Universe: ATF
Main Characters: Buck, Ezra, Chris
Disclaimer: Don't own them but wish I did. Not making money off of this, wish I could.
Warning: Rated R contains sexual situations and rape scene If you are under 18 years of age, please do not read any further!
Thanks to all those who wrote in this universe before me, especially Sue Kelley. I hope I didn't step on any toes. Thank you Mog for this playpen. Marla and Katy, you've been great, thanks for the encouragement! Comments are appreciated but I barely got up the nerve to submit this one so please, no flames.
Ezra sat on the deck that extended the entire length of the house on the second floor. It was above the large enclosed porch that held an eight person hot tub, wet bar, and fireplace/barbeque. With its plush furniture, it was the perfect entertainment center. Tonight, though, Ezra wanted to sit under the stars. He was huddled in a blanket and staring at the plethora of stars that shone above him. He remembered being absolutely amazed at the number of stars in the heavens as a young man. Chester had shown him several of the constellations and he had felt closer to Chester than he had any other man up to that time. He had enjoyed his time in these mountains and in this house. It had been his favorite refuge from the world of Maude.
Tonight, though, he barely saw the stars. The crisp air did not invigorate him, as he had hoped. He had left the bedroom where Buck lay sleeping, with the aid of the sedatives that Ezra had given him. He had been restless several times but he had not awoken with the horrible nightmares that seemed to plague him every time he fell asleep. Ezra had finally felt that he could safely leave him and make the phone call that he dreaded but knew was needed. He had been sitting out here for over half an hour, trying to find the words to say to Chris Larabee. Words that would inform his friend, that the man he had loved for so many years, was going to be dead in a matter of days, and that, Buck would die terrified of the man he had protected for so long. How was he going to break the news to Chris that the scoundrel they all loved, had been ravaged and defiled in the most horrific of ways and that he blamed his two closest friends for the deed? Should he keep that information to himself? Did Chris have to know the suffering that Buck was going through? Ezra hoped that even if he decided to tell Chris that the information could be kept from J.D. There was no need to devastate the boy. He was still innocent of the ways of the world, even though he saw pain and suffering on a daily basis. J.D. believed in the inherent goodness of people, and that had been fostered by his 'big brother'. Buck protected J.D. from most of life's cruelties, taking them on himself instead of letting life crash down on his ward. If J.D. knew that Buck believed him guilty of the torture he had endured, J.D. Dunne would no longer exist.
Ezra blew out the breath he had been unconsciously holding and dialed the phone. He had to tell Chris all that Buck had told him tonight. It was part of the abduction case against Beddlington. Ezra hoped, that when they went to arrest the son of a bitch, that he would draw a gun on his team mates. That would give them the excuse to wipe him from the face of this earth. Ezra wanted him dead for what he had done to his friend.
"Ezra?" The voice on the other end sounded fresh. At least he hadn't awoken Chris.
"Yes, it is me. Mr. Larabee, please disengage the telephone at this moment and depart your abode for the spectacular view that the great outdoors provides on this splendid night. At that time, please return my call."
"Ezra, cut the crap tonight. I'm not in the mood."
"Alas, my friend, neither am I. Go outside and call me back."
Ezra waited for five minutes until the cell phone rang. He looked at it and wanted to fling it out into the inky blackness that surrounded him but he resisted and pushed the receive button. He put the phone to his ear but he didn't say a word. He didn't know what to say.
"I tried calling you earlier in the day but your phone was off." Chris sounded angry and frustrated.
"I was with doctors all day and I didn't want the phone to interfere with their equipment. Why were you calling?" Good, put off telling him as long as possible, he thought to himself.
"We got a break in the case. We think we found the house. How did things go at the doctor's?"
"Mr. Wilmington isŠ.well, he's not doing so well. He developed a fever, he has gotten very little sleep, and he kept getting weaker as we traveled. I took Buck to see Dr. Cavanaugh, a friend of Chester's, Maude's third husband, and he is an exceptional doctor. He ran an extensive array of tests on Buck this afternoon. Evidently, Buck's kidneys have shut down. Buck underwent a dialysis treatment this evening and Dr. Cavanaugh has another set up for tomorrow afternoon at the hospital. He's keeping Buck's name out of things, so I'm not worried about Beddlington finding him. I am afraid, Chris, that the prognosis is very grim. Would you pass along to Nathan that he has just two days to get the antidote. Buck's liver is also affected and if it shuts down completely, well, he can't survive that. Tell Mr. Jackson to call me as soon as they come up with something." Ezra was chickening out.
"Why don't you get on a plane and come home tomorrow, Ez? Then, as soon as we have the treatment, we can get him started on it. Where are you, anyways?"
"I'm afraid that's not possible. He couldn't stand the trip. He's exhausted and so weak. We are in South Carolina. We might be able to get to Atlanta or Washington. Can Nathan set up something at a hospital in one of those cities?"
"We'll see what we can do." Chris was very subdued now. The knowledge that his friend was too weak to travel anymore had brought the whole situation crashing down on him. He needed to change the subject, think of something positive. He gathered himself and said, "Vin and Nathan found out where Beddlington's bodyguard hangs out. Evidently he likes young men. One of his conquests didn't appreciate his touch or lack of it. He was pretty angry with Chico and so he told us Chico Martinez hangs out at Dooley's. Ever heard of it? This guy says that Martinez likes to pick up young men and then he brutalizes them. None of them have ever made a formal complaint, I guess they're all afraid of him. Are you still there, Ezra?" The sound of a suppressed groan came clearly through the phone and it disturbed Chris down to his soul. That nagging thought came back, moving closer to the front of his mind.
Taking a deep breath, Ezra asked his boss, "Can you see the big dipper from where you are?"
Chris was taken aback. "Yeah?"
"So can I. I guess the world is a small place in the grand scheme of things and we humans are basically dust particles. So insignificant in the great magnitude of things. How come the loss of a lone dust particle can hurt so much?" Ezra had to stop. The reality of the day threatened to crush the breath out of his lungs and suffocate him. If he told Chris all the truth than he knew Buck would die and he didn't think he could stand that.
The voice on the other end of the phone was so gentle yet demanding at the same time. "What did the doctor say?"
He took a deep breath. "Chris, the doctor has given him only a week to live if an antidote is not found, and, I'm afraid, our companion has lost the will to keep fighting. I don't know what to do for him. I don't know how to make him want to live. What he had to endure at the hands of that monster is something no one should have to suffer, and to top it all off, the damn drug is poisoning him. I promised to take care of him but, I fear, I have failed not only Buck, but the rest of you as well."
"You didn't fail us or him, Ez. Don't take it out on yourself. Did he finally open up and tell you the whole thing, Ezra? Was it ... as horrible as I have imagined?" Chris didn't want to hear the truth but he knew he had to, for Buck's sake, if nothing else.
Ezra stared at the stars for a minute and then he said, "The doctor confirmed my suspicions today. Buck was ... sexually molested while he was held captive. After hearing your report on Mr. Martinez, I would suspect that he was the one who did it. Maybe Beddlington too, I can't be sure. Buck was tied down and without his sight at the time of the brutal assault. The doctor said he was quite torn up. The worst part though, Mr. Larabee, is that he was brainwashed into believing that the perpetrators of the deed were you and Mr. Dunne. The abhorrent monster used tape recordings of you and our young cohort to make Buck think that you two were responsible for this detestable crime. Beddlington may still have access to the listening devices so watch what you say and have the FBI scan your house and barn, Buck's condo, Ms. Welles' apartment, and the office, for bugs. Tell them that he probably used the best in equipment so go slow and search everything."
Chris didn't hear anything after Ezra told him about the tape and how Buck thought he and J.D. were responsible for raping him. How could he come to that conclusion? Why would he ever believe that J.D. or himself would have done anything like that? Chris almost dropped the phone, his whole body went numb. 'So, that's why you didn't want me to touch you in the emergency room. And that's why you didn't want J.D. around,' he thought. 'Oh God, Buck , how are we gonna get past this.'
"Ezra, tell him ... Oh God, Ez, I have no idea what you should tell him. I have no idea what to do for him. If he truly believes that J.D. and I would do something that vile to him, how am I going to change his mind?" Chris openly wept on his end of the line. He didn't care if Ezra heard him or not. Suddenly he remembered a conversation that he and Buck had a long time ago. "Ez, he's afraid of dying alone. Don't let him die alone. Please, promise me you'll stay with him!" Chris spoke in hushed tones as though Buck could hear him.
Ezra felt such deep compassion for his friend on the other end of the line that he too started crying. He gathered himself enough to say, "I promise, Chris. You just make sure that Nathan knows he only has two days. Chris, find the antidote!"
"Keep him alive, Ez. We'll come up with something. I won't let him die this way. It's not right that he goes believing that J.D. or I would be responsible for .... He can't take that to his grave! He's family, ya know. Ezra, there's no need to tell J.D. any of this right now. Maybe someday but not now."
"Understandable, Chris. I will do everything that I possibly can but mostly it's up to you and the labs to find something. Get them working harder. I've got to get back inside now. He's been sedated but he's having a terrible time sleeping what with the nightmares and all. Call as soon as the antidote is found."
"I will Ezra."
Chris walked back into his house. He didn't turn on the lights. He pulled out a chair from the kitchen table and sat, the phone still clutched in his hand. He stared off into space and pictured the face of his long time friend. Buck had been with him through so much, both good and bad. He had stuck with him during the darkest of hours and had pulled him back from the edge of death so many times. Now, Buck was facing his own death and believing that J.D. and he were responsible for raping him! The thought of him dying like that, was more than Chris could take. He felt physically ill at the thought of it and he suddenly had to run to the bathroom and throw up the contents of his stomach. The world seemed to be spinning out of control and Chris doubted if it would ever be the same again.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and then he crawled to the corner where he wrapped his arms around his knees and wept at the cruel injustice of the world. What would he do if Buck died? How could he possibly go on knowing that Buck had died with the thought that he had betrayed him so despicably? Buck had been there when Sarah and Adam had died. Who would be there now? Lucas Beddlington could not have hurt Chris Larabee any more than he had done with his actions of the past week. He wondered if Beddlington knew that? He doubted if the evil monster could have known just how cruel he actually had been, with his vile actions. And the kid? Oh my God, Chris thought, what will happen to J.D. if Buck dies? He had to keep the truth from J.D. He would never be able to live with the knowledge that his mentor, his best friend and brother, all rolled into one, had gone to meet his maker thinking that the boy had raped him! No matter what else happened, Chris and Ezra had to keep that knowledge from J.D. They simply had to!
The glass of whiskey sat in front of him, full to the brim. It beckoned to him, calling his name, promising to kill the pain if only for an hour or so. He touched the glass with his fingertips but the anger he felt for Lucas Beddlington would not let him pick up the glass. He had to focus on the anger and not the pain that would come after the arrest was made. Everything else had to be put on hold right now. The only course of action that he could proceed with tonight, and for the next few days, was the one that took him to Lucas Beddlington and Chico Martinez.
Ring!
Chris jumped at the sound of his telephone, but he recovered instantly and he answered, "Larabee!"
"Chris, we're on his tail!" Nathan almost shouted into the phone.
"Martinez? You actually spotted him?" Chris could hardly believe what he was hearing. He held his breath, waiting for Nathan to confirm the fact that they were following Martinez.
"We're on him right now. J.D. is ready at the edge of town to pick him up on his cycle. Vin's out at the house, up in the hills. If he pulls in the driveway, we've got 'em!" Nathan was excited. Tomorrow they could get the son of a bitch and all his cohorts for the kidnapping and torture of their fellow agent. "Chris, did you hear what I said? We got Martinez! He got to Dooley's about an hour ago. He's already on his way home, we hope. It looks like he's alone in the car. We're dropping off now. J.D.'s got him. Do you want to meet us at the office?"
Chris hesitated a moment, trying to sort and assimilate all the information that he had gathered that evening. He had to try to forget what Ezra had told him so that he could move ahead and get down to the business of arresting the sadistic monster that had done the horrible deed to Buck. It was all so jumbled together and he wasn't sure he could get past the knowledge that Beddlington had raped Buck and made it appear as if J.D. and he had done it. If Buck died now without the truth, would he ever be able to get on with life again? He had serious doubts about his ability to function as a law enforcement officer again. Yet, here he was, poised to take his team into action against the man who was responsible for the most heinous crime he could think of, or at least, it ranked right behind what had happened to his wife and son. He had to get his mind back together and focus on the next twenty-four hours. After that, he would re-evaluate everything in his life. He closed his eyes and when he re-opened them, he said, "Yeah. I'll see you at the office. Call me back if the car pulls in at the house that Vin's watching. Make sure Vin stays there until we can get it all put together with the proper back up and warrants. Tell him if they start to move, follow them. I don't want those bastards getting away from us. Understood?"
"Got it, Chris."
Chris had showered and ate before leaving to meet his men at the Federal Building, in which his team had their offices. Nathan had called back to tell him that the car had, indeed, pulled into the driveway of the house out in the country that Vin was watching. The sharpshooter would stay on vigil until the rest of them arrived and he would notify them of any changes in the status of the people involved. Chris had tried to shut down his mind on the drive into town from his ranch, but his thoughts kept returning to Ezra and Buck. For some reason, Chris kept remembering all the times that he had been cruel and abusive to his big hearted friend. After Sarah and Adam had been killed in the car explosion, Chris had tried to find the murderer, but had been unable to come up with anything. When his frustration had reached its zenith, he had lashed out at the person closest to him, Buck. He had become a drunken recluse, a man so lost in the darkness that he had wanted to die. Buck had been there every time to pull him back, to dry him out and get him the help he so desperately needed. But there had been a toll to pay, for Chris didn't want to be saved. The price Buck had to pay was Chris's violent anger directed solely at him. Chris didn't even remember half of the times that he had awoken from a three or four day bender to find Buck watching over him with a battered face and blackened eyes. Buck had never said where he had gotten the bruises from, but when it was all over, Chris knew in his heart that the perpetrator was him. Even now, when he was frustrated or incensed with a case, Chris found himself focusing that anger on Buck, instead of where it truly belonged. And for some unknown reason, Buck tolerated his actions as if he warranted the abuse. Chris shook his head as he walked into the building and marched to the elevators. How had he managed to hold on to Buck's friendship through all these years? What kept the man committed to him and his black moods after all he had done? If he had the opportunity, he would ask Buck. And he would apologize. He wanted that chance so desperately right now.
He got out on the fourth floor and walked into the bullpen to find Nathan, Josiah, and J.D. waiting for him. He found he couldn't look at J.D. He kept his eyes averted and he went immediately to fill his coffee cup with the brown liquid that would keep him awake. He took the steaming cup of coffee and motioned for Nathan to follow him. He walked down the hall and slipped into a conference room that Team Nine used.
"Shut the door, Nate." He said quietly. He wasn't going to tell Nathan all of the news from Ezra but he had to tell him what the doctor had said. "I got a call from Ezra tonight. He took Buck to a doctor yesterday."
Nathan sat down in the chair across from his leader. "And what did the doctor have to say, Chris?"
"It was bad news. The poison is affecting most of his major organs and his kidneys have already failed. The doctor thinks his liver will be next. He only gives Buck a week at the most. Ezra wants you to know that you have to get the labs to come up with something in the next two days or ... "
"Or it will be too late." Nathan finished his sentence for him. "Damn, damn, damn! I feel so impotent, Chris. I should be able to do something for Buck!" The tall black man hung his head, his hands pressed between his knees. Tears fell from his brown eyes.
"Let's get the son of a bitch and force him to tell us what's in the concoction. Then we'll get the antidote. It's not your fault, Nate. It's Beddlington's and that mad scientist he has working for him. Today, we make them pay for what they did to Buck. Okay?" Chris's face was cold and hard although he had spoken with compassion for Nathan.
Nathan looked into Chris's eyes and saw the raw anger in them. He wiped the fresh tears from his face and matched his expression to Chris's. "Let's get on it. Do we wait until nine or do we wake up a judge right now?"
"Let's call Travis and have him wake up a judge. We've got weapons to prepare and a battle plan to draw up. Have Josiah call Weatherby and get him to gather his team together. I want to be out there, ready to go by eight. I don't want to give that animal a chance to get away. Have J.D. go to the Judge's house and get the warrant and meet us out there. Does Vin have his vest or do we need to bring one for him?" Chris was all business now.
"I'll get all the armament together, Chris. Josiah and I will be ready to go in half an hour. We'll take some food out to Vin so he'll be ready to go. Where do you want us?"
"Meet me by the main gate to the house. You said there is a key gate, no guard, right?"
"Yeah. No security at all that we could see, just cameras."
"Okay, stay far enough back to avoid the cameras. Have Vin stay high enough to see inside with his rifle ready. I'll place Weatherby and his team around the perimeter just in case they have a way out in back. We are going to take down these sons of a bitches, no one else. And we are going to do it by the book! He's not getting off on a technicality, am I clear?"
"Clear as glass, Chris. We want the monster locked up for good this time. What are you going to be doing?" Nathan stood, ready to prepare for battle.
"I have to go see an old friend about a road block. Nate, make your phone calls on the cell phones down in the lobby. The office is probably bugged. I don't want anything tipping the bastard off."
Nathan nodded and went to get the others.
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight | Part Nine | Epilogue
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