Before and After: On The Run VIII
Rizzoli & Isles
Pairing: Jane Rizzoli/Maura Isles
Author: myIllusion
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters-no copyright infringement intended.
This chapter isn't very action packed but sets the tone for the final reckoning.
Jane & Jasper
Jane
Jane gave her braid a gentle squeeze, to turn the GPS off and spoke to Maura and Barry for the last time. Well, not the last time for real. Just the last time before she smashed her cell phone on the pavement in front of the Seven Eleven. She picked the shattered pieces up and dumped them is the wastebasket in front of the store, ignoring the baffled expression of the old woman who had watched her perform the task. The old lady was shaking her head in disbelief and Jane could understand why - that I-Phone was practically new and it wasn't cheap.
Yet another cell phone bites the dust, compliments of Charles Hoyt. She was going to send him a bill when this was all over. She retrieved her instructions from the clerk at the counter of the mini-mart. The guy had been given five hundred bucks to hand over the envelope when Jane Rizzoli identified herself and said: "I was told you had something for me."
The dude was so thrilled to make the easy money, he wore a huge completely clueless smile as he handed the package over to her. Jane could hardly be mad at him for unknowingly being part of something so huge and wrong, on so many levels, she didn't want to spoil his day. So, she smiled at the the young clerk and told him, "thanks" before striding back out to the far end of the parking lot where her car was parked.
Jacobson had specified: the Seven eleven on Beaumont. 6:15 a.m., park your car on the east end of the lot. Your parking space will be marked with an orange cone. Park your car and put the cone in the trunk. Go to the front of the store and smash your cell phone on the sidewalk in front. Go inside the store to pick up your instructions from the clerk. Go back to your car and read your instructions outside your vehicle.
Jane opened the envelope with a familiar feeling of dread without the added element of surprise this time. She knew what she would find.
Another map, another photo and another creepy note.
She glanced at the map and put it aside to look at the photo. Frankie was propped up in a sitting position against a wall that looked suspiciously familiar. He was wearing his blue winter parka, his ankle was clasped in a chain that was attached to the wall and he was obviously unconscious. She couldn't see a bruise or any signs that he had been beaten. That was something hopeful, but she also couldn't tell that he was alive in this picture. One thing was sure beyond a doubt - they definitely had Frankie, like Hoyt had promised.
They had him chained inside that fucking ship. What the Goddamned FUCK? Where was Vince? Why hadn't he called? She knew she should have gone out to that ship with Korsak last night. She smashed her fist on the front of her car in a fit of fury, putting a dent on the hood, and wincing with pain at her stupidity. Now was not the time to lose it. She wish she had gotten this envelope before smashing her phone. Sighing heavily she turned her attention to the note.
Dear Sweet Jane,
Here we are again.
Did you really think I would let you win?
We did have fun though, didn't we?
I have so enjoyed this game.
Thank You Jane.
Follow the directions on the map to the next location.
When you arrive you will be shown a video of your brother being released in a very public location to show that I have honored my bargain.
At the same time you will turn over your weapons and your person.
Your Body.
You will then be driven to my lovely haven. I have been waiting to entertain you there for a very long time Jane.
I will meet you soon Jane.
Very soon.
Just as she was getting ready to look at the map a young woman about twenty feet away slipped on the icy pavement and fell hard. She was carrying a sack of groceries in one hand and a six pack of carry out coffee in the other. Everything went flying, the coffee splattered in all directions leaving sad little puddles, staining the odd patches of snow, mocha brown. Oranges and apples rolled away in varying directions but the saddest sight was the young woman sprawled on the ground grasping her arm, trying desperately not to cry out.
Christ! Could things get any worse? Jane turned her back on the spectacle hating herself for doing so but she had to get going, she had to be on time for this next meeting or they may hurt Frankie. And then she heard the woman whimpering and gasping with pain. Fuck.
Without even knowing she was going to, she found herself walking cautiously over the black ice in the parking lot to help the girl.
"Wow, hey you took quite a spill are you alright?"
The woman was holding her left arm protectively and trying to scramble to her feet. Sniffling, she smiled awkwardly and said. "I think I broke my arm." Jane reached out to support the girls uninjured arm helping her to stand up. She was starting to panic internally, she didn't have time to take this woman to the hospital. In the end, she decided to be blunt and honest and hopefully the woman would understand.
She blurted out, "Listen, I really want to help you but I am having a real personal emergency of my own. I have ten minutes to get somewhere else or my brother will be seriously hurt or murdered."
"Oh my God... no...um, you should go. whimper... I think I can get to my car... it's right over there." And she pointed to a black Toyota Forerunner that was just fifteen feet in the direction that she had been walking in.
Somewhere, in the midst of this little drama, Jane had taken the time to notice how strikingly attractive the woman was. Her hair was the color of straw, it was thick and long and wavy. Her eyes were a deep sky blue, Azure. Even through the tears and pain the woman's voice carried a warm smooth tone, causing Jane to adjust her original estimation of the girls age. She was much older than she looked at first glance. Jane guessed she was closer to herself in age than her original thought of twenty one or twenty two.
"I'll help you to your car, I'll scoop up your groceries too, and then I have to go." She was picking up the scattered goods and stuffing them back into the torn sack as she spoke.
Cradling the groceries in one arm she offered her free arm and asked, "what's your name? " The woman grabbed on to Jane's arm and clung for a second. She nodded at Jane that she was ready and they made there way in slow easy steps over to her car.
"Janet, and thank you... gosh I feel so stupid. I can drive myself over to the E.R. I really appreciate your kindness... most people are so mean. Did you really mean that about your brother?" Whimper. She was still crying a bit, it was obvious she was in a great deal of pain but trying to cover for it by babbling at the same time.
Jane couldn't help but be a little charmed, but still, she had to get going.
"Yeah it is true... here we are Janet and I'm Jane by the way. I hope you're going to be okay I feel really awful just leaving you like this."
'No...no it's really okay. She pushed the little button on her key chain and unlocked the doors to the Toyota. Could you just put my groceries on the back seat for me and I will get right out of your way? Smiling awkwardly at Jane, she stepped back so Jane could open the back door.
Jane returned the smile in spite of her nerves and her frantic need to be speeding through town. "Sure." And she opened the car door, leaned in to put the groceries on the seat and felt something sharp, pointy and needle like stick her in the ass.
"Hey... " Was all she managed to exclaim before she passed out.
Janet was right there to catch her. She shoved Jane into the back seat of the Forerunner and closed the door. She slipped around to the other side of the car and opened the door, grabbing Jane from underneath the shoulders and dragging her across the seat into a prone position. She dumped the groceries onto the floor and then snatched up a blanket she had prepared earlier. She unfolded the blanket and gently covered Jane, running her fingers caressingly across Jane's forehead, pushing a stray lock that had slipped from her braid out of the way. "Poor thing." She whispered and tenderly kissed Jane upon her forehead.
Janet got into the front seat of her Forerunner and drove away with Jane Rizzoli unconscious on the back seat. Her arm was just fine.
Maura, Barry and Beedie
"She's already turned the GPS off. That was what we decided Maura, remember? We thought it would be the safest tactic if they happen to be waiting for her at the Seven Eleven. She'll turn it back on when she has an opportunity... we'll find her Maura."
They were racing to the Seven Eleven in Barry's car, desperately hoping that Jane might still be there. After receiving Korsaks call everything had changed. Maura fainted, which was something she did quite often and really had no control over her bodies reaction to an emotional overload or deep stress. Fortunately, she recovered quickly from these incidents and required little time to gather her wits.
Beedie was in the back seat with his laptop open on the very verge of solving the server puzzle. He ignored the hectic conversation in the front of the vehicle with a practiced indifference. He was almost there. One more configuration and he would have a formula. With this formula he could run his pattern recognition program on the data and he could fix the origin of the host server. He was just minutes away from that discovery.
Maura was up front with Barry trying not to drive him crazy with questions. But that was what she did when overwhelmed with stress. She asked questions. She tried to create order where chaos existed. To gain order you needed to ask questions. Answering the questions restored the order. This is how she coped. So, she assaulted Barry with the same questions, rephrasing the words each time in an attempt to make it seem as though the queries were new. Barry coped with Maura's coping in his own way. He chewed on his thumbnail while driving the car with one hand.
Careening into the parking lot of the Seven Eleven, they slid and skidded to a halt twenty feet away from Jane's vehicle. An upsurge of hope was dashed quickly as they rushed excitedly to the car. Once she realized the car was empty - Maura ran into the mini-mart in search of Jane, while Barry took in the scene with a practiced eye.
The envelope was fluttering on the hood, the photo of Frankie had blown onto the ground and was stuck under the front tire. Barry spied the spilled coffee containers just a little way from Jane's car - the apples and oranges that had rolled away. One orange had been smashed - presumably run over. Something had happened here, but what? Jane was supposed to drive herself to the next location for the actual "Swap." Why was her car still here? And, not twenty feet away from Jane's car, a disturbance had occurred? This was not a coincidence. Jane had been played. They had never intended to let Frankie go in exchange for Jane.
He glanced up to see Maura standing just a few feet away. Her beautiful hair was loose and the wind was gently blowing strands across her face. Her eyes were golden pools that were glittering with sorrow and something else. Anger. She looked like a she wolf standing their so still and and calm and aloof. Staring at the scene, she analyzed it much the same way that Barry had.
"She's gone. They've already taken her. "
Nod.
Jane and Jasper
Jane woke up screaming and thrashing about. She hadn't had a nightmare in a very long time.
"Maura... no, no, Maura don't let go...-" She begged and tried to reach out, searching for Maura who was always there. Always there to hold her.
Her wrists were clasped in shackles, anchored to something behind her. She was naked in a strange bed. What the fuck is going on? She was achingly thirsty, her voice rasped and her throat hurt. Slowly the memory came back to her. That woman. Janet. Janet had done something to her.
The room was poorly lit. A single lamp with a very dim glow, perched upon a low night table was the only source of light within the enormous bedchamber. The ceiling above her seemed to waver as the details came into focus. A beautifully painted angel floated above the bed amongst billowing clouds. The features on the winged creature looked familiar. Blonde, straw colored hair and sky blue eyes - warm and rich and laughing down on Jane's predicament.
"What the fuck is this place? Jane muttered to herself, trying to force her mind to wrap around what had happened.
"This is my home." A soft voice spoke, from the side of the bed, hidden in the shadows.
Blinking her eyes, trying to focus her gaze, Jane searched the space the voice had come from. And there was Janet, sitting in a chair several feet away from the bed watching Jane. She smiled sweetly, warmly like a mother who'd been waiting for a sick child to wake from a fevered dream.
Jane pulled at the wrist restraints, which were clearly linked to chains and anchored to posts. One to each side of the headboard. The chains were long and allowed for movement but were still uncomfortable. The sheets were creamy silk and only partially covered Jane's naked body, because she had tossed them mostly off her while thrashing about in her dream. A hand made quilt was folded neatly back and draped along the bottom of the monstrous bed that Jane was held captive in.
Jane tried to relax. Her thoughts were becoming more clear as she remembered the parking lot, the scene played out differently in her mind as she replayed the images of the vulnerable girl who had slipped and fallen down so near to Jane's car. Ah... Jane, you really fucked up. (silent thoughts)
"Janet... why? What did you do to me? Who... who...are you?"
"My name is Jasper Sun. Charles Hoyt is my brother."
Rising out of the chair she sat on the edge of the bed, looking down on Jane, smiling warmly. She wore a sky blue blouse that matched the color of her eyes precisely. The sleeves were long and flared and open at the cuffs - the whole of it was covered with the most delicate hand stitched embroidery. The top two buttons were undone exposing an elegant long neck and ample cleavage. Maura would look pretty in that blouse Jane thought. Jasper looks pretty in that blouse, which made Jane incredibly uncomfortable.
The woman was beautiful. No doubt about it and she was quite aware that Jane had noticed. She had wanted Jane to notice. Oh God. Jane thought, my head is not clear enough to mentally spar with another Hoyt right now. She was also feeling extremely vulnerable in her naked, chained, disoriented state - so she maneuvered for a diversion, a delay.
"Could I have some water?" She cleared her throat roughly, her husky voice a croak, straining to get the words out.
"I'm sorry, of course you may... I knew you would be thirsty from the effects of the Ketamine. "
She rose from the bed and glided to the night stand with the lamp. From a clear crystal pitcher she poured a tall glass of water. While Jasper's back was turned, Jane reached back to grab her braid only to realize that it had been undone. Her hair was loose and the GPS tracker was gone. To cover for her actions she stacked the pillows against the headboard and slowly propped herself into a semi-sitting position. The chains were long enough to let her move about the bed but only that- she could not leave the confines of the mattress.
Jane's thoughts were a foggy mess and she was still exhausted. She felt like crying and screaming, but was mostly confused by the idea that this woman... Jasper did not frighten her. She knew it in her gut: that Jasper was every bit as insane as her brother, but now, in this time and place; she felt an odd sense of safety. But that was so wrong because she was naked and chained to the bed. Yet, this woman was so normal seeming, kind and thoughtful, sweet.
DIABOLICAL, Jane forced herself to remember that part. But, Jane knew that half the thoughts she was having were influenced by the drug she had been exposed to. Ketamine was known to have hallucinatory and dissociative effects. She had to calm down and go along for awhile until her head cleared.
Gliding slowly back to the bed with a tall, sweating, crystal glass of water in her hand, Jasper sat down on the edge again - closer to Jane this time. She reached out with her hand and gently smoothed a strand of Jane's hair, the look upon her face was grave.
"I'm sorry Jane... I had to cut it out of your hair... I tried to pry it away carefully but the glue was set to well. I wanted to see, to feel what your hair would be like unbound. That was when I found the device. It had to come out Jane." She nodded to emphasize the importance of her statement.
"I am grateful that you had it turned off, however. Else we might be making a frantic trip across the state right now." She handed Jane the glass of water.
And there was that charming smile again, so warm... her blue eyes were hypnotic. The rich, azure color was so unlike the pale (almost hueless) blue eyes of her brother. How could she be so different than he, so attractive and alluring? Her brother was repulsive and vile.
Jane gulped the water down, she really was incredibly thirsty.
They sat for the longest time watching one another. Not speaking. Jane and Jasper. Two strangers: one a captive one a villain. The air felt thick and heavy all at once. Intense. Like electricity gathering itself in a storm ready to arc and strike.
The water glass was in the way, Jane was clenching it so tightly that her knuckles were white. She could not have it shatter in Jane's hands. Glass cuts left terrible scars and Charles would be upset with her if she was responsible for damaging Jane's hands.
"Jane... let me have the glass now... please." Her tone was like a caress and she could see it's affect on the detective. She gently placed her hand upon Jane's wrist and with the other hand very carefully pulled each finger back and away, releasing the tenacious grip. She place the glass on the floor and casually climbed onto the bed. She lay upon her side, stretching her long legs, clad in soft denim down the length of the bed.
She turned to face Jane, reaching out again to touch, to stroke some part of Jane to slowly break her in. Each gentle touch, each gentle word and kind gesture would be one step along the path of taming her. He hand grazed over and down the length of Jane's forearm leaving a trail of gooseflesh in it's path.
"What are you doing? Jane wondered and pulled her arm away to rub it with her hand, as though she could scrub away the tingling sensation.
"I'm getting to know you Jane, I've heard so much about you and have also read a great deal about you, that in a way I feel we should be old friends. I want us to be friends Jane."
And again she stroked Jane but this time she place her hand upon Jane's thigh and rested it there, allowing her fingers to gently caress that fine sensitive skin on the inner part of her leg.
Jane could feel her skin get hot and her body flush in reaction to the Jasper's soft touch. The woman was trying to seduce her. And Jane hated how her body was reacting to the caresses. She liked it. She knew what was happening but could not, for some reason, make herself get angry make herself fight. He mind was screaming but her body was betraying her. Jane felt her nipples get hard, under the penetrating gaze of blue azure. No. No. Maura. And suddenly she was crying, tears were spilling down her cheeks, she turned her head and jerked her leg away from the tender caress.
"Jane..." And Jasper was climbing over and on top of her. She straddled Jane's torso and settled herself on to Jane's hips. "I would never hurt you Jane. You must believe me. Charles hurts people Jane, not me... I don't hurt people Jane. I love."
She bent over Jane, talking all the while, soothing, stroking her cheek with a finger to wipe a tear away. Her honey colored hair framed her face and her golden skin glowed in the soft light cast from the single lamp. She licked the tears off Jane's cheek, one at a time as they trickled slowly from her eyes. She kissed Jane's mouth, gently, tenderly.
"Shssh... don't cry Jane. " Her hands were running trails up and down her shoulders, stroking patterns, one hand grazed across her stomach the other moved to gently hold her face. Her mouth was on Jane's mouth, her tongue was soft and gentle - it was warm and wet and tasted salt. Her tongue was in Jane's mouth, exploring. Warm, and soft and wet and hot.
Maura, Barry, Beedie, Eddie Kelso & Pepper Peterson.
Maura was sitting on the sofa in her living room all alone while Barry, Eddie and Pepper were making plans should Beedie's search bear fruit. The GPS bug was still inactive, and for whatever reason they could only guess, but Jane had not turned it back on.
She held the map, the photo, and the note that Hoyt had written to Jane in her lap. They reclaimed them from the parking lot of the Seven Eleven, along with Jane's car.
Reading Hoyt's note only served to temper the steel within her spine. Looking at that photo of Frankie served to hammer home her deep resolve - to make Charles Hoyt pay. Maura finally understood what Jane had meant by having deep regrets for letting Hoyt live when she'd had the chance to kill him.
Maura revered life. Her reverence for life had grown and evolved over time, in part because of what she faced on a daily basis in the morgue: the senseless waste that humans made of one another's lives. She had always been against the death penalty.
Until now. Maura's ultimate conclusion was so completely alien she could hardly recognize her own thoughts. But, she had decided: if she was ever given the opportunity that Jane once had: she would not hesitate to put that animal down. Her silent...vengeance filled... reverie, was interrupted by a quiet voice behind her.
"I believe I know where they have taken Jane." Beedie placed his hand on Maura's shoulder and turned her to face him, sending her a smile that filled with her up with hope.
"The location of the server is in Essex County. We can go there Maura, we can go and get her back for you." Grabbing Maura's hand he dragged her through the house, rushing them to her office in the back.
He pointed at his computer screen, which showed a blinking red light beeping on and off, centered in the Southern half of Essex county. He clicked another button, opening a satellite image which zoomed in and over the same location, closer, closer, until it focused over the area of a large estate. The picture was from above but you could still tell the estate was large, the house looked big and was surrounded by several smaller out buildings and lots of trees and snow.
Beedie hadn't let go of Maura's hand while showing her the program or the satellite pictures. Ever since the scene in the parking lot this morning he was feeling helpless, useless, and scared. Scared for Jane and scared for Maura. The seriousness of this current project had really struck him hard. Most of the projects he worked on were fun challenges, dares from other hackers or harmless scams. He had never been asked to work on anything that would or could mean actual life or death for another human being.
That was fodder for the movies. These things didn't happen in real life. But real life had hit him hard this past week. His hermetic ways had served him well thus far, keeping him safely away from people, away from caring too much about anyone to get involved. His previous personal involvements existed of meaningless grand standing in on-line chat rooms for hacker geeks.
This whole week had changed him. In the span of a handful of days he had come to love these diverse people. They were so odd and different, one from the other and yet they were friends as well as colleagues - they cared deeply for one another. He didn't understand until this morning how another's pain could be his own. Watching Maura fall apart and put herself together was the bravest, strongest, most beautiful thing Beedie had ever witnessed.
And so, he clung to Maura's hand because it made him feel less scared. He clung to Maura's hand because he wanted her to have a gentle touch, a caring touch that said I know. I know you are hurting, even when you are trying to be strong. And he clung to Maura's hand because she let him.
He smiled at her goofily, while she absorbed what he was showing her. Her eyes grew very big and her voice was warm and sweet as honey when she spoke. "Thank you Beedie." She squeezed his hand tight and threw her arms around his neck hugging him tightly. "Thank you." And she kissed him on the cheek.
Barry, Eddie and Pepper rushed into the room behind Beedie and Maura.
"Did you just say what I thought you said Beedie? Barry exclaimed, beaming a smile at the young man, before taking a look at the images himself. Maura was marching down the hallway before the men had even glanced at the site of Jane's confinement.
"Let's get ready. I want to be on the road in half an hour. " She ordered over her shoulder at the men to get them moving.
Maura was dressed like a commando and Barry almost laughed at her until he saw how serious and determined her face looked. Her hair was pulled back into a tight pony tail. Her boots were heavy black with steel toed tips. She wore canvas trooper pants and an army surplus sweater made of thick green wool. But the most disturbing item was the gun she toted. A Smith and Wesson pistol that looked suspiciously like the weapon Korsak carried.
"Do you know how to use that Maura?"
"Yes, I do. Vince has been teaching me at the firing range. Are you ready?" She snapped at him.
Barry shrugged in acquiescence, understanding Maura's need to be on the move, he felt the same as she and so he simply replied, "Yes, lets go."
Earlier in the day, once the back-up arrived at the docks, Korsak had sent Eddie and Pepper to Maura's house. He wanted them out of the way so they could be of use in the search for Jane. He was required to stay on scene. And, much to their dismay, Frankie and Carrie were held to make statements.
Barry called Korsak before they left and briefed him on the location. Vince promised to get the brass involved and on their way as soon as he possibly could but the complexities of the situation were sure to cause some problems. The biggest hurdle being that they hadn't exposed the six men Hoyt had been blackmailing. And they didn't want to for fear of endangering Jane. Hoyt's power would dissolve once those files were disclosed and this Jasper was an unknown quantity. What would he do with Jane should that balance of power shift? They could not know that answer and so...
...they loaded their gear and weapons into Kelso's Jeep Cherokee and piled inside. The sky was black and clear, the air was crisp, and chill, and still...a determined calm settled upon the tiny group.
As it neared the midnight hour Barry, Pepper, Eddie, Beedie and Maura were heading north to Essex on a quest to rescue Jane. They had an address, a location and a single name.
Jasper.
Jane and Jasper
The combination of having the strange woman's tongue in her mouth and feeling a soft caress slither over her breast finally shocked Jane into a state of clarity. She was being "date raped." Except she wasn't actually Jasper's date was she? She was chained to the bed and naked besides. Jane suspected that Ketamine was not the only drug she had been exposed to.
Her body hurt and ached all over and as much as it (her body) loved the gentle touches - Jane's mind could not abide them. It was Maura's touch she wanted not this creatures. She gathered her will, focused her strength and slowly moved her hands until she was holding Jasper by the wrists. She squeezed her tightly enough to leave bruises on both arms.
"I want you to get off of me."
Thinking of Maura again, Jane seethed. She tried not to let her anger show because she knew she was deep inside another psychological game, and was currently at a disadvantage. But, in this moment she could not have this woman touch her. Not for another second.
She regretted the bruising squeeze as soon as she had done so, because she knew it would damage the fake relationship she would have to establish with the Creature while she was under it's control. In her mind she needed to define this Jasper as exactly that: Creature.
Jasper pulled her wrists away from Jane's grasp, wincing with pain. Tears formed in her eyes as she sat up. She eased herself off of Jane and off the bed. Blue, blue eyes were filled with hurt and sorrow. She shook her head in disbelief, backing herself away from the bed, away from Jane - as though retreating from a wild animal.
"I would never hurt you Jane...why would you hurt me?"
Droplets trickled down her cheeks and her golden hair was tousled - creating the illusion of a wounded child. She left the room quietly, slipping into the shadows like a ghost melting into the mist. Jane heard the squeaky hinge of a door being opened and the snick of it being closed again.
What the fuck? She was really hurt. Emotionally hurt because I pushed her away. Oh my God. How was she going to deal with this? I am chained to the bed, drugged and taken advantage of... and she walks out of here in tears because I squeezed her wrists?
But Jane knew there was a simple truth hidden within the strangeness. Those emotions were real. Jasper was not faking those hurt feelings, those were not crocodile tears. She believed what she had said about herself. She had said, "Charles hurts people Jane, not me... I don't hurt people Jane. I love."
And Jane believed her. Believed that Jasper believed she truly "loved," and therefore was really hurt by Jane's harsh rejection. But what did it mean? Would Jane have to pretend to love her in return...in order to survive...until? Until what? Until Hoyt was set free again? Because Jane was fairly certain that the people Jasper "loved," - ended up just as dead as the people Hoyt had terrorized before he killed them. Different methods same results.
Which would she prefer, to be "Loved to Death.?" or "Feared to Death?
Jane sighed. She lay back in the bed confused and sickened by what had almost happened. The effects of the drugs were nearly gone and the clarity of her mind revealed the harsh truth. She could never allow herself to touch that Creature...even to survive.
Pulling the satin sheets up to cover her naked chained body, grabbing a pillow to hug and snuggle, she curled herself into a fetal position and surrendered to her grief. She cried alone in the cold room and the dim light - under the blued eyed gaze of the painted angel on the ceiling. It mocked her from above... an angel from hell.
Jane sobbed into the pillow hugging it close until her tears were spent. A final hopeless thought assailed her... before she drifted into tormented sleep...
...Maura will be devastated.
To Be Continued
Please don't throw stuff. The apples and oranges have already been wasted in the parking lot. Hope you stick around... it's almost over.
Thanks again to those of you who have left me a note of encouragement.
