Obsession (10/13)

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A/N: Hope you guys had a wonderful Christmas. Thought I'd celebrate with an update... ;)

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Chapter ten

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So apparently Mr. Policeman cares about my girl more than he should.

I've followed them since they left the diner, and he's never let her out of his sight. But more than that, I realized that the bond they share is stronger and deeper than I'd first estimated.

Even from a distance, I could see them holding entire conversations just with their eyes, asking questions and providing answers only through the intensity of their gazes. I saw love, respect, trust, a whole range of emotions I've never seen two human beings express before.

And I didn't like it.

Boscorelli can be a problem. A real, pain-in-the-ass problem that I hadn't considered. Maybe it's time to teach him a lesson he'll never forget.

All for you, my love.

I think she was upset when she realized what I'd done.

I didn't mean to make her cry but I had no chance. Those cops had been interfering with my work, had taken it upon themselves to make my life difficult. I couldn't let that happen.

That also gave me the chance to slip into her building unnoticed and leave my gift in the apartment.

Standing there, in her bedroom, I felt a rush of excitement course through my body, something I'd never experienced before.

I've wasted so much time in a marriage that me and Deb both knew was wrong that I almost forgot what it's like to be in love. I feel happier than I've been in years, totally in control.

I feel alive.

My cell phone has been ringing off the hook since that damn picture appeared on the news. Everybody's trying to find me. I briefly consider tossing it into the nearest trashcan, but then I decide to keep it. It might still be useful.

Staring at the small device, I realize that even if the police can't find a way to link me to Deb's murder I'd still be a suspect to them, and that means they're gonna search my phone records. Although I haven't called my ex-wife in months, I'm sure another number will get their attention.

Damn. I think I've stretched this thing too far.

Weird enough, all I can think about is my girl as I stare at the tall building in front of me. As long as she's fine, I don't care about my own safety.

I remember how scared I was when I spotted them coming out of her front door a short while later and I saw her hand wrapped into a bloody towel.

She didn't appear to be in too much pain for she was walking on her own, but my heart skipped a beat. My girl was hurt, and I could do nothing to help.

Boscorelli had his arm around her shoulders, and a grim expression on his face.

If looks could kill, I'm sure I'd be a dead man by now. Too bad he has no idea who he's dealing with, but he'll learn soon enough not to mess with other people's business.

I've encountered diligent, tireless policemen before but in this case, it seems even more than that. This isn't about duty, about upholding the law.

This is personal.

He cares about her as a lover, not a partner.

That's why it surprises me to see him walk out of the hospital alone.

I don't know what happened or where he's going, but after all I've seen I know he would never leave her alone if she was seriously injured, so that probably means he's either got a call, or she's gonna be in there for a while.

The weight of the gun that's safely tucked into the waistband of my jeans reminds me I have a job to do, and I follow Boscorelli's retreating form as he inches towards his car.

His pace is slow, tired, yet the determination in his eyes could scare a man a thousand miles away.

Had we met under different circumstances, I'd have liked to get to know him better. He definitely strikes me as the kind of guy you wish was always on your side.

Know thy enemy, officer.

Reaching for the door handle, I quickly get out of the car. I usually don't like to rush things, but this might be the perfect chance.

Boscorelli stops for a moment, looking over his shoulder as if he's sensed something. I immediately grab my cell phone and turn around, acting like there's really someone at the other end of the line.

Geez, that was close.

Then debating whether to go after the man or get inside to check on my girl I cross the street, and in the split second that it takes him to unlock his own vehicle, I make my decision.

--

The world slowly came into focus, allowing her foggy brain to concentrate on the smell of antiseptic and the silence that surrounded her.

She blinked, sitting up quickly on the bed.

The dream had been so vivid she still had goose bumps on her arms.

Beads of sweat had formed on her face and hands and she shivered, her body still as she waited for her breathing to become less ragged, for her heart rate to slow down.

Rubbing a hand over her eyes, Faith took a deep breath and tried to shake the images from her brain.

The place she'd found herself in was familiar, but in the near darkness that enveloped it all she could make out was the blurred shape of an old couch and the outline of a window.

Then her eye caught a flash of something, but it was already too late.

It had all been too real: the fear that had frozen her in place as strong hands grabbed her from behind, the harshness of the cement wall as she was forced against it, the numbness at the realization that she was going to die.

Waking up to an empty hospital room, Faith wrapped her arms around her stomach and tried to remind herself that it wasn't real. Still, she felt a slight amount of uneasiness settle in the pit of her stomach.

Sliding her legs off the bed, she slowly stood up.

The pain in her bandaged hand had turned into a dull ache but she ignored it and looked through the glass at the nurse's main desk.

She couldn't remember falling asleep.

Proctor was supposed to bring in her prescriptions, and Bosco... Her body instinctively tensed, and she wondered where he was. His presence had been so comforting over the last two days that she felt alone and vulnerable if he wasn't there.

Mary Proctor looked up from the paperwork she was filling and met her gaze. The woman smiled, then put down her patient's chart and walked up to her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I just woke up." Faith shrugged. From the worst nightmare of my life, she wanted to add, but kept the information to herself. "And this hand is killing me."

The nurse motioned for her to sit back on the bed. "I think I can do something about that."

"How long have I been out?"

"Almost an hour."

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah. It's been a slow day so far and Bosco thought you could use some sleep so we kind of kept the room off-limits to anyone."

Faith nodded her head, a grateful expression on her face. "Where is he?"

"He said he had to go to the station for a while. Should be back soon though, so don't even think about leaving this place without him." The woman finished, winking at her.

She smiled back. "I won't."

Mary handed her a small plastic cup with two white pills in it. "This should help you with the pain."

"Thanks."

"Your prescriptions are over there on the table. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything."

Another nurse suddenly appeared at the door. "Multiple MVA coming. We got at least four injured, ETA two minutes."

"Okay." She closed the curtain next to her bed to give her some privacy in case they needed the room. "Faith, I gotta go, but you can stay in here as long as you want."

"Thanks, Mary."

"You're welcome."

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Perfect.

I stare at the words blinking on my laptop's screen and smile at myself.

It's amazing how much you can do with a computer, how many things you can find if you know where to look, and for once in my life I'm grateful for the hours I spent studying it at school.

My plan's already working, and that proves the decision I made was right.

They're not gonna find me.

As soon as we're together, me and my girl will leave the city, and with my financial backing there's basically no place that we can't go.

I can hardly wait.

Turning off the computer, I place it in the passenger's seat next to me and reach for the cell phone again.

This is the last call I'm gonna make from here. You're welcome to trace it, but that's not going to help.

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'Hi, this is Bosco. Leave a message and I'll call you back.'

Faith sighed and put the receiver down.

Sure, there could be lots of reasons why Bosco wasn't answering his phone but in her mind, none of them was good. Her heart accelerated in spite of herself, the hairs prickling up on the back on her neck.

She'd been waiting for about forty minutes, at first sitting down on the bed in her room as she'd been advised to, then walking up and down the busy corridors of the ER, but when the clock read 7:30pm and there was still no sign of him she'd reached the public phones at the end of the hallway and dialed his number.

She just wanted to hear his voice, learn what was taking him so long, but was rewarded only with the metallic voice of a pre-recorded message.

Heading back towards the nurse's desk, Faith couldn't help thinking that something was wrong. Of course she had no proof to back that up, but ten years as a police officer had improved her skills and sharpened her senses.

Glancing at the 'restroom' sign to her left, she decided to follow it. Maybe splashing some cold water on her face would help to shake the feeling away. Her gaze dashed between the door and the main desk, then landed on each nurse, doctor or grieving relative around her.

She had the distinct impression that someone was watching her, and had to stop a couple times to look over her shoulder before disappearing inside the ladies' room.

A few moments later, she was back in the hallway and about to ask someone at the desk if there'd been any messages when a young nurse stopped her.

"Officer Yokas?"

"Yes?"

"I've been looking for you."

Something about her tone caused fear to tingle through her body.

"What is it?"

"Your partner." The woman was wearing a sad expression on her face and kept wringing her hands. "They um... something happened, and they need you to go over to his place."

Faith felt the strength go out of her knees. She swayed, and put her hand on the desk for support as her mind seemed to shatter into a million pieces.

She was right.

Something had happened to Bosco. He was hurt or worse, dead. And all because of her.

"Thanks, I..." she stammered as tears filled her eyes. "I'll be right there."

Then without another word, she hurried outside.

--

"Jane, Officer Yokas around?" Proctor asked as she came out of the room her patient was supposed to be in.

"No, I haven't seen her in a while."

"She left." A third voice joined the conversation.

Mary did a double-take. "What?"

"I got a call, they said something had happened to her partner and that she needed to go."

"Who called? Was it someone from the department?"

The young nurse shrugged. "Yeah, who else could it be?"

Mary Proctor immediately reached for the phone. She knew Bosco well enough to understand that the only reason he would not come back to pick up his partner like he'd promised was if he was physically unable to do it, but she wanted to find it out for herself.

TBC...