Title: Too Tough To Die
Chapter 38 – Betrayed?
Frank stood in morbid silence and watched as the forensic team scurried around the area of the loading dock where Wilder's transport van stopped and the swap/kidnapping took place. Dr. Day was on his way to the nearest hospital for emergency surgery and was told that he might not make it.
Baez and Parker talked to the local staff; Anthony talked to his local connection who Jamie worked with after it had been arranged by Anthony to get anything they could off Gus's computer. Keith Andersen's apartment had been wiped clean of all traces of evidence that connected him to Wilder or Gus but just enough to try to frame the dead man and take any spotlight away from anyone else. However, neither Gus nor Wilder had probably counted on Keith leaving the picture hidden away, so that it wasn't found and led the NYPD to Gus Barnes. And since they were able to get to Gus's before he had a chance to destroy any damning evidence, it was hoped that something on the laptop would connect him with Thomas Wilder and now lead them to wherever they might be taking Danny.
"They will be avoiding any local roads or highways so that leaves…Commissioner?"
Frank turned and looked at the local Sheriff and offered him a frustrated gaze.
"Sorry Sir."
"No, please continue Sherriff Towns. I agree, they'd try to be as inconspicuous as possible. And had they planned this well, which I'm assuming they have, they'll have known they had a short time frame. Where do the back roads lead?"
"These four look the most promising."
"Four?" Frank shot back with a small huff. "We need that narrowed to one."
"Yes Sir," Towns replied and then looked at his team of deputies. "We have work to do. Get on the line to…" his voice trailed off as Frank pulled away and then stared into the inky dark of night that embraced the unfamiliar landscape in the near distance.
They planned this…perfectly…down to the last second… Frank's mind pondered as he went in search of his youngest. But they didn't count on Dr. Day's ill-timed interference nor us finding Gus's apartment without him having the chance to destroy all the evidence.
"We need to find him," Frank's lips whispered an angry growl as his phone buzzed. He looked at Linda's name on the display and felt his heart sink. Some calls…he hated to make…some…he hated to take. This…was the latter.
Where are you Danny…
XXXXXXXX
"Don't you like road trips Danny?" Wilder piped up as he jerked Danny's face to look at him. "You will look at me when I'm talking to you. I'm in charge here remember? I'm in control of you now…ME!" He shouted as he leaned in closer with an angry snarl. "You…you don't have any more rights or say…or well freedom. If you want something…you'll have to beg me for it."
Choke on your arrogance you ass…I'm not begging you for anything! Danny's mind inwardly yelled as his eyes outwardly narrowed.
"Oh you can remain defiant now all you want," Wilder smiled as he leaned in closer; his temperament switching between hot and cold faster than anyone could anticipate. "Course…with this in," he stated arrogantly as he tapped the gag over Danny's mouth, "you'll just have to learn your place by listening. Talking will come later. MUCH LATER!"
Don't give in…he's not in charge…remember Dr. Day's words…he only wants you to think he is…he's not in control! However, those words were lost when Wilder moved in closer and Danny was unable to pull away, call for help or do anything much to defend himself in that moment.
"I smell your fear Danny boy. You are afraid of me."
Danny's jaw set under the muzzle over his mouth but he refused to tell himself that this was it…that Wilder had won and he was basically dead man walking. Don't give in…you'll be rescued in time…Jamie will find something…you will be fine…don't GIVE IN! his brain ordered him as he tried to move out of the way of Wilder's evil stare.
He wanted more than anything to have his arms free and punch Wilder in his lying mouth over and over until his teeth fell out or his jaw was so broken he couldn't spew forth any more twisted lies. Don't listen to him…focus on getting free…somehow getting free…DON'T LISTEN!
With his ankles tied together, he couldn't even bring his foot up fast enough to catch Wilder in any part of his body, just to get him away.
Wilder sat back on his knees and just stared at Danny with a dark, haunted gaze. "Can you hear their screams? Can you hear them begging for help? For their lives…do you know how intoxicating that is?" He ended his twisted sentence with an evil grin as he started to gently rock back and forth. "To have that power and now…over you, my arch nemesis. It's very…fulfilling."
Sick bastard…you are so going to die when I get free… Danny's mind kept telling him over and over in the hopes that he'd believe it for even a few seconds.
"Did you really think you'd be able to escape me in that place…" Wilder's smug tone punctuated the stale air once more. "That damn center my father wasted his money on. Did you know it was mine? Did you feel safe there? I'm sure you knew. You're not stupid Danny boy. Although…a little naïve at times. But that's okay. I don't mind."
Don't listen to his stupid lies!
"Did you feel like you were being watched? You were. By a friend. A friend of my family. Someone…who isn't here. Someone who…well I won't ruin it all for you. I want you to die with a bit of mystery. I want you to die not knowing everything. We have to take some secrets to our grave right?" Wilder grinned.
However, when Danny's expression remained placid, Wilder's mood instantly plummeted and he struck him hard across the face. The motion forced Danny's head to snap to the right and a small grunt to be heard from behind the heavy muzzle.
"That's better. I want some kind of reaction from you when I am speaking."
Bastard…want a reaction…set me free and I'll show you a DAMN REACTION!
"Like I said Danny boy," Wilder's voice turned dark as he once again seized Danny's neck and started to squeeze. "I'm in control of you now. I AM!"
As much as he didn't want to give Wilder anything, even the smallest reaction, the longer Wilder's vise-like grip remained around his neck, the faster his brain started to panic.
"Can you feel who's in control Danny?"
Silence.
"CAN YOU!"
"mmmph," Danny managed as his head started to swim.
"Better," Wilder stated with a satisfied sigh as his grip loosened. "You will react when I ask you something. That gag in your mouth is to remind you that I'm in control…I'm in charge!"
Wilder finally let go and leaned back on his knees once more. "I'm in control…I'm in charge."
While his chest struggled for some breath through his nose, Danny's brain told him that Wilder was showing signs of instability and that…if he could ever get the damn gag out, would be helpful in trying to turn them all against each other.
However, before he can ponder Wilder's next move, the van hits a large bump which made all occupants inside it's belly jolt in response.
"What the hell is going on?" Wilder demanded as he pushed himself upright and then leaned into the front, between the two front occupants. "Why the hell are we slowing down?"
"You said we could get a meal stop," Derek reminded him as Wilder's eyes narrowed sharply.
"I've changed my mind. We keep going until we're at the cabin. No stops! We'll have cops on us in no time! I have snacks for Danny and that's all that matters! Keep going!" Wilder stated angrily as he looked at the dark gravel road before them; the high beams showing only a landscape that was familiar to only two of them – Wilder and Gus.
Danny used the distraction to quickly scan the dimly-lit area as best he could to see if there was something jagged or sharp that he could at least try to snag the dreadful straightjacket on and try to get himself free. He returned to his place just in time to see Wilder turn around and glare at him.
"Course escape is on your mind Detective. As predictable as that is, I'd be disappointed if you didn't try to escape," Wilder stated matter-of-factly. "But I think the big question really is…" Wilder started and then stopped as he shuffled back over to Danny's captive frame. In a surprising move, he yanked at the Velcro behind his head and then pulled the thick gag out of his mouth.
Danny wasted no time in taking a few deep breaths once he was able.
"So you will now answer me this Danny. If you did escape, where would you go?"
Danny just looked at him with an unimpressed expression and then let out a small growl.
"WHERE!" Wilder shouted as his fist hit the side of the van a few inches from Danny's face.
"I don't want to escape. I want to kill you," Danny replied with controlled anger.
The determined look on Danny's face instantly unnerved Wilder and for a few seconds the wily serial killer and kidnapper appeared…flustered? Or at least surprised.
"One of those doctors in there taught you how to control your anger around me. How disappointing," Wilder hissed like a child. "I'll have to find out who and make sure they don't do it again."
"Not the dead one," Derek snickered from the front.
"Dead….one?" Wilder asked slowly. "What? I said only the guards, no other bodies! You idiots! Who was shot?"
"Some guy got in our way," Gus answered in haste. "Think he was an orderly."
"And you shot him?"
"Couldn't help it," Derek answered flippantly.
"Guess good help is hard to find," Danny quipped as Wilder silently seethed.
"He's dead so he didn't call for help."
"No matter, it's a small wrinkle," Wilder tried to sound like he was still in full control.
"Wrinkles are getting bigger Wilder. Jamie found out who Gus is up there and I'm pretty sure he's at his place right now finding out stuff that'll connect you to all these clowns and also where we're going," Danny taunted with a bit of truth. "Or…maybe one of your clowns isn't who you think he is! Maybe he's purposely trying to screw with your plan!"
Wilder studied Danny's set jaw and for a few seconds waited for the telltale smirk when Danny Reagan was coming off a clever bluff. None came.
"Well then," Wilder simply stated as his fists balled tightly at each side. "Gustav…"
"He's lying!" Gus snapped from the front seat.
"Wanna bet moron?" Danny shot back as Gus pushed himself out of the front seat and charged into the back, lunging at Danny and punching him hard in the side. "Truth…hurts…" Danny wheezed as his vulnerable side sustained another firm blow.
Gus delivered the fourth blow to the same side before Wilder decided to step in; not caring about Danny's welfare per say but wanting to save the Detective's strength for his own twisted torment later on. "Enough!" Wilder shouted as he shoved Gus toward the front.
His friend stumbled and then looked at Wilder in contempt as Danny lay on his side breathing hard. "He implied we betrayed you!"
"He did," Wilder simply stated as he looked at Danny with an angry glare. "And for that he'll pay. Right now."
"You'll ne…mmmph," was all Danny managed before Wilder tried to silence Danny once again. Danny tried to turn his head in protest spitting out the gag. But Wilder wrapped his arm around Danny's neck and pulled him back so that Danny teetered on his back, looking up at Wilder as he tried to struggle free.
"Do you know why these facilities use a heavy leather muzzle with the bit?"
"Piss off!"
"Do you!" Wilder shouted at Danny as his grip tightened around his neck once more. "First off the muzzle is to silence those that spew forth vile lies and of course cannot control the pitch or their speech. And the bit is so that you won't bite your tongue off in an attempt to garner sympathy or early release. But, they also used them for those really difficult patients that had to be subjected to electro shock therapy. However, none of that applies to you. I just like the sounds you make and of course knowing you are in total silence because I WANT YOU in silence!"
"Go to…hell!" Danny gasped as he tried to twist himself free of Wilder's vise-like grasp.
"You're not playing by the rules Danny and now I'm getting angry at you," Wilder hissed in anger. "Gus!"
"Go to…he…mmmph," Danny tried again. But Gus had rushed in to hold Danny's head steady which allowed Wilder to shove the thick leather bit back into Danny's mouth and then tighten the strap with secured the leather muzzle over his mouth, silencing him once more. Danny had tried to protest but after having just sustained a few heavy hits, silencing him wasn't that hard a task. He squirmed in place until he told himself to relax, rest and try to regain his strength.
"Now he's paying," Wilder stated with eerie calmness as he looked at Danny with venom. "If you want to be free of that gag, next time you'll have to earn it."
Like hell you jerk! Danny's mind inwardly seethed as Wilder looked at Gus.
"Did you leave anything in Keith's apartment that could be traced to anyone but himself?"
"No! He lied!" Gus stated firmly as he tried to lunge at Danny once more.
"Enough!" Wilder snapped; his few seconds of calm quickly disappearing. "You'll not hurt Danny again. Is that clear?"
"What?"
"Danny is mine and you will not hurt him again unless I direct you to. Do you understand? DO YOU!"
"Whatever."
"Gustav," Wilder warned seriously as Gus paused before getting into the front seat. "Danny is my special property. Remember that."
Just as Gus gave Wilder a nod, Derek muttered something under his breath from the front seat, something that wasn't lost on Wilder but something he didn't call him out on either – at that time.
However, to Danny, the fact that there was trouble brewing in Wilder's camp was more than enough reason for him to look for an opportunity to get free of the effective gag and try to drive an even bigger wedge between Wilder and his two helpers. If he could get Wilder to get rid of one of them…maybe both…he could buy enough time to secure his freedom or call for help or take down Thomas Wilder for good.
Come on Jamie…you gotta find something.
XXXXXXXX
"It's been a few hours…" Frank's voice trailed off as he neared his son in the cramped room of the local county Sherriff's office.
"At least the locals have been looking…well…"
"It wasn't right after it happened. Wilder had enough to put comfortable distance between them and us," Frank reminded his youngest as the computer beeped. "Anything?"
"Pretty heavily encrypted," Jamie sighed as he looked at his father's weary expression. "This isn't your fault."
"I convinced Danny to stay here an extra day."
"You couldn't have known that Blueridge forged your signature and they'd transfer Wilder here," Jamie tried to reason.
"Doesn't take away the guilt or regret," Frank replied as he looked at the large clock on the wall behind Jamie. The large face seemed to look back at him with a delighted smile; relishing in his personal misery as he was sure Thomas Wilder was of Danny's captive state. "He had…months to plan this."
"But he probably didn't plan on us finding that photograph which led us to Gus Barnes that soon," Jamie replied in haste. "Course…I just don't want to think about what might be happening right now," he added in a soft, whispered lament as his phone buzzed. "Erin has the arrest warrant ready for Cedric Blueridge. How do we not tip our hand?"
Frank nodded to his son and then pulled away and called his office. "Gormley, I need a favor."
Jamie watched as Anthony approached and held up a steaming cup of coffee. "Thanks," Jamie smiled. "Still can't believe you knew a computer guy out here."
"Big Italian families. We have cousins all over the place," Anthony smiled between sips of coffee.
"Cousins?" Jamie tossed back.
"Would my little friend sound better?"
"Than my cousin Vinny?" Jamie deadpanned as Anthony chuckled. "No."
"He's a fan of the movie too."
"I'll bet," Jamie countered with a small headshake.
"How's it coming?" Anthony finally asked as they looked at his "relative" in the small room a few meters away.
"Slow but sure. We were able to unlock some of the accounts which prove that an account that is under Wilder's name was accessed and then distributed to Keith Anderson and Derek Adams; a nurse at the center whom we assume was the insider helping Wilder and Barnes to kidnap Danny. He's also the only employee unaccounted for."
"So we can tie Wilder to the lookalike? That Gus guy?"
"And we have all the dates of the sightings…just as Danny told us," Jamie sighed. "He was right the whole time. The day of his court appearance. Yeah…all of it and it coincides with some of the calls Blueridge made so that ties Blueridge to this mess. And we have Keith's phone records and he made to Gus so that also ties them to Wilder. But that'll mean nothing if we don't find Danny in time."
"You think he'd outline his plan for where they're taking Danny?"
"I don't know…hope so. Even mention of a place or…maybe a landmark. Something we can use," Jamie's voice trailed off as he looked at Anthony with a heavy frown. "He could have waited until Danny was home but choose to come out here. He knows this area. If he's known Gus a long time and to trust him with this much evil I'm betting he does then he'll have mentioned something to Gus."
"Hope your gut instinct is better than mine when it comes to this guy," Anthony stated weakly.
"Yeah…me too," Jamie agreed darkly. "Hope your cousin Vinny can find something before it's too late."
"Yeah…me too."
Hold on Danny…we will find you…we will!
XXXXXXXX
Danny rocked himself back into an upright position as Wilder simply stared at the two men in the front seat, his mind now wondering if Danny was right and Jamie Reagan had found something on Gus that would lead them here.
"Tell me again what happened when you brought Danny out of his room?" Wilder asked calmly as Danny suddenly snapped fully awake and then cast his gaze into the front as Gus turned around and glared at Danny in anger.
"Whatever he said is all lies!"
"He's deliciously gagged you idiot," Wilder replied with a small huff. "I want to know exactly what happened from you."
"We drugged him as you asked and then slipped into his room, put him into the wheelchair and left. I left first to clear the hallway and then Derek brought him. Some guy, don't know who he was, maybe an orderly who cares, confronted him and asked what was going on and paid for it. No one else heard and the corridor was empty. Then you arrived and now here we are."
"But who shot the orderly?"
"I did," Derek piped up. Gus looked over at Derek and knew he was lying. It was he who had poked his head out of the stairwell with the Wilder mask on and shot the man trying to impeded them, Dr. Day, but he wasn't about to upset Wilder more than he already was. He had no love loss for Derek Adams and knew that his days were numbered. What was one more lie?
Wilder's impatience with Derek had started to grow thin and while he had already planned to take him out, but his attitude toward Danny now forced him to contemplate doing it a bit sooner. He just needed that one little bit of emotional push to force his hand to bring down the odds that faced Danny.
And that push wouldn't take long to show itself.
"'sides…why the hell is this guy so special to you?"
The question wasn't loud or maybe even asked in a serious tone; the rather off-handed remark was almost offered in sarcasm. But for Thomas Wilder, a man who already teetered on the brink of mental and emotional destruction, the question might as well have been the final death knoll.
For Derek Adams it was.
"Pardon?"
"Derek, shut up!" Gus hissed as he knew exactly what would happen if anyone crossed Wilder in his evil schemes. He had seen much over the decades, but chose to just take his money and live his life, looking the other direction instead of contemplating guilt. He'd take that to his grave. They were still a few hours out of their intended destination and he would need Derek before that.
"Was nothing, just….whatever," Derek tried to backpedal as Danny watched the scene starting to unfold. He had no love loss for Derek, the man who had aided in his kidnapping and told himself if it helped even the odds against him, then he was fine with whatever. Course…he couldn't do anything to stop it.
However…with each passing second, Thomas Wilder's mental state slid closer and closer to the edge of insanity. That was also something he couldn't do anything to stop. Like now.
Wilder, who had heard Derek's casual disdain of his prisoner and his flippant remarks about his carefully timed planned started to inwardly seethe and without warning, made one order that surprised them all.
"Stop the van!"
"Thomas."
Wilder pulled his gun and aimed it at the front before he replied in eerie calmness, "stop…the van. Now."
A/N: uh oh…Wilder is losing his sanity rapidly but will he actually lessen the odds or…just send a very stern warning? Will they find anything that will lead them to the cabin before Wilder takes out Danny? How will Danny continue to divice a wedge between his kidnappers? And how will Frank get past his guilt? Please do review before you go and thanks so much!