Disclaimer: I don't own the mentalist and get no money from this, how many times must I repeat this? If I did not own it last 49 chapters I am not going to own it for the 50th!
Author's Note: I know its not great, I'm sorry it's another not-so-good chapter but I realized that my timeline was slight screwed up which was making it hard to write this. Thanks so much to rigspeltforeverxx, fairygirl44, jisbon-sessed, SSA Silver Moon and The Teal Dragaon for reviewing :) you are all awesome!
It was horrible in the trunk of the car. It was a small trunk and even though I was pretty small myself I was still in an awkward cramped position which did nothing for the healing bruises from a few days ago. It was also surprisingly hot, I felt like I was in an oven. It was dark too, my vision was blanketed in blackness with only a sliver of light seeping through a tiny gap. It was too small to see out of but it illuminated Angela/Teresa's cross which I had wrapped around my wrist.
I groped around in the darkness for a trunk release or maybe something I could use as a weapon but there was nothing. Just me. Trapped in this scorching darkness in the trunk of some random rental car. I felt equal parts of dread and relief for the jostling journey to be over. Relief I'd be free of this horrible confide but dread for I would most likely die.
I tried not to think about that. I tried not to think of having the life choked out of me again. I tried not to think of how he would dispose of my corpse. I tried not to think of maggots feasting on my flesh as I rotted away in some forgotten ditch. I tried not to think of the tearstricken faces when the people I cared about knew I was dead.
Clearly I was failing, I noticed miserably as tears slid down my face. I hadn't got to say goodbye, I'd never be able to say goodbye. I was just going to die alone by the hands of my best friends father. I managed to somehow freeze my miserey. At least Teresa would be OK, and James. At least I'd got to see her one last time.
I focused my eyes on the small silver cross I'd had repaired for her, it meant so much to her. I shouldn't have brought it. I should have just left it in the hospital so she'd have gotten it back. I wanted her to have it back all of a sudden, it seemed like the most important thing in the world for some reason. I was so desperate to give it back to her.
The car suddenly lurched to a hault and I held my breath.
"Gonna take a leak!" called Dan and I heard his footsteps leading away.
Then it was silent. Time passed by slowly, agonizingly slowly... Day became night, then day again. I was so thirsty, my throat felt scorched and hunger gnawed at my insides. If he didn't come back to kill me soon then I'd die of thirst, I wasn't sure which I'd prefer simply to die or hang here on the hope someone would come and save me.
I heard a car pull up, then footsteps... the trunk flew open and Dan yanked me out and sort of flung me onto the ground. I blinked at the sudden brightness of the sunshine that flooded my vision. I groaned miserably as I blinked a few times to adjust my eyes to light.
"Good, I thought you might already have died," Dan laughed suddenly and I realized for once he was sober, "sorry I took so long, went to take a leak then I thought why not get a drink aswell and then I was arrested and the I had to convince Minelli to let me go or you'd die. I even got him to give me his gun and a pair of handcuffs."
I sat up stiffly and saw he was waving a gun in his hand, I swallowed nervously trying to console myself that at least it would be quick. I didn't have the stength to run and I couldn't speak to try convince him to let me go. Dan approached me and pressed the gun against my head, I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Cheer up Patrick, I'd give anything to be dead. Then I'd be in heaven with Angie, you'll go to hell of course, but I'd be in heaven with my beautiful wife..." Dan explained sadly but an idea seemed to come to him, "why not kill myself too? I'll probably end up in jail anyway and if I kill myself than at least I can be her. Wait that'd never work, she'd be mad I'd left behind the kids," his eyes lit up but I had a horrible sinking feeling, "why not kill them to? Then we can all go to heaven with Angie -except you, you'll be in hell- but we'll be in heaven."
I opened my eyes to see him smiling as he knelt beside me moving the gun away from my head. I tried to tell him it was a bad idea but I couldn't speak still! Why did my voice abandon me when I needed it most? I suddenly felt something cold grasping my wrist, a handcuff. Dan had handcuffed my left wrist to his right wrist.
"So you can't escape, you're my barganing chip if Minelli finds me before I can get to the kids," Dan informed me standing up, I reluctantly did the same, "I'm so excited to see Angie again!"
He moved over to the rent a car and pushed it forwards, straining until it rolled into the river in front of it. I glanced at my surroundings, loads of tall trees strectched around skywards around me while the huge river meandered it's way past. I had seen it before from some of the roads... we must be a way out from the town.
Dan half dragged me to Angela's SUV and shoved me in the driver's side, I shifted to the passanger side as climbed in and slammed the door. I groaned inwardly as my mind attempted to think of a plan but I had nothing, no ideas nothing to use and I couldn't even speak. I sighed, we were doomed...
