As promised, Sharon and Rusty were in Chief Taylor's office by seven am sharp. Both looked exhausted, with dark circles under their eyes. They both remained quiet as Emma paced around agitated, gesturing wildly with her arms and objecting to everything Taylor or Provinsa suggested.
Dr. Joe sat in the corner, smirking at how dramatic she was acting. Every once and awhile he'd roll his eyes at Rusty in order to put the nervous kid at ease. Rusty couldn't help but smirk back. It really would have been comical if he wasn't directly involved.
"I can't believe you put his picture on the news. I sure hope your idea works," Emma continued practically yelling.
"If it isn't this Dr. Davenport, well you just put my only witness in major danger"
"Listen Emma, it's the only way to catch this guy," Chief Taylor patiently said looking annoyed.
"No, there is another way. To put him immediately in that boarding school I suggested. I'm sure, if Rusty is out of sight, this guy will back off,"
Hearing the words boarding school, Rusty jumped out of his chair. He was done being threatened with being placed in the witness protection program.
"Enough!" He yelled as everyone turned to look at him.
" I am NOT going into the witness protection program. I am doing everything you all have asked of me. I am dealing with security guards following me all day, I am taking school online, I was evaluated by a therapist and have even seen him on my own time. I haven't run away since you've asked me not to, and I even went out on the street to help catch this guy,"
Sharon and Dr. Joe shared a small smile as he talked primarily to Emma.
"I know it's dangerous, but I am tired of my life being ruled by this crazy doctor guy. I am going out on the streets today Emma, in the hopes that Paul shows up and we catch him. I just want my life back!"
Emma stared at him, surprised when he stared straight in her eyes, never breaking eye contact.
"Fine you all win. But, you only have yourselves to blame if something happens and Phillip is released from prison," Grabbing her purse, she stormed out of Chief Taylor's office.
"Wow," Provinsa muttered when she was gone.
"Let's just get back to business," Chief Taylor said reaching for the bottle of Advil in his top desk drawer and popping two in his mouth.
Thirty minutes later and details were mapped out. Provinsa was going to inform the undercover officers, Leut. Flynn, and Det. Sykes.
"I have one request," Sharon said
"What would that be?"
"I want to be there,"
"No, absolutely not!" Rusty yelled fear in his eyes.
"Yes, I'll stay in the van with Buzz, I just need to be there,"
Taylor was silent for a moment while he thought about the request.
"Fine," he said dismissing the group.
In the hallway, Rusty immediately began to protest Sharon's attendance.
"Rusty, if it were me being used as bait for a potentially dangerous criminal, wouldn't you want to be there?"
Sighing, Rusty nodded his head and Sharon gently squeezed his arm.
"Promise me you'll stay in the van?" Rusty asked raising his head, light green eyes looking into dark green ones.
"I'll be in the van. Promise me you'll stay as safe as possible. No heroics,"
Rusty nodded his head with a slight smile, which Sharon returned.
Within an hour the duo headed outside, walking towards the van that would take them to the street corner. Inside, Sharon listened to Leut Flynn giving orders on last minute changes to their plans before everyone piled out and headed to their rides.
"You up for another day Rusty?" Leut. Flynn asked as he started the van's engine and eased into traffic.
Rusty nodded and Sharon prepared herself for a long day of sitting and nervously watching. She hoped this man made an appearance. She couldn't wait for all this to be over.
Sharon thought she was fully prepared for this mission. She knew that men were going to hit on her son, but she hadn't been prepared for the sheer amount. Within the first two hours the team arrested half a dozen. It literally made her sick and she wondered once again if she had made the best decision allowing him on this mission.
Turning her head from the monitors she closed her eyes in disgust seeing the sympathetic look from Buzz when she opened them.
"Its sick and disturbing," he blandly said and Sharon nodded.
"I only attended the operation once last week and very few men showed. Has it been this way the entire time? " she trailed off her voice lower than normal.
Buzz nodded. "On the bright side, these men are all being booked,"
Sharon merely hummed then turned her attention back to the screen. She stared at her son's face, his hardened eyes, if you looked carefully, held hurt and a little bit of betrayal. She understood a little more what his life must have been like on the streets.
"When does he get a break?" She asked
"Another hour," Buzz replied.
Glancing at the monitor again, Sharon inwardly groaned as another man walked up the sidewalk.
"We've got another one. He's about six feet, muscular, early forties, white with black hair and a black goatee. He's wearing black slacks, and a buttoned down white shirt," Sykes said over the radio.
"Copy that," one of the undercover cops named Jason said.
Sharon stilled, focusing directly on the man's image on the screen in front of her. Rusty slouched putting on a dull bored look. Something nagged at the back of Sharon's unconscious and blinking her weary eyes she stared harder at their potential perp. As he strode closer to her son, Sharon knew this was the one they were looking for. He had dyed his hair, and he appeared more muscular than the mug shot they had of him, but he acted differently than the other perps who only wanted Rusty for sex. They had all been nervous, looking around for cops or anyone who could possibly ID them. This man was confidant. His eyes were focused on Rusty and Rusty only.
Sharon saw her son tense and she knew he recognized him as well. She knew she should stay in the van. Members of her team were only seconds away from Rusty, but the nightmare of him lying on the ground dying held such a grip on her the only thing she could think of was getting to him. Grabbing her gun she checked to see if it was loaded, grabbed the radio telling her team she was 99.9% sure this was Dr. Paul Davenport then reached for the handle of the van.
"Where are you going?" Buzz asked nervously. "You're supposed to stay in the van,"
"This is my son Buzz. I need to protect him from this creep," With that she tore off in the direction of Rusty and the doctor.
"Sharon! What the hell are you doing? Get back in that van," she heard Leut Flynn yell through the microphone in her ear, but she ignored him. She had one goal in mind, to protect her son from this monster who she knew without a doubt was going to try and kill him.
Creeping up closer behind the man, she pulled her gun determined to shoot him if he pulled a weapon of any kind out of his pocket.
"Hey kid, how much…"
"Cut the crap. I know who you are Paul," Rusty said and Sharon smiled at his strong voice. She knew without a doubt he could handle this meeting. She saw officers inch their way towards the duo.
The smile Paul gave Rusty was creepy and he struggled to keep his attitude. His face faltered as he saw Sharon closing in behind the guy and his emotions altered between frustration that she had broke her promise and relief because he knew whatever happened she would have his back.
"Well then you know I'm here to kill... you," the man said suddenly turning and pulling out a gun pointing it at Sharon who was caught off guard. Before she could react he kicked the gun out of her hand and moved her against his chest in a tight grip.
"Sharon!" Rusty yelled as one of the undercover cops grabbed him and pulled him back before rushing towards the hostage situation. Rusty watched as Sykes, Flynn and several other officers surrounded the doctor and his foster mom. Sitting on the ground, tears came to his eyes and burying his head in his legs he began to cry. Because of him she was in danger. He didn't think he could stand it if Paul hurt her.
"You were supposed to stay in the van," he moaned softly over and over rocking back and forth his hands balled into fists. He heard officer's voices demanding Paul drop the gun and release Sharon, and then he heard her voice. It was shaky and low and he could hear the nervousness in it. Rusty made up his mind that he wouldn't stay behind the scenes. He needed to see her and he wanted her to see him. He needed her to know that what she had done mattered and how much he loved her for protecting and loving him so much. Rising slowly he began to creep around the circle of cops each one preoccupied with Sharon and Paul.
"Did you really think I didn't know you were coming up behind me you stupid woman," Paul sneered twisting her arm back hard chuckling at her little cry of pain.
"Put your hands in the air and drop your weapon," Leut. Flynn yelled for the tenth time. It was killing him that she was in this predicament. She was supposed to be in the van and out of danger and he was pissed she hadn't complied.
"I should have known, but its obviously you planned this well," Sharon managed to say gritting her teeth as pain radiated down her arm. She was relieved it was her and not Rusty being held hostage. He was safe from the gun, safe from her recurrent nightmare.
"I did plan well. The one thing that would hurt Rusty the most would be if his guardian died. A guardian who its obvious to see, loves him. His own mother could care less about him. I could see that within ten minutes of my first visit. When Phillip contacted me, I slowly did research. When I discovered he was staying with you, I knew it was the only thing that would literally kill him emotionally. He has a huge fear of being abandoned thanks to his crack whore of a mommy. Where would this poor, unloved, neglected child live without you Sharon?"
"With me," Flynn growled itching to pull the trigger and end this situation now.
"Or me or any one of the members of our squad. He's well loved," Amy replied coldly which caused Sharon to smile. Rusty would be taken care of if something should happen to her. The man didn't seem phased by their responses at all. Sneering he said,
"Really? Would he really stay with any of you? Isn't it more likely, without the guardian he trusts he will run back to selling himself on the streets? Or maybe, he'll be so heartbroken he'll slit his own throat. How will you feel knowing all your effort on him will be for nothing Sharon? Oh wait, you won't care because you'll be six feet under," He cackled, glancing over as he caught Rusty running to the other side where Sharon faced. Smiling evilly at him the man put the gun to her head releasing the safety and pulling the trigger back. Sharon's eyes closed involuntarily for a second as she took deep easy breaths to keep her adrenaline in check. The man was hitting every nerve with her and glancing over at Leut. Flynn he gave her a small reassuring smile before snarling,
"He might run, but he won't commit suicide. The kid is strong and brave. You on the other hand will not be leaving here a free man whether it be a bullet through your brain or jail. No matter how many times Rusty runs we will find him and we will keep him safe and let him know how much he is loved. He will testify against Phillip Stroh and YOUR work will be for nothing"
The man just shrugged and Sharon began to feel uneasy. Feeling a different pair of eyes bore into her, she opened hers and saw Rusty's anguished face trying to be courageous as he stared at her and Paul.
She gave him as strong a smile as she could muster hoping to quell any fears and insecurities he was feeling. She wished he wasn't witnessing this. Her uneasiness continued to grow and began to fester in the pit of her stomach and she knew something was wrong besides the fact she had a gun pointed at her head. They were missing something. Something important.
"Think Sharon," she told herself. If this guy's main objective was to kill her, why hadn't he done it already? What was he waiting for? He had an audience. He had the attention of Rusty. Then another thought hit her. No one was watching her son. He was just yards away witnessing every move they made, listening to every horrible word out of Paul's mouth. Could there be a second perp that was waiting to strike while everyone was preoccupied? Were they wrong about Paul being the letter writer?
Seeing the woman he thought of as his mother with a gun to her head caused something to snap inside of Rusty. He couldn't let Paul hurt her. He wasn't going to allow this psychopath of a man to injure another person he loved. An idea formed in his mind as he stood there.
"That might be the case lieutenant but you're forgetting one thing," Paul replied glancing at Rusty with a small smile.
Sharon's eyes zeroed in on her foster son before glancing at all the officers surrounding her. She hoped she could somehow signal someone to back off her and monitor him. If there was another perp and the ploy was to have all the attention on her, it was working. Suddenly with heart stopping clarity she recalled the night Jack had come in at three in the morning and Rusty had rushed into the kitchen with a lamp ready to attack when he hadn't heard from her. She remembered his words while leaving the office after he agreed to see a therapist, 'I'm only doing this because I love you...'
Her eyes widened and a wave of nausea passed through her as she realized what Paul was doing. Focusing on her son she watched the fear fall off his face and a hard, angry, determined look took over. "No" she whispered her mouth falling open in pure terror as she realized what she should have known all along. Hearing her, Paul let out a little chuckle. She had finally caught on but it was too late.
"We're anxiously listening," Flynn sarcastically said.
The man paused for a dramatic moment glancing quickly over at Rusty who had begun a full on sprint towards him, before saying,
"You forgot how much love a son has for his mother,"
Flynn's eyebrows crinkled together in confusion and he glanced over at Amy as they both realized their mistake and turned to where Rusty had been earlier. He wasn't there. Flipping around they spotted him tearing towards Sharon and Paul.
"No kid!" he screamed and both he and Amy charged towards Rusty hoping to tackle him at the same time Sharon began to scream and fight the man like she was possessed.
" NO! Rusty NO! She screamed attempting to tackle or knock the gun out of the man's hand as his hold on her tightened. Cackling Paul turned his gun towards the boy and shot off four rounds before the undercover cops, who were in the dark about the full extent of the relationship between Sharon and Rusty, could react. Rusty's body jerked twice and he fell backwards as a couple of bullets hit him. Sharon managed to jerk herself away from Paul as officers fired at him. He was dead before he even hit the ground.
"Oh God, please!" Sharon sobbed as she dashed towards Rusty. Diving towards the ground seconds before Amy and Flynn she yanked off her extra sweater and pressed it against the holes in his chest.
"I'm sorry," Rusty managed to say as he cried out in pain gritting his teeth.
"Shhhh," she soothed as tears fell down her face and she pressed her shaking hands down as hard as she could trying to keep the bright red blood inside his thin body.
"No, No, No!" Sharon moaned feeling as though her chest was going to burst open with the pain she was experiencing at the sight of her son writhing in agony on the ground.
"Why didn't I realize what he was doing sooner!" she yelled allowing Flynn to push her arms away so he could press harder on Rusty's potentially life threatening injuries. Scooting over to his head Sharon gently lifted it and placed it on her lap. Caressing his blonde hair she tried hard to remain calm as he struggled to breath. Each painful gasp he let out felt like a stab wound to her chest.
She knew he loved her. He had shown her over and over and even told her. She just didn't realize how much.
"I had to. I didn't want him to hurt you. I love you…. mom," he said with a weak smile before his body went limp.
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Thank you to everyone who took the time to review! This is the last chapter till I get back from vacation but i'll update as soon as I can. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!