Disclaimer: Same, not mine. Wish otherwise but oh well.

Chapter 36

It's too late, it's too late, kept running through Maura's mind. Her eyes pleading for Frost to find Jane and find out why she wasn't answering her cell, Maura kept redialing her sperm donor's phone. Paddy finally answered on the sixth try.

"Jane's been kidnapped. You're too late," he snapped into Maura's ear. "You're too late." Maura put the phone down and sank to her knees. The rush of noise around her faded away as sobs ripped from her throat. Frost tried to help her up but she was oblivious to everything around her.

The room was damp and moldy but smelled familiar. Jane tried to understand her surroundings despite being blindfolded. Her wrists were secured to a beam above her head; her feet barely touched the ground. Picking her feet up to give her legs some relief she twisted around a bit to see if she could pick up any clues as to her whereabouts. A sharp pain shot up her side as she felt a stick of some kind beat her. She twisted back to her original position and stretched her toes back down.

"That's better," a voice said. Jane struggled to control her breathing and bring the pain down.

"Now tell me what you were doing earlier today," the voice demanded. Jane strained to listen. Male? Most likely as the voice had vocal qualities not common to women.

"Tell me now Detective before I beat you senseless."

"Earlier today I had bacon and eggs for breakfast in a diner downtown," Jane answered. The stick struck her again, just under her ribcage. Jane grunted.

"You know what I want to hear. Tell me and your lovely wife gets to live."

"Leave my wife alone and I won't kill you," Jane growled. She bit her lip to help control her breathing once again.

"Tell me what I want, Detective. What were you doing earlier today?"

Jane fought to think clearly. The pain was getting to be too much. Her shoulders ached from holding up her body and her legs were cramping from trying to reach the floor and keep her body from swinging.

"I remember being in the park."

"And?"

"I was staking out the apartments across from the park. We got a call that a suspect was seen entering the building."

"Not good enough." The stick struck her right across her chest. Jane screamed. I'll be surprised if he doesn't collapse one of my lungs, she thought. The pain increased tenfold. Jane fought to stay conscious.

"Your wife is going to be a tasty addition to my collection," the voice taunted. Jane's fear increased. "Did I ever tell you Detective Rizzoli what I like to do to women I add to my collection?"

"No," Jane gritted her teeth.

"Let me explain. You'll understand why it's crucial to give me the information I seek. Your wife is gorgeous and intelligent. Strapping her to my bed, spread eagled for my pleasure, is quite an inviting thought, Detective. The last woman I did this to lasted twenty-eight days before the internal bleeding from being constantly raped ended her life. It wasn't pleasant for her but I enjoyed every minute of it."

Jane snapped. She didn't know why this man wanted information from her or how he was connected to their case but she didn't care. He was never going to get his filthy hands on Maura. Pulling her legs up she swung backwards once then forward. Pushing her legs out she managed to connect with a body. She twisted out of the way in case it was the voice with the stick. She heard a piece of metal clatter to the ground and knew then the stick was actually a metal pipe. She felt movement to her right. Pumping her legs up and out Jane connected with the man's torso. She heard him grunt then a body falling to the floor.

Quiet followed. Jane strained to hear anyone else in the room. She pulled on her hands, testing her bonds. One of the hooks holding her to the beam felt loose. Jane kept pulling on it until it finally gave way.

One hand freed she worked off her blindfold. As she did she noticed a body lying in a heap. She pulled at the binding and her other arm came loose sending her to the cement floor. She landed next to the body she'd kicked. Jane rolled away, taking a moment to get her breath. She saw the man's arm move and his eyes flutter open. Smiling evilly at her he spoke.

"Hello, Detective Rizzoli. We meet again."

"Who are you? I don't know you."

"The last time I saw you, you were riding the hood of your late husband's car as my partner and I blasted Joey Grant into eternity."

"You bastard! First you kill my husband and now you threaten my wife?"

"Not to mention the lovely job I did on your body, Detective. Here, let me send you to hell. You can enjoy eternity with Mr. Grant while I feast on your wife."

The man raised his left arm, a pistol pointed at Jane. She ducked behind a stone pillar as he fired off several rounds. Jane reached into her boot and pulled out her revolver. She glanced around the room, noticing the stairs. It was the only way out. Turning away she headed for the stairs, firing behind her. Jane took the stairs two at a time. One round from the man's pistol whizzed past her ear and took a chunk out of the wall next to the door. Jane practically held her breath as she climbed the last of the stairs and tugged on the door. It was unlocked. Throwing it open she ran into the hallway, checking all directions as quickly as she could. She didn't see or hear anyone else.

Running as quickly as she could Jane fished her cell phone out of her pocket. She heard steps behind her and knew the man would be in the hallway with her momentarily.

"Dispatch this is Detective Rizzoli, V825. Shots fired, officer needs assistance." Jane continued down the hallway, looking for a door leading outward. She found none. Frustrated she tried several other doors. Most were locked. As she approached the end of the hall she turned and looked over her shoulder. The man stood there, hands on hips, laughing. She saw why: the door leading outdoors was behind him. Jane was cornered. She raised her revolver. She took a couple steps forward to give herself the best target possible. If he was going to kill her she wanted to take him with her, so Maura and the kids would be safe. Jane's breath hitched a notch when she thought of Maura and her short time with her. I love you, M. Please remember that, Jane thought as she fired her revolver.

"Frost, find her please," Maura sat at Jane's desk. She calmed down enough to be coherent and listen to Frost place a barrage of calls. The SWAT team was on standby and every uniform in the city was looking for Rizzoli's car or any unusual activity. The robbery team working undercover with Rizzoli backtracked her latest steps and tried to pin down where she might be.

Frankie burst into the bullpen waving a sheet of paper. He thrust it at Frost and gave Maura an encouraging smile.

"We found an 'officer needs assistance' call coming from Jane's number. She wasn't able to give her location before the call cut off but dispatch is tracing it."

Thank God she's alive, Maura thought.

"That's good news, Doc. It means Jane's alive and fighting like hell to survive," Frost spoke as he frantically typed numbers of various city sectors into his system. "We'll find her shortly."

"Thank you Barry," Maura said. "I'm going downstairs."

Maura entered the morgue, empty except for her. She heard her own footsteps echo off the walls. She felt just as empty inside. She fought off negative thoughts. What if Jane doesn't survive? What if we find her but it's too late? I almost lost her when she shot herself to save Frankie and me. I knew then I couldn't survive losing her, certainly not so soon after marrying Jane. Come back to me, love. We need you.

Maura moved around the morgue without thinking. She began cleaning the autopsy tables again then moved to clean out her office. Picking up her cell she checked just to make sure Jane hadn't left a message. Nothing. Maura sent a text to Angela, asking her to take the children for the time being. Maura wanted to be able to answer at a moment's notice when Jane surfaced. She refused to think the detective wasn't coming home this time.

A couple of hours later Maura looked at a gleaming morgue. She washed her hands and checked the time. Two thirty three a.m. She thought of the children, home with their grandmother, safely tucked into bed and sound asleep. Maura doubted Angela was asleep, given what was going on with her daughter.

Maura called Frost. "Anything new?" she asked.

"No, Doc. I would have told you if I'd heard anything." Maura sighed.

"I'm going home, Frost. I literally can't think of anything else."

"You do that, Doc. Go home and rest. Keep your cell handy. We'll let you know if anything happens."

Maura tugged on her coat and picked up her purse. She couldn't put her finger on the why, but this time it felt different. Jane wasn't coming home.

TBC