Twenty Three


Violence ahead. You have been warned.


It was amazing what a few hours of sleep could do to a person. Frank was feeling much better—level-headed and energized—as he walked to the nurses' station across the hall from Ella's hospital room. He didn't even get bothered by the severe looks they were sending his way, knowing that he deserved it after the way he had acted the previous night.

Instead, he flashed them what he hoped was an apologetic, bashful smile and knew he succeeded when their expressions visibly warmed up to him. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior last night."

"It's okay," an older nurse with graying brown hair pulled into a loose bun said with a sad smile. "After you left last night, Chief McGinnis showed up and explained the situation to the staff. Your behavior is perfectly understandable, considering what you're going through with your missing fiancée."

Frank shook his head. "But it's not an excuse for me to behave the way I did. I could have hurt someone with my actions."

"Maybe so," the nurse agreed. "But you didn't, so that's what's most important."

Frank couldn't help but feel like a small child as he stood there, listening to the kind nurse forgive him. He wasn't sure if he would be so easily forgiving, especially with how chaotic his life was at the moment. "How is Ella doing this morning?"

"She's improving. The doctor is really impressed with her recovery. She could possibly even be released later today or tomorrow morning."

"That's great to hear," Frank said with a relieved smile. "Did her family ever show up?"

"A couple of hours ago. They actually just left a few minutes ago to find a hotel room."

Frank nodded as he looked at her closed door. "Do you think I can go in and see her for a few minutes?"

The nurse hesitated as she frowned. "Visiting hours doesn't start for another thirty minutes and she really needs her rest." She let out a sigh as she walked around the desk before stopping in front of Ella's door. Opening it up, she quickly peeked inside before turning back to Frank. "She's awake so you can go in for a few minutes. But please, try to take it easy on her. She's had enough excitement what with all the doctors and police parading in and out of her room."

"I understand," Frank said softly. "Thank you."

He flashed the nurse a grateful smile before slipping quietly into the room. Frank didn't miss the way Ella stiffened as her bright green eyes widened slightly before she slowly relaxed. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Ella shook her head as she smiled tiredly at him. "It's not you. It's just that when I see you, I can't help but see Wesley, too. You have the same hair color so it's a little disconcerting."

Frank tried not to let that statement bother him as he took a seat in the chair beside her bed. The last thing he wanted was to be compared to that murdering bastard, but he also knew that he couldn't fault Ella for her fear. He was sure that every dark-haired male she looked at would remind her of Wesley.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Frank asked. He glanced up at the television to see one of the morning talk shows was on. The hostess was laughing at something the celebrity guest was saying while trying not to openly flirt with him.

Ella grabbed the remote that was hooked to the bed and turned the television off. "I'm in a little bit of pain, but other than that, I feel okay."

"Do I need to let one of the nurses know you're in pain?"

"No," Ella said with a shake of her head. "I could do without some drugs. I feel like my head is nothing more than a foggy mess with all the pain meds."

Frank nodded his understanding. He'd always hated taking pain medication. In fact, he'd refused to take nothing more than a few ibuprofen for his cracked ribs even though the emergency room doctor had prescribed something stronger. "I wanted to apologize for last night."

"There's no reason for you to apologize, Frank. I knew that you wouldn't actually hurt me. You're scared for Nancy—and you have every right to be." She frowned slightly. "I can't imagine how difficult this must be for you."

Frank chuckled softly. "I think you have a better idea than anyone else, Ella."

"Still…"

It was obvious that Ella didn't want to talk about her time with Wesley, so Frank decided to change the subject. "So, I hear that you may be able to get out of here either today or tomorrow."

Ella nodded. "That's what the doctor told me when he came in earlier. But I'm not going home when I get out."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't go home until you find Nancy and the only way you'll be able to find her is if I help."

Frank shook his head. "Ella, you need time to recover…"

"I'm getting plenty of time in here and I couldn't ever live with myself if I just went home and did nothing to help you." Ella swallowed hard. "Compared to everyone else, I had it pretty easy when it came to Wesley. He didn't even really hurt me until last night when he stabbed me. Yes, he made me watch some pretty horrific things, but he pretty much left me alone."

"Don't downplay what he did to you, Ella. Even if he didn't really hurt you physically, what he did to you mentally was just as bad."

"It's nothing compared to what Nancy's going through with him." When Frank opened his mouth to argue, she continued on. "I know I don't really know much about him or Nancy, but he terrified me more when he interacted with her. He's fixated on her—he made everything about her."

"What exactly are you trying to say, Ella?" Frank asked, fear rising in his chest. Just when he thought there was nothing else about Wesley that could surprise him, he learned something new about the killer.

"I don't know how to describe it," Ella admitted. "He acts almost like a normal person would if they were in love with someone else. The only difference is that he's a psycho and incapable of love."

Frank didn't say anything as he thought about what Ella was saying. Could Wesley—in every twisted sense of the word—actually be in love with Nancy? Was that something that was even possible? Frank had to admit that it didn't seem as far-fetched as it sounded. Who truly knew what people were capable of now?

"Frank?" Ella asked softly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, giving himself a slight shake. "Sorry."

"I didn't mean to upset you or anything."

"You didn't."

"If it makes you feel any better, Nancy doesn't feel anything for him. She hates him, even if she doesn't admit it."

"It's okay, Ella. You really don't have to explain anything."

Ella nodded before falling silent as she looked around the hospital room, looking at everything except for Frank. Finally, after a few minutes, she spoke up again. "As soon as I get out of here, I want to see if I can remember where Wesley was holding me."

"You don't have to—"

"I know I don't have to," Ella cut him off impatiently. "I want to do it while it's still fresh in my mind."

Frank nodded. "I'll get in touch with Chief McGinnis and let him know." He stood up from his chair and gave her arm a gentle squeeze. "Try to get some rest, okay?"

"Okay."

Giving her arm one more squeeze, Frank walked out of her room and gave a small wave to the nurse sitting at her desk. Walking down the hall a little bit, he pulled out his cell phone and was about to dial Chief McGinnis when his phone rang. He frowned when he saw it was a number he didn't recognize.

"Hello?"

"This is Agent Craig with the FBI. We met last night."

Frank had to bite back his groan of annoyance. The FBI agent was one of the last people that he wanted to talk to. The only person ahead of him on that list just happened to be the son of a bitch who was holding Nancy prisoner.

"Mr. Hardy?"

"I'm here," Frank said with a sigh as he pushed the button to call up the elevator. "But now really isn't a good time. I don't feel like getting into it again with you."

"Not even if it's about your fiancée's case?"

"Did you find anything in her car? Have you come up with any new leads?"

"Well, no…"

"Then I don't want to talk to you."

"I thought I would call and let you know that we have another missing woman."

That stopped Frank dead in his tracks. Though he knew it could simply be a coincidence, there was no doubt that it had something to do with Wesley. It looked like his conversation with Chief McGinnis was going to have to wait.


Nancy groaned softly as her eyes fluttered open to reveal nothing but darkness. She was lying on something cold and hard and for a second, she thought that she was outside, lying in the snow. But that couldn't be right because she wasn't soaking wet and she could still feel every bruising ache that she had.

As soon as the sweet, fetid smell of death hit her nose, she knew with sinking clarity where she was.

She was back in Wesley's basement.

A jolt of fear went down her spine as she quickly sat up, ignoring the wave of dizziness that hit her from the abrupt movement. She wasn't alone. Even though she could barely see her hand in front of her, she knew that Wesley wouldn't leave her down here alone. Becca was in this room with her, somewhere.

Rising shakily to her feet, Nancy's body twitched as the faint traces of electricity still worked its way throughout her body. She should have known that the ankle bracelet Wesley had put on her wouldn't be completely harmless. She should have known that he would have something more twisted up his psychotic sleeve.

Just because he refused to outright kill her didn't mean that he wouldn't hurt her in every way possible.

Letting out a shaky breath, Nancy pushed her hair out of her face and slowly shuffled along the floor, holding her hands out to guide her in the darkness. She wasn't sure if she was in one of the cages or out in the open and she wasn't about to assume anything. For all she knew, Wesley was hiding in the darkness, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

As she moved around, she was relieved to know that she wasn't locked up in the cages. Wesley had left her in the middle of a basement, with no restraints or anything else inhibiting her movements. And while that was a welcomed change, there was no doubt in her mind that it was just another one of his sadistic games.

Silence was so prevalent in the cavernous room, Nancy could clearly hear every beat of her heart as it fluttered wildly in her chest. That was why she was so startled when she heard soft whimper, but she wasn't sure which direction it had come from. Standing absolutely still, she strained her ears to listen and almost thought she had imagined it when she heard it once again, coming from her left.

Nancy took small steps, feeling her way in the darkness as the whimpers became more panicked. Becca was starting to panic as she regained consciousness and it would only be a matter of time before Wesley came to check on them.

"Becca? My name is Nancy Drew," Nancy said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You have to stay quiet or he will come back. I'm making my way over to you now, okay?"

Becca let out another soft whimper as if she was acknowledging what Nancy said. After a few more painstakingly slow moments, Nancy's hand brushed against the metal table before meeting soft, warm flesh. She wished she had a light to show her what was in front of her, but Nancy couldn't risk that right now. It would only alert Wesley and Nancy wanted to have the chance to free Becca and get them both out of there before he came back.

Blindly working her way up Becca's body, Nancy felt the soft feel of fabric on the girl's face. She gingerly pulled it out of her mouth before she began working her way back down to work on her restraints. "Are you okay?"

"Wh-where are we?" Becca asked, shakily. Nancy was glad she was smart enough to keep her voice barely above a whisper.

"In Hell."

"What?"

Nancy let out a soft sight as she fumbled with the ropes around the other woman's wrists. "You're in a basement and that's pretty much all I can tell you. I don't know exactly where we are."

"You're the woman who showed up at my house…"

"Yes."

"What happened to you? You looked as if you were having a seizure when you showed up at my house."

"I wasn't having a seizure," Nancy said as she fumbled with the knots. She was becoming increasingly frustrated as they seemed to only get tighter the more she tried to undo them. "I'll explain everything to you later, but right now, we need to concentrate on getting out of here before he comes back."

"Who?"

Before Nancy could answer her, the room was immediately bathed in light at the same time that another current of electricity shot through her system. Nancy let out a cry as she collapsed to the ground, curling herself into a ball. When she was finally able to see, Nancy saw Wesley walking towards her with a cruel smile on his face as he held out the remote for her to see.

"You always seem to underestimate me, my love."

Becca gave a startled gasp. "Wesley?"

Nancy was sure she didn't hear the other woman correctly. How in the hell did she know Wesley? Surely, Nancy had to be hearing things. It had to be a side effect from the electrical shock she'd just received.

Wesley chuckled as his eyes fell on Becca. "Hello, Becca. It's been a while. You're looking well."

"Why are you doing this?" Becca asked, fear evident in her voice. "What's going on, Wesley?"

"You two know each other?" Nancy asked as she pushed herself up on her hands and knees. She tried to stand, only to find out that her wobbly legs wouldn't support her as she collapsed to the ground once again. She bit back a cry as she felt Wesley grab her arm before pulling her up and pressing her against his body.

"Of course we know each other," Wesley answered with a smile as he stared back at Becca. "Quite well, in fact. We used to date a few years ago. Becca is very excellent in bed." Wrapping an arm around Nancy's neck, he ran his other hand down her body, giving her thigh a squeeze. "But not as good as you, babe."

Nancy tried pulling away from him, but he only tightened his grip on her as he nipped at her ear.

Becca was watching them, her expression alternating between curiosity and revulsion. In the end, it was fear that won out as her hazel eyes widened. "Tell me it's not true…"

Wesley finally turned his attention away from Nancy as he focused on Becca. "What's not true, Bec?"

"You really did kill all of those women? That police officer a couple of days ago?" Becca lifted her head as she slowly took in all of her surroundings, her evident fear mounting with each passing second. "Oh, my God…"

"God has nothing to do with this little shindig."

Nancy closed her eyes as Becca let out a terrified scream. She couldn't blame the girl—it was all Nancy felt like doing lately. Wesley was sadistic and terrifying—she was sure there was not even a trace of humanity left in him.

"Just let her go, Wesley," Nancy begged softly as he began dragging her backwards. She stumbled as she tried to keep up with his movements, but he never eased his grip on her. She had no idea what he was up to; only that it wasn't good.

"Not going to happen," Wesley said as he let go of her briefly to reach for something on the top of one of the many wooded shelves that lined the walls.

Nancy frowned when she saw it was nothing more than a clear sphere that had a plugged hole on either side of it. It almost looked like a helmet that scuba divers would wear. Before she could question it, he had a firm grip on her once again as he led her back towards the table where Becca was restrained. "You don't need to hurt her, Wesley."

Wesley sighed as put the sphere on the table and turned Nancy around to look at him. He captured her face with both of his hands as he forced her to look at him. "I don't plan on hurting her, Nancy. I plan on killing her. You should know by now that I don't half-ass anything. If I wanted to simply hurt Becca, I would have done so at her house and left her there for the police to find."

Becca began screaming and sobbing as she thrashed wildly against her restraints. "Please, don't do this, Wesley! Please just let me go!"

Nancy tried to tune out the girl's screams as she focused all of her attention on Wesley. "I'll do anything, Wesley. Please, just let her go."

"You'll do anything?"

"Yes," Nancy whispered.

Wesley's face instantly darkened, his blue eyes became even colder as his grip on her face tightened. "You're damn right you're going to do anything that I ask of you, Nancy. I don't need your heroics and I don't care for your patronizing tone. You need to realize that there is nothing you can do—you don't call the shots around here. There is only me and what I want. Do you understand?"

Nancy swallowed hard as she tried to pull away from him, refusing to answer. What the hell was she thinking trying to negotiate with him?

"Answer me, you stupid little bitch!" Wesley screamed, his expression enraged.

"Yes!" Nancy cried out, desperately trying to free herself from his excruciating grip. He was squeezing her so hard, she was sure her eyes were about to pop out of her head.

Wesley suddenly let her go, making her stumble back a few steps. Grabbing the clear sphere, he thrust it at Nancy. "Put that over Becca's head. Don't argue with me—just get it done and don't make me have to do it for you."

Nancy glanced down at the sphere and saw there was a seam in the middle that allowed you to open it so it could fit securely over a person's head. She hesitated for a moment, but quickly did as he asked as Wesley took a threatening step towards her. Becca moved her head back and forth, making it difficult for Nancy to fasten it.

Letting out a low growl, Wesley pushed Nancy out of the way and secured the device firmly around her head. Then, taking a roll of duct tape, he wrapped it around Becca's neck several times, sealing the bottom of the sphere.

"What are you going to do to her?" Nancy asked, watching him nervously.

"Don't you mean to ask what we're going to do to her?" Wesley asked with a chilling smile. He walked across the room and grabbed a green water hose and turned it on before dragging it over to the table.

A sinking feeling formed in the pit of her stomach as she watched him with growing dread. Suddenly, the holes in the clear sphere made sense to her. It was a form of water torture. He would fill it up and release it when Becca was close to drowning and keep repeating the process until he grew bored with it.

It was a horrifying form of torture.

Nancy shook her head, holding her hands up to her mouth as she took an involuntary step backwards. "No…"

Wesley didn't let her get very far as he grabbed her again and held her tightly against his chest. Nancy struggled in his grip, desperate to get away, only to stop when he held the small remote in front of her face.

"Don't make me keep shocking you, Nancy. You may be tough, but there is only so much electricity your body can take before it becomes too much for you to handle." Wesley chuckled as he nuzzled her neck. "And let's be honest—I don't want you to turn into a drooling mess on me."

He maintained his grip on her as he leaned down and picked up the water hose, kinking it so it didn't spray water all over the floor. He unplugged one side of the sphere and inserted the hose inside. Becca tried to move her head back and forth but it was difficult in her position. She let out a muffled scream as he released the flow of water inside the helmet.

Nancy could only watch in mounting horror as it slowly filled up with water. Every part of her itched to release the plug on the other side, but Wesley held her hands tightly in front of her. Tears trailed down Nancy's cheeks as she watched Becca take in a deep breath as the water rose above her face.

Wesley didn't pull the hose away until it was completely filled up. He plugged up the hole once more, then took a step back with Nancy as he watched in glee as Becca struggled to hold her breath.

"Pretty soon, she's going to have to release the breath she's holding, Nancy," Wesley whispered into her ear. "How long do you give her? Thirty seconds? Forty-five seconds? A minute? Maybe two? It's amazing what the human body can do when they're pushed to their limits."

"Stop this, Wesley," Nancy begged as her tears continued to flow down her cheeks. Becca's struggles were becoming more frantic as she pulled desperately against the straps that held her down to the table. Eventually, Becca's struggles became more sluggish until they almost ceased completely as she finally released the breath she'd been holding.

"Open the plug, Nancy," Wesley said, releasing her.

Nancy didn't hesitate as she practically launched across the table to remove the stopper from the helmet. Her hands were shaking and it took a couple of attempts before she was able to pull it free, releasing the water inside. She tried to pry the helmet away from Becca's head, but Wesley quickly grabbed her again, pulling her away from the choking woman.

"Let go of me!" Nancy screamed, struggling as hard as she could against him. She lashed out with her feet, kicking back at his shins. Wesley let out a grunt as she connected with his body and his grip loosened. Nancy tore free from him and raced back to Becca's side.

"Help me!" Becca cried, still coughing up water. She looked at Nancy with wide, fearful eyes and Nancy instantly knew that look. She'd seen it before on Wesley's victims—they knew they were going to die.

If Nancy didn't manage to free her now, it was going to be too late for Becca.

Wesley let out a roar of rage as he straightened up to his full height. The look he sent Nancy rooted her to the spot, leaving her petrified by its venom. That moment of hesitation on her part was all that he needed as Wesley rushed her, tackling her to the ground. Nancy let out a cry of pain as her head bounced off the concrete floor, making her see spots dancing in front of her eyes.

Taking advantage of her disorientation, Wesley pulled her up from the ground and dragged her back over to Becca. Locking her legs in between his, Wesley replaced the stopper that Nancy had released before picking up the water hose and inserting it back into the other hole. Becca let out another terrified scream, but it was choked off as water filled the spear once more. It was filling it so rapidly that she didn't have a chance to take another deep breath.

"Watch her, Nancy," Wesley said, his voice a menacing growl.

Nancy shook her head, refusing to open her eyes. It was bad enough that she was forced to listen to Becca's struggles. She would be damned if she was going to stand there and watch the young woman die.

Wesley grasped a chunk of her hair, forcing her head closer to Becca. "Watch her die!"

Nancy couldn't stop the sobs from wracking her body as she watched Becca's struggles become weaker with each passing second. There would be no second chances for her now and Nancy realized it was because of her and her behavior. She never should have lashed out at Wesley—it was stupid and irresponsible.

And now an innocent girl was going to die because of her.

"I told you that it was too late for me, Nancy," Wesley whispered as Becca stopped moving on the table.

Nancy could only stare at Becca, willing her to still be alive by some crazy miracle. But that wasn't going to happen—she didn't need to feel for a pulse to know that the girl was dead.

Wesley chuckled menacingly in her ear as he brought Nancy back to rest against his chest. "Do you still think there's hope for me now?"


Wesley's an ass—I know it and you know it. I thought I should just come out and say that.

Many thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter: dolphingirl7 (Wesley is definitely someone to hate. And don't worry—Nancy will be getting back to Frank soon…), FreshKicks (Wipe the drool…you don't want to damage your computer because if that happens, then you can't see what happens at the end!), Lady Emily (You know that I love my pain and misery…), Cupcake (Nope, not recently engaged and no plans to ever become so! And no, no one else died…life just got really busy, but I should be back for a while now!), Jabba1 (Not twisted at all—Wesley is unpredictable. Even I don't know what he's going to do next!), Michelle Gallichio (Thank you so much!), max2013 (We shall see what happens to Wesley…), SC15 (Don't worry—I will also be watching Once Upon a Time and freaking out every time Hook comes on. He will now always be Wesley to me!), MinecraftDanny (Welcome back! I understand a busy life!), and VerityD (I'll take a gulp any day of the week!).

I apologize for any mistakes and let me know what you think!