Ah! Chapter 4 of "Stakeout" is here! Whoo hoo! Well, just read, enjoy and review, okay? I hope this one's good.

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Stakeout

By CJSpooks

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Chapter 4: Puzzles are hard and fun is not always a good thing

Deakins sat at his desk back at One Police Plaza…tired and restless. He also felt really anxious for some sign that we (Goren and I) were still alive. He had been working on the few facts he had from the crime scene. This was because he sort of assigned himself to solving the case. Why? He felt in a way responsible for our disappearance…mostly because he was the one to send us on the stakeout. He had been staring at the letter left at the scene…he hadn't gotten very far.

"Okay…'prom queen' is Eames and the 'bookworm' is Goren. That makes sense. He said he's going to hurt them. I really need to figure this crap out quickly. 'Prom is mine'? I guess he wants Eames for something…maybe she's the reason he took them. 'Bookworms will be crushed'. He's going to kill Goren! Damn it…I still don't get the rest of the letter. But all that is enough for me. Hmm…the signature is odd. 'CPofSCinHS'…? What is that? Is that an anagram? Or is it a nickname?"

Deakins rubbed his face. None of it made sense…yet. He needed to get more background on anyone who'd want to hurt me and be crazy enough to pull it off.

"This guy has a bone to pick with Eames? Who'd want to hurt her? She's so sweet and innocent. And…this guy has to be strong to grab Eames and Goren. Goren's a big guy. This guy must be screwed up to want to hurt these two."

Deakins got up from his chair and grabbed his coat. He needed some valuable information.

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Deakins, being in an immense rush, needed some good information and fast. So, where does one acquire such information? A great source…well, he went to the only people who know me so well. He went straight to my parents' house. When he drove up to the small house he wondered, 'so this is where Eames was raised…' Deakins shook his head and told himself that he would ask me about it later. He got out of the car and made his way up the walk. Then he knocked on the door. My mom opened the door with surprise, "Yes?" Deakins noticed that I had my mother's sweet looks. He cleared his throat and said, "Ma'am, I'm Captain James Deakins. I work with your daughter."

My mother was a little taken aback by this and gasped, "Has anything happened to Alex?"

Deakins nodded, "I'm afraid that she and her partner have been kidnapped."

My mother nodded in understanding and then remembered her manners, "I'm sorry, would you like to come in?"

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Well, it was not all hunky dory on our end. Shawn was pummeling Goren…and I was furious as hell. I screamed and cried to try to get Shawn off of him. Nothing so far seemed to be working. Shawn kept on with his assault.

"Shawn, stop it! Leave him alone!" I was back being tied to the chair. As I was screaming, I was trying to untie myself. It was somewhat working.

Shawn was having the fucking time of his life punching Goren over and over again. Goren wasn't making any effort to fight back. He looked to be in way too much pain. I couldn't stand this total beating. It wasn't fair. Goren was taking all this for me, I thought. He was a saint. In my head I was cheering him on. He needed to stay alive until help came. I had total faith that Deakins was going to find us.

Shawn laughed at the squirming heap of Goren on the floor. He thought this as a major triumph. "What do you think, Lex?"

"Damn it, Shawn. Stop it." I gritted my teeth in anger. He was really pissing me off.

Shawn smiled and shook his head, "I can't, Lex. It's just too fun…your partner is quite the guy to take this for you." Shawn kicked Goren hard. "That stopped your partner's squirming."

I just gasped. Shawn was really low to kick a guy when he's down. "I can't believe how evil you are!" I yelled at him.

He frowned. "You don't like this new me, Lex? I've done this all for you."

"Like hell."

"I'm serious. I'm in love with you."

"Well, I hate everything that you've become, Shawn. You are a monster."

Shawn smiled and said, "I've been waiting for you to say that."

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Deakins was sitting in my parents' kitchen asking them the usual questions. But then, he started to take another approach to finding us. He knew that someone was trying to get to me. He knew that it had something to do with my past.

"Mr. and Mrs. Eames, if there were any person from your daughter's past…like an old boyfriend that would be a likely character to come and go to such elaborate measures to get her back…who would it be?" –Deakins really needed their help with this question.

My father thought a moment, "Alex has dated some odd characters through the years…but the only one that I see coming back in full force would have to be Shawn Foster."

My mother nodded, "He's an animal. He just got out of the nut house too."

Deakins's eyes widened, "The nut house? This Shawn Foster is crazy?"

My dad nodded, "He tried to rape Alex…I always thought he was disturbed. He was admitted into an institution awhile back. I heard from somebody that he got out…I'm not sure how."

Deakins liked the sound of this guy. "Okay, thank you for your help. I will get this guy."

My father and mother stood up to shake Deakins's hand. "Please find our daughter." –My mother said as she showed him out.

"I will." –Deakins said in farewell.

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After Shawn had beaten Goren for what seemed to be forever, he left to the outside. By that time, I had untied myself from the chair. I made my way to Goren, who was barely alive on the floor. I knelt on the ground and pulled Goren close to me. He was unconscious and bleeding…from God knows where. He was really tense…but sensing my presence, he relaxed considerably under my touch. His breathing was shallow…I believed that Shawn had cracked a few of Goren's ribs. I looked down at my partner. He looked very young with his eyes closed, like a child almost. I sighed and smiled a little. I really did love the man that I was holding. He was the world…my Goren. I also dreaded Shawn's return. What would he do when he discovers us like this? He'd probably kill Goren…or would he just torture him? With these thoughts I hug Goren closer to me.

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Back at One Police Plaza, Deakins had enlisted the help of a few detectives to find out more on Shawn. Detective Brody Hale ran into Deakins office, where he was talking to two other detectives. Deakins stopped mid sentence to listen to the young cop. "Sir, I have the address for Shawn Foster." Deakins stood up, "Good work, detective. How'd you find it?"

Brody gave a file to Deakins and continued explaining, "I searched the database for any record for Foster and found none. But, I did find a record for his late mother. She was charged, convicted and sent to jail where she died. In her will, she left the house to her son, Shawn."

Deakins walked out of his office, "How do you know that he's living there?"

Brody smiled, "He has a cable hookup…it's under his name."

Deakins returned the look. "Brody, assemble a team. Let's get this crazy jackass."

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I was holding Goren in my arms on the floor when Shawn came back… this time with a gun. Shawn cocked it and walked to stand behind me. "Oh Lex…I knew he was your soft spot."

A tear made its way down my cheek. "Are you going to shoot me?"

He placed the gun's barrel against the back of my head. "Maybe…the cops are outside my house."

"Shooting me would not be a good idea."

"But…it would make a great finale to a fun show."

With this he pulled me up by my hair and proceeded to drag me out of the house. He's going to shoot me in the front lawn, I thought over and over. I knew that I needed to do something. I needed to end this now. In a panic, I remembered the thing that Goren had told me once about demons.

I said it out loud for Shawn to hear, "Everyone's got their own inner demons, extinguishing them is the hardest act…" I yelped as Shawn pulled harder on my hair.

In a stupid and quick action, I elbowed him in the ribs. He howled in surprise. I then punched him hard in the face. He flew back and let go of the gun. I brought it up to face him. He began to plead, "Lex, I'm sorry. Don't shoot."

"No Shawn, you're not sorry. You're my inner demon. I need to let you go." I shot him…right between the eyes. Then I dropped the gun and fell to my knees, gasping for breath.

Just then, Deakins and a team of other detectives burst into the house, guns flaring. Deakins saw me first and checked to see if I were all right. I explained to him that I was fine and that Goren needed medical attention in the basement.

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Deakins later told me about the letter that was left at the scene. He had figured out about the rest of the letter. Most of the parts where just gibberish…except for the signature. 'CPofSCinHS' stood for 'Class President of Senior Class in High School'…which like Shawn was very clever. I was very surprised that he recognized me as prom queen…and Goren as a bookworm. Which was really odd because Goren grew up in a different part of the city. How did Shawn know that Goren was a bookworm? That's another mystery that I really didn't care to solve.

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A week later, Goren and I are sitting outside his apartment building looking at the stars above. We are both on leave from work recovering from the situation.

I sigh. Goren looked at me with dreamy eyes, "Are you okay?"

I look at him puzzled, "Yeah, of course. How are you healing?"

He takes a breath, "I'm doing great…I'm just a little sore."

I look up at the stars again. "It's beautiful out."

He doesn't take his eyes off of me. "Yeah it is…you look satisfied. Are you?"

"I am. I feel happy and safe." I smile.

"Me too. Eames?" Goren asks.

"Yeah?"

"What exactly happened to Shawn Foster? Deakins didn't tell me."

"I…I shot him, Bobby."

"Oh…"

"Bobby?"

"Yes?"

"What was the rest of that quote you told me about demons again?"

"It goes, 'Everyone's got their own inner demons, extinguishing is the hardest act…letting go and facing them head on is the beginning of the end."

"Thanks."

"For what, Alex?"

"For taking Shawn's punches for me…for being a great partner…"

"Your welcome." Goren pulls me close. I snuggle up against him. He kisses the top of my head and we watch the stars together. My demons have been extinguished.

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The End

Aw…it's over already? What did you think? Please Review. Thanks a bunch to all those who have stuck by and read this!