PART 5:
The doors to the squad room came flying open. Captain Newman pushed his way through the crowd of officers that stood there.
Cheryl, Mark and Jesse silently followed behind him.
"What the hell where you thinking?" Newman yelled at Mark once they were behind the closed door of his office. "Do you think I was joking when I said I'd have you arrested for interfering?"
"No not at all," Mark answered. "But after all these years of working with me, Captain, you should have known better. Especially since this involves Steve."
Captain Newman glared at Mark.
"I can't do anything," Mark continued. "I'll do my best to stay out of your way, but if I do find anything out I'll let you know."
Before Newman could respond, his phone began to ring.
Sitting down at his desk, he picked up the receiver. "Newman…Okay, what happened?... No, no other leads yet, but we're still working on it… Yeah, we'll keep you posted." He hung up the phone and looked at the others.
"Who was that?" Cheryl asked.
"That was Ellison. She was able to convince the judge to give her seventy-two hours."
"Well, seventy-two hours is better than nothing," Jesse said.
"Yeah, it is," Newman replied and looked at Mark. "Doctor Sloan, you can help, but if things start getting a little rough you're pulling out and letting us handle it right?"
"Oh yes, of course," Mark answered. "You know, I was just thinking. What if Torres' attorney is involved in this somehow?"
"Goodwin? What makes you think he's involved?" Newman asked.
"He's Torres' only connection to the outside," Mark said. "What's to say he didn't help him plan this?"
"The question is how do we prove it?" Jesse asked.
"We could have him tailed, see where that leads us," Cheryl suggested.
"Yeah we could do that," Newman said. "But he would be expecting that."
"Well then, maybe we just have to wait until he slips up," Jesse said.
"Unless he slips up in the next seventy-two hours," Newman replied. "Which I doubt he will, Torres will be let go."
Newman looked at his watch. "Look it's getting late," he said. "Why don't we all go home and get a good nights rest and meet back here in the morning."
"You'll call me if you hear anything?" Mark asked.
"You'll be the first person I call," Newman answered.
Cheryl and Captain Newman watched Jesse and Mark walk out of the office.
Newman looked at Cheryl. "Go home and get a good night's rest
"No, I don't think I can sleep," Cheryl told him. "We have to figure out some way that Goodwin is involved and figure out where they might be keeping Steve."
She walked out of the office and over to her desk. Newman followed her out.
"Listen, Cheryl, we can do that all tomorrow," he told her. "I need you at your best, so you're going home to take a nice hot bath and go to bed." He gave her a stern look. "And this is not a request, it's an order from your captain."
"All right, all right. I'll go but I won't get a good night's sleep," Cheryl said. "You going home?"
"No, I have some paperwork to get done before I go home."
"Okay, if you hear anything, you know where to reach me."
"Right," he said and watched her walk out of the squad room. He took a deep breath and then walked over to his office.
Goodwin walked into the house and his right hand man, Jackson, moved over to him.
"How's our guest doing?" Goodwin asked.
"He's shaking."
Goodwin looked at his watch. "How long ago was his last dose?"
"About four hours."
"Okay, Torres wants us to start giving him a shot every hour on the hour," Goodwin said. "We'll start now."
"Everything's ready."
"Good, go get the stuff, and Alex, I want you two to hang back. I think Lieutenant Sloan will be asking for the stuff without any help from us this time."
"Yes, sir," Jackson said. He walked off to get what he was asked.
Steve lay curled on the cold floor. His body shook and sweat soaked his clothes. The door creaked, and he lifted his head. Blinking the sweat away from his eyes, he tried to focus on the figures in the doorway.
"Hello there, Lieutenant Sloan," Goodwin said, shaking his head. "You don't look so good. You feeling okay?"
Steve locked his eyes with the attorney. Slowly, he pushed himself upright on shaky legs.
"Well now, I have something here that is going to make you feel a whole lot better," he said, wiggling the syringe between his fingers. "Now, wouldn't you like to feel better? All you have to do is say the word, Sloan, and it's yours," he said. "Come on, Sloan, just give me the word."
"Go to fuckin' hell," Steve spat, lunging at the man and knocking the syringe out of his hand.
Goodwin hit Steve in the face, sending him crashing to the floor. "You son of a bitch," he yelled and kicked Steve in the stomach.
Steve lay on the hard floor, moaning in pain.
Goodwin went over to the syringe and picked it up. "Let's see what kind of shape you're in two hours from now, Sloan. You'll be begging for this then."
Steve cried out in pain as Goodwin kicked him again. With an evil laugh, Goodwin turned around and walked out of the room with his men behind him.
Steve stayed on the floor. Wrapping his arms around his stomach, he heard the door close. A smile played across his lips, as his eyes closed.
Amanda walked down the hall of the hospital. Passing Mark's office she noticed the light was on, she looked at her watch. It was well after midnight.
Walking in and through the receptionist area, she stood in the door way of his office. "What are you doing here?"
Mark looked up from the file he was reading. "Paperwork," he answered.
Amanda walked over to his desk. "Paperwork that could wait until tomorrow," she said. "After you've gotten some sleep."
"I'm not tired," Mark said.
"When was the last time you slept, Mark?" Amanda asked.
"I got a couple of hours of sleep on the plane," he answered.
"I see," Amanda replied. "Well a couple of hours isn't enough. You need to go home."
"I'll be okay."
"Mark, I know you're worried about Steve," Amanda started. "We all are, but not taking care of yourself isn't going to help Steve."
Mark closed the file in front of him and sat back in his chair. "I've already been home and tried to sleep, I just couldn't."
"Come on," Amanda said as she walked around his desk and grabbed a hold of his arm. "Let's go find a nice quiet empty room so you can get some sleep."
She helped Mark to a standing position.
"What if we don't find him, Amanda?" Mark asked. "What if who ever took him kills him before we find him?"
Amanda looked at her friend and saw the tears in his eyes, her heart broke for him. "That's foolish talk from someone who is obviously very tired," she said. "Of course we're going to find Steve and everything is going to be all right."
"I hope your right."
"Of course I'm right," Amanda said as she led Mark out of his office. "When have I ever been wrong?"
Mark smiled at his friend. "Thank you, Amanda."
Amanda smiled in return. "Come let's find you a bed," she said as she led Mark down the hall.
Steve hadn't moved from his spot on the floor. He was covered in sweat and his body shook. His head jerked up when he heard the door open. Wiping the sweat dripping into his eyes, he saw Goodwin walk toward him and Franklin and Jackson in the background.
"Lieutenant Sloan," Goodwin said. "Are you ready to try this again?" He knelt down next to Steve. "Here, let me help you sit up." He grabbed Steve by the arm and helped him sit up against the wall.
Steve wiped his bloodied lip and stared at the syringe in Goodwin's hand.
"Oh, did I do that?" Good asked. "Well, we'll take care of that in a little while, but let's take care of first things first." He dangled the syringe in front of Steve.
Steve looked at Goodwin and then the syringe and then back at Goodwin.
"Come on Sloan," Goodwin said. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Now I'm sure you would rather do this the easy way, wouldn't you?"
"You're going to have to kill me before I give in to you," Steve hissed.
"Have it your way," Goodwin said, standing. "Boys."
Goodwin watched his men walk over to Steve. He watched as Steve tried to fight them, shaking his head in disbelief, he couldn't tell whether it was because of the drugs or it Steve was just being plain stupid. Nonetheless his men had Steve pinned up against the wall within seconds.
Goodwin walked over to Steve, tying a tourniquet around his arm. "Give it up, Sloan. You're not going to beat us."
He pushed the contents of the syringe into Steve's vein.
Once Goodwin's men felt Steve's body relax, they let him go. His body slid down the wall to the floor.
"Sleep well, Lieutenant Sloan," Goodwin said. "We'll be back soon to do this again."
Steve watched Goodwin and his men walk out of the room. Pulling his legs up to his chest, he let the tears fall. God, I can't do this anymore, he thought. I can't fight them, I just can't fight them.