Arms wide open, I stand alone.
I'm no hero, and I'm not made of stone.
Right or wrong, I can hardly tell.
I'm on the wrong side of heaven, and the righteous side of hell.
The wrong side of heaven, and the righteous side, righteous side of hell.
-Wrong side of heaven
"Is it too much to hope for a quiet day at work today, without any murders? I need to catch up on my paperwork" Bronn said as he sat down behind his desk. Margery passed him on her way to her desk and shook her head at him.
Sandor shrugged of his coat and was about to sit down behind his desk when his gaze traveled up to Sansa's office window. She was speaking to one of the office assistants, and she didn't look happy at all. She looked furious.
"Oh to be able to get home on time and not work overtime five hours because a psycho decided to eat someone's face" Beric sighed as he flipped through a file that had been left on his desk.
"Oh don't complain over not getting home on time, I have had to reschedule the date with the dornish sword swallower four times because of that last case!" Thoros complained.
Sandor's gaze followed and irate looking Sansa as she stepped down the stairs leading to them, a file clutched in her hand.
"You might wanna call and postpone that date again" Sandor murmured and Thoros looked up and his face fell as he saw the file in Sansa's hand.
"Oh for fuck's sake"
"What is it?" Sandor asked when Sansa stopped in the middle of the row between their desks.
"Peter Baelish wants to talk" she stated and Margery's jaw hit the floor in horror.
"What the fuck does he want?" She snarled and Bronn looked at the pageant queen in surprise.
"Ignore him. That's not a case" Sandor stated calmly and Sansa looked at Thoros and handed him a note.
"The case is going to be found at this location"
Thoros flew over to his computer and started to put in the coordinates.
Sansa turned to Sandor again "Baelish gave them to the warden at Dreadfort, that's what he wants to talk about"
"Is it one of his victims?" Margery asked and Sansa nodded at Sandor "that's for you to find out"
Sandor gave her a quick nod before turning around and walked to the elevator again.
"Thoros send me the location asap, Margery you get in the Dreadfort system, check back through the last weeks tapes and tell me how he got out or what he's up to. Beric, Bronn with me" he turned around inside the elevator and gave Sansa a hard look and pointed at her.
"And you, do not move until I get back, don't even think about seeing him until I get back" Sansa arched an eyebrow at him, trying to maintain a professional attitude.
"I'm your boss, don't order me around" she growled and Sandor rolled his eyes.
"If you say so boss" then the elevator doors closed in front of him.
Bronn and Beric glanced at each other behind Sandor's back. Wondering if they should say something.
"What?" Sandor snarled and both of the agents cleared their throats and chorused "nothing!"
They found a body at the location they had been given. It was in a long abandoned warehouse that was going to be torn down soon to give way for another industrial building, as were all other warehouses around it. That was all Thoros had found on it.
The state of the body was unique, in a way that it Sandor feel like he was about to throw up. And earning that response was a hard thing to do. Beric walked over to the forensics team to organize a parameter among other things, but he mainly wanted to get away from the body.
Bronn and Sandor stood over the body just looking at it. Waiting for Doc to come and examine it, Sandor suspected that even the good coroner would feel ill at ease by this one.
"What do you think?" Sandor asked and Bronn let out a heavy breath.
"Well, it's definitely not Baelish method. Judging by the state of the muscle tissue and intestines...and judging by the size it's probably a man. I would say that the killer has an impressive skill in anatomy, and surgical skills"
"Let's hear what Brother has to say" Sandor said and moved his eyes away from the red skinless mass on the floor. It's wide white eyes staring at him becoming too much.
"Good morning boys" Brother called as he walked over in blue overalls with coroner bag in hand. Then he looked at the body "or maybe not such a good one after all..."
He kneeled down next to the body and ran his critical eyes over it. "Impressing..."
"That's not quite what I would call it doc" Sandor grunted but Ray didn't look up at him.
"That's because you are far too sensitive, Sandy dear" Bronn tried to hold back his smirk, he really did. Sandor rolled his eyes surly at the nickname.
"This may be morbid and terrible, on all counts. But the surgical precision of the skin removal is impressing, nearly no muscle or tissue damage whatsoever from the process"
Sandor noted that down on a notepad.
"Why would he take the skin though?" Bronn asked.
"Skin has many meanings and functions throughout history" Ray started as he pulled up an examination glass. "Protection, masking, sensuality-"
"Thank you Freud" Sandor interrupted "call Thoros, or Margery, have them check up the company that was going to tear down the warehouse. See if the owner or higher up had someone who wanted to unmask them. Have them check bank accounts- they know what to do" Bronn turned around and dialed up Thoros.
"Cause of death?" Sandor asked and Ray remained silent for a while until he grabbed something with his tweezers. Sandor stepped closer and looked at the white shining object Ray has pulled out.
"Is that a...tooth?" Sandor said, frowning "but you said there was no tissue damage"
"There wasn't, no trace of bite marks in the neck where this was placed. And it's not human" Sandor frowned and Ray met his gaze with equal confusion "it's a canine tooth"
"A dog tooth in the neck of skinned corpse with no apparent cause of death, that's what we have so far" Sandor stated and Ray nodded slowly.
"I will have to take him back to the lab-"
"Him?"
"Male, around...mid twenties to early thirties. As I said I will have to move him to the lab to do more extensive testing" Ray stood up and waved over some science guys.
"Was he alive when he was skinned?" Sandor asked and Ray shook his head.
"I will have to do more test, but based on what I can see, I have a bad feeling that he was"
"Thanks doc" Sandor said and Ray nodded.
"Take care Sandy" Sandor rolled his eyes at the old man and then walked away.
The interrogation room door in the prison opened and Sansa and Sandor walked in. Baelish had requested Sansa to be the one to talk to him, otherwise he wouldn't talk. But Sandor wasn't planning on doing much talking.
Sansa sat down on the chair on the other side of the table opposite Baelish. Sandor walked around the table and leaned against the wall behind Baelish, who's squinty eyes followed him around the room before he looked back at Sansa.
"Long time no see, agent Stark"
"Did you kill him?" Sansa asked calmly. Baelish cocked his head to the side.
"Who?"
"The man in the warehouse" Sansa said and Baelish looked pensive for a moment before seeming to come to a realization.
"Oh him! No, I didn't"
"How did you know he was there?"
"Before I say anything else, I trust you're noticing I'm cooperating" he smirked "that should count for something. At least a shortened sentence and chance of parole"
Sansa's smile looked sweet at first, but Sandor could easily see the anger in that smile.
"Is this how you think cooperation works? Because it's not" she leaned forward against the table "from where I sit, you gave us the location of that body to play us into giving you a deal to shorten your sentence. Which, if you personally had killed this man, you would have used that information earlier"
"So you are going to give me the name of the person who told you about the body, or I will charge you with obstruction of justice and add that to your sentence...and as a result of your uncooperative spirit, we won't do you the favor of having you in solitary cell anymore"
She looked up at Sandor "just double checking, they still hate rapists in prison don't they?"
Sandor smirked at her "they do"
She looked back at Baelish "good to hear, therefor its in your best interest to not met them the rest of the convicts. So...are you going to cooperate and stay in solitary or are we going to give you a roommate?"
Baelish said nothing, but she could see him thinking. Sandor had no time for his thinking however. Sandor pushed himself off the wall and in the same move pushed Baelish head down against the table with a bang.
Sansa jumped in surprise but otherwise showed no other objection against his actions.
"The name of the person who told you about the body!" Sandor growled and leaned forward to apply more pressure to Baelish head.
That's when he screamed "alright! Stop, Stop!" Sandor yanked his hand back and Baelish lifted himself up. His face scrunched up in pain.
"It was a guard. But I suppose he wasn't really"
"What do you mean 'not really'?" Sandor growled and stepped behind Sansa.
"He didn't act like a guard. He would talk, he would ask me about my work, all the details" Baelish smirked "he liked the details. And then two days ago there was a note on the bunk, which I graciously passed onto you"
Behind the one way mirror Beric called Margery to check out all the guards at Dreadfort. If the guard was their guy the name would probably be fake.
"What did he look like?" Sansa asked.
"Young, probably 25 to 30 years old, pale, blue eyes, dark hair. Handsome I guess, but my taste is more towards red heads" Sansa met his creepy gaze and then stood up to walk out and Sandor followed.
They walked the short distance to the adjoining room with the mirror and heard as Beric just got off the phone with Margery.
"There was a guard caught on the security tape hanging around outside Baelish cell a lot this past week, before that though, he hasn't showed on any of the other cameras. And there is no record of any new employee that was suddenly fired two days ago"
"Get the description to the warden, see what he makes of it" Sandor said and Beric walked out.
Sandor turned and opened is mouth to talk to Sansa when his phone called.
"Fucks sake- Yes doc?"
"As I feared my tests resulted in elevated levels of cortisol and adrenaline among other things, making me assume that the victim was experiencing huge amounts of stress, fear at the time of his death."
"He was alive when he skinned him" Sandor said and Sansa covered her mouth with her hand.
"That would not be a faulty assumption. I have an ID, the victims name is Will Mayer. I have sent you the file. Cause of death is blood loss, or rather the shock the body experienced after being mutilated and having its insides on display and blood loss."
"Thanks Ray"
Sandor turned his phone off and looked at Sansa.
"Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm not a child, I can handle this"
Sandor rolled his eyes "I know. That's not what I said. I asked if you're okay?"
Sansa looked at him bashfully "I'm sorry, I know you're just trying to be kind. I'm alright I suppose, I'm not as involved in this case"
"That doesn't mean it's not allowed to fuck with you" Sandor stated and Sansa smiled gratefully.
"I guess. You're always so brave, I don't know how you do it"
"It's not bravery really, more like confidence" Sandor said and Sansa frowned with a confused smile.
"Confidence how?"
"Well I'm confident in that no one will try to fuck with me because how big and ugly I am, so that's what keeps me calm in bad situations" Sandor said with a smirk and Sansa laughed.
"You're not ugly Sandor" Sansa stroked his arm and Sandor smirked at her.
"You just say that because you hardly see my face anymore" Sansa frowned at him "it's too busy being between your thighs"
Sansa blushed furiously and Sandor laughed. Beric opened the door at that movement and frowned at the sight of Sandor laughing.
"Eehm, right. The warden didn't recognize the description or the image Margery sent me. He said that there has been some trainee program for new prison guards the last couple of weeks so the new Guy's presence probably wasn't questioned that much. Even if he came a week later than the others"
"Did you get a name?" Sansa asked, her face returning to normal color by now.
"Yes, Sam Snow. Probably a fake one but I called Thoros and asked him to check it out" Sansa nodded and then stepped around him to walk back to the interrogation room. Sandor stayed behind the glass with Beric.
Beric glanced at his team leader "you and Stark good friends?"
Sandor didn't even look at him "worked together when she was straight out of the academy. I've watched her grow to be one of the best"
"Of course, I would never question her skills as an agent"
"I know you wouldn't" Sandor said with a glance in his direction and Beric scratched himself under his eyepatch, a nervous habit.
Sansa sat down on the chair opposite Baelish again. The inmate glanced at the door and then at the mirror before coming back to her.
"Did you leave the dog outside this time?" He smiled and Sansa, despite her calm and collected appearance, boiled inside at his words.
She shrugged as effortlessly as possible "He wanted to slam your head into the table again, but I convinced him to wait for a few minutes"
Baelish smiled a long creepy smile before leaning back in his chair "Joffrey talked about him a lot. I'm assuming it's the famous Clegane that accompanied you here, Joffrey's description was pretty accurate"
"How did you speak to each other?" They were both in solitary confinement, they shouldn't have been able to speak.
Baelish shrugged with an air of imagined superiority. "It can't be avoided at all times, and our common friend spoke to both of us at length, as I told you earlier"
"The guard spoke to Joffrey as well" Sansa stated and glanced at the window were Sandor cursed.
"The guard was the inside man, that's how Joffrey got out and that's why we didn't find a trace of the guard in any log"
"Because he didn't exist in the system" Beric murmured and whipped out his phone. "I'll have Thoros and Margery track his movement around the prison as far back as they can find him, he may have spoken to more prisoners. Maybe they know something more about the guy" Beric stepped out and Sandor turned his attention back to Sansa, the avenging angel in a perfectly tailored suit.
"If there is something you have forgotten to tell me, now would be the time"
"Joffrey once said that Clegane was your dog, obeying your every will and whim. How do you keep such a man in a leash, dear Sansssssa?" He smirked "you have such difficulties sleeping at night, does he make you feel safe with that big body and ugly face of his?"
Sansa turned to stone as she pushed her chair back and walked around the table. Sandor was ready to bolt through the door and help her if she needed it...but he had seen her like this before, and she always came out on top.
Before Baelish had the time to turn around his face was slammed against the table, this time with a crunch and a flash of blood streaming from his nose. He let out a gurgling shout and tried to push off the table, but Sansa had him pinned.
"His name is Special Agent Clegane, and when I ask you something you answer it directly. So now-" she let go off his head and stepped around the table, glaring daggers at him.
"If you have forgotten to tell me something now would be the time" she bit out and Baelish glared at her, the lower half of his face dyed red from the blood coming out of his nose.
He shook his head and Sansa nodded.
"Good" she looked at the mirror "Clegane, would you be so kind and call the prison doctor to Baelish cell?"
Sandor walked out and called out to the closest guard to get the doctor. Meanwhile Sansa turned around just before leaving the room to look back at the serial killer behind her.
"I sleep like a baby, with his big cock as a bottle" then she walked out and slammed the door before she walked over to Sandor.
"You good?" He asked, his voice not portraying his concern, but she knew he meant it deeply.
"Yeah." She said with a slight shiver "but I think this new suspect knows more about us than what we'd like"
Sandor frowned "how can you be sure?"
"It's a feeling. But he spoke to Joffrey, and we know how obsessed he was with our lives when we started to hunt him. And Baelish knew, or if he guessed or tried to play me I don't know, but he talked as if he knew you had been sleeping with me at my place"
Sandor frowned but shrugged after a short moment "then we go to my place tonight, your office isn't an option. I'll go with you tomorrow morning to get fresh clothes"
"I could just be over analyzing or being too irrational-"
"I don't care Sansa, no matter if you are right or wrong I still get you in my bed tonight" Sandor smiled and Sansa blushed and smiled sweetly. He always knew what to say to make her calm again.
"Margery called, she and Thoros noted which other prisoners the suspect talked to, we'll check them out tomorrow" Sansa said as she walked back into Sandor's crowded kitchen where they were making dinner. They cooked in silence for a while before Sansa smiled and broke the silence.
"This is nice"
Sandor raised an eyebrow at her but shrugged "I guess, but it's not the first time we've cooked together though"
"Yeah I know, but this feels different"
"How?"
"Well, before we were friends, partners. Now it feels more homey like a real..." Sansa paused and bit her tongue. She was going to say relationship, but since they hadn't even talked about if they had one...that might seem too quick for him. Four rounds of sex and one oral adventure in her office didn't really scream relationship did it?
"A real...what?" Sandor asked, looking at her intently.
"I was going to say relationship...but since we haven't discussed it, I thought I wouldn't spring it on you now"
"What's to discuss?" Sandor asked and Sansa stared up at him in surprise as her mouth hung open looking for words.
"Well most guys don't want to commit so soon-"
"Do you wanna be in a relationship with me?" Sandor asked and Sansa nodded.
"Yes"
"Good, then we've discussed it already" Sandor went back to looking at the food and Sansa smiled at him. She dropped the knife she was cutting vegetables with and wrapped her arms around him from behind.
He was about to turn around to hold her properly when his phone rang, and he groaned in annoyance as he whipped it up from his pocket.
"What Bronn?" He snapped.
"Calm down sugar, did I catch you balls deep into something or what's with the attitude?"
"What do you want Bronn?"
"They found another body" Sandor turned very still and Sansa looked at him quizzically, but before she could ask what was wrong her phone started ringing too and she stepped into the living room to answer Margery's call.
"Where?"
"In one of the other warehouses where the first body was found"
"I thought we checked them?" He distinctly remembered Beric sending off cops to check the other warehouses.
"We did, this is new" Bronn stopped talking and Sandor could hear Ray talking in the background "Male, looks like the same age as the last one, Ray will do some tests to see if it's the same method as the last one"
"Someone wants to send a message" Sandor murmured and looked at Sansa as she walked into the kitchen again, clearly having been updated by Margery on the same issue.
"The company that is tearing down the warehouses to build their new factories and shit, what's their name?" He asked both Bronn and Sansa, but Sansa spoke up first.
"Bolton Enterprises"
"Bolton Enterprises, owned by the one and only Roose Bolton" Bronn said and Sandor raised an eyebrow, recognizing the name.
"The politics snob that is shooting down the democrats bills on the hill?" Sansa nodded at him. "Well, let's go and chat with him. Bronn, stay with Ray, call Thoros and get him prepared to identify the victim as quickly as possible"
He hung up and then turned to Sansa who picked up her suit jacket and badge from the table with a sigh.
"I guess we'll get take out on the way back"
Bronn hung back in the corner of the coroner lab as Doc studied the body, he had sent off the dental records to Thoros who was sending it through all sorts of databases back at the site.
"Why do you think Sandor won't own up to banging with Sansa?" Bronn asked and the coroner looked over the edge of his glasses at him. "I mean, they've been thirsting after each other ever since they started working together. So why won't they come clean with it? He knows I know, obviosuly"
"Sandor is an awfully private person, it could just be that he prefers to keep his interactions with Sansa to them" Ray smirked "Frustrated are you?"
Bronn frowned "What do you mean?"
"Focusing on their imagined flaws in their relationship suggests you feel yours is flawed as well" Ray smirked at him, and the old man wiggled his eyebrows "You ain't getting any lately?"
Bronn laughed at the coroner "Please, my love life is just fine..."
"But?"
"There's no but"
"..."
"There's this new tech at the black site, former miss California, and drop dead gorgeous, Bi sexual and hot as fuck..."
"And that intimidates you"
Bronn glared at the coroner "strong hot women don't scare me, I'm just waiting for the right time to ask her out" Bronn trailed off and Ray looked at him before washing his hands.
"I know your type Bronny" Ray called over his shoulder and then turned around to look at the agent while drying his hands with a towel. "I saw the kind of women you used to date, and then you met Tyene..."
Bronn crossed his arms over his chest and Ray noted the defensive stance. "The first serious relationship you had was with a smart, strong, independent woman. And just because that ended, and it hurt your feelings, doesn't mean that the next strong, independent woman you find will cause you the same pain"
Bronn was about to say something when Ray's computer and Bronn's phone beeped. "We'll have to get back to you psyching me later" Bronn said with a sour look as he picked up his phone.
Ray looked at the computer monitor, showing the newly identified victim. "Oh"
Bronn walked over "What 'oh'?"
Ray clicked on his computer and pulled up the other victim file, "Look at them..."
Bronn's eyes widened "Oh. He has a type" Both men of similar age were pale, with dark brown hair, quite angular faces and pale blue eyes.
Roose Bolton was in good shape for his age from what could be deduced from his robe covered body, he said all the right things and was eerily pleasant, but his eyes were dead and cold, and his voice to void of emotion.
All in all Sansa felt cold interacting with him, as if his chill spread and tainted her even though they were separated by the kitchen table in his penthouse apartment.
"You can't think of anyone who would do this to send a message? A political opponent, an old emloyee or anyone?" Sansa asked and Roose shook his head slowly.
"No, I can't think of anyone" His voice cool and almost serene, but his eyes made her discredit every Word he spoke.
Sansa was about to speak again when the sound of footsteps alerted them of a new arrival.
"Roose, what's going on?" The woman who turned around the corner was very voluptuous and wrapped in a silky light pink robe, and much younger than Roose.
"Nothing darling, just a chat with the FBI" He said far too nonchalantly for Sandor's liking, as if he had small talks with the FBI all the time.
The woman looked worried however "What? Why, has something happened?" She walked over to stand by Roose's side. Sansa smiled at the woman and stretched out her hand.
"Hi, sorry to disturb your sleep. I'm special agent Stark and this is special agent Clegane, we're just here to ask you and your..."
"Husband, I'm Walda Bolton"
Sansa smiled again "we're here to ask some questions concerning a case"
Walda glanced down at her husband briefly before looking back at Sansa, had she asked for his permisson? Walda nodded at Sansa before speaking "Okay"
"Two bodies were found at two separate warehouses where your husbands company is planning to build new factories-"
"Oh god!" Walda gasped, one hand placed over her mouth and the other her belly, which Sandor noted down.
"We were wondering if you may have any idea of someone who would like to harm either your husband, the company...anyone come to mind?"
Walda's face, which she tried to keep as neutral as possible cracked, she displayed fear but she quickly toned it down to a neutral expression again.
"Sorry, I can't think of anyone. This is so terrible, those poor people" Sandor's phone called during Walda's brave attempt at a lie and he stepped aside to take it. Taking the chance to look around while he was at it.
"Yes Bronn?"
"He has a type, the victims are the same age, same kind of build and their faces...They could have been twins."
"Send me a picture. And I want you to tell Thoros to compare their pictures to anyone in the Bolton Enterprise employee register, and in the Bolton family"
"Will do" They hung up and seconds later his phone beeped with the pictures Bronn sent of the victims ID pictures. He walked back into the kitchen to Sansa and the Boltons.
He put the phone on the table in front of them. "Do you recognize any of these men?" He waited and then flipped to the other victim ID. Both Sansa and Sandor's eyes were glued to the Bolton's, searching for any type of reaction.
As expected, Roose didn't have the slightest tell of what was going on in his head, but Walda...She paled, and her eyes widened.
"I'm afraid I don't know any of them" Roose said, with feigned resignation.
"No I don't either" Walda said and looked away from the phone, but not at Sansa as she previously had.
"Are you sure?" Sandor asked, and Roose was clearly annoyed that he did ask.
Walda nodded her head "Yes I'm sure"
"I'm sorry but I don't believe you" Sansa said "If you know something you have to tell us or we will have to take you to the station-"
"I think we have had enough for one night" Roose stated and stood up. "My wife is in a frail condition and needs to rest, if you want to ask more questions you will take it with my lawyers"
Sansa and Sandor left the residence but didn't speak until they were in Sandor's car.
"She's lying" Sansa stated and Sandor nodded.
"She either knows who the men in the photos are or who killed them" Sandor said as drove them back to his apartment. The dinner they had been making was ruined so the next thai resturant they saw would be their next stop.
"It's strange, she seemed like such a nice woman, why is she with him?" Sansa wondered out loud and Sandor turned and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She met his 'are you kidding' look.
"We are nothing like that! He seems so cold and evil"
"I thought you liked it when I'm a little evil" Sandor smirked and Sansa shook her head with a smile.
"You're hopeless"
"I am, but back to Walda. You just have to do what you do best and accidentally run into her somewhere when her husband isn't around"
"I guess so" Sansa said with a shrug, already forming a plan in her head.
The next morning Sansa and Beric waited outside the Boltons home, Roose and Walda left the house at the same time. He drove away and Walda put in her earphones and started to walk in the opposite direction. They waited a while before they slowly drove after her. She walked into a park area down the street and they both got out of the car and followed her in.
She stopped by the pond to feed the birds, Sansa yet again wondered how such a sweetheart could end up with someone as cold as Roose Bolton. Walda seemed like the type of woman who constantly had a small smile on her face, so perfectly content with the world.
After that she sat down at a bench and picked up her phone, during that temporary distraction Sansa slid down onto the bench by her side.
Walda looked up in surprise and then looked away from Sansa's piercing blue eyes.
"Good morning "
"I already told you everything I know"
"You said that, but I believe you're lying" Walda rose to get up but Sansa put a gentle hand on her arm to stop her, and Beric took a seat on the bench across from them, nailing down Walda with his steel gaze.
"I don't have to take you to the station and hold you for impeding an investigation if you tell me everything you know right now. I don't have to tell anyone we got the information from you, your husband will never know"
That made Walda pause and she relaxed down onto the bench again. "Promise me that you wont tell him, he would be angry with me if he knew"
Sansa shook her head "I won't tell anyone"
Walda sighed, but once she started to talk she knew there was no going back "The men in the photos look a lot like Roose's son, Ramsay Snow."
"There is no record of him having a son" Beric injected after walking closer to them.
"He isn't listed as his father on the birth certificate I think, he cheated on his last wife and probably didn't want her to know about Ramsay" Both Sansa and Beric refrained from asking if she trusted her husband not to cheat on her, that would be very counterproductive after all.
"I don't know much about him, Roose has only told me little things here and there. I have seen pictures, and one time I saw him walking out of Roose's office, really upset. I overheard a conversation Roose had on the phone two years ago, I think he was trying to have Ramsay comitted to a mental hospital."
Walda sighed "I really don't know anything else, Ramsay may have nothing to do with these murders."
Sansa smiled sweetly "Maybe he doesn't, but we are still happy for you help" Sansa got up "Have a nice day , and none of this will appear in any report concerning the case" Walda nodded and they left...
"...Here it is. Finally, their fire wall was a bitch to get through" Margery called out and Sansa snapped her gaze away from the board with the evidence they had so far and walked over to Margery's desk.
"Ramsay Snow" a file popped up on the screen and Sansa looked over at the victim photos, there were definite similarities between him and the victims. Margery continued to read his file out loud.
"Commited to Quiet Isle Psychiatric Hospital in 2011, diagnosed with schizophrenia and depression, released in february of this year" Bronn and Sandor leaned against the desk, listening. Margery shook her head after reading quietly for a while "There is no record of where he lived before being comitted, or where he lives now or if he was released to someone"
"Time to visit his doctor, he may have an idea of where Ramsay may have went" Sansa looked up and nodded at Bronn and Sandor "Find doctor Tarly, and see if you can get a possible location. And what the relationship between Bolton and Snow was like" Sansa ordered and Bronn and Sandor just nodded before walking away.
Sansa continued to look after Sandor as he left, the wordless response from him bothered her.
"You are his boss, you are supposed to give him orders" Margery mumbled and Sansa looked down at her, and she shrugged "Just sayin"
"I know I'm supposed to give him orders" Sansa said, altough Margery thought it sounded more like trying to convince herself of the fact.
"I'm sure you order him around plenty outside of work" Margery said with a smirk as she scrolled through the file. Sansa glared down at the computer analyst.
"Don't talk about that. No one is supposed to know"
"Everyone does know though" Margery said, an even larger smirk on her face.
"They do not"
"You work with experienced FBI special agents, and you don't think they have noticed when the window blinds go down when Clegane steps into your office?" Margery said, directing a sweet smile at her boss/friend.
Sansa glanced around the room at the agents and analysts remaining in the facility. Then she blushed.
"Get back to work and tell me when you find something worth our while" Margery smirked as she watched the flushed red head walk away from her.
"Aye, aye!" Margery called after her and then turned to her screen with a satisfied smirk.
The Quiet Isle psych hospital was different than what Sandor thought it would be like. It was bright, open and didn't seem as sterile and off putting as other facilities could be.
"Agents?" A round young man came around the corner into the reception area where they were waiting and Bronn and Sandor walked over to the doctor.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Doctor Sam Tarly" The man said with a smile and Bronn showed his badge.
"Nice to meet you too doc, I'm agent Blackwater and this is special agent Clegane. Would you mind speaking to us about Ramsay Snow, a former patient of yours"
Tarly only hesitated for a moment "I'm sure you are aware of doctor-patient confidentiality?"
"Yes, and I am sure you have heard of the two skinned corpses the media has been buzzing with for these last days?" Bronn asked and Tarly nodded. "Snow is the prime suspect in that case."
Tarly nodded gravely. "Let's discuss this in my office" The agents followed him through the hospital.
"Nice place you have here doc" Bronn said and Tarly looked back at them with a smile.
"Ah, yes it is. It was an old monastary at one point, an incredible amount of history took place here" They walked into a small office and the doctor sat down behind his desk and the agents on the two chairs in front of it. Sandor studied the space around them. The desk was riddled with files and books, the bookshelves were overflowing as well, it was a wonder that he found anything in that mess.
"So, Ramsay" The doctor started and Bronn nodded.
"How was he as a patient?"
"In the beginning he was extremely angry, he probably felt betrayed by his father for having him comitted against his will-"
"How was the relationship between them?" Bronn asked, Sandor remained quiet and leaned back to study the doctor's expressions.
"It was in my opinion a broken relationship, filled with shame, neglect and anger. never came to visit, except for his birthdays and once just a month before Ramsay was released. Ramsay described his life to me, he was unwanted and unrecognized by his father for the majority of his life, then as he turned eighteen, Roose contacted him. He was employed within the Bolton Company, and for a couple of years Ramsay was being trained by . He had a new life with his father, and then after a couple of years, at the same time as Ramsay's psychosis started to get worse, Roose fired him and had him comitted."
"Do you know what they talked about the last time visited?" Bronn asked.
"Ramsay didn't tell me himself, but met my by chance afterwards and congratulated me on my progress with Ramsay. And he told me that Ramsay was going to have a sibling"
"In your professional opinion" Sandor interrupted "How would the presence of another child who Bolton was clearly proud of, if he even told you about it, affect Ramsay's state of mind"
"I understand where you are going with this. The Ramsay who was comitted would have been extremely violent. But Ramsay said nothing about it and contiuned in the same calm manner he had conducted himself the previous months. That was one of the things that convinced me that he could be tried for possible release. And he was"
"You don't think that he could have just been acting? Knowing that if he stayed calm he would get out sooner?" Bronn asked and Tarly shook his head.
"He must have been a very good actor then"
"Do you have an idea of where he could have gone?"
"Ramsay connected very well with the dogs, we have support pets for the patients, and he bonded very well with them. So the hospital set him up as an assistant at a kennel in the area" He pulled out a piece of paper and wrote down the name and adress of the kennel and then handed it to Bronn.
"Thank you doctor. One last question and then we will be on our way. The murders were performed by someone with surgical skills, do you have any idea of how Ramsay may have developed such skills?"
Tarly sighed and nodded "Yes, I am afraid I do. In Ramsay's file, from a previous hospital that he frequented when he was young...It said that Ramsay skinned an unknown amount of cats in his area as a child"
"I'm never going to ask you for a ride again" Margery groaned from the backseat. Sansa looked at her in the rearview mirror from her place behind the wheel.
"Oh stop pouting, it's just a quick detour"
"Yeah, to the place where a serial killer is most likely hanging out" Margery leaned forward between the front seats and looked at Sandor in the passenger seat. "Don't let anyone kill me, please? I have a pageant in three weeks, and I need to be alive to compete"
Sandor smirked back at her. "That's your first priority?"
"You haven't seen me in a sparkly sequin dress with a crown on my head. If you had, then that would be your first priority as well. I am THE Queen of California"
"We'll be in and out in minutes, then we'll be on our way" Sansa said as she parked the car in front of what looked like a closed kennel store. "Stay in the car Margie, we'll be back soon"
Sansa and Sandor jumped out of the car She looked back at Sandor "It's supposed to be open, why are the lights off?"
Sandor didn't say anything as they looked inside the dark store behind the glass windows. They both jumped and whipped around at the sound of something banging behind them, guns in their hands faster than lighting.
"Wow, calm down!" Margery said, holding her hands up. "I just closed to door"
"It's better that you stay in the car" Sandor said and Margery shook her head.
"Have you never seen a horror movie? If you leave me alone I will be guaranteed to die first."
Sansa rolled her eyes, "Just get behind us, so we can keep you alive for your pageant" Margery gave them thumbs up.
Sandor knocked on the door several times, before turning to Sansa. "We can get a warrant for this right?"
Sansa frowned "Yes, we have reasonable evidence that the suspect can be inside and-" she was interrupted by Sandor shooting the lock and kicking the door open.
He looked over at her "Good"
They proceeded into the dark lit lobby, and as soon as they stepped in they could hear dogs barking. Sansa found a light switch, and they followed the sound of the barking dogs. Once again Sansa found a light switch and a corridor, lined with cages in varying sizes, was illuminated. There was all kinds of dogs in the cages, and it looked like a normal kennel.
But it didn't smell like one. The smell of dog piss and feaces was stronger than it ought to have been, and there was also something else. Sandor looked over his shoulder at Sansa.
"Stay here" He said quietly and Sansa nodded, backing closer to Margery who was covering her nose with her hand. Sansa turned to watch the other way in case anyone would come up behind them.
Sandor walked down the corridor, trying to hear over the barking of the dogs. At the end of the corridor on the left side there was a larger cage, probably meant for larger dogs...
"Sansa, call backup. And get Doc over here too" Sandor called over his shoulder and then looked back into the cage. Sansa grabbed Margery's arm and pulled her out of the corridor as the curious analyst tried to see what made Sandor issue that order. Sandor put his hand infront of his nose, the smell was extra strong this close to the cage. The cage was filled with three big dogs, they weren't making any noises, they didn't even notice he was there. They were too busy licking the remaining blood and flesh off the fleshy skeleton remains tied to the chair in the middle of the cage. The eyes were still in the skull, and they were wide open and staring back at him.
"Skinned cats are never a good sign of mental health" Margery remarked as she licked the chocolate covered spoon in her hand. She then slumped down onto the sofa next to Bronn and Sandor. They had gone to Sandor's place to watch the game as they had planned, but Margery was even more grateful for the company after the body in the kennel. Sandor and Sansa had kept her away from it, and she was grateful for that, but the creepy feeling from the kennel still stuck with her.
"No, generally not" Bronn smirked and took a swig of his beer. "Found anything else stereotypically crazy in his file?"
Margery shook her head "Nah, not really. I read through the files that Doctor Tarly sent, but they seem to add up to the story he told you."
The football game was playing on the big TV in front of them and when someone dropped the ball all men in the room stood up and shouted, beer bottles in hand. Margery sat, with her chocolate ice cream loaded spoon in her mouth, and watched them sceptically.
They all eventually sat down and Thoros and Beric started to argue about the team's structure. She looked over at Sandor who went back to being his usual withdrawn self after the football explosion.
"Would you have wanted her to come too?" She asked and he glanced at her and then back at the TV.
"She has more important stuff to do" He said and took a swig of his beer.
"I take it that Bolton isn't all to happy the investigation is stalling his new warehouses?" Bronn asked, eyes still glued to the TV.
"No. Sansa is meeting with him and his army of lawyers right now to discuss it" Sandor sneered.
Margery shook her head "He probably doesn't care that his son probably killed those people. He just cares about his business"
"Well, be positive about it" Beric interjected "If my experience as a lawyer for the morally corrupt taught me one thing, it is that men like that don't tend to live too long"
Sandor turned to look at Beric, a pensive look on his face. "Do you think Ramsay is going to turn on him, start chasing Bolton instead of his own look a likes?"
Beric shrugged "I'm not the best profiler around, but...when he notices that his look a like murders don't get daddy's attention, he's going to try something else"
Bronn looked at Sandor warily. "And with the new baby coming to take his place, he might have a plan on how to get the attention he wants"
Sandor said nothing for a moment and all in the room sat watching him, waiting for something. None of them were watching the game anymore. They had all come to the same conclusion, and they knew they shouldn't be sitting around watching football anymore.
"Margery, you sober?" Sandor said and Margery put down her bowl of ice cream on the livingroom table in front of them.
"Yes"
"You and Thoros get back to base, find all available cameras surrounding the Bolton apartment. I want someone watching it at all times" Margery shot up from her seat and Thoros followed her out to the door, not even bothering to put on their coats. "Who's drunk less?"
"Half a beer" Beric said and Bronn nodded.
"You're driving then" Bronn then looked at Sandor "Do you want us outside Bolton's place?" Sandor just nodded and Beric and Bronn walked to the door.
"What about you?" Beric asked, Sandor already had his phone by his ear.
"Sansa needs to put Bolton in protective custody, I'll drive on my own when I get a hold of her" Beric and Bronn nodded at that and then left.
The call finally made it through "Sansa, don't let Bolton leave!" Sandor spent some time instructing her over the phone before he dashed out of the aparment to his car.
Sansa hung up on Sandor just as the lawyers were packing up their breifcases. Bolton was still sitting in the same spot, right across from her, his pale blue eyes watching her with a cool interest. His eyes narrowed as she focused her attention on him fully again.
"Have you been provided with some new information, agent Stark?"
"Where is your wife, "
"At home"
"We would like both of you to be placed in protective custody"
Bolton smirked "I hardly need your help, Agent Stark. I have plenty of bodyguards who maintain my security."
"Where are they now?"
"With my wife at the moment" he glared at her suspiciously.
"Call your bodyguards and get her out of the building, and don't let them leave her side for a second" Sansa ordered and Bolton watched her sceptically before slowly picking up his phone.
Thoros threw himself in front of his computer and started to get to work with hacking the street cameras and apartment building cameras outside and within the Bolton apartment building. Margery was equally busy on the opposite side of the aisle with her own computer, but she was trying to hack the cameras to any computers, TVs or phones in the Boltons apartment.
Thoros put on his headset, calling up Bronn and Beric who were racing to the apartment.
"Go Thoros!" Beric answered as Thoros call came through. The sirens ontop of Bronn's car could be heard in the background.
"I'm in the traffic cams outside the buidling, still working on the ones inside the buidling. How far away are you?"
"Five minutes tops. Any sign of Snow outside?"
Thoros scanned the screen as he still worked on the cameras inside the building. "Negative. No sign so far, we might be a step in front of him in this hopefully"
The third screen on Thoros screen lit up and different small screens were on display, showing darkly lit hallways and a flashy entrance. "I'm in the building cameras now" Thoros said, but then cursed loudly.
"What Thoros?" Beric asked, hearing the cursing.
"Bolton is outside the apartment, he just slit one of the bodyguards throat" Thoros answered, eyes still glued to the monitor showing the previously white door splattered with blood. And the big hulking bodyguards body, slowly sliding to the floor. What happened next was like out of a horror movie. Ramsay followed the body's movement as it fell to the ground, and then slowly moved his gaze up to look straight into the security camera. His white face was splattered with blood, and when he smiled up at the camera, you could see the blood spots on his teeth as well.
Bolton picked down his phone from his ear for the second time. Sansa stared at him "Are none of them picking up?" Bolton just looked at her, and she could see a crack in his previously calm and collected facade. She called up Sandor, but was denied, he was busy taking another call.
"Fuck" Sansa groaned and then turned towards Bolton. "You're coming with me, I'm placing you in protective custody right now"
"Miss Stark, I thought we had already gone through this" Bolton said with a tired glare.
Sansa whipped out handcuffs from her back pocket. "We do this the easy way, or we do this the hard day." She opened the handcuffs. "I'm going to try to save your life despite being really tempted to not do it. So you shut up and come with me to the station, or you don't shut up and I force you into handcuffs." Sansa glared harder at him. "Don't tempt me"
"I'm in!" Margery shreiked and Thoros ran over to her desk, she got into Walda's computer and hacked her camera, giving them a look into the apartment. Walda was alive, and sitting by the computer, her calm expression telling them that she probably didn't know how one of the guards had just died.
"Sandor we're in, he's not in the apartment yet" Margery reported into her headset.
"What's Bronn and Beric's location?" Thoros did a quick check in his headset and then reported back to Margery.
"They just stopped outside the buidling" Margery answered, just as something moved in the monitor displaying the Bolton apartment. Walda turned around sharply and another bodyguard walked into frame saying something to her and she looked scared and then dissapeared out of frame. He probably told her to go and hide.
"He's trying to get into the apartment" Margery and Thoros reported at the same time. And through the different headsets, cursing was the only response.
After just watching the monitor in silence for a while, the effect of Ramsay suddenly walking into frame was even more terrifying than it should have been. His clothes were even more blood stained than before, and the meat cleaver in his hand had clearly been used. He looked around the room, his eyes manic. When he looked over at the computer Margery felt her blood freeze in her veins, his eyes was the stuff of nightmares.
"I'm in the buidling" Sandor's sudden words brought Margery back to the job.
"Yeah well so is Snow-" Margery started but then she saw a shadow in the back, and suddenly Bronn and Beric moved into the picture guns raised. "Bronn and Beric have him at gunpoint" Margery reported, releif flooding through her.
But she spoke to soon. They were speaking to each other, Bronn's lips were moving, and Ramsay's too, but his back was turned. Ramsay started to lower the meat cleaver to the ground, and just when it was about to touch the ground he whipped around and threw it backwards.
"NO!" Margery shreiked and Thoros gasped behind her.
The meat cleaver hit Bronn straight in the stomach at the same moment as Beric pulled the trigger and Ramsay fell to the ground. In that moment of complete cofusion and horror everything stood still, and both Thoros and Margery watched in horror as Beric ran over to tend to Bronn who had crumbled to the ground. Thoros came out of the trance faster than Margery and started to call an EMT to the scene.
After what felt like an eternity Sandor finally entered the picture and after a quick look at Snow, making sure that he was really dead, he too fell to his knees beside Bronn.
"Margery, call an ambulance quickly!" Sandor shouted into her headset.
"It's on the way" She heard herself say in a creaking voice, and only then realized that she was crying. And the way Sandor spoke to Bronn didn't help either.
"Bronn, Bronn! Hey, stay with me brother. You're gonna be alright, the ambulance is on the way. Think you can stay awake till then? ...You did well, you did nothing wrong Bronn."
Margery's phone vibrated on her desk and Sansa's name and picture lit up the screen. Margery answered "Hello?"
"Margery, thank god someone's picking up. What is happening?" Margery's throat tightened. "Margery?"
"Bronn, Bronn? Stay with me!"
The body was rolled out by the paramedics, covered in a black bodybag. Sansa stood staring at it as it was rolled into the back of the transport that would take it to Doc for a formal autopsy. They all knew what had killed him after all. Sansa walked over to Sandor who sat on one of the stone steps outside the entrance, he too had been staring at the bodybag. Clutching his bloodsoaked suit jacket in his hands.
Sansa kneeled down in front of him, putting her hands on his. His gaze let go of the bodybag and he looked down at her. His eyes were slightly red from both sadness and exhaustion, but he wouldn't cry among so many people.
"My jacket is probably ruined" was all he said. He had torn it as he tried to use it to stop the bloodflow from Bronn's stomach.
"I'll buy you a new one" Sansa said and Sandor huffed out a laugh as he looked down at her.
"Are you going to take care of me, little bird?" He asked with a sneer, but it had no bite, he was too tired and too torn up to put any real effort into being strong and mean.
"I am" Sansa said calmly and Sandor just looked at her. "Come home with me? I'll help you wash the blood off and hold you tonight"
Sandor didn't say anything, he just nodded slowly. Sansa stood up, still holding his hands and pulled him up with her.
Finally at home in Sansa's apartment, with his bloody clothes off and in the shower, as he watched the water turn pink before it slipped down the drain. The impact of the previous hours hit him, and he started to weep, like a fucking kid.
He tried to hold it in, and held a hand in front of his eyes as if to stop the tears from coming out. But it just didn't work. And then her arms were around him, and her naked wet body pressing against his in a hug. And he just fell apart. He buried his face into her neck and hugged her to him under the steady flow of water.
"You're alright, darling, you're alright" She cooed softly and he let himself be vulnerable for just a moment more, to not try to keep it in anymore. With her it was alright, with her it would be okay.
The harsh light in the white hospital room woke him up, and then the feeling of being sore all fucking over his body made him wanna go back to sleep. He tried to look to his side but the midday light streamed through the open blinds and hit him right in the face so he looked away.
Suddenly the room turned darker, and the sound of curtains closing made him turn his head again. Sandor turned around from the window and walked over to him, and Bronn looked up at his friend.
"You know what, death is supposed to make you see things differently, but you are still one ugly fucker" Bronn said. But instead of an equally nasty comeback, Sandor just threw his head back and laughed and Bronn just looked on in surprised silence.
Sandor didn't care, it was alright after all.
Hey guys! Long time no see. Hope you liked this chapter, this story is the first attempt I have made at writing suspense and crime stories, so hopefully I'll learn to get better and evolve my style within this genre.
I had hoped to give you a scare that Bronn had died, did I do it? Sorry for playing with your emotions, in that case.
I have more chapters planned, but the time to write them is scarce so don't hold your breath waiting for more.
Let me know what you think!
Live long and prosper, lovelies!