CHAPTER 33
Finn slurped on his slushie as he looked at the man tied up before him. Jessie was chained from the ceiling and the two men glared at each other, pure hatred in their eyes. Eventually, Finn stood up and walked over to him.
"Look, I know there's like a specific amount of time I'm supposed to take before I start grilling you. But you're the professional torturer, right? I'm just a corn cob-smoking rube from Texas. That and I'm bored, so… let's get into it, shall we? Did you kill my wife?"
Jessie smirked at him.
"You're gonna have to be more specific. I kill a lot of people."
Finn didn't lose his temper.
"Rachel Berry-Hudson. El Paso, last September."
"Doesn't ring a bell." Jessie grunted in reply.
"Then why was her name and number found in your house?"
"Maybe she gave it to me. Is that her?" He asked, nodding at a picture of Rachel in the corner of the room. "Mm, pretty girl. No, no. Her, I'd remember."
"You don't get to look at that." Finn growled.
"Sorry. Just, not being able to look at a hot piece like that… now that's torture." Jessie smirked. Finn sighed and walked around the room. He picked up a packet of salt grains. He ripped it open and started grinding it against Jessie's gash on his forehead. Jessie screamed in agonising pain for a couple of seconds before Finn finally relented. He was committing countless felonies right now but he didn't care. All he cared about was getting answers, even if he had to die trying.
Meanwhile, Quinn had just pulled up to his trailer. She wanted to talk about what had happened between them, or rather, what didn't happen to try and clear the air between them. Finn was, quite frankly, the best partner she'd ever had and she didn't want to lose that. Just as Quinn approached the door to the trailer, Finn stepped out.
"Hey, Quinn! What are you doing?" He asked.
"We need to talk. Let's go inside." She said, walking towards the door but Finn stopped her.
"Uh, actually, the place is a mess and you didn't call, so…"
Quinn raised an eyebrow. Finn seemed extremely nervous but was playing it off.
"How many times have you come by my house uninvited?"
"Well, that's because your lovely sister extended an open invitation. Unfortunately, I have not offered that to you."
Quinn sighed and decided to leave their conversation for another day and just talk about the case.
"Okay, whatever, listen. Something is not right with this one. Got a hit man who has an open shot on two marshals and doesn't take it. He knew the transport route. He wanted us to find the getaway car."
"So what are you saying?" Finn asked.
"I'm saying I think it's an inside job." She replied quietly. "And I don't know who we can trust on this one."
Finn sighed.
"Listen, Q. I'm gonna tell you something. But you can't tell anyone else, or I'll deny it. All right? I think you're right and you're a good cop. Look, we'll tackle this tomorrow but next time, just give me a ring."
"No, let's do it tonight!" Quinn exclaimed. "I had to cancel my camping trip at Lake Arrowhead, lost the whole deposit."
An idea came to Finn's mind…
"Oh, wow. So that cabin's just gonna sit up there all empty?" He remarked.
"Yeah." Quinn spat.
"That's terrible. You know what? You're right. Let's get on it. I'm gonna grab my jacket."
Finn then walked back into his trailer, leaving Quinn outside. Quinn was confused and a little suspicious about Finn's weird behavior. Then, she saw it… a footprint in the sand identical to the one they found in the park. And what's more, Finn had the means, motive and opportunity to kidnap Jessie: he is an ex-SEAL so had near-perfect accuracy with a weapon, he's a cop so he knew the transport route and the park's camera layout, and he wasn't about to shoot the two marshals. Suddenly, she was pulled from her train of thoughts when Finn emerged from the tin can.
"All righty! All right! Let's go!" He exclaimed, cheerfully walking towards her car. Quinn didn't follow him though.
"You know, I gotta use the bathroom." She said, walking towards the trailer.
"Quinn, no, no, no!" He exclaimed, running towards her but it was too late. Quinn took a deep breath and opened the trailer. However, what she saw was completely unexpected. The trailer was completely empty. "Yeah, see, the uh… the plumbing's been out for weeks, so I've just been peeing in the ocean. It's quite liberating. You should try it."
Quinn shut the trailer. Maybe she was wrong. Of course she was wrong! Finn would never do something like that! She walked to her car and the two of them got inside and drove away, leaving Jessie tied up and locked up in the trailer bathroom…
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The next morning, Quinn was sitting in her home, drinking a cup of coffee when Santana walked into the kitchen.
"Good morning, Quinn." She said. Quinn looked up at her with exhausted eyes. "Did you even sleep at all last night?"
"No, I couldn't sleep." Quinn mumbled in reply.
"Oh, I had trouble, too. Luke is graduating! Oh my gosh… it makes me feel old!"
"No, this was work stuff. Got my head all spun around."
Santana sighed.
"Let me guess… Finn." She remarked. Quinn nodded. "What did he do this time?"
"I don't know, but it's so crazy. I feel guilty even considering he may have done it."
"Wow." Santana murmured, her eyes wide. "Well, you know him better than anyone. Do you think he's capable of doing whatever it is?"
"San, if I say yes, it means deep down inside I do not believe in him. And I don't want that."
"So, what does your gut tell you?"
"My gut says I need an antacid." Quinn said and she grabbed her keys and left the house.
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At that very moment, Finn and Jessie had just pulled up to a new location for their 'questioning.' Finn tied Jessie up to a chair in the middle of the room and Finn paced around him.
"Any tips you have, you know, on, uh… torture or anything like that are always welcome." Finn stated.
"What's the end game here?" Jessie asked. Finn shrugged.
"Well, it depends on how long it takes you to tell the truth."
"No, I get that part. Then what?"
"I let you go." Finn smirked. Jessie chuckled. "Yeah, you'll run. I'll hunt you down, and then I'll shoot you in the face like a gentleman and that'll be the end of it."
Jessie chuckled.
"A cop gonna murder someone in cold blood? You're just not that kind of man."
"Guess we'll just have to wait and see." Finn remarked. Jessie shook his head.
"You've had me here for, what? Ten hours? And the trailer before that? Still got all my fingers, toes, teeth. You're scared."
"Of you?" Finn laughed.
"Of yourself." Jessie replied. "Yeah, see, to truly break a man, there's certain lines you got to cross. You're not ready."
"Hm, fair enough." Finn replied, standing up. He grabbed a small axe from the corner of the room and he swung it at one of Jessie's restrained hands, causing the blade to cut a deep gash and break his knuckles. Jessie cried out in pain. Finn smirked at him.
"Better? Thanks for the tip."
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Quinn walked into the precinct and surprisingly, he wasn't there yet. She sighed and stormed over to Tina's desk where she was sitting.
"Where's Finn?" She snapped.
"He's not in yet." Tina replied. "You try his phone?"
"Three times. What's so important he can miss work with a fugitive out there? I'm the one that's got a kid graduating in 24 hours. Track his phone."
Tina raised an eyebrow and sighed.
"Seriously? That's a violation of trust. You don't think…?" Tina's voice trailed off when she saw the look on Quinn's face. "You're the boss."
She typed in a couple of keys on her computer before looking up at Quinn.
"Hmm. Looks like we won't be seeing Finn anytime soon." She remarked.
"Why's that?" Quinn asked.
"Well, he's a few hours away in Lake Arrowhead."
Quinn groaned and put her head in her hands. Tina had just confirmed her suspicions.
"Near Cedar Grove Lane?" Quinn asked. Tina looked at her computer and nodded.
"Yeah. How'd you know?"
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Finn sat by the roaring fireplace of the cabin, making a poker illuminated with heat. Jessie watched him and raised an eyebrow.
"You gonna burn me with that thing now?" He asked. Finn shook his head.
"No, but that's a good idea. I was just going to make toasted marshmallows. Jeez, Jessie. Everything about torture with you?"
"You're not even asking the right questions." Jessie snarled. "You keep wanting to know, did I kill her. When you know I didn't. I didn't slip the death juice in her drink."
Finn spun around and faced him, his eyes wide.
"What you really want to know is did I give the order." Jessie finished. "Right? See, that would be a better question."
"Did you?" Finn asked, taking a sip of a beer he found in the fridge.
"Or, a more interesting question would be… what did she look like?" Jessie smirked. "You know, at the end. Did she die immediately or just gurgle her last few breaths?"
Finn walked over to Jessie and leaned in so that they were face to face. Finn shook his head and clicked his tongue.
"No. You weren't there, silly." Finn chuckled and he started to walk away.
"Yes, I was." Jessie replied. "The whole time, watching, waiting. You two were so cute together, eating those blueberry pancakes."
Finn stopped walking and he threw his beer against the wall before sprinting back over to Jessie and hitting him fiercely across the face. Jessie merely laughed.
"I waited till she went to the hospital to have the baby, and then I gave the order."
Finn hit Jessie a couple more times before putting a gun to his chin. He didn't pull the trigger though and Jessie knew he wouldn't. Jessie laughed, spitting a broken tooth out.
"I told you. You're not ready."
Suddenly, a twig snapping outside rang through the cabin. Finn kicked Jessie's chair over and he walked towards the door of the cabin, leaving Jessie a mere couple of inches from the burning poker…
Finn stepped outside the house, his gun raised, and he tiptoed around the front corner. When he turned the corner, he was greeted by Quinn, her gun raised. He sighed in relief and put his gun away.
"Quinn." He murmured.
"Is he in there?!" Quinn snapped. Finn shrugged.
"Look, the less you know about this, the better. Leave, Quinn." He said, quietly.
"It's too late for that." She spat. "Why, Finn? That's what I need to know: why?"
"He killed Rachel." Finn growled.
"You believe that?" Quinn remarked.
"You told me yourself. You saw it in the file."
"Yeah, I know. I gave the file to you myself! So now, you're… you're a killer?! There is no law, there is no justice."
"THIS IS JUSTICE!" Finn bellowed.
"No, this is murder, Finn." She shouted back. "I know you better than anyone. You're a good cop and you're a good man. Hell, possibly the best I've ever known. You risk your life for people you don't even know day in and day out. I'm not gonna let you do this. I'm taking him in!"
Quinn stormed towards the door and Finn tried to stop her but he couldn't.
"Finn!" She shouted as she walked inside. Finn sighed.
"What did you expect to find, Quinn?" Finn stated as he walked inside. When he did, his eyes widened…
Jessie was gone, his restraints lying ripped and broken on the ground, along with the burning poker!
The two of them looked at each other and took off running in opposite directions. He couldn't have gone too far. Quinn ran towards the hilly, mountainous area behind the cabin and Finn took the forest area next to it.
Jessie took off through the forest, clutching his limp hand. He eventually made it through the forest and made it to the cliff opposite Quinn.
"Freeze!" She shouted, her gun raised. He ignored her and sprinted past, jumping off the cliff and falling 100 feet into the rapids below. At this point, Finn made it towards them.
"NO!" He shouted as he saw Jessie fall. He sprinted towards the edge, ready to jump, but Finn held him back.
"No, no, no, no, no! Finn, no! Please don't!" She begged. Finn shook his head, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Nobody can survive that, okay? He's gone. It's over."
Finn sat on the edge of the cliff, put his head in his hands and cried…
Eventually, he stood up and faced her.
"Okay. Let's go." He said.
"Where?" Quinn asked, dumbfounded.
"Turn me in…"
