Chapter Twenty Five

Long lost words whisper slowly to me

Still can't find what keep me here

When all this time I've felt so hollow inside.

I know your there.

Watching me

Wanting me

I can feel you pull me down

Fearing you

I won't let you pull me down.

Evanescence – Haunted

I moved towards me apartment door, my head swimming a little. One drink had turned into three. I put my key in the lock finding the door ajar with a smile; I replaced the key in bag and pushed the door open gasping in delight at the sight of the room. Every surface was covered in candles; their dim glow gave the room a romantic outlook. My eyes strayed to the dark haired detective sitting in the chair. I opened my mouth to say something and froze. Don's hands were wrenched behind his back; the left side of his face was beginning to bruise, above his left eye a thin trickle of blood trickled down his cheek. A sliver of silver tape covered his mouth. His wild blue eyes went wide as his muffled scream alerted me to something behind me. The door slammed shut behind me; an arm encircled my throat, tightening it suddenly. I couldn't breathe. I grabbed at the arm raking my finger nails across the arm. I bucked trying to slam the attacker against the door with little success; the body weight far surpassed mine. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Flack fighting the restraints, the tape barely suppressing the words coming out of his mouth. The attacker managed to turn me slamming my body against the door. I let out a tiny cry as pain ran through me. My hands which pressed against the door were yanked behind me, something cold snapped on my left wrist. I growled fighting to save my right wrist from the same fate. I failed. The cold metal bracelet tugged both my wrists together. I clenched my jaw recognizing the feel of handcuffs. I wrenched against them furious. I found myself turned around quickly, head slamming against the door, breathing harsh. The face inches from mine licked his lips.

"Still put up a pretty good fight Carmen."

In the background Carmen's phone rang and rang.

Danny slammed his phone shut in frustration, pacing the corridor trying to figure out what on earth to do next. Frantic he called the next number that came to mind, Flack. Mac's hand enclosed on his shoulder.

"Danny you know something that I need to know, you recognized that insignia." Danny snapped his phone shut getting no answer.

"Is this something to do with the red flag I got on Mathew Stobbart in regards to Carmen?" Danny bowed his head and said nothing.

"For God's sake Danny I need to know." Mac shouted. Danny nodded relenting.

"Mathew Stobbart is Carmen's ex husband. The insignia on that girl's face is the same one that was imprinted on Carmen's ribs seven years ago when Stobbart tried to beat her to death." Mac crossed his arms over his chest.

"Tell me everything."

"Stobbart was a notorious Tanglewood Boy, Carmen married him for love not knowing his reputation. They'd been married a month before Stobbart came home one night covered in blood; Carmen came to the conclusion he'd killed someone, tried to get him to do the right thing. She knew by the amount of blood someone had died." Danny stopped, and gazed off into the memory. He wrapped his arms around himself.

"He'd beaten an eighteen year old kid to death. When Carmen tried to get him to do the right thing, he flipped out, started tearing up the place. Somehow Carmen managed to get to a phone and called me… When I got there…Mac I've never seen anything that bad." Danny confessed, eyes haunted.

"He was beating her when I got there, screaming at her, in full on rage, I managed to restrain him, I don't know how, he could easily of stopped me, but he was so intent on hitting her, he wouldn't stop. My wrist was broken by the time the police arrived, so the bar fight story was a lie." He hesitated, sliding into one of the visitor's seats; Mac did the same, elbows on his knees.

"I sat with her through everything, the ambulance ride, surgery, everything. Oh my God Mac you should of seen what he did to her." He indicated with his hand towards his left cheek.

"He broke her cheek bone; the left side of her face was the worst. He dislocated her jaw, She had broken rips, internal bleeding." Danny looked up aw Mac. His arms around himself.

"He wanted her dead Mac; there was no doubt about it." Danny let out a sigh before continuing.

"She ended up testifying against him and divorced him as quickly as possible. When she graduated she left for Portland, that's it. Look Mac, I tried calling both Carmen and Flack, and I've got nothing from either of them, their not picking up. Something's wrong I can feel it Mac." Danny admitted to Mac, he put his head in his hands.

"Meet me at the car in five minutes."

"Imagine my surprise when I come here to see my wife and find him here answering the door." Mathew was sitting on coffee table facing me; he'd forced me into the comfy chair next to the fire place. He picked up Flack's I.D and flipped it open, leaning in front of me. It looked like Flack had gotten off a few good hits before Mathew had managed to restrain him.

"Detective Donald Flack." Mathew tilted his head to the side.

"You screwing cops now." Mathew sneered.

"I'm not your wife." I muttered. "And I am a cop."

Mathew let out a harsh laugh, before drawing his hand back and striking me. The pain erupting in the side of my face was immense. I tasted blood.

"We took our vows" Mathew was on his face screaming.

"And then I divorced you, you made that happen the moment you killed that kid." I yelled right back.

"That kid deserved everything he got, pretending to be one of us." Mathew roared pointing at me. I stood up, hands still cuffed behind my back, that couldn't stop my fury.

"That kid was eighteen years old, he wanted to fit in. Listen to yourself!" Suddenly I was on the floor, both sides of my face now stinging like hell. I groaned shifting onto my side spitting blood out of my mouth and onto the floor. He towered above me raging.

"I expected support from my wife."

"You wanted me to lie for you." I spat. "That kid deserved justice and I helped dish it out to you, you got less than you deserved you sorry son of a bitch." The air rushed out of me as his boot ploughed into my stomach. I coughed suddenly unable to breath. Pain wracking me. Dizziness rocked me as I twisted onto my knees, head touching the floor. I closed my eyes briefly trying to regain my breath. In the distance I could hear Don tugging at the bounds that held him to the chair. His muffled cries echoed through the room. Oh Don honey it's no use, I told him in my head. A hand went into my hair grasping it and yanking me to my knees. I let out a howl of pain.

"Look at me." I obeyed opening my eyes and glaring hatefully into Mathew's face. His breath on my face made nausea build inside me.

"You cheated on me, you scheming bitch, you and him." Mathew let go of me and moved over the Flack. Tears welled up in my eyes, frustration and helplessness ran through me. He grabbed Flack's dark hair tugging his head back exposing his throat. To his credit Don never flinched. His eyes were on me, accepting.

"Tell me Carmen is he a better fuck than me?" I ground my teeth together, my staying on Flack. I saw Mathew's hand slid into his pocket. Something glinted in the light, a blade. Mathew pressed the sliver of silver against Flack's throat.

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill this pig." I winced as Mathew slipped the knife far too close to Flack's throat.

"Mathew stop it!" I begged. "Just stop it."

"Why? You don't want me to ruin this pretty boy's face." Mathew's gaze was on me, his cold brown eyes fixed on me.

"I'll do anything. Just don't hurt him, Matt please, I promise you anything." Mathew's smile turned sickeningly sweet. He crouched in front of Flack, releasing his grip on his hair, shoving his head forward.

"You see that…she must really like you. If she's willing to do anything for me." Flack strained against the chair, it rocked. I knew it was useless. Flack's eyes went wild, fury building up in them. He threw himself forward. Mathew laughed.

"He sure is a fighter." Mathew said walking towards me. I raised my head as he came closer, ignoring the sickness growing in the pit of my stomach. He wrenched me up by the arm, tears streaming down my face. Man handling me past Flack, who was yelling and tearing at his bounds. I dropped to my knees in front of, meeting his eyes.

"I'm sorry Don, I never knew this was going to happen. I am so sorry." Mathew hurled my up by my hair. I let out at tiny cry. He pushed me at my bed room door. I hit it hard.

"Forget the apologises, we've got some making up to do." Mathew sneered forcing me into the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him. Turning me around Mathew undid the cuffs on my wrists. I glanced at him over my shoulder confused.

"Now the deal was that you'd do anything I wanted, so I've let your cop friend live, and now it's your turn to up hold your part of the deal. Remember it would take me all of two minutes to march back in there and slit his throat." Mathew turned me towards him pushing me backwards onto the bed. Mathew knelt on the bed, knees straddling my hips. He pulled his coat off his arms, dropping it to the floor. I flinched as he reached out touching my face.

"You're still so beautiful." I shuffled away from him towards the head board.

"Don't do this Mathew." I pleaded. Mathew's hands came down gripping my wrists and pinning them together.

"You honestly think I was going to let you get away Carmen?" His face close to mine, I fought against his hands striking out at him unsuccessful. Mathew released my hands; they strayed to the buckle on his belt, he tore it from the rungs of his jeans. I twisted managing to get onto my stomach. In my drawer I had a knife, if I could reach it… He raised it above his head the belt above his head bringing it down on my belt. I screamed as he brought it down again. A sob escaped my throat. My body ached all over, as Matt flipped me over.

"That make you feel good about yourself Matt." I screeched. "Beating me, threatening me, trying to rape me." I lost control, I started to hit him, force him away from me. Somewhere along the line, I could see the knife was out. Before I could even breathe Mathew plunged the knife into me. The breath I'd been holding rushed out of me.

"You made me do that you bitch." Mathew screamed, tearing at his hair. A huge smash filled the apartment. I gasped, my eyes on the knife sticking out of my stomach. My hands on either side of it unsure what to do. Tears ran down my eyes. Panic filled every fibre of my being.

"In the bed room." Flack's voice was bellowing.

Sticky red blood poured from me matting my clothes. Matt was long gone, down the fire escape and out the window. The door to the room burst open. Mac's gun pointed around the room.

"Mac?" I cried out, sobbing. The blood flowing onto my hands as I tried to holding in the blood. Mac holstered his gun, followed my Danny. I felt my body starting to tremble. I couldn't stop the shaking as it over came me.

"Mac… It hurts. It hurts so bad." I sobbed. Mac tore his jacket off shoving it against the wound.

"Danny. Call rescue." Mac was yelling.

"Don?" I called out, tears streaming down my face. Vivid blue eyes that's all I could see. His hand clasped mine tightly.

"I'm here, Carmen."

"We can't take the knife out, she'll bleed out. Danny give me your shirt." I felt tired, so, so tired. My eye lids fluttering closed.
"Carmen! Carmen! Stay with me, I need those beautiful green eyes open." Flack's voice brought me back out of the darkness. His hand gripped mine tightly. There was voices darkness, surrounding me. All the time Flack's hand on mine, keeping me here even as I lost my self to the darkness.