Part 24

Cassy was fighting desperately to ignore a bad feeling that was growing in intensity with each passing moment. Her cell phone startled her into action. Flipping the phone open, she reached for the key in the ignition. The voice on the other end was an unfamiliar one, not the expected baritone of Jeff Pearson. Her heart skipped a beat as the words pierced her brain. "I think you'd better check the alley, Detective."

Cassy threw the phone aside at the sound of the click on the other end and sped around the building to the alley. There in her headlights was Pearson, propped up against the trash dumpster. She released the breath she'd been holding when he stirred slightly. After calling for help, Cassy exited the car and ran to assist the injured officer.

She gently patted the side of his face. "Come on back, Pearson. Did you see them leave? Come on now, I need an answer here. Are they still inside?" The desperation in her voice helped bring Pearson back to awareness as much as her touch.

"Oh...Ouch. I...don't know. Some blonde chick...came up and started...talking to me. The next thing I know...I'm sitting here on the ground. You go check. I'll be fine in...a minute or two. Go on, go!" He leaned back and closed his eyes, waiting for the dizziness to pass.

Cassy flung open the back door and ran down the hallway. She quickly scanned the bar and found no sign of Harry. Her pulse was racing as she grabbed a waitress and inquired about her captain. The detective's heart sank as the waitress confirmed her worst fears. "Yeah, he was sitting in the back. Only ordered a coffee, but he left without paying for it. It was kind of weird. Some guy paid me an extra twenty bucks to slip him some message on a napkin. Your guy went into the men's room right after that. A few minutes later, they both left out the back door."

Cassy had the waitress confirm it was Dr. Leonard by showing her the prison photo. She dejectedly headed back out to check on Pearson. 'Dammit Harry! I told you to be careful. Why the hell didn't I try harder to get you to wear that wire?'

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As he stepped through the door into the dark alley behind the bar, Harry's breath caught in his throat. The lighting was extremely poor, but there was no mistaking the form of Jeff Pearson lying against the dumpster. "What the hell did you do to him?" Harry bent to check for a pulse and was relieved to find one that was strong and steady. Satisfied that his detective was still breathing, he turned his attention to the man holding the gun.

"Your good friend Roxy was kind enough to assist me in drawing his attention. While he was distracted, I merely applied an empty bottle to the back of his head. He'll be fine, though he will have a whale of a headache and may need a few stitches." The doctor motioned for Harry to continue to the end of the alley.

"We can't just leave him here. He needs medical attention." Harry stayed firmly next to his fallen detective.

"We have to leave NOW! George is expecting me to check in and if I don't Tommy will be the one who pays. I'll call for help after we get on the road. Now, please! Hurry, or Tommy will be the one who suffers."

The desperation in the man's voice sent Harry into motion. He'd had an uneasy feeling since the doctor had first said "Tommy" back in the men's room. The plea for Harry to leave only served to intensify it. He deliberately avoided thinking about the reason the ex-con had been sent to prison. The two men walked to a vehicle that was parked just inside the alley. Dr. Leonard pointed Harry to the driver's side. "Start the car and head toward Grove Road. I'll tell you where to go when we get there," the doctor instructed.

Harry started the engine and looked over to the man in the passenger seat. "How about that help for my officer?"

"As soon as we get farther away. Stop worrying. I'm not like Georgie. I'm a healer, not a killer. We'd better get something clear here. I'm not going to say one word about Pearson or St. John being with you tonight. I am assuming you will be careful not to mention it either. I can't let your stupidity hurt Tommy." Dr. Leonard's eyes met the captain's. There was no mistaking the genuine fear there. Harry's uneasy feeling escalated into anxiety.

Harry pulled the car out of the alley and headed for Grove Road as instructed. After they had gone several blocks, the doctor pulled out a cell phone, obtained Cassy's number from the captain, and dialed. "I think you'd better check the alley, Detective." He then clicked the phone shut. "There. Your man will get his medical attention as promised. Make a right turn three blocks up. Head to the abandoned industrial park."

Fifteen minutes later Harry pulled the car into the parking lot of one of the abandoned buildings. He tried desperately to control his fear and stop his hands from shaking as he exited the vehicle and headed toward the building. A single thought ran continuously through his mind. 'God, please let him still be alive.'

As he stepped into the brightly-lit hallway, Harry followed the doctor's instructions and proceeded slowly to the end. He shuddered at the sight of the reddish brown spots that were smeared in several places on the wall. He'd been on the force far too long to take them for anything other than bloodstains. Harry's heart was racing by the time he arrived at the door Dr. Leonard had indicated. He froze for an instant as a much larger bloodstain by the doorway caught his attention.

Low moaning could be heard on the other side of the door as Harry turned the knob and slowly opened it. He stepped into the room, followed closely by the doctor. A bright light immediately shined in his eyes, blinding him. The voice from the phone conversations spoke. "Good evening, Harry. We're so glad you could make it. Aren't we, Kid?"

The only answer was a loud groan, followed by softer moaning. Harry called to his detective, "Tom? You okay?" The moaning continued, but no other answer came.

"There's a chair several feet in front of you. Sit down and don't move until you're told." George continued to shine the light in Harry's eyes, making it impossible for him to accurately assess the situation. Harry reluctantly complied, though he wanted desperately to go straight to Tom. He silently prayed he could buy enough time for Cassy to find them, though he knew there was no chance she was able to follow him from the bar.

Doc moved past Harry and strode quickly over to the prisoner. "You promised you wouldn't hurt him while I was gone." The angry accusation was hissed through clenched teeth.

"You should have done a better job convincing him to behave," came the calm reply. Gesturing to Harry, George demanded, "Where's his gun and his cuffs? Hand them over." Doc extended the confiscated weapon and handcuffs to his partner.

"I need to check him out. I'm going to get my bag. Can I trust there won't be any further damage when I get back?" Dr. Leonard's voice dripped sarcasm.

"You take your time. Father and son can have their final visit while you get your bag." The doctor's unbelieving expression prompted George to go a step further. "I promise not to touch him while you're gone, all right?" The promise seemed to soothe Dr. Leonard, who turned his full attention to the patient.

The moaning abruptly stopped as Dr. Leonard gently stroked the badly bruised and bleeding face of his patient. His voice broke as he attempted comfort. "Oh God, Tommy. I'm so sorry. Why couldn't you just cooperate this time? I told you to do as he asked. It's all right. Never mind that now. You're going to be okay. It's almost over, my sweet Tommy. I'm going to get my bag and fix you right up. You'll feel better in no time and then we can get out of here, just you and I. Just like I promised you."

Harry couldn't see the pervert place the tender kiss on Tom's bruised temple, though the tone of voice and the words that were spoken had Harry's sensitive stomach in knots. He forced his suspicions of the doctor out of his mind, knowing he'd have to confront them later. Right now he needed to concentrate on getting Tom out alive.

George approached the chair as the doctor left to retrieve his bag. "Put your hands on top of your head. You do remember the drill, don't you?" he taunted. As Harry reluctantly complied, the light that had been shining in his eyes was switched off. Huge white spots marred his vision as he tried to focus on the room in front of him. As George moved around to the back of the chair, Harry readied himself to make his move. Seconds before he could act, he felt the cold metal of his gun on the back of his neck. "Don't get any ideas. Learn from your boy's mistakes. Now stand up, slow and easy, feet wide apart."

Harry did as instructed. The gun never left its place against his neck until the cuffs were snapped onto one of Harry's wrists. "Now slowly bring your arms down behind your back." After Harry's arms were secured, George picked up the chair and moved it nearer to the cot.

"I'll allow a short visit, but there will be no touching permitted. You will sit here. Make one move off of that chair and you will both die. Got it?" Harry nodded. George crossed the room to stand against the wall.

As Harry's vision fully cleared, he gasped at the sight before him. Tom was semi-conscious at best. His right eye was badly bruised and swollen completely shut. Blood still trickled from his nose down the side of his face. His left jaw was a vivid shade of purple and had swelled to several times its normal size. Blood had started to dry in thin streams, which ran from several splits in his lip. Harry also noticed the cut in the middle of Tom's throat, which had now scabbed over.

Guilt mixed with rage and frustration as tears welled in Harry's eyes. Fighting them back, he calmed himself enough to find a fairly steady voice. "Tom, it's Harry. Can you hear me?" Faint groaning was Tom's only response. Harry forced himself to further steady his voice and use his best Captain's tone. "Come on, Tom. You gotta wake up now. Answer me, Ryan!"

He was answered by a fluttering of Tom's left eye. The groaning continued, as the eye finally remained open. A weak voice finally spoke. "Harry? What are...you doing? How did...you get? Where are...we?" Tom's eye drifted shut again by the time he'd finished speaking.

"Ryan! Stay with me, here. Come on Tom, you have to stay awake now." Harry's heart was racing and fear gripped his soul as he attempted to get the injured detective to respond.

The eye slowly opened and tried to focus in the direction of Harry's voice. "Stein. He hates...you, Harry. You...shouldn't be...here." Tom slowly blinked, trying to concentrate through the haze of pain and confusion. "He's gonna...kill me...kill us. You have to...to get away...from here."

A loud snicker sounded across the room. "Oh, I don't think so, Son. Dad's not going anywhere for awhile yet. The real party hasn't even started. Don't worry, though. The fun is about to begin."

End Part 24

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