Terror By Night Chapter 3
Once again, thanks to everyone for their interest and kind reviews on this story.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Bosco woke startled by a hand on his shoulder. It was Lt. Swerskey. With his hand he motioned quietly for Bosco to walk out with him. He explained to the Lt. everything he knew about what had happened. Swerskey ask him if Faith had mentioned whether or not she knew the guy or if she got a decent look at him. Bosco shook his head.
"She really hasn't said much of anything boss." he told him rubbing his hands over his face and eyes.
Swerskey informed him that there would be detectives from the sex crimes unit coming to talk to her. They needed to get as much information as possible before this perp had a chance to attack someone else.
"Bosco.. I know you both know the procedures for the most part, but maybe you need to talk to Faith and give her the heads up. Remind her that they'll be coming in to question her so she'll be prepared. I don't know what her emotional state of mind is but.....well..just talk to her okay?"
"Yeah. Sure Boss. Thanks. Somehow I'd forgotten about that." Bosco said solemnly. "I guess I've just been so worried I wasn't thinking about what was next."
Lieu. sighed and put his hand on Bosco shoulder in a sympathetic manner telling him to take what time he needed to be with Faith. He knew they had become close friends again and how much they looked out for one another, then turned and walked away shaking his head. This was one of his own people, a member of his family as they were, and it was really eating at him. He wanted this asshole caught as much as anybody!
Bosco slipped quietly back into Faiths room. She was beginning to stir some in her sleep. He couldn't help but notice the pained expression on her face. He took her hand in his again as she opened her eyes looking confused, unsure at first of where she was and why. Then quickly everything came back to her in a rush and she gasp for air fearing she was going to be sick. Her face become pale with fear again and she was starting to hyperventilate as she tried to set up in the bed.
"Faith, Faith, it's okay..shhh..it's okay now." Bosco spoke to her as soothingly as he could trying to reassure her that she was safe and everything was going to be alright.
She shook her head at him as she tried to fight back the tears
"No Bosco! It's not going to be alright. He said he'd be back! He said he'd been watching me!" She looked around the room fearfully.
Bosco sat down beside her on the bed and pulled her in close to him and wrapping his arms around her carefully.
"The son-of-a-bitch told you that?" he asked her feeling his anger rise as she nodded into his shoulder and began to cry again. He could feel her trembling and he wanted more than anything to be able to get his hands on this guy.
"You're not going back to that apartment Faith. he said softly. There's no way in hell I'm gonna let you go back there. You can stay with me for a while or as long as you want too. You'll be safe there, I promise you that."
"Bosco, you can't know that for sure. He said he'd been watching me for a while. What's to keep him from following me to your place too?"
"Me!" Bosco stated firmly. She looked at him for a minute trying to control her hysteria and could see the sincerity in his eyes. She knew he meant it with everything he had in him. She was just so afraid.
She looked away from him then. She didn't know if even Bosco could protect her from this. She had never known this kind of fear. This kind of anxiety! Was this what Bosco felt when he had panic attacks? What about her kids? What was she going to do? Would he really find her again? He said he would. It had happened to others before. The questions raced through her mind one right after the other.
She was just so damn scared! She reached out for Bosco again completely lost in her own fears.
"Bosco hold me! Please hold me! I'm so scared! What am I gonna do?" she cried losing what little composure she had left.
"You're gonna be okay Faith. I'm gonna make sure of it. I'm gonna be right beside you all the way until you get sick of me." he said half whispering, gently rubbing her back until she was able to calm herself a bit.
She felt so safe in his arms and his reassurance was comforting. She had to believe him or she was going to lose her mind she thought to herself. She finally released her grip on him and leaned back in her bed, taking a deep breath and wiping her tears away.
Her face was really sore. Hell her whole body was sore! She could only imagine what she must look like, but at that moment she really didn't care. She combed her hair back out of her face with her fingers exposing even more bruises on her arms, face and neck. Her eyes downcast again.
He got up looking away from her now. "Damn sick bastard!" Bosco half muttered to himself.
"What?" Faith ask.
He took another deep breath trying to control his temper and came back over to speak to her again.
"Faith." I don't know if you've thought about it or not yet, but there's some detectives from the sex crimes unit that are coming to talk to you soon. I just...
She cut him off before he could finish. "I know Bos." she told him, still looking away from him. She was dreading it because it meant verbally reliving it. "I'll be okay." she said not sure she really believed it or not.
She couldn't help but think of all the women they had responded to in the past for this same thing. 'This is how they must've felt she thought to herself.' God she had no idea what they'd gone through was this horrible.
"Do you want me to stay with you while they question you?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yeah, I'd appreciate it Bos." she said. Trying to keep in voice from trembling as the tears once again made their way down her face. All those other poor women she'd witnessed through out the years. Being a victim herself now changed everything. How did they get through it?
Her thoughts were interrupted moments later as two detectives arrived to speak to her. They introduce themselves and began their questions.
"Ms. Yokas. We need you to tell us exactly what happened last night? Everything you can remember starting from the time you arrived at your building."
She took a deep breath looking over to Bosco who nodded at her, then back at the two and began explaining how she had let herself in her apartment as always, dropped her things on the couch, went to the kitchen to make tea......she stopped speaking suddenly. 'Wait...she thought to herself. 'Dropped my things on the couch...' Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes grew wide with disbelief.
"Oh my God!" she said as she covered her mouth and began shaking uncontrollably. "What have I done?" She sobbed.
Bosco seeing that she was becoming hysterical came to her side questioning.
"Faith? What is it? What's wrong?" He asked her becoming somewhat frightened himself by her reaction. The two detectives looked at one another and then back at Faith.
"Faith?" Bosco ask again as the tears streamed down her face.
She could barely get the words out between sobs. "Oh my God! I...I didn't lock the door I don't think. I don't remember locking the door behind me when I got home." She sobbed. "I had so much on my mind I don't remember locking the door! What have I done?" She cried. "What if the kids had been there? Oh dear God, this is my fault!"
"No Faith! Regardless of whether the damn door was locked or not, nobody had a right to do what that guy did to you! Nobody!"
She was almost beyond consoling now as she realized that she most likely had left the door unlocked without thinking. She had been so deep in her thoughts of everything else going on in her life that she simply hadn't noticed.
One of the detectives explained to her that it was necessary that she give them as much of a description of the man as she possibly could so they could began their investigation.
At this Bosco became angry and suggested the men wait outside for a few minutes until she had a chance to calm down. Seeing her state of mind they complied and went out to get coffee to give her some time to gather herself together.
"It's my fault Bosco! How could I have been so careless, so stupid!" She cried angrily at herself.
"It's all my fault! I'd just as well as left the door wide open for him!"
"Faith stop it!" he said a little louder than he meant too. Taking hold of both her arms. "Blaming yourself is not going to do anybody any good. So please. Just stop! We're gonna catch this guy and he's gonna pay. He did this not you!" He let out a deep sigh and soften his voice as he realized he'd been all but yelling.
"God Faith. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that to sound so harsh. I know you've been through hell already. I just can't stand seeing you put yourself through more by blaming yourself like this. No matter whether your door was locked or not, he had no right to come in and do what he did to you." She tried turned away from him. "Listen to me. You've got to try and calm down. The sooner you give them what they need, the sooner we can start looking for this bastard.
She knew he was right and fought to control her emotions.
After some time had passed she was again able to talk to the two detectives giving them her account of what happened and as much as she could remember on what the guy looked like and the type of mask he wore. She explained about the man at the store as well and thought that they might be the same person. They were the same height and build. But she couldn't be sure. Had he been following her? They left satisfied for the moment with what they had to go on.
Bosco sat there for a moment after they had left. Fighting his own urge to go out and find him. It wasn't his style to sit back and let someone else do the work when he thought he could do it better and faster. Plus he really wanted to get his hands on this sick son-of-a-bitch.
Having listened to the details of what she had been through along with what he had heard on the phone was almost more than he could stand. He watched again as she slept a restless sleep. She had been so upset, and that a long with her injuries had caused her blood pressure to rise. Her head was pounding in her ears. The nurse had come in and given her a mild sedative to help her relax.
By the next day Faith was well enough to be released from the hospital with strict orders from the doctor for the next two weeks. Nurse Proctor had provided her with a pair of scrubs to go home in since she had nothing with her.
She agreed to stay with Bosco for the time being. They were to make a stop at her apartment so he could run up and get some of her clothing and things she'd made a list of that she might need. The closer they got to her place though the more she began to feel the anxiety rise up with in her. She tried to hide it telling herself she was being foolish, but by the time the reached her building she was all but hyperventilating again.
With out having to say anything, Bosco could see by her reaction that this had been a bad idea. He drove away heading for his own apartment telling her he could come back on his own later for her.
Finally they were settled into his place. Faith had insisted on taking the couch. She convinced Bosco by saying she wasn't ready to be left alone in a bedroom just yet. He sat down on the couch beside her. Taking in her still bruised features.
She'd hardly looked up at him the entire day. In fact she hadn't looked up to talk to anyone. Not even at the hospital. He wasn't used to this broken Faith and he didn't quite know what to do. He was the first to break the long silence between them. She just seemed to be staring off into space in her own little world.
"Faith? Is there anything I can get for you? Something to drink or eat?" he asked quietly.
"No. Bos thanks. I would like to get a shower if you don't mind."
He nodded. "Come on, I'll show you where everything is. Mean while if you want, I can run back to your place and pick up the things you had on your list if you want." He knew he was stumbling over his words, he just didn't know what else to do.
She looked at him this time fearfully as she quickly said "No..., please not yet." she paused swallowing hard before she continued. "Don't leave me here alone just yet. I don't know if I can handle it." she rubbed her arms up and down as though she were cold and then looked away again embarrassed by her dependence on him. He had a life she thought to herself. She couldn't keep clinging to him like this.
'Get a grip on yourself Faith. What's the matter with you.' she told herself. She let out a frustrated sigh putting her hand to her forehead.
"Bosco, I'm sorry. I'm gonna get a handle on this I promise. I just need a day or two." she said. Although deep down she knew it was going to take a lot longer, if ever!
He took both of her hands in his and tilted her chin up to look at him. "Faith. I meant what I said back at the hospital. I'm gonna take care of you for as long as you'll let me and then some. I won't leave this apartment with out you until you say it's okay. I dunno know what I was thinking when I said that."
She tried to smile a little.
"That's really gonna put a cramp your social life isn't it?" she said looking away from him again.
"No." he told her turning her face to look at him again. "I'm serious Faith. For as long as you can put up with me, I'm here."
She looked in his eyes searching. She knew he meant it.
But was it because he felt guilty? Because that was the last thing she wanted him to feel. She nodded.
"Come on." he told her smiling now. "I'm sure I have something you can wear until we get your things."
She had been in the shower well over an hour when he called to her from the door. "Hey. You okay in there?"
"Yeah. Sorry." she replied. She emerged from the room a few minutes later. Hair wet as she combed it back and her skin red from scrubbing. "Sorry, I didn't mean to take so long."
"Here. Have some coffee with me?" he said putting a warm mug in her hand as she went to sit down on the sofa.
"Thanks." she told him trying to smile again slightly. She kept her eyes fixed on the floor. She knew he was looking at her but she couldn't bring herself to look up at him.
"Faith." he started "Why wont you look at me?"
She fiddled with the handle on her mug as she continued to stare at the floor.
"I understand Faith if your upset with me for not getting there in time." he stated quietly. "I am too. I tried. I really tried. I just wish I could go back and take this all away from you." His voice was beginning to break.
"Faith, look at me please."
She raised her eyes up to his in surprise at what he had just said. Then began explaining to him.
"Bosco, this has nothing to do with whether you got there in time or not. You can't even imagine how degrading and humiliating this is. How dirty and ashamed I feel. And no matter what I do, how much I scrub, or how hot the water is, or how many times I try to tell myself this really wasn't my fault, I still feel guilty. I can't get the feel of him off of me. I'm too ashamed to look anyone in the face! Especially you! Knowing you heard all the sickening details..."
She was beginning to lose control again, she was just so angry.
"How can I face you knowing this? It's just way too humiliating." Her tears were streaming down her face.
"I can't get the feel of him off of me Bos!" she had her arms crossed and was rubbing her hands up and down her sleeves.
"I never knew it could be this bad you know? I'd always thought myself to be a fairly strong person. Yet right now, I can hardly go to the bathroom by myself!" she exclaimed.
He hadn't realized before now and was silently kicking himself for getting her upset again.
"God, I'm sorry Faith. I..uh. I didn't understand before. I thought you were angry with me and I didn't know what to do." He gently pulled her into his arms wrapping them carefully but tightly around her as if he would never let her go. She allowed herself to become enveloped in the warmth of his embrace as her tears flowed freely once again.
"It's just me Faith, you don't ever have to feel ashamed around me. It's just me." His own eyes beginning to fill as he listened to her softly crying as he held her.
TBC...
Please review. Your input is greatly appreciated.