Blood Red Rose

"…so let's talk…"

Bill Croelick finished dressing the gunshot wound he had inflicted on Brenda and then made sure she was securely tied to the kitchen chair. Fritz's eyes never left Brenda while Croelick dressed the wound. Croelick chuckled to himself and turned toward the FBI agent.

"Don't worry FBI…I don't intend to kill her…I like her too much for that. However," he said smoothly, "playing that game does have its potential." He gave a sly smile in Fritz's direction.

"Playing that game?" Brenda countered and moved Croelick's attention away from Fritz. She hoped he was doing his best to get free and the more she played Bill's game the longer it gave Fritz the chance to succeed. Brenda also counted on the last bit of strength she had left to hold out. Although the wound had been dressed, the blood loss was still enough to make her dizzy. She blinked a few times and her eyes fell upon Croelick's. "This is no game Bill," she said through a tight jaw. "You and I both know this. You want something, so tell me what that is and perhaps we can work a way for you to get it. I don't play games," she said.

"Brenda Leigh…now you know it has always been with you and me. A game…of say…cat and mouse," he replied. "We have a special bond. You understand me…and I understand you…" He laughed quietly and stood. Croelick took his time and walked around where Brenda sat to stand behind her and have a good view of the agent as well. He leaned down and rested his chin on the top of Brenda's head and sighed. Fritz remained as calm as he could be without giving it away that he was working the ropes that tied him down. He had a hard time, however, hiding the rage that was already at its boiling point. Croelick's eyes gleamed intensely and his smile was dangerous. Fritz could only wait and watch the scene play out in front of him. He knew he had to, in order to free them both. What he watched was a pure horror show. Croelick gently stroked Brenda's cheek with the back of his hand and relished every moment of it. His skin crawled with awakened sensations. It wasn't a game…

…it was damn show…

Brenda pulled her head to the side away from Croelick's fingers. "You wanted to talk, Bill…so talk…because you don't have a lot of time left. I know someone is on their way to help and I have a gut feeling you will be the one staring at the four walls of life in prison…after that help comes."

Croelick gripped her face with his hands and snapped her head back so that she had to look up at him. Brenda was not able to stop the out cry from the force of his pull and the pain that followed. He stared down at her; his smile faded. Croelick brought his face down to hers and took in her scent of raw fear that she kept well restrained. She heard a small laugh. She could have lost it all, but she didn't. Years of training had prepared her for situations like this…but then…there was always a catch…sometimes a surprise that one was never prepared for…

After a moment had passed, Croelick slowly pressed his lips to hers, felt her resistance and smiled to himself. He could only imagine what Fritz's face showed and that excited him more. Her lips were softer then he had expected and tasted slightly bitter from sweat and blood. He lingered as long as he desired and it was long enough…

Fritz made his move.

Brenda felt the nausea start to rise in her throat and she made futile attempts to get away. Croelick held her face firm. Her chest heaved with furious breaths that she had to take through her nose because she would be damned if she parted her lips even an inch. Her shoulder throbbed and hurt more as the blood rushed through her veins. Brenda dug her fingers into the skin of her palms in desperate anger. Her mind kept playing tricks on her and she hoped that the tricks were not real…she hoped that what was happening was the worst nightmare she had ever had. But when Croelick parted from the forced embrace, she found it to be no dream at all…

Croelick leered down at her. He saw her jaw tremble in restrained anger and knew he would never forget how she looked. She was the perfect woman…one that he did not want to kill…one that he wanted to torture…to keep alive…to bring her down and then up again…to press his body against her…forced pleasure. He wanted to feel every part of her. Brenda saw those images in his eyes and she jerked her head free. Bill had let her go. She coughed several times before meeting Fritz's eyes. She saw pain and fury within them. Fritz saw the same within hers and that ripped his heart from his chest. He never liked seeing Brenda looking fragile in situations as what was happening presently. Brenda felt herself become light headed and knew it was only a matter of time before she passed out.

Time was not on their side…so Brenda thought.

Fritz kept his arms in place; the rope was in a pile on the floor behind him. He now waited for the right moment to strike. He knew that if Croelick touched her again in anyway, he would be forced to attack before the moment was right. Fritz hoped that Croelick tried anything…because he would use the anger from that to kill him.

"That was wonderful," Croelick purred and licked his lips to taste her. "Brenda Leigh…one is a lucky man to have you…I will make my luck…so very soon…" He said tauntingly to Fritz. Croelick snickered. The FBI was just so damn predictable. So much so, that he was waiting for the man to attack. Croelick knew it was going to be soon for he heard sirens off in the distance. He did not want his time with her to end…not yet. He closed his eyes and thought for a moment…

Fritz waited to make his move. He had to have the advantage and he wanted Croelick as far from Brenda as possible. He saw the man put both hands on Brenda's shoulders and he saw her tense from the pain of that touch.

…almost…Fritz's mind said…almost.

"I don't think I am done with this…and I did not even get to talk," Croelick said. "Well not as much as I wanted…"

"You wasted your time, Bill," Brenda said with a sneer.

"Not at all Brenda,…what happens between us is never a waste of time," he smiled over at Fritz. The FBI man was trembling…most likely ready to pounce, Croelick thought…'and I will be ready…'

"Well, perhaps we should take our talk, 'Just Plain Brenda'…to a more private location…"

"No…"

'…NO!…' Fritz's mind screamed.

Fritz grunted something through the tape over his mouth that was not understood. Croelick took it as a yes. "I think FBI man is ok with us taking our conversation to a more private location, Brenda. There was no protest…" he laughed softly. He took out a knife from his pocket and cut all the ropes that tied Brenda down. He forced her to stand and shoved the hard barrel of her gun in middle of her back. Fritz was at the brink of a cave in of emotions and when the gun was thrust into Brenda's back, the cave collapsed. He stood and threw the chair back. He charged at Croelick with lightening speed. The action only slightly surprised Croelick. He turned to fire the gun at the agent, but was met with a hard hit to the face and pull of the hand that held the gun. Croelick was very much surprised and impressed by the FBI's force. Fritz was able to release Brenda from the man's grasp and saw her stumble forward and hug the door before her. She looked back and watched the entire event play itself out. She needed a moment to ground herself. She felt uneasy on her feet.

In a blurry mess of bodies and dead on swings of a fist, Fritz knocked Croelick down and threw the gun across the room. Brenda saw where it came to rest. Fritz pounded hard into Bill's face and the man moaned and struggled beneath him. He could not stop himself and Brenda knew that if she did not stop Fritz, Bill Croelick would be dead… For Brenda…she wanted to see the man rot in prison…death was too easy of a punishment.

"Stop it man!!" Croelick cried out.

"Fritz!" Brenda yelled, but Fritz was in another zone. Her words did not even reach him. Brenda looked back over to where the gun lie and headed that way. Behind her she heard the gurgled pleas coming from Croelick and the grunts of powerful hits that came from Fritz. He was impressive when it came to brute force.

The sirens were louder now, most likely on their street as her fingers gripped the trigger of the gun. She made her way back to where to two men fought in time to see Croelick get one good hit to Fritz's face. She saw blood splatter outward and push Fritz back. It was enough to allow Croelick to get up, but once up, he found that he now stared down the barrel of her gun. Brenda heard Fritz coughed somewhere off to her left.

"This is between you and me…not him," she said, very much away of her shaky voice and brittle emotions. She pulled back the trigger, clicked it into place, ready to fire if he came her way. Outside, the sirens had stopped and they all heard car doors opening and shutting. "This is over Croelick," she said. "You are going to rot in prison…I will make sure of that…"

"No, I won't," Croelick snarled, but only got a step toward her before the gun fired. The bullet hit him in the chest. He continued to advance forward. Another bullet, into the shoulder. He halted a moment, stumbled, and then fell backward toward the counter. Croelick met Brenda's fiery gaze before falling to the ground.

Pope, Taylor, Gabriel, and Flynn and Provenza burst into the kitchen just as the echoes faded from Brenda's gunfire. They saw Fritz on the floor and Brenda still standing over Croelick with her gun aimed at him. Her grip was so tight around the weapon that her knuckles turned white. It took the sound of Gabriel's voice to force her to release and let her hands fall to her sides. Pope and Flynn had moved over toward Fritz and had helped him up. Fritz's lip was black and blue and there was dried blood on his face and fresh running down from the corner of his mouth. Brenda was in a slightly worse condition. The gunshot wound on her left shoulder had started to bleed again and her eyes showed signs of faint. But like everyone expected she remained true to Brenda.

"Get him out of my house," she ordered and thanked Gabriel for bringing her back with a flicker of a smile. Gabriel nodded and he and Provenza pulled Croelick to his feet and dragged him out the door. It would be the last time she would ever see Bill Croelick and Brenda was none too sad about that…

Fritz made his way back to Brenda and surrounded her with his arms and Brenda collapsed against him, feeling for the first time in many weeks…safe.

"Perhaps we should get you two to the hospital?" Pope suggested gently. Fritz nodded and held onto Brenda as they followed the team out the door and into late afternoon sun…

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Fritz held Brenda gently within his arms and watched her sleep for hours. Her face looked peaceful. He smiled. It would be another few hours before sleep would finally take over him and lull him into the deepest sleep of his life. It was then, that Brenda would watch over him…

THE END