Crash and Burn

Chapter 4 – The Lion's Den

It was several long moments before Dee, hampered by a large and excruciatingly painful headache, managed to arrange his thoughts into a coherent order and piece together what exactly had happened to him. He recalled leaving the apartment and driving his car to the diner near the basketball courts where he had been instructed to pick Bicky up from. Seeing the building in darkness and planks of wood nailed across the door it hadn't taken him too long to realise that the instructions he'd been given weren't entirely accurate and he had been instantly suspicious. Believing he saw movement from within the defunct diner, he had pulled his car up onto the kerb, allowing the headlights to flood the through the window and illuminate the interior.

The movement seemed to have come from the back of the building and so he had got out the car and gone, with his weapon drawn, to check out the yard behind the shop. Finding nothing he had gone back round the front and got back into his car, lighting a cigarette which he had left to smoulder in the ashtray while he found his phone to call Ryo and tell him what had happened. After that… things got a little hazy but Dee assumed from the pain in his head and feeling of something warm and sticky plastering his hair to his forehead that someone, who most likely had been hiding in the back of his car when he had got back in, had rammed his head into the steering wheel, knocking him unconscious.

However as unconsciousness faded and clarity returned Dee became aware that a headache was the least of his worries. Realising that he was bleeding from a head wound he had gone to try and touch the injured flesh but found the movement was impossible as both his hands were secured, mostly likely with his own set of handcuffs, behind his back. As he was sat on the floor leaning against what felt like a pillar, he could only presume that his hands were cuffed around that, making escape even more of an impossibility. As a police officer, his first instinct was to try and learn more about his surroundings but this too was hindered by a blindfold which, judging from the itching sensation around his eyes, was most likely his own scarf. In pain and wearied by this initial assessment, Dee groaned and muttered a long string of swear words under his breath as he sank back against the pillar he was chained to.

"Tsk, tsk Detective Latener. Does your Commissioner know you use words like that?"

Despite his lack of sight, Dee turned sharply towards the sound of the voice, angry that whoever it was had made him jump. "My apologies," he spat, "I didn't realise we were in a monastery."

The voice laughed; an unpleasant throaty sound that grated on Dee's already frazzled nerves. "I can see I made the right choice picking you."

Dee frowned, although his expression was masked by the blindfold. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well," the voice said, "It was you or the boy, but I don't like children."

Dee processed this carefully, the realisation dawning on him that they had misinterpreted the threat and Ryo had never been their intended target. "Is this about money?" he asked before his tone turned sarcastic, "You don't seriously think the police will pay, do you? Or are you thinking Henry Goldsmith will write a big fat cheque out of gratitude to little old me because if you think that then you sure as hell haven't been watching the T.V recently…"

Suddenly Dee found his face gripped by a strong hand, the fingers digging uncomfortably into his cheeks. "Listen!" the voice hissed so close that the breath warmed his skin, "This isn't about money! I don't give a shit about Goldsmith; that was just a job to us! But my brother is in custody because of you and your partner and you're the only chance I have of getting him out."

The assailant released his hold on Dee's face with a shove, banging the shackled man's head against the pillar and intensifying his headache significantly. Dee moaned quietly, unconsciousness threatening once again as his head rolled forward onto his chest. Across the room, his attacker smiled; certain that he had found the perfect bargaining chip to get his brother freed. "Hey now," he said loudly as he rooted in his canvas holdall for the tools he needed for the next part of his plan. "Don't go to sleep on me. We've got work to do." Hearing the last part of the sentence, Dee dragged himself back to consciousness just as his head was jerked roughly to one side and impatient fingers worked the knot at the back of the blindfold. His eyes now free, Dee blinked several times in attempt to clear the fuzziness that had settled there but before he could put his new-found vision to good use, his captor had sprayed CS gas in his face, rendering him blind and in pain once more. A cry of agony escaped his lips just as he felt a hand go to his throat, but instead of strangling him, it moved sharply downwards, snapping the chain around his neck and taking from him the solid silver crucifix that Ryo had bought him on his last birthday.

"Lift your head up," the voice growled and to emphasise his seriousness, Dee felt a gun being pushed against his temple. As he grudgingly did as he was told, his injured eyes registered a flash, which he correctly guessed was a camera. After several moments of silence the voice said, "Well it's not a great picture but you can tell it's you." Through tear-blurred eyes, Dee watched as the other man, his identity obscured by a black balaclava, slid the photograph into an envelope before he walked back over to him and re-secured the blindfold over his stinging eyes. "Sorry about that," the man sneered as he pulled the scarf tight around Dee's face. "But I wouldn't want you identifying me."

"No problem," Dee muttered as his tears began to soak into the material across his eyes. "You're probably an ugly bastard anyway."

"Whatever," the other replied. "You can go back to sleep now." As he finished the sentence, Dee heard him laugh before a fist rammed squarely into his cheek and he lost consciousness altogether.

In reality, backup arrived a mere twenty minutes after Ryo had made the call but for he and Bicky it felt nothing short of an eternity. As the first car pulled up, Ryo was surprised to see Commissioner Rose jump out. Half of him was relieved to see his superior; to know that the senior policeman was taking Dee's disappearance seriously, but the other half of him didn't want to deal with Rose and his false concern.

"Ryo," the man called hurrying towards him. "Are you okay?" Rose almost reached out to touch the other man in a gesture of support but thought better of it, seeing Ryo's dark expression. His eyes went past Ryo to where Bicky sat in the car, hunched up with his knees resting on his chin, his bright blue eyes watching the proceedings intently. "Did they try and take him too?" Rose asked, nodding towards the boy.

Ryo shook his head as he explained about the phone messages. He talked to Rose although his eyes never left the car ahead, where the investigation team were starting to take samples, picking apart his lover's car like a corpse at autopsy. The thought made him sick to his stomach and he was almost glad that Rose was there when the other man starting talking to him, distracting him from his morbid thoughts.

"You should go home," Rose said gently, then adding as he saw Ryo's defiant reaction, "For Bicky's sake."

Ryo nodded reluctantly, knowing his desire to stay was selfish. He'd witnessed plenty of crime scenes before; albeit none as personal to him as this, but he was conscious the flashing blue lights and harried activity might be affecting Bicky more than the boy would ever let on.

"Will you be okay?" Rose asked, "Or do you want someone to come and stay with you?"

Ryo shook his head, unsure whether the commissioner was offering his services. "We'll be fine Sir but…" his voice trailed off and he had to clear his throat to regain its strength, "What if the kidnapper makes contact?"

Rose took a deep and weary breath, knowing he couldn't allow Ryo free rein to give into the kidnapper's demands. "Find out what they want," he said calmly, "And tell them we'll do our best."

Arguing, he knew was futile, and so Ryo merely nodded his head as he turned back to his car. He paused, turning back to Rose and opened his mouth to speak but the other man beat him to it. "Of course we'll ring if we find anything out," he said, certain that was what the anxious looking man was about to ask. Ryo nodded silently and climbed into his car, the weight of the world almost visible on his shoulders.

He drove slowly from the scene, glancing in the rear view mirror as the flashing lights faded into the distance. After a long and weary silence, Bicky finally spoke; his voice small and a stark reminder to Ryo just how young he was. "Ryo? Is Dee ever coming home?"

Ryo swallowed the huge lump in his throat, his hands gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were turning white. "Of course he is," he said, willing his eyes not to betray his attempted optimism in front of his son.

Despite his weariness, Ryo forced himself to be alert as they reached their apartment complex; aware that the kidnapper could have yet more surprises in store for him but nothing appeared out of place as he unlocked the door and the two of them stepped into the apartment in silence. Ryo went straight to the answer phone but no one had called while they were out. He checked his cell phone again, despite it being in his possession the entire time but it hadn't rung either and in frustration, he threw the device onto the table. He glanced at Bicky, who looked startled by his normally placid guardian's display of anger, and immediately reined in his emotions; Bicky had seen a lifetime of aggression and anger and he wouldn't be the one to subject him to any more of it.

"You should get to bed," Ryo said gently, offering the boy a tired smile. "You have school tomorrow."

Bicky's eyes widened. "I can't go to school! Dee…"

Ryo walked over to him and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "We need to keep going Bicky. If we put our lives on hold then they've won. Tomorrow you will go to school and I'll go to work, okay? Just like normal."

Reluctantly Bicky agreed, allowing Ryo to steer him towards his bedroom. As he reached the door he stopped and turned, causing Ryo to anticipate another show of defiance but instead, Bicky reached up and put his arms around the tall blond. "Sleep well Ryo," he said hugging the other tightly, "Doofus will be home before you know it." Ryo smiled and quickly bid him goodnight, glad that Bicky closed his door as he finally lost his battle to hold the tears at bay. He moved to the couch and sat down heavily, his head falling into his hands as he tried to stifle the sobs that wracked his exhausted body. He knew he should go straight to sleep too but the thought of his bed, so empty without Dee, seemed more than he could bear. After several moments his breathing calmed and he looked up, his eyes immediately lighting on a framed photograph sat on the coffee table in front of him.

The image was taken several months ago shortly before Dee had moved in and showed the two of them plus Bicky and Cal enjoying a day out at a theme park. Despite the fact that Bicky was making bunny rabbit ears behind Dee's head and Dee himself was scowling about having to spend the day with the 'kids', Ryo loved the picture; the other three people in the picture were the closest thing he had to family and he treasured every memory of their time together. As the thought crept into his mind that they may never share another day like that again, the tears started afresh as he slumped back onto the couch, the photo held tightly in his arms like a comfort blanket. He eventually cried himself to sleep like that, the events of the day finally taking its toll on the over-burdened detective.

The morning dawned and Ryo was awakened by the light streaming through the windows, unfettered by blinds, which he had never got round to shutting the previous evening. For a moment he couldn't recall why he would be sleeping on the couch. Had he and Dee had a fight? Only when he went to stand and the tear-stained photograph tumbled to the floor did he recall why he had never made it to the bedroom the night before. His mind immediately turned to checking the phones but before he could reach the handset, it started to ring, causing Ryo to freeze in his tracks. Four rings had passed when Bicky flew from his bedroom, assuming that Ryo hadn't heard the phone.

"What are you doing?" he cried as he saw Ryo stood, looking like a rabbit caught in the headlights. "Ryo, answer it!"

The blond man snapped out of his stupor and snatched up the receiver but before he could speak, the voice at the other end was addressing him. "Ryo? Is that you?" he heard Commissioner Rose say; obviously worried by the amount of time it had taken for the detective to answer the phone. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Ryo replied, too tired to adopt his usual formal tone before he panicked at why the commissioner was ringing so early. "Did you hear anything about Dee?"

"No," came the flat reply, "And I take it you didn't either."

"No."

"Well I just wanted to say you don't have to come into work today if you don't feel up to it. We'll be briefing the entire force at half nine…"

"I'll be there," Ryo said firmly, his tone a clear indicator that Rose shouldn't bother attempting to dissuade him.

"Fine," Rose replied, having expected that answer from him, before he paused, unsure how to broach the next subject. "Uh Ryo, when we do the briefing this morning, people will want to know what the note you found said in it. I know your immediate colleagues know about you and Dee but after this morning it'll probably be common knowledge throughout the precinct." He paused again. "Are you okay with that?"

Ryo thought about it, recalling the promise he had made to Dee at Christmas to try and be more open about their relationship; if ever there was a time to honour that promise then it was now. "I'll be fine Sir, thank you for ringing. I'll see you at the briefing."

Ryo ended the call and went to shower and change into fresh clothes, leaving Bicky to see to his own breakfast. After they were both ready, Ryo dropped Bicky off at school, giving him explicit instructions on what to do if anything happened that made him feel uncomfortable. Bicky grumbled and complained that he wasn't a child but grudgingly agreed to humour Ryo, knowing his guardian would feel better that he'd said his piece. With Bicky gone, he drove onto the precinct, trying desperately to ignore the faint odour of smoke inside the car, which reminded him too much of Dee. He'd vowed never to let the other man smoke in his car but somehow, like always, Dee had managed to worm his way around that ground rule with a sexy smile and an intense look from those deep green/grey eyes. What he would give to see the other man in the passenger seat drawing contentedly on a cigarette he thought before he pushed the emotion away, determined to make it through the day without breaking down in front of his fellow officers.

He parked up at the precinct and made his way inside, only at the last minute acknowledging that for the first time in days, there were no reporters there to greet him. It was exactly half past nine when Ryo pushed open the door into the briefing room to be greeted by a sea of people, some uniformed and some not who acknowledged his entrance with various levels of interest. Those that knew him and Dee and what exactly they had together offered him a sympathetic smile as he made his way towards the seat at the front that Commissioner Rose had saved for him, whilst others viewed him with curiosity as rumours continued to fly as to why exactly they had been called here at the start of the day. Seeing his force assembled before him, Berkley Rose took to the dais, tapping the microphone and clearing his throat before he started to speak.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen," he said, addressing the large group with a sombre tone. "I have called you all here today to brief you on a case which affects you all as police officers of this great city. Last night, Detective Dee Latener, a member of our homicide division was forcibly taken from his car and is currently being held hostage at an unknown location by a suspect we believe has some connection to the Goldsmith kidnapping case that Detective Latener and his partner were working on." He paused briefly, the silence that had fallen over the assembled crowd almost deafening. "As of yet, we have received no ransom demand for Detective Latener's return but are confident that his kidnapper will make contact soon. That said, I would wish that each and every one of you would be extra vigilant as you go about your duties in the hope that we may uncover Detective Latener's whereabouts without having to bow to the demands of criminals." Rose paused to collect himself with a deep breath, realising he had all but shouted those last words. As much as disliked Dee on a personal level he was angered by the thought of harm befalling any of his officers and he was struggling to keep that anger in.

When he continued again, his voice was somewhat calmer and controlled as he activated the slide projector, causing it to display an image of the crime scene on the large white screen behind him. "Last night, Detective Latener received a hoax phone call which took him to Frith Street on the south side where we believe he was ambushed by an unknown assailant. His car was found at the scene and blood and hair samples were taken from inside the vehicle, which are believed to be from Detective Latener." He clicked the button in his hand and the image changed to a close up view of the steering wheel, yellow police markers indicating the gory evidence. Rose faltered briefly as he saw Ryo out of the corner of his eye, bowing his head, his eyes tightly shut as the memory of finding the blood returned.

"A note was found at the scene which was intended for his partner, Detective Randy McLain, indicating that the kidnapping was an act of retribution for the arrest of a suspect several days earlier. As I said before, we have had no contact since then but we are hopeful that the kidnapper will not maintain his silence for much longer." Rose stopped again, his eyes sweeping across the rows of solemn faces. He clicked the button one last time and a photograph of Dee appeared on the screen. Ryo glanced up briefly at the image as his heart lurched in his chest. If not for the circumstances it would have been funny; the picture was probably one JJ had taken, judging by Dee's scowl and clear unwillingness to be a subject for the photograph as he sat in the precinct common room smoking a cigarette. Ryo studied it and smiled slightly, thinking how Dee somehow always managed to look handsome even when he was angry. He was pulled from his musings by Rose, who continued to address the assembled officers in an appropriately grave manner. "Although there will be a team specifically assigned to investigating Detective Latener's disappearance, I feel it is vital that you, the eyes and ears of our law enforcement family, are fully briefed on these events so that you can lend your support at this difficult time. Are there any questions?"

An older uniformed cop raised his hand at the back. "Excuse me Sir, but if this is an act of vengeance then how can we be sure Detective Latener is even alive?"

Rose had steeled himself for this question but it still hit him hard when the words were uttered out loud. "We're certain that the suspect is hoping to gain something from abducting Detective Latener and until we receive any information to the contrary then we will continue to assume that Detective Latener is still alive." He said it so forcefully that no one dared argue otherwise and it was several moments before anyone else raised their hand.

"Sir?" a young police woman asked, somewhat timidly, "Is it possible to know what the letter said?"

Rose didn't answer immediately, his eyes straying to Ryo, seeking the blond man's approval. Ryo met his gaze briefly and nodded, indicating that he would not prevent Rose from disclosing the information, and so the older man began to read, enunciating every word of the short yet tauntingly cruel letter. When he reached the part about 'loved ones' there were several frowns in the audience as they contemplated why the suspect would use that particular wording, which grew to murmurs as the commissioner finished reading. Seeing it, Ryo stood and headed towards Rose and the dais, the older man looking surprised by the unexpected movement. Realising Ryo wanted to address the room for himself, Rose stepped down and let Ryo take his place at the microphone, his expression one of concern as the younger man nervously cleared his throat. Dark brown eyes surveyed the faces before him as he embarked on his unprepared speech.

"Good morning to you all. My name is Randy McLain and as Commissioner Rose has explained, I am Detective Latener's partner. For those that don't know me I would like to explain a couple of things. Firstly, as you may have realised from the letter Commissioner Rose has just read to you, Dee and I are partners in every sense of the word." He paused and successfully resisted the urge to lower his gaze after what he had just said. He had no reason to feel ashamed; Dee had taught him that. "Last night, I had to return home knowing our apartment would instantly feel different without Dee there. And it did, and I didn't like it." He stopped again, forced to swallow the lump of emotion that threatened to steal his voice. "Both myself and Dee talked about the risks of being police officers but that doesn't mean I should be expected to contemplate a life without him, just because someone doesn't agree with being brought to justice." He scanned the faces again, this time making eye contact with several of the people that watched him in silence as he continued his heartfelt address. "I don't expect each and every one of you to understand or agree with what we have but I implore you to remain vigilant as Commissioner Rose has asked in the hope that it will bring Dee back to me and to his colleagues who love and miss him very much. Thankyou."

He was about to step down from the dais, his heart feeling like glass about to shatter when spontaneous applause broke out amongst the large group, which quickly grew to a cacophonous level. Surprised, Ryo looked back at the audience to be greeted by a host of supportive expressions; no one in any doubt that what he had just done had taken tremendous courage. He smiled gratefully as the officers started to file out of the room, leaving several of his immediate colleagues who wanted to offer their support in a more personal way. Included in that group was JJ whose eyes looked suspiciously shiny as he waited his turn to speak to Ryo. Just like with Dee and Commissioner Rose, there was a certain amount of bad feeling between Ryo and JJ because of the younger man's constant pursuit of Dee, despite him being very much attached to Ryo. They were also rivals in work too with them both being judged the Precinct's best shots and so JJ was the last person Ryo expected to see coming towards him in his hour of need. The younger man sensed the awkwardness too as he came to stand in front of Ryo after Drake had said a few words, and for a brief moment, Ryo thought he wasn't going to say anything at all.

"I know… you and me don't always see eye to eye," JJ said eventually, glancing up at Ryo through his light brown bangs, "But I want you to know that I'll help in any way to bring Dee back to you." The smaller man paused, as if his next sentence was almost too painful to say out loud. "I've always wanted Dee to love and want me the way he does with you Ryo and I don't think I can ever give up hope that one day it might happen even though I know, deep down, that his heart will always belong to you. I envy you Ryo, so stay strong… for Dee." Despite his pain, Ryo smiled and nodded in gratitude at the other man before he turned and walked away. "Thank you JJ," Ryo called after him, causing the other to stop and glance back at him. "What you said… means a lot so thank you." JJ nodded and offered Ryo a small smile before he turned away and headed for the door.

Despite the fact that he had stood up in front of almost one hundred of his colleagues and openly discussed his sexuality, Ryo found that entering the office he and Dee had shared for the past three years the hardest thing he had had to do in a long time. Dee never tidied anything away, giving his desk the look that whoever was working at it was about to return any moment and Ryo couldn't help but think that Dee would do just that; breezing back into the office, cigarette clamped between his lips and long ebony bangs hanging in his eyes as if nothing had ever happened. Like a moth to the flame Ryo couldn't stop himself from reaching out and touching some of Dee's possessions; as if that brief caress of even the most ordinary things would somehow bring him closer to his absent lover.

In the later part of the morning, the team investigating Dee's disappearance was named. Dee was a popular man at the precinct and so there were no shortage of willing volunteers to head up the investigation but Berkley Rose had narrowed it down to fifteen officers who were then briefed more thoroughly on the details of the case. Ryo was also on that team; Rose had consulted him first, concerned that it might be a little too close to home for the blond detective but Ryo had firmly insisted that he needed to do it firstly for Dee, and then for his sanity if nothing else. By the middle of the afternoon, most of the team were out; returning to the scene to look for witnesses and the like but Ryo had decided to stay back at base coordinating the enquires, not yet feeling strong enough to go back to the place where his lover had been snatched from. He had just finished a brief and uninformative phone call from one of the officers involved when Rose appeared at the door, his expression more anxious than Ryo could ever recall seeing on the cool, controlled blond.

"Sir?" Ryo asked, sensing his senior did not have good news.

"Ryo, could you come into my office please. Something has just arrived and I think you need to see it."

Frightened by the solemnity of Rose's tone, Ryo stood quickly and followed the older man into his office, allowing Rose to close the door behind him as his heart pounded wildly in his chest, deeply fearful about what he was about to see.

TBC…