All recognizable characters in this fic are property of Showtime. I claim ownership only to the story written and any characters not recognized (OC).
Season 8, Episode 2: Nice Blade
Dexter just stood there taking in the sight of the woman he was in love with; his femme fatale, Hannah McKay. He sharply drew in a breath before asking the first question that popped into his mind:
"How did you escape?"
Hannah quickly gave an eyebrow raise before folding her arms in front of her chest.
"Does that really matter? You were ready to let me rot in prison." She answered back, leaning in against the door frame. Her bitterness over his betrayal was still evident in her voice.
"You know why." Dex quickly replied, not wanting to let her forget about the poisoned water bottle.
Hannah gave a forced laugh and then smiled. Her tongue casually wet her lips before she spoke again.
"How did you find me?"
"Does that really matter?" He breathed, repeating her same words back to her which caused her to smirk.
"No." she paused, raising an eyebrow, "Coming in?"
Hannah slowly took a step to the side to give him access to her motel room. Without even taking a second to think about it, Dexter crossed the threshold and allowed Hannah to close the door. The room was a dump. The motel rooms had obviously been decorated and furnished in the 1970s because it was complete with a shag carpet and wood panel color TV.
After giving the shitty motel room a quick eye scan, he went to turn back around to face Hannah, but was quickly met with a switchblade knife being pressed to his throat. He swallowed hard; a bit startled. Their eyes locked before he spoke:
"Nice blade." Dexter breathed, almost like he was impressed.
"Little something I kept from my time with Wayne..." explained Hannah, leaning in close. He could feel her breath on his face.
"Quite the memento." He commented back with a quick raise of both eyebrows.
"Why did you come here? To lead your sister to me so she can arrest me again?" Hannah then asked putting a small amount of pressure on the blade that caused Dex to suck in air.
"Deb only knows that you escaped. She has no idea that I found you. I kept her in the dark."
Hannah smirked, her brilliant blue eyes darted to the carpet. She letting out a scoff, sweeping a blonde strand of hair from her face with the small swing of her head. Before she spoke, their eyes met again.
"Protecting me from your sister? You don't expect me to believe that, do you?" She questioned. Her voice now quivering with anger. The knife blade remained steadily pressed against him.
"It's the truth. I love-"
Dexter stopped talking mid-sentence when he felt the knife cut into his flesh. It wasn't deep, just far enough to draw blood and cause him to wince in pain.
"No, Dexter, if you really loved me then you would have gotten your sister to back off so I didn't have to matters into my own hands!"
"Deb's my little sister, and you should have come to me and let me handle it before you tried to kill her!" He raised his voice back, not backing down an inch despite the fact that she had cut into him.
Hannah shook her head and then there was a silence. Dexter thought that she was going to lower the knife, but instead she kept it steady and spoke through grit teeth:
"You killed my father. So you're the only one of us who can kill family members who get in the way? You're a fucking hypocrite, just like Debra."
She had a point. Dexter's reason behind disposing of Clint McKay was to protect Hannah. Their future would have been compromised by that degenerate hustler who would sell out his own family for quick cash. Hannah had seen Deb in the same light. Despite any attempts of being reasoned with, his sister was dead set against letting them have their happily ever after.
Dex let out a deep sigh. He could feel the warm trickle of blood streaming down his neck. At any moment, she could decide to go deeper into him, slitting his throat. Dexter knew he could stop her if he wanted, but somehow, having his life in her hands was an adrenaline rush that aroused him. In one quick motion, his right hand grabbed hold of her hand that was holding the switchblade.
"One clean knife stroke across the neck. Sever the carotid artery and the jugular vein and I bleed out in a matter of seconds." He said in a low voice while he moved her hand to rest the blade at each location on his neck that he was referring to.
Hannah's chest rose and fell rapidly. She allowed him the freedom of moving the knife to either side of his neck while he expertly explained the most effective way to end his life. She could tell that he was surrendering to her fully.
"You said that we could never trust each other..." Hannah reminded him in a hushed whisper as she felt his hand lift from hers and then drop to his side.
While Dexter didn't forget the fact that he had told her that when he visited her in prison, at this moment in time, he was willing to put all of his trust in her. Maybe it was because he was banking on the fact that despite her anger, she still loved him. Or maybe it was because he loved her too and could sense that she wouldn't go through with it.
"Do what you gotta to do..." He breathed.
Hannah drew in a breath and held it. Slowly, she brought her face closer to his until their foreheads touched. When she finally exhaled, they breathed in unison. She retracted the knife.
"Hannah..." sighed Dex before he brought his lips to hers.
The kiss was tender at first, but quickly became passionate as Hannah dropped her knife and wrapped her arms around Dexter's neck. Then, just as suddenly as it had happened in the prison, she bit down hard on his lip in the exact same place she had before.
Dex pulled away as he growled in pain. Hannah gave him an evil grin, her eyes focusing on the blood that began to pour out from what had been a scab. Instead of wiping away the blood, Dexter caught her off guard by grabbing her by the throat and pushing her back into the hotel wall. Hannah winced when the back of her head hit into the dated wallpaper.
She smiled and quickly raised her eyebrows. She was loving the rough foreplay, especially because he had that look on his face. He was showing her that side of him that she had first witnessed at Santa's Holiday Adventure the night he was planning on killing her.
Dexter's grasp on her throat tightened causing Hannah's mouth to gape open. When it did, he moved in and began kissing her again. She brought her hands to his face compelling him to loosen his grip so that she could kiss him back. His blood smeared across their mouths and tongues, before Dex caught her bottom lip with his teeth and clammed down on it.
"Ahh!" Hannah cried out, a chunk of pink skin ripped free.
He let go of Hannah's lip when he tasted her blood. She then glared at him with an intensity that was surely driven by lust. Hannah used her tongue to try and wipe the blood away, but it continued to pool where the skin had been. And then, she made her move by grabbing hold of two handfuls of his shirt , twisted him around in order to turn the tables on him. His back slammed against the wall and she immediately brought her bloody mouth to his neck. She traced her tongue along the length of the cut her knife had made, evoking a moan. Morgan could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He closed his eyes and breathed deep when he then felt soft bloody kisses moving up the side of his neck.
Without warning came a rush of pain when she gave his neck a quick bite. He gritted his teeth and grimaced before clawing the back of her head with his hand, entwining his fingers in her golden wavy hair. He used his strength to regain his dominate position, with her back up against the hotel wall. This time, his hands moved down to her jeans. Fingers fiddled with the button and zipper before he ripped the denim down in one forceful motion to expose her bare lower half. Hannah quickly stepped out of her jeans right before Dexter lifted her up off her feet and pinned her up against the wall.
Hannah's chest was heaving. She was completely turned on by the fact that he was dominating her with the same ferociousness that he had once saved only for his dark passenger's deeds. Her hands began to caress his face as he worked on opening his khaki pants. The sound of his zipper running down its tracks was quickly followed by him fully thrusting into her. The force caused Hannah to slam her head back into the wall as she let out a cry that was of both pain and pleasure. Dexter brought his forehead to hers, their breathing staggered as he found a fast rhythm to move by. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and the bloody kisses resumed.
Debra muttered a string of obscenities as she struggled to navigate through the contact list on her phone while unlocking her beach house door. This was going to be her second attempt of trying to get a hold of him today. Finally, she found her brother's name from the list and selected it. She brought the phone to her ear and it started to ring.
"Fuck me, Dexter, answer your fucking phone!" Deb screamed aloud in frustration when the line continued to ring.
She had shuffled into her beach abode. Her handbag, she carelessly tossed onto her dining table before finally hearing Dexter's voice mail recording. At the beep, she spoke:
"Dex, it's me, where the hell are you? I sure as shit didn't see you at the station today. Can you just come over to my place after you get this message? The last thing I want to do is spend the evening alone. Just please come over, I don't care what time it is when you get this message. It's not like I'm going to sleep a fucking wink anyway. Bye."
Deb ended the call and placed her phone down on the table. She couldn't help but wonder what had her brother so preoccupied that he wouldn't answer her calls. Perhaps he was out fulfilling his need to kill; as if two deaths in a shipping container the night before wasn't enough to quench his appetite for death. It made her sick to her stomach to even think about.
Her next move was to the kitchen. More specifically, her refrigerator for a cold beer. The metal cap twisted off with ease. She threw it in the general direction of her trash can without even caring about whether or not it made it in. All she cared about was taking that first long swig of beer. Debra exhaled in a long sigh. She needed that .
Surely she could find something on TV to keep her occupied until Dexter's arrival, however late that was going to be. Deb plopped down in one of her living room chairs with her beer still in hand. It was when she leaned over to her side table for the remote, that she froze. Her eyes focused in on the rectangular framed photograph.
The photo had been meant to capture the biggest accomplishment of her career: her promotion to Lieutenant of homicide. Setting her beer down on the coffee table, she then grabbed hold of the picture and brought it to her. Her brilliant brown eyes studied it. Debra Morgan was smiling proudly in the photograph, dressed in her navy blue police uniform, Mathews to her right, and to her left: the then newly appointed Captain Maria Laguerta. The woman who had presented her as the youngest officer ever to make Lieutenant at that press conference. The very same woman she had murdered with a single gunshot to the chest a day before.
Debra broke the silence with a strangled cry. She had been trying to hold it back, but it was no use. The sight of herself in uniform, the same uniform her father had worn, while she stood in between her father's best friend and the woman she killed for her brother, was far too overwhelming. It was truly clear to her how far she had fallen: From the determined cop who had fought to climb the ranks of Miami Metro to a basket case who was willing to cover up crimes and murder to protect her serial killer brother. And it was all Dexter's fault. Her finding out about his side job as the Bay Harbor Butcher was what set her fall from grace into motion.
Debra's tear stained face contorted in anger. She propelled the framed picture through the air. It hit her wall hard; shattering the glass upon impact before it even hit the floor. Deb then shot out of the chair and picked up her beer bottle. She stomped over to her dining room table where she had left her handbag. Forcing it open, she then removed her Xanax prescription bottle. Morgan dispensed three pills into her hand and shoved them into her mouth. She brought the beer bottle to her mouth and threw her head back, gulping down the alcohol and Alprazolam.
Dexter's eyes blinked opened and closed a few times before he was fully awake. Hannah was asleep in his arms, her head resting on his chest. The white bed sheet was twisted around their naked bodies as they laid together in the messy bed. Running his tongue over his lip, he tasted the dried blood. Dex's eyes shifted to the old Cartex digital clock on the nightstand. 5:36 AM. He gently stroked the side of Hannah's face, brushing back her blonde hair.
"I can't begin to make sense out of what Hannah and I have. It is definitely the most intimate connection I've had with anyone. And that's saying a lot coming from someone who once thought that he was a monster not capable of human emotions."
Hannah stirred slightly in her sleep before her blue eyes opened. She smiled at him before bringing her hand to his face, guiding his lips to hers for a soft kiss.
"But Hannah loves me; All of me. My darkness neither scared nor consumed her. She helped me understand it better. Despite my betrayal, Hannah broke out of prison instead of turning against me for a plea deal, unlike what she did to Wayne Randall. And I can't even imagine my future without her in it. I don't want to admit that my feelings for her run that deep even after what she did to Deb, but they do."
"Morning." She whispered in the early morning darkness. "Who knew angry make-up sex could be so cathartic?"
"Yeah." Dex replied with a small chuckle.
He shifted his body and sat up in the bed causing Hannah to narrow her eyes. It was too early for him to be cutting their time together short.
"Where are you going? I doubt it's even six o'clock yet." She commented rolling onto her side to face him.
"I'm going to get dressed, clean myself up in the bathroom, and then get us some fresh bagels for breakfast. I saw a bakery when I got off the highway not far from here."
"That sounds nice, kind of early though. Not that I object, I am starving."
"I have to get back to the apartment before Jamie and Harrison wake up, that way they'll think I just came home from work late." He explained as he flicked on a light and began getting dressed.
"How is Harrison?" Hannah asked with a smile. She hadn't seen the little guy since Christmas Eve.
"He's good, keeps asking for you. I think you really made an impression on him. He really likes you."
"Well, I really like him..."
Dexter smiled in response to her comment. He put on his underwear and then his khaki pants that had been laying in a jumbled mess with his and Hannah's clothing on the floor. Upon putting on his them on, he reached into his back pocket and removed his phone to check for messages.
Hannah ran her tongue over her bottom lip that was still stained with blood. Sitting up in bed, she brought one of the pillows to her naked torso and hugged it. She was contemplating what she was going to say next, and there was a long pause before she spoke again.
"Dexter, do you want more kids?" She finally asked before biting the side of her bottom lip that wasn't cut.
"I don't know, I haven't really thought about it." He replied honestly while his thumb navigated his missed call list where he saw his sister's name twice with a voice mail too. He would wait until he was out getting breakfast to listen to it.
Hannah could see that he was preoccupied and decided to drop the topic. There would be much to discuss over breakfast; not only the question of whether or not they were back together, but also what her next move would be as a fugitive of the law. She couldn't hide out in a shitty motel room forever.
Once fully dress, Dexter went into the bathroom and washed off all the dry blood from his face and neck. The small straight cut from the knife was still visible as well as the scabbed cut on his lip.
"Coffee and a bagel assortment?" Dex asked Hannah when he returned to her, fishing for his car keys in his pocket.
"Can I get some juice instead of coffee?" She asked with a smile cocking her head to the side slightly.
"Sure, I'll be right back." responded Dex before giving her a quick peck on the forehead.
The first thing that Dexter did upon getting into his Ford Escape was pull out his phone and listen to the voice mail that Debra had left him.
"Shit. Deb expected me to keep her company last night. I'm going to have to get over there before work and try and smooth things over."
Harry appeared in the passenger seat with his arms folded.
Harry: "If you weren't preoccupied with Hannah last night, you would have answered Debra's call. What was that last night, Dex? She holds a knife to your neck and you end up spending the night with her?"
Harry looked at his adopted son with a look of confusion and disapproval. Dexter let out a long sigh before shooting him an angry stare.
"That's none of your business. Hannah and I work through our issues different than most couples. We'll leave it at that."
Harry: "I'm not trying to judge you, Son, but, she tried to kill your sister. Who's to say she wouldn't try it again? You can't possibly believe that there is any kind of a future for you and Hannah."
"Hannah only went after Deb when she saw her as a threat. If I can convince Deb to back off-"
Harry:"You weren't able to do that before. What makes you think you can get Debra to leave her alone when now she has a personal reason to want to see her back behind bars?"
"Because now Deb has killed someone to protect us; Just like Hannah killed Price. If I can make Deb aware of that, then maybe she will drop her obsession of seeing Hannah brought to justice."
The trip to the bakery was uneventful. Dexter was the first customer of the morning and bagels were nice and fresh. He had decided that time was of the essence and that he would drop breakfast off to Hannah before heading back home to Miami. He still had to grab a shower and change of clothes before checking in on Deb.
A knock on the motel room door and Hannah answered dressed in her clothing from the day before. Her blonde hair was damp as evidence of a shower. She stepped away from the door to allow him in.
"I got you some orange juice and an assortment of bagels with cream cheese. I didn't know what you liked so I got you a bit of everything." Dex explained handing her both the glass bottle of juice and the bakery bag.
"Are you not going to have breakfast with me? We still need to talk about some things."
She sat down on the bed with her legs crossed in front of her.
"No, sorry, I have to get back to Miami. Deb had called last night and left a message. She sounded really upset. She's been dealing with a lot of stress lately so I wanted to get over to her place before work to check on her." He admitted.
"What's got her so stressed out? Me escaping?" She went on to question before taking her first taste of the orange juice.
"That and some other stuff that I can't get into right now. I'm sorry I can't stay. I'll bring you dinner tonight after work and we can talk then, okay?"
Hannah nodded to silently show that she understood and accepted the fact that their time together was going to be put on hold until later. She was going to be spending her day in that shitty motel room watching the handful of channels available on the television that was older than her.
"Just try and lay low like you've been doing. If anything comes up, you can call my cell from that payphone."
"I'll be fine. I've got bagels." She told him with a smile and an eyebrow raise as she brought a seasoned bagel out from the bag and held it up.
"Oh, and just in case you need some cash." said Dex reaching into his back pocket to grab his wallet.
"Look at us, in a shit hole motel room the morning after you screwed me and your pulling out your wallet." Hannah chuckled with a smile while she began to spread the cream cheese over the bagel with the plastic knife provided.
He narrowed his eyes slightly as his mind painted the picture she provided him with. He hadn't even thought of that. The fact that Hannah found it a funny coincidence made him chuckle too before replying:
"I don't think prostitutes get bought breakfast." He pointed out with a smirk while pulling out a twenty dollar bill.
"I'm sure the high dollar girls do. The ones worth more than twenty dollars a night." She said returning the smirk. They both started to laugh before McKay replied:
"But seriously, I've got cash. I had Arlene withdraw money from my bank account and leave it at my place before I escaped. I can take care of myself."
"I know you can. It doesn't mean I still don't worry." He admitted putting the money away.
Dexter leaned in and gave her a soft peck on the lips. He then retreated toward the door. The moment he placed his hand on the door knob, Hannah said three words that made him freeze in place.
"I love you."
Dex inhaled sharply and held it. There was something about actually hearing her say it aloud that struck a chord with him. Sure they had erotic passion the night before, but this was the first time since he had sent her to prison that one of them had said those three words. He had tried to do so at knife point, but at the time she wasn't having it. But now, in the aftermath of their post-coital bliss, things had changed.
"I love you too." He breathed, finally letting his air from his chest. It felt good to say it back to her and know that he really meant it. He wasn't just going through the motions like he had done in the first few years of his relationship with Rita.
The drive back to Miami took a little longer than the drive to the motel yesterday. Luckily it was early enough that when he arrived back at the apartment, Jamie and Harrison were both still asleep. It was after a shower and a change of clothing that they were up having breakfast. Like usual, Jamie was easily convinced by his excuse of working late. She even bought his explanation of a razor causing the cut on his neck. If only Deb would be that easy to convince about where and what he had been doing last night.
With a box of Sadie's donuts and a cardboard carrier holding two cups of coffee, Dexter approached the door to his sister's beach house. He struggled for a brief moment in order to knock on a door.
"Deb, it's me!" He shouted aloud after a minute of seeing no response from inside the house.
The key under the doormat provided Dexter with access to the home. He set the breakfast down on Debra's dining table before venturing further to find her.
"Deb? I brought breakfast." announced Dex, breaking the silence.
He noticed the broken picture frame on the carpet in her living room and quickly called out her name again.
Without a reply from his sister, Dexter quickened his pace and went right into her bedroom. There he found her sprawled out on her bed with her clothing from the day before still on. Of course he only guessed it was the clothes from yesterday because of how wrinkled they were. She had clearly slept in them.
"Deb? You okay?" He asked giving her shoulder a gentle nudge in an attempt to wake her.
Upon being touched, Debra's body flinched and she lifted her head off the mattress.
"What the fuck time is it?" She inquired with only one eye open.
"It's a little after seven. I brought over some donuts and coffee." Dexter replied taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
"Shove it up your ass, where the hell were you last night? Do you not even look at your phone? I left you a message asking you to get your ass over here!" She hollered sitting straight up before climbing out of bed.
She let out a sigh before bringing her hand to her head. It felt like a migraine was setting in. She could really use another Xanax just to deal with the shit the day was already throwing at her.
"I know, and I'm sorry. I got lost track of time. I was wrapping up the last of the Laguerta stuff and then I took the boat out to-"
"Spare me the bullshit, Dex. I know what you were doing last night." muttered Debra, cutting him off from finishing her explanation.
"You do?" Dexter asked back with a frown.
There really was no way she could have known he spent the night with Hannah. Was there? If she did, Deb would have found out where Hannah was hiding out and would have been there to arrest her.
"You were doing what you do. No doubt that cut on your neck and your busted lip had something to do with it. And just so were mother fucking crystal clear: I don't want anything to do with it. I'm done."
Debra couldn't even bring herself to actually say the words "kill" or "murder". Her mind was being plagued by all of it. The last thing she needed was for it to come out of her mouth. But she had no control over that. There was no escaping death and murder with her being the Lieutenant of Homicide. The irony was astounding.
He breathed a small sigh of relief and nodded slowly.
"My sister is under the impression that I was out killing someone last night instead of having sex with the woman who tried to kill her. I call that a win."
"Fair enough..." Dex breathed while getting to his feet.
His phone vibrated and sent out a tone that signaled he had an incoming message. He removed it from his back pocket and saw that it was Miami Metro notifying him of a crime scene.
"Looks like we're going to have to eat breakfast on the way to a crime scene." He reported aloud.
"Fuck me, just go ahead and go. I'll meet you there."
He nodded in agreement and left his sister to get ready for the work day. Taking his cup of coffee and a donut, he exited the beach house and began to travel to the address Miami Metro had provided him with.
Dexter pulled his Escape into an abandon parking lot of what used to be a department store over a decade ago; The lot had been vacant ever since. He put on his white latex gloves before grabbing his kit from the back of his SUV. Flashing his Forensics laminate allowed access under the yellow tape as he walked to the scene.
"What do have here, Vince?"
"Pretty gruesome stuff, and you know that's saying a lot coming from me. Two victims presumed to be mother and child. Both with complete laceration of the carotid arteries. No indications of sexual assault. My guess is that they were dumped out here. Estimated time of death for both victims is last night around eight o'clock judging by the condition of the bodies. We found the woman's ransacked purse a few feet away, identifies her as Audrey Jenner of Miami Florida. The female child, I'm guessing, is around the age of three." Masuka explained after he looked up from his clipboard.
Dexter carefully walked up to where both of the victims were lying on the pavement. His eyes scanned the blood and then the rest of the surrounding area. Batista noticed him investigating and approached him.
"I had described the act of slitting someone's throat to Hannah during our twisted game of foreplay. The sick irony of these murders isn't lost on me."
"Ay dios mio, shit like this gets to me. My Auri was once this age. What does the blood say, Dexter?"
"Starting with the adult victim: The outward pooling of the blood underneath the Audrey Jenner indicates that the murder slit her throat at this scene. And judging by depth and angle of incision along her neck, the murderer sliced her open while standing behind her." Dex explained.
Morgan's assessment caused Angel to question further, "So the murderer didn't just dump them out here. This is the actual spot where the murders took place?"
"Yeah, but she was also moved after she was cut. A larger pool to the left suggests that the victim fell face first. She was then turned over."
Dexter crouched down beside the victim before continuing his analysis of the scene:
"There is a white ring around her finger on her left hand. My guess is that it was a wedding ring. It was removed post-mortem. Judging by the patterned abrasions on her wrists, her hands were bound together by some kind of braided rope."
"And the little girl?" Batista asked as Morgan moved over to the other body.
The body was lying face down in the sea of red. Dexter carefully turned her over so that he could comment on the younger victim:
"The positioning of the body in relationship to the adult suggest that the child tried to run. One of her shoes is missing, there was a significant struggle before..." Dexter trailed off while his eyes still focused on the little girl.
"She looks to be about Harrison's age. I will never understand how someone could do something so heinous to someone still so sweet and innocent. It's pretty scary to think that there are people out there who have much more darkness inside of them than I do."
Quinn's voice snapped Dex out of his introspection, "Do we have any kind of a motive for this?"
Morgan replied, "My guess is theft. I think that the victims were carjacked by the perpetrator. They were driven to this remote lot that had no lights or security cameras. He forced them out of the vehicle and killed them."
Joey questioned further, "But why kill them? Why not just take the car and throw them out on in the street and peel out if that was all he wanted?"
"No witnesses, maybe the victims saw his face or knew who he was. He could have panicked and decided to dispose of them quickly." Dex explained.
Batista interjected, "We're working on getting an identification for the child by notifying the next of kin. Quinn, check the DMV records and find out the make and model of the vehicle registered to Audrey Jenner, if there is one. We'll put out an APB on it."
Dex advised, giving his opinion on how to proceed, "You should make a few phone calls to the local chop and pawn shops. If this guy is a thief, he'll be looking to turn a profit. I'd get a detailed description of the wedding ring from the spouse. My money is on the murder pawning it."
Debra finally arrived on the scene. She, like everyone else, was taken aback by the sight. She exclaimed, "Holy shitload of fuck, Jesus!"
It took her a few seconds for her to regain her composure, "Okay, umm, what do we have here?"
Masuka did his best on filling her in on the evidence they had gathered of the crime thus far. Dexter noticed her looking at him the entire time Vince was speaking to her. He decided to shrug it off and begin to collect DNA swabs from underneath both sets of hands of the victims.
Deb folding her arms in front of her while her eyes focused on her brother. She offered a suspect, "You're looking for a carjacker, how about fucking fugitive Hannah McKay?"
The Lieutenant's comment caused Joey to question, "Hannah McKay? Am I missing something? What at this crime scene points to her?"
Dexter quickly responded with his eyes narrowed. He felt anger beginning to build inside him."Nothing, Hannah would never do anything like this."
"Tell that to the woman she killed when with Wayne Randall. How did she kill her again? With a fucking knife?" Debra responded with hateful sarcasm causing Dex to stand upright.
Quinn presented the facts, "I don't think this fits. Reports on the Wayne Randall spree killings said the victims were stabbed repeatedly in the chest. These victims were cut once, across the throat. And Hannah escaped two days ago, these victims were killed last night."
"Hannah didn't do this. I was with her last night at the time of the murders. But, I doubt Deb would much like to hear the details of the alibi. And the knife; The lacerations on both victims were from a thick wide blade like that of a hunting knife, not a switchblade like Hannah's. "
Batista joined in on the conversation, "We're talking about the cold blooded murder of a small child here, Deb. Do you really think Hannah McKay would be capable of that?"
"I wouldn't have fucking named her as our suspect if I didn't! She will kill ANYONE who gets in her way! And that mother and child were in the way of having a vehicle to escaping Miami in!" Debra snapped back causing everyone at the scene to turn their attention toward her.
Dexter sprung into action by grabbing his sister by the arm in an attempt to lead her away from the crime scene so they could talk in private. She jerked away from his grasp causing him her in a whisper through his gritted teeth:
"We need to talk, follow me."
Reluctantly, Debra accompanied her brother underneath the yellow "do not cross" police tape. They put great distance between them and the rest of Miami Metro so that they could both speak freely without worrying about being overheard.
"You need to get a hold of yourself. You can't come off half cocked with a wild theory about Hannah just because you hate her and want to make her Miami Metro's top priority to find. It's just going to make you look like you are cracking under the stress of Laguerta's murder." He warned.
"Maybe it's because I fucking am..." Debra muttered, on the verge of tears. She fought them back and glanced over at her team who was looking in their direction before looking back at him.
"Dex, you might be able to go on with your life like nothing happened, but I can't. Laguerta may have been a huge bitch and a pain in the ass, but she didn't deserve to die."
"So what does that have to do with Hannah? We both know that she didn't commit these murders. She would never hurt a child. I've seen her with Harrison. She's great with him."
The thought of Hannah McKay being trusted around her nephew sickened her stomach. What if it was Harrison that she had decided to poison? Her brother had sworn to her that he would never let any harm come to his family after Trinity killed Rita, and yet he trusted a murderer with his son.
"What the hell did that manipulative bitch do to you to make you so blind to what she is? She tried to kill me, Dexter, maybe you fucking forgot about that, so I'm bringing it up again! Hannah McKay is a danger to your family!" Deb hollered with the hope that her words would sink into her brother's thick skull.
"No, she tried to kill you, just you."
"And what, do you don't think it could have been Harrison?" She interjected.
"No, she only poisoned you because you threatened to arrest her for Sal Price's murder. You know that she would never have went after you if you would have just accepted my relationship with her."
Debra's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. She couldn't believe what had just come out of his mouth. Did he really believe what he was saying?
"Are you fucking kidding me? It's my fault now that Hannah tried to kill me because I could give a shit about your sick fucking romance with a killer? Fuck you." She scoffed before she began to walk away from him.
"Wait, Deb." Dexter piped, making an attempt to stop her. "I'm sorry. I know how upset you are after what you had to do to Maria. And I know that focusing all your attention on Hannah seems like a good distraction so that you don't have to think about what happened that night, but-"
"No, Dex, bringing Hannah to justice isn't a distraction for me, it's going to be my redemption. When I put that murdering bitch behind bars, I will prove to myself that I'm still the cop I was before you pulled me into the mind-fuck of a nightmare that is your life."
"You are still that same cop. You took care of Laguerta to protect the both of us. You had no choice, because she was going to destroy both of our lives with the evidence that she had. Hannah killing Price was the same thing. He found out that I was seeing her and was threatening to put me in his next book about her. She killed him to protect me. Sometimes, life just needs to be taken." explained Dexter.
He was doing his best to show her how Hannah and her had both killed for very similar reasons. His hope was that drawing parallels between them would make Debra see that Hannah McKay wasn't the inhuman monster she was making her out to be.
"No, Dexter, I'm nothing like her. I'm a police officer for Miami Metro Homicide. I spent my life protecting and saving lives, not ending and destroying them. This conversation is over. That bitch is going down."
With that, Debra turned her back on her brother and began making her way back to the crime scene to deal with a few reports who had shown up on the scene.
"Deb's right. Our conversation about Hannah is over. I now know that that I can't convince her to call off her hunt for Hannah McKay. She's obsessed, and that's when Deb is most dangerous. If I was able to find Hannah in a day's search, then my sister will quickly be on her trail too."
Sergeant Batista was quick to approach Dexter when he went back to the crime scene to collect his forensic kit. No doubt he was going to be asking about Debra's odd behavior and the visibly heated conversation that he had had with his sister in private.
"I don't mean to get in the middle of what looks like a family problem, but-"
"No, Angel, it's fine. It's just that Deb is taking Maria's death really hard. It really bothers her to lose one of our own. She's been really distraught about it." Morgan explained while compiling his kit.
"I don't blame her. Maria's death is affecting all of us. Deb's a good cop, but her behavior today...You should try and speak with her about taking some personal time." Batista suggested.
"What do you think that private conversation was about? You know, Deb, her way of dealing with something is to work more hours. Maybe you could try and convince her that taking a break would be in her best interest." replied Dex. He was putting the task of talking to Deb about taking time off right back on Angel. Perhaps if the idea came from him, she would be more likely to comply.
Dexter brought the conversation to a close in order to make a quick exit, "My job is done here. I'll have the blood report on your desk by tomorrow morning."
He had all the blood evidence he needed to spit out a report. What he now had to focus on was what he had to do about Hannah. He took his white latex gloves off, put his kit back in the Escape, and then climbed into the driver seat. Of course, it was Harry who appeared sitting next to him as soon as he started the engine.
Harry: "I'm not going to say I told you so, Dex, but could have you seen that conversation with Debra going any differently? You can't expect her to forgive and forget. If you care about Hannah, then you need to help her disappear."
Dexter closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.
"I don't want her to disappear..."
Harry: "Well it's either that or Debra will arrest her again and she'll be back in prison. You have two options; The result of both are the same: you aren't going to be able to be with her, son. I'm sorry."
"I should have never given Deb that pen. If I hadn't then Hannah and I could have been together for the rest of our lives; growing old together..."
Harry: "You can't regret the decision you made. It was for your sister. You have to think about your future, both you and Deb's. If you love Hannah like you say you do, then you will get her as far away from Miami as you can as soon as possible."
Dexter nodded his head slowly. Harry was right. He needed to think about what was best for both Hannah and Debra, and that was getting as much distant between them as possible. It was going to be hard to have to say goodbye to her, but better her living free without him then behind bars.
It was only the late morning, and hunger was already beginning to set in for Hannah. She had eaten every one of the bagels that Dexter had left with her and she felt like she could eat a dozen more. It would be a long wait for the day's end when her lover promised to return to her with dinner.
Hannah sat on the motel bed as she used her switchblade knife to clean the dirt out from under each of her nails. When she finished, she closed the knife and then hit the button, causing it to spring back open. She did it over and over again, before finally setting the knife down on the bedside table. Her stomach growled causing her to let out a long sigh.
She remembered that there was a snack vending machine just outside of the mangers office. Perhaps a few bags of chips and some crackers could curve her appetite until Dexter brought a substantial meal. She opened the bedside drawer where she had put her cash and removed a few dollar bills, stashing them into the pocket of her jeans.
Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she reached down and grabbed her short brown boots. She put them on her feet, before getting up and opening her motel room door. The Florida sun made her squint. Being cooped up in a motel room for the past two days made her feel like she was a shut in. She hated it. Hannah loved being outdoors and working in her nursery.
She breathed deep; taking the fresh air into her lungs before closing the unlocked door behind her. Hannah took her time strolling by the three motel rooms on her way toward the office. She might a well enjoy her time outside.
Hannah had to walk passed the manager office door to get to the vending machines that were right near the phone booth that she had used before. Her presence caught the attention of the manager. He smiled, bearing his rotten teeth at the sight of her, put on his hat to cover his balding head, and went outside to approach her.
"Can I help you with sum-thin'?" He asked standing behind Hannah while she fed money into the machine.
The man's burly body cast a shadow where she stood. Hannah took a deep breath and realized that she could smell him. It was a strong combination of cigarettes, alcohol, and filth.
"No, I'm fine." She replied, continuing with the business of making her snack selection on the machine.
"Yes you are..." The manager commented back. He licking his lips while eyeing her slender frame from behind.
Hannah rolled her eyes and ignored his comment. Hopefully he would get the message and back off. She had dealt with hicks like him many times back home in Clopton, Alabama. Most of them were Clint's poker buddies.
"So, I take it you and your boyfriend didn't kiss and make up last night 'cause your still here. I could take ya back to my place and whip ya up sum-thin' special. How'd you like that?"
"I wouldn't." muttered Hannah while she quickly bent down and grabbed her bags of chips.
She then tried to walk back the way she came, but the manager brought his arm up, placing his hand on the machine, which blocked her from walking on.
"Now there ain't no reason to be rude, purty lil' lady. I reckon your disrespect's what got ya popped in the mouth right there."
He brought his free hand up to Hannah's face to point out the cut on her lip, and she swatted his hand away.
"Get out of my way." She ordered, not showing any fear.
Her words caused him to move his arm and take a step back with his smile still plastered on his face. His eyes followed her as she began to walk back to her motel room.
"You're a feisty lil' lady, aren't ya." He chuckled while he followed after her.
Sensing that he was following her, Hannah quickened her stride. She wanted to get back to her room before he could catch up with her. The sound on his footsteps behind her sounded like they were getting closer. And then, she felt him grab her arm causing her to react on instinct by pulling away from him and coming back with a hard fist to his face. The force knocked his hat off his head as he stumbled backwards.
"You fuckin' bitch!" He yelled in anger as he immediately began to run after her.
Hannah burst into her room and slammed the door shut as quickly as she could. But before she was able to lock it, he rammed his body weight through the door, sending her falling to the floor. He walked through the wide open doorway before he unbuckled his belt, and slide it out from around his large frame.
"I'm gonna teach you what happens when 'lil whores are naughty." The manager hissed snapping his leather belt together in his hand before throwing it on the floor so he could unbutton his pants.
Dexter pulled his SUV into the parking space a few feet from Hannah's motel room. Upon getting out of his Ford, he noticed three bags of chips scattered across the pavement and a man's baseball cap.
In the motel room, Hannah scrambled to her feet and made a dash over to her night stand to where she had left her switch blade. The moment she whipped back around, the man grabbed her arm holding the knife with one hand, and her throat with his other. With his strength, he lifted her off her feet and slammed her down onto the bed. Her head hit into the headboard and then he began to slam her arm back against the headboard causing her to drop her knife onto the bed. He climbed on top of her, further impeding her from getting away from him.
"Yeah, I'm gonna give it to you nice and rough, baby!" He exclaimed, his right hand still clamped onto her neck causing her to gasp for air.
Hannah's blue eyes began to sparkle; Tears were beginning to form in them while she tried to reach for her fallen knife that was just out of her reach. And then, seemingly out of nowhere, the leather belt pulled around the motel manager's neck. He let go of Hannah's throat as both his hands were immediately drawn to his own neck. Hannah began to cough and gag as she breathed rapidly, bringing much needed air into her lungs. She looked up with disdain at her attacker who was beginning taken care of by her boyfriend.
Dexter shook with rage as he pulled back on the belt as hard as he could, cutting off every bit his air supply. Morgan then brought a knee up across the manager's back to allow him even more leverage to strangle him, while also keeping the guy from falling back onto him.
"You fucking inbred bastard!" Hannah screamed as she plunged her knife deep into his large gut.
She jammed the knife all the way in, before removing it and doing the same thing again on the other side of his stomach. Dexter's eyes widened as he witnessed his girlfriend begin to repeatedly stab the manager over and over again in anger. The blood was pouring from his gut, turning the bed sheets a deep vibrant red. He felt himself release the tension from around the man's fat neck as blood began to flow from his mouth. Dex was in awe as Hannah got on her knees, kneeling before their dying victim before she rammed the knife into his chest where she let it stay. Morgan allowed the body to slump over to the other side of the bed. Hannah and his eyes met. Both of their chests were heaving from the adrenaline of the kill.
Just before Dexter could even react to the moment, she sprung up out of the bed and ran into the bathroom. He looked puzzled by her reaction and quickly got up to follow her. Hannah was on the bathroom floor with her face in the toilet bowl. Her bloody hand prints were smeared on the yellow colored porcelain as she began to vomit.
"Not the reaction I expected. Maybe she's just shook up from being attacked. Or Perhaps this kill brought back some unpleasant memories from her time with Wayne Randall. I could never forget the queasy feeling of finding the blood bath my brother, Brian, had left for me to trigger the memories of our mother's murder."
"Are you okay?" He finally said as he crouched down next to her.
"I'll be fine. It's just that smell of the blood." She explained before falling back against the bathroom wall. She was still breathing heavy.
"I'm glad I came when I did."
"Yeah..." Hannah agreed with a small chuckle.
"As soon as I'm able to dispose of the body, we have to leave. I need to get you as far away from Miami as possible."
"Because of this?" She inquired nonchalantly, holding up her bloody hands.
"Not just that, my sister is making finding you her new mission in life and I don't want you going back to prison. I'll get you far away from here, somewhere Deb can't find you."
"Argentina?" She questioned with a smirk to show her lack of sincerity before she continued on a more serious note:
"Dexter, we never had a chance to talk."
Hannah then sighed before licking her lips like she was getting ready to tell him something important.
"I know..." He breathed, feeling tears beginning to well up in his eyes at the thought of losing her again. "But I think talking will only make saying goodbye harder."
"There's still something I really do think I have to tell you, but I've been afraid to." She admitted bringing her legs up closed to her chest like as if she was a timid little girl up against the wall.
"What is it?" Dexter muttered narrowing his eyes. He noticed her change in demeanor and could only wonder what she was going to tell him next.
Tears began to fill her eyes once again as she contemplated whether or not to tell him what she had been keeping to herself the past few days. She was extremely hesitant to confide in him. The fear of rejection and disappointment held her back for a few moments before she was finally able to blurt it out:
"I'm pregnant."