English is not my native language and I'm still looking for a beta reader, so if there are spelling or grammar mistakes… I'm sorry! But if you want to apply for the job as my beta reader… Be my guest!
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own the characters of "Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman"… One Beth Sullivan does… But I do own the character of Jonas "John" Kerrigan!
Rating: I don't know anything about these ratings, but let's say T or PG-13. Just to be safe...
Warnings: This is NOT a very happy story! So, don't like… don't read... This story is the sequel to "Past Fears". If you haven't read that story I suggest you do that first. Otherwise this story won't make a lot of sense… I think…
Summary: Hank and Sully are traveling to Denver to make sure Zack is safe from John Kerrigan. But will Zack really be safe?
Chapter 6
Michaela and Jake followed Elena through the woods. She'd obviously been here before, as she seemed to know almost every path. "How do you know where to go?" Jake asked her. Elena just smiled. "I just know," she said with a laugh. Jake shook his head before tripping over a stump. He swore under his breath which caused both women to laugh at him. "I can't see a damn thing!" he said annoyed. "Well," Elena said, "if it makes you feel any better, we can't either!" She winked at him which brought a faint smile to Jake's face. Elena was about to walk further when Michaela grabbed her by the shoulder. "Shh…" she whispered, "Did you hear that?" Elena shook her head. They were all quiet for a moment. "I thought I heard a voice calling," Michaela said finally. "Well, I didn't hear anything," Jake answered. "That doesn't mean there isn't anything there," Elena said softly. They all started to walk again and followed the narrow path.
"Zack!" a voice called. They all stopped in their tracks. "I heard that one," Jake commented dryly. "Me too," Elena answered. "Well, it sounded nearby," Michaela said, "let's move on before we lose them again." Jake and Elena nodded in agreement. Michaela felt her heartbeat speed up. She was worried. She wondered what they were going to find; whether they'd find anything at all! Let's hope we're not too late… she thought and looked up at the sky. Please, God, please don't let us be too late…
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Hank practically ran through the woods to find his son. Sully had no choice but to follow him. He had tried to slow Hank down and to calm him down, but it had been of no avail. He thought about what he would do if one of his children would be in danger and he came to the conclusion that he would probably act the same, or even worse. He could see that Hank was close to panicking, which was a little odd to watch, because Hank never panicked. As long as he had known Hank, he had seen many different faces of the man. He had seen him angry, moody, humorous and even happy. But he had never seen him panicking. Well, maybe earlier this day when he found out that his son was taken by his worst enemy. He had been close to panicking at that moment.
Sully knew exactly what was causing Hank to panic right now. Even thought both men didn't have a watch, they both knew the thirty minutes John had given them were over. John had given them thirty minutes to find Zack. If they hadn't found him by then, he would get rid of him… Sully thought about these exact words John had said to them. Would John really be capable of hurting a child? Does John hate Hank so much that he would kill Hank's boy? Sully shook his head in disbelief. In these last few days he had figured out that John was capable of many things, but would he really hurt or even kill a child? Hank, apparently, was sure of it.
Suddenly Hank stood still. "What's wrong?" Sully asked him and then followed Hank's gaze. He could see that the path they were walking on led to a clearing, which was just a few feet away from them. Sully knew what Hank was thinking. What if John had taken Zack there? And what if he had really hurt him? What horrible sight would greet them when they reached the clearing? Without saying anything Hank walked slowly in the direction of the open space in the forest. His heart pounded in his chest. His throat was dry and he started to sweat. The fear and worry he felt was overwhelming. He had never felt like this in his life which scared him even more. He finally reached the clearing which was lighted by the moonlight. Hank's eyes darted around, looking for anything that could be Zack or maybe John.
He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw something lying on the ground near a bush. It lay on the other side of the clearing. It was also covered with leafs, which almost caused Hank to miss it. Hank stared at the heap covered with leafs and silently prayed to God, begging that it was not what he thought it was. He slowly approached it and soon saw that it was a body lying on its side, with its back in Hank's direction. The closer Hank got to it the more his suspicions were confirmed. The body was too small to be John's and he soon recognized his son's clothes and hairstyle.
"Zack?" Hank said softly, his voice hoarse. Hank waited for an answer and his heart sank when he didn't get one. He slowly sat down on his knees behind the small form on the ground. He slowly raised his hand and grabbed the little person on the ground by his shoulder. He took a deep breath before slowly turning the body over on its back, so he could see the person's face. What he saw made his blood run cold. "No!" he tried to scream out, but it came out barely a whisper. He grabbed the little body tight and shook it. "No!" he tried again, his voice was still hoarse, but the word didn't come out as a whisper anymore. "NO!" he screamed as loud as he could as he realized that his son was dead…
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"NO!" The loud and pain filled scream made Michaela, Jake and Elena stop dead in their tracks. They looked at each other in silence, worry evident on each face. "It came from over there," Elena said softly. She had recognized the voice and she feared for the man the voice belonged to. Michaela could see that the path they were walking on was leading to a clearing in the woods. She ran to it, Jake and Elena close behind her. As she reached the clearing she saw Hank on his knees with a small body in his arms. He shook it and pounded on its chest hoping it would suddenly move. Sully stood nearby. He obviously felt lost as he watched the saloon owner trying to bring his son back to life.
Michaela approached the two men slowly. "Hank?" she asked softly. He looked up at the sound of her voice. "Michaela…" he said softly, "Can… Can't ya do something?" he asked in a pain filled voice. He laid Zack's body softly on the ground, before the medicine woman, on his back. "Oh my God…" Michaela said and covered her mouth with her hand. Now that Zack was lying on his back in front of her, she could have a good look at him. And what she saw horrified her. There was blood everywhere: on the boy's clothes, his face and his hands. When she looked closely she saw what the source was of all the blood. Zack's throat had been cut and blood was pouring out of the enormous wound. She felt like she was going to be sick. She looked at Hank who was still looking at her pleadingly. "Can ya fix him?" he asked. His voice was soft, but also desperate. Michaela looked him in the eyes, tears burning in her own. "I'm so sorry…" she whispered as some tears fell on her cheeks.
Hank was quiet and looked at the lifeless body of his only son. Time seemed to go by in slow-motion. He felt so many things at once, it almost caused him to vomit. Then he took Zack's body in his arms again and hugged it as close as he could. He wasn't aware anymore of the people around him watching him. He didn't hear the sound of Michaela's sobs, nor did he feel Sully's hand on his shoulder. The only thing he was aware of was his dead son's body in his arms. Realization struck him that he would never see his son again, that he would never be able to watch him play, never be able to hold him again. Never again would he be able to tell his son how much he meant to him… how much he loved him… As all these thoughts tumbled around in his mind he started to sob. Softly at first, but soon he was sobbing uncontrollably.
Michaela looked at the distraught man in front of her. She had never seen Hank cry; she'd once even thought that he wasn't capable of crying… that he wasn't capable of showing any emotions of sadness at all. She thought the man was rude and harsh and arrogant. However, no matter the differences she had had with Hank in the past, the sight in front of her broke her heart. The man who was always so strong was now broken. She could only imagine what it would feel like to find your child murdered by a madman. Hank held on to Zack's body for dear life as sobs were still wracking his body. Michaela couldn't watch it any longer and felt the enormous need to comfort the man in front of her. She moved towards Hank and positioned herself behind him. Sully stepped back from Hank as he realized what she was going to do. She wrapped her arms around Hank and let her chin rest on his shoulder. He leaned back a little in her embrace. Together they cried…
Sully, Jake and Elena could only watch the pair in front of them. Each of them was lost in his or her own thoughts. Sully felt numb. The moment Hank had turned Zack's body over and he saw the blood everywhere, he had been at a loss for words. So John HAD been capable of hurting a child. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that ANYONE would be able to commit a crime like that. He would never forget the look on Hank's face when he realized his son had been murdered. The pain he saw in his eyes… the grief… the anger… the realization that he had lost his child. Sully knew exactly what it was like to lose a child. He had been through it himself. Only his daughter had died a natural death. Zack had been slaughtered. Sully felt anger building up inside of him. An innocent life had been taken! A CHILD had been murdered! How was he going to tell Brian? He vowed that if John Kerrigan would ever cross his path again, that he would pay…
Jake was angry as well. How could anyone do this to a child? How could anyone do this to a parent? He had felt his stomach turn when he saw the blood flowing from Zack's throat. He had almost run back into the woods to throw up, however, the sight of Hank falling apart in front of him had made him decide to stay. It was the least he could do for his friend. Do I really see Hank as my friend? He asked himself. Yes I do… And I will make sure that John Kerrigan will never hurt him again…
Elena stood next to Jake. She hadn't realized she'd been crying until Jake offered her a handkerchief. She felt so sorry for the man she loved. Do I really love him? She asked herself, but she already knew the answer. Yes I do… She also felt guilty. What if I hadn't asked him out to diner? Then this would never have happened! Again tears fell from her eyes. She grieved, for Zack and his father. I'm so sorry Zack… But I'm going to help your father… He WILL get through this! I won't leave him alone…
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From a distance John Kerrigan was watching. He had seen the whole scene, from Hank's arrival at the clearing until the moment he broke down. Finally he'd had his revenge. He had broken the man he hated so much. He had hurt him the way Hank had hurt him so many years ago. He looked at the broken man on the ground. He looked at him, his eyes full with hatred. I hope it hurts Hans… I hope it hurts so much that you won't have a reason to live anymore… I hope it kills you… Saves me the trouble… He gave Hank one last look before he walked away into the dead of the night. Until we meet again…
TBC
See that blue button over there… it's next to "Submit review"… Please hit it (not me!)! I'm dying to know what you think of this chapter! Okay… bad choice of words…