Friendly Fire Chapter 23
I don't own Rizzoli and Isles, the show, the characters or my own home, but Melinda McDaniels is all mine. Don't hate! Well, you can hate her, I think in one way or another we all do.
A/N: Reviews and comments are so appreciated and when they make me laugh I appreciate them that much more. So, Vincent52...thank you.
Melinda sat on the floor next to Jane running her fingers along the blade of her favorite knife. She took such good care of her weapons, treating them as if they would one day protect her from all that was wrong with the world. The crime she fought against, the politics that governed her fight. She even fought against human nature many times. The world was tilted a bit and she could only do her share in helping to level it out.
"See Jane beg. See Jane bleed. See Jane die." Melinda laughed as she thought about her childhood. Such a normal upbringing. Loving her brother, hating her brother. Loving her parents. She loved her parents like they were her own and until just a few years ago, they were. She could never hurt them though, no need in that. Now, Jeff, there was a need to silence him. He threatened to blow the whistle on her. He really was too good for his own good and the nerve of him to try to protect Rizzoli of all people.
The blood ran down past her wrist, but Melinda didn't react to it as she figured many would. It was just blood. She really should be more careful while touching her knife. She compared it to the blood that ran down the side of Jane's face from where she hit her. Her eye was swelling quickly and Melinda wondered how much longer before Jane wouldn't be able to see out of that eye. No, no, no. Jane had to be able to see, that was a very important detail. She was thankful for the fact that Jane was unconscious at the moment, made her little procedure that much easier. Melinda took her trusted knife and made a small incision just below and to the side of Jane's recent injury to relieve the pressure. The blood flowed freely now and the swelling was reduced immediately. There, that was much better.
She thought about cleaning Jane up a bit, but then decided against it. She liked this look for Jane. She tried to picture Jane as she must have looked staked to the floor of that cold, dark basement waiting for her father to kill her. She quickly erased the thought, this was her show now; not her father's. He wanted her to carry out his mission and she accepted. He may not have accepted her as a baby, but he had accepted and needed her as an adult. She was a police officer, yes. She was also a Hoyt and as Jeff had so clearly stated...a monster.
"Jane. Oh, Jane." Melinda sang to Jane hoping she would wake before Maura did. It was important that she see everything. Maura unconscious, Maura coming to only to realize her fate. "Janie, time to wake up."
Melinda sighed loudly when Jane didn't respond. She must have hit her harder than she thought. Either that or Jane was just too beat down to bounce back. Melinda pulled the handcuffs from her pocket that she had taken from the dead officer in the living room and played with them. "What do you think, Jane? Front or back? I think front." Melinda proceeded to cuff Jane's hands together in front of her.
Melinda then went into the living room to survey the damage to Korsak who was nearly unconscious himself. He looked up at Melinda but made no attempt to speak. "Hiya partner. Leg hurts pretty bad huh?" Melinda inspected the damage she caused. "I think you're going to need a knee replacement seeing how yours is about gone."
Korsak struggled to keep his eyes on Melinda who only shook her head at him. "So you were the partner who stopped my father from killing Rizzoli in the beginning and then saved her again in the prison infirmary." Melinda pulled Korsak into a sitting position despite his screams. She maneuvered behind him and quickly placed him in a sleeper hold until he passed out. There was no need to kill the old man. Death was only used when necessary and it really wasn't Korsak's fault that he was Rizzoli's partner then.
Melinda then made her way back into Maura's bedroom where she glanced at the unmade bed a few feet from where Jane was now bleeding on the floor. The thought of Jane being in the bed with Maura infuriated Melinda as she had come to realize she really did like Dr. Isles. If not for the task at hand, she would have definitely taken a different approach in her pursuit of the good doctor. It was too late for love now, for her, for Maura and of course for the great Detective Rizzoli.
Jane slowly moved her head from side to side, pain being the first thing Melinda saw when she looked down at the injured detective.
Melinda knelt down so that she would be the first thing Jane saw when she opened her eyes. She studied Jane as she struggled to escape her unconscious state. She really was kind of pretty. She wouldn't say beautiful, for that was Dr. Isles. Jane Rizzoli was definitely a good looking woman and it was a shame that she had to wear such ugly scars. "Come on, Rizzoli. Game time." Melinda used her cop's voice, she thought Jane would appreciate that.
Jane tried to raise her hand to her head only to realize she was restricted. She opened her eyes, seeing Melinda, noticing the cuffs and feeling the blood as it felt heavy on her face. "Where's Maura?"
"Oh, she's in the basement." Melinda smiled at Jane as a look of confusion was quickly replaced with anger. "She's still alive, so don't get so mad, Rizzoli."
"Melinda, what is it you want? You win, okay. I'm done." Rizzoli had tried to sit up, but realized she was much too dizzy for that.
"Yeah, you're done alright." Melinda pointed Korsak's loaded gun at Jane, but used the tip to touch Jane's hands. "Where'd you get those ugly scars, Jane?"
Jane stared at Melinda, but refused to answer.
"Not talking? That's a shame. You have an unique voice, you know. I bet Maura loves it." Melinda turned away then reaching into her bag where she pulled out two iron stakes and a hammer. She watched Jane as Jane carefully watched her. It was when she pulled the scalpel out of the bag and placed it next to the hammer that Jane closed her eyes. "What's ya thinking about, Jane?"
Jane refused to open her eyes and the silence was beginning to anger Melinda.
"I am going to give you a choice, Rizzoli. After all we are both detectives and have fought a good fight. You losing isn't entirely your fault. I know when there is a beautiful woman thrown into the mix, your judgment gets a bit clouded. Especially when it's one you didn't even know you loved as much as you do. Tell me Jane, how is it my father knew you loved Dr. Isles, but you didn't?"
Jane opened her eyes to glare at Melinda, but still refused to speak.
"I see what you're doing here, Jane and I'm not so sure it's working to your advantage." Melinda nudged Jane's hands with the gun. "You screwed up a lot on this case. Solve Jeff's murder was all you had to do and I made it so easy for you. You got the bad guy, but lost a detective in the process. You harassed me because I was doing what you couldn't and that was love Dr. Isles. And Jane too bad you didn't get the chance because she is..."
"You will rot in hell you know. With your father. You belong with that monster." Jane's voice was rough and Melinda couldn't help but react.
"Detective Frost, Detective Korsak and Detective Pearson. All collateral damage because you were not focused. You were more concerned for Maura than for your investigation, your colleagues. Jeff told me you were not of his caliber and I believe his opinion was accurate." Melinda turned Jane's head to the side with the barrel of the gun. "If you look closely you can see the scar Jane. I must admit it looks sexy on you."
Jane closed her eyes and held her breath as Melinda let the tip of the gun trace the scar on her neck. The sound of Melinda's phone stopped her movements. "Look at me, Rizzoli."
Jane opened her eyes and focused on Melinda's. "Where's Maura?"
"Like I said, I am going to give you a choice. You can die in much the same manner as my father had initially intended or you can die like you killed him." Melinda pulled her knife from its protective shield and placed it flat against Jane's neck, checking to see how it fit.
"Shoot me." Jane tried not to react to the feel of the cold metal against her neck.
"Don't be scared, Jane. I have a steady hand." Melinda turned the knife so that the blade just knicked Jane's throat when she swallowed. "Although I'm not a surgeon but a detective like you."
"Just fucking shoot me!" Jane was beginning to realize there was no hope for her and hoped her outburst would force Melinda to react and end it all for good.
"Not one of your options. Now choose!" Jane could feel the knife as it was pushed a little harder against her throat.
"Stab me." Melinda smiled when she heard Jane's response.
Melinda figured Jane would choose that option and it was as if she were playing directly into her hand. This really was so easy. "I was so hoping you would choose that one. Sit up Jane. I need you to be able to see this monitor." Melinda pulled the screen in front of where Jane was trying to get to a sitting position. Melinda waited, loving the fact that Jane was in a lot of pain. She finally was able to sit up, using the wall for support. She turned the monitor on and it took a few minutes for Jane to realize what she was seeing.
"What have you done?" Jane's whispered question was enough to make Melinda laugh out loud. The pure defeat in Jane's eyes was so worth all her hard work.
"You chose stabbing, so that means your precious Maura will get to know first hand how it felt when Hoyt had you in the basement. Finally, you made a right choice, Rizzoli." Melinda kicked at Jane's feet when she turned her head away from the screen. "Watch it, Jane!"
Jane wanted to be angry, but knew it wouldn't help her nor Maura. She had never felt so defeated in her life knowing there was nothing she could do about the incredible amount of pain Maura was about to feel. "Melinda, please don't do this. Please. Kill me. Stab me, shoot me. I don't care, but please don't do this to Maura."
"Jane, don't beg. So unattractive." Melinda purposely placed herself between the screen and Jane blocking her view. "Tell me again what my father did to his victims. What was his method?"
Jane worked to control her breathing as she felt she may pass out soon. "He tortured the loved one before killing his victim."
"What a sick son of a bitch." Melinda pushed Jane's hair out of her face with the barrel of the gun. "You're going to play hell trying to get that blood out of your hair, Rizzoli." Melinda moved away from Jane, lightly tapping her with the gun to get her to open her eyes again. "Watch."
Jane didn't want to but the kick Melinda placed against her legs was enough to get her to open her eyes again. She watched but couldn't hear as Maura pleaded with the officers that were positioning her on the floor. Jane recognized the officers as the same ones that were originally assigned to protect Maura from Melinda. "Melinda, please! You said you loved her and wanted to be with her. Just shoot me and Maura will be available completely to you. Don't hurt her, please!" Jane was becoming hysterical.
"Jane, calm down." Melinda cupped Jane's face in her hands. "You'll miss the show if you're hysterical." She then kicked Jane's legs again when she turned away from the screen. "The floor is concrete so it may take quite a few tries to get the stake through her hands and into the ground."
Jane watched as Maura stopped struggling. She watched as each one of Maura's hands were tied down. "Melinda, you can stop this. Please." Jane focused on Maura's face. She could see how she looked up only, not at the officers that had her pinned. She wondered if Maura's was asking for her, hoping she'd be able to save her. Then Jane saw the stakes and the hammer. She watched until one of the officers placed the stake into the center of Maura's hand before she forced herself to move.
"No, no, no, Jane." Melinda's quick elbow to Jane's already bloody face sent her immediately to the ground. "This is the moment we've all been waiting for. Hold on, let me get the volume. I want you to hear how much pain Maura is in. Trust me, it'll make it that much better."
Jane tried to see the screen but her vision was blurry. She briefly heard Maura's voice pleading with the officers and the sound was enough for Jane to wish for a quick death for herself. Then she heard nothing.
"It seems we are experiencing some technical difficulties at the moment." Melinda turned away from the screen when it went blank. "Just means you won't get to see what I so wanted you to see. I hope Maura doesn't suffer too long. She really doesn't deserve to have to pay for you like this, Jane."
Jane lied flat on the floor not sure if she were relieved that she could no longer see Maura. She needed to know if she was okay, but there was no reason to believe she would be. Melinda was here with her and her charges were about to drive the stakes through Maura's hands. She could tell Melinda was close by and she hadn't heard her on the phone at all to stop the attack. "Melinda, please. Just kill me now."
"Not yet, Jane. I call the shots, remember?" Melinda took the barrel of the gun and jammed it into the wound on Jane's side causing her to cry out in pain. "I call the shots."
xxxxxxxxx
She didn't want to come to Boston. She actually wanted no part in any of this. She had left Melinda years ago when she realized what a big ball of crazy she truly was. Yet, she allowed herself to be talked into it. She wondered only briefly how Detective Frost managed to find her. He was a detective after all and she supposed if Melinda really wanted to she could have found her as well. She had agreed to talk to Detective Rizzoli via Skype. One conversation was her request and she had obliged. What could it hurt if it meant a chance for Melinda to finally get hers.
She listened to Rizzoli as she explained what was going on. She listened to her explain how she was using and abusing Dr. Isles in a sick attempt to get at her. She listened to how scared Rizzoli was, not for herself, but for her friend. She listened as Rizzoli reminded her of how she knew Melinda like nobody else, how she survived her and how she hated her. This was her chance to not only help an innocent woman but help put Melinda away for good so that she could return to her family and her life in New York.
She told Rizzoli she'd think about it, but that was all she could offer at the time. Rizzoli accepted that. That was the last time she had talked to Detective Rizzoli or Frost. That was the last time she had any contact with anybody in Boston. She did know Melinda, too well. She had always been one step ahead of her until the day she wasn't and she took to hiding. Melinda was part monster, she knew that and now so did Boston.
She had been in the house when Melinda arrived. She had watched Melinda as she set up the feed with the cameras. She had watched as she paced while thinking. She always did that. She had watched as she brought Dr. Isles into the house, hit and hurt her. She watched as she took her into the basement. She was well aware of the significance of the basement, the stakes and the scalpel. She had done her homework, much like Melinda had.
She had to wait and it was hard, but so very necessary. She had to listen to the innocent doctor beg the officers for her life. She had to watch as she was pinned down to the ground, her arms extended so that she could have the stakes driven through her palms. It was all about timing and if her timing was off, it would undoubtedly be the end for not only Dr. Isles, but herself as well.
The only light in the basement was the light from the camera and it was placed directly on the beautiful doctor. So the darkness that engulfed the room was sudden when she cut through the power chord. Now it was just a matter of her ability to see in the dark and that was no problem for her. She had heard the way Rizzoli had begged her to help in any way she could. There was something in her voice that wouldn't allow her to turn her back on these women. It was the way Rizzoli talked to her that reminded her that not only did she want revenge on Melinda McDaniels, she deserved it.