The Following: Peace, Love, and Happiness
Episode 6:
Loyalty
Over the years, Ryan had seen some pretty morbid and gruesome things. Growing up, he loved to watch any kind of movie, yet he loved action and horror the most. He loved the tingling and excited feeling he got when he watched them. It was an adrenaline rush. His friends at the time thought he was crazy for it, but he didn't care.
As he grew older and went to college, he had been in his fair share of fights, but none of them were too extreme. Most of them were simple misunderstandings that led to minor altercations. The worst involved a stabbing when he was at a frat party, but he wasn't really involved. He was on the other side of the room, when two drunk guys began arguing over a girl. It led to one of them pulling a knife out and stabbing him.
When Ryan began his life in law enforcement, he never pictured that he would see all the violence he had so far. He knew he may see a death here and there, but he never pictured that he would see it first hand to such extent. His father's death was more than an eye opener for him. It led him to take it more serious than he already had been. He took everything personal.
Soon the Joe Carroll case came along and that changed everything. He fell for Claire hard and was psyched to be with her when Joe went to prison for the first time. He had a vision of how his life would be with her, but that didn't last long. His dream was shattered when Joe escaped from prison. He knew that with Joe around, he and Claire could never be together.
Then came the fight with him by the lighthouse and he thought that Joe was killed. He then felt that everything would be okay. Joe would never bother them again. Then, Molly came and stabbed both him and Claire. For a while, he thought that Claire had died from them. But she was alive and came back into his life, just to leave when Joe was arrested again.
He thought about her every moment of the day. He missed her greatly and even though he was with Carrie now, a part of him wished he could be with Claire instead. They had such history together and he didn't care that Claire thought she would remind him of everything that occurred between Joe, him, and her. When he looked at her, he saw the woman he wanted to be with and nothing really else.
Yet, with all the death he had seen, the bombing at Penn Station seemed to be glued in his mind. He could clearly see all the bodies in their exact state, as if he were still standing in the lobby viewing them. He could smell the smoke and even taste it. It disgusted him. Now, he stood in the FBI headquarters with Jeffery, Mike, and Max going over all the information they had put together so far.
"His name was Isiah Clemons," Jeffery began in a loud voice as an image of him appeared on one of the large screens on the wall. "He was fifty-six years old and never married. He was born in Austin, Texas and lived there for five years until both his parents were killed in a car accident. After that he went to live with a relative in Detroit."
"His Uncle was name Desmond and Aunt was named April." Jeffery continued. An image of an elderly couple around in their seventies appeared another screen. "Isiah lived with them for ten years, until his Uncle kicked him out for drug abuse and stealing. After that, Isiah made his way to New York hoping to start over. But that never happened. He went from job to job, until he was in his forties. Then he became homeless."
Jeffery began to pace around in a small circle. He cleared his throat loudly and then continued.
"When he turned fifty, something really strange happened. He was taken in by someone and cared for. As of now, we don't know who that person is, but we are looking into and should have something soon."
"What made him blow himself up?" Mike asked eyeing the image of Isiah.
"That we don't know yet," Jeffery said glancing at him. "But we are looking into and should have answers soon. As of now, we have little on him."
"What were the chances that he was mentally unstable?" Max asked glancing at Mike briefly. They locked eyes, causing the both of them to smile.
"We have no official record on that," Jeffery answered, "But personally I would have to say that with everything he had been through, he would certainly file under the mentally unfit category."
"A perfect fit for Joe," Ryan said causing everyone to look at him.
"Joe is in prison now," Mike asked with a confused look on his face. "Are you saying these deaths so far have been out of desperation or fanaticism?"
Jeffery turned to Mike. "I would say that is highly possible," He said with a small shrug, "The crazy people seem to flock his way."
Max took a step toward the screens. "What are the chances that Molly is behind all of this?" She asked. She looked at Ryan wondering what he was thinking when he brought her name up. He stood there, his expression not changing. He had a look of intense concentration.
"Well since Joe is in prison," Jeffery said looking at the screens of Isiah and his relatives on the wall. "She is one of the top suspects now, especially after resurfacing now after a long period of hiding." He sighed and massaged his neck. "There are still many questions that we have on this case. Why did Genji kill Brandon? What were his motives exactly? Why did Molly surface now after hiding for so long? Why did she kill her own brother?" He paused for a few moments and looked Ryan, Mike, and Max. "I tend to believe that Molly is behind all of this."
Ryan thought back to the night he saw her in Minnesota. She looked so different then. He was used to her being the kind and caring neighbor that he came to know. Then she attacked him and Clair and he saw her differently. She was now a threat. A dangerous threat. He wondered how far her connections were, especially with her having such close ties with Joe. He knew that she was dangerous and knew that she would continue with the killing until she reached her aim, whatever that may be.
Bob knew that he could open up and tell Amable everything he knew about Claire. But he knew that would do little good. It didn't matter whether this man thought he was telling the truth or not, he was still a dead man. He would never be allowed to leave alive. Not when he had seen so much already.
He wasn't afraid to die. Death didn't scare him. He knew that he would eventually die and accepted that. He was a religious man and knew that it was part of life. The part he wasn't ready for, was leaving his family behind.
He was married for fifteen years so far. His wife was not only the women he loved, but his best friend. She meant everything to him. They had three kids together. Two girls and a boy, ages ten, six, and three. His family was the most important thing to him. He would do anything for them. Yet now he would never see them again.
Bob felt a tear trail down his dirty face. He was in so much pain now and it surprised him, that he was still alive. His right hand was crushed, swollen, bloody. His lips swollen and cracked. Throat as dry as sand paper. He had a bad migraine right now, which was blurring his vision. He wasn't sure, but he may have had a few broken ribs.
Amable torture him for almost an hour. If he didn't like any of the answers to his questions, then he would hit him. It first started with a hammer and then went to a wooden bat. After a while, Amable began to grow bored. He left the room, leaving Bob laying there bloody and broken. Now, Bob counted the minutes as the pain faded away as well as wondering when Amable would return. He knew it could be any moment.
Bob swallowed trying to wet his dry throat, but it helped very little. His throat was too parched, that it actually hurt. Instead, he stretched and felt the metal brace around his arm loosen a bit. Confusion and hope washed through him as he prepared himself for a lot of pain, as he stretched his arm some more. It took a few tries, but with a loud cry, he broke the brace.
He loosened the brace around his waist and then arm. He sat up grunting in pain and then unclipped the braces around his ankles. He swung himself over and then stood on shaky legs. For a few seconds, he stood there waiting for the pain in his ribs and busted hand to fade away. Thankfully his hand was half numb, so he it didn't hurt too much.
When the pain was tolerable enough, he approached the table and grabbed a large ax. He approached the door and was surprised to find it unlocked. He opened it and stepped into the moderately lit hallway. He saw a long hallway that had a few doors on either side. Besides his, they were all locked. On either side of the hallway was a dimly lit staircase. He wondered which one to take.
Since he was right handed, he decided to take the stairs to his right. He had hardly taken a few steps, when he heard a child humming coming from behind him. He turned around and saw a girl sitting on the stairs to his left brushing the hair of a glass doll with a realistically smile. She looked up at him and asked innocently, "Who are you?"
Bob was about to answer when he heard someone clear his throat. He turned and nearly jumped out of his skin, when he saw Amable standing a few feet away. "Dearest," He began in a gentle voice, "Daddy has to work," He winked at Bob. "Why don't you go upstairs now?"
"Can I have a cookie?" She asked standing up.
"You can have all the cookies you want," He said looking at her lovingly.
"Yay," She said happily. She looked at Bob. "By mister."
Bob watched her leave. When she was gone, he turned to face Amable who now had a look of disgust on his face. "Do you think you would have actually managed an escape?" He asked with a wicked laugh. "I did that on purpose."
"Why would you do that?" He asked confused. "It would have been so much easier to just kill me in the room." He pointed toward the room with his axe.
"That is true," He said with a smile, "But it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun." He paused and took a step toward Bob. "Now what to do with you?"
Bob tightened his grip on the ax. He took a step away from Amable and then swung with all his might. He felt a sharp pain in his gut as Amable stepped aside from the blow. Bob missed wildly gasping painful breaths. He raised the ax again just as Amable stabbed him in the gut. Bob looked at him wide-eyed as he dropped the ax. It clanged loudly when it hit the floor.
Amable watched in enjoyment as he removed the blade. He wiped it on Bob's shirt and then replaced the knife. He reached for the ax and then with a large smile, he swung and struck him on the top of the head. The ax went clear through the skull, cutting as far as the nose. Blood poured out from the wound on to his shoulders, stomach, back, and floor.
Amable stepped back as Bob fell to the floor in a bloody heap. "That was fun," He said breathing heavily. He reached for the ax and with a grunt pulled it out of Bob's head with a gross slush sound. "Short lived fun, but fun indeed." He continued to stare at the blood body with intense fascination. "Now it is time to clean up this mess."
Max stared into her cup of coffee deep in thought. She was with Mike in her apartment trying to relax after a long day of getting very little information from the bombing in Penn Station. She couldn't get over the images of the aftermath of it. She had seen some bloody and crazy things during her time, but nothing this extreme. She could clearly still see the bodies on the floor, the blood covering the floors, walls, and what was left of the ceilings. She remembered the smells the most. The smoke was so strong, that she was not only still smelling it, but now and then she could still taste it.
When she was young, she was with her parents driving to Chuckey Cheese for her birthday. A car ran a red light and hit them. Both her and her parents were badly injured, but after a year or so of therapy, they were fully healed. Yet to this day, she could still remember the sound as the car struck them. The flips their car did as it rolled off the freeway. The nightmares she had of the accident until she was in her late teens.
"Max?" Mike asked looking at her with concern. He reached out and touched her hand.
Max blinked and looked at Mike embarrassed. "I'm sorry," She said with a small smile. She sighed and squeezed his hand.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"Yeah I guess," She said with a small shrug. She sighed again and then shook her head. "No, I am not." She blinked away sudden tears of sadness and frustration.
Mike leaned over and hugged her tightly. He kissed her forehead. "What's bothering you?" He asked already knowing what her answer would be.
Max let go of Mike and looked at him with teary eyes. "I thought I had seen it all," She said sadly. "With the Joe and Lilly case, I thought I was prepared for everything." She paused and licked her lips. "But after the bombing." She stopped midsentence.
"Listen to me," Mike said in a serious tone. "If there is one thing I have learned about you since we have first met, is your strength." He paused gazing into her pretty and almost hypnotic eyes, "It amazes me. Whatever thrown at you, you catch it and throw it back twice as hard. You never break down when things get tough."
"Thanks," She said with a loving smile. "But I feel like I am breaking now." She sighed, "And I don't know how to deal with it."
"I am here to help you," He said gently, "Whatever you need to get through this, I am here for you." He smiled at her. "If you want to go and beat the snot out of someone, let's go find some bum and claim he was part of some cult similar to Joe's."
Max laughed at that remark. "That is so wrong Mike," She said in between laughs. "Although I can see it working, in a strange way." Her smile faded away seconds later. "It's just hard not to think about all the death that has occurred recently."
"Of course it is hard," Mike said touching her hand. "Death is never an easy subject."
Max squeezed his hand affectionately. "I wonder when it will be over," She said with a sigh. She cuddled against him as he draped his arm over her shoulder. "When will we have peace and quiet from this all."
"I don't know," Mike said with a small shrug.
"Even if Joe, Molly, and Lily are killed," Max said with another sigh. "Who's to say some other psychopath won't step up to take his place?"
"What if someone already has?" Mike asked.
Max looked up at him mixed with confusion, doubt and slight horror. "Now that is a scary thought," She said with a small shudder.
"We already know that Molly killed her brother and is very much a part of some revenge scheme," Mike began, "Joe is in prison, so he is out of the game. Lily is dead. Mark is still missing. Who else does that leave?" He looked at her with a similar expression.
For a few moments they just eyed one another studying each other's expression. "That leaves too many people," Max said feeling a ball of dread in her stomach. She also felt a chill run up her spine. "The odds are stacked against us."
"The odds are always stocked against us," Mike pointed out, "But we have Ryan and for some reason, he refuses to go down. No matter what he has been through. He is like a skinny Hercules."
"That is true," Max said smiling at him.
"Speaking of Ryan," Mike asked, "How is he doing? I asked him earlier, but got a muffled response."
"He is doing pretty good actually," Max said nodding her head. "Considering what he has been through as well. Carrie is also helping him out."
"Carrie?" He asked looking at her with slight horror.
"Yeah she has been so amazing with him," Max said with a smile. "My uncle has fallen head over heels for her, even if he won't admit to it."
"I don't trust her," Mike said shaking his head.
"I felt that way in the beginning as well," Max pointed out, "And I will admit, that I still feel a bit skeptical about her," She paused and shrugged her shoulders slightly, "But she makes Ryan happy and that is important to me."
"Both Claire and even Molly made Ryan happy," Mike frowned, "And look what happened. Claire dumped him and ran off, while Molly is on the most wanted list."
"I think Carrie's motives are simple," Max interjected, "She likes and cares about Ryan and he cares about her." She paused and smiled, "I hope it works out."
At that moment Max's cell rang. It was Ryan. Mike gave her a serious and curious look as she answered. "Ryan," She said looking at Mike with the same expression. "What's going on?"
"I've got something," Ryan said excited. "We have an address that may have belonged to Genji. I am texting it to you now."
Max looked and saw a second later she indeed got a message stating the address. She clicked it open and saw that it was located somewhere in Queens.
"I've got it," She said feeling excited. A lead that may go their way.
"I am on my way there now," Ryan said as he merged on to oncoming traffic. "I should be there in twenty minutes."
"I will see you then," She said standing up. "Be safe."
Max used her car to get there. She told Mike everything Ryan told her during the ride. When they got there, they saw Ryan and Jeffery were already there. They were parked a few houses away, as too not pick up any suspicion.
"We have briefly scoped the place out," Jeffery said to them as they approached, "So far no nice of anyone."
"Good," Mike said glancing at the house. "Better that way."
"We don't know what kind of surprises are in there," Max said glancing at Mike and then Ryan worried that they may be hasty and make a dumb decision. "So let's all be safe."
"Agreed," Jeffery said before anyone could say anything. He pulled out his gun. "Let's go."
Genji's house was two story, painted a sky blue. There was a small walkway that was covered with dead leaves and overgrown weeds. A few pieces of garbage cluttered it as well. There was a small patio that had two dusty lawn chairs and a plastic table on the far left of it. Two large bay windows were on either side of the front door and there was a dirty and faded welcome mat in front of the door.
Jeffery reached for the door knob and tried it. It was locked. He glanced at Ryan, then Max, and then Mike before he took a deep breath. "Let's do this," He said determined. He turned and then kicked the door open. The door opened with a slam and then he stepped in with his gun ready.
William had just finished setting up the dining room table when the timer on the oven began to ring. He quickly made his way into the kitchen and shut off the timer. He turned off the oven and then grabbed a pair of oven mitts. The smell of the lasagna deepened as he opened up the oven and took out the pan. He set it on the stove top when the doorbell rang.
William removed the oven mitts and then smiled as he wiped his hands on a dish towel. "Come in," He said loudly as he folded the towel and then placed it next to the sink.
He walked out of the kitchen as Tanya shut the front door. She set her purse and small suitcase on the floor and then gave her dad a tight hug. "Hey," She said kissing him on the cheek. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too," William said as he took her coat from her. He hung it in the closet and then reached for her bag. "I have your room all ready for you just the way you like it."
"Of course you have," Tanya said chuckling softly.
"Now what is that supposed to mean?" He asked following her upstairs to her room.
"Oh come on dad," Tanya said glancing back at him briefly as she opened her bedroom door. She stepped inside and sat down on the soft bed. "You are a man of protocol. Things must go exactly according to plan." She paused watching her dad set the bag on the floor next to the bed. "You probably had this room ready as soon as you heard I was coming over for the weekend."
"You know me too well," William said shaking his head. "Anyways come on, dinner is ready and I don't want it to get cold."
"What's for dinner?" She asked standing up.
"Lasagna, garlic bread, and a garden salad," He said stepping out of the bedroom.
"Wow dad," She said surprised with him, "I come over and you decide to make me my favorite meal." She paused and touched his shoulder gently. "You really didn't have to. I would be okay with cheap take out."
"Only the best for my little Tanya," He said touching her hand briefly. "Plus the takeout food in this city is awful. One in every five people gets food poisoning."
William turned and walked to the kitchen. He grabbed the lasagna and placed it on the table. He motioned for Tanya to sit across him as he cut a piece of lasagna. "It looks amazing," She said sitting down.
"Thank you," He said cutting a piece for himself. He placed it on his plate and then took some salad for himself. "Now, how would you like some red wine?" He quickly made his way into the kitchen.
"Sounds perfect," Tanya said with a smile as she cut a piece of the lasagna.
"I got this bottle on the day of your birth from a good friend of mine," He said returning to the table moments later. "I was saving it for when a special occasion and I feel this is one of them.
"That is so sweet Dad," She said blushing slightly. She felt a wave of warm love pass through her as she took a bite of the lasagna. "This is so good." She said wide eyed with surprise.
"It seems as if you doubt my culinary skills," He said with a chuckle as he got a cork screw from the china cabinet.
"Well when you were married to mom," Tanya said taking another bite, "You couldn't even make an egg without having it sticking to the pan."
"Yeah I was a mess in the kitchen back then, but ever since the divorce, I had to fend for myself. I taught myself how to cook. It was a major trial and error back then, but the more I cooked the better I became." He said with a smile. He reached for the wine and removed the label on top of the cork. "This wine is called Chtea Lafite Rothschild Pauillic. It was made in the year 1996."
"To be honest," Tanya said reaching out and grabbing her dad's wrist. He looked at her with surprise. "I am beyond flattered that you want to open it now, but please don't waste such a good bottle. Let's save it for another time, like a wedding or something."
"Are you hinting something to me?" He asked returning the cork screw to its usual spot in the china cabinet.
"Maybe I am and maybe I am not," She said with a playful tease.
"Well you know you can't hide anything from me," He said chewing on a piece of lettuce, "You never could and I know you never will. Come to think of it, you are one of the worst liars I know."
"That's true," She said with a thin smile, "But this time you won't get it out of me."
"Well I could take you to the interrogation room and question you like I do to everyone that comes to my department," He said with a tease, "You know I would get the information out of you."
"You are right again, even though I think your fellow officers would find weird to see me there. Come to think of it, I have not visited you at the station in a long time" She said taking a plateful of salad. "Anyways as of now, mom doesn't even know about him yet. I am trying to go real slow and really get to know him."
"Well when you are ready to tell me," He said smiling at her. "You know I am always here for you."
"Thanks dad," She said with a smile. Her smile then faded away and she said in a low voice, "Well there is something I need to tell you and even though it will get me in a lot of trouble, I can't keep it a secret anymore."
"Are you pregnant Tanya?" He asked in a slightly stern tone.
"What? No," She said shaking her head. She paused and took a sip of water. "It is about mom."
"What about her?" He asked looking at her concerned.
Tanya was about to answer when something suddenly crashed through the dining room window. William looked and saw a smoke bomb on the floor spinning around. Tanya stood up and looked at it with surprise. William cursed and grabbed his daughter's hand pulling her into the kitchen as another smoke bomb crashed through the kitchen window. Smoke began to fill the kitchen as he let go of her hand.
His eyes began to tear as he saw two guys enter the kitchen from opposite doorways. They were dressed in old army uniforms and were carrying automatic as well as wearing gas masks. Tanya cried out when one of them tried to grab her.
William cursed and tackled the guy closest to him. He wrestled the gun away from him, but not before the guy swiftly drove his knee in his head. He felt a wave of dizziness pass through him as he saw through blurred vision the other guy grab Tanya and throw her over his shoulder. "Let's go," He said following the other guy out of the kitchen.
William stood up on shaky legs and stumbled out knocking over a picture he had on the wall. The frame broke and glass cracked when it landed on the floor. He followed them outside and saw them place a screaming Tanya into the back of a van. One of the guys removed the gas mask and then smiled at William tantalizing him. He aimed his gun at him, winked, and shot him a few times in the chest. The last thing William saw before he passed out was the van speeding away with a loud screech.
Hope you enjoyed! More coming soon!
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