Crash and Burn

Chapter 23 – End of the Road

Dee and Bicky were engrossed in a videogame when there was a knock at the door. The blond teen hit the pause button as he turned to Dee with a frown etched into his features.

"That was quick," he said, guessing it was Ryo returning.

"He must have forgotten something," Dee commented as he took the opportunity to reach for a cigarette with the game paused. "Go let him in."

Bicky jumped up, grumbling almost inaudibly although Dee caught the work 'slave driver' somewhere in the whispered tirade as he crossed the room. He undid the bolt and was in the process of easing the door ajar when it flew open, smashing into him and knocking him to the floor. Winded from the fall, Bicky didn't have time to move before an arm snaked around his neck and hauled him roughly to his feet. Despite his shock, he registered the feel of cold metal pressed against the side of his head and sensibly made the decision not to struggle.

"Detective Latener I presume?" he heard the person holding him say, his gaze evidently fixed on the man in the armchair, his casted leg resting on the low coffee table.

Dee didn't respond; his reactions numbed by the realisation that they were in very real danger.

"Get your hands over your head, cop," the man growled, jerking Bicky roughly to emphasise his seriousness.

Letting the unlit cigarette fall from his lips, Dee did as he was told, his green eyes watching the unknown assailant's movements carefully. While the other man held Bicky, Dee knew it was too dangerous to try anything and instead, he silently prayed that Ryo had forgotten something and would come back soon to hopefully distract the armed man so he could do something that might get them out of this mess.

Dragging Bicky with him, still too shocked to protest against his treatment, the attacker made his way over to where Dee was sitting.

"Get on the floor and move over to the fireplace," the man snapped, jerking his head to where he wanted Dee to go. "Forget them," he said seeing the direction of the man's gaze towards his crutches and suspecting that the other was seeing them as potential weapons. "Get on your ass and drag yourself across."

Again, Dee did as he was instructed, hoping that the other man might cut them some slack and at least allow Bicky to go free. Once he was over to the fireplace, the man used his gun to hook a set of handcuffs dangling out of his pocket.

"Put these on," he said, tossing them to Dee before the gun travelled back to rest against Bicky's temple. "And cuff yourself to the grating. Do it now or I'll blow the brat's brains out!" he yelled, seeing Dee's hesitation to make himself even more vulnerable.

The fear in Bicky's eyes was enough to make Dee respond as he clicked the restraint around his left wrist and used the other half of the cuff to fasten himself to the iron fittings on the fireplace.

"Good, obedient cop," the man drawled condescendingly as he shoved Bicky hard, causing the boy to sprawl at Dee's feet. The dark haired detective immediately scooped the teen into a protective embrace using his one free arm, which Bicky readily accepted, his face buried in Dee's shoulder.

"What the hell d'you want?" Dee said angrily, feeling the boy's body trembling against his.

The man cocked his head to one side as he offered the shackled man a wry smile. "I think you know what I want," he replied, before his smile spread into a wide, shark-like grin. "Now tell me; where's that fag partner of yours?"

"He's not here," Dee said quickly, giving Bicky a reassuring squeeze. "So what are you going to do?"

The man grabbed a chair he'd seen in his peripheral vision and sat down on it, his unwavering gaze never leaving his prisoners. "Then we wait," he said flatly as he pointed his gun directly at Dee's head and smiled crookedly. "I'm in no rush and I don't think you're planning on going anywhere."

At the store in Clearwater, the old man proceeded to describe to the anxious blond where the sheriff lived, which to Ryo's relief, was only a couple of minutes from the store. When he found the appropriate address, Ryo was also relieved to find that the man in question was home. He explained briefly who he was, glad that he had his police ID badge in his coat pocket before he related the situation to the other man, finishing with the store clerk's story. Fortunately with the Goldsmith saga having been big news, the sheriff knew something of what was going on, and he took Ryo's fears seriously. Straight away, he radioed for backup, reassuring the anxious man that despite the weather, they would be here within minutes.

"Right…" the lean middle aged sheriff said; his sharp features and youthful looks somewhat out of place in the small, insular community. "While we wait for backup, give me a full physical description of everyone who should be in the house."

"Okay," Ryo replied, trying to keep himself composed, despite the many things inside him screaming at him to panic like crazy. "One adult male, Caucasian. Six foot four, slim build, black hair, olive skin. Has a plaster cast on his right leg. The other is a teenage boy of African descent; five foot two inches with shoulder length blond hair, blue eyes and dark skin."

"Family or friends?" the sheriff asked, trying to keep Ryo talking as they waited for help to arrive.

"Family," Ryo said, with a proud but worried smile.

"And you say you think there was only one person in the vehicle that passed you on the trail?"

"Yes."

 The sound of approaching vehicles drew their attention and both men jumped up to see three police cars pulling up at the front of the house. The sheriff threw open the front door as the six policemen dashed in out of the rain.

Once they were in, Sheriff Johnson and Ryo explained the situation between them, emphasising just how dangerous it was likely to be once they got up to the cabin, if of course, the unknown man hadn't acted already. Ryo felt physically sick at what may have happened to his lover and his son but he had to push the feeling aside just in case it wasn't too late to save them. When they'd finished outlining the state of play, Sheriff Johnson frowned as he surveyed the group of officers.

"Where's Corey?" he asked suddenly.

"He's sick," one of the other men replied. "He was feeling pretty shitty so we sent him home early."

"Damn," the sheriff said. "Okay Shane, you'll have to take Corey's position. His rifle's in the car, right?"

"What's the problem?" Ryo asked, as the officer called Shane nodded in response to the sheriff's question.

"Corey's our sniper," the sheriff explained. "If there's a siege situation then we could try and pick off the intruder without us having to storm in and put your family at risk. Because of the nice views, those cabins have got plenty of windows which would have made Corey's job a little easier."

"I'll do it," Ryo said firmly. "I'm one of the snipers on our armed response unit. If you give me the weapon, I'll do it."

The sheriff seemed to ponder this for a moment. "Are you sure?" he said. "It's difficult to focus when you're personally involved."

With his face a grim mask of determination, Ryo nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. I appreciate what you're saying Sheriff but conversely, I have all the more incentive to do a good job because I'm personally involved."

With the plan agreed, the convoy of police cars set off up the mountain. As Sheriff Johnson drove, Ryo sat in the passenger seat assembling the sniper rifle he'd been loaned. Fortunately it was the same model as his own but he knew each gun was unique and he could only pray that there weren't any quirks about that particular weapon that would render his aim inaccurate.

The convoy came to a halt at the last bend before the driveway that led up to the cabin. The men reassembled to finalise their plans, glad that the rain had eased slightly. The other officers were to surround the house, remaining hidden in the dense undergrowth until they received a signal to move forward. Once they had sight of the suspect, they were to contact the sheriff, who would then help Ryo find a vantage point, where he could hopefully get a clear shot of the suspect should the need and the opportunity arise.

When the officers had gone, the minutes ticked by in silence as Ryo sat with the rifle resting across his lap. There was a brief radio message confirming that the black jeep was on the driveway before the communication lapsed back into silence. The wait was nothing short of agonising, and all the while Ryo was saying silent prayers that Dee and Bicky were still alive; his mind unable to contemplate any alternative scenario. He jumped as the sheriff's radio flared into life again; the other man snatching up the device and activating their link.

"We copy, what's your location Richard?"

After a crackle, the voice came back over the airwaves. "We're to the right of the property, looking in onto the main living area. We can see the suspect moving around in there. Suspect is armed. Repeat, suspect is armed."

"Copy," the sheriff replied, not looking at Ryo as he asked his next question. "What about the man and the boy?"

The seconds seemed to pass slowly before they received a reply. "Both hostages are alive. They're sat together on the floor in front of the fireplace. The man appears to be handcuffed to the grating."

Ryo's heart did a huge lurch on hearing the news that Dee and Bicky were still alive. He looked across at Sheriff Johnson, indicating that he was ready to go.

"Okay, we're moving into position," the older man said into the radio. "Stay where you are until I give the signal."

Ending the communication, Sheriff Johnson checked his own weapon as they climbed from the car. "You're certain you want to do this?" he asked, glancing across at Ryo who was checking the rifle one last time.

"Yes."

The two men set off together, sticking to the undergrowth as best they could. Before long, their clothes were saturated, making movement difficult as they kept away from the driveway until they were around the side of the house. On the right hand side, the ground sloped upwards away from the house, giving Ryo the elevated position he needed to train his rifle on the side windows. Sheriff Johnson indicated a good spot, slightly sheltered by a large bush from anyone inside the house that happened to look out of the window. The vantage point was also fairly close to the cabin and Ryo found that he could hear what the people inside were saying, owing to one of the windows being slightly open.

"What time are you expecting him back?" he heard an unknown voice say, its hostile tones indicating that the speaker was agitated.

"For the last time, I don't know."

That was Dee; also sounding tense. Ryo shifted slightly, so that his lover came into view; Bicky still by his side. Dee had one arm raised as his wrist dangled from the handcuff attached to fireplace's grating as his other arm rested protectively on Bicky's shoulder. In front of them, the stranger with the gun continued to pace angrily.

"Look," Dee said calmly, "Just let the kid go. He's nothing to do with this."

"Shut up!" the other man yelled, spinning around and pointing the gun at Dee's head. "I've been hired to kill all three of you and I ain't leaving until you've each got a bullet in your head so shut the fuck up and let's wait for your fag boyfriend to get back."

Ryo glanced across at Sheriff Johnson who had obviously heard every word. The other man turned from the scene inside the house, his expression solemn. "If you can get a clear shot, then take him down."

Ryo nodded as he prepared to raise the rifle. He had the target in his sights and was just about to squeeze the trigger when a cell phone started to ring and the suspect suddenly moved out of range to answer it. Heart pounding in the midst of an adrenaline rush, Ryo could only listen and wait for his chance to come around again.

"The other one's not here," he heard the suspect say, speaking abruptly to the caller. "I was waiting until he got back so I could do all three at once." pause "I'll still get paid the same amount for just Latener and the boy?" pause "Fine, I'll do it now then."

A further surge of adrenaline coursed through Ryo's body as he watched the man end the call and walk over to Dee and Bicky with his gun pointed at them. Quickly raising his own weapon, he sighted the suspect and began to squeeze the trigger…

Inside the house, Dee listened to the assassin's side of the phone conversation with growing alarm. From what the man was saying, there would be no more playing for time.

"Bicky, run," he growled at the boy as the man was still talking on the phone, not sure what good it would do but wanting his lover's son to at least attempt to save himself.

"No," Bicky replied, his large blue eyes fixing Dee with a scared yet defiant stare. "I'm staying with you."

Dee shook his head in frustration as the man ended the call and walked back over to them, his lips twitching into a sickening smirk. "Well I guess it doesn't matter that lover-boy isn't here. You two are enough to get me my paycheque. Question is; who wants to go first?"

To prolong the torture, he pointed his gun first at Dee, before moving across to Bicky and then back to Dee. "Choices, choices," he sing-songed as if it was a game.

Fearing the end, Dee hugged the boy tighter with his one free arm. "I'm sorry, Bicky," he whispered before he closed his eyes and tilted his head upwards, as if he was looking to the heavens for something. "I'm sorry, Ryo."

"Very touching," the man sneered before his voice turned cold, as hard as granite. "Open your eyes, cop. I want to see your fear." Dee heard a click as the man cocked the trigger. "Open your eyes and I'll make it quick for you both."

Feeling he owed Bicky an instantaneous death at least, Dee opened his eyes to see the gun trained upon him and the smirking face behind the weapon. "Well done," the assailant grinned; revelling in the power he had over the two sat on the floor. Dee took a deep breath, most certainly his last, as he closed his eyes again and waited for the gunshot.

He winced at the deafening report as the gun went off, his eyes automatically flying open in surprise as something warm and wet spattered across his face. Realising he was still alive, his eyes turned to Bicky, truly fearful of what he would see, but he was met by wide blue eyes staring at him blankly.

"Holy shit…" the boy muttered, before his attention turned back to the corpse lying at their feet, blood pooling on the wooden floor from a bullet wound to the side of his head. "Holy, holy shit."

Instinctively, Dee reached up and touched his face with his one free hand, pulling it away and finding his fingers stained red, although fortunately not with his own blood. He barely had time to contemplate what had happened before the front and back doors burst open simultaneously and several uniformed policemen spilled into the room, their weapons drawn.

"He's dead," Dee said flatly, looking up at the officers through long bangs of hair before his eyes fell on the figure that came into view in the doorway. Soaked to the skin and white as a sheet, Ryo was quite simply the best sight Dee had ever seen as the blond detective clutched the doorframe for support, a sniper rifle dangling precariously from one limp hand. Dee desperately wanted to rush over a hold him but the handcuff on his right wrist held him firmly in place and he growled in frustration as he pulled uselessly against the restraint.

Finding his feet, Ryo suddenly hurried forward, discarding the weapon and sinking to the floor in front of the two people he loved more than anything in the world. He threw his arms around man and boy, embracing them tightly as if he could scarcely believe they were real and not some cruel trick of his imagination.

"Thank God," he cried, tears of relief streaming down his face as they held each other for several long moments as the policemen moved around them, beginning the long process of recording the crime scene.

Two hours later, Ryo lifted his head at the sound of a door opening and then closing quietly. From his position on the couch with a mug of tea gripped between his fingers, he looked up to see Clearwater's only doctor walking towards him, a sympathetic smile gracing his weathered features.

"How are they?" Ryo asked anxiously, setting down the tea and hugging his body tightly as even though he was in dry clothes, for some reason he just couldn't get warm.

"They're both sleeping," the doctor said gently. "I gave them both a sedative to ensure that they get adequate rest. Your partner's blood sugar levels are stable. I've given him his insulin injection, taking into account that he'll sleep right through and therefore won't be having an evening meal. He'll just need to check his levels again as soon as he's awake in the morning."

Ryo nodded. "And my son?"

The doctor smiled. "He seems a very resilient boy so I'm sure he'll be just fine. Talk to him about what happened and if you think he needs professional help then arrange it as soon as you can."

"I will," Ryo promised. "Thank you, Doctor."

"You should get some rest too," the older man said gently as he headed to the door. "You've had a very stressful experience yourself. I can give you something to help you sleep before I go."

"No, it'll be okay," Ryo said, snagging the folded up blanket off the floor and covering himself with it. "I'll be able to sleep now I know they're both okay and the police are maintaining a constant presence until we leave tomorrow so that's another load off my mind."

"Okay," the medic said, nodding his head in understanding. "Well good luck with the court case, Detective McLain. I'm sure justice will prevail."

"Thank you, Doctor Nicholls," Ryo replied, praying the other man was right as he lay down on the couch and awaited the onset of sleep.

It felt strange returning to the apartment after being away for just over two weeks. All the evidence of the break-in had gone; other than some of their photos were now in different frames, after the originals had been smashed beyond repair. It was at one of these photos that Ryo was staring as he waited for Dee to finish dressing on the first morning Dee was required to attend court. Bicky had gone to stay with Cal and her aunt, at least for the first few days of the trial, seemingly none the worse for his experience at the cabin in Clearwater.

Ryo had found it difficult to determine how much the events had affected Dee, since his moods continued to be variable, just like before. He'd had a long session with Polly on their return and had arranged daily appointments with her for the duration of the trial, which indicated to Ryo that he wasn't coping as well as they'd both hoped.

The mystery of how their location had been discovered had also been unearthed as Ryo checked in with Drake on their return. At the same time as Dee and Bicky were being held prisoner by the unknown assailant, the body of John Barker, a uniformed officer at the twenty seventh precinct, was found hanging from a rafter in his attic after he had failed to turn in for his shift. Beside his body lay a note, stating that he too was being blackmailed by Henry Goldsmith for 'past indiscretions'. He admitted going through Drake's files and passing on the address of the safe house to an associate of Goldsmith's. Knowing the man's intentions, the officer had instantly regretted what he had done and, feeling he would be unable to live with the consequences of his actions, had taken his own life.

The note also indicated that it had been he that had leaked the details of the suspect's accusations against Goldsmith to the press in a vain attempt to stop the other man's blackmailing; figuring that he wouldn't dare try anything if the spotlight was on him in such a negative way. At first Ryo and Dee had been angry that a fellow officer had betrayed them with potentially fatal consequences but then a deep sense of sadness had set in, knowing that a life had been wasted all because of one man's greed and corruption.

Ryo looked up as the bedroom door opened and Dee limped out, dressed in a dark grey suit and tie. He looked tense, but still managed to offer Ryo a quick smile as the blond stood and pushed his chair back under the dining table.

"Are you ready to go?" Ryo asked, picking his briefcase up off the floor. "I've got your diabetes kit ready."

Dee nodded, his mouth drawn into a thin smile. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Sensing his lover's hesitation, Ryo walked over to him and embraced him tightly. "I'll be with you every step of the way Dee and when this is all over, why don't we get away for a bit, go on vacation?"

He watched as Dee's mouth curled into a wry smile. "Like the last vacation we took when that hotel owner tried to kill you?"

Ryo recalled the incident in question and frowned. "Good point. Well, the next one won't be anything like that, I'm sure." He leaned in for a quick kiss as the doorbell rang. "That's should be our ride," Ryo said, glancing at his watch as he moved to answer the door.

He let Drake in, greeting him quickly before going to pick up his jacket that he'd draped over the back of one of the chairs.

"Hey, buddy," Drake said to Dee with a grin. "Ready to go put away the bad guys?"

Dee smiled; appreciating that Drake didn't try to pussy-foot around him. "Nice to see you made the effort, Detective Parker," he said, looking Drake's suit up and down and grinning. The other man hated wearing a full suit even more than he did so it was strange to see him dressed so formally.

"Well, I've gotta look my best if I'm gonna be on TV," he replied with a chuckle; smoothing down his hair as the three men left the apartment together.

Since Dee and Ryo had missed the first couple of days of the trial, they were spared the tedium of the swearing in of the jury and the opening legal arguments. Since the cases were so heavily interlinked, the District Attorney had decided to prosecute the people involved jointly. First, Liam Patterson would be tried for the kidnapping, false imprisonment and assault of Detective Dee Latener, then he and his brother Daniel would be tried for the attempted kidnapping of the Goldsmith family and finally Henry Goldsmith himself would be made to answer to the charges that he perpetrated the crime against his own family and had later attempted to pervert the course of justice. Since Dee and Ryo were involved in all three cases, it promised to be a painfully long ordeal for them both.

In the afternoon of the first day, Dee was put on the stand. Ryo watched nervously as he answered question after question, his expression unreadable as he battled to remain in control of his emotions. When the trial adjourned for the day, they went straight home, knowing Dee's counsellor was due to arrive at any time. At first Ryo had been concerned that a day in court followed immediately by a therapy session might have been too much for Dee but after listening to his lover stating that he was categorically not going back to court the next day when they got back to their apartment, Ryo was glad that the unflappable psychiatrist was coming after all.

Ryo stayed in the bedroom as Polly sat with Dee and talked through everything that had happened in court that day, trying desperately to read his book in order to shut out their voices, but failing miserably when he could hear Dee crying in the other room. His heart breaking at the sound, he had to stop himself from going out there, knowing that if his presence was needed, then they would come and get him. They did call for him later on when Polly was about to leave. Dee seemed a little more relaxed by then and the idea of being back in court the following morning seemed a little less daunting and, to Ryo's relief, he was no longer refusing to go.

The next few days followed a similar pattern, with Dee returning from court highly agitated until he had spent an hour or so talking with his psychiatrist. Seven days into the trial, he seemed to turn a corner; being able to cope with the demands of his court appearances without daily therapy sessions and so life was starting to return to normal when the jury retired to consider their verdict. Polly had talked extensively with Dee and prepared him in case things didn't go to plan but she needn't have worried when the jury returned and unanimously convicted the older brother of the kidnap, imprisonment and assault of a police officer. The circumstantial evidence, strongly supported by Dee's compelling testimony left the twelve men and woman in no doubt that the suspect was guilty of all charges and duly convicted him so.

They left court that day with a strong feeling of ambivalence; thrilled that Dee's abductor had been brought to justice but anxious to see that his brother and Henry Goldsmith would receive the same fate. As a victim of crime, Dee's role was almost over, but he was still required in court along with Ryo as the detectives that had investigated the original kidnapping allegations. It felt strange for the two men to be reliving something that felt like it had happened a lifetime ago but their concise recounting of the events secured convictions for both brothers after the jury were asked to consider their guilt relating to the original felony. All that was left was for Henry Goldsmith to be found guilty of instigating the crime.

TBC…