Chapter 6

Maura was awaken by a kick to her legs. Again, she wasn't sure how much time had passed. She was weak from hunger and still extremely tired. She knew she had to get real food soon. She pushed herself into a sitting position on the air mattress only to be met with a sharpie marker tossed in her lap, followed by a small card.

"Write this... on that," the man above her said as he let a slip of paper float down to her.

She looked up at him and then at the three items now in her possession. In that instant, she knew he needed her to help with his plot. But he also had something she needed so now was her chance to get it.

"Let's make a deal," she told him. "I'll do this after you bring me the food I request, which incidentally, must be edible."

"How about this?" he countered, "You write it and I don't kill you. That's my counter-offer."

Maura grinned. While she understood he might react harshly, and she might even be hurt or seriously injured, he wouldn't kill her. Not yet anyway. He still needed her.

With as much confidence she could muster, she looked up and met his eyes.

"Go to hell."

She tossed the possession back up at him and his anger was immediate. He drew his foot back to kick her, but this time she was ready. As he released his foot toward her, she caught it and quickly grabbed his ankle in her hands and held on. He started to lose his balance so she gave his foot a yank that sent him tumbling to the ground with a loud thud. At that point, she tried to wrapped the slack from her chain around his leg, but she was too tired and too slow to react properly. That gave him the chance to scurry away from her. He moved back so far that he crashed into the utility shelf, knocking some of the supplies to the ground.

Although it was a chore, she managed to get to her feet to face him directly.

"You stupid cunt!" the man yelled as he kicked the fallen items out of his way.

"I'm not a cunt! And I am NOT stupid!" she yelled back. "Feed me, you ignorant swine!"

The man started to charge toward her again and she took a defensive stance. She wasn't sure if she had enough strength or energy to crush his windpipe. But should he get close enough she'd be damned if she wouldn't try.

"Enough!" the voice from above yelled just as it had during their last bitter exchange. The command stopped the attacker from advancing again. It was then that the figure came down the stairs and Maura could finally see him.

He was a white, bald, middle-aged man, with some facial hair. He appeared to be moderately well-dressed, unlike his companion who wore jeans, a black sweatshirt and a ski mask.

"What is going on?" he asked.

"She won't sign," his conspirator complained.

"I want food," Maura spoke up. "A bag of apples, a bag of carrots, two cans of sardines, two cans of light tuna with a pull tab, milk, trail mix, Greek yogurt and a jar of peanut butter."

The man grinned. "That's quite a specific grocery list. Beside, wouldn't you rather have anchovies?" he asked. "They have more protein than tuna."

"Only two grams more," Maura countered, "and since anchovies have a higher sodium count I can't risk dehydration should my water supply be cut off 'unexpectedly'."

He smiled wider. "You are quite intelligent, Dr. Isles."

"So are you, Doctor...?"

Maura intentionally let the sentence hang and the man had to laugh out loud.

"I'm Dr. Joseph Harris. But you can call me Joe. I'm pleased to officially meet you," he told her as he extended his hand.

Maura refused to take his hand and he lowered it.

"Hey," his accomplice muttered. "What's wrong with you? You can't tell her who you are."

"Relax," he told his friend. He then turned to Maura. "She's not going anywhere. And soon she won't want to," he said in a slow, soothing voice. "She'll learn that with us she'll find complete relaxation; complete focus."

Maura saw what he was doing. He was trying hypnotist tactics. Maybe she could play along, let this work to her advantage. Still, she realized that she wasn't very mentally fit at the moment. If she released just a little, even if it was to play along, could she find her way back? She knew yoga and meditation worked for her – it was, in essence, a form of self-hypnosis.

From out of nowhere, she heard the other man say, "I guess you're right. She'll be dead before she can utter a single syllable to anyone."

Maura blinked a few times and wasn't sure why she was holding her hands in the air over her head. She quickly put them down and looked concerned. It felt as if she had a conversation yet had no memory of it. Her fear must have been evident.

"Relax. I'm not going to kill you," Harris told her.

"What about him?" she asked as she motioned to the masked man.

"He's got his orders. He knows I have plans for you," he replied.

"What plans exactly?" Maura asked.

"Come now. Like you said..." Harris taunted. "...You're not stupid."

"I'm your bait to get Jane," Maura replied.

Harris avoided the statement and asked, "You had a list of food you wanted?"

"Yes," Maura replied.

He reached into this suit coat and pulled a pen. He tossed it to her and said, "Write it down on the back of that paper. We'll see to it. One favor deserves another after all. And once you've had your food, you'll sign that card as we asked or else..."

"Or else what?" Maura asked.

"Or as my companion mentioned before...there's more than one way to break someone."

Maura picked up the paper and wrote down her list and handed it up to him. He reached for it, but before he could take it she pulled it back.

"One question?" she asked.

"Go ahead," he replied.

"Why hunt Jane Rizzoli?"

Harris smiled at first, but after a few moments a sullen expression came to his face. "She destroyed a legacy..."

"Hoyte," Maura muttered.

Harris nodded slightly; saying "...and now she'll be forced to pay... to the last penny. She's going to watch what she loves most in this world die before her very eyes – her faith in you... And she'll be unable to stop it… And then I'm going to break her to her core."

Maura hid her emotions – she knew Jane was in trouble. She hoped upon hope that the detective would stay as far away from her as she could, but she also knew Jane would move the heavens and earth to help her. Although bound in a basement at an undisclosed location, Maura knew the truth. She was the one who would have to save Jane Rizzoli.