Okay here's chapter 9, hope you guys enjoy it, thanks for reading :)

Rate and review please :D


Mike drove down to Steve's house and was the second car on the scene; he looked at Steve's front door and saw it was left wide open. A few other cars and an ambulance arrived. Mike walked up the steps, through the door, down the hallway where he eyed some blood splatters on the wall and near to the entrance where Steve's living room was.

'Who found the body?' Mike asked looking down at the sheet on the floor. 'The next door neighbour saw the door open this morning and walked inside and found a body on the floor and called us.' He was hesitant about getting closer to the body and expected to see Steve's dead corpse lying on the ground when he walked in. Instead he found a pool of blood on the carpet and some on the couch.

His heart was pounding and he had to know who was lying under the sheet, he hadn't even asked if the victim was a male or female and eventually managed to force the words out of his mouth.

'Is it Steve?' he asked one of the Inspectors and he shook his head. 'It's a young woman about Steve's age though…' Mike nodded but couldn't help but be confused with the scenario 'Why would a young woman be at Steve's?' then again Mike knew Steve had his way with women, but how'd they get in?

'She was beaten and strangled…poor woman…' Mike walked around the body lying on the floor, knelt down and lifted the sheet and saw a clump of brown hair covering the face. Mike moved the hair back gently and could barely recognise the young woman. 'She had her wallet on her though.' Detective Morrison said handing it over to Mike and he flipped it open. She had her ID on her 'Angela Turner…' he said to himself reading the name and a picture that Mike couldn't help but notice more than most identification cards he looked at on every case.

'She looks familiar to me…' Mike shrugged and began looking around the room and looking at photos and then as he looked on Steve's photo cabinet he noticed a picture he had seen so many times before. He made sure he had gloves on still and picked up the picture and realised the woman on the floor was the same woman in the picture.

Steve had mentioned her a few times over the few years he had known him and remembered how Steve would tell him about this girl he was madly in love with. He used to have this picture on his desk and then one day it wasn't on there anymore. He was heartbroken when they broke up but, said they were going to keep on being friends. She really was a beautiful young woman and Mike didn't know how he was going to break it to Steve that she was dead, and wondered if Steve was ever going to find out what had happened to her…

Mike left the crime scene and walked out the door and looked across the street and saw a car black car with beautiful chrome work with parking tickets sticking to the windscreen like flags. 'Who would leave a nice car like that out here?' he asked himself. As he approached he saw that it was a 1965 Thunderbird and lord behold the keys were in the ignition still.

He put his handkerchief over his hand and opened the chrome door handle and looked around inside. He found some make up and looked at the keys and engraved on a metal name tag was 'Angela'. Mike closed the car door and ran back across the street and asked one of the detectives to check the car over for evidence and have it towed. 'Why can't you organise it Mike?' Inspector Morrison asked and Mike was growing tense.

'Who's in charge here me or you?' Morrison looked at him and rolled his eyes and Mike went back towards his car. He knew he had to break the news to Angela's parents so that was making him more depressed than anything at that moment, he imagined it'd be some cops unlucky job to do that for him if something happened to Jeannie and he felt sick at the very idea.

He put his head against the steering wheel and looked up just as Angela's lifeless body was being carried out of the house. 'Who's gonna be next…?' he said to himself as he put the Galaxie into gear and drove off down the street.

Steve woke up after a night of tossing and turning, dreams about Angela and nightmares about watching John kill her and making him watch. His eyes were blood shot; his lips were swollen red, he couldn't cry anymore and had a terrible head ache. He felt in his hand the gold necklace he had given for her as a present and put it in his pillow case, the safest place for it. He was in a rage, angry, sad, and alone, terrified and heart broken. He was still stunned by the fact that the night he had such a pleasant dream about her was the night she was taken away from the world.

He heard the door unlocking and felt his blood boiling with anger; he rolled over from facing the steps and turned his back. 'Aw Keller, is someone sad? Is someone a sad little boy?' he said mockingly as his feet clunked heavily on the wooden steps. 'Just leave me alone!' Steve yelled 'Oo touchy…' said Shadow trying not to laugh.

'Why'd you kill her…?' Steve asked as a tear slid down his cheek and onto his flattened pillow which he had transformed from an old sheet. 'She was there…I'm not going to tell you Keller, you'd want me to kill you…' he said almost tempting Keller into wanting to know more about something he was better off not knowing about. 'Did you do anything to her before you killed her?' Steve asked 'What do you mean?' John asked almost mocking his emotions and anger

Steve rolled over to face the bastard 'You know what I mean!' John laughed his hair covering his eyes making dark shadows on his face. 'No I didn't do anything of the sort, I just killed her…But, I wished I did Keller, she was a good bit of gear, I'm surprised she wasn't your girlfriend anymore…' Steve knew he was just trying to get to him but, and he didn't trust what John said about not doing anything to her beforehand.

'Just shut up!' Steve pleaded trying to not let Shadow get to him 'You're so weak Keller; she obviously didn't want a weak man in her life…' Steve rolled over flat on his back in order to get a better look at John who was standing over his mattress like a vulture awaiting its next meal. He tried his best not to cry or to do anything he'd regret. 'Just shut up John!' 'Keller why don't you stand up and talk to me, man to man talk.' Steve pulled himself up ignoring the pain he physically felt and not ignoring the emotional side of how he was truly feeling at that moment.

'She asked for you buddy boy, she asked if I knew where you were…' Steve was getting more aggravated by the second just thinking of Angela walking right into John's trap without even realising, John would've had the key because he took everything off Steve the night he was bought to this hell hole he was trapped in now.

Steve felt his hands go into a tight unbreakable fist 'That's it you sick son of a bitch…' Steve head butted John and then kneed him in the stomach as he fell. He felt his adrenalin kick in and his feet just wanted to run, he didn't waste a second and ran towards the stairs and went up towards the light. He tripped on the stairs as he reached the hallway and got up again, stumbling down the hallway 'I'm gonna get you for this Keller! You better run or I'm gonna blow your brains out!' Steve went to run out the front door but it was covered in as many locks as the basement door was.

His heart was pounding in his ear and he knew he had to think fast, he turned towards the back door and ran and heard John's feet clunking up each step, his heart was beating in his ear and he was terrified.

He ran out the back door, down the back steps and onto the paddock, he heard John run out after him and yell 'Keller, stop!' before firing a gun, Steve felt something go into his thigh and it burned like hell. He reached for it and fell to the grass; he rolled over and squirmed as the burning sensation writhed throughout his whole body. His chest was heaving and he knew he had been shot; his escape attempt had landed him in a worse predicament than before…

He caught a glimpse of John holding a single barrelled hunting gun and knew he had been hit by a professional. His leg couldn't feel anything for a few moments and as he looked at his hand he saw it was covered in blood. He was so caught up in what had just unfolded that he didn't even notice as John approached and looked down on him with a smile that read 'You're screwed.'

'I told you, you should know your place by now Keller…' Steve went into shock and then when he thought life couldn't get any worse he saw John moving closer to where he was lying and kicked where the bullet had gone through. Steve bit his lip, clenched his teeth and moaned in pain as John pushed it a little bit harder. 'Will you try that on me again?' he asked Steve, Steve was too busy wishing he was dead to answer, biting his lip and groaning in pain.

'Will you do that again?' he yelled and Steve shook his head 'I can't hear you pig!' John yelled 'No…' Steve managed to say as he put his head back in the grass and felt the pain relax as John took his boot off. 'C'mon, inside with you.' John reached down, scooped Steve up underneath his arms and dragged him back to the house, Steve was yelling and groaning as his leg went over a few bumps along the way and he couldn't control his urge to yell curses at John who just laughed.

John dragged through the kitchen, down the hallway and finally to the basement door. He dragged Steve down the basement steps like a rag doll, enjoying the sounds of pain that Steve made and then put him on his mattress. 'Now let me tell you a story of what happened last night!' John said excitedly and Steve put his head back against his pillow and knew there was no point arguing, he may as well listen to all the sick things John had to say.

'Okay last night I didn't ring Stone right? I was about to ring from the payphone on your street when I saw a Thunderbird turn up across the road. I was in a murderous rage so I thought I may as well kill whoever's in the car right? So I watched this beautiful, tall girl get out of the car, she was well dressed so I knew she wasn't a prostitute.' The excitement in his voice made Steve hate him even more and it sickened him.

'Anyway I went to approach her and I noticed she got out, paid the parking metre, and then walked across the road to where your house is.' He paused and looked down at Steve who was staring into space, looking dreadfully pale. He remembered he had shot him and decided to keep him somewhat help.

'One moment Keller.' He ran up the stairs and came back a few minutes later with bandages and Vodka. He leant down beside Steve and poured some vodka on it and then tied the bandages around the wound tightly. Steve knew there was no kindness in this act he knew John just wanted to keep him a live a little bit longer… He made it thick so that Steve wouldn't bleed to death and then stood up again wanting to continue with his sick tale…

'Anyway where was I?' his eyes were gleaming at Keller as he walked over to the wall and grabbed a stool. He sat the chair down at the foot of the mattress and sat down on it like a bird perched in a cage and continued telling Steve about what he did to Angela.

'Anyway so she knocked on the door and no one answered, I snuck up out of nowhere and said I was a cousin of yours and that I had just left the house to get some cigarettes and that she could come in. She didn't seem to certain and went to turn away so I said to trust me, Steve's inside I was just there trust me. She was hesitant, so I opened the door for her and she called out to you, so she got suspicious but, walked through. Once I had closed the door I called out again for you…' he stared at Steve waiting for a response of some kind. Steve shook his head 'I told her never to trust anyone…' Steve said sadly and John smirked.

'She then asked me if Steve was in there, and pointed at your room. I said sure he is and then she goes I don't believe you; I'm leaving and asked what I had done with you. I said that was for me to know and for her to never find out. She went for the door and I blocked her path, she called out your name and as she turned around I got my iron bar out of my trench coat, that I had used on past victims and whacked her over the back of her head as hard as I possibly could. Some blood splattered across the hallway wall on impact and she screamed. She was still alive so she tried to run and collapsed on the living room floor.' John took a moment to pause for Steve's facial expression.

'I got my thick chain I carry on my neck sometimes that was a gift from my mother and put it around her neck…' Steve couldn't handle it anymore 'I get it!' he yelled 'Stop it!' Steve said as tears rolled down his cheeks 'You killed her you bastard!'

John licked his lips 'Oh it gets better…I put the chain around her neck and pulled back on it, lifting her off the ground and made it so tight that I could hear her choking. She was still trying to speak and say your name and then I let go. She was almost there…just lying on the floor face down coughing a bit, so I then got my iron bar and smacked her over the head a few times, I felt like Maxwell with his hammer you know Keller? I was about to leave and I noticed a gold chain around her neck underneath all that hair. I thought it'd be of some value so I undid it and opened the locket and saw a picture of her and you on it…I just knew I had to take it back to you…She didn't stand a chance Keller…she really didn't…But why would she be at your house at that time of night anyway? A bit of night time lovin', trying to relive the old days?' John said trying to provoke him and Steve put himself together enough to talk…

'She wasn't like that you bastard! I told her never to trust anyone and she let her guard down on you!' John laughed 'I would've killed her even if she didn't go inside, I would've put my hand over her mouth and slit her throat or something creative. I'm just glad she suffered…like you're suffering…' John said trying not to make his joy evident to Steve, even though it was more obvious than anything.

'I hope you drop dead ass hole…' Steve growled 'Now tell me Steve, why was she there at ten at night?' Steve remembered a phone call they had had two weeks earlier and decided to tell him so he'd stop mocking Angela.

'She was coming back from a trip to New York with her family and wanted to see me before she drove home, she told me she would be late and I said that was fine…' John wiped his eyes and pretended to cry 'That is so touching Keller, really, a really sappy love story for me to hear about…Get over it!' he yelled and Steve turned away. 'I'll get my revenge on you John, I don't know when or how but, you'll pay…' Steve warned wishing he could tear John to pieces.

'I love annoying you Keller, you make it so easy for me to get to you…It's hilarious, it really is…' Steve sat up and spat at John 'When my leg gets better soon I'll…' Steve knew it was no good but, his imagination of what he could do to John if he was given a free go at it was driving him crazy.

'Or you'll what Keller? Kill me? Haha!' he leant down towards Steve 'I'm going to consume all of your thoughts, feelings, dreams and every aspect of your life until I turn you inside out and you'll just hang yourself in your bed sheets from the ceiling…' Steve clenched his hand and waited for John to edge closer so that he could punch him in the face. John went to speak when Steve punched him square in the face making sure he felt the pain. John's nose and lip began bleeding and John stood up holding his face with his hand 'Ah! God damn it!' he said leaning over against the wall.

'Don't mess with me Keller…you're starting to test me…A little game where I can chase you is fine but this rebelling stuff isn't doing you any justice…' he said holding his nose and looking at the blood. He went back up the stairs slamming the door. Steve rolled over and put his face in his hands and cried, hearing that was enough to tear his soul to a million pieces. He loved her so dearly and now that bastard had taken her away so easily.

Meanwhile upstairs John was leaning against the basement door holding his lip and nose. 'Wait till I get my hands on Stone…' he whispered to himself and walked up the steps of the basement hoping that Steve would give up for a while… But decided to turn around and open the basement door, and stood at the top of the stairs.

'Killing that bitch last night was one of my best kills in a while… Oh I wish you could've been there when she fell into my trap, I thought being with a cop would've smartened her up…but no obviously that wasn't the case… So I had to strangle her, that was so much fun Keller, hearing her choking trying to breathe, gasping for air, she was calling for you Keller, thinking you'd save her… Her voice was gasping and she was calling Steve save me, help me where are you? Over and over again, it was music to my ears…

So I told her you'd be joining her soon, I told her I was holding you hostage and that she'd never see you again. She fell dead silent and I could hear the air escaping her lungs and just as she began to fall silent she said to tell you she loves you… I'll leave you with your thoughts Keller…' he said laughing madly 'At least someone loved you…' he joked as he closed the door again and Steve lied there feeling helpless. He held pulled the gold necklace from under his make shift pillow case and put it in his hand. He held it tightly and lied down on the mattress forgetting about the pain in his leg and thinking about Angela.

'I told you Angie…never trust anyone…never go with strange men…Oh God why…' he began crying again and looked at the picture in the locket 'I'll get him for what he did to you…' he said as he fell silently to sleep…

That afternoon Mike went to the autopsy for Angela, he was glad that Steve wasn't there to witness it; he knew Steve as tough as he was couldn't take it. He obviously loved Angela and seeing her on the table would've killed him inside.

He wondered if Steve knew about it, if Shadow had told him that Angela was dead. He walked around to the body and could barely recognise her face; he had spent the day notifying her parents, speaking to the neighbour that reported it and she said she heard nothing the night before. No more clues once again… Except that her parents asked if a gold locket was found with her body and Mike said nothing of the description was found at the scene, to which her parents thought was a very odd piece of news… Her mother had left the living room while Mike broke the news to him and Angela's father said that meeting Steve was probably the best and worst thing she had done.

Mike couldn't imagine how they felt; they had lost their little girl thanks to sadistic killer who didn't care who his victim was. Mike also found that Angela had organised with Steve to visit a few weeks previously and that they had gotten back from New York, that evening and instead of staying home with her parents, she decided to keep her promise and go see Steve, little did her parents know that'd be the last time they'd ever see her.

It was driving him insane and maybe that's just what Shadow wanted him to do, he was testing them to see how far they'd go to try and catch him out.

He listened to the Mortician as he listed the traumas, contusions, and cuts and concluded that the death was a combination of asphyxiation and bleeding on the brain. The likelihood of her living if she was found would've been very low and Mike knew that she had little hope once she entered the house. Mike left the autopsy hoping that Shadow wouldn't go after Jeannie next, that'd be an easy target for him because it would get him and to Steve. He just felt like getting in the car and driving down to the bar for a few whiskeys on the rocks and forgetting about life for a while.

He drove back to the office after dropping into a liquor store and buying a bottle of Jim Beam and put it in his desk draw for later. 'Mike are you alright?' Oliver asked standing in his doorway and Mike shook his head 'No I'm not, just leave me be.' Mike put his head in his hands and felt a head ache coming on 'Oh God…' he said to himself 'I hope this bastard drops a hint soon…'

Mike drove home that night at around eleven and he was drunk as a skunk, how he managed to drive was beyond him and he left the keys in the car. He got to the front door and twisted the door knob and it was locked 'For Christ sake…' Mike said to himself as he walked back to his car. He got the keys out and managed to stumble back to the front door, walk inside, take his coat off and just as he did the phone began ringing 'Who could that be?' he mumbled slamming the fridge door and going to the phone.

'Yeah?' he answered 'Stone how are you buddy?' Mike put his hand to his forehead 'Oh it's you, who else would it be?' he said sarcastically wishing it was someone delivering a pizza. 'You sound a bit drunk Stone, getting too much for you, can't cope with the heat?' Shadow said cruelly 'I got your latest victim…' Mike said 'Oh goodie, just what I wanted to hear!' Shadow said laughing sadistically 'Oh that was one of my best kills…I…' Mike cut in.

'Does Steve know?' Mike asked curiously and Shadow laughed again even louder 'Of course he knows! He would've killed me if he was strong enough so he tried to escape, so I shot him in the leg…He won't be trying that anytime soon, but don't worry Stone I wrapped it up nice and tight for him. He's not happy about it I can tell you that much. But I left him 8 glasses of water next to his mattress; he's resting now or dead either one…'

Mike didn't know what else to say. 'Shadow, if he's dead I want you to tell me, if this is just some sick charade and he's really dead I want to know.' Shadow went silent 'He's alive…for now Stone, I'll try keep him alive for as long as possible but whether or not you find him in time is another thing. I'll drop you a hint though, my brother was booked by Steve…well goodnight.' Stone didn't know whether to believe him or not and went to speak but before he could Shadow hung up.

'Well how often has Steve been on his own or did he mean me included…?' Mike said to himself. He went to bed that night with this slice of information and tossed it around in his mind before falling asleep; hoping that tomorrow would bring answers…