Disclaimer- Let's see did I disclaim you yet. I'm sure I did, but
just in case-- They still don't belong to me, but I'm trying to arrange
a lend/lease deal for Miguel Ferrer.
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Quickly Wren logged off Slocum's computer, then turned it off. Both women backed up slowly, then went to the door and peered out, seeing the back of the older man at the reception desk. Inching out of the office, Jordan and Wren slid along the wall, then froze, seeing Slocum turn their way.
"Hello? Is someone there?" He called, flipping on the lights.
"Uh, Dr. Slocum, hello." Jordan spoke first, trying to remain calm.
"Dr. Cavanaugh, Dr. Morgan." He came forward slowly; then stopped in the doorway of his office.
"Did you need to see me about something?" Slocum continued into the room, Jordan and Wren following him in as far as the entry.
"Well, come on in Jordan, Wren. Oh, but I see you've all ready made yourselves at home." Slocum waved a hand at the top of his desk, where Jordan had hurriedly left Missy Everett's file.
"Dr. Slocum, I was just returning the Everett file. You did authorize me to go over your notes." Jordan spoke calmly, feeling for the cell phone in her pocket and surreptitiously turning it on she punched 1 on the speed dial.
"Yes, I did, didn't I?" He gave a slight smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Well, it's been a long day. Jordan, Dr, if you'll excuse me..." Wren spoke lightly, starting to edge toward the elevator.
"I'm afraid it's going to be even longer, ladies." The short man's voice still maintained its evenness as he raised his right hand, a gun clenched in his fist.
Wren couldn't stop a quick in-take of breath as she stared at the lethal-looking 45. Jordan's voice matched Slocum's in manner as she said "I know good company is hard to find, Dr., but …."
"Please spare me the banter, Jordan. I know you found out about my handiwork. I guess I should be flattered, it took two women to discover what almost 30 years of police work couldn't." Slocum's tone was smug, and Wren inwardly cursed the medical examiner's cavalier manner with which he waved off 10 murders.
"So what now, Doctor?" Wren managed to speak without quavering. "Both Jordan and I will be missed soon, Nigel will be wondering…."
"Oh, you'll be found, sooner rather then later, I might add." Slocum replied. "Right now, you are both going to take a seat. Now!" he ordered, his voice hardening.
Jordan waited until Wren sank into the rolling chair he indicated; then slowly made as if to join her in an adjoining seat. As she came past the older man, she suddenly tripped, then jerked her hand up and grabbed his hand, causing him to drop the gun. As suddenly as she disarmed him, Slocum's other hand appeared with a small tube, spraying her with a white mist. Instantly Jordan fell to her knees dizzily.
"What did you do to her?" Wren gasped, then shrank back and turned her head as he aimed the same device at her and sprayed. She felt the room receding and tried to fight off the effects of the drug.
"I came prepared for Dr. Cavanaugh's heroics, Dr. Morgan. Just a little something to keep you from interfering with my final, uh, handiwork." Slocum chuckled, a complacent gleam in his eyes.
Offhandedly scooping up his gun, he put it on his desk then produced a roll of tape from his pocket.
"Hands in back, if you please." Numbly Wren did as he said, then froze as he bound her wrists in back of her; then taped her mouth and ankles. Reaching down and roughly pushing a dazed Jordan into a chair, he did the same to her. Wren felt herself losing the struggle against the effects of the drug as her field of vision darkened.
Moments later Wren became aware of her surroundings again and could hear Slokum's voice coming from what seemed a great distance at first but gradually becoming clearer.
"Now, doctors, I'm going to put you in the cooler for the night. It shouldn't take you long to lose consciousness; you won't feel a thing. Tomorrow, I'll come back and arrange a more appropriate resting place. If any of your friends should come looking, they'll find both of your cars missing and no sign of your whereabouts. Oh, don't worry." That sick smile flashed again, and Wren's stomach burned with anger at the thought of Nigel and Woody's being frantic with worry. "I'll make sure you're found, just another sad pair of victims of a serial killer."
Jordan's eyes came alive, blazing with fury at his words. Slocum just laughed. "Go ahead, now try to use that filthy mouth of yours. You pretend to be a lady, but I know you, Jordan Cavanaugh. You're no better then a common whore. And that detective lover of yours…."
Wren struggled with her bonds as he advanced on Jordan, whose muffled cry of rage seemed to only fuel his disdain. Suddenly she discovered the tape binding her arms could be torn at the edge. She managed to bend her fingers and tear at the wide strip of adhesive.
"I ought lure Hoyt here, let him suffer the same fate as you two…" At that Wren managed to rip loose the remaining tape and using her bound feet to propel her, shot forward and knocked Slocum to the floor. Surprisingly he recovered his balance quickly and rolled back onto his feet, then dived for his gun, still resting on the desktop.
Wren had the same thought, then a familiar voice brought her up short. "Down, luv!"
Instantly she let herself fall to the carpet, hearing first two gunshots, then a muffled yell.
"Please let Nigel be all right." Wren's thoughts started to race, then she felt arms picking her up as Woody's voice called "Jo, Jo!"
Wearily she looked up into Nigel's worried eyes, then started to sniff as he gently pulled the tape off her mouth then gathered her into his arms.
"Wren, sweet love. Did he hurt you? Let me get that off you." He hurriedly tore the bindings off her ankles as Woody did the same for Jordan.
She saw Jordan glance in her direction and she nodded reassuringly at her. Immediately Jordan looked relieved, then Woody wrapped his arms around her.
"Nigel, how….oh." Wren couldn't control her emotions any longer, and buried her face in his neck. She clung to him as he rocked her in his embrace, his voice soothing her.
"Luv, it's all right, you're safe now. The bastard won't touch you again." Nigel's words stopped the sob in her throat, and she raised her tear-streaked face..
"How did you know to come, Nigel? I thought we were meeting at my apartment?"
A grateful expression was in his eyes as he jerked his head toward Jordan. "We were, only Jordan here managed to dial Woodrow and he heard you two being threatened. He called me and Garret, we met downstairs. Garret waited for the cops while Woody and I snuck up the fire stairs."
"Jordan…." Wren reached a hand to her then both women hugged, as Nigel drew an unashamed sleeve across his eyes and Woody cleared his throat.
Just then Garret and Sarah burst into the office, followed by some of Woody's fellow officers. They took in the sight of Slocum bleeding on the floor, and of the two shaken women.
"Jo? Wren? What happened? Is he……" Garret broke off at sight of the torn tape on the floor and immediately drew both women into his arms.
"Thank God you're all right. I want you both checked over, Nigel….?" He let go of Jordan and Wren so Sarah could embrace them.
"It was him, Garret. Slocum was our gentleman slayer. Wren, Jordan and I figured out he had a connection to these killings, only we didn't know what the common thread was." Nigel began, and then Jordan interrupted him excitedly.
"Guys, they weren't ladies. That's the connection. Slocum was offended by them, and after accidentally killing the first one, he decided to eliminate each of the women because of their behavior!"
Dumbfounded, Woody glared at the wounded Slocum, who was being carried out of the room, then shook his head. "Why that nasty little…"
He looked down at Jordan, who smiled as she told him "Thanks to his getting our Wren so pissed at him insulting me, she managed to buy time until you guys got up here."
Nigel grinned and kissed the top of Wren's head. "Remind me, love, never to get you angry at me."
Wren matched his grin and his lips with hers. "Sugah, just keep loving me, and I never will."
As Garret insisted on driving them to the hospital, Wren clung to her 'knight in shining armor' and she explained how she and Jordan had gotten into Slocum's computer and found his journal.
"The prudish minded little blighter. Garret, I'm going to have to get into that file, something tells me it's going to hold a lot more answers to what he's been up to the last couple of decades." Nigel growled, then smiled as Wren snuggled deeper into his embrace.
"Don't worry, my bird. I won't leave your side, not for a moment." He soothed, then she looked up at him.
"I'm all right, Nigel. I'm in good hands." Wren answered, grinning.
Fortunately the doctor at the emergency room cleared both Jordan and Wren to go home, with orders to stay in bed and rest. As Nigel and Garret wheeled them out to the lobby, Sarah was waiting impatiently with Woody and Lily, while Max paced back and forth.
"Where's the party, y'all?" Wren yodeled, and instantly their friends surrounded them. Max hugged both women, then fixed his furious eyes on his daughter.
"Jordan, what were you two thinking, snooping around that creep's computer like that? He could have killed you, especially since no one knew you were." his voice choked up, then Jordan put her arms around his neck.
"Dad, Dad, you're right, I know we shouldn't have been there after hours, but we had no proof. Besides, Woody and Nigel got there in time, we're okay." She reassured him, giving Wren a lump in her throat.
"You're pretty lucky, Jordan, I wish my daddy were still around to worry like that." She said with a sad smile, then Nigel's embrace lightened her spirits.
"I'll be your worry-wart, luv. Just hold on to me." He whispered in her ear, then picked her up in his arms and carried her laughing to his car.
As they watched them go, Sarah remarked to Garret, "I say he proposes within the week."
Garret chuckled and shook his head. "I don't think he'll wait that long, if he's smart." He gave her a sidelong look as if to say something else, then changed his mind.
Sarah didn't miss the meaning of his look, and her mouth curved in a knowing grin.