Blinded

Chapter 21

Jack fidgeted in the back seat, trying to get his hands loose as the car sped through the streets. He couldn't hear any sirens. He doubted they were being chased.

Get in the car or you both die.

Jack knew he wasn't referring to him and Daniel. He was referring to him and Sue. He prayed Daniel was okay but while he should be terrified, he also felt hopeful that he would see Sue. That he would be with her. Even if it was their end, he would be there with her through it all.

He knew he had let his guard down. He hadn't done so consciously. He truly had not expected Pete to come after him. He had figured his note, sending her hair was enough to torment him and would do more damage than anything he could do to him physically.

Whomever had tied him up had also disarmed him. His arms remained tightly bound behind his back, but he was otherwise not subdued. His instincts told him he should try and escape. Try and kick the back door open or take down the man at the driver's wheel. But he couldn't. Jack felt weak from lack of sleep and nutrition, emotionally drained. And he knew this meant he might see Sue.

He looked at the back of the head of his captor, the short, cropped hair he saw on the screen only minutes, hours previous. He knew this was Sammy, the bartender.

"Sammy…" Jack said weakly.

"Shut up". The man in the front shouted. "How do you know my name?"

"We've met. Remember?" The man was silent. "I met you at your bar, looking for Sandra Martin. We came to speak to Missy Baker." The man grunted and mumbled back.

"Both of those women got what they deserved…"

"What do you mean by that?" Jack asked.

"SHUT UP!" Sammy yelled again. Grabbing Jack's gun and waving it towards the back seat. "One more word and I'll shoot you." Jack remained silent. He couldn't jeopardize being in a position where he could potentially help or protect Sue.

The road bumped along for another 20 minutes, when it finally came to a stop. Sammy turned and looked at Jack, Jack taking in his face for the first time and confirming in his mind it was the same man.

"You do anything stupid, and that woman is dead? You understand?" Jack nodded solemnly. Sammy opened the backseat door near Jack's head and away from his feet and dragged him out of the vehicle, his gun at Jack's neck. Jack noticed his gun remained on the passenger seat, along with his badge.

It was early afternoon and another sunny day. Jack quickly looked around, noticing they were in an industrial area with no traffic. He hoped beyond hope someone would spot them, but despite the weekday afternoon hour, this wasn't a populated area of town.

He saw Pete Hadley exit through a solid looking door. The building had one small window, high on the wall, with bars. There was no identification of what the building was for or usually housed.

"What the hell?" He screamed. "Why isn't he blindfolded?" He moved towards Jack and didn't hesitate to punch him hard in the face, which made Jack double over. He proceeded to kick him. As he lay on the gravel, either Pete or Sammy blindfolded him and roughly brought him to his feet.

Jack prayed. He prayed he would see Sue within a few moments. That she would be mostly okay. That she would know he was there. He prayed for the strength to fight back so they could find a way out of there.

-STFBE-

Sue shivered in the darkness. She had worn herself out crying that morning and collapsed in fatigue. What must have been a few hours later, she awoke, but as she tried to open her eyes it was black. Her heart raced. What was going on? Why couldn't she see. She felt the panic rising in her throat. She couldn't hear, and now she couldn't see. What more could Pete Hadley take away from her? She sobbed and whimpered. She tried to calm herself to realize that they must have put a blindfold over her eyes as she slept.

Each time she blinked; she could feel her lashes fight against some obstacle. Her tears damped whatever cloth they had used, which was thick and didn't let in any light or shadows.

Pete's reactivity had been enough, when she never knew when he would hit her or yell at her, but now to be completely blinded to what may be coming.

Sue tried to deepen her breaths and stave off the panic. She knew she would have to rely on whatever other sense and intuition she had. Tears flowed down her face. She just wanted it to end.

"Jack… Jack…" She whispered. When no hit came, she figured she must be alone. Somehow, just whispering his name, she felt like he was near. It didn't make sense.

"Please God." She prayed, mouthing the words. "Please just take me. Please let this end. Please keep everyone else safe and bring these men to justice."

-STFBE-

Blindfolded, Jack had been led through what he assumed were a few rooms. He could hear the clang and heaviness of the doors as the opened and banged shut. This was a fortress. Even if the team tracked them down, this would be a difficult place to storm quickly.

He was finally shoved into what felt like a cold and heavy metal chair, his arms and legs tied down and the blindfold ripped off. Pete and Sammy towered over him. Jack spit at Pete's feet, his saliva mixed with blood from the blow he took in the parkade. Pete decked him again.

"Jack Hudson." He sneered.

"Pete Hadley." Jack responded, his eyes cold. Jack carefully tried to see if there was any give to his bindings, but he was bound tightly. How he longed to lunge at these men, but also knew stupidity would not serve him well, not with both men armed.

"I brought you as a gift. You were…. Requested." Jack's stomach dropped.

"Where is she? Where is Sue? You have me. I'm the more valuable hostage. Let her go." Pete smirked at him.

"Good thing she can't hear you say you don't think she's valuable." Jack went to interrupt but Sammy moved and snapped his head back, gun at his throat.

"Your girlfriend wanted you here. Wanted you to suffer too. And trust me, Jack Hudson, suffer you will."

"Please…" Jack pleaded. "Let me at least see that she's alive. That she's okay." Pete nodded at Sammy who roughly turned the chair with Jack in it. It was so rough that once turned 180 degrees, it tipped to the side, Jack along with it and crashed to the floor. Jack groaned as he made contact with the cement, unable to protect himself.

Sammy righted him back up, and as the stars faded, he saw her, across the room.

"SUE!" He screamed but she didn't flinch. Her eyes were blindfolded. What he could see of her face was bruised, swollen and bloody. Her body slumped as if in agony, also tied to a cold metal chair. She was shivering and whimpering. This was worse than what he could have imagined.

"Sue!" He cried again and strained against the ties that bound him. His adrenaline surging, he prayed for a miracle of strength to break them and run to her. For her to know he was there.

Instead, Pete leaned and whispered near his ear. "Now you can watch. Watch her suffer and die. Then you can join her." Sammy gave him one last kick and they left the room, out of what Jack presumed was the same door he had entered. He noticed the other heavy door opposite and wondered how large this place was.

"Sue…" his whispered, continuing to strain to reach her. Her saw her mouth moving and quieted. She was calling his name. Did he know he was here? How could she?

"Sue…" he cried to her again, tortured. He heard her prayers for this all to end. She thought she was alone. And there was nothing he could do to comfort her.