CHAPTER FOUR
Katie walked out of the hotel and down the fire escape musing to herself. As she headed out into the warm sunshine a hand grabbed her and pulled her into the alley. She grinned, somehow Murdock must have been able to shake off Face and he'd lain in wait for her.
She turned with a smile on her face but the smile faded as she saw who stood there, she had just enough time to scream before everything went black.
***
'Look, I won't try and steal her from you. I'd like to meet her.you've kept her secret, she must be pretty special.'
'She is, Faceman.' Murdock shoved his hands in his pockets and walked out of the hotel. 'Let's just find Katie ok. Maybe she just went out for something.'
'Why did you leave her anyway? That's not like you Murdock, is everything ok? You were rather distant last night and this morning.'
'I'm fine.can we just leave it alone.' He turned down the street.
A cultured voice spoke from behind him. 'Mr Murdock? Mr Peck?'
Both men turned slowly and Murdock felt himself break out in gooseflesh. A man was standing behind him and when Murdock saw what he was holding he felt his heart constrict painfully. He had an arm around Katie's neck and she was unconscious. In his other hand he held a gun. Murdock swallowed. 'I'm guessing this is Jerome, Face.'
'You'd guess right Mr Murdock.' Jerome smiled tightly. 'I've heard a lot about you.'
'Just let her go. Come on she's nothing to you, you were going to dump her in the ocean.' He felt panic grip him.if he'd wanted assurance of how he felt about her, now he knew. Oh he knew.
'I trust then that you were responsible for that little message for me. The ring in my airplane? Perhaps I should ask Katherine what it is that she wants. Perhaps the answer she gives me won't be the one you would expect.'
'Jerome.please.she's done nothing.'
Jerome laughed. 'She walked away from me.she would be the first to tell you that this is one of the worst things you can do to me. She was on my terms, she left when I told her to.'
'Dammit.you're making it sound as if she was some kind of animal or a toy.'
Face laid a hand on Murdock's shoulder. Jerome's vicious smile widened and Murdock felt a chill go through him. He knows, he thought, he knows about Katie and me and he's going to do his best to make sure that I know he knows.
'Mr Murdock.that is precisely what she was. She belonged to me.give my regards to your colonel.' Then there was smoke and Jerome was gone as a grenade exploded before Face and Murdock sending them diving for cover.
As soon as he could Murdock scrambled to his feet and scanned the area for Katie. 'Murdock.he's gone, we have to get back to the apartment get Hannibal and BA.'
'This is all my fault Face.it's all my fault.' Murdock couldn't breathe.she was gone. She was gone and because of him he might not ever get the chance to tell her how he really felt. He clenched his hands into fists. 'No.no, I won't let him do this.' I'll tell her, he thought. I will tell her how I feel and I will get her back.
Face saw the look in his eyes and remembered it from all those months before when Katie had been kidnapped as bait by Carl to draw Murdock out. There had been that same look in his eyes then but Face thought he saw something there now that hadn't been before.
*** When Katie opened her eyes she found that her arms and legs were bound. She was lying on an elaborate bed in an even more elaborate room. There was the strong smell of cigarette smoke in the air.
Jerome was seated in a chair at the end of the bed and he was smoking a cigarette thoughtfully. He regarded her with cold eyes. 'Well.Katherine it's nice to see you awake.' With deliberate care he extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray beside him.
'Untie me.' She said with as much dignity as she could muster. Her head still felt woozy from where he'd clubbed her with the gun.
'On the contrary you will remain secured until I can be certain that you will not try and escape again.'
Katie said nothing aware that it was useless to argue with him, he was a hell of a lot stronger than she was and she'd had experience with how he was when angered.
Jerome got to his feet and sat next to her on the bed. 'Oh darling.' He stroked her cheek with one finger. 'You should know better by now.you know that I don't just allow you to go running off whenever you please.especially with that group of pests that call themselves soldiers.' His hand cupped her cheek turning her face towards his. 'Why did you ever think you could run from me? Did you think they would keep you safe? A thief, a delusional old man, a thug and a crazy man? Oh darling no, you can't hide from me, I'll always find you in the end.'
Despite herself, Katie felt a tear slip down her cheek. His fingers tightened on her chin painfully. 'You know how I feel about being betrayed.you know what I have to do now.' He started to untie her. 'It pains me that I have to punish you this way but.I have no other choice. You have to be taught and you have to be shown that I will not tolerate disobedience. When you are my wife there will be no more of this nonsense.'
He let the ropes fall to the floor and turned her over on her front. She kept her silence through the beatings and the shame, not once did she scream and through her hot burning tears one thought remained. One thing kept her whole.Murdock's face in her mind and the memory of the look in his eyes. The knowledge that he loved her even if he had not told her.
*** Face was right, Hannibal was not pleased but he did not waste time reprimanding Murdock for not doing his job properly.he gave out his orders in a clipped tone that suggested he would not take any nonsense.
Murdock said nothing; he kept his head down and got on with the job. Face had a good idea of where Jerome might be it was just getting in there and finding him.
Mrs Baracus handed Murdock a cup of tea and gave him a sympathetic smile. 'You'll find her honey, I know you will.' Murdock only nodded and turned back to the blueprints laid out on the table.
'This suite is the one Jerome is occupying if my sources are correct. Now.you need a pass to get in.' Face said.
'Can you get us one?' Hannibal asked studying the prints carefully.
'I've already tried and it's harder to get one of those things than it is an invitation to the Oscars and believe me I've tried to get one of those too.'
Murdock allowed himself a small grin, he could just imagine Face living it up with all the celebrities and probably claiming to be one himself all the while.
'This place is harder to break into than Fort Knox.' Face continued. 'I do have one or two people I was going to try to get me in but.we're running out of time.'
'Yeah.we are.' Murdock murmured. 'The quicker you can get us in the better Faceman.'
Face nodded. 'Yeah I thought you'd say that somehow.'
'Colonel I can fly in if Face can get me a chopper, there's a landing pad right here.' He tapped the blueprints.
'You need a pass to get access from the roof.' Face told him and BA growled slightly. 'Besides.with BA's special circumstances.'
Murdock chewed his cheek broodingly. 'Well if you can't get a pass how are supposed to get in?'
'Easy.' Face smiled widely and Murdock felt a burst of hope at his friend's confidence. Face had something up his sleeve. 'I can't get a pass but that doesn't stop me from uh.borrowing someone else's.'
Hannibal smiled; he liked that idea. 'And I'm sure with a little back-up I'll have no problem persuading them to let me in.' Here Face looked pointedly at BA who nodded his affirmative, he liked that plan a whole lot better than he did one that included flying. 'Getting into Jerome's suite is another matter.we have no idea where he's got Katie stashed away and he's not going to make it easy for us. Murdock you saw how prepared he was when we met him.'
Murdock nodded. 'Grenades and everything.' He reminded himself to have a talk with Katie when he got her back.tell her to be more careful in future. She was always getting kidnapped at gunpoint it seemed. The thought didn't cheer him up; first he had to get Katie back.
Suddenly Hannibal's eyes lit up. Murdock knew that look, Face knew that look and BA certainly knew that look. It meant one thing; Hannibal was on the Jazz and that meant that he had a plan.
*** Face and Murdock dragged the unconscious man into the bushes and tied him up. It would be a few minutes at least before he woke and even more before he was found or could get free.
Face pocketed the pass and smiled. 'I never thought he'd be so generous.'
Murdock smiled grimly, he was concentrating on the task at hand but he knew he should think up something crazy to say. Right now though he could only think of Katie. Murdock followed Face to where BA and Hannibal were waiting. They were posing as window cleaners.they'd break into the window in the corridor adjacent to Jerome's suite.Murdock had already wormed it out of the unconscious man where he was keeping Katie. The rest should be easy, should be.
BA placed the tiny glasscutter onto the window and cut a perfect circle. Then he removed the circle effortlessly leaving a round hole. He stepped aside and Face put his hand in and released the catch on the window. It swung open and the conman grinned. 'Piece of cake.'
Anyone in the street who happened to look up would have seen a strange sight. They would have seen four men who appeared to be window cleaners climb into a window nearly 6 storeys up.
*** Katie lay on her belly, face buried in the pillow. Jerome had long since left her and the tears on her cheeks had finally dried. She couldn't work up the energy to dress or even to move. Every part of her hurt, she was starting to give up on being rescued.
The door opened behind her but she didn't bother to look round. 'Haven't you had enough?' She asked trying to keep the shake out of her voice. 'Just leave me alone.'
'Sorry baby, I can't do that.' Murdock's voice was low and husky from unshed tears. Relief flooded her and she sat up suddenly conscious of how she must look to him. She pulled the sheets up to her chest. He was there in an instant pulling her to him and crushing her against his chest. 'I'm sorry, I should have thought, this is all my fault.'
He let her go long enough to take in her appearance, noticing the fresh bruising on her cheek; he'd already seen the red welts on her back and thighs. Anger coursed through him, who did Jerome think he was to do this to her? Fury nearly choked him but he checked it and looked around for her clothes. He badly wanted to ask her what Jerome had done to her, although he could guess, but for now he had to get her out of here and to safety.
She took hold of his wrist and looked up at him. 'Thank you.' She whispered and that nearly did it. He swallowed back the tears building behind his eyes; he'd come so close to losing her. If Jerome had decided to just take her out of the country then she would have been gone and he might never have found her again.
'Well it appears that the bird wants to flee the nest, I thought we talked about this Katherine.' Jerome was standing in the doorway and Katie paused, mid-way through dressing.
Murdock needed only one look to see that this guy was doped up the eyeballs. The way he so carelessly called her Katherine made him feel irrationally angry. 'Why do I think you were the only doing the talking pal?' Murdock spat. 'And why do I think that your idea of talking is a hellava lot different to mine?'
Jerome took a step further into the room and Murdock put an arm around Katie's shoulders. She was fully dressed now and ready to do whatever it would take to get out.
'I suggest you remove your hand from my fiancée.'
Murdock grinned and Katie felt afraid. She'd seen that look before right before he'd nearly died. 'No.I don't think so, she's not your fiancée anymore and she's not doing anything you tell her to do.'
'I see.' Jerome's laugh was malicious. 'Perhaps it was just as well for her that I didn't realise earlier that she'd been in someone else's bed. It might have made things worse for her.'
Katie could feel how tense Murdock was, she looked from Jerome to the man she loved and wondered how they were going to get out of this without a fight.
'You're lucky that I have enough respect not to kill you in her presence or you'd be severely lacking a head right now.pal.' Again he all but spat the last word out.
'I don't think so Mr Murdock, I really don't think I have to be afraid of someone who lives in a mental institution. Really, Katherine, I thought you'd have some taste, this man can't even eat on his own.'
This time it was Katie who tensed. 'Be careful what you say Jerome, I won't stop him if he loses his temper.'
Jerome laughed but the laugh was cut off as he was shoved into the room. BA walked into the room and pulled Jerome up by his hair. 'Hey little mama.' He said to Katie. 'Get her outta here fool.' He told Murdock, turning his eyes back to Jerome.
Murdock didn't hesitate; he grabbed Katie's hand and pulled her through the door.
*** Outside the sun was sinking behind Chicago's horizon and the stars were beginning to come out. In a hotel room Murdock lay staring down at the woman who was his lover. Her hair was spread across the pillow as she slept peacefully, her chest rising and falling steadily.
Their lovemaking had been slow and gentle this time, he'd held her as if he'd thought she would break. This time he'd told her loved her and she'd smiled and said she'd known that already anyway.
He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her, preparing to go to sleep. Everything was right again, Jerome was behind bars where he belonged and he wouldn't be hurting her again. The guys had gone back to LA and he and Katie would be flying back tomorrow together.
As he drifted off to sleep he couldn't help but wonder what the future would hold for them.
Katie walked out of the hotel and down the fire escape musing to herself. As she headed out into the warm sunshine a hand grabbed her and pulled her into the alley. She grinned, somehow Murdock must have been able to shake off Face and he'd lain in wait for her.
She turned with a smile on her face but the smile faded as she saw who stood there, she had just enough time to scream before everything went black.
***
'Look, I won't try and steal her from you. I'd like to meet her.you've kept her secret, she must be pretty special.'
'She is, Faceman.' Murdock shoved his hands in his pockets and walked out of the hotel. 'Let's just find Katie ok. Maybe she just went out for something.'
'Why did you leave her anyway? That's not like you Murdock, is everything ok? You were rather distant last night and this morning.'
'I'm fine.can we just leave it alone.' He turned down the street.
A cultured voice spoke from behind him. 'Mr Murdock? Mr Peck?'
Both men turned slowly and Murdock felt himself break out in gooseflesh. A man was standing behind him and when Murdock saw what he was holding he felt his heart constrict painfully. He had an arm around Katie's neck and she was unconscious. In his other hand he held a gun. Murdock swallowed. 'I'm guessing this is Jerome, Face.'
'You'd guess right Mr Murdock.' Jerome smiled tightly. 'I've heard a lot about you.'
'Just let her go. Come on she's nothing to you, you were going to dump her in the ocean.' He felt panic grip him.if he'd wanted assurance of how he felt about her, now he knew. Oh he knew.
'I trust then that you were responsible for that little message for me. The ring in my airplane? Perhaps I should ask Katherine what it is that she wants. Perhaps the answer she gives me won't be the one you would expect.'
'Jerome.please.she's done nothing.'
Jerome laughed. 'She walked away from me.she would be the first to tell you that this is one of the worst things you can do to me. She was on my terms, she left when I told her to.'
'Dammit.you're making it sound as if she was some kind of animal or a toy.'
Face laid a hand on Murdock's shoulder. Jerome's vicious smile widened and Murdock felt a chill go through him. He knows, he thought, he knows about Katie and me and he's going to do his best to make sure that I know he knows.
'Mr Murdock.that is precisely what she was. She belonged to me.give my regards to your colonel.' Then there was smoke and Jerome was gone as a grenade exploded before Face and Murdock sending them diving for cover.
As soon as he could Murdock scrambled to his feet and scanned the area for Katie. 'Murdock.he's gone, we have to get back to the apartment get Hannibal and BA.'
'This is all my fault Face.it's all my fault.' Murdock couldn't breathe.she was gone. She was gone and because of him he might not ever get the chance to tell her how he really felt. He clenched his hands into fists. 'No.no, I won't let him do this.' I'll tell her, he thought. I will tell her how I feel and I will get her back.
Face saw the look in his eyes and remembered it from all those months before when Katie had been kidnapped as bait by Carl to draw Murdock out. There had been that same look in his eyes then but Face thought he saw something there now that hadn't been before.
*** When Katie opened her eyes she found that her arms and legs were bound. She was lying on an elaborate bed in an even more elaborate room. There was the strong smell of cigarette smoke in the air.
Jerome was seated in a chair at the end of the bed and he was smoking a cigarette thoughtfully. He regarded her with cold eyes. 'Well.Katherine it's nice to see you awake.' With deliberate care he extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray beside him.
'Untie me.' She said with as much dignity as she could muster. Her head still felt woozy from where he'd clubbed her with the gun.
'On the contrary you will remain secured until I can be certain that you will not try and escape again.'
Katie said nothing aware that it was useless to argue with him, he was a hell of a lot stronger than she was and she'd had experience with how he was when angered.
Jerome got to his feet and sat next to her on the bed. 'Oh darling.' He stroked her cheek with one finger. 'You should know better by now.you know that I don't just allow you to go running off whenever you please.especially with that group of pests that call themselves soldiers.' His hand cupped her cheek turning her face towards his. 'Why did you ever think you could run from me? Did you think they would keep you safe? A thief, a delusional old man, a thug and a crazy man? Oh darling no, you can't hide from me, I'll always find you in the end.'
Despite herself, Katie felt a tear slip down her cheek. His fingers tightened on her chin painfully. 'You know how I feel about being betrayed.you know what I have to do now.' He started to untie her. 'It pains me that I have to punish you this way but.I have no other choice. You have to be taught and you have to be shown that I will not tolerate disobedience. When you are my wife there will be no more of this nonsense.'
He let the ropes fall to the floor and turned her over on her front. She kept her silence through the beatings and the shame, not once did she scream and through her hot burning tears one thought remained. One thing kept her whole.Murdock's face in her mind and the memory of the look in his eyes. The knowledge that he loved her even if he had not told her.
*** Face was right, Hannibal was not pleased but he did not waste time reprimanding Murdock for not doing his job properly.he gave out his orders in a clipped tone that suggested he would not take any nonsense.
Murdock said nothing; he kept his head down and got on with the job. Face had a good idea of where Jerome might be it was just getting in there and finding him.
Mrs Baracus handed Murdock a cup of tea and gave him a sympathetic smile. 'You'll find her honey, I know you will.' Murdock only nodded and turned back to the blueprints laid out on the table.
'This suite is the one Jerome is occupying if my sources are correct. Now.you need a pass to get in.' Face said.
'Can you get us one?' Hannibal asked studying the prints carefully.
'I've already tried and it's harder to get one of those things than it is an invitation to the Oscars and believe me I've tried to get one of those too.'
Murdock allowed himself a small grin, he could just imagine Face living it up with all the celebrities and probably claiming to be one himself all the while.
'This place is harder to break into than Fort Knox.' Face continued. 'I do have one or two people I was going to try to get me in but.we're running out of time.'
'Yeah.we are.' Murdock murmured. 'The quicker you can get us in the better Faceman.'
Face nodded. 'Yeah I thought you'd say that somehow.'
'Colonel I can fly in if Face can get me a chopper, there's a landing pad right here.' He tapped the blueprints.
'You need a pass to get access from the roof.' Face told him and BA growled slightly. 'Besides.with BA's special circumstances.'
Murdock chewed his cheek broodingly. 'Well if you can't get a pass how are supposed to get in?'
'Easy.' Face smiled widely and Murdock felt a burst of hope at his friend's confidence. Face had something up his sleeve. 'I can't get a pass but that doesn't stop me from uh.borrowing someone else's.'
Hannibal smiled; he liked that idea. 'And I'm sure with a little back-up I'll have no problem persuading them to let me in.' Here Face looked pointedly at BA who nodded his affirmative, he liked that plan a whole lot better than he did one that included flying. 'Getting into Jerome's suite is another matter.we have no idea where he's got Katie stashed away and he's not going to make it easy for us. Murdock you saw how prepared he was when we met him.'
Murdock nodded. 'Grenades and everything.' He reminded himself to have a talk with Katie when he got her back.tell her to be more careful in future. She was always getting kidnapped at gunpoint it seemed. The thought didn't cheer him up; first he had to get Katie back.
Suddenly Hannibal's eyes lit up. Murdock knew that look, Face knew that look and BA certainly knew that look. It meant one thing; Hannibal was on the Jazz and that meant that he had a plan.
*** Face and Murdock dragged the unconscious man into the bushes and tied him up. It would be a few minutes at least before he woke and even more before he was found or could get free.
Face pocketed the pass and smiled. 'I never thought he'd be so generous.'
Murdock smiled grimly, he was concentrating on the task at hand but he knew he should think up something crazy to say. Right now though he could only think of Katie. Murdock followed Face to where BA and Hannibal were waiting. They were posing as window cleaners.they'd break into the window in the corridor adjacent to Jerome's suite.Murdock had already wormed it out of the unconscious man where he was keeping Katie. The rest should be easy, should be.
BA placed the tiny glasscutter onto the window and cut a perfect circle. Then he removed the circle effortlessly leaving a round hole. He stepped aside and Face put his hand in and released the catch on the window. It swung open and the conman grinned. 'Piece of cake.'
Anyone in the street who happened to look up would have seen a strange sight. They would have seen four men who appeared to be window cleaners climb into a window nearly 6 storeys up.
*** Katie lay on her belly, face buried in the pillow. Jerome had long since left her and the tears on her cheeks had finally dried. She couldn't work up the energy to dress or even to move. Every part of her hurt, she was starting to give up on being rescued.
The door opened behind her but she didn't bother to look round. 'Haven't you had enough?' She asked trying to keep the shake out of her voice. 'Just leave me alone.'
'Sorry baby, I can't do that.' Murdock's voice was low and husky from unshed tears. Relief flooded her and she sat up suddenly conscious of how she must look to him. She pulled the sheets up to her chest. He was there in an instant pulling her to him and crushing her against his chest. 'I'm sorry, I should have thought, this is all my fault.'
He let her go long enough to take in her appearance, noticing the fresh bruising on her cheek; he'd already seen the red welts on her back and thighs. Anger coursed through him, who did Jerome think he was to do this to her? Fury nearly choked him but he checked it and looked around for her clothes. He badly wanted to ask her what Jerome had done to her, although he could guess, but for now he had to get her out of here and to safety.
She took hold of his wrist and looked up at him. 'Thank you.' She whispered and that nearly did it. He swallowed back the tears building behind his eyes; he'd come so close to losing her. If Jerome had decided to just take her out of the country then she would have been gone and he might never have found her again.
'Well it appears that the bird wants to flee the nest, I thought we talked about this Katherine.' Jerome was standing in the doorway and Katie paused, mid-way through dressing.
Murdock needed only one look to see that this guy was doped up the eyeballs. The way he so carelessly called her Katherine made him feel irrationally angry. 'Why do I think you were the only doing the talking pal?' Murdock spat. 'And why do I think that your idea of talking is a hellava lot different to mine?'
Jerome took a step further into the room and Murdock put an arm around Katie's shoulders. She was fully dressed now and ready to do whatever it would take to get out.
'I suggest you remove your hand from my fiancée.'
Murdock grinned and Katie felt afraid. She'd seen that look before right before he'd nearly died. 'No.I don't think so, she's not your fiancée anymore and she's not doing anything you tell her to do.'
'I see.' Jerome's laugh was malicious. 'Perhaps it was just as well for her that I didn't realise earlier that she'd been in someone else's bed. It might have made things worse for her.'
Katie could feel how tense Murdock was, she looked from Jerome to the man she loved and wondered how they were going to get out of this without a fight.
'You're lucky that I have enough respect not to kill you in her presence or you'd be severely lacking a head right now.pal.' Again he all but spat the last word out.
'I don't think so Mr Murdock, I really don't think I have to be afraid of someone who lives in a mental institution. Really, Katherine, I thought you'd have some taste, this man can't even eat on his own.'
This time it was Katie who tensed. 'Be careful what you say Jerome, I won't stop him if he loses his temper.'
Jerome laughed but the laugh was cut off as he was shoved into the room. BA walked into the room and pulled Jerome up by his hair. 'Hey little mama.' He said to Katie. 'Get her outta here fool.' He told Murdock, turning his eyes back to Jerome.
Murdock didn't hesitate; he grabbed Katie's hand and pulled her through the door.
*** Outside the sun was sinking behind Chicago's horizon and the stars were beginning to come out. In a hotel room Murdock lay staring down at the woman who was his lover. Her hair was spread across the pillow as she slept peacefully, her chest rising and falling steadily.
Their lovemaking had been slow and gentle this time, he'd held her as if he'd thought she would break. This time he'd told her loved her and she'd smiled and said she'd known that already anyway.
He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her, preparing to go to sleep. Everything was right again, Jerome was behind bars where he belonged and he wouldn't be hurting her again. The guys had gone back to LA and he and Katie would be flying back tomorrow together.
As he drifted off to sleep he couldn't help but wonder what the future would hold for them.
