| Part Nineteen Previously: Roy and Johnny was beat up by Knuckles, Authors notes: none Content Warning *******I In the early hours, Stanley walked through the bay. Swallowing a rugged breath he starred at the squad. It looked so lonely and empty. Allowing a tear to fall he prayed for his friends safe return. " Capt." Marco asked walking up th his Captain, he could see the worry set in his face " Yeah, what the hell are you guys doing up at this hour." Stanley asked looking at his watch and seeing that it was nearly 2:30 " We couldn't sleep either. Hey why don't you join us Chet made a pot of coffee." Marco said " Okay, I'll be in in a minute." Stanley accepted " Okay." Marco concluded walking towards the doorway. " Hey Cap." he started turning around to look at his Captain." Don't worry Gage and DeSoto are fine." " God how I want to believe that Marco." ............. Mike sat at the table starring down at his coffee. He could not shake the feeling that it was his fault. He knew that he was the one that sent them on the run that morning. Somehow Marco senced what Mike was thinking by the distant look on his face." Hey buddy it's not your fault you were doing your job, Anyone of us would've done the same thing if we answered the phone. How could you have known?" Marco soothed " You know Marco's right, I've sent you guys into burning buildings that could've killed any one of you. Who would have thought a simple phone call could've." Stanley stopped " Hey guys, they're playing Friday 13th on the late show, why don't we watch some TV and get our minds off things for a while." Chet said trying to cover up his feelings especially after the last prank the Phantom played on Johnny. The guys gathered around the TV trying to escape but it was no use. It just wasn't the same without Roy and Johnny. They felt a big part of them was missing as the thoughts of their friends still lingered. Johnny wasn't there to be hassled by Chet and Roy wasn't there to tell Chet to knock it off and go easy on Johnny. ................ Opening his eyes, Roy was surrounded by darkness. Am I dead? he wondered feeling his head throb with pain. As he looked around he could see shadows of what looked like cars parked off in a distance. Bringing them into focus he saw that one of the cars was his and parked next to it was the Captain's pick up. It was then he realized that he was in the back parking lot at the station. He couldn't remember how he got there, and the memories of what happened were all jumbled up inside his head. As he sat up he continued to take in his surroundings. looking down he noticed Johnny's body laying next to him." Hey Johnny wake up we're home." Roy whispered shaking his partner. Without a responce he turned Johnny on his back. He could see that Johnny was badly beaten and in desperate need of help. Taking every bit of energy he had, Roy got to his feet and staggered towards the station. only to fall into the row of trash cans causing a huge racket. .......... " What the hell was that?" Chet asked in a gasp being freaked out by the loud noise coming from outside. " Why don't you be a Pal and go check it out it's probably Boot." Captain said trying to collect himself after the shock Finally Chet got up the nerve to go search for the noice, Walking out back he noticed Roy struggling to get to his feet." CAP, COME QUICK IT'S ROY, HE' S HURT." Chet announced rushing over to Roy Stanley and his crew ran out back stopping short seeing Chet helping Roy to his feet." Thank God,Roy." Captain said running to Roy." What happened? Where's Gage?" Stanley wanted to know " He's over there he's hurt real bad Cap." Roy said struggleing to speak " Stoker call it into dispatch, Marco turn on the spot lights." Captain ordered Knealing down next to Johnny, Stanley let out a gasp seeing that Johnny was serverely beaten. Seeing that Johnny was coming to." Gage what happened?" He asked as squad 16 rolled to a stop followed by the ambulance " Cap, it's Nicci........Nicci....she's." Johnny managed before drifting out. ............ Watching as Roy entered the lounge Stanley walked up to him." Are you okay Pal." He asked seeing the white bandage covering a portion of his forehead. " I'm okay I just have a slight concussion." Roy said sinking down in a chair. Seeing the fear in Roy's blackened eyes Captain sat down next to him." How's gage." He asked " Oh Cap it doesn't look good, Brackett's examining him now." Roy said with his tears falling. " I'll go call Nicci. I'm sure she would want to know." Mike said walking over to the pay phone With the mention of her name, Roy caved into his tears as the memories haunted him." Oh Nicci." He cried ..........One Hour Later......... " How is he Doc?" Chet asked jumping up from his chair at the first sight of Brackett " He'll be fine at least phyically he's suffered no real injury other then a severe concussion and two broken ribs. However mentally I'm not so sure he's extremely upset. We'll keep him for a couple of days for observation." " Well can we see him Doc?" Roy asked " I don't think that's a good idea Roy, like I said he's extremely upset, we gave him a sedative to calm him. He keeps repeating the name Nicci." Brackett concluded " Roy what happened to Nicci." Stanley asked sinking in a chair, Roy could still hear Nicci's screams. Hanging his head he once again gave into tears unable to answer his Captain's question. ...............The Next Day............ Sencing someone in the room Johnny opened his blackened eyes to see Roy and the rest standing around his bed." Hey partner, how are you doing?" Johnny asked . " Oh I'm fine, and you?" Roy returned the question'' " I'm okay." Johnny said with the look of pain." The police were just here to get my statment." Johnny said " Yeah they stopped by the house to get mine." Roy said taking a seat on the bed Johnny looked at Roy his face littered with cuts and bruises. " Roy have you heard from Nicci?" he asked hopeful " No I haven't." Roy said " Oh Roy, I want to believe she's okay, I love her so much. She's my Half Pint." Johnny trailed off in tears. " I do too, and I told the police everything about what happened. They have an APB out on him right now." Roy said Watching the tears stream down Johnny's face Stanley's heart broke. He knew that it was hard for Johnny to show his emotions. It was obvious to him that something terrible had happened as he watched Johnny loose it in front of him. " Gage, DeSoto it's time to be honest with us." Stanley started" What happened?" For a moment Johnny and Roy looked at each other neither one of them wanted to relive that pain. But they knew they had a right to know. Johnny looked at Stanley then at the rest. " Oh Cap the call we got yesturday morning was set up by Knuckles and his gang " Knuckles, Who's Knuckles?" Captain asked. " Knuckles was Nicci's pimp. He'd been after me since the begining to give her back. I wouldn't Cap, I loved her to much to let her go." Johnny ended with tears " We know it's hard on you both but we're family and we want to help but we can't if you don't tell us." Stanley soothed "Kncukles jumped us yesturday and took us to his hide out. I'm still not sure how we got there. Later on he put a knife up to my throat and forced me to call the station and tell Nicci that if she didn't come he would kill us both." Roy explained in tears " That's why she left the way she did." Chet said " Yeah it was. God I didn't want to do it." Roy confessed. " Why did I do That?" " Roy if you didn't call, he would have killed you. You did it because of your family." Johnny said " Roy you had no choice." " Well what happened to Nicci? is she okay." Stanley asked with great concern " Oh Cap, he took her in the other room and beat her. I wanted to help her but I couldn't he had us both chained up with are arms over our heads so that we couldn't move. Then when he was through he brought her back to the room where we were and that was when he.........." Johnny stopped the memories of her screams rushing to him Seeing that it was to much for his partner, Roy picked up where Johnny left off." He threw her to the ground and forced us to watch while they raped her over and over. When they were done. They.....they.... put a needle in her arm....that's the last thing I remember. The next thing I know we were in the back parking lot at the station." Roy finished in a whisper. Filled with a great sence of loss Stanley looked at his crew. He didn't know what he could say to ease their pain." It's okay, you got to believe she's alright." Stanley soothed trying to believe in his own words." " Cap I wish that it was that simple. but I close my eyes and I can still see him kicking her in the head over and over. I can still see them brutally attack her, God I felt so helpless knowing there wasn't a damn thing I could do but watch them beat her bloody." " Excuse me, he needs his rest and you do to Roy." Dixie said barging in *****The Next Day***** " Hey Junior you ready to go home?" Roy asked bouncing into the room " Yeah I'm ready. But Roy I want to go to the station and say Hi to the guys first." Johnny said hanging his head " Junior, you okay?" Roy asked " Yeah but you know something, I don't want to go home, Nicci was surrpose to move in with me tomorrow." Johnny said " I know and you don't have to go home you can stay with me. Jo and the kids are still in Kansas and you can stay with me as long as you want. I know it's hard on you. I'ts hard on all of us. You know it's kind of funny, When I first saw Nicci, I didn't know what to think and I really couldn't see myself being as close to her as what I am. I guess it's because you and I being like brothers I feel like she's my kid sister." Roy concluded .............. " Hey Pal welcome back." Stanley greeted " Thanks it's good to be back.." Johnny said taking a seat at the table " So how long do you think it's going to be till you come back to work?" Marco asked placing a cup of coffee down on the table in front of Johnny. Just as the door bell rang " I don't know probably at least a week or two." Johnny said. " Gage someone's here to see you." Stanley announced Johnny looked over his shoulder to find Paster Daniels and Mrs. Patterson standing there. " Hi" Johnny said standing up to greet them. " Mr. Gage I am so sorry. I know how much you loved her and I know how much she wanted it." Mrs. Patterson spoke softly With a blank look Johnny looked at Mrs. Patterson then at Paster Daniels. " Wanted what?" He asked unknowingly " Oh no, she never got the chance to tell you, did she? Mrs Patterson whispered " Tell me what." Johnny asked " I took her to the doctors the other morning, She got the test results yesturday and it seems that Nicci was four weeks pregnant." Mrs. Patterson said in a sob With those words Johnny's heart fell into his stomach." Oh no not again." Unable to contain his tears he sat down to cry Feeling his partners loss, Roy sat down next to him putting his arm around his trembleing shoulder." Junior I'm sorry." Roy sympathized. " Oh I'm okay, after all you can't miss what you don't have." Johnny said in a whimper " Is there anything I can do?" Daniels asked soothingly " No I'll be fine. " Johnny said wiping his tears. " Very well then, we'll be getting going but let me express how deeply sorry I am." Daniels concluded getting up to leave with Mrs Patterson at his side " Paster Daniels wait, there is one thing you can do for me, Pray for her please." Johnny said looking up with fresh tears streaking down his cheeks." TBC |