Crash and Burn
Chapter 28 - Payback
Several more low-key nights out followed and before long, an entire week had passed. Dee rang everyday, keeping his lover informed of what he was up to, so when Ryo went to bed one evening in the second week without receiving the usual daily contact he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. He eventually drifted off to sleep; his restless thoughts translating into troubled dreams that thrust him back to wakefulness with frustrating regularity. It was during one of those periods of alertness that the telephone started to ring, making Ryo jump as the shrill tones broke through the stillness. Fortunately, the handset of the cordless phone was by his bed, allowing him to answer it before it woke Bicky up too.
"Hello?" he said tentatively, glancing at the clock and seeing it was past four am. When he was greeted only by the sound of breathing, he froze; instantly feeling threatened. "Who is this?" he said sharply, not wanting to raise his voice for fear of waking the boy in the other room. "If you don't speak, then I'm going to put the phone down."
"No… wait."
Ryo frowned into the phone. "Dee?"
The reply was a sob, confirming to the already anxious man that it was indeed his lover on the end of the line. He turned on the bedside lamp, suddenly wanting to be out of the darkness as he listened to Dee's hitching breaths. "Dee, love? Shhhh, what's wrong?"
There was a pause as the other man tried to compose himself. "I… I want to come home, Ryo. I can't do it."
Ryo closed his eyes against the pain in his heart, knowing he wouldn't be doing his lover any favours by agreeing with him. "What's wrong, love? Tell me what's happened."
More sobs. "It's too hard, Ryo. I can't do it," he repeated, his hoarse tones telling Ryo that he'd probably been crying for sometime.
"Have you told anyone how you feel, love? Your counsellors need to know…"
"I can't tell them! They'll think I'm a fuck up."
"No they won't," Ryo said quickly, trying to keep the raw emotion from his own voice as he swept a hand through his dark blond hair. "They'll know you're hurting and they'll want to help you."
"I don't need them; I just need you, Ryo," he said, his voice breaking down again. "If I've got you then everything will be okay."
"No… no it won't," the blond replied, feeling cruel at his words but unable to let himself give his lover any false hope. He was speaking from experience and knew it had to be said. "I can't help you, Dee. I'm here for you and always will be because I love you but I can't help you fight these demons. Please… just see this programme through."
The response obviously wasn't what Dee was expecting and he was quiet for several long moments; the only sound between them were his rough, hiccupping breaths and occasional sniffs.
"Okay," he said eventually although he sounded deeply wounded. "I'll stay, for you."
"Not for me," Ryo said gently, "For you. Do it for yourself, Dee."
"I should go. I'm sorry I phoned you so late."
"Are you upset with me, Dee?"
The pause before he answered was enough to tell Ryo that he was. "No… You're probably right."
"Please don't hate me, Dee," the blond pleaded, feeling close to tears himself. "I just want you to get some help. I can't wait for you to come home but I know you won't be happy if you quit this programme now. I love you, Dee. Ring me any time, day or night and I'll tell you as many times as you need to hear it, okay?"
"Okay," came the reply, moderately brighter than before. "I may take you up on that."
"Any time," Ryo reiterated, managing a small smile. "I'll never get tired of saying it."
Despite ending the call on a more positive note, Ryo still put the receiver down with a heavy heart. Dee was just so needy. In all honesty it scared him, seeing his once confident lover reduced to the man that he had just spoken to and his troubled thoughts prevented him from sleeping for the remainder of the night.
As he entered the office the next morning, at least half an hour late, Drake looked up from his files and frowned.
"Holy shit, Ryo, are you okay? You look, well… rough."
Ryo dropped his briefcase and sank into his chair. "I was having trouble sleeping anyway and then Dee rang."
"What time?" Drake asked, grinning as he leaned back in his chair and stretched.
"It was after four am."
"Damn! No wonder you're beat! What was he doing ringing then?"
"He wanted to come home."
Drake sat forward as his smiled faded, realising that all was clearly not well. "Home? Already?"
"Yeah. He was really upset. He said it was too hard and he couldn't do it any more."
"So is he coming home?"
"No. I persuaded him to stay but I don't think he liked it." Ryo frowned and covered his face with his hands. "It was horrible, Drake; I felt so cruel. I had to tell him I couldn't help him and I didn't want him to come home. He sounded so unhappy."
"Hey," Drake said gently, "You did the right thing. You can't give him the professional help he needs. He might be upset that you didn't say 'sure, get on the first plane home' but I'll guarantee he'll thank you in the long run."
"I know," Ryo sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Thanks for the vote of confidence. So what's on the agenda for today?"
"Well…" Drake began, picking up his 'to do' list as the office door opened and Rose stuck his head in.
"Ryo, I've just had word that the Patterson brothers are being sentenced in about an hour's time. You're free to go if you want. Take Drake with you."
The door then closed again before Ryo could answer. He looked across at Drake who promptly screwed up the piece of paper in his hand, tossed it in the general direction of the trash can and made to grab his coat.
"Come on," Drake said, holding the door for the other man. "Maybe you'll be able to give Dee some good news next time he calls."
The hearing went as expected; with both brothers receiving jail sentences; the older man's substantially longer for the ordeal he had inflicted on Dee as an act of revenge. The two young men looked numb as they were led away to start their period of incarceration and Ryo almost felt a flicker of pity for them; knowing that their rough upbringing probably had a lot to do with their actions. In the corridor outside the courtroom, they caught up with the DA, who smiled as he saw the two men.
"Detective McLain," Mr Browning said by way of greeting. "That was good news, wasn't it? Is your partner not here?"
"Uh no," Ryo replied, contemplating lying but decided against it in the end. The DA was a decent man who had shown great patience and understanding working with Dee before and during the trial and Ryo felt he owed him honesty at least. "He's away on a therapy programme at the moment. He didn't cope very well when he tried to come back to work."
"That's a shame," Browning said, his expression sympathetic. "It's sad to see good men go to waste but the fact that he's accepted help is a good sign. I'm sure he'll make a good recovery. Give him my best when you speak to him."
Ryo smiled gratefully. "I will and thank you."
The DA returned his smile and nodded before he set off down the corridor. After a few steps, he turned back to Ryo and Drake, his expression now serious.
"Henry Goldsmith is due for sentencing in the next few days," he said grimly. "It'll be tougher, but I'm hoping for a decent jail sentence. We've also managed to uncover a few more of his crimes, with people now willing to testify so hopefully we'll be able to bring some new charges against him and increase his overall sentence. Unfortunately, we haven't found anyone that can connect Goldsmith with what happened to you in Clearwater but we'll keep looking."
"Thank you and that's good," Ryo said, looking at Drake who nodded in agreement. "Good luck with the investigations."
The two detectives returned to the precinct to get on with other things. Rose had gone to a meeting for the day and wouldn't be back, so as soon as they had got all the necessary stuff out of the way, Drake persuaded Ryo to go home.
"You need sleep," the other man insisted, having spent the day gazing at the blond's tired features. For once, Ryo didn't try to argue otherwise and he left, heading straight home for the comforts of his bed. It ended up being an excellent suggestion as Dee rang earlier than usual and if he hadn't been home, Ryo would have missed the much needed contact. Dee sounded brighter, apologising for the previous phone call although his lover insisted he had nothing to be sorry for, and telling Ryo about some of the more positive aspects of the last twenty four hours. As a result, Ryo slept much more soundly that night.
At the beginning of the third week, Ryo received the information that Henry Goldsmith was to be sentenced for his part in conspiring to kidnap his own family. With Drake alongside for moral support, Ryo attended the hearing, anxious to know that this man in particular would pay for his crimes. Even though he wasn't directly responsible for what happened to Dee, Ryo still felt strongly that the millionaire should face justice; knowing that he had been the catalyst for the events of the last couple of months. However, throughout the drive to the courthouse, Ryo was unusually pessimistic; convinced that something would prevent the course of justice from running smoothly.
"He'll get away with it, I know he will," Ryo said suddenly, breaking the silence as Drake guided the car across town. "There'll be some loophole that he'll manage to wriggle through."
"I'm sure the DA would have said something if he thought it was hopeless," Drake reasoned, trying to bolster Ryo's flagging mood. "He would have warned you if they were unlikely to get a custodial sentence. Plus, he wasn't allowed out on bail; surely that says something?"
"I hope you're right," Ryo replied. "Dee was really pleased when I told him what the Patterson brothers had got but I think he really wants to see Goldsmith go down with a substantial sentence more than anything."
They arrived at the courthouse and were waiting to go in when a familiar figure entered the corridor and strode towards them.
"Commissioner!" Ryo said in surprise as the other man approached.
Rose nodded a greeting. "I take it the hearing hasn't started yet."
"No," Ryo replied, looking past Rose as Mr Browning, the DA appeared around the corner.
The hearing started shortly afterwards with Henry Goldsmith arriving, flanked by several armed officers. To see the former celebrity millionaire in a bright orange jumpsuit of the penal institution was satisfaction in itself and Ryo couldn't help but wish that Dee was here to see it.
The two detectives and their senior watched as Judge Coburn handed down a sentence of fifteen years for the crime of conspiracy to kidnap and five years for obstructing justice. The opportunity for parole was given but Mr Browning didn't look concerned, aware that the new charges they were about to bring against him, ranging from fraud to murder, would soon wipe out any possibility of him being freed any time soon.
Goldsmith himself looked blank throughout the hearing, although as he was led away by the armed officers he suddenly came to life and he turned and smirked at the men in the public gallery. It was hard to tell who the look was aimed at, but both Ryo and Rose interpreted it as it's not over.
As they left the courthouse after speaking briefly to the DA, Drake clapped Ryo on the shoulder. "Well, is it a celebration drink tonight?"
Ryo smiled but shook his head. "I think I'll stay in if you don't mind. I want to be in, in case Dee rings. He'll want to know what Goldsmith got."
Drake nodded, understanding entirely. "Give him my best. And Ryo?" he said, sensing the other's anxiety. "Don't worry about Goldsmith. That look meant shit; it's over for him."
"I hope you're right," Ryo replied as they started towards the car. Across the parking lot, he glimpsed Rose climbing into his BMW, the older man's face displaying a similarly grim expression.
Ryo had started to relax and was enjoying his quiet night in when the telephone rang. Bicky was at basketball practise and he had treated himself to a long relaxing soak in the bath before dinner. He was in the middle of cooking some pasta as he snatched up the receiver, hoping he could guess the identity of the caller.
"Hello?"
"Is that the incredibly handsome Ryo McLain?"
Ryo smiled warmly as he cradled the phone between his ear and left shoulder. "It might be. Who wants to know?"
"Oh, I dunno," Dee's velvet smooth tones replied. "Just some guy."
"I see," Ryo said, playing along as he turned off the cooker. "Is he a hot guy?"
"Might be."
"What does he look like?"
"Oooh… lemme see," Dee breathed. "Tall, slim, black hair, green eyes, large -"
"Dee!"
"Hands! What did you think I was going to say?"
Ryo laughed softly, cheered to hear Dee chuckling at the other end of the line. "Hey, love. How you doing?"
"I'm good," Dee replied, sounding like he meant it. "You?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I have some more good news for you." He tipped the pasta onto a plate before taking it across to the table and sitting down. "Henry Goldsmith got twenty years in total for both crimes. Plus, they're almost ready to bring some new charges against him for a whole host of other crimes. The DA is confident that they have so much on him that he's likely never to see the outside world again."
"That's great," Dee said. "What about…?"
"The incident at the safe house?" Ryo said, guessing that his lover would want to know. "Nothing yet but they're still working on it."
"Well. I'm not sure I'd care if they didn't get any leads. At least we wouldn't have to go back to court. I'd hate Bicky to have to go through that. I'll just be happy if that bastard gets it for all the stuff they can pin on him."
"Yeah," Ryo replied, toying with the pasta shells with his fork. "Let's just see what happens." There was a pause as he popped some of the food into his mouth. "So… what have you been up to?"
"Not much. I refereed a basketball match today. I would have preferred to have been playing but crutches make it kinda difficult. Still, only five more days and I get this damn cast off. My leg should definitely be mended by now; the cast's been on longer than they expected but I couldn't get an appointment at the hospital any sooner."
"Bet that'll be a relief," Ryo said with a smile. "I really can't wait to see you, Dee."
"Ditto," Dee replied, his own smile transmitting through the phone. "I've been thinking about you so much, baby. I can't to see you and hold you. Jesus, I can picture you now. I want you so bad."
Ryo closed his eyes and leaned back in chair, aroused by the sudden lust in his lover's voice. "I'm waiting for you, Dee," Ryo said breathlessly, unconsciously reaching up and trailing his hand across his bare chest. "I'm aching for you. I need to feel your hands on me; holding me and touching me."
He heard a low moan from the other end of the phone and smiled slightly, knowing his words were having an effect on his absent lover. They were having an effect on him too and he sighed lustfully at the growing hardness in his pants. Wanting to continue this current conversation, knowing where it was likely to lead, he stood and moved through into the bedroom, his freshly prepared meal suddenly forgotten.
In an apartment across the city, Berkley Rose snagged his trousers off the wooden floor and smiled. "Honestly, I'd love to stay, Diana," he said, turning to the blonde who allowed the bed sheets to slip, revealing a more than modest hint of her ample chest. "But I've got to check on my apartment once in a while. I haven't been back for almost a week."
Diana pouted; tousled blonde strands falling about her high cheekbones. "Fine, fine," she said waving a hand dismissively before she turned over in bed to face the other direction. "Do a runner like you usually do."
When there was no response, she turned over to see the blond man's hurt expression. "I was joking," she said, rolling her eyes and shoving him playfully.
"I know," Rose replied, "but it just reminds me what a bastard I've been to you."
"Well, you're making up for it now," she offered, sitting up and snaking an arm around his bare chest.
"I hope so," he replied in earnest, sinking back into her touch and revelling in the sensations as her fingers traced gentle patterns across his body. "Look, I tell you what. I'll go and check my apartment, pick up my mail and stuff and I'll come back later, how about that?"
A sexy smile was his reply. "I'll keep the bed warm while you're gone."
Rose let himself out of the apartment and jogged down to his car. Sliding behind the wheel of his BMW, he let his mind wander for a moment, drifting back to Diana and the events of the last couple of hours. They had eaten and talked a little before inevitably falling into bed together. Their relationship had always been deeply passionate but more recently, Rose had found himself thinking of Diana as something more than the on-off lover she always had been. She was everything he wanted and needed and as he found himself thinking about her, the word 'soulmate' crept into his consciousness. Once he would have laughed at that sentiment; unable to believe that someone could exist that was so right for a person but now it didn't seem so absurd.
He was about to turn the key in the ignition when the door was suddenly flung open and a gloved hand snatched the key from his grasp. Before he could react, the hand had hold of his hair and was using the painful grip to drag him from the car. Seeing three black clad assailants, Rose knew it was pointless to put up a fight. His men had investigated far too many murders where a carjacking victim had fought back and lost and he had no intention of becoming another statistic.
"Take the car," he growled, wincing at the pain in his scalp; the hold on his hair not lessening any, even though he was on the ground. The response was a deep bark of laughter from one of the black clad men, his face hidden by a hideous Halloween mask.
"You think this is about the car? Man… you're one dumb shit."
"I haven't got any money," Rose replied honestly, having left his wallet upstairs in Diana's apartment although he had a creeping suspicion that they didn't want that either.
"Fuck!" one of the men spat, turning to his companions, "This guy really is stupid!" He suddenly stepped forward and brought his masked face very close to Rose's. "This is revenge, my friend," he said icily before he brought his leg back and aimed a kick at the commissioner's face. "Now we're even."
Sprawled on the floor, his nose broken, Rose tried to curl himself into a protective ball knowing there would be worse to come. After a couple of minutes under constant attack, he lost consciousness, slipping into the blessed blackness that drowned out the sickening thuds and crunches as they beat him into a bloody, broken mess on the parking lot floor.
Diana frowned at the clock, wondering whether Rose was planning on coming back or not. It had been over three hours since he'd left, and since he'd promised he'd come straight back after picking up his mail; he seemed to be taking an awfully long time. After another couple of minutes had passed, she picked up the phone and dialled his home number. It rang and rang until it went over to his answer machine, prompting her to end the call and dial his cell phone. She swore as that too went straight to his message.
Deciding that she may as well spend the time productively while she waited for him to return, she threw on some clothes and prepared to head down to her car, recalling that she had left some documents in the vehicle that she needed to look over before the morning.
As she reached the secure underground parking lot she became aware that something seemed to be going on; hearing voices talking with a sense of urgency and the sound of harried activity. Not sure whether to be worried or not, she hurried in the direction of the noise; now seeing the blue flashing lights of the emergency services bouncing off the glaring white walls. As she approached, she noticed firstly that Rose's black BMW was still in its parking space and secondly, that all the activity seemed to be concentrated around that area.
"What's going on?" she said, approaching the nearest uniformed officer, her eyes never leaving the scene in front of her.
"There's nothing to see ma'am," the cop said firmly. "Go back inside please."
"Like hell!" she snapped, groping for her ID badge, glad she'd decided to throw her jacket on after all. "My name's Diana Spacey and I'm an FBI agent. Now tell me what's going on."
The officer didn't even study her badge as his eyes went wide. Most cops at the precinct knew the commissioner's latest companion by sight and he wasn't an exception.
"M-Miss Spacey, I'm sorry I didn't recognise you. Oh God…" he said hastily, not sure how to break the news as to why they were there. "It's Commissioner Rose. He's been attacked."
Fearing as much from the pool of blood she could see next to one of the BMW's wheels, she ducked under the police cordon and ran towards the scene.
"Berkley!" she shouted, finally seeing her lover as the emergency workers prepared to lift him onto a stretcher. "Oh my God…"
Rose was barely recognisable beneath the layers of blood and bruising as she walked with the stretcher towards the open doors of the ambulance. "I'm coming too," she told the nearest paramedic as they loaded the gravely ill man into the vehicle. "Hold on Berkley," she said quietly, stroking the blood-caked hair from his face. "It's going to be okay."
The news that Commissioner Berkley Rose was fighting for his life was broken to the officers on shift on the Sunday morning. Even those that weren't due to be in work until Monday were soon informed; the message spreading like wildfire amongst the stunned law enforcement personnel. At home and nursing a large hangover after another night out when he found out, Ryo felt numbed by the news; certain that what had happened was an act of revenge and not a botched robbery as was first assumed.
By Monday, Rose's condition had stabilised but he had an extensive list of injuries and still hadn't shown any signs of regaining consciousness. With injuries so severe, the precinct was investigating an attempted murder but there was little in the way of leads, despite the apartment complex having security cameras in the parking lot. The men were masked and owning to the late hour, there were no witnesses that had seen the attackers either arriving or leaving. Few doubted that Henry Goldsmith was somehow behind the crime but there was no way of linking him to it, especially with him securely behind bars.
Diana maintained a constant vigil at Rose's bedside as the days turned into a week. His broken bones were mending but he was in a coma; with the doctors unsure whether he had sustained any permanent brain injury as a result of the vicious attack. They also couldn't give the devastated woman any indication of when he might wake up, if he would wake at all, leaving her with the prospect of endless days and nights at his bedside, willing him to return to her.
TBC…