Disclaimer: I don't own the mentalist and get no money from this
Author's Note: This chapter was so exciting to write! I couldn't make you wait any longer so here's your update, warning again pretty dark chapter. Thanks so much to rigspeltforeverxx for revewing, hope its epic enough :)
"I'm gonna leave, you stay or I'll kill Patrick. Understand old man?" growled Dan and Albert hesitantly nodded.
"I love you Grampa," offered James as he walked over to the door, "no matter what happens I love you okay?"
"I know James, I love you too. I love you both and the younger ones," Albert replied tearfully, fearing it would be the last time he'd see his precious grandchildren again. I wasn't so sure he was wrong.
"I love you to Grampa," agreed Teresa before Dan dragged me out and they had to follow. I kept the bobby ping grasped tightly in my non-handcuffed hand awaiting my chance as we went to the car and got inside.
"Tessa! James!" exclaimed Chris happily as they squeezed into the back seat, "I'm so happy to see you," he added as we drove off, Dan starting on yet another bottle of booze.
"Where are we going?" asked James.
"To see your Mom. Don't you kids miss yer Mom?" slurred Dan in reply.
"Of course," protested Chris, "but isn't she dead?"
"An' dead peoples go to heaven," he explained before glancing quickly at me, "or hell."
"Are we going to bring her back to life?" Chris questioned innocently, he had no idea what the rest of us had probably already realized.
"No. We're gonna go ta heaven too," Dan continued smiling again, "except Patrick, you are gonna go ta hell."
"Don't you have to be dead to go to those places?" Chris pressed but I think it was slowly dawning on him even as the sun was slowly setting.
"Exactly," said Dan, "we're all going to be dead."
There was a moment's silence before Chris exploded into tears, incoherrently yelling how he didn't want anyone to die. Teresa was calming him down and I could only imagine the faces of James and Matt.
I decided now was a good a time as any to try escape via the bobby pin but Dan was still drinking and his driving was becoming more erratic, it was all I could do to hold in the non-cuffed hand, his driving was so bad. The SUV was almost completely out of control now as it swung from side to side on a straight road.
Then a car appeared round a bend, Dan attempted to avoid it but in doing so lost what little control he had left. The SUV crashed off the road and rolled violently, screams of Lisbons rang in my ears as the car rolled or bounced or something. I wasn't sure as I was jolted forcefully around the SUV, if I could have screamed I would have. The car finally came to a smashingly hideous stop.
I opened my dizzy eyes and noted an intense pain coming from my right hand and wrist, I glanced over at it and realized the limb had shattered the window and was cut he up pretty bad. I unclenched my fist without thinking and the bobby pin fell from my grip. Damn. My attention was taken by water, icily cold water was seeping and pouring into the vehicle. We were sinking. Damn!
I turned my attention to Teresa and her brothers and I looked back feeling relieved they were okay, Teresa's face mirrored my mixture of relief and fear. They seemed OK, shaken clearly but they were moving and turning their terrified white faces at us in askance of what to do.
"We need to get out of here," Teresa announced attempting and succeeding to sound calm, "how's Dad?"
I glanced back at Dan and if I hadn't of had an empty stomach it would be now, Dan was dead. His bottle of Jack Daniels was sticking out of his head, blood was everywhere... I turned away hurridly shutting my eyes to attempt to shut out the horrific image.
"Patrick?" Teresa whispered gently placing a hand on my arm, "is he... dead?" I forced myself to not in reply, "are you sure? Check his pulse?"
I shakily opened my eyes and forced myself to look back at Dan as I pressed my fingers against the rough warm skin. There was no pulse. I shot my hand away as if burned and shook my head repeatedly squeezing my eyes shut again.
"Okay... we can't worry about that now, we have to get to land okay? Can everyone remember how to swim?" Teresa asked taking charge, she was a born leader. We all nodded save Chris who looked out of his mind with fear, "it's okay we can help you," she offered gently and I noted the water had already submersed me up to my shoulder, Chris to his neck, "on three we swim okay? 1, 2, 3!"
And with that the water seemed to swallow them as Teresa forced open her door and they swam out of it. I attempted to follow but was stopped by something grabbing my wrist, I was still handcuffed to Dan. I was handcuffed to a dead man, and we were sinking.
I felt a chill seep through every last fibre of my body, I wasn't sure if it was from the algid water almost at my mouth or from the realization of my situation. Dan had thrown away the key, I had lost the bobby pin and I was handcuffed to a corpse sinking in Angela's SUV. I was going to die.
I lone tear trekked down my cheek to mingle with the water rapidly engulfing me, at least Teresa and her brothers were going to be okay. It was like a single flickering flame attempting to melt a glacier but it still gave me some hope as I took the deepest breath I ever had as the water went above my head.
I adjusted my eyes to the dim murky blackness of the water, I blinked uselessly to see. That was when I felt something gently shake my other arm, I looked to see Teresa there looking concerned. She looked at me in askance of why hadn't I followed them, I tugged my arm and the handcuffs held me back. She saw though and mimed picking the door lock, in reply I clenched my fist and held it over the open window before miming dropping it. She instantly dived.
I wanted to call her back but I knew it was pointless so I sat numbly in the freezing glacial water that filled the car now as I attempted to hold my breath as Cragen had taught me. I noticed Angela/Teresa's cross still glinting on my wrist, I held it up and looked at it. I wanted to give it back to her almost as much as I wanted to breath.
Teresa reappeared suddenly and shoved the bobby pin back at me, I grabbed it gratefully as hope surged through me. Teresa kicked away to the surface obviously in need of air, not surprisingly. I concentrated on breaking out of the handcuffs, it's alot harder to bend a piece of metal under water and with a bloody stinging hand to boot.
My lungs screamed at me for air louder than the Lisbon's screams before as I frantically attempted to work my `magic.` I finally had it and went to use it on the handcuffs, it took a few tries before it opened gently and I fled out through the opening where my window had been.
That flicker of hope had alighted a roaring flame as I swam weakly for the surface my lungs still begged me for air, I wanted to breath so much, so much it hurt. I had to.
My mouth opened and water flowed in, filling my lungs as I kicked ferociously to the surface, kicked towards what was left of the setting sun. Darkness started to consume my vision, NO! I couldn't die, I was so close. I was so close! The surface seemed to get no closer but the darkness grew stronger, seeming to drag me back down into the doomed depths below.
I fought, I swear I fought. I fought with every remaining ounce of strength that remained. I fought harder than I ever had fought before. But it wasn't enough, I couldn't fight any harder and it wasn't hard enough. The atramentous water consumed my life.
My heart stopped beating.
I died...
Author's Note: Anyone think I should end the story here...?
