Chapter Text
“Jay!”
He turns to see Trudy Platt walking toward him across the parking lot.
“What’s up, Sarge?”
“You did good with that kid earlier today.” she says, offering him a rare smile. “I don’t know that anyone else could have gotten her to open up.”
“She just needed someone who was willing to listen.” Jay says, frowning. “Anyone on the team could have done it.”
“No.” she says, shaking her head. “I don’t think that’s true.”
He freezes, going pale.
“It’s just a nosy old coot’s theory.” she says gently. “And you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. I just wanted you to know that I’m here if you need to talk.”
He’s quiet and for a minute she thinks he’s going to shut her down entirely.
“Thanks Sarge.” he says quietly. “I uh… It’s not something I’ve ever talked about. Not sure I’d even know where to start.”
“The beginning is always a good place.” she says, putting a hand on his shoulder. “When you’re ready.”
“I appreciate that.” he says.
“Alright.” she says, chuckling. “Get out of here.”
“Right away.” he agrees, turning back toward his truck and reaching into his pocket for his keys.
A scream draws his attention toward the road. A man is dragging a young girl off the sidewalk and into a gray panel van.
“Hey!” he shouts, breaking into a sprint. “Let her go.”
He can hear Trudy running just behind him but he keeps his attention on the man. He’s stopped short of actually pulling the girl into the back of the van and Jay’s brain clocks that.
Shouldn’t he be trying to get away before they can reach him?
As he crosses the edge of the neighboring building and steps onto the sidewalk another man steps forward, pointing a gun directly at him.
“Drop your weapon, Detective.”
He slows to a stop.
“Let the girl go.” he orders.
“Put your weapon down or I’ll kill her.” the man orders. “Take some pot shots at you and the bitch too.”
“You too, crazy bitch.” the man with his arm around the little girl adds.
With half a glance back at Trudy, Jay clears his weapon and crouches down to place it on the ground. He can hear her doing the same.
“Get in the van.” the second man orders. “Both of you.”
Jay raises an eyebrow but one glance at the little girl, still shaking and crying, is enough for him to step forward, stepping up into the back of the van.
Once Trudy is sitting next to him, the first man releases the little girl and whirls on them. Before either of them can react, he fires twice, a tranquilizer dart piercing each of their necks.
Jay’s last thought as he loses consciousness is that this was planned and that they are in deep trouble.
He wakes up in a heap on the floor.
Looking around the dark room, he makes out Trudy sitting in a chair ten feet in front of him.
Her wrists are secured to the arms of the chair and duct tape is plastered over her mouth.
He continues scanning the room but aside from the fact that the shackles on his wrists are attached to a chain that trails up to the ceiling there isn’t anything else to see.
“No good deed goes unpunished huh?” he jokes.
Trudy just rolls her eyes.
The door behind her opens.
“You’re awake.” the man, no longer wearing a ski mask, says looking between the two of them.
He’s got light skin and dark hair, bright blue eyes fixing on Jay for only a moment before turning his attention to Trudy.
“I suppose you are wondering what this is about.” he says.
“Yeah.” Jay pipes up. “I’m certainly curious.”
The man whirls around and slams his booted foot into Jay’s stomach.
“Shut up, dumbass.” he snaps. “This is between me and Platt. You just got lucky being in the right place at the right time.”
Jay rolls his eyes but stays quiet. The man turns back to Trudy.
“You sent my son to prison.” he growls. “I’ve spent the last ten years watching him suffer all the indignities that come along with that. And then last week he was killed. Beaten to death by another inmate.”
Jay’s stomach flips.
“Look man-” he starts but all it gets him is another kick to the stomach.
Then the chain is retracting, dragging him up off the floor. It continues until only the tips of his toes are touching the floor.
Trudy twists her wrists against the ropes securing them, angry noises coming from behind the gag.
“Now you get to watch someone you care about suffering.” the man tells Trudy. “You look away, this only gets worse for him.”
Her continued protests are ignored as the man approaches Jay, sliding a set of brass knuckles onto his hands.
Jay holds his gaze right up until the moment that the fist slams into his stomach. The fists keep coming and he tries to curl forward even as the ropes keep him upright.
He can hear Trudy’s muffled screams and wishes he could find the breath to reassure her, to tell her that he’s okay, that he’s taken worse beatings than this.
But every blow forces the air from his lungs.
After dozens of strikes, some of them drifting up to impact his ribs, the man finally falls back.
He fights to lift his head from his chest, searching out Trudy’s face.
Tears are streaming down her cheeks and he forces a smile.
“‘M’okay.” he gasps. “‘S’okay.”
She shakes her head.
The man laughs coldly.
“Trying to comfort the bitch?” he says. “I really did pick the right guy to hurt, huh?”
He turns back to Trudy, leaning down to get in her face.
“It’s going to gut you when I kill him, isn’t it?” he tells her. “When you watch him die right in front of you.”
“Not yer fault.” Jay says. “‘s’an ass.”
The next punch rips a choked groan from his throat.
“Feel closer t’yer son that way.” Jay says. “In pris’n jus’ likim.”
“You little bastard.” the man snarls, landing the next punch square in the center of Jay’s face.
And then it’s lights out.