Strucked like she got electrocuted by thunder, Lina watched the small figure coming toward all the way up to the bar. Her eyes widened in shock as the woman was passing them in all lost wonder, until Esperanza called her behind.
"Hola niña, are you lost?" The asian woman stopped her move and turned her head back at her. If Lina could had an heart attack now, it would be the right time now. These eyes, that white rose flower hanging on the left side of her hair tied into an magnificent bun. That dress..Such beauty, but with passion. No wonder Àlvarez got himself under her spell so fast. This woman looked strong enough, like she could handle a battle, walking like a soldier, despite her small height. She had known that woman from before and she wasn't imagining anything wrong at all. That was the female cop from the other day.
"I'm sorry?"
"I've said if you were lost, maybe my girl and I could help ya here.."
"Yes, I'm sorry, I'm looking for a certain Esperanza here, about the bodyguard job here.."
"And you are?"
"Ayaka Richardson, I'm here for the job.." Esperanza took a look to the new girl as she looked from down to Ayaka's head, not impressed at all.
"So you are Òliver's new girl?"
"New girl?"
"He always had a special thing when it comes to meet new things around, expecially when it comes to new girls in town. He believes he owns them when they come up here.."
"Just to let you know this.."had replied Ayaka back before the mocking woman could follow. "I don't belong to anyone here, but to my own person. Just to be clear, here, I came on my own free will. I'm not for sale." Brave talk. Lina stood silent at this answer as she watched Esperanza moving towards Ayaka's height who was standing tall with her black heels, more like a solider's position. The older woman took a look at the new girl, looking quite impressed but not as much as she let seem from her features. Patientely, Lina continued to look at Ayaka with guarding eyes as she waited for Esperanza to answer or to say anything back.
"You look very willing and determinated, young niña and that's something I always look forward into a person. Quite tough enough. Even if the job might be a lot to be excepted.."
"What do you mean, by that?"
"Not only you would be protecting Àlvarez and the girls here, you'd be doing a lot of other stuff in here as well. Since I'd be moving now that I have found my new replacement.." Ayaka blinked twice at this point. She looked back at Lina who shook her head back as if she wanted her to reconsider the job and she looked alarmed. Do. Not. Take. The. Job. However, Ayaka managed to remain still, not letting anything go away from her sight as she looked back at Esperanza, who kept on waiting with her arms crossed to her chest.
"What for?"
"Hitman job is included into the whole bodyguard work. You gotta have to teach the girls a very good lesson, when it would come to correct them.." Ayaka was stunned at this, but Esperanza knew what she was thinking, as she followed;
"Si, you gotta have to beat them up, if a customer complaints to you for the bad service, mi hija..."
...
"Vincent, where are we going?"
"Stay behind me.." Were the words coming out from his lips as they both walked halfaway to the houseboat in the middle of the night. Speed walking to clearify. Last thing Regan remembered was being dragged away by Vincent, who still held a good grip on her hand that started to hurt now. Boy, he looked angry, more pissed of kind. What trigged him with the picture? Did he noticed something in it, that got him mad?
"You stay here and guard the door, I'll be right back.." Her eyes widened in the dark. All alone in the dark? She has no idea of what he was talking about.
"But-"
"Stay, I said." He had cut her off with a order sounding voice as he looked back at her, frustrated as he managed to hold back the anger inside of him. Frightened, Regan watched him as he fidgeted with his keys when his shoulder touched his door and had opened on its own. Stunned, Vincent stood still as he peeked through the place to see if it was burgled. Everything seemed to look fine, nothing was moved or taken away nor of any sign of struggle was there. That's what he thought, until he brought his eyes down on the floor where he saw a long trail of blood from the entry to the stairs that led into his bedroom.
Someone made its way up here.
"Vincent?" He ignored Regan's voice, as he stepped into the houseboat, like a preddator. He was careful to not leave any fingerprints or any footprints, but since it was his place to live, he'd have to deal with it, either way.
"You stay there and don't move.."He said back but more as he was whispering as he walked upstairs following the blood trail. As he stood on the last step, he closed his eyes as he inhaled in, trying to track the intruder with his beast senses. But, just like it happened at the two graves with Catherine's presense, nothing happened at all. He couldn't track anything at all and that was unsual. Something was wrong here.
'Damn, I can't track anything at all..' But he could sense the gory smell of blood. He opened up his eyes as he took out his phone and lightened up the flash. His eyes widened in fear. What he had saw, it was horrible enough. Gulping a struggling cough back, Vincent put the back of his free hand to his mouth as he tried to hold back the smell from him. He stood in shock at the sight of his bed who was now covered in blood and pig blood, from what he could sense. He left his bed unmade, a few days ago, until it turned into a bloody and disgusting sight. A paper led onto the perfect but stained covers. A picture, to be exact. He moved a little bit closer to the bed to see whatever it was. It was the picture that Regan was referring about earlier. The six of us picture, it reached up to him too but in blood.
'Regan was right..' He bend down to get an hold of the picture, picked it up and stood back up with his flashing phone. Drops of blood who were falling from his hold, Vincent examined the picture. The same picture with the six of them but different message at the other side as he turned the picture. His eyes shifted up from left to right as he read the message, also covered in blood. Shaken,Vincent felt his heart racing up at the threat from the invisible intruder. It couldn't be possible. No, no. Dear God.
Hero? Don't make me laugh. You let them say that you are a hero and you're fine with it? You're nothing but a stupid joke, Vincent Keller. Just a coward who would continue to run away from his sins. Deadly sins. People would get to you, one day. They'll see the monster behind the man and I'll be there to see it.
The truth would always find a way to come out, one way or another and you know it, Vincent..
C.
He recognized that handwriting, but what's more weird to him is that he had known the person's handwriting and that person used to be very close to him.
...
"Careful, you have to watch your step or else you'll fall.." had warned Esperanza with her heavy english accent as Ayaka climbed back down from the ladder that led down from the bar. A cave. A secret and the most darkest place of the bar that no one knew about its existence, except the ex-hitman who stood next to her, at the dark. Once Ayaka's feet touched the ground, she looked around, holding her purse to her hand. Everything looked so small in here, enough for someone to become claustrophobic and the humidity air wasn't helping any of it.
"Okay, now what?"
"Come with me, I'll show you, your work place here. You know how to handle a gun, no?"
"Yes.." And loaded too, even if it was a stupid question though. No wonder she was clutching on her purple purse, where she kept it hidden.
"Go, you'll need it for your work here.."
"My work place?"
"It's here where we take them. And when I mean them, I mean the ladies you have to keep an eye on and beat them up here.." Esperanza led Ayaka out to the left where six cages with bars such like in prison, were at their sight, in front of them. In the dark and completely isolated from any light and sound. Three at left and three to the right, leaving one door to the middle between the last two cages. Ayaka looked shocked at the sight and the thought of the girls being taken down here to undergo the punishement from the hitman present, in these cages. That was gonna be her job to hurt these girls in any case of an complaint.
"And that door over there? Is it a cage as well?"
"No, it's not. It's a doctor's office. Àlvarez used to work there from before, to take care of the prisoners, but since he's now stuck at the hospital, we ran out of ideas. We had a few volunteers who used to work at that office, but they sack out at the very last minute.." Ayaka held herself from asking too many questions, that smelled black market in here. She wasn't sure if Àlvarez worked in the black market, cause if he does than he's into the big suspect list at the moment. Who knows if he had stole or borrowed the material equipement on its own or if he asked for someone else to do it for him. However, Cat couldn't ask her that cause she had to earn the hitman's trust first and asking too many questions at once, would start to make things look weird for Esperanza here.
"The last volunteer killed himself, because he couldn't handle the suffering that the girls had go through with the torture. The work I did made him lose his mind and drive him mad. Mad enough about girls getting punished for they deserved, at the end.." The last doctor killed himself cause he couldn't forget the screams and the enduring pain in this place?
"Were you involved into these beatings?"
"What a dumb question, of course I was involved into them, you can ask Lina or Gretchen-Damn, I still forgot that bitch is now dead. However, ever since Lina was diagnosed with a stupid disease, a customer complained that she might have had gave him HIV. That guy completely had panicked to my face and threatened to sue me or Àlvarez. So after Lina was done with her hours, I told her that we needed to talk in a private place. That bitch thought it was outside because she needed a cigarette, but she was wrong."Eyes widen, Ayaka followed the story with interest, even if she was in fact shocked.. Lina used to be beaten too? No wonder the two ladies didn't get along at all, at the first view. "I told her to come up here in this place. Locked her up into one of these cages and the rest is history.. You see, each cages has chains, handcuffs, whipping stuff, stick, axes, guns, etc. You can name them all and you can get to them. You'll appreciate the pleasure of seeing someone suffering for their mistakes and begging you to stop the pain.."
"And the doctor is forced to listen, to them?"
"Only if he or she has nothing to do so, maybe he'll or she'll would learn a few things as well, by bearing someone else's suffering.."
"And it doesn't bother you at all?"
"I got used to it and I kinda learned to appreciate a bitch's screaming in pain way more better now.." Ayaka stayed silent as she tried to count to one to ten on trying to control her fear from showing with her surroundings here in the dark.
"What about you, Aya? Got any grudges against the guy that got you sick?" Ayaka just stared at her back, stunned when the ex-hitman just scoffed with a shrug.
"I mean, give me his number and we'll settle it right now.." If Vincent was born with the heart of a beast, Cat would have had reconsidered the offer, but that would had make her feel more bad than him-What, how could she let herself think at such horrible things like that? Yes, Vincent had broke her heart a few times ago, but to see him being punished for breaking her heart? That was just selfish and unthinkable.
Unless, she does want to see him suffer for the pain he had caused back then. The thought of an possible future was gone for the both of them. He managed to go out and expose himself with Alex and Tori without knowing the danger, made her feel angry. Just angry toward him. He was willing to make big risks for them, but not for her and she somehow hated him for that. But all he ever wanted was a normal life. What's wrong with that? She can't keep on protecting him forever, or else she'll make him feel like he's going to be trapped into a cage with him who he was and what he's capable of, all the same trapping cage when he can go out with wicked red heads girls feeling completely free. Free from her prison. Damn, she was jealous and jealousy led into bad things. She shook her head as she tightened her knuckles hard so they could turn into white, trying to stop thinking about him, even if it was impossible. No, she won't bring Vincent into this or give Esperanza the answer she wants as she shook up her head.
"Aya?" Cat just held herself from bitting her lip as she spoke back, blinking a few times. Releasing a long sigh from her lungs as Esperanza waited for an answer, as she watched her trying to be brave here.
"How can you be like this? Just to order a kill to be done? Without feeling any regrets, at all? How do you do that?" Any remorse, at all? However, the older woman with the heavy make-up didn't seemed bothered by it.
"Pretty simple thing, you don't think twice, you attack and without asking any questions. Let your hate take over and let the rest go on its own..That's what I've been taught since I came up here..And I don't kill, I correct them. Los estoy corrigiendo..." That's it?
"Did anyone died down here?" Cat just shivered in fear at that thought, what if someone had died here? Would she find any skeletons around here? Esperanza just scoffed as she looked away from Cat, staring at one of the cages and put her both of hands into her pockets. A small clue to the fact that she may have something to hide here.
"Why do you think we need a doctor here, for? Àlvarez used to treat the girls, but since he's far away, we'll gotta have to keep on searching on someone who can handle the beating and the atrocious sight of the abuse.."Until they could find a doctor, everything should be under control, but who would treat beaten women when they all know they're gonna be mistreated once they are being caught in a mistake? Someone with a strong stomach. If Cat wanted to stop Àlvarez one way or another, she'll have to play the game.
"So do you accept the job, yes or no?"
"Am I allowed to see the contract, you've made with Àlvarez's agreement?"The contract was brought back and she wanted to make sure it was real, either if was or not legal. She needed to see it from herself.
"Only if you accept the deal and after that, I'll be sending you to your room.." Cat just looked around the place, still unbelieving that the other part of the work she would do, would be staying here, torturing work in this isolated cave under the bar. This was gonna be hard to forget once the job would be over. The humidity in this place was starting to make her feel weird and uncomfortable. And blood, were there any bloodstains inside of these cages?
"May I chose my room?" Annoyed, Esperanza just rolled up her eyes. New kids with their never ending questions, were just annoying to deal with.
"Sure, whatever. So, it's that an yes?" But the ex-hitman didn't waited much long for her answer, cause she spotted a wicked smile formed to Ayaka's face. Cat made her decision. She wanted to stay and punish all the girls and Àlvarez for the pain they had caused to Gretchen and Lena, especially Lena, whose life might be over now. And that was because of Vincent. Something to occupy her claws for the time being.
"When do I start?" Maybe she might be able to deal with the hidden jealousy after all. Taking these girls inside of these cages and beat them up for their mistakes would be quite of an relief. She watched Vincent taking interest into red heads girls without knowing the consecquences from his actions as he had let her deal with his mess on her own, and now, the girls who might make an stupid mistake would get themselves punished and Ayaka would be there to see it happen. Bye, bye, Cat.
Let your hate take over and let the rest go on its own.. Oh she would for sure, as she shook Esperanza's hand. The devil's offer.
And yet, she was still smilling and looked like she was going to have fun by hurting these girls. And for some weird reason, she didn't even cared if her actions would even hurt Vincent or not.
...
"So you're saying that a certain man named Vincent Keller was admitted a few nights ago to this hospital?" Santiago Medina spent the night and outside of the NY General Hospital along with a blond haired woman who was into her mid forties, in blue scrubs. Despite the hospital being supervised ever since Hermandez's death, Medina had no other choice but to invastigate the other case that used to bother him, but kinda got into his skin now.
At first when he first came in, he asked if anyone had known about a certain man Vincent Keller being admitted here, before he went out publicly. If anyone had any supcisions about that man or anything at all. The hospital staff were a little alarmed to hear from Medina that he was working with the FBI and stated that a case, somehow personal was now being open about that soldier being gone for ten years ago, until now. Agent Hendricks was stunned to hear about that point, but it was Medina's theory anyways. Hendricks didn't believe that Keller was involved into Reynolds's arrest, but decided to give him a green light, if it could ever help on why Chandler had lied about.
Maybe because Lowan had something to do with it and ever since he had met Tess's partner Catherine, he felt very weird about this woman. A woman with many secrets from what he could guess and he didn't like it. Maybe Hendricks was right, Chandler could have had lied and may had covered someone since a bullet was found at the crime scene. Rui was right in two things. Primo; The female cop had arrested Reynolds and deuxio; A bullet in blood was found and it turned out to be a non-match later on. And Vincent Keller in all this? He was found shot, by trying to save Tori Windsor?
Medina would never ever understimate his friend ever again, especially when three things had occured in almost one week, all together. He took out his notepad from his coat with a pencil and started to take notes as the ER doctor followed;
"Only a few days. He was still considered as an John Doe before he went out publicly. He was admitted here for a severe gunshot wound, abdomen left side, but down area. I remember cause I was doing the night shift. He was brought into the emergency with that heiress red head girl by his side and we whisked him into surgery right away."
"So fast?" The doctor just rolled up her eyes, it was an emergency, you didn't had the time to think, but act fast, she wanted to reply this back.
"It was an emergency. I remembered running outside, it was late night. The guy almost ran out of blood, all of it. Probably would have died an hour later if he wasn't brought in..He was in very bad shape, barely conscious though. The surgeons couldn't even believe how the heck, Keller had made it through, the whole night.." Very bad shape, uh? Hang on a second, ran all of it? Why? "He was sedated and been transfused with a couple of blood bags for the rest of the night, under the watch of that red haired girl-"
"On what day, he ended up being admitted here?"Interrupted by his questions, Medina kept on writing down or scribbled on his notepad.
"If my memory is still correct, on the night of November the 30th.." A few days after Thanksgiving? Since Chandler had arrested her father the day after that got his attention, Medina looked back up at her, trying to hide his astonishement, but couldn't. Damn, that bastard Rui was right. He cleared up his throat and continued his questions.
"How did the injury wound looked like? I mean, did you ever got a close look at it?"
"I was too busy on saving his life, Detective, it did not mattered to me.."
"But it is important for the invastigation. So, let me ask you again, doc. How bad was the injury?"
"He had an exit wound, which meant the bullet went out from his body, hitting a blood vessel. One of the surgeons who had operated on him had said, that the wound looked like it had been there for almost a whole day and the reason on why Keller hadn't wanted to be admitted when the time was needed? I still don't know.." A whole day? Strange.
"Maybe because he was afraid of needles?"
"Really funny.."
"Maybe the guy was afraid to be exposed in public, after being gone for a very longtime?"Or more like Keller was afraid of the people who maybe had once captured him in the past, somewhere in Afganisthan? Or there was more than that?
"With the amnesia thing, that could be. But that guy could have had died, either way.."
"Cops went to get his fingerprints?"
"You know the procedure. When a patient is admitted with a gunshot wound, the doctors would have to make a report to the cops. After they went, a certain dark haired man in black suit and a petite brunette female cop came in together and told us to let John Doe-Keller, I mean, let himself do the honors and then the rest is history.."
"You remember the names of the two people that came in, the last night?"
"I believe it was an certain assistant of the ADA office, Lowan and a certain Cat Chandler, a cop just like you.." Well, well, well. Detective Chandler was involved along with Lowan?
"The two of them took care of everything, especially the ADA guy. However, the female cop looked quite sad though. I spotted her watching Keller being wheeled to an private room like she wanted to be there with him. I asked her if she wanted to stay with him and Windsor, for the night, but she declined the offer.."
"Why didn't she stayed?" Medina had asked again. Looks like Cat had known the ex-soldier from before from what he imagined. She was protecting him, somehow.
"Dunno, but it seemed to me like that she once had known that patient, Vincent Keller, I mean. In some other lifetime, though.." He smiled back at her. He had just the answers that he needed for now and it was enough for the time being.
"We all have this impression, don't we?" He thanked her for answering his questions and went back to his car, to start the engine and left the hospital parking. Damn, no wonder Chandler had lied during the videotape with Hendricks. She was covering Vincent Keller during the arrest of her father, that was no clue to that. How, Keller got himself into it? He still don't know the reason, but if the doctor was right about the exit wound that looked like it had been there for almost a whole day, it would certainely mean something. He had to call back Hendricks-No. Rui was an better option. Even with Tyler's case being almost terminated much to his displeasure, he started to like that case that Hendricks had confided him into his hands now.
The only problem it was how long he kept on keeping it far away from the precinct and expecially from Cheng. He felt the guy a little lonely and quite impatient, lately. Probably, because Cheng and his fiancee Nataya were in bad terms from what he had heard a few months ago.
He should be fine. He's big boy. He and his fiancee would find a way through all this. However, Medina kept his attention on the road as he was driving to somewhere else's place now. Cause he had others questions to ask now.
And that person was Tori Windsor and Gabe Lowan.
...
Sitting alone at the bar, Tori took a look at her Baileys drink with glooming eyes. The drink wasn't too strong enough for an achohol drink, but it was better than scotch, expecially when it comes to an person living with an stranger's organ though. It was a curse, these visions, way worse than being a beast.
Vincent had attacked her and out of rage. Out of control. He really looked like he wanted to finish her off and for good. His eyes. They expressed anger and uncontollable violence. Oh God.
"You did this..You killed them all!"
He accused her of killing them, but who? The bad guys they once had hunted together? All because they did not trusted the law, like Cat and Gabe had advice them to give it a chance, before all went wrong?
'I was just pissed and deceived by the law, even after someone had set up a trap to kill me-Vincent and I-I don't even know if there's an 'Us' into it. I pushed Vincent to make a choice that did not only cost his relationship with Catherine, but his humanity. I made him become a monster and took advantage of Catherine's friendship. All this is my fault..'
Oh God, there she was-Feeling bad for Cat now. Tori just wanted to finished up Reynolds with Vincent, way faster than it looked, without knowing the consecquences to this. Everything changed. Including after that shooting, Vincent seemed to be latching up to her side, allowing himself to fall into his darkest side of the beast. Becoming more of an animal than man. She've costed his humanity. At first, it didn't mattered to her cause she used to be like him before, but now that she was a normal human and useless, she was scared of him. Like he couldn't keep himself under control anymore.
He blamed her for destroying everything that he and Cat worked so hard together and that was because of her fault. She had destroyed that bond, all that because she was afraid to be alone.
'You stupid selfish brat, you'd thought you could get away with murder? You should have had listened to Cat's plan instead, but you were too angry and sturborn to stay still, weren't you?'
Tori took a sip from her drink, as she sighed. Things were really difficult now, not only Vincent had attacked her with blind rage, but J.T had considered her to go back to Gabe's loft and appolegize for leaving and hiding into his place or else he'd warn Gabe about penatrating into his place to see Vincent, without his accord and put the injoction against her, for real this time. Which meant spending a few days in prison, for violating his rights.
Gabe was making her feel uncomfortable. The accusations he was facing could be bad for his career and his beast past could exposed with Tyler's murder. After what she had seen in him, she didn't felt any safe. She couldn't go back, but Vasquez?
This woman claimed to have known her mother and been blackmailed by her late father.
'Why? Because she had seen him transform into a beast, or the fact that he may had attacked my mom? No..Dad would had never done that.'
Cause Curt used to love her mother once, didn't he? And Veronica looked very serious when she finally had the chance had meet her. That night at the bar changed everything about the way she had seen about her father.
She was at the same bar, same place as she shared a drink with that woman who came with a file. Tori had a bad feeling about that file, something that would tell her about a dark secret that her father used to hide from her.
"What's inside of that file might change the way you used to see your father as a good man, Tori.." Veronica had warned her by pointing the file on the bar. The red haired woman took a look to it before her eyes had gone back up to the blond haired woman. "What, what are you talking about?" She put a hand through her hair as if she wanted to control her frustration, waiting for Veronica to answer.
"The fate that your mother chose to have with him had cost her, very deadly.."
At first, Tori didn't wanted to believe her but when she opened up the file, she stared at pictures of an Curt Windsor on the phone, others meeting a strong man, mostly a hitman. The same hitman who held gasoline bottle, her mother with another man with a bag full of clothes on one hand while the other held a notebook. A passport, to be exact, meaning she was on the edge on leaving her ex-husband and her daughter. To be far away from them.
Her mother was afraid of her ex-husband and mostly of her daughter who had the chances of becoming one too. The last photo had shown a car who ended up being exploded on the road as the two lovers were trying to run away to get to the nearest airport. She was terribly stunned. It was no way her father would had done this. Tori looked back at Veronica who sipped her red wine with a frown, but her eyes were telling everything she didn't wanted to know.
"Your father had managed to track your mother. Not only he did found her, but he hired an hitman to kill her and her lover."
"No, no. This can't be true! My father couldn't have never done that!"
"I hired an private invastigator, Tori and he had shown me all the pictures, but it was too late to call the cops for stopping the last one though.."
"Why are you showing me all this? And why now?"
"I wanted to show you the truth, because I know that deep inside, your mother had tried before, but you didn't listened and that was because you didn't knew how of an cold man your father had turned out to be.."
If Curt couldn't have her mother, then no one could. He both had killed them in order to make it look as if it was an accident. He was far too gone and like Vincent had said before, Curt enjoys being a beast.
Veronica was wrong, but the pictures looked so real and unfaked. How could she had missed this? Maybe she was just blind as he kept on making promises like he could fix everything. Ignoring the signs. Ignoring the truth. Lies.
Tori ended up paying her drink as she decided to leave and packing up her things from Gabe's loft and finally decided to move into Veronica's small rent.
Cause she may have some questions to ask, as well. About her parents and their lies.
...
"Would you stop pacing around, for a second? It makes me sick!"
"I just can't stand still, with that threat on my mind, I can't sit or relax, J.T!"
"What do you think, I am doing now?"
"You heard the genius, it won't do any good, Ash and besides, Vincent is a big boy, he'll come up whenever he wants to come.." J.T took a look back at Jeffrey who was standing behind the bar counter, with a frown. Still in his blue scrubs, had his arms folded to his chest as he stared back at some worried Ash who kept walking back and guy looked like he had been dragged out from his shift at the hospital and started to seem impatient now.. J.T was sitting back to his computers, well the two of them who were still functionning at the moment while the other got burned by Tess. Accidentely, to specify. Only the keyboard got attacked leaving the screen in good shape, but he still didn't wanted to make things worse with all the electric wires connected to the computer's disk. And Ed being around them or playing with them, it was just out of the question.
And then came the picture, tapped to that screen with a message behind it, that made his blood run cold.
You're not quite of a saint, aren't you, J.T? Putting your buddy Vincent into the hands of the evil. Can't still get on why he had forgiven you for your stupid mistake though.
Cause I'd would have hated you, instead.
Someone bursted into his place to threat him. Not only he was the only here, but Regan, Ash and Jeffrey had an copy as well. Six of them with Alex.
"What about Alex? You think she had one as well?"
"Don't think so, if she had, she would have called, but didn't. Ever since she started to date that cop guy back in California, he's quite of the protective guy so I think he wouldn't had hesitated to start an research about finding Regan's stalker..Alex trusts us that we can do it without her included.."had replied Miguel as he walked inside of the room. He made sure to look around the club first for any sign of penetration, but none came in. Where was Vincent, by now? After an uncomfortable moment of silence, Jeffrey had let out a long defeating sigh as Ash sat to the bar, too tired to run in worrying for nothing.
"Ash, we need to tell them about Regan. Both Vincent and J.T deserve to know about the situation." J.T turned his head back at them, intrigued on why Jeffrey was mumbling about. Confused, he waited for the black haired guy to answer. "No, we can't.."
"It reached us. Regan, J.T., you and I. And you know what else? It might have reached to Vincent as well. All of us are into this mess.." What reached them?
"They don't need to know, Jeff-"
"Stop denying it! You can't stop him, none of us can! He's back, Ash. He spotted Regan and all of us, including a very living zombie like Vincent.." Ok, that was enough here. J.T stood up from his chair and walked to the bar, angry and offended by Jeffrey's talk.
"Just, what the hell, are you talkin-"
"J.T!" Saved by the beast, but at the wrong timing here. Vincent rushed inside with Regan behind his back, as they both had survived a very long marathon from the houseboat to the club. But in fear. Vincent's pants and both hands looked like they were stained mostly, blood and he looked exhausted completely. What the hell had happened? Did he lost control, again?
"About time you got here, I was about to call you again about the pic-"
"That picture, you mean? Like this one, here?" Vincent had shown up the picture in blood in front of his surprised face.
"Uh, Vincent.."
"You've received one too, no? So that makes five of us.." He looked at the people who were standing here in shame, but mostly of themselves. However, Jeffrey looked he had enough to be the bad one here.
"As long Alex is spared from that madness, I think so. Regan, I think you should tell him the truth. It's not gonna help if we keep on hiding when it had found us, already.." Confused, Vincent looked back at the blond haired woman who was alarmed just to hear up her name, like she was being caught of doing something very bad. And back at Jeff who was now fed up about the hiding stuff from what Vincent guessed. Something was wrong and it wasn't only about the pictures here. They all know something and it was fishy. He watched the others arguing one at another and boy, too many heartbeats were racing up to his ears that he couldn't concentrate for long. A sudden and painful vibration went inside of his head and out of nowhere. He closed his eyes tight with a grunt, as he brought up two fingers to the bridge of his nose, as if he was having an headache ready to explode. There was too much noise into this room. All voices were like into a echo. Everywhere was pain to his ears.
"Jeff, please don't make me do it.." Regan's denying sounding voice was beggining to drop everything down, despite the fact she kept on hiding something important here.
"What truth? Regs, what's he talking about?" Looks like J.T doesn't even know what the hell is going here as well. They were two and standing out of the circle of truth here. Three, if you can count Ed, who was now hiding under the computers's table, frightened by the atmosphere in here.
"The whole truth has to come out and now.." What truth?
"Jeff, we already have had this conversation.." Damn Miguel was also losing his control as well.
"Shut up, Miguel. Vincent and your girlfriend had put us into this mess.."He pointed back at Vincent who cringed his teeth as if he was trying to hide any invisible pain with two fingers to his temple."And since the guy can't even remember on what we're talking about, we'll need to refresh his memory by now. Like I said, enough with the hiding.." The blond haired woman felt like she had all eyes on her and kinda had wished to vanish from all this mess now. She shook her head as tears were threatening her to come out, again.
"I can't go back on it, Jeff, I have a son!" But the dark skinned guy wasn't having any of it as he brought down his fist to bar counter in anger which made everyone execpt Vincent, to jump in shock.
"You should've had thought of that first, before you brought him up here! And we're all in danger here, because of you and Vincent!" Jeffrey sneered in anger back at the crying woman. He already had accused Ash from the past and now, he felt that Regan should know the consecquences of her actions. Standing inside of the group, J.T tried to focus even if he was lost into them. "Please, Jeff, just stop.."had begged the dark haired guy, still sitting at the bar, while Jeff kept on lashing despite what the others had thought.
"It was because of him, that you ended up attacked. 'It' had known about your stupid crush on Keller and once he had known the jerk turned out to be alive, after long enough, 'It' decided to kill you from going to him here.." Regan cracked out a sobbing sound, knowing she couldn't hide any longer now.
"It didn't last, I did stop-"
"ENOUGH!" A surprising growling shouting voice surprised all five heads to turn to the owner who had interrupted them. Widen eyed at an very angry Vincent whose brown eyes were staring at them with boilling fury in them. He was sweating and struggled on keeping his breathing in tact. Or like he wanted to punch everyone in here to just shut them out. Everone kept in silence, while Regan tried to cope with her tears that kept running on her cheeks.
"Vincent-"But the angry man kept on shouting, slapping his fist to the counter way harder than Jeff did earlier.
"I said enough!" J.T stood there stunned at this answer. Vincent had never once lost his temper to an girl or to anyone else, that easily before but this time he looked like he was in rage. Leaving the beast away. Out of control was the answer, he'd feared to happen. He held himself to the counter of the bar for support as he looked to everyone in here, including Miguel who was now sitting at the edge of the edge of an sofa that was tossed from a small spot away from the computers's table, uneased just like Vincent was about to blurt out.
"I think we do need to talk here and like Jeff has said-The truth has to come out. I wonder what it is, in order to be so covered up in secrecy here. So, no one is going out from this place, until I say so.."He rubbed his chin with his fingers stained with blood, which his beard was now a mess. J.T. watched him from his spot, still in shock while the others looked down, feeling ashamed of themselves, cause they have known that Vincent was right and the fact, he was pissed of the hiding thing they've been doing, lately. Mostly, the reason of why he was being accused of with Regan was more intimadating as well.
"Vincent.." Still angry, he followed as he tried to remain calm here, even if he had the urge of bursting out, again.
"And since that my houseboat has been burgled and been found in blood, my bed mostly and including this picture. The six of us with Alex.."He dropped the picture covered with blood to the counter. "I can't go back in there, so neither will you with that threat in our hands and I say-Our hands in it. So, one of you has to speak and now.."
"Don't look at me, I'm just as in shock as you are!" J.T answered back in panicking surrounding himself, like Vincent expected him to say something. That only left him Ash, Jeffrey and Regan in the suspecting circle of lies. With J.T, he became friends and studied with them, they once shared everything by being together, laughing, fights, jealousy, mostly between him and Jeffrey before. Something went wrong after he entlisted or after he had been away from almost ten years. Knowing he wasn't going anywhere with this silence, Vincent sighed.
"Ash.."
"Yeah?"
"Why don't you read the letter? The one I had received, I think there's a clue you didn't get in yours.."He turned back the picture to reveal the message that was written on its back as he waited, patientely for the shaken black haired guy to read. Ash looked back at him with begging eyes. Vincent just folded his arms to his chest with a frown, looking more pissed than ever.
"Sorry, my fingerprints are all over it with that pig blood, just to let you know..Woudn't bring it to the police station, if I were you, man.." Damn, he hated to wait, now that someone may not only be after him, but after them all in here. Ash brought the picture with trembling fingers down to his eyes as he read the letter. Regan clitched her both of her fists so tight as she was shaking in fear, but with shame, telling herself it was all her fault from the start.
"The truth would always find a way to come out, one way or another and you know it, Vincent..C." J.T gulped at this, as he blurted this out.
"Who's C?" Not Cat, please.
"I think we both know who is C." However, Vincent didn't believe Catherine would do such a thing as J.T gave him an weird stare. That person's name starts with an C, but it couldn't be Cat. It was someone else.
"California's stalker.."had brought up Regan as she looked back down, feeling so little into this place with five men. After a moment of deep thinking, J.T slapped his head, completely surprised as if he just remembered something important.
"That's it!"
"J.T.?"
"I known I've heard that name before! That 'C' letter was telling me something though."He went up back to his computers as he sat down on his chair and tossed out the beast files away from the screen as he opened up another window. Vincent went up behind his back and check up from J.T's shoulder as his friend was tipping the California's stalker on Google research. Thounsands articles came across his sight, non-reliables and others that had passed on years ago. From the mid seventies to the mid eighties, a certain dude who was using the nickname 'The Original Night Stalker' or 'The East Area Rapist' whom was quite famous to the FBI, a couple years ago. Serial killer and rapist who had committed more than fifty rapes in Nothern California and murdered twelve people in the South as well. Never been caught. But it was nothing comparing to what they were looking for.
Until something had caught his eye. J.T brought his mouse to the link up down to the third page. Where an a newspaper from The San Jose Mercury News had released a picture from an small condom's living room was teared up into pieces where walls, sofas, couch, tv, framing pictures, tables and including babies toys were all stabbed and covered to dark texture. The living room looked like it has been assaulted and very bad way. Blood, no doubt it was blood from what J.T and Vincent had read. The newspaper had released this picture on its first page with big letters written in black.
"Anything for love. Till death to Us part."
"Oh God, that's self rage.."
"You'd tell me.."Vincent held his breath as he kept on reading the topic.
But what was worse is that it only happened on the days when Vincent went out puplicly for the first time as War hero guy, to the front. Same day, same week. Mid December to New Year's.
"Must have been happening during that Talk show, I think.."
"Read down there.." J.T popped his head at the next paragraph right next to the picture. However there was no picture this time, about Regan being rushed to an ambulance or whatever.
It said that the victim,thirty year old, Regan Bennett was found stabbed and lying into Miguel Valdez's arms who's been trying to stop the rushing bleeding from coming out. Seven to eight stabbing wounds were found and calculated and was rushed up to the hospital after the neighbours had called after hearing crashing and yelling sounds. A fight had occured before the damage had took place. The blond haired woman had been into a serious condition once she had been admitted to the hospital due to her stabbing wounds and managed to identify her attacker who was her husband, Carl Patrowaski, an drug addict and etc.
Vincent stood up, completely stunned at this name. Carl Patrowaski. He had known this name from before since the guy was doing his first year as residance at the same hospital like he was before. And what was worse? Is that he, Ash and Alex had presented the guy to the others, including to an very once shy Regan, hoping she would come out from her shell which it did happen, but when it came to her suttering it was another story, though. Everything seemed to go well as they went on a few dates or even when the group got the chance to hang out together.
What he did not know, it was that Regan's first boyfriend had a bad past with drugs, with heroine mostly. The gang had no idea, at all. He remembered that late night shift when he had to replace Jeffrey once when the dude had to go away on a date and would mostly end up on a motel's old and used bed. Vincent remembered not only the fact he had whinned about Alex pushing the important day faster than he thought, but he also had spotted an colleague putting something inside of his locker. It was Carl. At the lockers's room, where he was too focused on his personal problems, to know what mess Carl was trying to hide inside of his locker.
"Damn it! Alex's gonna drive me nuts someday! Not only I have to cover Jeff's stupid ass for the whole night, but Alex had to be frustrated about our longtime engangement that she pushed the date way more faster! I thought we talked about this before, I mean-I know that we're both busy with our jobs and everything, but that woman wants things to be rushed and done here! Weddings aren't supposed to be like that!" He slapped the door open as he walked inside, still in his blue scrubs and went up to his locker as he fidgeted on his padlock on trying to open the door, but he was too angry to concentrate. He groaned, realizing it wasn't working at all.
"I mean, I'm stressed enough, already. Not only William had pushed me to go back here, but I don't need nobody else to decide what's good for me and Alex's pushing it.." And it just makes me angry, he almost had added.
"Then, maybe you should put an end to your engagement, Keller.." Vincent had gave up his locker's door close and turned to his friend with a smirk, forgetting all anger for a second, as he blurt out this:
"Can't do that or else, she'll get more angry..At least, you and Regs are keeping things cool, I mean with no rush and no black crowl flying around your nest is a good thing.." Sometimes, he envied how simple things were for the both of them, him and Alex before they got engaged. He spotted Regan and Carl stealing a few pecks between breaks, how sweet they were together. He heard from workers that Carl came from a very troubled background before he move up here to do his medical degree and had meet all the gang, but it was mostly with Regan that managed to melt his heart. But anyways, despite that, they were all friends. Still looking inside of his locker, Carl just shrugged as he continued to search for something.
"Maybe I should ask her to marry me, soon-"
"Wrong thing, buddy, wrong about asking it now, I mean you guys are dating now and it's all perfect. Don't destroy it with committement, cause I don't think Regan is ready for that-" Vincent blinked at the sudden sound in surprise, as he got cut off, in out of nowhere. However, Carl interupted him as he closed up his locker, but with force instead that shook him by surprise. As something that looked almost invisible fell off from the locker, unnoticed for the two of them.
"How do you know that, Keller?"
"Cause, she doesn't talk much?" Trying to be funny, Vincent? Well, it didn't worked.
"Well this is where you're wrong! Love does excist and it does last forever, even if it takes time for two people to come together. Only an ass like you don't seem to take it seriously!" Damn, that guy was being a little agressive here as Vincent tried to light things up with a nervous chuckle.
"Heey, calm down here, I never said I didn't take it seriously. I just said that sometimes, Alex does drives me crazy, like enough crazy to jump off the roof-Because she drives me crazy, ok?" However the other guy didn't looked convinced.
"Yeah, whatever Keller.." Vincent watched the brown haired guy with blue eyes picking up something from the floor that looked like a small bag with some white power inside and once that guy had rose up to his feet, he noticed his nose was starting to bleed and red spots were on his forearms like he used something to inject himself. That something looked very hard and strong as well. Drugs? Why would Carl carry them around here? Vincent just stared up at him and figured out that Carl was far from being nice here. He looked depraved, he had bloodshot eyes, his skin too pale enough to be sick, his long brown haired was a dirty mess, his clothes were wrinkled as they weren't ironed from a very longtime. The guy before looked like a ghost, more of an depraved ghost. It just creeped him out, on how drugs can take a hold of yourself and Dr. Marcus had let him in, in this horrible state without noticing all the bad behavior or the fact that one of the staff here was taking drugs?
What about Regan? Did she known about this, that her boyfriend was drugging himself, behind her back? Carl looked back at him, angry, but alarmed as he guessed what he had been hiding for a very longtime.
"What are you looking at?"
"Nothing!" Vincent just shook his head as he got caught staring up at him. A little spooked due to that tone. If drugs has that effect on you, you wouldn't want that to happen to you or to anybody else.
"You want some, Keller? Cause I know a guy down there on the street-" Nah, not a chance. Vincent gulped as he declined the offer, putting up his hands in front of himself as he surrounded looking all guilty. He hated drugs, including the hard ones on the streets that came from bad strangers as his parents had told him before. Don't do drugs or alcohol or else you're gonna die.
"Sorry, I'm not that interested, I wouldn't want my nose to bleed that much though.." Gotcha and oops..
"Damn it.."
"You okay, man?" He looked back to Carl being worried for the guy who tried to hide the rushing blood from his nose in shame.
"Look, I've got to go on my break and one last thing here, Keller, you'd better not hurt Alex, or else I'll beat you hard.." A little too harsh, maybe?
"Man, I thought that I-" But Carl had rose up his head revealing more blood that was now running down from his nose. Vincent just stood there in shock as he watched the man threatening him with such anger through his voice. These eyes, he'd never forgotten them from that day on.
"Believe what you want, Keller, if you want to be a chicken and some loser for the rest of your life, so be it.." Then, Carl had walked away from the place with a determinated move away from him, not caring if Vincent had guessed about his secret or not.
"Hey, Big Guy, you okay? Vincent!" J.T's voice had dragged him out from his lost memories as he let out a surprising gasping sound. He looked around the place, noticing that he was still at J.T's club with the others who were waiting for him to react. It sounded so real.
"Oh Boy, I have never said a word from that day on, when I caught him carry drugs around.." A strange feeling of guilt went through him as he thought about the secret he'd never had the time to share.
"Did Dr. Markus had never noticed anything weird?" But Vincent shook his head as he rubbed his eyes hoping he wasn't hallucinating anymore.
"No..I mean I-I-I had no idea about it. It was on my mind for a moment until I've heard about the two Towers. But I had never said a word about Carl using drugs around.."Damn, he should have had, at least.
"Vincent.."
"Welcome to the club.." Vincent turned around back to see Jeffrey's frown forming up to his face. "Now, you know your place into these pictures, Keller..Cause you've hidden something big behind our backs, during the entire time.."
"Look, Jeff.."Ash tried to explain, but Vincent cut him off as he defended himself back to the guy standing behind the bar.
"I thought he would come out on his own.." At this, Jeff just scoffed in mockery like he couldn't believe a word from his old buddy.
"On his own? You really believe he could have done that, on his very own, like a big boy? A junkie stays a junkie, Vincent. No change to that! Ash ended up in jail, after he told the staff that someone was carrying some powding heroine -"However, Ash cut him off before he could add any other bad insult that he might regret.
"Someone did tried to frame me, Vincent. And I believe it was Carl's doing.."Vincent walked back to the two guys, trying to understand the situation now that he was also a part into this mess, only he didn't say a word about Carl or even admitting to Regan that her boyfriend was using drugs behind her back.
"And later, Regan got attacked and left for dead.." Miguel had murmured a few spots away from them as the blond haired woman looked away as if she wanted to disapear from this place.
"The very same week when you shown up, your lovely ass to the public.." Jeffrey made his way out from the counter bar to face up to him as he watched the ex-soldier looking back at him, at Ash, at Regan and Miguel. So confused, Jeffrey should've have felt bad for him, but he wasn't, but Vincent knew better. He blamed him for leaving them alone with a threat that used to be their friend.
"Why?"
"Because, he wanted me to pay for my sins.." Regan refused to look up to him, she felt so ashamed. She didn't wanted Vincent to look up to her, pitying her as a victim though.
"What sins? Regan, you couldn't-"
"Seriously, Keller, are you that dumb? It's because of you! You were the target into this attack!" Jeffrey's eyes were full of anger as he had said this, believing Vincent was a complete fool. That was just enough and Jeffrey had it, already. His voice had spooked everyone here. " Carl had known about her stupid crush about you and had her attacked and left her for dead for it!" He pointed him as if it was his fault from the entire start. "Isn't that enough for you to understand, Vincent?"
"Look, Jeff. Let's not start a fight here, I'm sure we can talk a few things out here!" J.T. tried to negotiate things here as he saw how bad they were about to turn onto.
"There's nothing else to say here. You're way worse than Keller here, Forbes.."However it just made things worse as J.T. had raise his voice up in anger when Jeffrey had just insulted him.
"Say that again-"
And then, Regan took off and dropped her purple shirt down on the floor, revealing a black bra, even before Jeffrey could follow and threat the so-called War Hero man, revealing the red scars, still healing scars from the attack. She couldn't take it anymore, any fight between the men. J.T went right next to Vincent's side and stood in shock from the sight he and his best friend were exposed at now. The two of them were dreadfully in shock. Their expression said everything that words couldn't.
"Regan.." But the blond haired woman looked down on them, as she felt like this moment had to come one way or another.
"This is why I said that I was lucky about the drinking night, but it was a lie. I mean, about getting drunk, cause I didn't drink any of it..The scars were the reason." Oh God, she felt all their eyes on her while Miguel tried not to look at them sharing the same pain and guilt with her. These red scars that marked her body, her torso scared for the rest of her life. "That's what love did to me.."she blurted out to the two and speecheless men before her sight, recalling the hauntening events from what she had known.
Carl had tried end her after she chose her son over him, after giving him so many chances to get a hold of himself, but he failed after she caught him cheating on her. Either it was sneaking out from rehab or taking some powder that was kept hidden to her lingerie clothes, at late night.
The early years when they got married were sweet, however they got bitter as she got know him better. Moving into a new city, a place to live and to live together as long as they both shall live. But, it was for a short time. Jealousy were drifting them apart with them as nurse and doctor working at the same hospital, including the long and heavy hours she went through. Even Carl used to believe she was cheating on him, since she often had come home late. It was also rumoured that he had yelled up and often had beaten her up. And Regan being the nice and patient one into this sacred marriage had believed that, he would change and ask her for forgiveness. Oh, she waited and waited, not sharing a word about the abuse to anyone in order to save the appearences. She really had believed in him, only that moment never had occured despite his promises of changing, he never did. Drugs were hidden into the drawner of their bedroom and lots of them were there in the place. They were the cause of these accidents.
And then came the time when he believed that with her becoming pregnant from him would had been a curse than a blessing. Regan had thought that forming their own family would help him to ease the mistakes he had done a longtime ago and start a new beginning, being married and forming a family. She thought that her love for him would heal him. Love heals everything, doesn't? Oh God, she was so naive and wrong.
Love was blind and violent.
Regan remembered being rushed to the hospital after Carl had pushed her down, falling downstairs and being eight months pregnant. Blind rage. What a nightmare, she remembered her cries for help, but mostly the blood falling from her insides, fearing to lose her baby. Her baby boy whom Carl believed was cursed. It just changed everything and the thought he had tried to kill her once, just changed everything.
Vincent David Bennett was born a few weeks later.
That little boy that had Carl's brown hair and Regan's blue eyes, handsome and brave which was so unlike Carl and even if she'd never had the chance to date him because of her best friend, he did somehow looked like Vincent. No wonder she named her child after him. Because little Vincent looked brave like him, even Alex had approved the fact.
"You don't have to worry, Regan, Vincent would have been very happy to hear that you named your son after him. I know that, don't worry.." Alex came all the way to support her through the hard time after she went through the c-section procedure and luckily her baby was brought up safe into her arms. Little Vincent was a little weak at the first days, but had shown that even a little guy like him could become stronger and much more stronger in a whole month. Regan refused to have the cops around fearing that an invastigation would start and expose everything in public. Stating it was only a stupid accident, but it was the only and last time she had taken her spouse's defense. She held her little baby into her arms and vowed that nothing bad would come to him, cause she wouldn't allow anyone to do it. She kissed his forehead as she made that promise to him.
Three years had passed and everything seemed to go back into normal, Carl tried to stay clean and to get a job, which had successed for the first months and tried to regain Regan's trust later on. However, she didn't wanted to fall for his tricks anymore, but she did suggested that they should go to see a therapist helping them to fix their problems. Hell chaos had occured and why? Because a therapist would cost too much and Carl needed money and why for? Drugs, were the answer. He didn't stay clean, long enough.
Or else it was over for the two of them. Regan didn't wanted to live the same experience with him all over again. Threats of divorce had came after she had made a few calls with her aunt, who used to be a young profiler from the FBI and a lawyer for now, feisty and brillant, Attorney at the crown, Diana Bennett who suggested her to a divorce lawyer to end this marriage in the right and peaceful way and without any fight. She and Brianna Valdez had talked about the possible things that could happen, such if she would still keep her baby and far away from her husband and that her rights would be respected.
And Carl wouldn't receive a penny, until he proved himself worthy or would ever see his son again, not into that agressive state, she hoped to get full custudy of Vincent and keep her money to herself and to her son. Far away from his father. The monster inside of him had broke a nerve when he had found out about the news that she was asking for a divorce and an injonction against him. Auntie Diana made sure that if someone laid a finger on her or little Vincent's hair, she would alert the state cops and the FBI altogether in order to protect the two of them. The hell with exposure.
And when Carl heard that she was starting to see someone and had the idea to sell the appartement behind his back, it was way worse...
She was told to move away with her boy, after the letter threats, the chocking threat and then came the attack when he had come over into the place, out of rage.
Thank Goodness, Vincent was living with her aunt, or else that boy wouldn't had that second chance on living. Regan remembered that she had threatened to call the cops about his presence here and the fact he was menacing her, scaring her.
"Tell me! Where are they? Them! Where are they?" So depraved, he wanted drugs and he needed the money to get to them. Leaving the door left open, Regan stepped back, chest heaving as her heart wanted to explode out of her small ribcage as Carl kept on walking towards her, only she didn't wanted to stop from walking behind, keeping on staring his bloodshot and hungry eyes. But she took her courage into her hands, facing him with head straight even if her eyes couldn't hide their fear. The phone was ringing, somewhere into the living room.
"They're not here.."
"You've hide them with that demon! That little bastard-"
"Vincent is your son!"
"No! He's a demon and a demon needs to be destroyed!" Oh God, he really did believed his own son was a demon and the fact that she named him after Alex's dead boyfriend and after some very popular king, David, one character from the Bible and after her father as well and keeping her last name. Leaving nothing to Carl. Because, little Vincent looked nothing like him.
"Stay away from him!"
"I'd like to see you try, you little bitch!"
"Regan?" Damn, what Miguel was doing in here? He was supposed to meet her with Diana by tomorrow morning. She took the opportunity of distracting him by taking something from the table as she watched him smirk due to her new boyfriend's voice through the phone.
"Ok. First, it was Keller and now you're into this stupid-"
And she knocked him with a empty vase and quite hard enough to hear him grunt. She rushed back into the bedroom and had locked up the door in haste even if she wasn't sure if he was counscious or not after the hit. She opened the drawner and digged through it to find the burner phone that she bought a few days ago and locked herself inside of the closet as she dialed the 911 number with shaken fingers, in fear.
"San Jose Police Departement, how can we help?"
"Help, I need help!" She couldn't hold herself from yelling being terribly frightened despite the voice at the other line had stayed calm and patient as it followed.
"Hello, ma'am, what's your emergency?"
"My husband is trying to kill me!"
"Ma'am, calm down and tell me; what's going on? We can help you-"
"I've should have it done it sooner! I should have turn him in!"
"Who is him?"
"My husband, Carl Patrowaski-"
"Did he had tried to hurt you? or abuse you? Does he has an drug past?"
"Please sent the cops! Please sent anyone!"
"Give me your name and your address, ma'am and we would sent someone-"
"Regan Bennett, 134th Adams Lane-" Her breath got cut off in surprise as she felt an rope tied around her neck, feeling like she was chocking up or more like she was about to die from suffocating from not having much air. He dragged her out of the closet as she kept on moving her legs. Damn, he was still alive. She dropped off the phone on the floor as she held the cord with her both of her hands, gasping out for air. She heard him laugh at her ear.
"Think you can get away from me, you little witch? Well you can always dream about it, sweetheart.."
"Please, please.."
"Ma'am, ma'am, are you still there?"
"Calling someone, my dear wife?" She gasped in heavy and deeping breaths as he pressed harder to the cord which made things harder for her breathe, trying to fight his tightening hold.
"Regan!" Oh God, it was Miguel's voice from the door. "Are you there?" And Jeffrey, too? She must be dreaming as stars were starting to appear but also felt his fingers loosen up as she felt him turn around. This could be her chance.."What on earth-"With a elbow move from behind she backed him to his face. Even to hear his nose crack was quite of an enjoyment to hear. Carl fell down on the floor, holding his broken nose in pain as she sat up and jumped away from his body, when she felt the floor coming closer to her face. That man had no secrets when it comes to pain, feeling her ankle being grabbed from behind. Tears from fear were threatening to fall over on her face, as she tried crawl over the floor trying to run, despite being held by a monster. Regan felt hopeless as she cried in pain when he had grab an hold of her hair as he made her head rose up from the floor. He whispered to her ear, feeling the blood running down to his lips.
"You think you can get away from me?"He brought his weight on her back as he squished her to the floor, making her stuck between the floor and him. And then she felt it. Her blood stopped to run through her veins, for a second. Regan shivered due to the cold contact tracing to her neck as her eyes widened into shock. He had a knife. When the other hand was slowly was pressing her buttocks through her jeans. Oh God, was he trying to rape her now?
"You know what King Henry VIII did do to his second wife, that little slut Anne Boleyn? He made her lose her head and made her bleed into shame for her actions. You're about to get the same treatment that she had to go through.."
Dying in shame. Regan held her breath together as she closed her eyes tight not allowing any tears to satisfy him by preparing for the blow to come, but she somehow hold onto Miguel's yelling her name loud enough coming through the hallway. He was close.
"Ask for forgiveness, dear wife and death would be spared.." And then, she found strength by thinking over Miguel of how she kept telling herself that she loved him, that she felt safe with him and he does treat her with respect and love.. He only could and not Carl, who just couldn't do it, because it wasn't in his nature of living.
Because he was a monster from the beggining, who managed to fool everyone, including her.
"No!" she elbowed him from behind and spun around so that she could face him..
Vincent and J.T. just stood up here as they heard Regan telling her part of the story. A fairytale that went wrong. She continued by telling them that she fought over and over Carl, even scratching up his face, clawing and leaving marks on his face, once she had managed to turn over to face him, in anger. However, that raged man acted faster than she did though because he had rose up the knife and stabbed her over seven to ten times, of course she remembered. The blood. Everywhere was blood to her vision as she managed to escape her evil captor to run back into the living room in blood and scarred to death. Not carrying for any damn thing as she carried herself into Miguel and had lost consciouseness in his strong arms. Everything went black later on. EMT and cops came later on and took an very crittical bleeding but fighting Regan to the hospital while cops where searching for Carl who managed to destroy every object to the house with his blood and Regan's, marking their delusional moment so that everyone would know their story.
Alex had her treated with the very most precious care ever, Ash whom just had come out from prison had heard the news later on and bloodstains on both Miguel's and Jeff's clothes were enough for him to say that Carl had blown everything from that darkest and most horrble night.
When Regan woke up, a week later after the attack, she'd had to make a decision either to stay here or to move out, in order to survive and the scars would never let her forget about. First it was her aunt that told her to leave the city under a fake identity, but after hearing Alex's plead, she had known she had no choice but to leave and ask for help. Asking for Vincent's help.
And she identified her attacker to the cops, cause there was no way Carl could make it unnoticed anymore. He needed to be stopped, and if the cops couldn't do it, then Vincent might be able to do it.
"You're never gonna feel safe by staying here, when he's still around, Regan. You need to leave. Go back to NY, you'll feel safe out there than here.."
"And who is this person?"
"That man that came out at the news a few days ago. Vincent Keller.."
And there she was today and before him demanding help from him. With her body scarred with scars still healing from the trauma. Vincent didn't knew what to say cause he was far too stunned to act.
"I thought that Alex was losing up her mind when she told me this, but after I've seen you on TV with that red haired heiress, I had second thoughts. Ash and Jeff refused that I go back here because of the mess and the fact that I was still recuperating with my injuries and that I'm still am. I took the plundge and went through with my gut.."had explained Regan after she stold the story, still refusing to look up at the shaken man standing before her.
"We did try to convinced her to stay, Big Guy, but she refused to listen to any of us after she took Alex's word."
"But what about Carl? Do you still think the departement at San Jose are, you know, still looking for him?" had asked J.T. still shaken as Ash replied back with a shrug.
"Could be, but I don't know, he fled away right after the cops had rushed to the appartement leaving the place into a huge mess. All in blood."
"My blood.." Regan's voice felt like she was fading away like a ghost. The ex-soldier shook his head as he tried to find his voice in all this, but couldn't even say a word as Miguel responsed back.
"That bastard had left his fingerprints everywhere at the place and still managed to run away before the police had got him."
"And you think, he's back here? Hoping to finish what he had started?" Vincent tried to understand from what he had learned after hearing Regan's bad fairytale.
"Maybe. Not only Regan is the target, this time, but the five of us might be.."had clearified Jeffrey who was still angry, but not as much as before. It was a dead end, they were all doomed here, including Vincent and J.T.
"It might be the end, Vincent, for all of us.." had followed Ash back at the bar counter. However Vincent who still remained in shock, didn't wanted to give in. It was no way that it would end in blood. "No, it's not, we can still fix this-Let's bring every evidence that we all have to the cops, I'm sure they re-open the case and stop Carl-"That was it. Ash just exploded now, he wanted to explode after keeping all these hard feelings to himself, after years and years, being used by his so-called friend, Carl, the drug user who manipulated all of them.
"And than what, Vince? What the cops are going to tell? They're going to open up an invastigation from the entire start, from how you entlisted to the army, how Regs and Carl had meet, how they fell for each other, got married and how she ignored the signs that he was in fact hurting her, by chosing drugs instead of her? How they're going to find out that you known about the fact he was using drugs the entire time and hadn't said a stupid and single word to any of us?" His brown eyes were burning in fury right back at Vincent who tried to keep things all together and nice for once. It was much of his fault than Ash could admit. Yes, he could have had said something, but after the towers got burned, things changed for Vincent.
"But you just said that you were trying to help-"
"I did denounced him, okay? And look what happened? I went to jail for being framed. My best friend did this, Vincent! Damn, you should've had seen my parents's look back then, man. They looked so disappointed in me and warned me about Carl's bad influence in me, all of us! Regan nearly died and for what? Because she choose her son over him whom Carl believed was a demon.." This time, he couldn't help with the tears that were threatening to fall on his cheeks.
"A demon named after you, Vincent.." Ash's voice broke when he had said this. The interested man just stared back at them, undefeated even if his own beating heart was in fact, defeated. He just couldn't face the truth.
"No. It just can't be..It can't end like this.."
"Well, it is. The next time might even be way worse than we know cause Carl isn't going to give up, now that he had found all of us.."
"Including the two of us.."had followed J.T.
"It's over. No cops or FBI can help us, we need to put an end to this.." had revealed Jeffrey back as J.T had seen more clear to his answer. He wasn't kidding, they planned to kill Carl?
"You're not asking that we're going to kill him, right?" Vincent just shook his head right back to Jeff. God, please don't let it become true.
"If there's no way to handle him anymore and even if he is dangerous to anybody, we'll have to end him, one way or another.." They were kidding right? They weren't thinking right-No, he just couldn't do it again. No, he didn't wanted to go on man hunting ever again when it had costed his relationship with the only woman who truly loved him before. Catherine hated him ever since he had choose his beast side from them. And now that he was struggling to find the man he once was before, everything exploded with Regan's story.
They were asking him to set up a kill and to stop a madman from themselves. He didn't wanted to do this, going and sidding back to the beast. He used to be manipulated by Reynolds before and nearly got killed, not to forget that Catherine had shot him, once even if it meant to stop him from doing the unrepearable. He didn't wanted to go back into the hunting kill. His beast side nearly drove him away, almost losing all humanity ending becoming a monster.
He didn't wanted to become a monster and they wanted him to join the group once more. The monster inside of him was fighting his way out, but the man in him kept him locked and why?
Because the man inside of him wanted Catherine, he needed her, the need of feeling her body carressing his own, the heat of love he desired so badly, was still in him. He wanted her back to him, to lock himself up to her hungry and beautiful eyes. To kiss her until the sun would rise up to the sky as they would make love again and again, till they were exhausted and laid together in bed as one. His heart ached to that thought. Vincent closed his eyes so tight,cringing as he was in pain,not because of an sudden headache, but for Catherine. He deserved that pain that she was still haunting him in his memories, despite that she wasn't here with him to guide him. He screwed everything and yet, he still loved her back and wanted her back to him.
But acting as a beast to stop a madman for the sake of his old friends, it just wasn't into his plans. He needed time to think about stopping Carl and it wasn't as acting like a beast that would make things better.
"Big Guy?" As he heard J.T.'s voice calling him up in worry, he rose back and looked up to see an very frightened Regan who covered her bare naked shoulders as she was about to cry again. Vincent didn't really wanted to give up on finding Catherine, but he couldn't let down Regan, after all those years being under the hands of a real monster who almost or more wanted to kill her. He made a decision.
Covering herself with her arms, Regan felt tears running down to her cheeks not even carrying if they brought shame to the faces of the other people into the room. Nobody had the courage to come over. Nobody, except.
"Regan.."
Vincent.
She stepped back trying to avoid him, but he only kept coming more closer to her. She could hear his footsteps coming towards her. She shook her head as her long blond hair were hiding her red eyes from crying.
"Just go away.."
"Don't fight it, come on.."His voice just broke. He really wanted to help her after all that time.
"Vincent, please don't look up at me, please.." The last thing she wanted was someone like him pitying her, but he didn't wanted to give up as he followed back.
"Then, open your arms to me..Let me help you." Without waiting for answer from her, he went up to her and embraced her into a tight hug, not as lovers, but more to friend from a friend seeking for comfort. Being careful of her still healing scars that marked her body. Regan hesitated before putting his arms around him. "I'm so sorry.." Damn, she could hear his heart racing so fast inside of his muscular chest. She could feel that he was both afraid and reassuring as he held her. His lips near to her ear as she felt his breathing. He sighed.
"It's okay, Regs. We'll find a way out. Don't worry.."His voice was so reassuring so nice and deep that would have had made her shiver like once before, but didn't had the same feeling anymore. A part of her was dead, thanks to her husband, but another was relieved because of the friends she still had here. Miguel was here as well with Ash, Jeffrey and J.T. And most of all, Vincent was here and into her arms, telling her that everything would be fine as he carressed the back of her head, like a child. He was back and he would be by her side, helping her to find her way back. To her and to her son, by making her feel safe here and free from all.
Regan had finally put her arms around his back and hugged him back, with so much strength, as she had bursted into uncontrolling sobs when an patient and silent Vincent was rubbing her back as he let her soaking up his shirt. He closed up his eyes, as he tried to control himself from the wanting of falling down too. Regan needed his support, so bursting into tears wouldn't help anything at all. The need of wanting Catherine was still here, but he had to save Regan from a madman, as well.
But how is he gonna to do it? Without falling into the deepest dark side of the beast, again?
...
That was a shocking chapter.
Shit, that was the most hardest and tiring chapter to finish. It was hard to describe the attack and almost rape scene with Regan and Carl. Please, if you see someone that goes through a very bad and violent relationship, please go and seek for help.
Okay, Catherine started to do the undercover work and noticed that not only she has to protect the girls, but also gonna to attack them, to teach them a lesson to not desobey any rule, would she go through it? Or would she fall into the dark side of the black market of prostitution?
Medina's invastigation is still going on and wants to know more of it, now that not only Gabe has something to do with it, but also with Vincent and Catherine's deal into it. Tori doesn't know who to turn onto now. And Regan wants Vincent's help to stop her husband and that's without the police. Would he accept the offer? He wouldn't want to go under the run, again. Now that he is a public figure to the city. And he wouldn't risk it again, if he ever wants to earn Cat's trust once more. Thank you for your support beasties! And I wish you a great happy Easter!
Please update!
