Chapter Sixteen

Don waited impatiently in the corridor to the visitors room. David had briefed him on the way, helped him get up to date on the case, the huge amount of evidence uncovered and still being sifted through. Yet still they were no closer to the identity of the girl. Don's heart weighed heavy with the burden that he carried for her parents. He didn't want to believe that they didn't care, that they weren't searching for their daughter. Megan had theorised that maybe Bruton had gotten the girl from another father like Sanderson. A father who hadn't wanted his child, wanted a boy. Don refused to believe that there was another person like that out in the world. Well, he tried to not believe, he ignored the FBI voice inside his head which agreed with Megan's theory.

"Don, sit down, it's going to take them some time to bring Bruton through"

Don looked at Megan, before he could argue David stood and guided him to the bench along the wall. He tried to sit still, tried to stay comfortable but his limbs wouldn't cooperate. He kept moving around, his leg shaking up and down with the adrenaline coursing through his body. He felt wired, not tired or drowsy as he had for the past week. Wired, energised and more scared than he thought he could ever feel. Maybe this was a bad idea? No going back now, no way. Charlie had been too proud of his decision to face this man. There was no way he could back out. Not with Megan and David there.

"Hey guys, hey Don, how are you feeling?"

Colby strode through the doors and stood before the three, he immediately saw Don was running at a higher gear than advised for a person in his state. He noted the sweat along his brow, his leg moving at speed, up and down, up and down. His eyes held a slight hesitation, but the determination within kept all doubts at bay.

"Hey Colby, I'm goods thanks"

He ignored Megan's raised eyebrows.

"How are you getting on with the case?"

"As well as we can, the Kasey brothers are singing like new born chickens. Seems the promise of them not having to go to the same jail as Bruton has eased their silence . Listen, they told me that it was Bruton's brother Roy that found the girl in the tape. He was the one that wanted to do those things, when the other brothers found out what he had planned they'd wanted in. It was Joe's idea to tape the whole thing."

"Sick family"

David looked at Don, his eyes were locked onto the door. Colby also followed his gaze and saw movement beyond the glass.

Bruton was here.

Don licked dry lips with a parched tongue. His palms were sweaty, his heart pounded beneath his chest. The echo's of the girls screams resounded within his soul, giving him the strength he needed to stand. Walk forward. He stopped before the door and turned back to Megan.

"Will you take this off?" Don motioned to the sling.

"Sure" Megan undid the straps , understanding Don's need to not appear as injured as he really was. She handed the sling to Colby, helped his left arm into the jacket sleeve, pulled down the other sleeve to cover his hand.

"You ok? You ready?"

"Yeah"

"How are you going to play this?"

"Gonna fake it"

Colby and David stood by the door as Megan and Don entered the room.

Bruton couldn't hide his surprise as the source of his downfall walked in. He'd been told the FBI wanted to see him, but this, well, this wasn't quite what he had expected. He regarded the agent before with a bemused smile. The pig couldn't hide the pain, not fully. Although Bruton had to give it to him, he was doing a pretty good job so far. It amused him further when the woman had to pull the chair out for the pig. Guess that shoulder wound hurt pretty bad.

Don sat carefully, his eyes never leaving Bruton's. He hated the fact Megan had to pull the chair out but loved her for doing it without him having to ask. He sat upright, trying to gain as much height on Bruton as he could. He was still shorter. Megan stood to the side. Keeping her distance yet observing both men carefully. Don tried to ignore the memory of being tied to the chair at the house, Bruton kneeling before him, telling him all the things he was going to do. He stared at the large man in the orange jump suit. Trying to tell himself that Bruton was less intimidating now. Not so tough behind bars are ya Bruton? Don ignored the voice inside that begged him to run and hide. The table between the two didn't seem big enough , mind you, the grand canyon wouldn't have seemed a big enough distance right now.

"Well Eppes, guess you were a bit more slippery than I first thought"

"How are you liking jail?" Don was thankful his voice came out so strong, he'd almost panicked at the thought he'd have to whisper the entire conversation.

"Jail is giving me time to think of new and exciting ways to mess up your life Eppes"

"I hear they're going for the death penalty, how's that make you feel?"

"How's your hand?"

"I should thank you for that, keeping me away from paperwork for a while. The rest is nice"

Bruton's patience began to wear thin, he hated surprises as much as he hated cops. He wanted to know why this pig was here and what he wanted. Niceties aside, time to talk.

"Why are you here?"

"We know it was Roy that found the girl."

"Oh, you're here about the girl"

"Actually we're here about Roy. Seems your brother liked to pick on little girls, guess he couldn't find any his own size. No wonder he went down so easy in the warehouse"

Bruton sat upright, Don hid is surprise at the movement. He hid it, but Megan detected the change. His breathing had quickened. Not much, but enough for a friend to notice. She knew he'd be taking a dangerous route in the bid to find out more information about the girl. She'd agreed it was the only way to get him to slip, to reveal what he was hiding. Yet standing in the room, with the guard on the other side , she felt they needed more people in case things went wrong. Too late now. Instead Megan took a step forward .

"We're wondering if Roy was into boys as well?"

Bruton glared at the woman. How dare she, his brother was many things but a fag wasn't one of them. No way. Bitch, she'd pay for that.

"Listen lady, Roy was no queer. He liked girls sure, but he wasn't a queer."

He leaned forward, locked eyes with her.

"The things he would have done to you, WE would have done to you. You'd be walking funny for the rest of your short goddamned life."

"Any other tapes you're not telling us about Bruton?"

Bruton ignored Megan and locked his gaze back onto Don.

"You don't look so good pig"

"I'm not the one facing the death penalty so I'd say I'm looking a damn sight better than you, why don't you tell us about the other tapes"

"There aren't any others, if there had been you'd have been waiting a lot longer to find your way into that basement."

"Thanks for that by the way. Nice of your idiots to put me in a room with a window"

"Should have broken your other hand so you could have never gotten out. I had plans to cut on you for hours, show you all your internal organs before I killed you, you'd have begged for me to kill you"

"Roy cried like a little girl, cried and begged and then died"

Bruton stood abruptly, the guard at the back of the room reacted in an instant but not before Bruton had made a grab for Don, Megan saw the move, saw it and pulled Don back before Bruton could gain a hold on his jacket. The chair behind Bruton fell to the floor, the noise reverberated around Don's skull as his own chair was pulled backwards. He stood and held his ground. He stood tall, looked Bruton in the eye. The man was mad. Don wanted to crawl away and hide but he was so close, so close. One more button.

"Roy died without any dignity Bruton, he died because he dropped a little girl. She bit him and he screamed, screamed and cried and begged us to help him. From the stain on is pants I'd say your brother wasn't too brave in his last moments"

"You pig, I should have killed you in the street, dropped you in the gutter and driven away"

"Would have been the smart thing to do, but then you're not that smart, you made a video"

"I'm gonna kill you" Bruton struggled against the guard, Megan banged on the door, alerting the guard on the prison side that he was needed.

"I'm gonna cut you and kill you and film it all, you'll be my second movie, a sequel to Jessica, you'll be bleeding for hours, lets see what your pants look like by the end of that you pig"

Bruton struggled with more effort as the second guard entered the room, Megan opened the door, Colby and David walked in and stood protectively next to Don. They'd wanted to enter earlier, when they'd heard the sound of raised voices, heard the chair fall to the ground, but they knew Megan would let them know when they were really needed.

The second guard helped the first wrestle Bruton to the floor, Don walked forward and leaned over the floored man.

"What's her surname? WHAT'S HER SURNAME?"

"YOU'LL NEVER KNOW, YOU HEAR ME PIG, YOU'LL NEVER KNOW. I WANT YOU TO DIE. I'M GONNA KILL YOU"

As Bruton was dragged from the room the echo's of his words joined the little girls screams inside Don's soul. His heart felt so heavy, like it was full of lead and about to fall from his body. The clamminess in his palms spread throughout his body. His mouth felt even drier than before and his head spun faster than a spinning top, he was barely aware of Colby guiding him out of the room and toward the bathroom. Colby had seen these signs before, heck he'd felt the onslaught of this before. Adrenaline was a great chemical but the after effects packed one hell of a punch. He'd nodded to David and the two helped Don to the basin, Megan keeping guard outside.

Don threw up with such force he was sure another rib had broken. He clung to the basin with his left hand, rested his right onto the side. Ignoring the pain in his arms he focused on the pain in his side, across his chest, in his heart.

Jessica.

He threw up again, felt like everything he'd eaten in his entire life had been waiting for this moment to reappear.

Colby kept his hands hooked under Don's armpits, helping him stay standing while he emptied his stomach for what felt like an eternity. David ran the water, helping keep the stench from Don's nose. He ran a towel under another tap and placed it across Don's neck.

His vomiting became coughs, his breathing so laboured. David was about to suggest they call an ambulance when Don managed to gain control of his breathing. Colby slowly lowered him to the floor. All the while talking, keeping him anchored.

"It's ok Don, you're ok. Just keep breathing man."

David placed another towel on Don's forehead while Colby kept a hand on his shoulder.

Don listened to the voices. Determined to stay conscious. His chest and side were screaming their own song and the pain in his shoulder and hand was waving to join in with the chorus. The spinning sensation dissipated slowly, the feeling crept back into his skin bit by bit. He licked dry lips, found water offered, drank slowly. Everything started to come back into focus.

David held the cup to Don's mouth. His skin was so pale, his face drawn back in pain. He wished he'd asked Alan for Don's meds. Would have been a good idea to have been prepared. David looked at Colby who shook his head. Not yet, don't move him yet. Colby knelt before Don and tried to catch his eyes. Needing to see just how with it his boss was. Don looked at him and nodded his thanks. Did the same to David. The two exchanged relieved smiles.

"Ok?"

"Mmm"

"Give it a while then we'll leave, get you back home"

"Her name's Jessica"

"Did you get a surname Don?"

Don shook his head. He was too tired for words right now. Did Bruton know her surname? He suspected not. Would have been nice to have reassurance of that though.

Megan waited impatiently on the other side of the door. She's assured the warden that all was fine, he'd come running down from his office, alerted to the situation. Concerned for the visitors. It was never good to have one attacked. Didn't sit too well with public relations. Megan had listened to the painful noise of Don's vomiting. Flinched with every renewed effort his stomach had made to escape his body. The silence that followed had her concerned so she opened the door and peered in.

"Hey Reeves we could have been peeing here"

"Yeah right Granger, like there would have been anything to see"

David laughed at the two, and was warmed by the sound of chuckles coming from the floor. Don sat with his head back against the wall, smiling at his team.

They'd helped him up, Megan reattaching the sling. Slowly made their way to the cars and Colby had settled Don in the back. He'd lain his head back against the seat .

"Thanks Colby"

"No problem Don. We've got him you know, he's never getting out"

"Yeah I know"

"You glad you saw him"

"Yeah. Yeah I am. Ready to go home now though"

Don gave Colby a tired smile, they said their goodbyes. Megan and David pulled out of the car park and turned left toward the Eppes residence, Colby turned right toward the FBI building.