The Trouble
Audrey gasped for air, every breath casing her pain. She didn't know what happened. One moment they were fine, but now?
"Audrey! Audrey are you okay?" Nathan's voice breaking the eerie silence.
"I'm fine," Audrey reassured Nathan as his hands skimmed her, verifying her answer.
She looked over, ready to open the door, only to find it pinned against a building.
Nathan hurried and opened his door and jumped out, extending his arms for Audrey.
As she climbed out, she looked down at Nathan's arm. It was bloody and already bruised.
"Nathan, your arm," Audrey exclaimed, knowing it was her fault. He had placed his arm out to keep her safe and now he was hurt. "I'm… I'm so sorry Nathan."
"It's fine," Nathan said shrugging it off. "Don't feel it. You said you were okay," Nathan said as he brushed the blood from her check.
"It's not bad." Audrey said, trying to ignore the pain that accompanied each breath.
"Call Duke, we need to get to the station and he's the closest," Nathan said, picking up his walkie. "Laverne, I need you to put out a BOLO for me. Gold Chevy sedan, plates 7687 PG. I'm gonna need a name to go with it."
"What are we picking them up on Doll?" Laverne asked.
"I don't know, attempted vehicular manslaughter. And call for a tow." Nathan finished looking at his multiple flat tires.
Audrey walked around the truck, seeing the sheer luck that had graced them. The Bronco was parked inches away from a building. Nathan had been able to maneuver just enough to avoid the building, the only damage being the flat tires and broken windows from the rocks they had barreled through. She picked up her phone and quickly dialed Duke's number.
"Audrey?"
"Duke, I need you to come pick us up and take us down to the station," Audrey demanded.
"Okay, but answer me this: What the hell was Nathan talking about with his comment—"
"Now's not the time," Audrey cut him off. "We just got run off the road so I think it can wait. If you don't want to get us, fine. I'll call a patrol car."
"What?!" Duke exclaimed. "Where are you? I'm on my way."
"Just make your way to the station, we're kinda hard to miss," Audrey said, hanging up the phone.
"Well, you were right about one thing," Nathan said. "That song really isbad luck."
"Done," Audrey said, placing the last bandage on Nathan's arm.
"We should have that plate by now," Nathan said, pacing the room.
"They're coming Nathan," Audrey said, reassuring him.
"Can someone tell me why I'm still here?" Duke asked from the corner of the room.
"We have a person who tried to kill Nathan and me this morning. Why do you think you're here?"
"Right," Duke nodded as Stan entered the room.
"We got a hit on those plates Chief," Stan said, holding a paper in his hands. "Registered to one Sandra Fleming."
"What?" Nathan furrowed his brow, confused.
"Sandra Fleming," Stan repeated. "36, lives at 221 Boardmen Street. Resident Nurse at the Cottonwood Nursing Home."
"I got her statement at the scene of the last murder." Nathan said to Audrey. "She was there."
"Cottonwood Nursing Home. Nathan I've been scouring the lives of the two victims trying to connect them. Cottonwood Nursing Home." She repeated, pulling out the files of the victims. "First victim, Craig Thornton, visited his aunt at Cottonwood, day later he was dead. Second victim, Allison Shafer, volunteered there the day before she died."
"What did these people do that pissed this Fleming chick off enough to kill them?" Duke asked.
"She was really upset at the scene. I don't even think she knew what she was doing to these people."
"We've got to pick her up Nathan, before she hurts anyone else." Audrey said, putting on her jacket. "Duke, follow us. We might need some extra help."
Nathan grabbed his stuff and headed to the newly repaired Bronco, oblivious to the small burn developing on his hand.
"Are you okay?" Audrey asked as Nathan's breathing labored.
"Fine, Parker." Nathan said.
"Nathan, you're pale, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. I'm fine Parker."
Audrey let it go, keeping him in the corner of her eye as they drove closer to Sandra's house.
Nathan's breathing became heavier as they approached the house, his skin getting paler, and Audrey's concern grew.
"Nathan, something's wrong," Audrey said, reaching out her hand to hold his arm. It was freezing cold.
"It's okay Audrey," Nathan said, getting out of the truck and walking toward the house, Audrey following quickly.
But it wasn't long before Nathan's strong façade fell and all his strength left him.
"Nathan!" Audrey screamed as he toppled to the ground.
Audrey ran to him and held him tight. She had lived through this too many times, it couldn't happen again, not again.
"Audrey, what happened?" Duke asked as he knelt down by her side.
But Audrey didn't hear him. She was stroking Nathan's face, hoping her touch would be enough to keep him there. Her tears fell upon his face as his breathing became more labored. Audrey grabbed his hand, keeping him close, when she saw the one thing that explained everything; a burn on Nathan's hand. The same burns on the two trouble victims.
Nathan's breathing stopped and his body went limp.
"No. No!" Audrey yelled as she started compressions on his chest. She wasn't letting him go. Not like this, not now.
She tried to remember the correct number of compressions, but it was no use. She couldn't concentrate, not when she could lose Nathan again.
She stopped the compressions, and placed her lips upon his, trying to breath life back into him. Nothing.
"Please, I can't lose you again." Audrey cried as she held him.
A soft hand touched her shoulder, moving her away from Nathan.
"No. I'm not leaving him!" Audrey screamed fighting Duke.
"Audrey, if I try and find this troubled person, I will either kill them, or they will kill me," Duke said, holding Audrey. "You can help her. Find her, she may be able to help Nathan. I will take over. He's gonna be okay," Duke reassured her.
Audrey hesitated. She knew Duke was right, but leaving Nathan was tearing her apart.
"Go!" Duke insisted as he started compressions.
Audrey made her way to the house, forgetting laws, knowing she would do anything to bring Nathan back.
"Sandra! Haven P.D!" Audrey yelled at the door. She didn't wait for a response before she swung the door open, her weapon drawn.
"Don't come any closer!" Sandra warned from the corner of the room. She was curled up in the corner, her face stained with tears. "Please, I don't want to hurt you, too."
"You won't hurt me, I promise," Audrey told her, trying to become calm.
"I hurt everyone I touch. Please, I can't hurt someone else," She cried as Audrey made her way closer.
"The troubles don't affect me, Sandra. I need your help," Audrey pleaded. "My partner, you touched him at Allison Shafer's crime scene. He's sick, you need to help him."
"I can't," she said. "I didn't want to hurt him, but I had no choice. They were going to hurt my family. He has to die."
"If you save him, I can help you." Audrey said, her worry bubbling to the surface. "But if you choose to let him die, I will not be responsible for what happens to you," she warned, the desperation evident in her voice.
"I can't, I'm so sorry!" Sandra said, her pain bleeding through.
"Please. Please!" Audrey cried. "I can't lose him."
Sandra's eyes searched Audrey's face, seeing the pain and love. "How long has he been out?" she asked, walking shakily towards the door.
"About two minutes," Audrey said rushing her outside.
Sandra walked outside and placed her hands gently on Nathan. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for causing you pain," she said, looking at Audrey. She backed away from Nathan, careful not to touch anyone.
But nothing was happening. Nathan was still and he wasn't breathing. Audrey tried to keep calm, but small tears were still escaping her eyes. She lowered herself close to him, holding him one last time.
Suddenly his eyes opened and he drew a breath, feeling only Audrey's touch. "Parker, what just happened?" he asked as Audrey's face lit up.
"You're okay!" she exclaimed with a smile.
"I'm lying on the ground, and I'm pretty sure I was dead for a minute, but yeah, I'm okay."
Duke walked over helping Nathan to his feet, "Don't do that again."
"No promises," Nathan responded quietly as Audrey rose with them.
Nathan brushed off his pants and looked toward the house, "Did we find Sandra?"
"She's over there," Audrey said motioning to the porch, where Sandra was sitting with her head in her hands. "Something doesn't add up Nathan. She said that she had to do it. She had to kill you. She said that someone was blackmailing her to kill you."
"Let's talk to her. If we can find out who was blackmailing her, we can get her some help," Nathan said as they made their way to Sandra.
"Sandra, it's Officer Parker. We are going to help you, you just have to tell us who made you do this."
Sandra slowly raised her head, fear etched upon her face. "I don't know. At first it was a man, average height, African-American, he had a badge, always wore this hat, one of those from the forties, I thought he was going to help me."
Audrey looked at Nathan, one person coming to her mind with that description; Tommy.
"The last person was a woman, but she remembered everything that I had told the other guy. Every word. She was a younger woman, brown, shoulder length hair. The weird thing was this scar; they both had it on their left arm. It looked like two burns running parallel on their arms. It was the exact same scar with both, it just didn't make sense."
"Have you seen the woman before? Anywhere around town?" Nathan asked, knowing the answer he would receive.
"Yeah, I've seen her in the coffee shop, I think she works there."
"Do you remember her name?"
Sandra thought for a moment, going through all the times she saw her. "Julie. I think it was Julie."
"Thank you, Sandra. I know some people, they can help you." Nathan said.
Audrey helped Sandra to her feet and walked her over to the Bronco. Nathan went to the driver's side, but was stopped by Audrey's voice.
"Nathan, wait."
"What's up Parker?"
"Just…don't do that again okay?" Audrey said, holding back the majority of her true feelings.
Nathan searched her face, seeing the pain she was trying to hide.
"I'm sorry, Parker," he said, holding onto her hand, trying to get her to understand.
He knew he couldn't make that promise, he already knew how his story was going to end.
