A faint rustling sound reached Olivia's ears. It continued for a few seconds before it occurred to her she should probably check on it. She couldn't summon the energy, though. Her bones ached with a soreness that made even lying still uncomfortable, and her eyelids seemed glued shut. Whatever had disturbed her fitful sleep could wait.
She frowned as something warm grazed across her face. Olivia sighed at the interruption and turned her head away. She just wanted to fall back into the darkness. Nothing bad happened there. She had a few blessed seconds of stillness before a light slap roused her from her drowsiness.
"Come on now, sunshine. Wake up."
Her eyes blinked open to find Lewis a few inches from her face, stroking her cheek with a rested smile. She jerked away from him with a startled cry, wincing as her body protested against the sudden movement. Her muscles felt like rubber, firm and unwilling to cooperate.
"There you are. You were sleeping hard," Lewis whispered. "Must be feeling better. You didn't get sick last night."
She grunted and closed her eyes. She didn't want to deal with Lewis. Sleep beckoned her, and she was too happy to oblige.
Lewis combed his fingers through her tangled hair. "You're cute when you're grumpy," he noted with amusement.
Olivia ignored him and adjusted back into a comfortable position. At least her legs were free. It was so much easier to sleep when her feet weren't tied down. She froze as her leg brushed against something hard. She peeled open her eyes and glanced down to find Lewis's socked foot lying between her bare legs. Her eyes travelled up his form and stopped at his naked chest. His comment sunk into her head. "You slept here? With me?"
"Olivia," Lewis admonished. "We've been sleeping together for months. This is nothing new."
She narrowed her eyes. Someone was clearly feeling peppy. Her hand twitched against the rope binding her arms to the bed. Morning people were obnoxious. Particularly when being held hostage.
"Nothing happened. Lighten up, Olivia. You were a good girl last night. I kept my word." Lewis rolled off the mattress. "Do you have to go to the bathroom?"
"You're going to let me up?" she croaked in surprise.
"Why not?" Lewis pulled his navy t-shirt over his head. "I'm in a pretty good mood. You gave excellent service last night."
Olivia turned away from him, her face twisted in disgust. She didn't want to talk about last night.
"Your mouth was so warm and soft." Lewis sat beside her on the bed, tracing her lips with his finger. "And the way your tongue rubbed against –"
"Stop," Olivia groaned, clenching her eyes shut. "Please just stop."
Lewis grinned, a malicious twinkle in his eye. "Just trying to give my girl a compliment. You're not bad when you're motivated."
Olivia huffed and gritted her teeth. "You can keep your compliments."
He snorted. "Have it your way." Lewis stood up and headed to the kitchen.
"Wait, the bathroom?" Olivia called after him. Her bladder had woken up and was desperate for some relief. The mattress was filthy enough with all the fluids already on it. She had no desire to add more to it.
"In a minute, sweetheart." He stepped through the door and disappeared from view.
Olivia sighed and leaned back into the thin pillow as rattling noises reached her ears. Today had barely started, and she was already tired of playing games.
Lewis appeared back at the door, his disheveled hair and twinkling eyes seeming to hide the devil beneath. He reached her bedside and studied Olivia for a second. "Before I let you up, are you going to be a good girl?"
She eyed the water bottle he carried and licked her lips. "Yeah."
Lewis lifted up the object of her focus. "You want water?" He sat down beside her and opened his hand to reveal two white pills. "Then you have to take these."
Olivia's face fell. Not the sleeping pills. Not again.
"I have to go out today, get some supplies. Thought I would get you settled before I leave. You can go to the bathroom and eat some food, but you have to take the pills first," he negotiated softly.
Olivia paused, her tongue slow to work. "What do you need the supplies for?"
"The house needs some work. And we're running kind of low on food." Lewis reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind Olivia's ear. "Might even grab you some bananas while I'm in town."
She met his gaze with trepidation. "What do you want?"
Lewis grinned, his eyes filled with pride. "You've learned how it works, haven't you sweetheart?"
"Just tell me what you want, Lewis." Olivia wasn't in the mood.
"I want you to behave." He met her scrutiny with a firm intent of his own. "Take the pills, and be a good girl when I untie you."
Her brow furrowed. "That's it?" Lewis loved to play games. He taunted her into giving him little pieces of herself. He baited her into fights and then punished her for it with a gleeful smirk. Now, he was offering kindness on the condition she behaved? It seemed too simple.
"I'll be gone awhile. Have to swap out the car, and it will take a few hours to reach town. Plus I'll have to drive the long way back, make sure no one follows me. So why don't you open your pretty little mouth and swallow these pills? You'll have a nice long nap. You won't even know I'm gone."
An uneasy feeling swept over her as she looked at the pills in his hand. She knew he wasn't asking for her permission. Lewis would shove them down her throat either way. But he didn't always want to force her cooperation. He liked to test her resolve, make her choose between fighting and surrendering.
"Hey." Lewis grabbed her chin. "I don't have to untie you or feed you breakfast. You can just lie here and be hungry all day. Makes no difference to me. You seem to enjoy doing things the hard way."
Olivia narrowed her eyes at his callous remark. He used the sleeping pills for the same reason she hated them. They were effective, both in making her sluggish and in knocking her out.
"Or…we could try something new, and you could do what you're told for once." Lewis set his lips in a thin line. "How about this? If you're a good girl, I'll bring back the bananas and give you a full bottle of water tonight."
"The whole bottle of water?" Olivia eyed him cautiously.
"Every drop," Lewis promised. "And you know I keep my word."
Olivia relented and nodded her consent. Ridiculous as it was to bargain her life away for bananas and water, her body needed sustenance. If taking the sleeping pills would keep her in Lewis's good graces for even a day, she would do it.
Lewis popped the pills into her mouth and tipped the water to her lips. "Good girl."
She swallowed the pills down, the water bringing life to her parched throat. Lewis took away the bottle after a few sips, water droplets falling down her chin.
He wiped the drops away from her chin with his thumb and set the bottle down. "Let's get you up." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the handcuffs.
"Please don't," Olivia choked.
Lewis frowned. "Don't cuff you? Really?"
Her eyes widened in panic. "My shoulder, the burn will tear open if you cuff my hands behind my back. Just cuff my hands in front. I won't fight you. Please," she begged.
He raised his eyebrow in disinterest, his eyes falling to the newly formed blisters covering her skin. "Maybe you should have thought about that before you tried to escape," he admonished flatly.
"I said I was sorry for that," she implored desperately. "Please, Lewis. I'll be good."
Lewis waited a moment, searching her eyes. He leaned into her and put his hand around her neck. "Since you asked nicely, and since you were a good girl last night, we can cuff your hands in front - this time. But if you make one move," he tightened his hold. "Your shoulder will be the least of your worries."
Olivia managed a slight nod, the lack of air making her lungs burn. Lewis held his grip for a few more seconds before letting go. She gulped air into her deprived lungs, staying in place as he untied her arms.
Once the ropes were removed, Lewis snapped the handcuffs on her wrists and pushed off the bed. He untucked the gun from his pants and held it against her head. "Come on. Nice and easy, sweetheart."
Olivia bit her lip and swung her legs to the side. Lewis pulled her into a standing position, but her legs caved under her weight and sent her falling to the floor.
"Easy there, sweetheart. No marathons for you." Lewis pulled her up by the waist and held her against him. "Take it easy."
His amusement wounded her pride. Six months ago, she walked the streets of New York and chased criminals without a second thought. Now, she couldn't even stand by herself.
Lewis guided her stiff body out of the room and into the kitchen. The sunlight hit her in the face, sending a stab of pain through her eyes. The sun seemed so much brighter after spending so many hours in a cement prison. Olivia stumbled behind Lewis, his long stride difficult for her to keep up with. They walked by the front door, but Olivia barely glanced at it. She could barely walk. Fighting him in this condition wouldn't do any good.
He hurried her into the bathroom, clearly impatient for the next part of his day. Olivia relieved herself without fuss and obediently walked with Lewis back to the kitchen for her food. She made it halfway through her blackberries before her eyes started to get heavy.
"Sleepy already?" Lewis asked as she struggled to keep her eyes open. "This new bottle works a lot faster than the other one."
Olivia didn't reply. All her energy was focused on chewing this blackberry and swallowing it so she didn't choke. She should try to clear her head, shake away the fog. She needed to eat the rest of the berries, her body was starving for nutrients. But she was so tired. Maybe if she just closed her eyes for a few seconds, she would feel better. Her chin dropped to her chest, darkness once again taking over her world.
Amanda chewed on the end of her pencil. She had been staring at the pictures for over an hour, hoping something would pop out. They had hit another brick wall. The junkyard had confirmed an old blue mustang was missing, but they had no security footage for their lot. The police were fairly certain Lewis had taken it given his pattern, but they had no way to prove it. They also had no idea which way he went.
The DNA from the cabin had also come back, matching both Lewis and Olivia. The new blood sample that came from the house confirmed the initial lab results they'd gotten from the car. Olivia was pregnant. And judging from the amount of vomit in the pictures, she wasn't faring very well with it.
Brian had checked in on his lunch break and insisted on looking at the new pictures. The sorrow on his face had magnified with each photo, his knuckles turning white as he held the iPad. He had then made a hasty exist, making some excuse about traffic. No one questioned his reasoning. They all felt it. Amanda couldn't imagine what he was going through.
"Coffee?" Nick asked, holding out a steaming cup.
"Thanks," she said absentmindedly, grabbing the hot drink.
"What's bugging you?" Nick glanced at the board.
"The baby. It still doesn't make any sense." Amanda shrugged. "If the baby is Brian's, why would Lewis keep Olivia? He wouldn't care about her having Brian's baby."
"Lewis doesn't care about anything," Nick muttered with disdain, sipping his coffee.
Amanda studied the photos spread over the evidence board. Each of these women at some point had seen Lewis for the monster he was. As soon as that moment came, Lewis had turned on them with a sadistic cruelty.
Her mind went back to the first few weeks after Liv disappeared, when they met with the survivors who lived through Lewis' wrath. Amanda would never forget the haunted look in their eyes. Faded scars covered their faces and necks. They had shared their stories with detachment, their voice void of any emotion. It made Amanda's blood run cold.
Lewis stole something from his victims, something beyond the ability to feel safe. He had taken a part of their soul and ripped it out. He so thoroughly destroyed these women, he didn't even care if they lived.
"What would he get out of this? Why would a serial rapist kidnap a cop, torture her, and get her pregnant?" Amanda wondered out loud. "It doesn't make any sense."
Nick's lowered his gaze as he recalled a conversation he and Liv had a few months ago. Dread settled in the pit of his stomach. "No," he mumbled to himself. "That can't be it."
"What? What can't be it?" Amanda snapped her attention back to him. She took in Nick's defensive stance and his crossed arms. "If you know something that can help us figure this out, you have to come clean, Nick."
He shook his head. "No, there's no point. She barely talked about it with me. There's no way she would have told Lewis."
"Told him what?" She turned to him with an exasperated sigh. "Liv needs us to find her. Holding on to some personal secret between the two of you won't help her."
He sighed and put his coffee down. "Did she ever tell you about her dad? Her mom?"
"Not really. She didn't like to talk about her family." Amanda met his gaze. "Why?"
Nick could almost feel Olivia glaring at him, telling him to shut up. The cop in him knew this was relevant information, but the friend in him bristled at giving up this piece of his partner. "Do you remember that high profile case we had last year? The sports reporter, Avery Jordan?"
"Yeah, the one who got pregnant and disappeared with the baby," Amanda nodded. "That case was a mess. They still haven't found her."
"Olivia," Nick's voice broke. "She let Avery go. They found a private plane out of the country. Away from the baby's father."
Amanda furrowed her brow. "Liv let Avery run?"
Nick clenched the table. "She knew what it was like to grow up with a mom looking over her shoulder. A mom that had been raped."
She searched his troubled gaze, her confusion mounting. "Olivia's mom was assaulted?"
"Nine months before Olivia was born." Nick closed his eyes.
Amanda gaped at him. "Olivia's mom got pregnant with her from being raped?"
"Yeah," he tightened his jaw. "She did."
The missing piece finally clicked in place for Amanda. Olivia's burning desire to help survivors. Her hatred of evil men. The way she dedicated her life to putting rapists behind bars. Amanda glanced at Lewis' picture on the board and suddenly felt nauseous.
"It would destroy Liv to have his baby," Nick noted quietly.
"That's why he did it. That's why he still has her." Amanda put her head in her hands. "Lewis gets off on the mental torture as much as the physical. She must have told him."
Nick shook his head firmly. "No, she never would have told Lewis about her father."
"Nick," Amanda sighed. "Do you remember how unsettled Olivia was after ten minutes with Lewis in the interrogation room? That was when he was in handcuffs and she had the gun. Now? After four months of being imprisoned and tortured?" Amanda ran her fingers through her hair. "Even if we found her tomorrow, she isn't the same person. Not anymore. Somehow, Lewis got this out of her. And based on this timeline, he has known for a while."
He looked over to his partner's picture hanging beside Lewis. "He's keeping her alive for the baby."
She slowly nodded in agreement. "If it happened in the beginning, she has at least five months before he'll kill her." Amanda looked over to the sleep-deprived task force on the opposite end of the room. "We have to tell them, Nick."
He slowly nodded his agreement as she headed off in that direction. "I'm sorry, Liv," he muttered quietly. "But we're running out of options."
Olivia screamed as a white hot pain yanked her back to consciousness.
"You were right. Pulling your arms behind your back does tear the blisters open." Lewis crouched down in front of her, a cocky smile twisting his face. "That had to hurt," he smirked.
Olivia clenched her teeth against another groan of pain and glanced down at her discolored shoulder. Clear liquid trickled out of the broken blisters. It felt like a fresh burn all over again. She shifted against her restraints, panic bubbling up from her stomach at how little she could move. Lewis had transferred her to a chair. Her arms were cuffed behind her, straining the raw skin covering her shoulder. Rope secured her ankles to the chair legs, bringing back unpleasant memories. She took in a shaky breath and glanced back to Lewis.
He brushed the damp hair away from her face, a sinister smile lighting up his face. "Have a nice nap?"
Olivia recoiled from his touch and tried to even her breathing. Her eyes scanned across the room. Lewis had brought back a fair amount of supplies. Blue lanterns sat on the small table by the door, their flames casting a faint glow against the cement walls. A paper bag laid in the corner, and piles of rope were scattered over the floor.
"Ready for that water?" Lewis asked, holding up a new water bottle.
Smug excitement radiated from him. His eyes gleamed with a hidden intent that sent fear clawing at her heart. She knew that look. He only got this excited when bad things were about to happen. Her eyes drifted to the water bottle. Whatever he had planned, she needed water. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, and she could feel a headache coming.
"Yeah," Olivia said hoarsely. If Lewis was going to keep his word and give her the whole bottle, she needed to take him up on the offer.
Lewis unscrewed the lid and brought it to her lips. "Not too fast now, sweetheart. You'll make yourself sick."
Olivia put her lips around the bottle and closed her eyes in sweet relief at the cool liquid. She downed almost half the bottle before Lewis pulled it away from her. Her eyes rounded as she swallowed the last mouthful.
"I know," he calmed her protests. "You get all of it. But I have something to show you first."
Her irritated gaze followed him as Lewis screwed the cap back on and stood up. He then moved to the side, revealing the bed behind him. She froze as her eyes took in the young girl tied down to the bed. She thought for a moment her eyes must be playing tricks on her. There couldn't be anyone else here. Lewis wanted to lay low. He wasn't stupid enough to kidnap someone else.
Lewis circled behind Olivia and started playing with her hair. He was saying something, but she couldn't comprehend the words floating around her. Olivia's focus remained on the sleeping blonde, praying to whatever God might still be listening that this was just another horrific dream.
Her mouth gaped as she took in the strip of duct tape covering the girl's mouth, and the blood trickling down her face. This couldn't be happening. Not again.
"Those head wounds, they always bleed more than I expect." Lewis's warm breath tickled her ear.
Olivia knew she should say something. She should try to plead for this girl's life, bargain with the monster bent on destroying everything in his path. But horror had caught her tongue and wouldn't let go.
"She isn't even from around here. Her car broke down on the way to Connecticut." He laughed and ran his hand down Olivia's arm. "She was so lost. No one will even know where she disappeared. It's perfect."
Olivia swallowed hard, the past four months of her life flashing through her head. "Lewis, you know we don't need her," she said in a tremulous tone. The detective in her had kicked in, trying to solve the problem in front of her without anyone getting hurt.
"Is that right?" Lewis kissed Olivia's bare shoulder. "You have another suggestion of how to occupy my time?"
Her stomach rolled. She cringed at the feel of his hands roaming her chest and took in a deep breath. "I'm all you need, Lewis. Anything you want, I'll do it," she bargained in an even voice.
He tanged his fingers in her hair and pulled her head backwards. "Anything I want, baby?" Lewis brought his face close to hers and kissed the tip of her cold nose. His soft lips travelled over to her cheek and then down to her mouth.
Olivia swallowed her disgust and moved her lips against his. This wasn't about her. She had endured far worse a dozen times over. She couldn't let him drag another innocent person into whatever game they were playing.
A muffled chuckle sounded from Lewis as he deepened the kiss. He loved her spunk, her tenacious attitude to protect others at any cost. He kept a tight hold on her hair with his right hand, leaving his left hand free to continue exploring her body. He moved his hand back up her breast and ran his fingers along her injured shoulder.
A choked cry escaped Olivia at his touch. Any desire to appease him was quickly replaced by one of instinct. The pain was too intense. She needed to get away from his hands, his lips. She fought against his hold, but her restraints were unyielding. It was no use.
Lewis finally released his hold and Olivia shuddered away from him. A muffled scream caught their attention, and Olivia's head snapped back to meet a pair of green eyes. Terrified green eyes. The young girl was awake.
The girl's eyes darted between Olivia and Lewis. Whether it was the prison like room they were being held in, or the sight of a burned and battered Olivia tied naked to a chair, the girl started to shake. Tears filled her eyes.
"Look who decided to join us," Lewis noted cheerfully. "Isn't she beautiful? Her name's Allison."
Their visitor shook her head frantically as another muffled cry sounded behind the duct tape. Allison started pulling against the ropes holding her down, the desperation evident in her face.
"You see, sweetheart? Her fear is so strong you can taste it," Lewis exclaimed softly in Olivia's ear. "That's the thrill of the game. That primal fear in my girl's eyes." He laughed. "She already knows what's about to happen."
Olivia watched Allison increase her struggle, panic taking over. Olivia shoved down her growing despair and turned her attention back to Lewis. "Billy," she tried in a sweet voice. "I know what you like. I'll do whatever you want."
Lewis crouched down in front of Olivia with a knowing smile. "You know, the only time you call me Billy is when you're out of ideas."
She bit her lip. "Just let her go, Lewis. I'm the only bargaining chip you need."
He threw his head back with a laugh. "Bargaining chip? Really?" He stood and walked towards the table. "She's not going anywhere. Allison has seen you. She's seen me, and she's seen this house." Lewis grabbed the gun off the tablet and tucked it into his pants.
"But you would have put her in the trunk, right? She doesn't know where this house is. And she won't say anything, will you, Allison?" Olivia glanced back at the terrified blonde who was adamantly shaking her head in agreement.
"Nice try, girls." Lewis snatched the duct tape off the floor and tore off a strip of tape.
"Lewis, listen to me," Olivia implored. "She won't be a problem. You can drive her back to wherever you took her. No one will know."
He took in her desperate eyes with a cruel smile. "She definitely won't be a problem, because she's not making it out of here alive."
"No, no there's no need for that." Olivia ignored the muffled whimper coming from the bed. "Lewis, just think about what you're doing. You don't have to do this."
Lewis strode towards her with anger filled eyes. He swung his hand through the air and slapped it across her face. "Bargaining with me, detective?" he seethed. "Did you not learn your lesson last time?"
Olivia winced at the sting erupting from her cheek. "You don't need to do anything to her, Lewis. Just listen to me for a second," she croaked.
"No, you listen," Lewis snarled. "She's not going anywhere."
"But –"
Lewis set his jaw and swung back for a second slap.
"Ow!" Olivia's head slung sideways as he made contact.
"I'm not letting her go. Besides, I'm in the mood for a new game." Lewis stood to his feet and walked around to the foot of the bed. "You don't want me to hurt her? Is that it, huh?" He took out his gun and pointed it at Allison's head. "I could just kill her now then."
"Don't!" Olivia protested, her voice cracking. Her eyes darted between Allison's horrified expression and Lewis' sadistic gaze.
"I'll be nice and let you choose. Letting her go isn't an option. So I can either kill her now and save her all that hurt you're so worried about, or I can have fun with her until she dies. It's up to you, Olivia." He moved to the side of the bed and put the gun against Allison's head.
Allison whimpered and closed her eyes, abandoning her struggles against her restraints. Her body seemed frozen in place, waiting for the inevitable.
Olivia's heart skipped a beat. Time seemed to stand still. Lewis couldn't ask her to make this decision, not for another person. There were days Olivia regretted her own decision to stay alive, living through a psychopath's daily ups and downs.
Olivia took in Allison's stilted breathing, the gun pressing into her head. Lewis had left the rope a little loose, just enough for a struggle. This wouldn't be a shock and awe lesson for Olivia. This would be a toy for Lewis. A toy he would demolish.
Lewis had long since hammered away at Olivia, cracking away pieces of her soul. Those cracks he created had spread into her heart, into her mind. Over time, sorrow had trickled into those holes. That sadness had become a part of her, like a second skin. But not today. Today, anguish took its place. Olivia raised her dismayed eyes back to Lewis.
"Well, what's it going to be, sweetheart?" Lewis raised his eyebrow. "Do you want me to rape her? Or do you want me to shoot her?"