DISCLAIMER: As much as it breaks my heart to admit it, I do not own anyone or anything connected to Vince McMahon and his awesomeness. I can only claim property rights of OC.
***A/N – Thank you for taking the time to read and review this! Your support means the world to me!***
Pain is a mystery. The way it begins, the way it swells and ebbs is something inexplicable. Sometimes pain can be ignored. It lives in the background of life, waiting for a chance to take center stage. It moves with you through every day of your life. Other times, pain is a living creature. It takes root deep inside, filling every crevice of your body. It darkens the soul, taking away pieces so slowly that you're not aware anything is gone. And at times, pain can be a blessing. Pain is a warning system, blaring loud and clear that your body is still functioning. When the worst happens, pain lets you know you're alive.
For Katherine Dawson, pain was a blessing. Her entire body throbbed in a curious rhythm. There wasn't a spot on her overly sensitive skin that didn't convey a message of incredible misery. It hurt to breathe. She fought for breath; to somehow move the thousand pound weight sitting on her chest. Her lungs quivered from the effort and she managed to draw in just enough oxygen to keep herself alive. Once again she tried to move her extremities. She tried to wiggle her toes or curl her fingers. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move so much as a fingertip. She could only lay on the stretcher and watch as the scenery changed. The stainless steel ambulance ceiling gave way to a midnight blue sky. She stared up at the unchanging heavens and wondered if this is what death is like.
It was so different than she imagined. She always dreamed of living a long, happy life and passing away quietly in her sleep. Her plan was to die with dignity and grace with her family surrounding her. The reality of her death was utterly shocking. As she struggled for each breath, she felt the darkness creep even closer. The stretcher was wheeled down a sterile, white hallway. The overpowering scent of disinfectant choked her. A cacophony of sound assaulted her as the stretcher was brought to a halt. The sounds around her grew to a deafening level. Voices mingled with the sounds of movement. She looked to her left and saw a young, blonde woman standing there.
Katie sighed in relief. At least one of her desires had been meet. Angels were present to carry her to Heaven. Finally she allowed herself to relax. A shift occurred, a change in the atmosphere. Her body no longer felt as if it weighed a million pounds. Her skin ceased to burn with the fires of Hell. As she stared up at the white ceiling, a sense of peace came over her. Her body became weightless. The pain became nothing more than a memory that would soon be extinguished. As seconds ticked by, it became impossible to keep her eyes open. It wasn't the desire for sleep that made her eyelids harder to open. Eventually, it was impossible to keep her eyes open. With one last shuddering breath, Katie Dawson gave into darkness.
Alec Reyes stepped into the waiting room of the Intensive Care Unit. Glancing at his partner, Andrea Brooks, he gauged her reaction. Andrea was a rookie detective that was hell bent on making a name for herself. Her mentality was the same as a bull dog. Once she got latched onto an idea, it was impossible to get her to let go. She was over eager to show she had the balls to make it in a man's world. Sometimes Alec believed her petite stature made her even more aggressive. It was hard to take the 5 foot 4 inch, red head seriously. But one look in her blue eyes, Alec knew she was more than ready.
Turning back, Alec surveyed the mostly empty waiting room. Uncomfortable looking brown chairs were evenly placed around the perimeter of the room. A small counter and shallow sink claimed one corner of the room. A new coffee maker sat beside the sink. Sighing heavily, Alec looked at the trio huddled in the far corner of the room. Approaching slowly, Alec studied each of them in turn. A well built brown haired male sat to the left of a lithe female. Her cheeks were tear stained and she held onto a crumpled tissue as if it were a life line. To her right was a tall male with skull trimmed hair. Alec's eyes moved lower, taking in the network of tattoos covering both arms. He man's intense gray eyes flicked up as Alec stepped into his line of vision.
"Are you with Ms. Dawson?" Alec asked softly.
The woman looked up and nodded. Her clear, green eyes were made translucent by the sheen of tears. "Are you Ms. Torres?"
Eve Torres looked up at the man and studied his angular face. He looked every inch the stereo-type of a street hardened investigator. His gray suit was slightly rumpled and he sported a five o'clock shadow. He radiated a vibe that said he was in charge. Taking a shaking breath, she nodded again.
"I'm Detective Alec Reyes and this is Investigator Andrea Brooks. I know this is an incredibly hard situation for everyone. I'd like to you ask a few questions."
Eve twisted the tissue into a tight knot and forced herself to take a deep breath. "Okay."
Alec studied Eve, taking in everything about her. She was dressed in a cream tank top and dark skinny jeans. Her jewelery was simple and tasteful yet Alec had no doubt that the pieces were expensive. Everything about this woman spoke of taste and class. Undoubtedly, she was wealthy. Yet Alec had the impression that she didn't take her status for granted.
"Has the doctor spoken with you?" Alec asked gently. Before entering into the waiting room, they'd briefly spoken with Dr. Chance Lowentritt, the trauma surgeon treating Katie. His prognosis was hopeful. She was expected to live but she was going to have a long recovery. She had a stab wound to the upper right chest. The wound was not life threatening but was still concerning. Dr. Lowentritt was more concerned about the punctured left lung. The preliminary X-rays showed Katie suffered some type of blunt force injury. Either Katie had fallen or someone had assaulted her. Katie displayed classic signs of a struggle with bruising on her arms and back. Dr. Lowentritt suggested that it was likely Katie had tried to fight her attacker.
Twisting the tissue tighter around her finger, Eve nodded. Nearly an hour ago the nurse had informed them that Katie was out of surgery. The stab wound had been closed without any complications. However, Katie's left lung had collapsed and a chest tube had been inserted. With the risk associated with the chest tube, Katie was being placed in I.C.U. If Katie's lung did not show signs of improvement in the next 24 hours, she would have to undergo a complicated surgery to repair it. The news had been crushing and as soon as the nurse left the waiting room, Eve collapsed in emotion. John held her until the tears ebbed and she could once again breathe. Now, looking at the two detectives standing in front of her, Eve felt the waves of emotions crashing over her.
"When was the last time you spoke with Ms. Dawson?"
Eve looked down at the drab, gray carpet for a long moment. "Around five thirty."
"How was she?" Alec asked. He spared a glance at Andrea who was watching Eve with hawk-like intensity.
"She sounded tired. She had a headache and Mike was taking her back to the hotel. I asked her if she wanted to go out to dinner with us." Eve glanced at the big man to her left. The guy merely nodded but didn't add anything to the conversation.
"What did she say?"
Eve took a deep breath and wearily lifted a hand to her forehead. She applied a slight pressure as if the small movement would help her remember. Shrugging a shoulder, Eve replied, "She really didn't want to. She wanted to take a shower and go to bed." Eve's voice grew soft as she continued, "But I begged her to go out with us."
"She changed her mind?"
Eve's face drained of what little color it had. "Yeah. I kept asking her to say yes until she did."
"Was it just the two of you? Did anyone else join you?"
Eve glanced at the man to left again. He merely nodded as if encouraging her. She pointed to him, "John Cena." She glanced to her right, "And Randy Orton."
Alec scribbled the names down in his notebook before asking, "Do you know if Michael Mizanin was with her at the time?"
Eve squeezed her eyes shut and leaned back in her chair. She looked as if it took all of her strength to remain upright. "Yes."
"You're certain?"
"I could hear Mike in the background. He was talking but I couldn't make out what he was saying."
"Where was she supposed to meet you?"
"The London Hotel." Eve replied softly.
"What time?"
"Six-thirty. I knew something was wrong when she didn't show up. Katie is always on time."
"How did you find out the murder?"
Eve made a strangled noise as she tightly gripped the arms of her chair. "I was coming back from the Ladies' Room and I passed through the bar. I looked up at the T.V. and saw it on the news." her voice broke as she continued. "When they said Mike is dead, I knew it was Katie. I mean, who else could it be?" she took a shuddering breath as she looked at Alec, "We came as soon as we could."
John reached over and took her hand. He gave her a comforting squeeze.
"Had Katie mentioned anything unusual happening? Anything strange?"
All three remained curiously silent. Alec looked at each one in turn but could gauge nothing of their reaction. Very interesting.
"Do you know if they had problems earlier in the day? Maybe a fan got a little over excited?"
Finally, John spoke. "No, man. Nothing like that."
Alec found it surprising that John answered without looking at him. His gaze was locked on the opposite wall. In his gut he knew John was holding back. The man had information he wasn't ready to part with.
Andrea took a step forward. She looked up at Alec before turning to address Eve. "Do you know if they had an argument? Maybe a lover's spat?"
For the first time since their arrival, the man Eve declared to be Randy Orton felt he had something to add to the conversation. He laughed sarcastically as he looked directly at Alec. He locked eyes with the man and waited for him to speak. However, Randy only leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his thick chest. Alec studied the man. Everything about him spoke of raw, lethal power. From the top of his skull trimmed hair to the bottom of his scuffed black boots, he had the presence of a barely tamed animal. Alec's eyes narrowed as he studied him. The first impression of Randy Orton was that of a man who could easily put a man in the morgue without a second thought. Alec definitely wanted to know more about him.
John shot Randy a scathing look before scrubbing a huge palm over his face. He looked as if he'd had a bad day. His blue eyes were dull and flat, the shadows underneath making them appear even darker. Alec thought he looked like the wholesome boy next door. He was tall and powerfully built. If Alec guessed correctly, the man had played football at some point. He just had that kind of vibe.
"John, do you know if the couple had an argument?" Andrea asked. Alec fought back a smile as he looked at her. She too honed in on the fact that John seemed to know more than he was willing to share. Maybe she'd have better luck getting him to talk.
A slight shake of the head was his response. Andrea's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Is that a no, sir?"
John took a deep breath and forced himself to look Andrea in the eye. "That's correct."
Andrea's sharp eyes swung to the right and nailed Randy with a hard look. "Do you have anything you'd like to add?"
Randy glanced at John before shaking his head slowly. He watched as John gave Eve's hand a slight squeeze. Eve gave him a pleading look. She blinked hard, hoping to hold back a fresh wave of tears. Randy took a deep breath as he shifted slowly. He braced his elbows on his knees and leaned forward.
John's sharp inhale was loud in the otherwise silent room. He shot his friend a heated glare, "Shut up, Randy."
Randy shrugged slightly as if John's words meant nothing. "We don't have to lie anymore."
Andrea saw the opportunity she'd been waiting for. If she asked the right questions, she knew Randy would give them valuable information.
"I'm guessing there were problems between Katie and Mike?"
Randy's smile was sarcastic and bitter. "The problem was Mike couldn't keep his hands off her."
Andrea's brow rose in surprise. At first glance, there was nothing that would indicate a domestic dispute. This information was definitely an interesting turn of events. Hoping to play the situation carefully, Andrea took a seat next to Randy. She looked him over, noticing the rigid set of his body. His anger simmered just underneath his skin. Given the chance, Andrea was sure the man would gladly punch something.
"They were that much in love?" Andrea asked innocently.
Randy smiled bitterly as he shook his head. He looked down at his hands which had cranked into fists. He stared at them for a long moment before answering.
"As much as a man can love a punching bag."
Unexpectedly, John stood and glared at him. For a second Alec thought John was going to knock the shit out of Randy. The two men stared at each other for a long moment before John turned away. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his jean shorts, he crossed the room. He stood with his back to them as he tried to calm down.
Eve sighed heavily as she looked at Randy, "Please, don't do this."
Randy's expression was one of disbelief. Mike Mizanin was dead and Katie barely clung to life in intensive care. The worst had already happened. So what was the point in staying silent? He'd been silent for much too long. In fact, they all had. Maybe if one of them had the balls to say something before now, things wouldn't have ended this way.
"It's too late, Eve. We should have done this a long time ago." Randy said softly. He continued looking at his hands. He wasn't sure what it was but he couldn't look at the young detective. "I should have done this a long time ago. Katie tried so hard to hide what was happening. But I knew. We all knew."
Andrea leaned slightly toward Randy. She felt a thrill of excitement that he was allowing her to enter his personal space. It was an indicator that he was willing to give them all the information he had. "How long has it been going on?"
"Too long." Randy shook his head slowly, "Too fucking long."
"You witnessed the abuse?" Andrea asked softly.
As if suddenly ashamed, Randy hung his head. That was all the answer they needed. Randy Orton was going to prove to be a fountain of incredible knowledge. It was only a matter of time before they found out exactly how much he knew. She wanted to get him into an interview room as soon as possible.
"Eve, did you?" Alec asked. He knew it was time to take control again. He could tell by the way Andrea was suddenly exceedingly alert that she was getting overly excited. It was not good to let her get too eager. That's when mistakes happened.
Alec watched as a single tear trail down Eve's cheek. She didn't bother to wipe it away. Seemingly, she retreated inside herself as she slowly nodded. Alec knew how much the silent admission cost her. As he continued studying Eve, he wondered what was it about Katie Dawson that inspired such loyalty. How could one woman bring so many people to her side? What made them want to protect her? In the back of his mind, Alec wondered if they were willing to lie for her, would they also be willing to kill for her? Only time would tell. The next 45 hours were the most critical. Every lead would be followed, every corner searched until they had as much information as possible. That was the only way they would be able to put the puzzle pieces together. One thing Alec knew for sure was their chance of finding a killer would increase if he could separate the three of them. His gut was telling him they were on the right track. He just had to keep pushing until one of them broke.
"As soon as possible, I'd like to speak with each of you individually." Alec said. Andrea took it as a cue to stand. She closed her notebook with a snap and slipped her pen into her pocket.
A murmur of agreement came from Eve. Randy merely nodded. Alec turned to look at John who was still standing across the room. He shrugged a broad shoulder but said nothing.
"Ms. Torres, I know this is a horrible situation. I'm very sorry that Katie was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nobody deserves what she's going through. I promise that I will find the person responsible for this. I won't stop until we put this monster behind bars."
Alec's heart-felt words brought a fresh rush of tears. He sounded so sincere, so honest. She knew that he meant every single syllable. He was not the kind of man would let this go without giving it his all. Alec Reyes was exactly the kind of man you wanted around when something horrible happened. She forced a watery smile as Alec leaned down and gently squeezed her hand. She looked down at the cream colored card he'd pressed into her palm.
"If you need anything, night or day, you call me. I don't care how small it may be, call." Alec held out a business card to Randy. Hesitantly, he took it.
Emotion choked Eve, shutting off her response. She simply nodded and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. Looking into Alec's deep, brown eyes, she knew Alec was a man of his word. He wouldn't sleep until he found out what happened in that hotel room.
"I will."
Alec looked at Randy once again. He was still sitting with his elbows propped on his knees, his head hung forward. He looked like a man that had been through hell and back. Something niggled at Alec, telling him something much deeper was going on. Randy Orton knew much more than he was letting on. Because of that, he was at the top of the list of people Alec wanted to talk to. He'd give Randy a few hours to regroup. Then, the hunt was on.
**A/N – Please review!**