When Rayne and Mac were returning to the Crime Lab, he helped her up into the main area. Sid and Hawkes rushed over to them and noticed she was still staring blankly ahead. "Has she said anything since?" Hawkes knew it was a bad thing if she hadn't. Mac shook his head and he kneeled to look at her. "Rayne? Can you look at me for a second?" She glanced up and he smiled softly. "We have Ryan back behind bars. He won't do this again."
"It's not him," she answered. Hawkes paused and waited as nobody had heard a peep from her so interrupting at this point wasn't a wise idea. They waited a few more minutes and then noticed it as she looked straight and saw the cityline. What he had said really got under her skin. Ryan knew where the killer was. "Has he been interrogated yet?"
"Not yet. Flack was going to do it tonight."
"I'm going to be there," she answered as she wiped the few tears that were pooling. "He won't talk for Flack." Mac looked nervous and she glanced at him. "He's going down to Ryker's regardless. I'll be fine," she answered looking at him.
"You won't talk to him without Flack being in that room and then that includes me and Stella listening in," he warned her. She nodded and as they left for the precinct again, Hawkes saw Sid go with him. "Sid you don't need to be."
"She's a part of your family meaning I look out for her. I want someone to be ready for if she breaks," he answered. Mac nodded knowing that he would not be ready to help her. Sheldon and Sid were both already really good with her when her head got to her. Stella walked in and they all watched as Flack wheeled Rayne in.
"You little bi-," he began before Flack hit him with a folder. "Assaulting a cuffed man?"
"You didn't make his job easy," Rayne answered as she wheeled herself back a bit so then she was out of his reach. "He's only here because I'm physically unable to kick your fucking ass should you make a move." Sid and Stella watched Mac step back in shock.
"Well we now know she has a mouth," Stella answered and it made Mac chuckle and nod. He knew it was inevitable that Rayne was going to swear just due to her exposure to Mac, Flack and Danny. "I guess Ryan didn't even expect it."
"So what do you want? Bad enough that I can't stand your face? How's the new daddy? He handling your ugly mug? Your stupid little-," he continued before Flack hit him again.
"Flack it's okay," she answered looking at him. "Da-Mac," she began getting her composure and Mac looked at Sid shocked and he nodded knowing what the silent question was. "You couldn't stand my face because I called you out."
"You called me out because you wanted to be the star," he continued and she shrugged going to roll out of the room. "If you couldn't be good enough you'd be the worst. You were a poison," he continued and Flack grabbed the door for Rayne as she rolled out. "Maybe I'll get lucky."
"Maybe they'll give you the death penalty when I tell them all the crap we've been through," she responded flatly and his mouth clamped shut. Flack followed her out and as she wheeled to the front doors he grabbed her handles and she glared at him. "I want to go home."
"When you tell me what that last statement meant you can."
"He hurt us. More than you will ever know. I want him to rot in that cell for what he's done," she responded. Flack sat in front of her and she looked away from him. "Flack, I really don't think that you staring at me is going to change anything."
"It will. I just want you to listen to me. Whatever it is, whatever he's done. I won't let it hurt you again. Not anymore," he answered. She nodded after a minute and then wrote an address on a piece of paper and handed it to him. "What's this?"
"It's a club. Want to find out what Ducatti is hiding? Go there. Tell them that Ray-Ray asked you to talk to Daddy Dearest," she answered. Flack looked at her and she snickered. "The club owners? They treated me and the girls like their own. Protected us from the streets. The male owner? We all thought one day we'd get lucky and he'd take us in. He always used to make that promise," she chuckled as a tear rolled down her face. "Don't worry girls. Daddy will always protect you," she repeated before chuckling. "Well you can see where protection got us."
"If he tries to break my throat," he warned.
"His wife won't let him. I was always close to her. They were protective of me and Gwen. We were the two younger girls and both fell for more things than the others," she explained and then Mac and Sid walked out. "I advise you and Flack to go where I'm directing him too. I'm not too concerned about the club owners. It's the bouncers you gotta watch," she informed.
"Sid, how about you and Rayne head back to the lab with Hawkes. When we get back I want answers as to how you know these people," Mac responded and she nodded going with Hawkes and Sid silently. As the doors closed, Flack began to look into the club.
"Okay so we have the owners. Daddy Dearest as she calls him, is Renaldo Ranks. He's 34 and married to Amara Ranks. The two of them both couldn't have kids but are noted to be close to children in the community treating them like their children. So Rayne may be giving us a lead."
"She's given us the people that made her feel protected before she got to know us," Mac answered looking at their pictures. "Maybe they are also protecting details that Rayne doesn't want to talk about either. As she openly said to Ryan if the courts heard what she knew, he'd be dead."
As Mac and Flack arrived at a building they walked over and knocked to be greeted by a man that stood taller than even Flack and was just a bit burlier. "What do two cops want with me?" Mac pulled out a picture of Rayne and revealed it. "Little Ray-Ray? What's happened? How is she? Me and my wife hadn't heard from her in weeks."
"Rayne is in serious trouble. She has had her life attempted on more than once and although she jumps to your defense, lately it hasn't worked in her favor. So I'm not going to take her word. I want an alibi for where you were one week ago today. Rayne was shot twice and barely escaped with her life. She's now in therapy to even get to walk again," Mac began.
"Rayne's been shot?" Flack noted that what Rayne said, so far was checking out. The man sounded genuinely concerned about Rayne and what was happening with her. "Me and my wife, we warned her about taking a stand against the owner of the orphanage. We knew of him."
"What did you know about Mr Ducatti? We do have him arrested for an illegal orphanage operation and he's a suspect in the murder of the 5 girls," he began. Renaldo immediately looked at him and Flack nodded at the man. "Rayne's going to have to testify. About the kidnapping. About the murder. Everything. But we know she's hiding something."
"Rayne was always the quiet child," a woman informed and Mac identified her from the photo. Amara Ranks was as beautiful in the images as she was in person. "She never wanted to complain about what was bothering her and always shoved her problems aside. She cared about the girls as if they were her older sisters. But one day, she comes inside with the girls and she's not just quiet but she rejects all forms of parental affection we normally gave her."
"Did she say why?" Mac knew that these two people were clearly the best chance he had of understanding what Rayne wanted to tell them about Ryan and the killer. She had clearly remembered enough she had the confidence to threaten them.
"She said she was dirty. She didn't deserve it," Renaldo explained looking to the two men and the two cops looked at each other knowing what that sentence often meant. "We didn't know what it was referring to. Until she kept doing it."
"What did you figure out that Rayne meant? What was she trying to tell you about her?"
"She's young, but she's not stupid. She knows there are certain things that shouldn't happen without her being completely okay with it and she wasn't. We had always taught the girls that it was okay to tell us what happened but she never did. She always held it in and said she would handle it herself," Amara explained. She then looked to Flack. "Detective Flack, if she's hurt please help her."
"We're going through every measure necessary to help her. Detective Taylor here is her new adopted father and he's going to make sure she receives the best care in the city," Flack continued. They nodded and Mac then sat up and gave them a card.
"This is my card. If you ever want to see her, call me. I will gladly arrange for it," he assured and they nodded before going back to the other room and that left the two detectives to head out themselves. When Mac returned to the Lab, they saw Hawkes and her talking.
"We will get him behind bars Rayne," Hawkes assured and she shrugged. "You want to tell me what that was with the interrogation when you left? You threatened him with making certain he got the death penalty. Is there something nobody knows?"
"No. I just know things about him," she answered and Mac walked in knowing he had to bite the lie in the bud while he still could.
"Rayne," he began as he pulled her hair back and she looked at him. "I went to speak to who you suggested to Flack. They told me something that points out you're lying to us. You know that either Ryan or our killer have done something to you." She shook her head and tried to swat at his hands as he tried to hold her still and as he went next to her.
"Mac?" Hawkes was confused and he shook his head. As Rayne shook her head and tried to escape his grasp, Hawkes figured it out. "Give me a few minutes with her again," he advised. Mac nodded and then gently ran his fingers through her hair and left the room.
"Nothing happened Hawkes," she answered and he looked at her. "Why are you all looking at me like I'm lying about something? I'm telling you the truth. Nothing happened," she answered and Hawkes knew she had to be told the darkest part of being in the medical field.
"I've had patients do the same thing you have. Said nothing happened. But we still had to run a kit on them to test for any signs of," he began not knowing how to say it to her. "We learned they had the same thing happen and yet they wouldn't point out who."
"It's the worst crime in the city and the one that goes free all the time." Hawkes wasn't surprised she knew that much. The state of New York was known for having the worst luck with rapists and it was clear that Rayne thought it. She knew that was her case.
"But it doesn't mean someone can't be aware that he's done it," Hawkes answered and she looked at him. "I want to catch him but we can't do it without a testimony," he responded and she shook her head rapidly. "It's okay to be scared."
"He killed them. I don't want to lose," she began before she started moving her hand and Hawkes knew what she was indicating. "I can't take another loss like that," she warned.
"This time you won't."
"I hope so. Because if I say yes, I know I'm putting it all on the line."
"Which is a huge step in the right direction," Hawkes answered.