Chapter 5

Jane walked into Maura's office and found her sitting behind her desk with a warm smile.

"Back again, I see," Maura told her as she rose and made her way around the desk.

Jane rushed inside the room and pulled Maura into her arms, hugging the woman soundly.

"You're cold," Jane observed.

"Hungry and sleepy too. I haven't ate or slept. And I'm not counting the Baby Ruth candy bar they gave me when I got here... You know I'm still not home, right?"

"I know this is a dream," she said as she stepped back and looked around the office, "but I can't wake up, not yet. Help me find you. Can you tell me where you've been?"

"It's dark – a basement. I saw the top of the stairs though. There's an exterior door with six glass panes. You know the kind? Three rows with two windows in each row. Oh, and there's also a big oak tree outside. I could tell from the foliage."

Jane chucked.

"What?" Maura asked.

"Even in my dreams you use words like foliage instead of leaves," she remarked.

"That's because it's not a dream. It's really me."

Jane simply nodded. "Well, tell me more. What else did you notice?"

"I don't know if I'm in a house or a business. The room above me is either a kitchen or a break room given the color scheme. It's got yellow paint and yellow linoleum from the 1970's or 1980's that's beyond hideous."

"Have you seen who's there? The person holding you?"

"No, they always have a ski mask on. But I can say there are at least two people. I think they take turns waking me so I can't rest completely. One of them is a man – I've heard him talk; the other, I can't say. The man made a threat and the other ordered him to stop. I should have paid more attention but I've been feeling tired and a little scared to be honest, so-."

"Did he hurt you?" Jane interrupted with concerned.

"Nothing horrible," Maura reassured her. "He said he killed you and when I challenged him he didn't like being called a liar."

"What did he do?"

"It was a slap, but I'm okay, nothing broken."

Jane reached out and stroked Maura's cheek.

"I wish I could give you more, but I really can't," Maura told her. "The basement smells damp, but that's about it. However, it is a basement, so that means-."

"It can't be too near the water," Jane replied.

"Exactly. And I know this isn't much," Maura told her. "But this person is very intelligent, Jane. They understand how the human body and mind works. They let me sleep long enough to keep me alive while keeping my cognitive faculties impaired. I wouldn't be surprised if this person works in medicine or maybe even the psychiatric field base on what they've been doing with me. And it feels like Hoyte. This man told me you died because he was testing the water. He wanted to create the most extreme level of fear a human being can feel."

"Just like Hoyte."

"Just like Hoyte," Maura agreed. "And like I said before, I had to be the one. We have a profound, almost-mystical understanding of one another. He uses those kinds of connections against his victims."

"Not this time," Jane promised. "We know what to expect."

"Do we? I fear as soon as I see you our lives will be in immediate danger, both of our lives – just like that hospital wing with Hoyte and Officer Mason. Whoever these people are they want us together, but on their terms. You can't give it to them. So promise me you won't come for me."

Jane shook her head. "I can't promise that."

"You have to Jane. Our lives depend on you keeping your distance – it depends on you not letting your heart rule your head."

"I can't promise I won't rush to find you. But I will bring someone, okay? I won't come alone. You have my word. Korsak, Frankie, Dean-."

"Gabriel too?"

Jane nodded. "The whole department and the feds so believe me...someone will be with me, I promise."

"Jane," Maura sighed.

"It's the best you're going to get, so take it. Just promise me one thing."

"If I can," Maura replied.

"Don't let 'em break you. Hoyte brainwashed his captive – kept her for months, beat her, rewarded her, beat her again. Just... stay strong."

"I'm like Jane Rizzoli." Maura smiled and pulled Jane back into her arms, hugging her again, but not letting go this time. "No one can break me unless I let them. It's my choice. And don't forget Jane, Hoyte loved you when you were angry."

"Well, now I'm furious."

"You were his only worthy opponent, but don't get angry. Get focused. I know you can do it."

Jane tightened her grip on Maura and closed her eyes, but a few seconds later there was a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes to find she was again sleeping on Maura's sofa and the hand belonged to Korsak.

"Two hours; like I promised," he told her.

"Anything?" she asked

"There were fingerprints on a candy bar," he said.

"It was Maura's," she replied.

"Lucky guess. How did you know?" he asked.

Jane walked over to Maura's desk and started to write feverishly on a piece of paper.

"She just told me," she muttered as she continued to write down everything from her dream.