"Wake up…" Sam felt a sharp pain across this face that tugged him out of the darkness. "C'mon buddy…time to wake up."
Another slap across the face roused him enough to open his eyes but only one would flutter open fully. His left eye was swollen shut and as his right eye focused he saw a man crouching beside his head. Sam lay still, moved his feet a little and twitched his fingers to assess how much pain he was in and if he could fight but it was no use, he could barely move. His eye travelled past this man, searching for Andy and he wasn't sure if he was relieved or terrified that he couldn't see her.
"Okay, good, I didn't want to have to carry you in."
The stranger took Sam's arm and hooked it around his neck. Sharp unbearable pain shot across Sam's chest and he cried out in pain as he pulled him up to his feet and half dragged half carried him into the cabin. Sam's feet struggled for purchase on the ground and they trailed behind them. The cabin was small and seemed to be only 2 rooms, one large enough for a couch in front of a fireplace with a dining / kitchen area behind it where the other man was cooking something in a large pot. Sam guessed the door at the back of the room was a bedroom. He looked around for Andy but she wasn't here.
The décor was rustic, and Sam guessed this was a rarely used hunting lodge. There was a collection of old rifles on the wall, some photos of men standing over kills and some just standing around drinking. There was some fishing equipment by the door and everything had an overused never cleaned look about it. The stranger dropped Sam onto the couch with a grunt then stepped back and looked down at Sam's crumpled body.
"You don't look so good."
Sam's right arm was draped over his torso, as he gently held the ribs he knew were broken.
"What do you want?"
"Get this Marty… he's willing to negotiate?"
"What do you want?" Sam repeated.
"Want?" the stranger came closer and leaned down to put his face next to Sam's. "Nothing from you." He nodded his head towards the bedroom door. "But from her?"
"Leave her alone."
The men both laughed. "Or what exactly? You'll frown? Shake your fist… can you even do that?"
"Don't fucking touch her."
"Oh god, enough with the dramatics, we get it, you love her, you hate us, you want us to die and if we touch a hair on her head you will make sure it happens. Did I get everything?"
Sam struggled to keep focused. His ribs, his shoulder, his face. His whole body was humming with pain.
"Who are you?"
"Enough." Marty, the man that was cooking in the kitchen came over and patted his friend on the back, then gently pushed him away from Sam. "C'mon, get him in. We gotta go get ready."
He pulled a pair of cuffs out from his back pocket and slapped it over one of Sam's wrists, then pulled his other hand closer to connect them. Sam tried not to scream out in pain as his shoulder flexed. Marty tugged on his cuffs to get him to stand and this time the white hot flashes from his shoulder and ribs were too much and he yelled out.
One of the men pulled on a rug that was in the middle of the kitchen revealing a trap door beneath. He slid the latch open and yanked the trapdoor up. It was Marty who tugged Sam over towards it where he could see a wooden stairway but little else.
"Well are you gonna walk in or get pushed?"
Sam hobbled closer to the edge of the trap door but before he could even contemplate how he would manage those stairs a heavy hand on his back pushed him in. He held his arms up around his head and pulled his knees up to his chest as he fell, protected his body as much as possible.
The fall seemed to last forever until finally he fell onto a hard concrete surface then the trap door slammed shut behind him, and plunged the room into darkness. Sam didn't know how long he lay there for. He drifted in and out of consciousness and his body grew even stiffer until finally he could hold his eyes open long enough to let a single thought form.
Roll over.
He gritted his teeth, braced his head on the ground and with a yell forced his body to roll from lying on his chest to his back. The pain in his shoulder pulsated and every breath he took shot pain around his chest. He let his eyes adjust to the darkness. There were three small windows high on the wall behind him and with the moonlight he could see the rest of the room.
It was empty.
Sam tried to sit up but his ribs refused to comply. The harsh copper taste of blood was in his mouth so he turned his head to the side and spat it out. It was then he noticed the other door. She had to be in there, he thought. Hoped.
With purpose now and the need to see her more than ever, Sam rolled onto his side and pushed himself onto all fours. He braced himself against the wall, and slowly stood up, leaning heavily against it. He dragged himself against it to the door and reached for the handle. He paused only a second, hoping against hope that it would be open, terrified that it would be locked. It was open. The other room was dark but also had three small windows and with the moonlight they offered he could see her.
As quick as his battered body would allow Sam rushed over to her. She was lying in a heap beneath the windows and when he rolled her over he was reassured to see no marks or bruising on her face. He checked her pulse, it was slow and steady. He gently slapped her cheeks with the back of his hand.
She was still wearing the dress and though he tried not to think about it he was grateful to see if was still intact.
"Andy…Andy, wake up." He brushed her hair away from her face. "C'mon McNally…wake up for me."
Footsteps came thundering down the stairs in the other room. Sam reached down and clasped her hand in his and turned to see both of their assailants coming through the door.
"Don't get too comfy." One of them grabbed the cuffs Sam was wearing and dragged him across the room. Sam screamed in pain, finding the energy to kick out. He swung his legs around, connecting with the man's ankles knocking him to the floor. Sam used the surprise to bring his two clenched fists down on the side of his head. But before he could continue the assault Marty came over and kicked Sam.
His foot connected with Sam's chest as he had his arms held up high to bring down in another fierce punch. Sam flew back, cradling his already broken torso. His hands were grabbed and he was dragged over to the wall where his cuffs were locked to a metal ring that was sticking out high on the wall. Sam didn't have the energy to hold himself up so he hung limply, the metal cuffs cut into his wrists.
"Jesus Christ…" The man he assaulted started to get up, rubbed the back of his head where it connected with the floor and rotated his jaw where Sam's fists had connected.
"Grab her, They are going to be here soon."
"No, no I'm ok, don't worry about me!"
"Shut the fuck up and grab her. We don't have time for this."
"Well there is always time for this…" he walked over to Sam and crouched down to be at his level. Sam's head was hung low, his chin resting on his chest. He grabbed a fist full of Sam's hair and lifted his head. Sam's eyes drooped over but he managed to crack a smile at the red mark where he had connected.
"That's gotta smart," Sam said, spitting blood down his chin as he spoke.
"Yeah…a little…" he reached up and gingerly touched his jaw. He looked over his shoulder where Marty was standing with Andy slung over his shoulder, fireman style. "But I guess I'll have to work out my anger some other way."
Sam clenched his fists and pulled on the cuffs but it was no use. He had to watch as they left the room with Andy.
Oliver and Dov stood at the door to Andy's UC apartment an watched as the CSI team worked the room. The windows and door handles had all been dusted for prints, leaving tell tale black powder residue over everything. One of the officers circled the room taking photos, documenting everything in a thick handbook.
"No sign of forced entry, no blood." Dov spoke aloud but Oliver knew it wasn't for his benefit.
"This is a crappy neighbourhood. The door wouldn't keep out a stiff breeze." Oliver ran his hand down the frame, feeling for any crowbar marks but there were none. Sam's coat an Andy's shawl were still on the floor behind the door where they had dropped them. "Their mic packs are here."
"And their phones."
"Detective Holte has brought in the photographer."
"Chris and Gail are going through CCTV footage on the street to see if anything comes up."
Oliver dry washed his face as he stepped through the apartment. "There is nothing here. There is nowhere to go."
Before Dov could speak his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and stepped out into the hallway to take the call. "Chris…have you got something?"
"Yeah, car parked on the street, two male drivers, each of them entered the building about 10 mins before Swarek and McNally got out of a cab. Then they put something into their trunk and left, about 15 mins after that."
"License plate?"
"BLHK136…blue ford…registered to Tom Yorkson, lives on 345 Billings Ave near Greenwood park."
"We're on the way."
"I've already called for your backup."
"Thanks Chris."
Dov turned to call Oliver but he had already heard enough of the call and was ready to race out. Dov nodded and followed.
A/N: I'm already working on the next chapter, so hopefully it wont be as long for the next update.