I am absolutely melting because of this bloody heatwave and this chapter took me all day to write. I hope it's not too crappy. I think I lost a fair few braincells in this heat.

Chapter 14

The light hurt her eyes and she groaned in pain and discomfort. She slowly became aware of her surroundings and the cold, hard surface that she was lying on. Maura tried to sit up but the pain spread through her body with agonising speed and she whimpered, rubbing the back of her head, the spot where the pain seemed to come from. When she looked down at her fingers she noticed they were coated in sticky burgundy liquid. Blood.

Her head was pounding and there was a strange taste in the back of her throat. Her mouth was dry and her lips felt swollen. Maura carefully licked them with the tip of her tongue. They were flaky and she encountered swelling on the right side as well as what felt like a cut. When her fingertips followed the same path as her tongue she managed to distinguish what felt like a split lip. Her head was fuzzy and her vision blurred. The faint light of wherever she was hurt her eyes and she squinted in an attempt to protect herself. She felt tired and nauseous, like someone had rudely woken her up from a deep sleep.

Slowly the images of what had happened began to filter through the fuzziness. A flash of blue eyes and blonde hair and a face she didn't recognise. A woman's voice that now sounded like an echo in the back of her mind. Hands that had grabbed hold of her, dragging her across something sharp. Maura looked down and noticed that the pants she was wearing were damaged across her knees. The skin was covered in cuts and abrasions. More bruises covered her arms and her wrists, some clearly indicating finger marks where someone had held her tightely. Slowly the memories became clearer but with them also came the fear.

Maura attempted to sit up and pulled her legs up to her chest. She'd been lying on her side, the left side of her face pressed down against the cold concrete surface. Her hands and feet were cold. A cold breeze blew into the room from somewhere and when she looked up she noticed a broken window several feet above her head. The glass was covered in grease and dirt and one of the panels was missing. The sky outside was dark and she recognised the sound of rain landing in a monotone rhythm on the roof.

She let her eyes drift around. The floors were made out of solid concrete and were stained with what looked like oil and paint. The roof was in desperate need of repair. About halfway down the room water was dripping through a crack in the ceiling. It had formed a pool of water on the floor. Old fashioned wooden beams supported the roof and metal pillars seemed to hold the entire construction together. The walls had once been painted in what could have been shades of green, brown and blue but the paint had started to flake off over time, exposing the grey bricks underneath. Most of the windows were quite high up, allowing for little to no room for anyone to look in our out. At the opposite end of the room, which Maura guessed was about a hundred feet wide, was a heavy wooden door. She couldn't see how it was locked.

I'm in an abandoned warehouse, she thought, but how did I get here?

The pounding in her head was overwhelming and interrupted her chain of thought. The nausea only became stronger now that she tried to move. There was nothing that was holding her down. No ties around her wrists or ankles. She could move freely and the realisation surprised her.

It took all the effort and strength she could find to crawl onto her knees. Her stomach turned ad Maura heaved, planting her arms firmly down onto the floor. She sat on all fours, the taste of bile growing stronger in the back of her throat and with little warning her stomach emptied itself. The sour, burning taste of sick made her eyes water and the pain that shot through her body only made her feel worse. It was as if someone had poured acid into her veins, leaving her to burn from the inside out.

She coughed and spluttered, tears now glistening in her eyes, as she bit down on her tongue and forced herself to stand up. She reached out for the nearest wall in support and she pushed herself onto her feet. The world around her was spinning rapidly and when she took a step she almost immediately fell back down to her knees. The pain came sharp and she cried out, both in pain as well as frustration.

Maura tried again, with a little bit more strength this time, and crawled back onto her feet. She didn't let go of the wall as she took a tentative step, followed by a second. Carefully she placed one foot in front of the other and it was only as she walked that she realised she was no longer wearing shoes. She walked barefoot, her feet freezing cold against the concrete floor, as her hand continued to search the wall for support. Over her head the sound of thunder rolling in made her shiver. She was cold and tired. The pain was almost too much.

The door on the other side of the warehouse slowly came into view and it brought a flicker of hope to Maura's heart. Out there lay a world of freedom, a world where she would be able to find Jane and Jane would help her.

The thought of Jane made her ache. She would have given everything to have Jane beside her right now. But if she wanted to get back to her she had to keep going. She had to find some way out of this place, back into the world beyond these four walls. Only then could she try and find Jane. Did Jane know where she was? Did she know what happened? Had Jane even noticed she was gone?

Maura tried to suppress the fear of Jane not having noticed she was gone. She couldn't allow herself to think like that. She had to hope that Jane knew; that she was out there looking for her.

She was about halfway across the room when a movement in the shadows caught her attention. She saw it in the corner of her eye but by the time she turned around, it was too late. All she saw was a flash of a woman's face, partially obscured by darkness. Then came the intense pain as her fist made contact with her cheek.

Maura stumbled backwards, knocked off balance by the impact of the blow, and tripped, landing on her back. Her head bounced off the concrete and she saw silver stars dance in front of her eyes right before she swallowed up into the darkness, the taste of blood lingering on her lips.

~()~

Jane looked up when she heard the door open. She watched Korsak and Frost walk into Maura's house and quickly crossed the kitchen. When she reached them the two detectives saw the panic etched across her face and Korsak caught her into his arms just before she collapsed. Jane was exhausted and she couldn't fight the tears that had welled up in her eyes once again. When Korsak's strong arms wrapped themselves around her slender frame, she cried.

"We'll find her, Jane," the older detective promised her.

Frankie and Angela also walked into Maura's house, followed by Deanna. At the sight of her partner Jane freed herself from Korsak's embrace and straightened up. She wiped the tears from her cheek and she took a deep breath.

"I got here, knocked the door and when nobody answered I went in."

Frost nodded. "The door was unlocked?"

"Yes," Jane answered. "Maura only ever leaves her door unlocked when she's at home. She's borderline obsessive about making sure it's locked when she goes out." She caught her mother's look and she knew they both remembered the occasions where they had turned the car around just because Maura wasn't sure the door was locked. "She would never go out and leave it open."

"Does anything look out of the ordinary? Is anything missing or disturbed?"

"I…I don't know," Jane admitted. "It all looks fine but…" Her voice broke. "I haven't been here for some time. I wouldn't know." Pleading eyes found Angela's for a second time. Her mother had been here since she left. "Ma?"

"I'll look," Angela said softly. Frankie's hand rested on her shoulder. "But at first glance it looks fine."

"I'll go talk to the neighbours," Frankie said. "Maybe somebody saw something."

"She kidnaps them, keeps them for about a day, maybe two, before she disposes of them," Jane muttered softly. Her dark eyes flashed across the living room. For a split second she envisioned herself and Maura sitting on the couch, wrapped up with a blanket and popcorn as they watched a movie. It felt like a lifetime ago. She looked back up at Korsak. "We have twenty-four hours at best to find her."

"Jane…"

Korsak's voice was soft, like it had been when he first spoke to her when he saved her from Hoyt. He was the one who had saved her life that day and she had never quite been able to repay him. She'd never told him how much she appreciated him and how much his friendship meant to her. He was a mentor and a father figure, especially now that her own father had shown his true colours. He had never judged her.

"Jane." His hand was on her shoulder now. "Stop thinking like that."

"Like what?!" She snapped. It came our harsher than she had intended. He didn't even blink. He knew her too well.

"Like this is going to be the end. Focus on what we know. Let that help us find Maura." Korsak's eyes found Jane's and he looked at her in a way a father looked at a child. "We'll find her, Jane." He looked down at his watch. "What time did Doctor Isles leave?"

"Early afternoon," Frost answered. "It is now nine-fifteen. At best she's been gone for a few hours but it could be a lot less than that. It started to go dark around five. If you kidnap someone from their own home, you most likely wait till nightfall."

Jane swallowed. "Get CSU in here. Tell them to dust the whole prints." The lump in her throat got in the way. "Send someone to get prints of Maura's fiancé… I mean her ex-fiancé." The mention of the word 'ex' made everyone look up but Jane pretended that she hadn't noticed. This wasn't the time or place for discussions. "We can eliminate his from the rest of them."

"CSU are on their way," Frost confirmed. "Jane, there is nothing else we can do here tonight. Do you want one of us to drive you back to the hotel?"

Jane shook her head. "No." Her voice sounded small and she looked at her mother. "I don't want to be alone."

"I'll take her home," Angela said and protectively wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulder before leading her out of the house.

It was raining and Jane shuddered as the drops slid behind her clothes. Angela led Jane to her car, helped her get into the passenger side and closed the door before walking around and getting behind the wheel. As she started the engine she cast Jane a sideways glance. The hurt in her daughter's eyes made her heart ache and she briefly put her hand on Jane's knee.

The drive from Maura's house to Angela's place took less than half an hour. The streets were quiet. Most people didn't want to be out in one of Boston's notorious storms. Heavy winds whipped around tall buildings, ripping branches of trees and making pieces of paper dance in the air. The rain pounded on the roof of the car when Angela pulled into the drive and she quickly got out, opened the door for Jane and then rushed up the steps to her front door. By the time Jane caught up her mother was already inside.

Jane shrugged herself out of her wet blazer and kicked off her shoes before taking off her socks. Angela handed her a towel and she dried her hair. Neither of them spoke. They didn't need to. Some things didn't need to be said. Jane watched her mother as Angela walked through her house. She found an old blouse that she gave to Jane and she smiled as she unbuttoned her own shirt. She put on Angela's blouse and inhaled the familiar scent of her mother's favourite washing powder and perfume. It was the smell of home.

"Guest room is up the stairs on your left," Angela said with a faint smile.

"Can I get some coffee?" Jane asked softly. "I… I don't really want to go to bed yet."

"Of course."

Angela disappeared into the kitchen and Jane heard a cupboard open. She heaved a sigh and focused on removing the rest of her wet clothes. She peeled her pants down her legs and placed them over the nearest radiator. All she was wearing now was her underwear and her mother's shirt. Barefoot she padded into the kitchen and found her mother pouring hot water on some instant coffee. Her favourite brand.

Jane smiled as she snaked her arms around Angela's waist and rested her head against her shoulder. "Thanks, Ma."

Angela smiled now that her daughter hugged her. Hugs from Jane were rare. "It's ok, baby."

Jane took the mug Angela gave her and inhaled the aroma of coffee. It made her feel warm inside and she carefully sipped from the black liquid before following her mother into the living room. Angela sank down on the couch and Jane sat down beside her, curling her legs up underneath her. Her eyes drifted around the room and fell on a picture of herself dressed in a uniform. The day she graduated the Academy. Back then she still had faith in the human race; she hadn't been scarred by the depravity of mankind. She was a different person compared to the young, smiling woman in the picture.

"I'm moving back to Boston."

Angela's eyes snapped up, delight flashing across her face. she almost dropped her coffee. "What?"

Jane nodded. "When all of this is over, I'm handing in my resignation with the Bureau. I'm coming home."

"Oh Jane…"

She shook her head. "I have to do this. For Maura. I can't leave her like I left her before. Not after all of this. Not now that…" Her voice broke as the reality of the situation sunk in. She didn't know if she would ever see Maura again. She swallowed hard, tears now glistening in her eyes. "I…. I need her, Ma."

"I know you'll find her," Angela said softly. "You found her before." Jane looked up in surprise. "You came back to Boston, Jane, and you found Maura."

"How can I sit here when she's out there somewhere?" Jane whispered. "I need to do something."

"You're too emotional and too tired right now," Angela cut her off. "You need some sleep and then tomorrow morning you can start focusing on this again."

"What if I don't find her?"

"You will."

"But what if I don't?"

"Jane, you will find her."

Jane's cell phone vibrated and she grabbed it off the couch's armrest. Deanna's name flashed across her screen.

"Hey, you got something?"

"CSU lifted a partial print of Maura's front door."

She sat up with a jolt. "Really?!"

"Frost is running it through AFIS now. There are tons of smudges on the door but this one was rather distinct, apparently. One of the CSU's reckons it has to be recent. The weather of the last couple of days would have screwed up any other prints. It's not a perfect print but it's as much as we've got right now." Deanna's voice was soft, almost delicate. "How are you holding up?"

"I'd rather be out there with you."

"Jane, you do your best work when your mind is sharp."

"I know."

"Frost has asked if you want to join him in searching the Richardson's farm first thing tomorrow morning."

Jane ran her fingers through her damp hair. It was only now that she sat down that she really felt how tired she was. Her body ached and her head hurt. "Tell him I'll meet him there at eight. Text me the address." She hung up and flung herself into the cushions on the sofa, her eyes focused on the ceiling. "God, I wish that Richardson was still alive."

Angela sat up in shock. "Jane! That killed five women. Why would you say that?"

"Because if he was still alive, Maura wouldn't be missing right now."

It was a horrible compromise but Jane would have done anything if it meant bringing Maura home safe. The crime scene photos of the tortured bodies flashed before her eyes. The piano chord, the blood and the numbers carved into the women's stomachs. She didn't want to think about this happening to Maura. The mere thought made her sick but she knew she had to think about it because it was all connected. Finding Maura was what mattered now but to find Maura she would have to dig deep into the dark, depraved mind of their killer.

She sighed as she looked around the living room, remembering the moment where she and Maura had first laid eyes on each other after two years. She would do anything to have that moment back. She'd rather be fighting with Maura than not have her at all. Her eyes fluttered shut as she was confronted by the memory of Maura's face, illuminated by a streetlight as the rain fell down around them. They had both been so lost, so terribly lost. All she wanted now was to find her. She had to find her, even if it killed her. Without Maura, she might as well be dead.