A/N: Things are escalating and getting down to the wire :) I might make this twenty-one or twenty-two chapters just to resolve this mess a little more. What do you guys think?

I can't forget to mention my girl, Meowser Clancy who saved me with these Rick scenes in this chapter. She did those :)

Enjoy xx Mariah

Mason was almost a foot away from Katie. He was standing with his hands in the air. He was ready to hit her unconcious, again.

She knew she had to just keep running. Distance was all that mattered. Katie wasn't stopping for anything and she sure as hell wasn't going to slow down because she didn't have any shoes on.

She kept running, she didn't look back, but could hear Mason running after her. She was not a slow runner, but compared to him, she was just slow enough. When she got down to the ground floor of the dilapidated house, almost close to the entrance, Mason grabbed hold of her shoulder.

But she shoved it away. No, she tossed him away, and he slammed on to the ground, face first.

Katie stopped for a second, her heart making her want to feel for him and help. That's what she always did, she helped people.

Mason grunted, touching his head softly and starting to pull himself up. "You need to stop fighting me," he groaned, spitting out blood as he wiped his face clean.

She turned on her heel and pinned him to the ground. At first he tried to move, but then he stopped and looked up at her. She could see the hurt in his eyes, maybe that's the way someone looked when they had their mind controlled by hate. He was bleeding from a wound over his eyebrow, and his lip was busted.

"Do whatever you want, but just know you won't get far. I'll find you." He laughed. "No one is looking for you. I'm the only one who cares about you now."

He had to be lying. There was no way her mother would ever give up, or her father, or Ned. They wouldn't, would they.

She threw him away again, taking off as quickly as she could before Mason had the chance to get up.

This time, he made quick of trying to catch her and eventually was able to trip her and her head hits the ground, hard enough to knock the wind out of her.

Mason picked up off the front lawn of the abandoned property and chuckled. "Stupid girl," he muttered, throwing her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing. "No one is looking for you."

"You're lying," she whispered as she focused on the ground, the swaying ground as he carried her inside.

Not yet, anyway.

Melinda was agitated and Ned wasn't sure which one of them should drive since both of them were beginning to lose it. He considered asking Aaron and then brushed it off, taking his keys and wordlessly nodding at Melinda.

Delia was there, ready to watch over the remaining Clancy children. "Melinda, I only wish I could do more," Delia whispered, nine-month-old Emma clutched in her arms.

"You're doing enough," Melinda replied, kissing her baby and hugging the rest of the kids one by one. Mackenzie held on the longest, and Melinda whispered something to her that must've helped her let go and go back into the living room.

Jim had already left, with much reluctance. He'd been called in, and as Chief of Staff, he couldn't say no.

"Let's go," Melinda said, and Ned led the way from the kitchen.

Neither spoke on the drive to Rockland University. Ned found himself taking curves at a much higher speed than normal, something Melinda didn't even seem to notice.

When they arrived at Payne's office, he wasn't there. The office door was locked, the light was off.

It was the first time Ned witnessed Melinda losing composure. She let out a cry that could only be called primal and began to pummel the wall, for a brief moment, not even long enough for Ned to pull her off.

She sank back.

"Rick Payne, where the fuck are you?" She called.

"Woman! Calm down!"

Again, Ned had never witnessed Melinda like this.

She froze, suddenly calming. Rick Payne was striding down the hallway, calm and slow, quirking an eyebrow at the pair of them.

"Rick," Melinda said, deflating a little. And then, before Ned could blink, she moved to embrace the man, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

Rick dropped the briefcase he'd been holding to return the hug.

Ned knew that Melinda was crying. He felt extremely awkward, wondering if he should even be here for this.

"My daughter is gone," Melinda whimpered.

Rick was pulling back, examining Melinda's face with tenderness. "What do you mean? Gone like Amber alert or gone like dead?"

Deadpan humor. It slapped Ned in the face and he almost snapped, wanting to yell at the man for his disrespect.

And yet... It worked.

Melinda was staring at him in shock, and then let out a strangled sound that was a hybrid of gasp and laugh. "You never change, Professor."

"And that's why you keep coming back," Payne said, untangling himself from her and reaching to grab his briefcase. "Come on in, but first, answer my question."

"She's gone like Amber," Ned said.

It was like Rick hadn't even realized there was another person standing there.

"Oh. Uh. Ned, right?" Payne looked at Melinda. "He's Delia's son right?"

"Yeah," Ned replied first, walking toward him. "I'm Katie's husband."

"Ahhhh," Rick said. "You know, you didn't specify which daughter," Payne looked back at Melinda. "and you do have a lot of them, especially in contrast to the number of boys you and Jim were blessed with."

He wasn't addressing Ned, and it was an entirely bizarre experience.

"Ned, I'm Rick Payne," Payne suddenly said, extending his hand, the hand occupied with a briefcase. "I think we met at a wedding or funeral. I don't know which. I've been to too many of both with Mrs. Clancy here."

Ned took the offered hand, shook it and Rick was already drawing back, unlocking the door and opening it wide. The three moved inside, as Rick turned on the lights and placed his briefcase on his desk.

"So. Start talking," Rick said, settling down in a chair. "If Katie is gone, and Melinda, my feelings go out to you in a way you don't even know, I am so sorry that happened, then why are you here? Shouldn't you be talking to the police?"

"We did," Ned said. Melinda was staying silent and it was strange to Ned. " I mean, I'm a detective, for Christ's sake. Katie being gone is getting our highest attention right now."

"Ooh, favoritism at work. Or is this nepotism?" Rick shrugged. "Melinda, you're the brains here. Why me?"

Melinda was reaching for a ponytail, and she took a moment to answer. Ned started to open his mouth but Rick raised a finger, and an eyebrow, halting him in his tracks.

She was pulling her back into one of the high ponytails that Melinda loved, that Ned was pretty sure Jim loved and looking at Rick, he was thinking that Rick may love it too.

Had loved it once. Now he worshipped it.

"My kid is gone, Rick," Melinda said, finishing with a snap of the ponytail holder. "My oldest daughter, the light of my life, the child that I thought would never come. She wouldn't do this. She left a note, and that's something else Katie would never do. She loves her family too much, she would never hurt them like this."

Rick was wrinkling his brows, steepling his hands. "Melinda."

She met his gaze, not even replying verbally, but raising an eyebrow at him.

"Why me?" He repeated.

"Because you're Rick Payne," she said. "Because you solve the impossible. What do you want me to say?"

"Melinda, I'm not a detective," he exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "How the hell am I supposed to help if Ned's whole squad can't?"

"I never said they couldn't—" Ned began.

"I have the letter, and I want you to read it," Melinda interrupted. "Katie's had a stalker for months now. It escalated, but we were unsure of what legal action we could take."

"Get a fucking restraining order then," Rick said. "I'm serious, Melinda. Why me?" There was something in this air that Ned didn't understand. "I've been back for almost ten years now," Rick continued. "You have let me back in your life exactly three times. Once when Katie needed it, once because there was a mural you needed me to decipher, and once for Katie's wedding, god knows why." He stood up. "You don't get to choose when I'm included, Melinda. Not when it's hurt this much."

"Well, you shouldn't have left," Melinda shouted back, jumping to her feet. "Ned, get out."

"I'm not a kid," Ned protested, suddenly feeling like anything but the adult he was.

"I'm sorry, but get out," Melinda said, voice like steel.

She reminded him so much of Katie, especially when she looked over his shoulder at him.

So Ned left and slumped against the wall in the hall. He had to find her.

When the two came out of the office, about twenty minutes later, Rick was talking slowly and quietly, words that Ned couldn't quite catch, but Melinda was on the verge of tears again. She reached to embrace the professor, and once again it was a hug that bordered on too long, a hug that if Ned hadn't seen Melinda and Jim in person, he might have worried.

But Ned knew that Jim had no reason to ever worry. Their bond was too tight.

"Thank you," Melinda was saying, words soft, almost uncatchable.

"Let me know how everything turns out, Melinda," Rick said. "You hear me?"

"I will," she said, holding his hand a moment longer. "Thank you."

"Don't worry about it," Rick said, slipping her a piece of paper. "I have a copy and I'll call you if I figure it out, but you have just as good a chance as I do."

And they left. Ned didn't say a word until they were outside.

"So what's on the paper?" He asked.

Katie woke up in a room. It was dark, the only light coming from a small room in the hallway somewhere. It was nighttime.

It only had a bed, nothing more. The bed was no doubt dragged in from someplace musty, perhaps a basement because she could still feel that it was damp.

Her arms were tied to the bedpost above her head and she pulled on them, the rope tightening around her wrists and she cursed, loudly.

"Trying to get out?" Amber chuckled. "I think it's about time you get something taken away from you."

"I have lost more than you know," she muttered, pulling on the rope again.

"What have you lost that outnumbers what I have?" Amber asked, appearing right beside her."

"I lost my son," she pulled hard. "I almost lost my life because of reasons that I don't like to think about." She pulled hard again and winced, feeling her wrist twist in a way that was good. "Now that I am finally happy again someone took it away from me again," she pulled again hard, feeling the rope give a little but not enough.

"You don't deserve happiness! You deserve everything that I have given you since I've come around bothering you," Amber sneered. "I don't know what that Mason sees in you. You have two men lusting after you and don't give a damn that some people barely get one."

"I love my husband, and Mason only thinks he cares for me. Just as he once cared about his wife." She muttered, rolling her eyes as she pulled on the rope again. She was never going to stop. Not until she got free. Until she was home again. "Everything Mason thinks he has with me is imaginary. I don't love him. I don't give one single damn about him. He is destroying my life."

"He said you kissed him from what I've heard while following him around, and that's something," Amber whispered in her ear.

"I wanted him to leave, so I pushed him away and it just happened." She answered.

"I just happened to get pregnant too," Amber said before she disappeared.

The door cracked open to reveal Mason, in slacks and no shirt. "You're awake," he grinned. "I'm sorry about the rope, it's just a precaution for now."

"Mason please untie me," she whispered, looking over at him. Amber laughed at her groveling to Mason as he walked toward her. "Please. Just untie my wrists at least."

"I can't do that Katie," he sighed. "I can't afford to chase you down again. Someone might see you." He shook his head as he sat down beside her on the bed. "You wouldn't want that now would you?"

Yes, she thought as his hands traced up her sides. God please, take me back to Ned and my family.

"I could not stand to watch you with him anymore." He whispered, his hand laying on her thigh. "Just know that I did this because I love you," he looked down at her, smiling. "And that we'll be happy, with our own family one day."

He sat on the edge of the bed, slowly letting himself get comfort like stepping on the glass but less avoidable. But he never was an outstanding person, he was always in the back corner where no one could see him and right now he was in the open and wasn't comfortable.

Katie was fighting every instinct in her body to not spit in Mason's face. She bit her tongue and fought the urge to squirm as he touched her.

"Mason, people are going to look for me." She said carefully and took in an uneasy breath. She had to be easy on him, he could kill her, so she lied. "I don't want you to get in trouble. I don't want Ned to go overboard."

"I made sure that no one would come looking for you," he reassured her.

"What did you do?" She asked.

"You don't remember?" He asked, shaking his head. "You have to remember writing the letter, right?"

Bits and pieces of the past two days were hard to place in order. She didn't remember a letter. Not completely. All she remembered was trying to tell Ned something. Something he would know was from her.

"Mason what about my family? They need me." She whispered, shaking her head.

"We will have our family, you don't need to worry." He smiled, reassuring her. "Yours would never be okay with you leaving Ned anyway. You know that."

She knew there was no pushing him today, so she just nodded, needing to be compromising with him. "Can I have something to drink?" She whispered, her throat too dry from sleeping so long.

"Yes. I will go get you something," he smiled, pressing a kiss to her head. "I'm so glad you understand."

He left quickly and she pulled on the rope again, wincing as her wrist moved too sharply in one direction again.

She sighed and laid back, knowing she'll just have to wait until she can reassure Mason enough for now, but that would include having to do something for him. And that was not something she ever wanted to do.

It was looking to be that she was just going to wait this out. Ned would never believe that letter, right?

Ned set his phone down and drummed his fingers on the desk. He had called in everyone that had agreed to be on the task force to find Katie, and he was currently waiting for LeTrai to get back to him on another unit that would be joining them when they would infiltrate wherever Katie was.

Yes, they were going to rescue Katie. He knew that. He knew in his heart that he would see Katie again.

Ned tried to focus on that part of the plan for tonight, but he honestly couldn't. Ever since they had received an eye-witness account of Katie being spotted running from an abandoned house where she eventually drug back inside by an unidentifiable white male, Ned had been on edge and ready to snap.

He knew this all along. Mason had taken Katie, even if no one believed him at first because of that letter.

Ned glanced around the room and saw that everyone was doing something to prepare for the mission. The more Ned thought about it, the more he realized that he had no idea what to do. His mind was completely blank, and his heart was thudding loudly in his ears.

When Ned realized that his hands were shaking, he shot up from his desk and disappeared into the training room. He paced back and forth across the mat and tried not to think about the last time he and Katie were in this room together.

It was back before they were married. He was just a rookie cop then, sneaking around with Katie on his lunch break. She was giggling as his lips touched her neck. He loved when she laughed like that.

No. No. He couldn't think about that. He punched his fist into the padded wall, pressing his face against it.

Not thinking about it led to thinking about everything, which led to a trip down memory lane.

Ned couldn't hear anything. He couldn't see anything other than Katie. His favorite memories of her. Such simple moments. Like the first time that he'd found Katie ironing his work pants in his apartment when they were dating. She knew how much he liked them to look sharp. Then he imagined a little boy with her eyes and a little girl with his light hair and then the kids that would come after that.

They were supposed to be happy and together.

Suddenly, Ned heard someone yelling his name. Whipping his head around, he saw that Jamison was walking into the training room. And then he realized that his cheeks were damp with tears and he was

almost hyperventilating.

"Ned," Jamison reached out and gripped his shoulders. Ned opened his mouth and tried to speak, but found that he couldn't relax enough. "Stop it. It's going to be okay. Just take a breath. I told you that you shouldn't keep all of this in."

Ned sank to the floor and pressed his forehead to his hands. He had to get a grip on himself. He had to get control of his emotions in order to help Katie.

"We have to find her, Jamison," he said, more tears rolling down his cheeks. "I can't lose her."

"I know," Jamison sat beside him. "And we're not going to let anything happen to her." There was another moment before his partner spoke again. "We can stay here as long as you need. I know how hard it can be. We're gonna find her, Ned."

Ned wanted to believe that. He had to believe that because there was no other option.

"I know how you're feeling," Jamison replied. "If you wanna talk."

"How could you possibly know how I am feeling right now," he muttered.

"Because my wife was taken from me by someone too," Jamison sighed.

Ned hesitated to talk again. Jamison never talked about himself. Not even when they worked ten hour days, let alone now. "When?" He asked, turning to face the man.

"Too many years ago," Jamison muttered.

"How did you cope? How did you keep going?" His heart broke as he thinks of Katie with that man. Of him hurting her, forcing her to do things, and it only made him angrier.

"I didn't cope at all. I drank, every day I'd drink a bottle of vodka and I paid for it. I ended up killing my liver to the point of where I needed a transplant." Jamison explained, sighing. "My kid ended up confronting me. I got myself in check. I just don't want to see you do what I did. You're a good kid, Ned."

"Did you ever find her?" He asked softly.

"Not in time," Jamison patted Ned's shoulder. "If you're going to go look for her tonight, you're not going alone."

"I don't know what to do yet," he sighed and shook his head. "All we have is that imprint and that's a puzzle."

"Unknown missions are always the better ones anyway," Jamison shrugged, standing up and holding his hand out to him. "You ready to go back out there?"

Ned nodded, taking the help up. He straightened himself and wiped away the wetness from his eyes. "I'm going to find Katie, that's my only mission right now." He answered and looked down at his phone. "My mother-in-law wants me to come over for dinner."

"You should go," Jamison reached out to help Ned walk toward the door. "Melinda and Jim could probably use your reassurement. Their daughter is missing after all."

"I know," Ned whispered. "I don't know how to face them."

"They aren't upset with you. You have to know this," Jamison reassured him.

"I know, but I don't know if I can face myself in the mirror, let alone her parents." He said as he kept walking out of the training room.

Katie could feel the various parts of her face throbbing, but she was currently focusing on the fact that she was starving. Her mouth was also ridiculously dry, but Mason had still refused to untie her wrists. Instead, she would just tell him whenever she was thirsty, and he would hold a cup with a straw up to her lips.

Katie released a sigh. It was kind of embarrassing, but it wasn't like there was anything she could do about it. So she quietly got Mason's attention by nudging her leg against his side. He'd brought a tv in and was watching a football game. She couldn't bring herself to turn her head away from looking at the ceiling.

"I'm thirsty," she whispered as Mason's cold eyes turned on her. He held the cup to her lips, and she drank gratefully and tried to ignore the apologetic look he was giving her. 'Can you untie me, please?"

"You know I can't do that," he turned in his seat that he'd brought in. "You ran the last time, Katie. You hit me over the head. I haven't quite forgiven you." His eyes moved over her face as he smiled. "Unless you wanna make it up to me?"

Katie shook her head and narrowed her eyes pointedly at the young man standing in front of her. "Why are you doing this?" She asked before she could stop herself. She made a face as soon as the words left her mouth.

He opened his mouth and then closed it again when he couldn't think of anything to say. He suddenly rose his hand like he was going to strike her as anger moved across his features and she turned away.

"Don't ask me questions like that," he muttered.

She looked over at him again and he looked like a little boy, so unsure and lost that Katie couldn't help but feel some sympathy for him even if she wanted him dead. Mason was nothing more than a sad, scared man who was too much of a coward to stand up to his own demons and was taking it out on her.

"I think it's about time," he stood up, pulling his belt loose from his jeans. "It's been almost three days and we haven't done a single thing." She watched as he came around the bed, moving closer to her from the front.

He was suddenly in between her legs, his lips touching her ankles he untied them. She wanted to kick him in the face. He moved to her knees next, pulling them apart as he wedged himself between them.

"You shouldn't be so rigid," he said, rubbing his hands up and down her legs. Nothing he would do would warm her up to him. All she wanted to do was shrivel up and die. "It will be easier if you relax…" he leaned down to pull on the tank top she was wearing. He grasped her breasts, pulling on her skin. "Mmm, c'mon Katie, tell me how you like it."

She fought every urge to push him off, but her hands were bound anyway. She couldn't do anything. Katie whimpered the more he touched her and he groaned as he kissed her neck.

He moved his hands to his pants, pulling them down.

She shook her head, fighting against him just enough now. She couldn't let him do this. No. This wasn't happening.

Her hips squirmed against his hands as he pulled the shorts he'd put on her down. As he moved his hands to touch her, she did everything in her power to release her bladder. It was a trick Ned had told her about that could help in some cases.

Mason yanked his hand away almost immediately. She remembered he was kind of a neat freak with it came down to it. He liked to keep things clean.

"A little excited for me, Katie?" He growled, looking at her as he pulled the ropes on her hands-free and yanked her to sit up. "Let's go clean you up." When she didn't move, he yanked her up by her hair and shoved her on the floor. "You think you can piss on me and get away with it?" His boot slammed into her side and she gasped for air as he pulled her up to her feet. "Let's go! I'm gonna wash you." Mason guided her through the top floor of the house to the bathroom where a shower was on with steaming hot water pouring down on the tile floor. "I was planning on showering with you after we were together… but now will have to do." He stood her in front of the shower. "I'm going to go latch the door and grab you a towel. You can strip and get ready for me."

Once the door was closed, she heard the latch close from outside and she shivered. She'd saved herself, for now.

She walked over to the sink and looked up in the mirror. It had been days since she'd had a good look at herself. She wondered how bad she looked after Mason had been knocking her around.

She wiped the mirror of the vapor from the steam and fought the urge to look away from herself. Her bottom lip was swollen and when Katie licked her lips she realized she was bleeding. The skin above her right eye was throbbing and she would bet she was bleeding there too.

Her eyes were sore and dry and felt puffy from crying and the steam in the bathroom. Blinking hurt and she turned away toward the shower. She assumed she wouldn't have much more time alone and quickly stripped and slipped into the shower.

She adjusted the water and heard the door close.

This was nothing like waiting for Ned slip in with her. She wanted to hide in the corner as she heard the door open and Mason stepped inside, as naked as she was.

"You're beautiful, you know, despite having that baby I heard about." Mason touched her stomach and she pressed against the shower wall. The water poured down over them as he pressed against her. The water made it hard for him to tell she was crying as he touched her. She whimpered as he brought the soap to her breasts. "So beautiful, Katie… so so beautiful."

She just wanted this to be over. She just wanted Ned to find her already.