Fresh in the Grave

Will Pope slammed the receiver down onto the night stand and flung himself from the bed. He grabbed his cell and was calling Brenda's cell as he picked up a shirt from the hamper and jeans from the floor. Nothing mattered right now, but to reach her.

The phone rang….nothing.

"Come on Brenda! Pick up!" Pope yelled into the end of his cell phone. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest and a hard knot formed in his throat when the phone rang again. "Dammit!"

The phone rang once more and then went into voice mail. Pope spoke in urgency with his message.

"Brenda! He's out. Bill Croelick escaped from LA max around 3:15 this afternoon. Brenda…get the hell out of your house!"

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-"…oh my god…no!!!….don't do this…kill him!!…kill her!! FIRE!…oh god no!!!! FRITZ!!!!"-

"Brenda?"

"OH god!!"

Brenda sat straight up in their bed and flung her arms out in protective defense of fires flames that were not there. Fritz's eyes widened in alarm and he was hesitant to touch her at first. However, that changed when seconds later he saw white before his eyes as Brenda's left elbow hit him hard in the nose. He yelped a grunt that was loud enough to startle Brenda back into reality from the waking nightmare. She spun around on the bed and froze in shock mixed with confusion.

"Fritz? What's wrong?" She asked rich with southern drawl. Fritz groaned and rubbed the tender spot between his eyes.

"You were having a nightmare and I was going to attempt to wake you. You woke yourself…I guess."

Brenda's eyes squinted and her head tilted to the side. "I don't have night," she said bluntly.

"You do…"

"No…I don't…" Brenda repeated. Fritz started to disagree again, but decided to let her win. Brenda bit her lower lip. "Did I do that? Did I hit you," she asked her words changed to a more gentle tone…one he liked very much. She sounded sweet, motherly, and like the lover he had fallen for.

"Yes, but like I said…you were not awake. I did not expect it…"

"Apparently not," Brenda said, moved from the bed and padded around to his side and took his face within her hands. "You look as bad as I feel right now," she said with a soft chuckle. "…And that takes a lot."

"…uh huh…"

"I will get you some ice. Ok?" Brenda said and leaned forward to kiss the bruise forming between his eyes. He flinched, but not by much. When she drew back, he was smiling at her.

"What," she said confused.

"Nothing…" Fritz said with a slight shake of his head. Brenda smiled back.

"I will be right back."

Brenda let her hand linger on his face for a brief moment and met his gaze. He was the most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes on and she never thought that after all these years…he would come back into life. Secretly, she had hoped he would when they first caught up in L.A. back when she was new to the city. But she had never told him that she wanted to start seeing him…he got to it first. Brenda was thankful for that, for she was never one to admit she really needed anything in the matters of love. She returned the smile with one of her own and headed into the kitchen. Perhaps if she would have listened to that tight, sick feeling in her stomach, she would have never left the bedroom. But…by the time she felt the warning…it was too late.

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15 minutes earlier:

Croelick backed into a shadow that was left by the hall closet as he entered through the back door. It had been so simple to key the lock just as he had done the first time in order to say good-bye to the lady who had completely surprised him. He never liked strong females before, but when it came to the Deputy Chief…exceptions had been made. Croelick smiled to himself and waited. Off in the distance he heard muffled voices of those just waking. There was a groan and a soft chuckle. He had entered just after Brenda had woken from the nightmare. Upon hearing the screams of fear from outside, he had known just when the right moment would be to enter and not be heard.

He had waited…waited for the right moment to take back what he considered to be his. Whether he planned to kill her or not…would come later…but after the cabin encounter…Croelick had a few more things to settle with Brenda.

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"Do you want some coffee when I bring the ice?" Brenda called from the kitchen and paused at the sink with the tea kettle.

"Yeah…sure. Sounds good. I think it will help to dull the pain…" Fritz said back to her and winced when he turned his head to look at the time on the nightstand clock. The movement hurt more than he thought it would. He started to lay back down when something almost fully covered by Brenda's pillow, flashing, caught his eye. Fritz lifted the pillow up and saw that it was Brenda's cell phone with a voice mail. "Hey Brenda?…"

Brenda had just set the tea kettle on the stove top and turned it on when a reflection on the surface of the black kettle turned her soul ice cold. She whirled around just as two hands wrapped around her throat so hard she felt her eyes nearly pop out from her head and lift her from the safety of the floor. Instinctively, Brenda's hands went around the attackers wrists to pull them off. There, standing in front of her was the last face she had ever wanted to see again. She tried to speak, but all that came out was gurgled gasps for breath.

Croelick's eyes were dark and wild. The corners of his mouth were twisted up with animated pleasure. Brenda swore she saw a twinkle in his eyes. She felt as if she were going to be sick and she was not sure at the moment if it was anger or fear that caused it or the reality that she was dying…pissed off that it was Croelick that was ending her existence from this world…

"…release her or I will shoot!" Fritz said, standing from the hall that lead from the bedroom. He had heard a strange sound from the kitchen and based on past experience and the fact that tiny hairs on the back of his neck stood on end…he knew without a doubt that something was wrong. What he now saw in front of him was more horrific than what he could ever imagine. Brenda was held up in the air by Croelick. Her face was slightly blue and her hands were frantically trying to pull the his from around her throat.

"You try that, pal, and I will break her neck," Croelick said with malicious intent. He took a step and half turned around to face Fritz with Brenda dangling in mid-air.

Kick him! Kick him!!! Do something Brenda! Hurt him, fight!!!! The words flooded Brenda's mind and try as she might…there was no connection between her brain and the rest of her body. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Fritz and felt a cool tear release itself from the corner of her eye and make a path down along her jaw line. Not like this!!! Dammit! Not like this!!!

"Release her!" Fritz said again and pulled back on the trigger of his gun. Croelick smiled more and cocked his head to the side. His eyes narrowed in a study like fashion.

"Seriously," he asked, "this is how you are going to make it? Seriously? You want to see her die. Ok…I get it! Twisted lovers game…To each their own…" He laughed and shrugged. Croelick turned back to Brenda and meet her angry, scared eyes. "I am sorry, I would have liked to play longer, but your boyfriend wants to play too…and since he is the one with the gun…I say he wins…"

Brenda used the last bit of consciousness to force her head to turn. She found his eyes…Fritz lovely eyes and then she saw his mouth open in a scream that would burn in her memory forever…