The Cassidy Chronicles

"You read way too many romance novels."

"I do not!"

Ryan ran his hands down her body and pulled her closer. "I want to kiss you, but I don't want to give Stewart any more information then he already has. I'll stay awake and make sure that nothing happens. You sleep."

"You'd do that for me?" Cassidy was stunned. She hadn't meant to sound so shocked, but the idea that a guy would do that for her was shocking.

"He's not going to hurt us. He wants people in town to acknowledge who really set the fire. We're just pawns in the game. Get some sleep."

Ryan ran his hands over Cassidy's purple and blonde hair. The morning sun was shining into the window and made her hair sparkle. It was stunning and Ryan wanted to enjoy every minute of this. He was lying on his back on his leather couch with Cassidy curled up against him. She hadn't moved all night and obviously was very comfortable lying on his chest. He could get used to this although he wished they were back at his apartment. He could imagine them waking up together after a night of intense lovemaking. It was definitely something that he had wanted from the first time they kissed. He was a guy and wasn't ashamed to admit that sometimes his penis controlled his thoughts.

Ryan had watched Stewart pace back and forth in his office all night. He had made a big pot of coffee at one point and drank it all. Ryan was thankful that Cassidy was asleep because a little while later he had used the toilet but had not shut the door.

It was seven hours later now and the sun was starting to rise. Ryan yawned and stretched out a bit. He was stiff from lying in the same position all night but didn't want Cassidy to know that. He also didn't want to wake her up for a few selfish reasons. The first was that as long as she was sleeping she wasn't thinking about the fact that they were being held prisoner by a crazy ex-cop. The second reason was that as long as she remained in slumber he could look at her and admire her beauty.

"Wake her up and call the chief. Tell him that he has an hour to inform the media or he's going to be responsible for two deaths including his star investigator." Stewart blurted out those words so randomly that Ryan wasn't really paying attention until his sharp voice echoed in the office.

"He won't do it." Ryan shook Cassidy gently and she sat up looking confused and dazed. "Huh?" Cassidy's whole body was sore and she realized that she had been sleeping on top of Ryan for the majority of the night. She was about to ask why she was in his office but then quickly her body moved from semi consciousness to being fully conscious. With that said the events of the night before flooded back. Stewart Jones, an ex-cop that had been falsely accused of setting the banquet hall in Fort Erie on fire, had kidnapped her. He wanted his name cleared and seemed to think that holding Cassidy and Ryan hostage was the best bet.

"Go to the washroom and get cleaned up. There are supplies in the cupboard under the sink. I have to make a phone call." Ryan said those words softly; hoping that she would take the hint that being in the bathroom was best.

Cassidy nodded and stumbled off to the washroom. She glanced at Stewart and had a shiver run down her back. She didn't like him but was feeling increasingly sorry for him. She entered the bathroom and closed her eyes. She wished she could see into the future simply by thinking about someone. She hated that her psychic powers were so random. She only saw the same vision as always – the cemetery, the gun, and the gunshot. She heard the muffled sounds of the two men talking and tried to block it out completely. She brushed her teeth and washed her face. It felt good to do these things but her body was still throbbing in pain. The emotional strain was weighing on her shoulders and sleeping on a couch all night hadn't helped her already sore muscles.

She fixed her clothes and then felt her cell phone in her pocket. Had it been there the whole time? She could call the police. Tell them where they were. It was perfect. She grabbed the phone and then stopped. Of course, she couldn't do that. If the police showed up Stewart would probably shoot both of them. That was crazy. Then she got worried. What if Molly was trying to get a hold of her? She had opened her phone so quickly that she hadn't noticed if there were any missed calls. There were no phone messages but Molly rarely left a message. Cassidy couldn't call her because she was sure Stewart would hear her voice. She decided that she would send her a text message.

Molly – out with Ryan, tell you about it later, C

Cassidy looked at the message and sent it. She then turned off her cell phone just in case she tried to call.

***

The moment that the washroom door was shut Ryan spoke.

"Give me your cell phone and I'll call Chief White. Let me talk to him and reason with him. Last night he refused to change his mind but I'm going to have to tell him about this little arrangement you have."

"If you tell him where we are I'll shoot both of you."

Ryan took a deep breath and made the phone call. He was one of only a few officers that knew Chief White's personal cell phone number. It was used only for emergencies and he knew that there was a long procedure list that needed to be followed at the station before he was called. Ryan was bypassing all of the official rules and regulations and going straight to the Chief.

The phone rang twice and on the third ring, Ryan heard the garbled voice of Chief White.

"Chief White it's Ryan Gates. Listen very carefully to what I'm about to tell you. You need to tell the media about who really set the banquet hall on fire. Stewart Jones has my girlfriend and I hostage. Neither one of us is hurt but he will hurt us if his name isn't cleared. No, I'm not telling you where we are. I don't care about the deal you made."

Ryan looked at Stewart. The room was so quiet that he was sure he could hear what Chief White was saying. He knew he only had another minute or so otherwise, they'd track the call. Ryan had always been amazed at the technology available to track down individuals. He knew that even with cell phones it was possible to track down the location. Each cell phone call corresponds to the nearest cell phone tower. From there, the location using a GPS would give a specific place that the phone call was being made from. Ryan knew that Chief White was probably trying to hold him on the line so that the phone call could be tracked but he hung up before it was complete.

"Why the fuck did you hang up?" Stewart was now pointing the gun at Ryan.

"If I stayed on any longer he could trace the call. You should know that. Didn't you take the same course as me?" Ryan's voice hinted at sarcasm but Stewart didn't take it that way. Instead of responding, he dropped the gun and lunged for Ryan. Soon the two men were on the floor fighting. It was an even fight as what Ryan gained in youthfulness and strength; Stewart gained in being taller and more muscular. Punches were thrown and neither man thought to remember that Cassidy was in the washroom, shielded from the rampage.

Cassidy opened the bathroom door and gasped. She saw the silver gun on the floor and instinctively picked it up. She knew to hold the gun away from her but first had it pointed at the two men then realized she could accidentally shoot Ryan so instead pointed it in the air.

"Stop it." Cassidy screamed out in desperation. She didn't want Ryan to get hurt but was happy that she at least had Stewart's gun.

"Run Cassidy." Ryan was not even looking at Cassidy when he said that. He had Stewart pinned to the ground and wished at that moment that he still had the handcuffs he used to carry around. He glanced up and saw Cassidy still in place.

"I'm not leaving you. I have his gun." Cassidy had opened the office door and was standing halfway in and out of the hallway and office. She glanced and rushed to hit the button for the elevator and then rushed back to the open door. The two men were still struggling.

"Stop being so fucking stupid. Go! I'm a cop I can deal with that." Ryan regretted the words the moment they came out of his mouth. He looked up and saw Cassidy's face change from fear to disappointment. She dropped the gun on the ground and rushed to the elevator.

Ryan was being pulled in too many directions now and it was so confusing he couldn't think. He wanted to run after Cassidy and tell her he was sorry. He also wanted to run after her and tell her not to leave. Stewart was unstable and he wasn't sure that he wouldn't still go after her. He needed to keep Stewart here until the police arrived but unless he called 911, the police could do nothing. He didn't even trust the Chief to actually call dispatch to report the kidnapping. He held Stewart down and waited until the elevator doors closed and the ding of the elevator was a distant memory. Then he let go of him.

"She didn't do anything wrong. You hate me. You want me dead. You have always hated me ever since I had to check up on you. You think I like checking up on a fellow police officer? You think I like the dirty looks and stares that I got from all your buddies? I was a brand new officer and had to reprimand someone with twenty years experience. How the hell do you think it made me feel?"

Ryan was angry and upset. He let go of Stewart and waited to see what he would do. Stewart got up and wiped the blood that was oozing from his lower lip. One of Ryan's punches had cut his tooth through his lip and he stumbled a bit, dizzy from the hits to his head. Ryan got up and leaned against his desk. If Stewart wanted to take off and chase Cassidy, this was the perfect opportunity. He waited.

"Call the media."

Ryan looked at Stewart. He was looking desperate, worried, and scared. He was slowly losing the battle he wanted to win. Ryan could easily call 911 now and have him arrested for kidnapping. He was without a gun and was looking completely defeated.

"I can't do that Stewart. They won't believe me anyway. I'm not a police officer any more. I can't make the Chief make a statement."

Just then, Stewart gasped for breath, clutched his chest and collapsed on the ground.

***

Cassidy got into the elevator and hit the button for the ground floor about a hundred times. The moment it lurched downward, she started to calm down. Her world was crashing down and she needed to get some air. She had been kidnapped for a whole day almost. She had been kidnapped for a whole day by a crazy ex cop who had a grudge against the police. She had left Ryan alone with the crazy guy. What was she thinking?

Cassidy frantically began to hit the button for the floor that Ryan was on. She needed to get back up. She stamped her foot as the elevator first went down to the first floor and then after the doors opened, it lurched back up. For Cassidy it seemed to be an eternity but finally the elevator went back up and she rushed out. She was frantic. She was not acting in any reasonable manner but she didn't care. She loved Ryan. There! She had said it. It was a startling revelation and she was desperate to tell that to him to his face.

She barged into his office and gasped. The scene was so startling to her that she couldn't breath. Stewart was lying flat on his back looking pasty white and still. She had never seen someone dead that wasn't in a coffin but she was sure that he was dead. His eyes were wide open but he wasn't blinking. She couldn't move her eyes from the fact that Stewart was dead, on the ground of Ryan's office. When she finally moved her glance, she noticed that Ryan was leaning over him doing C.P.R. He was counting aloud and after getting to thirty compressions he plugged Stewart's nose and then breathed into his mouth twice. Before Cassidy had a chance to say anything, she heard Ryan speak out.

"Get on my cell phone and talk to the dispatcher." Ryan then started another set of compressions and Cassidy just stood there. She had no idea what he was talking about until she noticed that his phone was on the ground. She picked it up.

"Hello?"

"The ambulance is on its way. Continue with compressions and breaths at a rate of thirty to two. Please do not hang up the phone."

"O.K." Cassidy's voice was scared. She held the phone and watched as Ryan did the most selfless act anyone could ever do. He was trying to save the life of a crazy man who at one point had threatened to kill both him and Cassidy. Everything was a blur. Ryan continued, not even paying attention to Cassidy. He was breathing hard and Cassidy then realized that doing this was very tiring. She had been taught C.P.R. and had actually taught it to many students while working as a lifeguard and swimming instructor in high school. She had never done it for real and felt so useless at this moment.

A flash of movement caught her eye and she heard the dispatcher talking again.

"Ma'am. The paramedics have arrived. You can hang up now."

"O.K." Cassidy hung up the phone and slipped it into her pocket. She stepped back away from the movement and watched as the paramedics moved quickly and began resuscitation. Ryan moved to the other side of the room and still was not looking at Cassidy. Cassidy wanted to reach out and hug him but for the first time he had a look that told her he needed to be alone. He needed his space and she wasn't going to force herself upon him. The room was silent except for the paramedics communicating. Cassidy wasn't paying attention to what was being said. She was watching Ryan.

The police arrived and soon Ryan was chatting with them, telling them what happened. The paramedics placed Stewart on a stretcher and while still doing compressions, rushed him out of the office and into the elevator. Ryan followed closely. He turned around and said to Cassidy,

"Are you coming?"

Cassidy nodded and rushed over to Ryan's side. The elevator only fit the stretcher and both paramedics so the police officer, Ryan, and Cassidy waited. The other police officer was still in the office.

"I know this is thoughtless and rude but I can't fucking believe you'd try to save that jackass." Cassidy couldn't help but grin as Ryan just shrugged his shoulders. The elevator arrived a lot faster then it did when Cassidy needed to go back upstairs quickly. The three of them entered the elevator and the ride down was quiet. Ryan and Cassidy stood next to each other but they didn't touch. Once out into the lobby Ryan took charge.

"John is already upstairs securing the crime scene. Jack, get in the cab with Stewart. If possible, handcuff him to the stretcher. I'll take your cruiser and follow you to the hospital." Everyone nodded and moved quickly. Cassidy felt a tug on her hand and she was being pulled into the police car. She got into the passenger seat and barely had time to put her seat belt on before Ryan drove off. The drive to the hospital was quick. Fort Erie wasn't a very big town and the community hospital was right in the middle. Before she knew it, they were pulled into the emergency vehicles parking lot outside the emergency room. All she could do was follow Ryan as he rushed to the ambulance. He watched as Stewart was rushed into the hospital and right into a room filled with waiting doctors and nurses.

Jack followed but Ryan didn't. He walked down the hall and into a room marked 'Emergency Personnel only".

"What's this?"

"When police officers are involved in a situation where a person in custody is injured we come in here until we hear news from the physician on duty. Jack is there to make sure that Stewart doesn't escape. The chief will be in soon to investigate. He'll want to question you and me as well. We might as well stay somewhere comfortable."

Cassidy then noticed that there were two orange colored chairs along with a table and two more chairs, black with worn seats. The room was brightly lit with the fluorescent lights that were normal to most hospitals. She went in and sat down. Ryan sat down on another chair. Ryan was the first to speak.

"Why did you come back? I was a jerk."

"Why did you try to save him?"

"Because."

"That's not an answer Ryan."

"It's instinct. I've known first aid ever since I was a lifeguard ten years ago. I never had to do anything when I was lifeguarding but since becoming a police officer, I've had to do a few resuscitations. I go into a zone where I forget what the person did or tried to do. I only think about one thing and that is he or she doesn't deserve to die at that time and place. If he dies with the paramedics or on the operating table I know that at least I tried. As well, considering I want to make sure he lives to be charged with kidnapping you, I would rather he survives." Cassidy was so caught up in finding out what had happened she had missed the subtle hint that Ryan had mentioned.

"Oh. What happened to him? I didn't see any blood. You didn't shoot him?"

"He had a heart attack. Did you see him breathing hard and not being able to sit down. He was showing all the typical signs of a heart attack since I first saw him in my office. I didn't want to say anything because he was in denial and it would have just freaked him out even more."

"So what happens now?" Cassidy had turned to face Ryan and their knees were touching gently.

"We wait to see if he survives. If he doesn't the Chief will take a statement from both of us and then we'll go home. Unless his family makes an appeal, the case will be closed. If he survives then he will be charged with kidnapping and probably sent to prison for a short period. Judges don't let criminals off easy when it comes to police officers. We'll still be questioned and might need to testify. One thing that will not be mentioned is the reason why he kidnapped you. They will ignore the fact that the police department is hiding something."

"What are they hiding?" Cassidy was leaning even closer and hadn't even noticed that Ryan was holding her hand gently, stroking her thumb and wrist. It felt so calming and relaxing. "I can't tell you. I'm glad you came back." Ryan was smiling his goofy smile and Cassidy leaned over and brushed her lips gently across his lips. Ryan moaned and suddenly turned aggressive. He yanked her by the hips and placed her on his lap. His tongue licked against her lips before sliding gently in her mouth. Their lips were not touching and Cassidy moaned as she moved her tongue to lick his. It was such a sensual feeling that she was so overcome by emotion that she didn't even notice that his hands were pulling her back and forth on his lap. She did notice when he stopped kissing her. He moved his lips to her chin and began nibbling gently from the center of her chin towards her left earlobe. Once there he sucked on it gently. Cassidy moaned again. She was trying to concentrate on all the feelings going through her body but every time she pinpointed one sensation, he would change his method of seduction. He ran his hands over her round butt and squeezed her butt cheeks gently. Cassidy arched her back.

"I love you. I don't care if you say it back. I don't care if you don't love me but I love you. I love you Cassidy Caldwell and I can't help it." Ryan whispered those words against her lips as he looked deeply into her eyes. Her eyes were such a rich color of brown he could get lost in them for days. She nodded. She wanted to say it back but it was too hard for her to verbalize her emotions.

"I know. I do too."

Ryan smiled. "That's enough for me right now. I can deal with that. Do you think you'll ever say it aloud?"

Cassidy nodded.

"Good. So wanna make out?" Ryan laughed then kissed her hard.

***

It was almost two hours later before the chief came to talk to Ryan and Cassidy. It was almost like time stood still as the two lovers made out like teenagers. Neither one of them pushed the limit for each other. It was like they had been together forever and knew exactly what the other wanted. Ryan knew exactly the spot on Cassidy's neck that made her whimper and Cassidy knew that biting his bottom lip caused his hips to thrust forward. They took breaks where they just cuddled close either looking into each other's eyes or where Cassidy would rest her head on Ryan's chest, hearing his heart beating.