Lexington Hill...Sal's apartment
Bailey and John pushed open Sal's door, guns drawn, sweeping them over the immediate area. They moved forward motioning for Nathan to follow but holding Grace and Sam off.
"Nathan, check out down the hall. Be careful. I don't think there's anyone else here but better safe than sorry." Bailey told him as he and John continued through the living room.
They walked through the living room to the dining area and saw Jessie standing across the room just outside of the kitchen. If she knew they had come in she gave no indication. She just stared straight ahead not moving. John gave Bailey a worried look and they moved towards her. They put their guns away when they got to the kitchen and saw that it was just she and Sal in the room.
Bailey grimaced at the sight of Sal's body. 'The man must've gone through hell.' He said to himself, then to John. "Jesus, look what they did to him. This is much worse than the others."
John moved around to stand in front of Jessie blocking her view of Sal's body. "Jessie..."
It took her a couple of seconds to realize she wasn't looking at Sal anymore and she looked up slowly, noticing John for the first time. "Sal's dead."
"I know." He said gently. She was so pale. He put his hands on her shoulders and felt her trembling. He pulled her into a hug, holding her head to his chest and pulling her as close to him as he could to let her know he was there and she was safe. "It's okay now." He told her.
A minute into John's embrace Jessie's body relaxed. The weight she felt that kept her from moving melted away and she wrapped her arms around him. She was still trembling and the warmthness of him felt good. Then, it hit her. When her body relaxed and her senses kicked in, she remembered what John was protecting her from. Her stomach came to life rising and falling...twisting and churning...she pushed him away and barely had enough time to turn from him before it emptied itself out.
"The rest of the place is clean and clear," Nathan said walking in behind them. "Is she okay?" He asked John as he knelt next to Jessie while she was sick. John nodded so he went over to Bailey who was looking over Sal's body and the area around it. "Damn. They're stepping it up, aren't they?"
"Yes, they are. Tell Sam and Grace we're clear in here and let's get CSU started after Grace has a look at the body. Get Boston P.D. to start canvassing the building from the lobby up and let's get with building security so we can get copies of the security camera recordings from last night and this morning...inside and outside the building."
Nathan nodded at Bailey's instructions and then left to carry them out.
John rubbed Jessie's back talking softly to her as he did so. Telling her everything would be okay, that he was there now and he would take care of her. When it seemed like all she was doing was dry heaving he pulled her up and walked her to the bathroom. Holding her up with one hand he pulled a towel down from a nearby shelf, turned on the cold water and wet half of it. After squeezing most of the water out he tried washing her face but she fought him as she continued to dry heave. He closed the lid of the toilet and sat down pulling her down with him. Wrapping both arms around her, he could feel how her stomach turn violently. "Breathe with me, Jessie." He pulled her closer to him, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Take a deep breath and let it out... breathe with me...you can do it. In and out...slow deep breaths...calm, slow deep breaths." He put his chin on her shoulder and whispered in her ear. "Think about something else...you have to see something else...breathe with me and see something else."
Several minutes later the dry heaving stopped and Jessie relaxed against him. Other than trembling she had completely calmed.
John slid out from behind her and picked up the towel again. He knelt down in front of her and began running the towel along her cheeks and forehead. Her eyes were glassy from unshed tears and she looked completely lost. Far away. Haunted. Putting his hands on each side of her face he stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. "It's okay." He told her and she leaned forward into him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close and rocked her gently.
After a few moments, he sat her up and looked at her. She was awfully pale and her eyes still had that far away, haunted look. "You okay?"
"Cold." She said weakly, wrapping her arms around herself.
He reached up, pulled another towel down from the shelf and wrapped it around her. "I need to go talk to Bailey." He said as he rubbed her shoulders to try and warm her up. "I need you to stay right here. I'll be right outside the door."
Jessie nodded, pulling the towel tightly around her.
John stood up and pulled the bathroom door open. "I'll be right outside." He told her again, then walked out leaving the door open halfway so he could hear her if she needed him.
"How's Jessie?" Bailey asked as John walked over from the bathroom.
"She's not hurt but she doesn't look good. She's in shock."
"Bailey, this murder...it's a message. A message of what's to come. The other murders were quick...simple. This one was drawn out...whoever is after Patrick was involved in this one and I think he knew this victim well. He wanted him to suffer." Sam paced on the other side of the room, then stopped and walked closer to them. "I think this is about revenge. I think this is someone Patrick has hurt...or had someone hurt badly...almost close to death. This guy, today...he may have been part of it and that's why his death was more extreme than the others. It will be worse from here on out." She motioned over to where Grace was examining Sal's body. "That will look good compared to what they do next."
"We need to get Jessie, Patrick, and Robert out of town...a safe house or something." John agreed with Sam totally and did not want to see his family as part of a crime scene that looked like something from a horror movie.
Bailey put a hand on John's shoulder. "We'll take care of them. I already have a safe house being prepped."
"Time of death was between 8 and 10 a.m," Grace called out to them. "Most of the wounds were inflicted to be painful but not deadly...the shot to the head and stomach are the most severe...they're a large caliber...probably close range with a shotgun and with all this damage it was probably sawed off at the end..." Grace felt like she was being watched so she looked up, thinking the others moved closer to see what she was saying and saw Jessie.
Somehow she had come out of the bathroom unnoticed and was watching, wide-eyed as Grace poked and prodded Sal's body. Jessie's face turned a greenish-white and she started to sway. Grace knew what was coming next. "Bailey, get Jessie!" She shouted as Jessie's eyes rolled back and she fell backward.
Bailey, who was standing closest to her, hurried over and caught her just before her head hit the floor. He picked her up and put her in John's arms. "Get her out of here. There should be EMT in the lobby." He shook his head as John hurried out the door. "Poor kid, havin' to walk into this mess.." Then, "Okay, Grace, What else do you see?"
Tbc...
