This chapter is very, very dark. Possibly "M". A warning.

Chapter Seven

He didn't know if it was the pain or the cold that broke through the fog in his mind first. For one terrible moment he thought he might be back at Tate, but he remembered it wasn't cold in Heaven. It was hot--horribly, horribly hot--there. He tried to move, and received terrible, sharp pains in his wrists and ankles in return for his efforts. He cried out, but the sound was garbled by the tape that covered his mouth.

"I believe, Mark, that our guest is waking up."

He shivered involuntarily as he heard the voice, and he realized that his hands were handcuffed over his head. His body was stretched out on a rough and narrow plank and, with a wave of shame and fear, Bobby realized he was naked.

"Oh, God," Bobby thought. "What happened…I'm going to be sick…Drugs…They musta…" He fought against the bile that rose in his throat.

"He looks rather ill and upset, doesn't he?"

Bobby remembered the voice. It belonged to the man who called himself Dr. Thomas Linley. He met the man in that small bar. Linley was dressed in a cream colored suit and a grey overcoat; he carried a white fedora. He reminded Bobby of Declan Gage before Gage's collapse. Linley spoke with a vaguely Southern accent and carried himself with an aristocratic air. Bobby remembered that his initial unease grew as he increasingly felt that the man was, if not a fraud, not entirely what he said he was. And then…Bobby faintly remembered seeing Mark Caldwell enter the bar accompanied by a pretty young blonde woman who seemed the worse for drink or something. Bobby started to leave his seat, but Linley pressed a sharp needle to the younger man's neck.

"Oh, no, Detective Goren," Linley hissed. "You have a choice…Let us take you, or let us take that young woman. Now, you might be able to overpower me before I give you this drug or before it takes hold of you. But by that time Mark will have that young woman far away from you. And even if you have me, you won't have him. And I don't think you will find him before he begins his work with her. And I'd bet you and the police won't find him before he finishes his work."

Visions of Marian Brewster's battered body flooded Bobby's mind. He knew what Caldwell would do to this woman. He knew what Sebastian did to his victims. He knew what would happen to him if he let Linley and Caldwell take him. Bobby sat down.

"A wise decision, Detective," Linley said. "And, I must say, the one I expected of you."

Bobby felt a sharp prick on his neck. A fog descended over him, followed by blackness.

"I was right to be worried," Bobby thought. There was a slashing pain in his wrists, and he couldn't suppress his garbled cry.

"Let's lift him up, Mark. And let him know where he is and who we are."

His arms screamed in pain as his body was wrenched up. Bobby struggled to keep his balance and relieve some of the pressure on his arms. "Oh, God," he thought. "What are they going to do to me? This…this man must be Sebastian…Oh, God…Alex…Alex…Is this what you went through? Alex…Alex…Forgive me…Please let me see you again so I can tell you how sorry I am…"

The rope holding Bobby up was suddenly released, and he fell nearly to the floor before the rope was jerked tight. Bobby cried out again as his arms and shoulders caught his weight. He twisted in pain as his body was pulled up until he stood precariously on his toes.

"You must pay attention." The older man stood in front of Bobby. It was difficult to place his age, but he seemed to be a few years younger than Declan Gage.

"You're a bright man, Detective Goren," the man said. His manner was pleasant, polite, genial. "You must realize by now who I am. You know me as Sebastian."

Bobby again shivered involuntarily. He heard an unpleasant chuckle behind him.

"That is Mark Caldwell, of course. You've already had some contact with him," Sebastian continued. "My protégé…" Sebastian smiled. "My Robert Goren, if you will."

Bobby fought not to shiver again and give Caldwell and Sebastian the satisfaction of seeing his fear. Sebastian reached out and touched Bobby's chin almost tenderly. Bobby tried to pull away, but Sebastian's grip tightened painfully.

"It's wonderful how Mark has helped me. When I was in prison and met him, I was in despair. But he's given me purpose. He has such interesting ideas about how to improve my work. And he told me what an inspiration I was to him. You saw the results of our first project together. I think you'll agree they were very impressive."

Bobby struggled to show that he wanted to answer.

"Oh, no, Detective Goren," Sebastian chuckled. "I don't believe we'll let you use your legendary skills on us. At least not for a while. Later we may be interested in your reactions to our work. I must confess, however, that we are a little disappointed that your lovely partner isn't here as well. I wanted to show her how I really work. And both Mark and I prefer women…You will be our first male…" Sebastian patted Bobby's cheek. "At some point I must ask you about Dr. Gage. I've always wondered about his preferences."

Bobby scarcely heard Sebastian's musings. He was too full of gratitude that Alex wasn't with him. "She'll know…" he thought. "When I don't call her…She'll know I'm in trouble…She'll look for me…I just have to hang on…"

Bobby heard a soft snick behind him, followed by a terrible smack on his naked back. The pain cut through his body. He gasped desperately for breath, and blood seeped from his wrists as he twisted and shook.

"Mark," Sebastian said deliberately. "Was especially disappointed that your partner isn't here. But we believe you'll make a suitable substitute."

"No…No…No," Bobby thought as the two men dropped him to the floor. In spite of the pain from the restraints, he jerked and twisted and tried to fight Sebastian and Caldwell as they bent him over the wooden plank. The sharp edges cut into his stomach. "No!" Bobby screamed in his head. "Oh, God…Alex…Alex…No…I can't think of her…I can't let them know how much…No…No…Oh, God…Alex…Alex…"

His world grew red and black with pain.

END CHAPTER SEVEN