Thank you for giving this story a try. I hope you will enjoy it. I will do my best to post as often as possible. For those of you who have left reviews, a huge thanks to each of you!

Sairs J, thanks for editing this chapter.

As Jerry sat in the backseat of the unmarked car on route to the safe house, he couldn't help but think over recent events; events that would not only change his life, but the lives of those he loved as well.

He could vividly remember the sharp pains that resulted from each slash and dig of the knife into his flesh, feeling the blood pool around him as he fell to the floor. He recalled seeing Peck being dragged from the house, trying to do all he could to save her, until only darkness surrounded him, unconsciousness winning over.

The pain medications helped to ease the pain slightly, but he knew that under normal circumstances, no ordinary patient would be leaving the hospital, and any travel like the current one he was on would be completely out of the question after enduring what he had.

As much as he hated to admit it, he did feel a real sense of fear, knowing that it wasn't every day that the Superintendent thought it was in the best interest of everyone involved for you to appear dead to the rest of the world. If such extreme measures were being taken, he knew that this was far bigger than he could imagine, and could only hope that everyone back at home would remain safe in his absence.

He wondered which officers would be sent to work with him. All he had been told was that there would be two UC officers who would be joining him, and together, they'd work for however long it took to determine who was involved and bring them to justice.

As the car continued to travel through the back roads in the dark of night, his head was still sore and foggy, due to the trauma and the fact that life as he knew it was completely turned upside down.

"Only a select few know that you are alive, but to the rest of the world, Jerry Barber is no longer with us."

Those few words, that one sentence, kept replaying in his mind on a continuous loop, no matter how hard he tried to get it to stop. He desperately tried to convince himself that this truly was the only way. Closing his eyes as the exhaustion kicked in, he fell into a restless sleep.

Superintendent Peck sat at her desk, her face buried in her hands, letting out a long sigh. She couldn't believe the mess that had exploded in front of her; every parent's worst nightmare come to life, yet still incomprehensible at the same time. It was nearly impossible for her to admit that her daughter had been abducted and nearly killed, and one of her detectives almost lost his life to save her. The whole scene would not stop from replaying in her mind…

Flashback

She had never been more grateful to use her rank to demand the best for her daughter. Waiting in the ambulance bay, she hoped to get even the slightest glimpse of her baby girl before they rushed her away. There was just something about seeing her with her own eyes that would help her to really know that she was alive.

Everything passed so quickly when Gail finally arrived. The back doors of the ambulance swung open, nurses and doctors surrounded the gurney. Orders were shouted as her daughter was being wheeled away. She saw it though. Through the chaos, she managed to lock eyes with her beautiful daughter, still strong, despite the trauma. Right then, Superintendent Peck vowed to bring whoever was responsible to justice, no matter what it took.

Sitting in the waiting area, thoughts of the horrific call about the abduction flooded her mind; the moment her whole world stopped when the call came through. Deep down, she knew the relationships had with her children would never make for mother of the year, but she loved Gail more than she could ever express.

It felt like hours had passed before the doctors completed their assessment and treatment. Even a gold shield could only get her so far, so she waited as patiently as she could.

Being able to really see her daughter without the hospital staff surrounding her, she could barely hold back the tears. The bruises had already started to form on her usually flawless, porcelain face. A gash on her lip had begun to scab, and the leftover makeup was still smeared across her face and eyes.

Not knowing how to make it better, Superintendent Peck did what she did best. She shut off her emotions and went into cop mode. Putting on a brave face, she asked the questions she knew were of the most importance. After learning about the other victim that had been in the basement with Gail, then about the other man whose identity was still unknown, she realized this was bigger than she first thought.

Running the facts in her head, knowing that what her daughter endured wasn't just some random event, but likely part of some much larger scheme, she stepped out of the hospital room to check on the man who had saved her daughter's life, while also giving her daughter a break, knowing that having to retell those moments she would rather forget would be a lot for her to handle.

After finding a nurse who gave her directions to where the surgeon would meet her, Superintendent Peck yet again waited for what was to come, hoping that there would finally be some good news.

"Superintendent Peck, I'm Doctor Jones. Thank you for waiting, and I'm very sorry to hear about your daughter. As for Detective Barber, he sustained numerous injuries, but we were able to control and stop the bleeding. He has received a transfusion, and he isn't out of the woods yet, but we are hopeful that he will make a complete recovery. He seemed to be of very good health before all of this, so with time and months of physical therapy, he should be able to be back on his feet.

"Thank you, Doctor. I am really glad to hear that."

Relieved, yet still undeniably pressed to her emotional limits, Superintendent Peck found an old, unused exam room to mull over her thoughts, determined to figure out how to go about bringing justice to everyone involved. The offenders could only hope that her officers would find them first, because if she got her hands on them, there would be no stopping her from exacting the revenge they deserved for what they put her daughter through.

A shrill ring pierced the silence of her quiet place, which broke her train of thought. The news spoken from the other end of the line nearly caused her to collapse. Her daughter's abductor was dead. "A heart attack, but not due to natural causes." Her head spun as she took in the news, only the significant words standing out. "Poisoned. Dead. Half-life of the drug. The killer would have been there around the time Jerry was attacked."

She rushed through the hospital like a madwoman. Running down the halls to her daughter's room, she needed to know if there was anything else her daughter could recall from her ordeal. From what she just heard, the information could very well be their big break.

"Gail, I know I already asked you some questions, and I didn't want to push you right away, but this is very important. You mentioned sensing another person with Perrick. Can you remember when that was?"

Gail closed her eyes, trying to look into those painful memories, knowing that her mother's tone meant it was of the utmost importance. Whatever she could do to help would be worth reliving the experience, knowing that it was over, and just in her mind.

I'm lying down, arms bound, eyes covered. I can hear voices. Quiet. They're far away at first. I can hear shoes. He walks a lot harder on the floorboards than Perrick. He's heavier. I don't move. I can tell he's coming toward me. He smells awful. I want to heave, but I can't let him know I'm alert. He reeks of body odor and cigar smoke. The bile is rising in my throat. Suddenly the smell lessens. His steps take him away from where I'm being held. I can no longer feel him staring at me, eyeing me like a piece of meat. My eyes are covered, but I can feel it.

Breaking out of her trance-like state, she sucks in a deep breath. She hadn't expected for it to be so real. It was as if she were back in the basement. The images in her head were so vivid, so real that she could practically feel the ties that bound her hands, the gag in her mouth, and the mask on her face. Gail lifted her hands to her face, touching her mouth, as if feeling her unbound face would bring some comfort; a tiny shred of peace, knowing that she was indeed safe.

"Mom, the other man… I think he and Perrick knew each other. I couldn't make out what exactly they were saying. They were too far away. At one point, the other guy walked toward where I was being held. I knew it wasn't Perrick. This guy smelled really bad, and he walked a lot heavier. As creepy as Perrick is, something about this one made him seem much worse. I can't explain it, but I could just feel it."

"That's really good. Is there anything else you remember? Earlier you said that Jerry had fought with Perrick as you were being dragged out of the house. Can you remember anything about when Jerry arrived at the house?"

Closing her eyes again, she forced herself to go back to that place.

There was a knock. Jerry knocked on the door. I could hear him shouting that it was him. There was shuffling. Heavy steps moved quickly in the other room. Another knock. Jerry's talking, asking about the fares last night. Perrick makes a comment about how he didn't know I was a cop. I remember thinking that it was all over. 'That was the point, idiot! And you abducted a cop, and now Jerry is going to arrest your sorry ass.' I'm waiting for Jerry to shout his rights as he cuffs him, but then there's a struggle. Things are breaking as they fall to the floor. Someone's hurt. I hear them grunt in pain. 'Please let Jerry be okay.' Perrick bounds down the stairs. He's rushing and breathing hard. Things are going downhill. Fast. 'Why didn't you tell me you were a cop?' I'm being dragged up the stairs. It hurts. My body aches, my head is foggy from whatever he shot me up with. I see Jerry. He's bleeding. 'Oh God, Jerry!' I feel the tears fall from my eyes. I can't move. I can't help him. Jerry starts to move, but by the time Perrick is done with him, he's in even worse shape. I'm in the trunk of the cab. Then we stop, and it's over.

Drying the tears she felt escape from her eyes, Gail told her mother the rest of what she knew.

"The other guy who was there… He left when Jerry arrived. I heard Jerry announce himself, so the guy must've fled when he heard who was at the door. I know that Jerry had to have surgery, and I realize that it's not a fast process. I mean the doctors took forever to patch me up, but have you heard anything? Is he okay? Mom, he has to be okay…" Gail started, as sobs escaped, her body shaking, trying not to imagine him not making it out alive.

"Nobody else knows about Jerry yet, and we need to keep it that way. Do you hear me?" Superintendent Peck started, and paused, wanting to make sure her daughter fully understood what she was trying to convey.

Receiving a nod in agreement, she continued. "Jerry made it out of surgery. It was really bad, but they think he'll be okay. This is a lot bigger than we first expected, and I will do whatever I can to keep you safe. Once you're cleared, you and your brother will be taking a long vacation out of the country until this is settled."

"Mom…"

"Gail, I'm not changing my mind. Perrick had a heart attack in lock up. It wasn't just any heart attack. The samples they collected were top priority, and the results showed he was poisoned. The man that was there in the house with you, it is very likely he was the one who did it. This is a very well publicized case. An officer can't go missing without the media finding out somehow. He will know you were found, and I will not take a chance that you will end up like Perrick. Do you understand me?"

Shocked filled every fiber of Gail's being. He was dead. He deserved to be punished, and now, he was just gone. And whatever information they could've squeezed from the slime ball was now gone.

"Okay…" She had no idea what else to say. It was yet another curveball, another insane twist of events in a long list of them. When will it end?

"I need to make some calls. You sit tight, and I'll be back in a while. There'll be an officer outside your door at all times. Please keep everything I have just told you between us for now. Get some rest."

Superintendent Peck walked back to the empty exam room she had been resting in earlier. Pulling out her phone, dialing the number she needed.

Deciding it was the best option to have an officer appear to be dead wasn't something she ever expected she'd have to do in her career. It wasn't something anyone would've thought to do, but somehow, that became their plan. For Jerry's safety, and in hopes that the killer would have a false sense of security, the rest of world would think that Jerry Barber was dead.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and getting inside their heads a bit. Please leave a review if you have a moment. Let me know what you think of it so far. Have a great week!