Rainey Nights Part 27

"Lesbian abominations, that's what you are. Just like my worthless sister."

Rainey ignored the taunts. "I just told Mackie where I was. I'm sure Katie's told you about Mackie. If I don't call him back in a few minutes, he'll bring the cavalry down on this place."

Chelsea let out an evil laugh. "Then they'll find a bunch of dead d.y.k.es when they get here."

Rainey only gave Mackie a rough idea of her location. She needed to keep Chelsea busy long enough for him to realize something was wrong. Maybe he could figure out where they were. Rainey could only hope.

"Dara told me about your upbringing, how her coming out ruined the only good family you had known. She feels bad about that. She told me she was glad you moved back here, so you could be a family again."

"I'm not her family," Chelsea bellowed. "I share no blood with her. I came here to root out the evil she does and slay her and her kind. She is going to burn in h.e.l.l for her debauchery, just like you and the perfect Miss Meyers over there."

Logic and reason were of no use in Rainey's bag of tricks. She tried another distraction. "Where does Dalton Chambers fit into all this?"

Chelsea brightened at the mention of Dalton's name. "I'm carrying on his work, ridding the world of sinning women. Wh.o.r.es, lesbians, they all deserve to die. He helped me see the way."

"And Jared, he was just your servant?"

"He was a tool, an instrument of G.o.d, sent to help me with my calling."

"Jared did what he did to those women for you. He loved you and you killed him. How does that sit with your G.o.d?"

"He was a soldier in the war for morality. He knew I had to kill him. He knew he was too weak to take the torture the police would put him through."

"Chelsea, I don't know what you were told out there in Oklahoma, but the police don't torture people. They'll get you the help you need, if you just put down the gun. I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

Chelsea's evil laugh bounced off the old wooden walls. "You aren't going to be around long enough to keep that promise. Get my sister on her feet. We're going to the woods. I have a place prepared for you."

Rainey didn't move. Letting Chelsea take them to the woods would sign their death warrants. "What's the plan, Chelsea? Did Dalton lay it all out for you? How do you expect to get away with this?"

"Oh, it's genius really. I'll escape the mad partner, while he's chopping your heads off. At least, that's what I'll tell the cops. I'll come out of the woods and direct the police to your mutilated bodies. Everyone will be so sad and n.o.body will suspect me. You didn't."

"That's a lot of forensic evidence to hide. Are you sure you've thought this through? I think Dalton is setting you up to take the fall for all of this."

"Then I'll take my punishment and join him in heaven, where we will be as children of G.o.d, forever young, frolicking on streets of gold, while your souls roast in h.e.l.l."

Rainey forced a laugh. "Oh, Dalton has no intentions of joining you in heaven. He told me we were going to fry together in h.e.l.l. I think that's closer to true, don't you?"

Chelsea's face flushed blood red, aiming the gun at Rainey's head. "Get her up. Move! You too, Katie, stand up."

The sound of the front door opening startled Chelsea. Rainey hoped it was someone who could help them and not someone that would send Chelsea into firing away at all of them.

"Yoo-hoo, Mr. Thomas. It's Ernestine, from down the road. Are you home? I'm looking for Katie Meyers. She's a friend of your daughter Chelsea. I saw her car out front. Mr. Thomas, can you hear me?"

Chelsea aimed the gun toward Katie and whispered, "You say a word and Katie gets it first."

Ernie's voice grew closer. She was headed straight into a slaughterhouse, still calling out, "Yoo-hoo, anybody home? Chelsea?"

At the sound of her name, Chelsea turned her head toward the door. The instant Chelsea took her eyes off her, Rainey's fight reflex kicked in. She flew at Chelsea, sending all her weight into the smaller woman, smas.h.i.+ng her into the wall. The pistol flew from Chelsea's hand and skittered across the floor in Katie's direction, but Chelsea wasn't giving up. With the strength of a madwoman she clawed at Rainey and kicked her in the ribs with her knee.

Instead of buckling her, the shards of pain brought forth a rage from the depths of Rainey's soul. Combined with the time spent with her father, learning how to survive with her bare hands, it proved to be a nearly lethal combination. She slammed her forearm down on Chelsea's throat, forcing an instant choking cough out of the smaller woman. Rainey leaned down harder, as Chelsea clawed at her arm, gasping for a single wisp of air.

Rainey bared her teeth. "When you get to h.e.l.l, save Dalton a seat. He's going to be right behind you. You sick twisted f.u.c.k!"

Rainey pushed down harder. The blood vessels in Chelsea's eyes began to swell. Tiny spider veins appeared just below the surface of the skin on her cheeks.

"Rainey, let her up," Ernie said, calmly.

Rainey held fast.

Ernie spoke again. "Rainey, it's over. Let her up."

Rainey suddenly became aware of the other people in the room, again. She let go of the gagging woman and crawled across the floor, picking up Chelsea's gun. She stood up, tucking the gun in her waistband and ran to Katie's side. She pulled the gag down and started untying Katie from the chair.

"Are you hurt, Katie?"

"I'm sorry, Rainey. I didn't see it coming. I couldn't warn you."

"I didn't see it coming either." Rainey released Katie from the chair. "It's okay, we're all right now."

Chelsea continued to clutch at her throat, sucking in air.

Ernie moved to Dara. "What is this child's name?"

"Dara, Dara Thomas," Rainey replied, still checking Katie for injuries.

"Dara, honey, wake up," Rainey heard Ernie say, but she was too concerned with Katie to listen for a response.

Rainey dropped down on one knee in front of Katie. The jolt of hitting the floor doubled her over, wincing in agony. The adrenaline was subsiding and her body now remembered the pain.

Katie leaned over her, grabbing her shoulders. "Rainey, are you all right? Ernie, call 911. Rainey, answer me."

Rainey couldn't answer. She didn't have the breath. She could only look up at Katie, helplessly. Katie's expression of concern instantly changed to horror as her eyes locked on something behind Rainey. Recognition hit Rainey after her instincts had already taken over. Her hand was on the grip of the gun, before she even thought about it. In one move, she ripped the gun from her waistband, swung around and fired, at the same time another firearm discharged in the room.

Chelsea Thomas staggered, a large knife in her hand, poised to strike. A pool of crimson formed on her blouse, where the two bullets entered her heart. She took one more step forward. Rainey saw the moment of recognition in Chelsea's eyes, the second it dawned on her that she was already dead. There was a short intake of breath, and then she was suspended in motion, before dropping as if someone cut the strings on a marionette. Dalton's puppet would dance no more.

The noise of the shots startled Dara awake. She screamed. Rainey looked over the table to see Ernie, still holding her revolver.

Comforting the frightened woman, Ernie said, "It's okay, Dara. She's gone. She won't hurt you anymore."

Katie slumped to her knees in front of Rainey. She put her arms around Rainey's neck and started to cry. Rainey dropped the gun on the floor and held Katie. She heard Ernie calling 911.

Rainey whispered into Katie's ear, "It's okay, baby. We're safe now. It's okay."

Through her tears, Katie said, "People keep trying to kill us, Rainey. Why can't they just leave us alone?"

Rainey lifted Katie's chin so she could see her eyes. She smiled down at the beautiful blonde that was hers and hers alone.

"You know what they say, 'What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.' We're stronger today than yesterday, and we'll be stronger yet, tomorrow. As long as I have you, I don't care what comes. We'll make it Katie, I'll keep my promise."

There was one beat of understanding between Katie and Rainey. One moment, when they both knew, beyond a shadow of any doubts either may have once harbored, whatever they encountered in the future they would go through it together. Time stood still. The room around them fell out of focus. All Rainey could see was Katie's blue eyes... no sounds... and all was right with in Rainey's world, once again...

"Oh for Pete's sake! Can we at least get out of the room with the dead body, before you two go all goo-goo-eyed?"

Chapter nineteen.

Dalton waited in the hospital bed, chains draped around his waist and locked to the bed. When Rainey and Danny entered the room, the self-satisfied smile slid off his face. Dalton had been informed that he was being moved out of isolation, which he was happy about, but seeing Rainey meant his plan to kill her had failed. She smiled as she approached the bed, concealing the pain in her ribs with each step.

"Surprised to see me?" Rainey asked.

He glared back at her, nostrils flaring, dark bruises under each eye from the beating he had taken. His right eye was swollen shut, but it was still twitching.

"You're little plan to kill me didn't work, as you can see. By the way, we found a phone at Chelsea's house, yesterday. She kept every text message you ever sent. We have you on conspiracy to commit murder that resulted in several deaths. If you don't get the needle for killing that little girl, and I can't imagine a jury not sentencing you to death for that piece of work, you'll definitely get what's coming to you on this one. You'll be on death row, pretty soon. Since your co-conspirators are dead, you're the only person left to exact revenge upon."

"They won't give me the death penalty for killing two d.y.k.es," Dalton snarled.

Rainey laughed. "You just keep telling yourself that."

Dalton flushed with anger and shouted, "There will be more. You'll never be able to rest. They'll find you and that wh.o.r.e you live with. I'll haunt you till the day you die, Rainey Bell. You'll never forget about me."

Danny remained quiet and let Rainey do all the talking. Rainey figured he just came with her to make sure she didn't do anything to disgrace the badge she was still carrying. She continued to smile at the creature in the bed. He was not a man, but an abomination in the truest sense of the word.

She leaned in a bit closer. "Dalton, I may not forget you, but I will not live in fear of you. You, on the contrary, will think about me every moment for the rest of your miserable life. I'm going to testify against you at your trials. The penalty phase will be the most fun. You wouldn't believe the testimony they'll let in during that part. When I'm done, there won't be any doubt about the punishment you deserve. Trust me, you will draw your last breath soon enough."

"I might be on death row, but I'll live another ten or fifteen years on appeals. All that time you will be looking over your shoulder and even after I'm gone, they'll keep coming."

"No, they won't," Rainey answered, quickly. "They'll know what happened to the last ones you sent and I a.s.sure you the same fate waits for the rest of them. Keep dreaming, Dalton. It's all you have left to do. I, however, will be living my life, free of you."

Rainey turned to go. Dalton strained against his chains. The guard holding the little black box flinched. Rainey raised her hand to stop him from pus.h.i.+ng the b.u.t.ton.

"Wait," she said. "Let him speak."

Dalton glanced at the guard and then turned back to Rainey. "G.o.d will exact his punishment on the wicked. Your lying with a woman is against G.o.d's law. You'll join me in h.e.l.l fire after death. I'll wait for you, Rainey, and we will be together forever."

Rainey met Dalton's glare with another smile. "If loving Katie is what I'm called to answer for at the end of my life, then I have no fear. You may have read the bible cover to cover, but you're no Christian, Dalton. People like you give religion a bad name. You twist things around to make them say what you want them to say. I don't believe you're a truly religious man, but I do believe you understand the concept of retribution. You chose the path you're on and now you shall reap the seeds you sowed. Burn in h.e.l.l, Dalton Chambers." She leaned in and whispered, "You're going to get there, sooner than you think."

Rainey walked with Danny out of the prison. On the way, she b.u.mped into Bobo, wearing his State red hoodie again, heading for the visitors' lounge. She nodded at him as they pa.s.sed.

Danny asked, "Who's that?"

"An informant I've used from time to time. He helped me catch the guy whose nephew shot me."

"Did I hear right, when you were on the phone with the DA this morning? Are you asking them to drop the charges against that kid?"

"Chauncey said he'd plead guilty to the enterprise charges and save them a trial, if the DA dropped the charges against his nephew. They asked me what I thought."

Danny started shaking his head back and forth. Rainey cut him off before he could voice his displeasure.

"Look, he's just fourteen. I said yes, under some conditions. I pay for military school after he attends disciplinary boot camp this summer. If he doesn't hold up his end of the bargain, he goes back to court to face the charges."

Danny asked. "What does Katie say about it?"

Rainey smiled. "She says we're saving the world, one child at a time. She is, however, a little upset about the picture of me and the redhead they keep showing on the news."

"Just keep showing her the clip where she belts Cookie. She'll forget about the redhead."

Rainey laughed. "I bet you won't forget that redhead anytime soon."

Danny flushed red and changed the subject. "Is Ernie okay? It's not everyday that you shoot someone."

"You're a.s.suming that's the first person she ever shot." Rainey grinned.

Danny was taken aback, before Rainey let him off the hook.

"I was just kidding. Yes, she's going to be fine. She actually argued with me over who shot first. She isn't happy about having to kill someone, but Ernie is d.a.m.n sure I would never have survived if she hadn't shown up."

"So..." Danny hesitated and then rushed the question, "Are you going to stay in the bond business or are you coming back where you belong?"

Rainey reached in her coat pocket and pulled out her credentials. She handed them to Danny. "I belong here, with Katie. I'll change the way I do business to make her feel more comfortable, but I have a life with her now and the BAU just doesn't fit in that future."

"But, Rainey..." Danny started to say and then smiled. "I guess you know what you want and I am happy for you. I hope I can find that kind of love one day."

"You will, Danny."

"So, you're really going to do this family thing. I just never pictured you changing diapers."

Rainey grinned. "I never imagined my life would be like this, but you know, I'm really looking forward to it. Besides, I heard G.o.dfathers change diapers, too."

Part III.

Revenge is an act of pa.s.sion; vengeance of justice. Injuries are revenged; crimes are avenged.

~ Samuel Johnson.