Chapter 10

Abby was terrified.

It wasn't the days of not knowing what would happen next or the beatings. After years of abuse, she knew how to numb the pain; to go to another place. It wasn't even Jarred's eyes boring into her with sadistic pleasure every time he humiliated or beat her. No, what terrified her was the silence.

Jarred had come back yesterday in a fiery rage. Abby was shocked to learn that Jarred was her captor. She knew something had to have happened. Not only was Jarred ripping and tearing around the room, he didn't put on his black face mask. Dare she hope Connor or someone was getting close to finding her? Abby tried to talk Jarred down, tried her best to calm him, but Jarred would just look at her. No, not at her, through her.

Abby had held her breath expecting him to start wailing on her again. But he didn't. Jarred didn't do anything; he took one final look and left. For a long while Abby held her breath, surely he was going to come back, and she shuddered to think of what might happen. She wasn't naïve to think he would just forget her. No, Jarred Neal, she was finding, was diabolical. Abby knew, even though she was in a highly weakened condition, she had to figure some way of escape.

Jarred never came back after yesterday. Something inside Abby, she didn't know what, but something told her he would be back, and he would kill her. All through the night, she worked to try and get her hands free, but the stubborn ropes would not be loosened. She could feel her wrists were sticky with blood. Abby was sick from the iron smell, but she refused to give up. She would break free. She would live for Connor.

Abby didn't know how much time had passed. The small window was the only thing to tell her if it was night or day. She looked to the window and from the way it lit the room, it had to be late afternoon. It was then she heard the door open and before she could react, Jarred was at her, yanking her hair back and holding a cold blade at her throat.

"You thought you were so clever! But guess what, I'm smarter. I figured it out! How did you do it? Hmm? How?" Jarred was screaming and pulling her hair so hard it took her breath away. "Answer me!" he roared into her ear.

Abby screamed as she felt the tip of the blade inch deeper into her skin. Just as Abby felt the sticky trickle of blood down her throat, she heard the door crash open.

~o~o~

Connor was insane. It had been a day since they'd discovered Jarred's flat. All of Becker's men were under orders to search everywhere until they found him. Jess was working tirelessly, searching the CCTV, but to no avail. Lester was pulling in every favor owed him, but that too was a dead end. It seemed every available person that worked at the ARC was helping in the search. This should've made Connor feel better, but instead it made him feel sick. If they, with all their high-tech gear and assets, couldn't find Jarred, then no one could.

Connor closed his eyes; he had to calm down, but he knew it would be pointless. Until Abby was safe in his arms, he would not…could not rest. He growled in frustration. He had to do something, so Connor decided he would go see if he could help Jess. He knew Jess was capable, but he NEEDED to do something!

In the control room, it looked business as usual. The ADD was scanning, people were at their stations running tests, Lester was in his office on the phone. Matt was – wait, where were Matt and Becker? He was just about to ask Jess where they were when Matt called his name through the earpiece.

"Connor, we found Jarred." Matt sounded out of breath.

All sorts of things went through Connor's mind; at first he couldn't put two thoughts together. Somehow, he came out of his fog.

"Where?" Connor's stomach was churning.

"Downtown. Look Connor, get here quickly." Matt sounded more than anxious.

Jess was already at Connor's side. "I sent GPS coordinates to your phone. Go Connor!"

Connor looked gratefully at Jess, turned and ran to the garage. He drove like a G-Rex was after him and quickly arrived at the warehouse Matt gave him directions to. Matt and Becker met him. Connor ran up to them.

"Abby?" he asked breathless.

"We waited for you," Becker answered.

Connor was grateful to them. The three men ran into the abandoned building. Connor's heart sunk when he saw multiple floors with multiple closed doors.

"Don't worry, Connor. We are closer than we were," Matt said, coming up behind him. Connor's reply was swallowed by a blood curdling scream. Abby's scream. All three men looked at each other and ran up the stairs to the room they heard the scream come from. Connor reached the door first, and without waiting for Matt or Becker, kicked in the door. What Connor saw filled him with unbridled rage! There was the scum of the earth holding a knife to his Abby's throat.

Abby looked at the door and felt relief flood her. Her Connor was here! He wasn't dead. Before she knew what was happening, Jarred threw Abby to the ground as he turned to Connor.

"Well, if it isn't pansy boy!" Abby heard Jarred sneer. "I've been so looking forward to this."

Abby watched in horror as Jarred lunged at Connor. She couldn't move, she couldn't scream. Abby couldn't do anything but look on in mind-numbing fear. So scared was she, that she never noticed Matt or Becker coming to help her. Abby seemed to have tunnel vision, all she could see was the blinding shine from the blade of that knife. She knew Matt and Becker were talking to her, about what, Abby couldn't care. All she could focus on was that bloody knife. Abby heard the knife rip into Connor's shirt. Oh please let that have been his shirt. But Abby's hope was dashed when she heard Connor yelp in pain.

Connor saw relief flood Abby's face, but any relief he felt himself didn't last as he saw Jarred lunge at him with the knife. Connor jumped back as the knife came dangerously close to his torso. He whirled around, twisting out of Jarred's way. He frantically looked around the room, searching for something to defend himself with. Connor saw Matt and Becker run to Abby, grateful they were going to let him handle Jarred, though how he was going to do that he didn't know.

Jarred again swung the knife, this time toward his face. Connor ducked, needing time to think. Jarred and Connor danced around the floor, weaving. Jarred would swing or lunge and Connor would duck and twist. Connor kept trying to find a way to get the upper hand. Jarred was backing him into a corner, and Connor knew he couldn't let that happen. He faked right but weaved left. Unfortunately Connor didn't see the box to the left; he tripped. Jarred took advantage and swung towards Connor. The knife sliced through Connor's sleeve. Connor felt the burn as the knife cut through his skin and heard Abby's strangled cry; again, Jarred came at Connor, but this time Connor saw it coming.

Everything happened in slow motion it seemed, for Connor crouched and as he did so, kicked out towards Jarred's knee. Connor foot made contact, and he took delight in hearing the pop and crunch. Jarred screamed in agony and crumpled to the ground. Connor jumped up and skidded over to Jarred. He straddled him and started punching. First with his right hand and then his left, back and forth. Connor's punches landed on Jarred's face and upper body, over and over. Connor was sure his knuckles were bloody themselves, but he didn't care. Five days, five days of the agonizing torture of not knowing where Abby was, of not being able to help her, to comfort her, was releasing itself. Connor couldn't stop; his vision narrowed, and he heard himself screaming with rage. He knew that he could quite possibly kill Jarred, but he didn't care.

Abby watched as Connor leapt onto Jarred and started punching. She knew Connor wasn't a fighter, but seeing him here, beating Jarred to a pulp, Abby saw what Connor could easily become. He was not a murderer, and though she would love to watch Jarred pay for what he did to her, Abby could not watch Connor kill with his own hands. She went to walk over to him, but five days of barely any water and staying in one position made Abby's legs jelly. She looked to Becker and Matt, hoping they would step in, but she saw that they had the same look of rage in their eyes that Connor had. Abby went to speak, but her throat was dry, but she tried again.

"Connor!" she spoke hoarsely. Abby barely heard herself, she was unsure Connor heard her, but she saw that Connor stopped.

Abby saw Connor's body shaking with rage or adrenaline or both. He did not look at her, but continued to stare at Jarred. Connor noticed with sick pleasure that Jarred's nose was broken and his face was bloody. Connor, still

burning with rage, was not about to let Jarred go. He wanted answers.

"Why?" Connor screamed.

Jarred was broken, battered, and bloody, but still managed an evil grin. "Because I could," he gasped. Connor put his knee into Jarred's chest. He wasn't fazed by Jarred coughing up blood.

"You may have stopped me, but you are not safe. You'll NEVER be safe!" Jarred choked as he passed out.

Connor did not give Jarred a second thought as he ran to Abby. She was his priority now. Abby was being held up by Becker and Matt. Connor's heart broke into a million pieces as he looked at her battered body. Becker and Matt did not even try to protest as Connor picked her fragile body up in his arms and carried her out of hell.