Chapter 7 - The Lion Sleeps Tonight - Part II

Tim

"Get on your knees!" The man ordered once he dragged me from the car.

We had driven at least an hour once we had left the barge. Without my sight, my best guest is we were west of Wilshire based on the few turns from the moment we pulled away.

It was mid-day, the ground already reaching burning temperatures from the summer heat, reaching over a hundred degrees. The earth underneath me was gravel and rough, which only confirmed wherever they had taken me, and Lucy was likely remote enough that no one would hear any screams of torture.

I lowered to my knees, fighting through the annoyance of rocks digging through my jeans into my flesh. My hands were still bound behind my back, but I spent the last hour stretching and weakening their effectiveness. One good yank at precisely the right time, and I could use the element of surprise to my advantage.

He left me kneeling there for minutes without furthering any conversation. Like Lucy had confirmed, remote and quiet with no cars or people that could be heard from a distance.

He lifted the black cloth from my face, my eyes squinting at the invading light. I heard the click from the gun aimed at the back of my head, ready to fire if ordered.

In the distance about a mile or so, was a white ranch style house secluded by trees. A pair of boots hit my line of sight as they maneuvered from behind me to in front of me.

Carl Palmer.

"It's good to see you, Officer Bradford. Forgive all the theatrics, but I had to make sure that this time you came alone."

"I did as you instructed. Now, where is Officer Chen," I demanded.

Palmer smiled. "I can't tell you how much I have been looking forward to this." Palmer looked past me to his protege. "Bring him."

Palmer marched me through the desert like heat for the mile up to the house. He motioned me to the living room where he instructed me to take a seat. I followed his instructions and sat down noticing a large wooden box that was about the average size of a coffin sitting next to me.

Palmer grabbed the remote to the television on the stand across from me. "I want to show you something."

He clicked the screen on, and immediately, Lucy appeared on screen.

Her eyes were wide looking around the small, enclosed space, her hands tied with zip ties in front of her. She was lying flat on her back in what I now knew was an exact replica of the wooden box next to me, beads of sweat dripping from her forehead. Her eyes were opening and closing gingerly, already showing signs of being lethargic whether from the heat or lack of oxygen I did not know.

I growled. "What have you done?"

"Considering last time didn't work out as planned, with you and Officer Chen not dying, I wanted to make sure I rectified that," he answered. "Your rescue-albeit cheating—afforded me the chance to ensure that you get to watch her die first instead of together and not remembering…like last time."

"How long has she been in there?"

"I buried her just before you arrived," he answered nonchalantly, without a care in the world at what he had just done, including taking me as another hostage.

"You never intended for there be an opportunity for me to save her," I surmised.

Palmer smiled. "This was always the way it was going to be. But don't worry, after you get to watch Officer Chen take her last breath, you will get in there." He looked over at the wooden coffin next to me. "Together again. It won't be long."

"Why?"

"Why?" Some of his teasing demeanor slipped. "You took my last kill from me, and you took the ability to take further kills from me. I will prove that you are not better or smarter than me."

"Just tell me where Lucy is. Let her go, and you can take me instead. I'll go willingly."

"It's not just the kill, Officer Bradford. You see, unlike others, I don't actually enjoy the killing part. That is just a means to the end. I like the part leading up to it," he explained, walking towards what would be my coffin and pushing the lid aside.

I refused to look at him or the coffin and kept my eyes on the screen where he was keeping Lucy. Watching for any moment that her condition was changing.

"What part is that?" I asked, not because I gave a shit to know, but as a means to see if the information could be used to aid in me finding Lucy.

"The fight and the hope one holds onto in the face of their impending death," he answered. "You see, who needs gore and mutilation, when you can have resistance, fight, denial, acceptance, and death. All these moments I assure you that you will feel as you spend the next hours watching Lucy Chen take her last breath."

He sat on the edge of the coffee table, his gun lying on his lap.

"But not just the death." He pointed to Lucy's face as her head whipped back and forth, her bound wrists coming up to push, claw, and bang at the top of the coffin. "You see, it's the few final moments in seeing what a person will say or do when they only have but mere seconds or minutes left on this earth. It's truly fascinating," he said as if he was getting a high just talking and thinking about it.

"You're a sadistic prick," I exclaimed.

Palmer laughed. "You know Officer Bradford, you're my first. The first loved one I am going to watch as they see a person they care about take their final breath. I am looking forward to it."

"I'm not the first. It's why you have left Special Agent, Laura Stensen alive even though she spends every waking minute searching to bring you to justice. You like watching her movements, the chase."

Palmer smiled. "Ahhh….Agent Stensen. You've met. How is she doing? Did she tell you about her sister? She was a lovely girl."

"I am not going to walk down memory lane with you, so you can relive your sick fantasy."

"That's ok. I will have years to come to relive yours and Officer Chen's deaths. It's why I record them," he confessed, pointing to the camera in the corner of the living room that was recording us.

I looked at the camera and then back at him, watching him study me.

"You and I are a lot alike, Tim. Which is why you fascinate me. You have this control about you, this need to protect that I find admiring. A weakness for sure, but one I want to know more about. Especially, when it comes to Officer Chen."

My eyes went back to the screen where Lucy stopped trying to push the lid, but feverishly working on trying to break the ties to her wrists. I wanted to scream for her to stop. To remind her of what we spoke about in the shipping container. Slow her breathing and limit her movements. She was going to need every minute of oxygen as possible to hold on. I watched her squirm, her shoulders banging against the cramped space to get a better vantage point to break the ties, her lips opening in what I knew was a muffled scream of frustration.

"This isn't a you versus her, Officer Bradford. This is an equal opportunity." He put the gun to the side of him. "I just want your last few hours on this earth to be left with the agonizing knowledge that you weren't good enough to save her."

I met his gaze. "I promise you this, I will put a bullet in your head before our time is done here," I said making a promise of my own.

Lucy

"No!" I moaned, when the lid didn't budge.

I managed to finally break the ties on my wrists, but the weight of whatever was on top of me, meant there was no way I was getting out of here unless someone could save me in time.

Stop. Get it together, I told myself. What would Tim say if he was here?

"Limit your movement," I whispered out loud. "Slow your breathing."

You will not die here. I could hear Tim's voice loud and clear in my head, taking me back to the shipping container.

"I just have to hold on long enough for them to find me."

I closed my eyes, my hands falling to my side as I tried to think of anything else other than being trapped in a coffin.

It was hot, but not as hot as the shipping container which made me believe that in addition to it being the wood I was being kept in, likely being buried had something else to do with it.

I mentally started going down all the California penal codes to test my cognitive state, which wasn't promising. My response times were slow, and I was starting to feel tired to the point where it was taking considerable effort to keep my eyes open.

Hold on. Just hold on, I kept repeating to myself.

Tim

We sat there in silence as I watched Lucy on screen. I made sure to school my expression, so the sick bastard got nothing. I wouldn't give him any satisfaction.

One thing was for sure. Lucy was running out of time. I watched the moment her cop instincts kicked in, and she did exactly as I had instructed when we were in the shipping container. She was doing her best to relax her body and slow her breathing. I could see her mouth moving, but I couldn't make out the words. Knowing Lucy, she was going through a checklist, or she was reminding herself to be strong.

Hold on, Boot.

I had to find a way to get to her. She didn't have time left. Even if Grey and Stensen got to me, we had no idea where Palmer buried her. we would likely run out of time trying to search for her. Unless…

I just had to hope what Stensen promised earlier was true.

"You said you want to study me. You want me to agonize over the fact that I can't save her. Take me to her," I suggested.

He laughed. "So, you can try and over power me and then try and rescue her? I don't think so."

I remained calm and detached sounding. "Bring your protege." I looked at the screen on the television. "She is already running out of time. Likely, will already be dead by the time we get there. I will give you my word, I won't do anything. I just want to see…no I need to see her grave before…before I die too."

His eyes squinted at me, enough to know that he was considering it.

"You said you studied me," I continued. "You know when I give my word, I honor my word. Give me this," I said, my last words turning into a plea.

He pointed his gun at me. "What are you planning?"

I shook my head. "Nothing," I answered. I made sure to balance sounding defeated and hopeful in the same sentence. Appealing to the sick demented part that likes to watch his victims take their last breaths. "It doesn't mean I still won't want to kill you, after, but I need to be there when she takes her last breath. See my own failure."

Palmer studied me for a long moment, before he lowered his gun. "Alright," he agreed. "On your feet."

Palmer, his protege, and I left the house and started the walk towards wherever it was they had buried her. As I suspected, they wouldn't have done it too close to the house, to keep from a K9 search of the interior property.

As it was, we were already more than a half a mile from the property. My hand came up to slap at the back of my neck, causing Palmer to laugh.

"If you have a discomfort with bugs now, I hate to inform you that it won't get any better once you're a few feet in the ground."

"Something to look forward to," I replied deadpan.

As I brought my bound wrists back in front of me, I slipped the tiny tracker we had put on the back of my collar in the pocket of my jeans.

It had to be another ten minutes, before Palmer stopped us on a large open space of dirt and gravel.

"She's buried there," he said, pointing to the ground.

I lowered to my knees, my hand reaching in my pocket before I placed my hands on the ground, dropping the tracker in place. The size and silver giving off the same appearance as a piece of gravel.

"I am so sorry, Lucy. I'm so sorry," I said.

"How does it feel, coming so close to know she is right at your fingertips and there is nothing you can do about it?"

I looked up. "You don't have to do this," I said. "You proved your point, now let her go."

"Are you saying that I won, Officer Bradford? That I am smarter than you?"

The words felt like acid in my throat, but I would say them if it meant Lucy would be given a chance.

"I'll say whatever you want me to if you let her go.

Palmer shook his head. "It's not just the words, Tim. It's actually believing them." He motioned the gun towards me. "You've seen her grave. Now, let's go."

I closed my eyes saying a silent prayer that Lucy could hold on for just a little longer. I pushed to my feet, giving one last look, as we started walking back to the house.

"I'm a sentimental guy, Officer Bradford. When I bury you, maybe if you ask politely, I will put you right next to her."

My hands balled into fists in front of my stomach. The only important thing now was to lead them away from the site. He had cameras on Lucy inside the coffin, but it didn't appear from what I saw that he was actively monitoring the area. By the time they arrived and figured I lured them there for a reason, they would have opened up the coffin and gotten her out. I hoped anyway.

Then I would have to make my move.

As we got back to the house, Palmer instructed me to sit back down as turned the television back on.

Lucy's head was to the side, her long stands of hair covering her face. Her right hand was still flat against the top of the coffin. I could hear her voice faintly, but I couldn't make out what she was saying other than a soft hum.

"It seems there is something that I know about Officer Chen that you do not," he said, his expression pure elation as his eyes lit up.

I said nothing. I wasn't going to give him any satisfaction.

"Like, did you know that she likes to sing when she is…well, you know…impaired."

I growled.

Palmer started to hum, and I realized it was matching the same soft tune coming from the video with Chen, until I could barely hear her voice softly singing.

"Keep holding on, cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through…" she sang, her voice cracking through the tears.

I clenched my jaw and hands, seeing a tear slip down her cheek. Her voice so weak sounding that she did not have long left. Maybe minutes. Something inside my chest tightened, because I was here and she was there and I had no idea if Stensen was even tracking the tracker she gave me or if they would make it to her in time.

"Just s-stay str—strong…"

Her fingers on the top of the coffin lid started to peel away, until her hand fell from the lid, resting on her stomach.

I was losing her.

"This is it. This is the moment," Palmer said.

I swear I never in that moment wanted to kill anyone more than I wanted to kill this man, right here, right now. Forget the badge, forget it all. He needed to pay for what he had done to Lucy.

With her last bit of strength, she turned her head right to the camera, her eyelids fluttering open as if she knew it was there.

"Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you…" the last word she sang was barely a whisper, her lashes fluttering open and then closed, her entire body going still.

"That had to be painful to watch, Tim."

My eyes stayed on Lucy. Please. Please, just hang on. Stay strong.

"This concludes our business, Officer Bradford." He looked over at the coffin. "It's your turn now."

His words seemed far away, because while he was gloating and looking at me, my eyes were fixed on the screen, watching as the coffin that Lucy was in started to move and rumble.

They made it.

"Boss! Cops. They're here!"

Palmer's face for the first time ever, looked ashen and surprised. He turned to look at the screen and what I had been staring at, just in time as the lid to the coffin was starting to be lifted and peeled open.

I yanked at my ties with one fellow roar, just as Palmer turned back with his gun pointed at me. I reached hm, but not fast enough before he shot his weapon.

I roared past the searing pain in my side where I knew the bullet had grazed me, taking a firm hold of his wrist and using my elbow to crack him in the side of the head. He stumbled, recovered, and came at me again, as we started to grapple back and forth.

I groaned as Palmer managed to punch me right in the side where the bullet nicked me, blood rapidly soaking through my shirt.

He came at me again, but I blocked, striking him right in the chest and neck. He gurgled as he tried to breathe, his eyes going wide as he attempted to stumble back and turn to run.

"Carl!"

Palmer's protege came running in from the back, his gun drawn and aimed at me. I grabbed Palmer's arm just in time, swinging him back in front of me as three succinct bang, bang, bang shot off into Palmer's chest.

Palmer dropped to his knees, clutching his chest, looking down as small red holes of his blood started to seep through his shirt.

"No!"

By the time the protege had gotten over his initial shock and aimed his gun at me, I already had lunged for the pistol on the floor I had disarmed Palmer of, and emptied all the remaining rounds into Palmer's protege. He stumbled backwards into the corner, landing on his ass, his eyes wide open in a state of shock.

I limped back over to Palmer who was gasping large breaths, blood seeping from his mouth now.

"This…not how it—was t-to end," he said through a gurgle.

"I told you; this would end with a bullet in your head," I reminded him.

"D-do it. Finish it."

I didn't need to. He took his last breath a second later, and I had someone that was worth saving.

I grimaced; taking a step forward, my hand coming to side to slow down the bleeding. My hand came away with a palm full of blood, but that didn't matter now.

I needed to get to Lucy.

I grabbed the keys off the dead protege, and limped down until I hopped into the SUV to drive to Lucy's site.

I was there in seconds, as I threw the SUV in park, sliding out of the SUV, blocking out the pain as I raced to her side.

"Oh, my, God, Tim," Lopez cried, seeing my blood.

They had Lucy out of the coffin, but she wasn't moving. Nolan was already performing CPR, but she still wasn't moving.

"How long?" I barked.

"Two minutes," Harper answered understanding my question.

"Move. Move!" I demanded, pushing Nolan out of the way.

"Tim, you're in no condition," Lopez protested but I ignored them all.

I started chest compressions, taking over where Nolan left off, before I lifted her chin and blew two breaths into her mouth.

"Tim." Grey's resolved voice came through.

I could see the sad expression on his and Agent Stensen's faces, but I ignored them. All of them. She couldn't be dead. She just couldn't.

I shook my head. No. No, she was not dead.

I kept counting and keeping up my compressions in rhythm, before I supplied two more breaths.

"Come on!" I exclaimed as I worked on her chest. "Keep…keep holding on."

A second later, I heard the most beautiful sound ever, her coughs before she stirred, her eyes gingerly opening and looking up at me.

"Tim?"

Her voiced was cracked and brittle but it was her voice.

"Yeah. I'm here."

She broke into a sob, as I pulled her to me, her arms coming around my back as she held on.

She was alive.

I could finally let out the breath I had been holding.