A/N: RL has slowed down again so you all get another update super quick! This chapter has a lot of Sadie in it and comes with a warning: she gets hurt. I'm not talking SVU hurt, but the scene was one reason I upped this story to the 'M' rating - and it was incredibly hard for me to write. On a lighter note, one of my favorite scenes is also in the chapter - see if you can spot it!
Sadie squeezed her eyes shut and pretended to be asleep as she heard the key in the lock. She knew it was the big man coming to check on her again, bringing her water or food, to see if she would eat something, but all she wanted was to see Star. She had to know if he was ok; every time she closed her eyes she saw the lady with the big teeth falling to the ground with a hole in her chest. She hadn't seen any holes in Star but he had had an awful lot of blood on him and she was scared. Scared that he would leave her – scared that these bad men would take her back to her daddy and she would never see her mama again.
She clutched Mr. Bear tighter as heavy footsteps approached the bed and a shadow fell over her.
"Sadie, are you awake?" Chris whispered.
Sadie didn't move a muscle.
"I hear you're still refusing to eat anything," Chris continued as he sat on the foot of the bed. "And that you're asking to see your friend."
Sadie's eyes flew open. "Star – Sadie see Star now?"
"Will you promise to eat something?" Chris bargained.
Sadie chewed on her lower lip as her stomach rumbled. "Sadie see Star – then eat."
Chris chuckled. "Let's go." He stood and held out his hand.
Sadie jumped off the bed and clutched Mr. Bear tightly to her chest before she hesitantly placed her free hand in his.
Stan rejoined Mary in the sagebrush where Elle's body had been found as soon as he had finished his phone call to Charlie.
She looked up at him from where she was squatting in the dust. "I can't believe you got any reception out here."
He chuckled. "I had to wander a bit, but I finally found a spot and if I didn't move a muscle, I got a signal. Charlie's tracing Marshall's cell phone as we speak."
Mary shook her head as she rose to her feet, shaking the dust from her hands. "Can you say long shot? I'm sure the abductors confiscated it and turned it off first thing, Stan."
He reached out and squeezed her shoulder. "I know – but it's all we've got at the moment. So, find anything Captain Kliss missed?"
She shook her head. "No, there's a slightly damp patch over by that bush – could be urine."
He nodded. "Makes sense, Sadie probably had to go potty. So, they pull over and Elle brings her over here to answer nature's call and they're ambushed."
Mary nodded in agreement. "But what happened to Chris and Marshall?"
Stan blew a breath out between clenched teeth. "Maybe Chris was in on it."
"What?"
"Think about it, Inspector. They'd been driving for hours – and they're ambushed here, on a desolate stretch of road? It had to have planned-"
"Or someone sent a signal," Mary finished the thought. "I'll kill him. So help me God, if Marshall or Sadie's hurt and he was in on it, I'll kill him."
"Inspectors!"
They turned to see Captain Kliss jogging towards them. "One of my officers found this about a mile up the road." He deposited the object in Mary's hand.
Mary looked at the dirty, crumpled origami star in her hand and felt the tears gathering behind her eyes.
In order to give her a minute, Stan asked, "Why were your officers looking so far outside the crime scene?"
Captain Kliss shrugged. "I just thought there might be more clues from the wreck. So I sent a couple of guys further up the highway to beat the bushes."
"And this little scrap of paper caught their eye?" Mary asked incredouslessly
Kliss laughed. "Yeah, Shawn has a niece who's really into origami." He sobered suddenly as he handed over his flashlight. "There's a message on it."
The beam of light illuminated the letters written in a childish scrawl across the star: HEP.
"H-E-P?" Stan frowned. "What does that mean?"
"Help," Mary said softly. "Squish used to spell it just that way when she was four. But I have another question, Stan. Is this blood?" She pointed a shaking finger to the edges of the star. "And whose is it?"
Kliss held out an evidence bag and with some reluctance, Mary dropped the star into it. "Okay, I'll send a couple of my men further up the highway, looking for these origami stars. And I'll also alert the Colorado State Police. I assume we're dealing with the kidnapping of a child, here?"
Stan and Mary shared a look before Stan nodded.
"I'll come with you, Captain, and tell you what I can."
When Chris turned on the light in the cellar, illuminating the dark underground space, the man in the far corner on a filthy cot moaned. Sadie released his hand with a cry and flew across the stone floor to Marshall's side, climbing onto the cot to nestle against his side, dropping Mr. Bear on the floor. She ran her little hands over his hot, flushed face.
"Star? Star!" she cried, as she patted his cheek gently.
Marshall's only response was to moan and shiver slightly.
Sadie turned back to Chris, fire in her dark eyes. "You bad man! Star sick! You make better!"
Chris laughed. "I don't take orders from a little girl. You've seen your precious Star. Now it's time to go back to your room, have something to eat, and go to sleep. It's late."
Sadie shrank away from the man and his words, wrapping her arms firmly around Marshall's neck. "No."
Chris frowned. "No?"
"No," Sadie repeated. "Sadie stay with Star. No eat."
Chris felt the anger building in his gut. "We had a deal, you little shit."
Sadie shook her head as she laid her head over Marshall's heart, listening to its slow rhythm. "Bad man," she whispered. "You hurt people. Hurt lady, hurt Star."
Chris snarled as he crossed the room and picked Sadie up by one arm, twisting it savagely behind her back, the bone snapping under the pressure of his fingers. Sadie screamed in pain. "Listen hear, you little brat! I've been hired to keep you safe until your daddy comes to get you- ow!"
His words ended in a scream and string of profanity as Sadie's kicks landed on his private area and he dropped her in surprise. Sadie scurried back to the cot and used Marshall's body as a shield as she wedged herself between him and the wall.
"Boss! What's going on down here?" Heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs and Frankie came into view, his eyes sweeping around the room. He looked at a terrified Sadie, her right arm hanging limp and useless by her side, bruises already forming on her skin before his eyes darted nervously to Chris. "Boss, you know Tony's not going to like you roughing up his little girl."
Chris growled as he silently counted to ten, trying to get his temper back in check. "Fine, then you keep an eye on them while I go cool off, ok? And try to get her highness to eat something."
Frankie nodded as Chris headed for the stairs.
"Oh, Boss? Do you want me to take her back upstairs?"
Chris looked back at the cot where Sadie was once again draped across Marshall's chest, her eyes closed, tears seeping out beneath the closed lids.
He grinned. "Nah, leave 'em both down here in the dark for awhile."
Frankie didn't like to leave anyone in the dark, especially not a scared little girl. He had slept with a night light himself until a few years ago – when the teasing of his boss and others he traveled with got to be too much. But the dark still scared him and he knew that for a little girl who missed her mama and had seen a woman get shot right in front of her shouldn't be left in the dark. So he left a low wattage lamp burning in the corner despite his boss' instructions and prayed that Chris would never find out. He had every intention of sneaking back down to the cellar and turning it off before dawn. He also left a snack of toast and jam and a small glass of water in a plastic cup on a tray.
Frankie cautiously approached the cot where Sadie was still glued to Marshall's chest, both of them breathing in unison, the tear streaks still fresh on her cheeks.
"Sadie? You should eat something."
Without opening her eyes, she shook her head against Marshall's chest. "No. Star sick – make better – then Sadie eat," she whispered.
Frankie sighed. "Does your arm hurt?"
Sadie squeezed her eyes shut tighter. "Yes."
Frankie's heart constricted. "I'll be right back – I'll get some medicine to make you feel better."
Her eyes flew open. "Star too?"
Frankie paused. I guess aspirin wouldn't hurt anything – "I'll bring Star some medicine too – but only if you promise to eat."
Sadie gave him a small smile. "Okay."
Fortunately the first aid kit was in the kitchen at the top of the stairs, so Frankie was only gone for a couple of minutes and he didn't run into Chris. When he came back, he saw that Sadie was sitting up on the cot, nibbling on a piece of toast.
Frankie smiled. "I'm glad to see you eating. Here's some medicine to make you feel better."
She shook her head. "Star first."
He sighed. "Okay, you can help me by getting the cup from the tray."
Sadie scampered off the cot and Frankie got behind Marshall's head, propping him up underneath his armpits.
"Whaa-" Marshall moaned groggily.
Sadie climbed onto the cot next to him. Frankie palmed two aspirin and opened his mouth.
"Swallow," he ordered
Marshall tried but nearly gagged, his mouth was so dry.
"Give him a sip of water, girl, slowly," Frankie said.
Using her left arm, Sadie held the cup to his lips, and Marshall greedily took one sip and then another.
"That's enough," Frankie said. "Anymore and he'll be sick."
Sadie took the cup away and watched as Frankie lowered Marshall back to the mattress.
"Star get well now?"
Frankie sighed, wishing it was such an easy fix as that. But the truth of the matter was, the bullet was most likely still inside his leg and every minute it remained, it was doing more damage and infection was setting in. But he wanted this little girl to feel better and to eat so-
"Yes," Frankie lied.
Sadie dropped the cup, and threw her good arm around Frankie. "Thank you! I knew you were good."
Frankie swallowed, tasting the bile in his throat. "Come on, it's time for your medicine now."
Sleep was impossible.
Mary tossed and turned for an hour before she gave up and reached for the TV remote, hoping the sound of infomercials would loll her into a stupor that would lead to the land of Nod. But as the reflection from the screen danced off the ceiling and walls of the darkened hotel room, her mind kept drifting to Marshall: his eyes, his hands, his mouth. Her fingers reached up and played with the St Jude medallion that once again hung around her neck. It was a little worse for the wear and she had been surprised when Captain Kliss said she could have it – but then he had said he knew where it was if he needed it.
She tried to imagine how she would be feeling if this had happened before they had slept together – if she had been vacationing in Mexico and had gotten the news that Marshall had been abducted. How would she have felt? Would she still feel this overwhelming sense of loss – like she did when he was shot a couple of years ago? She remembered how she had fallen to pieces at the hospital in her mother's arms . . . and how she had just brushed it aside later as the emotional letdown from the case.
God, I was so blind all these years to what was right in front of me – he could have walked out that door and left me so many times. I wouldn't have blamed him if he did.
"You're over thinking again, Mer."
She turned her head to see her partner stretched out beside her on the bed in his boxers, his head propped on one hand, grinning.
She collapsed back against the pillows, sinking down into their softness. "Why did you stay with me?"
He quirked an eyebrow at her. "You really don't know?"
She shook her head.
"Because I love you."
She frowned. "But I didn't love you."
"Don't remind me."
She put a hand on his chest to comfort him, reassured by the warmth and the steady beat of his heart beneath her fingertips. "I mean, why put yourself through the torture of Raph, Epps, Faber-"
He sighed. "I don't need a who's who list of your conquests, Mer. I was there, remember?"
"So why-"
He lifted a hand and ran it through her hair, stopping to caress her cheekbone. "For this moment."
"I don't understand, Marshall."
He pounced, rolling her underneath him. "For the dream of this moment, you and me, together like this."
Her mouth fell open and he took advantage, pushing his tongue inside to mate with hers. She felt her blood pressure rising as their fingers interlaced and her upper body rose to meet his. When he pulled away to let them both catch a breath, she gasped, "But what if it had never happened?"
He frowned down at her. "You're thinking too much again."
She trembled. "I can't help it - I'm scared."
"Of what?" he whispered as he peppered her neck with kisses.
She shivered, as fear and desire warred for dominance. Her fingers grasped the side of his head, pulling him back up until they were eye to eye. "Of losing you now that we're-"
He grinned. "Lovers?"
She nodded as her eyes clamped shut. "Yes."
"Never gonna happen – have a little faith, Mer." He chuckled, his warm breath fanning her skin. "Open your eyes, beautiful."
With a smile, Mary opened her eyes and gasped. She was alone in her motel room, the only sound the constant drone of the TV infomercial, Marshall's words from her dream ringing in her ears.
Have a little faith, Mer.
Marshall felt a weight on his chest as his eyes fluttered open. The painful throbbing in his head kept time with the throbbing in his leg and for a long time he just lay there, trying to get his bearings. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious and he still felt like he had a fever, though he didn't think it was as high as it had been. He had no feeling in his right leg below the knee but the pain that lanced through his upper thigh more than made up for it.
When he finally managed to tilt his head and look down, he discovered that the weight on his chest was Sadie. She was sleeping soundly, one arm wrapped around Mr. Bear, but the other hung off the side of the cot at an unnatural angle. He frowned and felt his blood pressure rising as he saw the deep red hand print on her little arm and gritted his teeth to hold back his anger. What else had these monsters done while he had been out of commission? He had thought Sadie would be reasonably safe from harm since their abductors were most likely working for her father.
Marshall didn't know how long he could stay awake and he needed to know what was going on so with great reluctance he started to shake her.
"Sadie? Sadie girl, wake up."
She moaned and stirred, and when his fingers brushed her bruised arm she sat up with a cry. She sat blinking down at him sleepily for a moment or two before she threw herself back onto his chest. "Star! You better!"
He grunted from the impact. "Yes, I'm feeling a little better," he agreed, not mentioning the fact that he still had a bullet in his leg. "How are you, Sadie? What happened to your arm?"
Sadie looked at her right arm and tears filled her eyes. "Bad man – hurt Sadie."
Marshall clenched his jaw. "Why did he hurt you?"
"Sadie stay with Star."
His eyes drifted shut. "Oh Sadie girl – I don't want you getting hurt because of me. It's my job to protect you."
Sadie shook her head. "I protect you," she thumped her chest proudly. She set Mr. Bear down on his chest and opened the back of him, pulling out some of Marshall's origami stars. "Sadie put out window."
He frowned and then smiled. "You mean, you put these out the window of the van? After Chris kidnapped us?"
She nodded. "Grumpy find us – like story."
"Story – are you talking about Hansel and Gretel? The breadcrumbs in the forest?"
Sadie nodded again and pulled something else from Mr. Bear's stomach and put it Marshall's hand.
His cell phone.
He looked down at it in surprise. "How did you get your hands on this, Sadie girl?"
She screwed up her eyes in thought. "Sadie found – picked up."
The phone beeped in his hands and he saw that it was almost out of battery. There was no signal but hopefully Stan was already tracing their location.
"Call Grumpy," Sadie ordered.
"I can't, Sadie girl. There's no cell phone service out here."
Sadie's shoulders slumped in defeat and Marshall pulled her back down so he could kiss the top of her head. "You're a genius, Sadie girl. All the stuff you did while I wasn't able to help you. Grumpy will be here soon, don't you worry."
Sadie yawned and snuggled against his chest. "Good. Grumpy get bad man."
Raise your hand if you think Mary's gonna beat the sh** out of Chris? Yeah, I think so too. Up next: the rescue. Reviews are L-O-V-E.