****

Frank snarled as he rounded the corner into the alley. He knew Alex was right behind him in pursuit, but his mind was on Vadim. Something snapped when the skeletal man took off running and all Frank could see was punishing him. He closed the distance to fingertip length, then stretched out and grasped the back of his tuxedo jacket.

Alex saw the shadows move, then Vadim thrown against the chain link fencing at the end of the alley. She slowed down, gun in hand and aimed at Vadim as she watched Frank pounce on the man. Shock and awe washed over her as she witnessed her boss, the Ice Man himself, Master of Self Control, completely lose it and begin to beat the shit out of Vadim. "Frank… stop," she urged. When he didn't respond, she reached out and put a hand towards them. "Frank! Stop it right now!"

Ty Davis had split up from Bosco and taken a side alley. He heard the sounds of a scuffle and a woman's voice ordering someone named Frank to stop. Cautiously he edged closer, startling only when the chain link fencing in front of him buckled with the weight of a body being thrown against it. "NYPD, FREEZE!" He ordered as he stepped into the clearing and leveled his gun at the two men.

Alex looked up from Frank as she saw movement behind Vadim's body and switched her aim from Vadim to the person behind he and Frank. "Drop it Officer! He's coming in with us!"

Bosco crept down the alley, listening to the sounds of a fight and a standoff between Davis and some woman. Quietly he raised his weapon, ready to shoot if necessary. He saw the taller man wailing on the pale thin man and the woman in the red dress drawing down on Davis. This could really ugly, really quickly. "Put the gun down Ma'am" he ordered gravely. He saw the woman stiffen, but not lower her weapon. "Davis, you OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I got her, you deal with the lunatics."

"Don't touch them," she snarled. "You boys are so in over your heads right now."

"That so?" Bosco smarted. "Prove it. But if I don't like what you've got to show me, I have no problem shooting you."

"We're both Federal Agents you bone head!" Alex spat irritably. She could see Vadim wasn't fighting back. Frank really hadn't given him a chance to. But the young cop in front of her was getting nervous. "Put the gun down Officer. I'll show you my badge."

"Here's a better idea," Davis said calmly despite his edge. "How about you put your gun away, THEN show me your badge."

"HEY!" Bosco shouted as he inched closer to the two men. "HEY!! KNOCK IT OFF!! Don't make me ask you two again!"

"Back off Junior!" Frank snarled as he clamped his hands around Vadim's throat. "This piece of work is all mine."

Alex flicked a glance back and forth between the Officer behind the fence and Frank. She'd never seen him like this. Aja had told them all that Vadim had been the one to do it all to her, but it was like Frank had taken this on as a personal mission to destroy Vadim. "Frank… enough, he's been beaten enough." She checked her hammer and pulled the gun back to reach for Frank's shoulder.

"Hey, easy there lady!" Bosco ordered. "Sir! Frank, is it? She's right, he's had enough. Why don't you let up on him and let us take him in. We can file a report of arrest, charge him with… whatever it is he did… C'mon, let me handle him."

Frank stopped, his hands gripping Vadim's throat, and the Officer's words filtering into his mind. What was he doing? He looked down at the piece of shit - who half-grinned back up at him. If he killed Vadim, then he'd be no better than him. "You piece of shit, Vadim. You'd like nothing better than for me to kill you, isn't that right?" he growled.

Vadim just smiled through the bloody teeth and bruised cheek. "She got to you, didn't she?" he wheezed. With a chuckle and a wince, he kept needling his attacker. "She's good that way… You should try cream sherry licked off of her nipples, sweet and creamy…" He grunted when he was kicked in the ribs. "Aja…" he sighed "Aja's skin, so smooth and soft, holds a bite really well. Don't fall for her - she'll betray you if you do."

Bosco straightened up when he heard Aja's name. What the hell… Was this the bastard that tortured Aja three years ago? However, his moment of confusion was interrupted when the man named Frank started beating the crap out of his victim. The woman had dropped her gun and grabbed hold of Frank's shoulders in an effort to pull him off. However, she wound up riding his back piggy-back style she was so slight against him. Bosco holstered his gun while Davis kept him covered and grabbed hold of Frank. "HEY!! KNOCK IT OFF!!"

"You'll never get the chance to hurt her again," Frank hissed low as he jerked Vadim's face up close to his own. "I don't care if I have to make you disappear, you will never lay your eyes on Aja Cage again!"

"C'mon buddy, ease offa him, let me take care of it," Bosco ordered as he shoved Frank aside. The moment he got his hands on Vadim however, Bosco shoved him face-first into the brick wall and jerked his hands behind his back. "Ow, that had to hurt. You know, you should be more careful in these alleys - bad things happen."

Vadim chuckled. "If you only knew…" The rest of his words were cut off as he was jerked forcibly along the alley.

Davis had come around and met them at the entrance of the alley. He reached for his handcuffs and then for the woman. Bosco stopped him however.

"Hey, Davis, you don't cuff Federal Agents, remember?"

"But Bos, she drew down on me!"

"No buts, they're on an operation tonight. Let it go." He shoved the piece of shit in front of him down the street and back towards the RMP.

Alex and Frank followed behind them, trying to keep from scowling or grinding their teeth. Frank still wanted to be throttling Vadim and Alex was ready to give the two officers a piece of her mind. They never had this problem with the Chicago PD.

They were half-way back to the RMPs when the call went over the radio: 10-13, Officer Down.

you always wanted people to remember

you to leave your mark on society

well don't you know your wish is coming true today

another victim dies tonight

--

Excerpt from the lyrics to "The Game" by Disturbed. CD titled "The Sickness" all rights reserved.

****