.