Una Nuova Famiglia Ch. 04

Raegan nodded, she knew that was true. If only she had some control over weather or not she could eat or sleep. If only she had some control over the nightmares that typically plagued her when she did try to sleep.

*

She did manage to sleep for a few hours later on, until she heard a soft, unfamiliar tap on her door. Probably a member of the cleaning staff, she rationalized when she didn't recognize the pattern of the knock. She called for the person to enter and stood from the bed, donning a robe. Indeed, it was a rather young looking Hispanic woman, dressed in the hotel's uniform, pushing a vacuum cleaner into the room.

"I'll just wait in the common room," Raegan informed her.

"That won't be necessary, Ms. Vincent."

Raegan paused, looking at the woman more closely.

"Do I know you?"

The woman reached into one of the pockets on the uniform and removed a leather ID case. Raegan knew what it contained before she flipped it open, so the FBI ID did not surprise her.

"God, you people are relentless. I've told Agent Jacobs before I have nothing to say to you."

"I need you to come with me, Ms. Vincent."

She sighed, "can I put some clothes on or do you plan to interrogate me half dressed?"

The woman stepped out of the room and Raegan quickly pulled on jeans and a tee shirt. She'd been wondering how the woman got passed Ronnie and Mel, but didn't have to wonder long. When she stepped from her room, the two gentle giants were lying on the thick carpet, unconscious. Raegan glanced over at the woman.

"A mild sedative, they'll be up in about two hours."

Raegan nodded, preceding the woman out of suite. She thought they would descend to the parking garage once on the elevator, but the woman pressed the button for the 22^nd floor instead. Once the elevator doors opened, Raegan followed the woman down the corridor, ignoring the twists and turns. They stopped before a door and the woman used a pass key to enter. Raegan was not at all surprised at the photos all over the room, of her and Ronnie in the lobby, her and Mel in an empty pool, her and Ronnie in the exercise room. Photos of them in Barbados and Bermuda. Photos of Shane, with her, in Bermuda. She shook her head, the FBI had been busy.

When one of the bedroom doors opened, she should not have been surprised to see the pale blue eyes of Agent Jacobs. She shook her head, amazed she was no longer intimidated by this man.

"You just don't take no for an answer, do you?"

His smile was tight, "the stakes have changed. You're being used as bait. Did you know that? I thought you might at least listen."

She sighed and dropped into a pretty comfortable chair. She found it amazing that they could know so much and so little at the same time. They were assuming Shane had not discussed it with her, that Shane had lured her back to the states to entice Karin without telling her. They were watching Shane through windows, but they would never know who she really was.

They offered her food and something to drink, she declined. And then she sat, rather amused at their routine, as they tried to convince her to betray her fiancée.

*

It was well past midnight when they finally gave her a break. She hadn't eaten and her eyes were burning with the need for sleep. And so she slept, until she heard a knock on the bedroom door at five AM. She sighed, showered, changed into some of the clothes they'd taken from her hotel room, and rejoined the agents in the common area. She nibbled on a bagel and sipped at a cup of wonderfully rich coffee as they started up their routine again.

She wasn't surprised when someone tapped on the hotel door a few hours later, but she was quite shocked to see who followed the agent inside. She smiled and shook her head, she should have known. Still, she stood and hugged him tightly, having missed him terribly.

"I was so worried about you when I heard Shane had been shot." Reese scolded gently.

She nodded, sorry she hadn't called him. But she couldn't. All of her energy had been focused on Shane. Not to mention, she simply didn't know if the FBI had tapped his phone.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't call. How are you? How are the students?"

They chatted about mundane topics, oddly enough, while four agents sat around listening. She asked about Billy, asked if he had spoken to her mother or sister…and when they ran out of things to catch up on, at least in the company of the FBI, she reached over to stroke his cheek.

"So, what did they tell you this time?"

"That you were in trouble and maybe I could help. They only want to help Shane, Reg, before she does something she'll regret."

Raegan chuckled, either the FBI was very good at their job or her friend was incredibly stupid.

"Reese, I appreciate the offer, but I don't know where she is, as I've told them a million times."

She was annoyed that she was telling the truth. She hadn't seen Shane since she arrived in the States. Other than a tip Shane was following and a very quick phone call, she had no clue where Shane was or what she was up to.

"Reg, let them help you. Let them help you get out of this mess."

She raised a brow. For a moment, she thought he was laying it on so thick he might actually have a clue. She watched him glance at his watch, look at her, wink, and then pull her down to the floor. The explosion that knocked the door off the hinges was loud enough to affect her hearing for a few moments. She heard shouting, she heard gun shots, she wondered what the fuck was going on. She glanced over at Reese who smiled at her, anxious to fill her in.

"I wanted to help this time, so when she called me right before they did, I told her I would let her know what room they were holding you in. All I had to do was text her from the phone she gave me—"

Raegan felt a tremor of fear pass through her. She reached out to grab his arm, digging her nails into his flesh.

"Ow Reg!"

"Who Reese? Who called you?"

"That woman that works for Shane."

She only had a moment for the information to register before they were hauled unceremoniously to their feet and rushed from the hotel room. Raegan looked at the men dragging them toward the stairs, she didn't recognize any of them. They were practically dragged down flights of stairs, directly into the parking garage. Once there, they piled them into a waiting car. Raegan's heart was beating a mile a minute. God, it was happening just like Shane had predicted…and feared. The window was heavily tinted and she could see nothing she recognized as the car sped away from the grand hotel. She sighed, closed her eyes, and prayed.

They drove for over an hour. After filling him in, Reese's face looked ashen, his beautiful hazel eyes wide and absolutely terrified. She tried to assure him that everything would be okay, that Shane would find them, but the promise sounded hollow even to her ears. The truth was, Karin had no need for Reese anymore…and there was no reason to let him live. Raegan didn't tell him that, of course, but she clung to his hand, wondering if there was even a remote chance Karin would simply let him walk away.

When the car finally stopped, she squeezed his hand, offering one more silent prayer to whatever deity was listening, and waited for the car door to open. She didn't have long to wait. As soon as they were hauled from the car, and she saw Karin standing there, she knew. Karin approached them, her eyes never leaving Raegan's. She placed a gun to Reese's temple and pulled the trigger. She didn't flinch when bloodied chunks of matter slapped against her face, knowing that Karin would want that. Still, she could feel her heart break into a million tiny pieces. She closed her eyes for a moment, breathing in deeply, trying to remain in control of her feelings. It was something she would never have been able to do months ago. Months ago she would have fallen apart. Now, she was Shane Miller's partner and she would not fall apart. She would not.

Karin grabbed a handful of her hair and she tripped over the body lying at her feet as she was pulled toward a building she'd hardly noticed. It looked to be an abandoned school. Once inside, she realized she was right. There were children's drawings on the walls and other decorations that let her know it was an elementary school. There were no lights and the building was damp and chilly. She winced silently as Karin continued to lead her around by her hair, stumbling down a flight of stairs until they came to a set of double doors. Karin pulled her inside and she only had a moment to recognize the gymnasium before she saw the quick movement of Karin's hand and a blinding pain forced her to her knees. Then there was black.

*

Her head was killing her, throbbing so intensely it was blinding her. There were no windows in the gym and only the eerie red glow of a few exit signs provided any light. She tried to swallow the grief she felt for Reese…she couldn't waste time on thoughts like that now, she had to think. Karin would use her to lure Shane to the school and then she would kill her. She couldn't let that happen. She'd caused Shane enough trouble.

*

Shane watched Ronnie pace. It was the first time she'd seen the woman actually demonstrate any real concern for another human being besides herself. She understood her friend's frustration. Could they have been any more idiotic? She shook her head, no sense dwelling on that now. Ronnie passed in front of her for the hundredth time and she reached out to grab her friend's arm.

"Sit the fuck down, you're driving me nuts."

Ronnie pulled away from her, ignoring the request.

"You said this would happen."

"I groomed her Ron, I know how she thinks."

That information didn't seem to calm Ronnie at all.

"What now?"

"She contacts me, I meet her, she does us both. Reagan first."

Ronnie watched the woman closely. They had been through so much together that she could see the tension beneath the seemingly relaxed posture. She shook her head.

"So what do we do now?"

"Chino is looking for her. We wait."

Ronnie nodded and resumed her pacing.

*

She'd checked every possible exit in the large, dark space before sighing with frustration and sitting against a wall. Escape was not an option. And as soon as Shane arrived, Karin would kill them both. She shook her head and closed her eyes, images of Reese's smile dancing behind her close lids. She was fucked. They were both fucked.

The sound of a door unlocking only made her more anxious. Two figures entered the gymnasium as the overhead lights blinded her. She blinked, not recognizing either of them. Two men, one black the other Hispanic. They were tall, brawny...intimidating. She took a deep breath and scrambled to her feet as they approached.

They didn't hesitate. One grabbed her upper arm in a brutal grip, the other ripped open the front of her button down shirt. She was stunned for a moment and then terror reached inside and grabbed her. No. It only took her another second before she started struggling wildly. No. The word kept repeating in her mind and probably escaped from between her lips a few times. No. No. No!

She managed to scratch the Hispanic male, but that only resulted in a blow to her face that stunned her into stillness for a moment. She felt hands grabbing at her jeans, pulling them from her. No. She fought again, trying to wiggle free from them, desperately trying to keep her clothes on. Please, God, no!

She'd just heard from Chino when the call came in. An address and a time, that was it. Shane glanced at her watch and then over at her friend.

"You don't have to do this."

Ronnie smirked, "yea, right."

The two women chuckled but then took a moment to hug each other fiercely before leaving the hotel room.

*

She had no idea how much time had passed. It seemed like days although she was certain it was only a few hours. They'd left her cold. Cold from the inside out. The lights had been extinguished again and she lay in the dark, on the wooden floor, naked, battered, bruised and…cold. Freezing cold. The sounds of her screams, pleas and cries still bounced off the walls, or so it seemed. Every part of her hurt, but especially below her waist, where they had forced themselves into her most private space…raping and sodomizing her. She had stopped crying some time ago…there were no more tears. She missed Reese. She missed the comfort of her own bed. She missed her students. And she missed Shane.

She couldn't stop herself from shivering. She was so cold. And yet she knew she had to think. Shane would come for her. There was no question about it. And if she didn't think of something, Shane would die. She licked her dry lips…God, how had it come to this? She was a boring middle school teacher. How was this possible? She shook her head…what purpose would it serve to think about that now? She'd made her choices, and those choices had gotten her best friend killed. Sheesh, what was he thinking double-crossing the FBI? Had he lost his—

It was in that moment that she realized it. The FBI…they would have bugged him. And knowing Reese, he would not have thought to look for it. Would Karin? Would she have had time? Probably not. So…somewhere on his body, there was a device that would lead the FBI here. And Shane had connections, didn't she? Maybe…just maybe. Maybe they would not die tonight after all. It was the first ray of hope she'd had in quite some time.

*

Shane looked over the building for another moment, shaking her head. Karin was good if nothing else. The school was like a fortress, as most inner-city schools were today. Gated windows, easily monitored entrances, brick and stone. She looked at Ronnie one last time before the huge woman slapped her on the back and then disappeared. From here on she was alone. And her actions would determine if she and Reagan would ever leave this building alive. She shook off the feelings of anxiety and made her way toward the building.

The noise startled her and she could feel her body tense. Had those men returned? It took her another few minutes to realize it was not the sound of the doors opening, but a different sound. She waited in the dark silence until she could figure out what was going on. Above her. The noise was coming from above her. She heard the cover of the vent being removed just as she figured out what was going on. Then the noise of bodies jumping and landing on the gym's wooden floor. She had no idea if these were FBI agents or people working for Shane. She was just relieved those men had not returned. They were at her side a moment later, and their thick Spanish accents answered the question for her. Chino's guys. Shane had found her. Someone stripped off his jacket and handed it to her. Then she was being pulled toward a wall and hoisted up toward what she could only assume was the vent. She ignored the hands on her naked thighs and buttocks, trying to quash the feeling of fear and revulsion those hands triggered. Once inside, she saw two other figures with flash lights waiting at the end of the filthy tunnel. She followed them without hesitation.

They led her to the principal's office and Shane was not surprised to see Karin sitting behind the oversized desk in an old, tattered desk chair. The building was dark and dank and Shane shook her head as she looked around the office.

"You're a dead woman."

The words pissed Karin off and Shane smirked at the expected signs of anger. Even when she was in control, she was as predictable as ever. It was one of the reasons Shane had never put her on the short list to take over.

"You know what I had them do to her? They fucked her brains out. Her pussy, her ass…they took them all. Here, this is for you."

She had to admit she was taken aback at the sound of Reagan's voice, begging, pleading, screaming for mercy. She hadn't anticipated Karin going there. She swallowed down the rage threatening to overtake her and simply raised a brow. She had to stall for a few more minutes, until she was certain Reagan was safe.

"If you wanted to piss me off, you've succeeded. What now Karin?"

"I want what I helped you build. I want what's mine. You were going to give it to her, weren't you? That soft, pathetic bitch you fell for. Fuck Shane, what the hell happened to you? I idolized you. And then you threw it all away for some stupid whore?"

"Karin, I wouldn't have turned shit over to you anyway. You're weak. You're stupid. You always have been. You follow orders, that's what you do. Don't blame her."

Just as she expected, the words had Karin out of the chair and storming toward her, gun in hand. Even with the two men in the room standing watch, it took her only a second to react. She reached for the gun at the same time that she delivered what she knew to be a stinging blow to Karin's face, knocking the woman down to the well worn carpet. Shane grabbed the gun and shot the first man approaching in the chest, the second in the head. Both were down when she turned the gun on Karin. She knelt so that her face was only inches from Karin's, grabbing a handful of her hair to jerk her head back.

"I should turn you over to the FBI and let you rot in prison. I would have you raped and beaten every day, every single fucking day. But you know too much, don't you Karin? Don't you?"

She didn't let her answer, emptying the entire clip before she let the slumped body fall to the floor. She wiped the gun and tossed it beside Karin before turning to leave the office.

*

Shane held her. Held her as they made their way to another hotel and checked in. Let her go long enough to shower and bundle her into a huge, soft robe, and then held her again as they lay in bed together. She just held her. Reagan knew she was worried. Worried that she hadn't said a word, that she wasn't crying…but Reagan had nothing left. Her best friend was dead, her body had been horribly violated, she'd almost been killed, along with Ronnie and Shane…she was numb. It was probably shock and would wear off after a while, but for now all she needed was the strength of Shane's arms around her.

They remained that way as the sun rose. Ronnie checked in, bringing them breakfast. She'd had the pleasure of killing the bastards that had raped Reagan, but she knew it would not guarantee Reagan's recovery. She said nothing when she saw them, clinging to one another, on the huge, plush bed. Neither moved as she set the tray on the dresser, no one said a word. She caught Shane's eye and her friend simply nodded. Ronnie turned and left.

They didn't move right away, but it didn't take long for the smell of bacon and pancakes to trigger rumbling in Reagan's stomach. And so Shane left her, long enough to fix her a plate and pour her a cup of hot tea. She watched Reagan eat, not interested in the food herself. And when Reagan had eaten enough to still some of Shane's worry, Shane removed the dishes and pulled Reagan to her again.

"I'm okay." Reagan assured her, snuggled up by her side. Her voice was throaty and relatively weak, but she knew Shane would hear the strength beneath that.

Shane sat back, looking deep into Reagan's dark eyes. Reagan worried that the intense hazel-green seemed…opaque and closed to her. She worried what Shane was thinking. Shane watched her for a moment longer before speaking.

"I'm sorry about Reese. We had people watching your mother and sister, so they're safe."

Reagan nodded, embarrassed that she hadn't even been worried about them. And Reese? Reese…her dear friend. That would take time. A lot of time.