Chapter Seven

Steve had no idea how long he lay on the floor letting the desperation he felt take a firm hold on him. He had thought that he was getting over what she had done to him, was beginning to take the first steps back to a normal life again, but he had been so wrong.

He had been on auto-pilot since Amanda had been taken, he knew that now. The way that he had slept and then gone and done the photo-fit session the previous day was testament to that fact and Steve doubted whether he could actually remember very much of the detail of either thing right now.

He pushed the thoughts away from him, and tried to work out what to do next. Part of him wanted to die too if he had caused Amanda's death and he knew to accomplish that all he had to do was stay put. Melosa would kill him just as surely as she had killed his friend. But if he died then what would that do to his dad?

"Dad."

The one word echoed around the room and the sob that followed almost caused him to stop breathing. His left hand was clenched against both the physical and mental pain he was suffering and for a while that overpowered all the other emotions which were fighting for supremacy of his being.

"Well, good morning. My, my, how did you get yourself all the way over here?" She was suddenly back with him and he felt himself being hauled to his feet.

"Arghhh, no … please, God, no." The plea escaped him before he could stop it and, as his right arm swung in agonising freedom, he heard her reply come in the form of a laugh.

"Well, well, Lieutenant, are you finally learning who's in charge? I think you may be." She took a step back so that she could see her prisoner a little more clearly. He was sweating and breathing faintly. There was a pain in his face, in his eyes, which went deeper than that from any treatment she had dealt out to him and she knew he was closer to breaking point now than he had been even in the middle of Death Valley.

"So, did you miss me? She leant in and kissed him on the lips and smiled as he tried to turn from her. There was still a little fight left in the man yet.

"'Manda, what … what did you do …?" He trailed off, the question dying on his lips.

"Your friend?" Melosa saw tears start in his beautiful blue eyes and realised with a rush of excitement that he had no idea what had happened. She had thought that he was conscious when she had dealt with the Bentley woman, she must have been mistaken. How delicious this could be.

"Just … just tell … me … is she … dead?"

The last word was almost impossible to hear but Melosa knew what it was and she ran a finger down his face.

"I thought it would be a good idea to have two hostages, I was wrong. She was taking your attention away from me, and I am the only one you should be thinking about. So she had to go. Now, Baby, it's just you and me again, like it was before." She ran her hand around behind him, weaving her fingers into his hair so that she could bring his head closer to her own and then she began to kiss him and, as his heart cried for Amanda, he had no way to stop her.

ooo

"I'll take this back to the station and get it enhanced." Cheryl reached for the video tape and was surprised to see Mark's hand take it first.

"No need, we have a machine that can do the job just as well, if not better than yours and we are right here, no delays because of traffic or other cops using it. Follow me."

Mark clapped Bill on the shoulder, looked right through Mr Jenkins who had moved a little closer to the action, and then left the room with Ron, Jesse and Cheryl following him. They arrived at the elevator just in time for Mark and Cheryl to enter and Jesse and Ron were left to wait for the next one.

"Is he gonna be alright?" Ron looked down at the smaller man beside him and marvelled again at how strong he appeared.

"No, probably not, not if we don't get them back today or if all the leads run dry. But while he has something to do, then yeah, he's gonna be just fine."

"And if the worst happens, then what?" Ron didn't really want to think of that possibility himself but he felt he had to ask.

"Then I'll be here for him, just like he would for me. But right now the worst happening isn't an option I'm willing to consider." The conviction in Jesse's voice made Ron realise that the young man had thought about it but wasn't ready to throw in the towel just yet. Somehow that knowledge made him feel a whole lot better.

The bell for the elevator pinged then and Jesse and Ron walked inside it. The moment was past but Ron knew that whatever happened the young man with him would handle it; he would handle it just fine.

ooo

Steve had collapsed against his captor, unable to hold himself upright any longer and she had taken it as a sign to kiss him again, this time on his cheek, his neck and then on his lips once more making sure each time that she left her mark. Inside himself he was begging for her to stop as well as screaming at himself to do something to make her cease. Finally it was the cry of pain that he was unable to contain which made her once again step away from him and, as he sagged against her, he felt reality slip a little.

The next thing that he knew he was back on the floor, but leaning up against the wall with his right arm in his lap and Melosa was giving him water from a sports bottle. As much as he wanted to turn from it he knew that he had to accept the offer and he swallowed it down as fast as she would allow.

"That's better. I can't have you dying on me … not yet anyway." She moved the bottle away so that it was just out of Steve's reach and then as he watched, her demeanour changed before him.

"Do you think your father will find you in time, Lieutenant?"

"Yes … he will … and Jess … they'll try … they … will … try." His position on the ground was causing the pain in his chest to increase and it was getting even harder to breathe than it had been when he was standing up. The area of his chest and abdomen where the whip had crashed into him was livid with bruises now and each one showed the criss-cross pattern of the leather bindings which he could see on the weapon that he realised was swinging from her belt.

His eyes must have rested upon it for a second or two too long because suddenly she picked it up and carefully unhooked it.

"This is my baby now. Your friend, the Fed, he killed my babies, but you remember them don't you, darling? You remember my two lovely babies and Dimi, do you remember Dimi?" To his horror she put her fingers into her mouth and whistled and he knew that the large bloodhound would soon be in the room with them.

"No …" He couldn't even think about the dogs without breaking out in cold sweat. Even ordinary dogs scared him now, but not quite as much as Melosa's. "Please, don't."

"But I've been working so hard with Dimi. He was so docile, so soppy, but he's coming along, now he needs more than the thrill of the chase, now the kill excites him too." On these terrifying words the large dog lumbered into the room and sat at his mistress's feet.

"You recognise the Lieutenant don't you, Sweetie? We've been practising using his shirt for almost three weeks now. Sniff round him my sweetheart, that's it. Dimi, scent."

Just the words frightened him. He was as unable to move away from the dog as he had been the last time when he was attached to the wall. Then he had felt scared but had realised the dog meant him no harm. This time he had no such feeling, because this time, as he snuffled around him, Dimi let out a low and menacing growl and Steve's panic and terror grew until he couldn't stop the shaking which racked his body, causing his pain levels to increase until finally, he lost contact with his senses, with reality, and he slid into the welcoming darkness.

ooo

The computer in the imaging suite didn't work with videos and so Jesse had rushed the tape back to Bill who had the equipment to transfer the information they needed onto a floppy disc. Once that was done it had been a simple task to get a clear picture of the licence plate they were interested in, and an even simpler one to discover the owner of the vehicle.

It hadn't come as a surprise to any of them to find out that the SUV had been stolen, but the fact that it had been taken from three doors down from the beach house had definitely raised the tension in the room. Jesse had begun keeping a very close eye on Mark again as the realisation set in that Melosa had been that close without them even realising it.

"So it was her." Mark had sat down in the doctor's lounge after the information on the car had been received and Jesse had instantly done the same.

"What? Who was her?" He was a little confused and Mark realised that his friend hadn't been in the same part of the beach house when Steve first thought he saw Melosa.

The sun had been pleasantly warm as they had sat out on the deck enjoying just being together on the first complete day they had both spent at home. Mark watched his son's every move but he could tell that now he was comfortable on the lounger Steve's pain was manageable and he didn't need to mention it.

There were so many things that he wanted to say, but for once he didn't know where to begin. The image of his son in a hospital bed, so helpless and sick, and the knowledge that he had been responsible for the conditions which put him there, had been unable to even help treat him, weighed heavily on his soul and there were times when he didn't think he would ever get past it.

The journey back in the helicopter was supposed to have been a relief. He was getting closer and closer to his son with every second, but he had been so scared that it hadn't seemed that way at all. What if he had changed his mind? Jesse had said that Steve was desperate to see him, but that had been the day before. What if, in the meantime, he had realised just how much of his pain was his father's fault and changed his mind?

That hadn't happened; he should have known it wouldn't. His son was far too generous a person to ever do that, but still he knew, inside himself, that he had a lot to make up for.

"Son?" The one word had been all he had got out before he heard Steve gasp, first in shock and then in pain. "Steve, what is it?"

"There …" His son was pointing out towards the sand. "No, not here … please, not here." Steve had started to hyperventilate and Mark, knowing that he could do very little to help him, had paged Jesse who had been watching TV in Steve's part of the house, not wanting to intrude on what he had told Mark was a father, son time.

Steve had been almost non-responsive when the younger doctor arrived on the deck and the moment had passed without an adequate explanation of what had happened, so intent were both men on getting Steve back with them. Steve hadn't mentioned it again, but after he had retired to bed later that day the nightmares had started.

"He thought he saw Melosa?" Jesse was enlightened now as to what Steve had mentioned when he had been in the hospital after the incident in the elevator. "Did he say where?"

"When I said goodnight to him, he apologised to me, said that he had seen a black haired woman walking across the dunes. I saw her too, but I never made the connection. He could have been right couldn't he?"

"I guess he could." Jesse paused for a moment before asking a question which had been concerning him. "Mark, those things that you told me before, did you ever tell him?" Jesse spoke gently, this he realised, was dangerous territory.

"No." Mark looked down at his feet as he spoke.

"Why not?" Jesse had a feeling that Mark would be coping with things far better if he had actually voiced his problems to Steve.

"Because I was ashamed." His voice was hushed and Jesse strained to hear it.

"Ashamed? Whatever for? Mark, you are the most important person in Steve's life, just as he is in yours. Sure you drive each other nuts sometimes, and there are days when you definitely prefer each other's space to their company, but he would never have blamed you for anything that happened, you know that."

"But I blame myself. Look at him, Jess, he still lives at home, he gets ribbed at work because his daddy goes everywhere with him, gets kidnapped because of me, gets almost killed, because of me, and then gets taken again, because of me, me, me!"

"Mark, stop it. Steve still lives at home for a lot of reasons, not least because he likes the landlord. He could quite easily shut you out of his cases, but he doesn't, and there is no way in the world that he would blame you for Melosa Arriaga."

Mark had heard all the arguments before, but somehow this time, as he looked at his son's best friend, the sincerity in the young man's eyes made him realise that everything he was saying was true. His son was still such a huge part of his life because he, Steve, not he, Mark, wanted it to be that way.

ooo

When he woke again Steve found that he was once again tied up but this time the agony had been increased because Melosa had finally cuffed his right wrist as well. The only good thing that he could think of was that the dog was nowhere to be seen.

The position he was in not only caused him pain but confusion and he tried to concentrate his mind on how he was actually held. He had worked out before that the room he was in had once been used for storage and maybe actually for loading and unloading goods but he hadn't taken in any more than that. Now though, as he fought for control of his mind, if not his body, he began to look around him as much as he could to try and figure out a little more about where he was.

The area of the room where he had been held had been perfectly plain and clear, although there had been plenty of dust and debris; and Steve had a feeling that the restraints put there for him and, on the other side of the room, for Amanda had been added by Melosa herself.

The vision of his beautiful and gentle friend chained to the wall rose up in his mind and he felt the tears he refused to shed for her just yet threaten him. He moved an inch and his right shoulder screamed out in protest, and Steve knew that if he ever got away he would be on desk duty for weeks before it healed again.

For a minute or two he concentrated his mind on his work. He was a cop, one of LA's finest, he would beat this, he would be found and she would not win. The comfort of his own thoughts helped him to rally a little and gradually he raised his head to see what it was his wrists were attached to above his head.

There was a window to his left and he could see out through it down onto what appeared to be dock land. The metal framework that he was attached to came into the building fairly high up near the ceiling and was shaped as almost an elongated square letter 'C' from one side of the window frame to the other and looked as if it would, in a previous existence, have had bags of grain or flour hung from it as they were either brought mechanically into the building from the dock or taken down from it to the ships. Now, it had him and, with his feet just an inch off the ground, he was as helpless as if he had been in one of those sacks.

He knew that there must be a reason for Melosa having placed him where she had, but at the moment that escaped him. He wasn't sure how long he could actually remain conscious in this position but while he was he tried to work out whether there was a way he could use the window to make his escape.

Steve was hanging at the very end of the track before it began to bend round and the hooks which had held the sacks had long since disappeared. Now the rail looked like it might hold a shower curtain, and for a moment the thought crossed Steve's mind that it must have been almost impossible for Melosa to get him up into this position. Tentatively Steve moved just a little bit and felt the pain course through him. Then knowing that the only way to move along the track would cause him to lose consciousness he prepared to abuse his body almost more than his captor had done and forced himself upwards jumping along the rail about six inches before he made contact with it once more, screaming in agony and passing out again as he did so.

ooo

"I've got an APB out on the car, and I don't care if the Queen of England is driving it, we'll still find it and bring it in." Cheryl had been on the phone to Captain Newman filling him in on all that had been accomplished so far that day, but now she was back where she wanted to be, with her friends, making sure they found her partner. She had to admit that from a seemingly hopeless situation when they had heard about the second kidnap, roughly twenty four hours earlier, things had gotten considerably brighter.

"The people working the docks haven't reported anything of significance yet, but it'll be quitting time for some shifts in about a half hour and I've got cars from North Hollywood down there to help the Harbor guys keep an eye on all the vehicles. They are gonna do a stop and search, except they won't just be searching they'll be showing too; the picture of Arriaga as well as one of Steve. If anyone saw them go into the docks yesterday we will find them, Mark."

"The chopper is available now so we can go up if you want." Ron had been on the phone as well, chewing out the guys who had been supposed to provide him a helicopter first thing that morning. He had calmed down a little when he learnt that it had been in the shop and was now fuelled up and ready to go.

"What are we waiting for?" Again as action began to take place Mark raised his game and was on his feet and ready to follow Ron out into the hallway before Jesse even realised that the next stage of the operation was about to begin.

ooo

"What exactly are you looking for?" The voice over the headphones belonged to the agent piloting the FBI chopper and Ron raised his eyes skywards as he began to explain things. He had a feeling that some of the training he would be giving to these guys would include basic communications.

"We're looking for an area of the docks which has chains, trains, trucks and birds, sea gulls to be precise."

"Oh well, that's easy then, why didn't you say so before?" The pilot, who hadn't taken his eyes off the skyline the entire time he spoke, had no idea of the reactions his words were causing the now almost seething agent sitting directly behind him.

"If it's so easy maybe you would like to share it with the rest of us." Ron's voice exploded outwards through gritted teeth and the pilot started a little in his seat.

"Yes, Sir, sorry, Sir. We need to concentrate our search along the Alameda Corridor."

"Of course we do. Why didn't we think of that?" Jesse snapped his fingers but Mark, Cheryl and Ron could tell from his voice that it was just dripping with sarcasm. "What is the Alameda Corridor?"

"It's the rail and road improvement programme which was completed in 2002. Over one hundred trains a day reduce traffic and the twenty mile long system allows for faster locomotives, thus reducing damaging emissions."

"And this concludes our public awareness advertisement." Jesse laughed but then caught Ron's eye. "Sorry. How do you know that?"

"My father was one of the designers, and I guess I did sound like a commercial, I'm sorry too." Just for a moment the young pilot turned away from the front of the chopper and Jesse could see the blush on his cheeks.

"No problem. Your knowledge and your dad's system should make finding Steve a whole lot easier. Thanks."

The Port of Los Angeles rose up before them and as Ron and Cheryl looked out of one side of the chopper Mark and Jesse did the same the other. "My God, there are miles of it. However will we find them in time?" Mark's voice had regained the despondence of the previous day and he felt Jesse squeeze his arm as he began to speak.

"We'll find them because we're the good guys, Mark, and the good guys always win."

ooo

He had no idea how long or how many times he had been out, but the return to consciousness each time had not been a pleasant experience. The muscles in his left shoulder had joined in the cacophony of pain inside his mind and he remembered belatedly that he had damaged that one too when the dogs had attacked him in Death Valley. He shook the memory away, that alone was enough to cause him to give up altogether. He was almost at the window, one more jump should do it and then, after he had recovered from that, he would think about what do to next. This time the distance covered wasn't as long and he was able to rest his now aching head against the cool brickwork while his body began its recovery all over again. He hadn't blacked out either, but the amount of pain he was in made him wonder whether that was a good thing or not.

He had become aware of a strange noise in the distance as he had begun his journey and now that he had finally made it as far as he could Steve listened intently, trying to work out what it was.

The dust which covered the glass made the room darker than it would normally be with a window the size of the one he was now next to. In a moment of total lucidity Steve was sure that it used to be a hole in the wall when it was a working warehouse instead of a window. The area outside that he was finally seeing seemed to be quite deserted and, for a few moments, he wasn't sure which way to look to try and see if he could spot what he was searching for.

Steve knew now that he was in the Harbor district of LA. He didn't think he knew any cops from there and he hoped that wasn't a bad sign. The building he was in seemed to tail of in a sort of arc although there was something wrong with its shape as it curved around. There was movement at the far end, just at the limit of his eye line and when he finally did see the cause of the noise Steve thought his heart would stop. About three, maybe four sections of warehouse down from where he was a large wrecker's ball was demolishing the building.