The two officers hadn't yet brandished their guns, but their hands were on their holsters as though ready to do so at any time as they continued to walk in Faith's direction.
The male officer was the first to speak. "How's it going? You're clutching that bag pretty tight there."
"I'm okay," Faith answered as steadily as she could.
"Are you Faith Salter?" the officer asked her.
With some reluctance, Faith answered, "Yes sir." She then casually got up and left the safety of the bus shelter. She would be a bit closer within their shooting range now, but at least this way she wouldn't be backed into a corner if she needed to try to run in the event these officers were friends with Aaron.
"And do you drive a teal Honda CRV by any chance?" the officer continued to question her.
"Yes," Faith answered again, deciding to cooperate--for now. There was no telling what Aaron's corrupt officer friends might be trying to pull, or if these two people were with Brooke, in which case she wouldn't want to refuse help.
"Well, we found a car of that description abandoned on Patterson Street. The tires were in pretty bad shape, and it looked like the back and side had been shot at."
"Well, that's not good," Faith responded with only an air of vague concern, wanting to be careful how much she said at first.
"Ma'am--is everything okay?" the female officer asked, looking at Faith steadily. She was likely surprised by Faith's apparent lack of emotion.
Faith paused. "Yes. I'm just on my way to go and check on someone, and I'm afraid I'm a little late."
"Ms. Salter, it's alright for you to tell us what the problem is. You just told us you have your own car, but you're at a bus stop now. Did you or did you not abandon a car on Patterson Street?"
"There is no problem. I simply want to check on someone, and I would rather not say anything else."
"Well, a local ice cream store has just been raided, and we've taken in a couple of people for questioning. We hoped you might know some things to help aid us in the investigation," the male officer told her.
"I would rather not say anything else," Faith reiterated warily. "Not without a lawyer present."
"Are you refusing to cooperate in an active investigation?" the woman asked her, narrowing her eyes.
"No, ma'am. I would be happy to meet you at the police station and tell you everything I know, but I would like a lawyer first."
"We'll see," the woman muttered under her breath. She then whispered something to the male officer before advancing upon Faith and drawing her gun. "Lower the bag, nice n' slow. Then put your hands up."
Faith entertained the thought of trying to fight, but now there was a big risk of being shot or tasered, and even if she did have time to get out her own gun, there would be endless options for the press in altering information on what really happened.
"Am I being detained?" Faith asked flatly as she reluctantly did as they said, but neither of them would answer her or even read her her rights, and Faith's heart sank as she realized the answer to where their loyalties lied. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxQeojaTTj
She watched as the male officer gingerly picked the bag up and peered inside. He then let out a long, low whistle upon finding the two guns inside. "Man...he's gonna flip," he mumbled. The male officer then walked back toward their car and used her phone to dial a number, her purse tucked under his arm.
Faith hated the thought of how many cars had already passed by, the drivers inside probably thinking she was nothing but another common criminal. But as degrading of an experience as this was, she hadn't been cuffed yet, and since they hadn't even read her her Miranda rights, this technically wasn't a legitimate arrest, and she couldn't be called a criminal yet. "Tell me the truth--do you work for Aaron Galanos?" Faith asked them.
"We don't work for him--we just know not to mess with him. Unlike you," the female officer replied. "Get on the ground, now."
"So you can bring me to Aaron? I don't think so," Faith said with a glare.
"Get on the ground!" she yelled again.
"NO!" Faith bolted, even knowing what the consequences may be. Even if she was shot, even if her family would be told some made-up story that she had committed some horrible crime and was caught trying to escape the consequences, she would take being locked up and defamed by the police over winding up at the bottom of a lake somewhere. She ran for the grass behind the bus shelter, then behind the city library, and would just keep going for as long as her legs would physically carry her.
Ultimately, it would be the sudden sensation of muscle spasms attacking her entire body and tightening her muscles until they wouldn't allow her to run anymore that forced her to stop. She let out a scream of pain, her brain urging her muscles to loosen again, but they just wouldn't.
It wasn't long before the two officers towered over her and one of them said something, but she couldn't make out the words as they cuffed her and dragged her back to the car.
Upon being pushed inside the back seat, Faith felt her muscles begin to relax again, but the soreness still coursed through her body. If nothing else, Faith hoped she had stalled long enough for the S.A.S. to realize something was wrong.
Instead of driving to the police station, the female officer drove them a few blocks before turning and parking in an alleyway, and soon a car would pull up behind them--a black Lincoln MKZ. "That's him," the female officer mumbled as she exited the vehicle to meet the driver of the car behind them.
Since her pain had dissipated considerably, Faith hoped the other officer would leave the vehicle too so she might have another opportunity, and while he eventually did, both officers would remain close to both back doors.
She listened from inside the car, able to make out their tones of voice but not the words they said. They appeared to make a bit of inaudible small talk, and there was some brief casual laughter from all three people before the conversation turned serious again and eventually got quiet. When the door to her right opened next to her, Faith flinched and made herself look at the person holding the door. So much for getting a lawyer.
"There she is," Aaron mumbled in a self-satisfied tone. "Thanks again, officers. I was really scared she was gonna do somethin' to hurt herself. She hasn't been the same ever since her boyfriend left her." He then gazed back down at Faith. "You been doin' alright, Faith? Taking care of yourself like I told you?"
"I...I've been trying," Faith faltered.
Aaron snorted. "Ya' know, I hear that a lot. But unfortunately, sometimes trying ain't enough." He tilted his head, motioning for her to follow him. "Well, come on. I know you want outta here."
Upon standing up from the car's back seat, Faith looked back at the officers behind her. "You realize he could kill me, right?" she said to them quietly. "I have a family. They'll want to know what happened to me. They'll ask questions."
The officers didn't deny or confirm her fears, only handing Aaron Faith's purse, weapons and all, and instead of taking her cuffs off, they both pulled out their tasers again as though to warn her of what would happen again if she didn't go with him. "Man, be careful," the male officer said to Aaron. "After this, there's nothing we can do. You understand that, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Aaron said, his brows furrowing as he glanced at Faith. "I know what happened. I just wanna know why."
Faith thought about trying one last time to run, but between being cuffed, unarmed and surrounded in a narrow alleyway, she didn't see much point.
"Alright, we've wasted enough of these nice officers' time. Let's go," Aaron ordered, taking her by the arm and leading her toward his car as he and the officers nodded to each other one last time. "Ladies first."
Immediately upon being made to climb into the front passenger seat, Faith whipped around to check the backseat, ensuring that no one lurking back there. If Aaron was by himself without any more henchmen to help him, that would give her more hope for survival. Besides, Faith figured he might first try to get some sort of information out of her first and then decide what to do with her afterwards, thus buying her some extra time.
The sound of the driver's side door slamming as Aaron entered the vehicle and seated himself beside her was especially jarring for Faith. However, he didn't pull out any weapons of his own yet, simply starting the car, letting out a long exhale, and turning to look at her. She couldn't meet his eyes, but she didn't completely look away either in case he did plan on doing something rash.
For a moment he was quiet as he lit himself one of his cigars and then began fiddling with the radio stations. It was clear to Faith that he was enjoying this, and she wished he would just get to the point regarding what was going to happen to her. The sooner he did, the sooner she could think of something to do with the adrenaline that was building up inside of her.
Finally, he settled on a station playing an Eagles song. "Well Faith," he continued, "I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is, you won't be gettin' a lawyer. The good news is, you won't have to worry about needin' one."
"Then we can lose these, can't we?" Faith glanced behind her back, trying her best to hide her desperation. "They're really unnecessary. All of this was."
"Can't do it. I've taken too many chances with you already. And from the sound of it, you've led everybody on quite the chase so far."
"Yeah--and ever since they tased me I've felt sick to my stomach. I don't think you need anybody throwing up inside your Lincoln. You might need to open the door here in a minute."
A scoffing sound escaped Aaron's lips. "If you were gonna get sick from that, that would've already happened. You're gonna be fine." While he didn't say it verbally, the look on his face said the rest of what he was likely thinking: for now. "But the truth is, I'm not even mad, if that's what you're worried about. If anything, I'm impressed. All day I've wanted to know how you managed to do all of this." He even smiled at her now, the way he had that night she first borrowed from him, before feigning some concern as well. "So. Is this the first time you've ever had to shoot someone? You look pretty shaken up after what happened at your house."
He already knows everything. He's just toying with me. What do I even say? How do I convince him not to kill me? Faith struggled to maintain some sense of stoicism, but she couldn't get her lips to move, let alone come up with anything for them to say.
But the next thing he said would make her sick to her stomach for real as he shifted gears into drive. "You know what I think we need?" He exhaled a puff of smoke. "I think we need to go see Rowan." Faith must have outwardly appeared a lot more terrified than she had wanted to in front of him, because he then added with a look of apparent confusion, "You don't wanna see Rowan?"
This was bad. Seeing Rowan again in a safe environment would have been difficult enough for her without having to wonder whether or not he was even alive anymore, or whether she was about to end up sharing a fate with him. "We don't need to see Rowan," Faith ventured once she found her voice again. "I can just tell you whatever you want to know. Like I say, this is all really unnecessary."
"It won't take long," Aaron said curtly, the smile now gone. "Your memory'll probably be a little better once we do."
Faith felt her breath quicken as they came up to their first stoplight, and she gazed over at the car next to her, wondering if it would do any good to mouth the words 'help me' to the person inside.
"Oh, and Faith--just in case you get any ideas," Aaron added, suddenly pressing something cold and metallic against Faith's temple, "I know how to multitask."
It was more obvious than ever to Faith that the only weapon she had left at her disposal was psychology. She focused on the radio as he tucked his gun back into his holster, remembering how the music had made her feel a bit better that first night she walked into his office.
She thought of the few things Melanie had told her about her past, how her life had gotten worse than when she had been in her grandfather's care, and about how Aaron had eventually found and supposedly helped her. That same person was next to her now, even though he had just put a gun to her head. "Can I just ask you one thing before we get to where Rowan is?" Faith asked carefully.
"What is it, Faith?" Aaron replied blankly, his eyes remaining on the street in front of them.
"When I first met Melanie, she told me that she wound up with the wrong people once she got out on her own, and it made her life even worse than when she was with Spencer and her siblings, but then you found her. It sounds like you helped her a lot. Can you tell me what happened that day?"
That got what appeared to be a genuinely confused look out of Aaron, and Faith hoped her plan was beginning to work. Anything that could confuse him or cause him to hesitate in what he was planning would be a good thing for Faith. "Uh, well, I guess it started when this one guy owed me a lot of money and we had to pay him a visit. Things got ugly, we roughed him up some and then started searchin' around his place for any valuables we could use--and that's when I found her. Scared, crying, just didn't look like she wanted to be there." A laugh then escaped his lips. "I'll never forget it--the minute she laid eyes on me she just threw her arms around me. Probably thought I was the police at first. But anyway, I figured I'd have a better use for her than that other guy, and she was practically begging me to take her outta there. So after we were finished with him, I put her with Tracy and had her take care of her. She acts like I'm the best thing that ever happened to her. But I don't know how that's supposed to help you right now."
A river to the right of them now became visible from the road, with the houses and other buildings they passed now beginning to look more and more old and run down, and the abandoned warehouse they finally stopped in front of reminded her of the one she used to go to with Rowan and some of his friends. "It won't help me," Faith said, feigning some of the resignation in her voice. "I just wanted to know that whatever does happen to me, at least you aren't a complete monster and there are lines you won't cross."
Upon parking and turning off the car, Aaron at first only stared at her, then shook his head and asserted, "You're not makin' any sense right now, but trust me when I say you're about to--real soon. And if you don't lie to me, I promise you none of this'll take too long."
In other words, I'll die quicker? was what Faith wanted to counter with, but instead she would continue going the psychological route with him as she felt the threat of a panic attack coming on. As terrified as she was, she still wanted to appear somewhat naive about her fate. "I understand. I'll try not to waste your time. Plus I know my cousin is supposed to call me back at some point today. Now that I'm free from Rowan, I know she and my other relatives will want us to catch up and make up for all the lost time."
Aaron didn't even meet her eyes anymore as he exited the vehicle, drew his gun back out, gathered the handbag from the back, and came back around to open the front passenger door. He was probably wondering if Faith truly believed she was getting out of here alive. "Well, come on. Rowan's waiting for us."
The longer Faith looked at the warehouse in front of her, the less she trusted her trembling legs to carry her, much less give Aaron a swift kick like she had given to Spencer many years ago. However, as she stared at what she feared could become her resting place, she realized the river around the factory might actually help save her. She still felt herself shaking, but her newfound hope gave her the ability to stand again. She would be taking a huge risk, but not trying could prove to be an even bigger risk. So far, it seemed as though he was by himself--no more henchmen left to help him, and Faith wanted to believe that now he was scared and desperate--just as much as she was.
Faith waited until they began to cross a small wooden bridge over the river leading to one of the warehouse's entrances before she would strike. Suddenly whipping around, she stomped down on his foot as hard as she could before slamming herself into his side, just enough to make him loosen his grip on her arm and drop the gun.
In a split-second decision, she decided on running instead of trying to grab the handbag next. Even if there were still weapons inside, he would still need to reach inside and turn the safety off first, which would buy her a bit of time. But while she did manage to kick his gun into the water, he had managed to regain hold of her before she could take off. "HELP!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as she tried to break away again. "SOMEBODY HELP M--"
Faith suddenly felt something slam into her stomach and cause her to crumple to the ground and gasp for breath. Disoriented, she stared at the river below her, immediately regretting her decision to try and fight again. "I told you, Faith. Bein' a hero is only gonna get you hurt. You're just lucky I didn't use my brass knuckles."
"I--if I really wanted to get hurt," Faith eked out between gasps for air, struggling to maintain her last shred of composure, "I would just go w--with you, inside that warehouse."
"You give me one good reason why I shouldn't just throw you over this railing, right here, right now," he said icily. His eyes held the same look of mania they had that night he threw Parker out of Happy Scoops--only this was much, much worse. "You think I'm not a monster? I say let's find out."
But Faith still wasn't ready to give up yet. "But I haven't gotten to tell you where Sheena is," Faith reminded him. "Or your black book. A--and we haven't even seen Rowan yet."
"Hm," Aaron exhaled, beginning to calm down again. "Alright, you've convinced me--for now. You could've been a businesswoman, ya' know that? If you hadn't decided to go and get my business closed down, anyway. But I am gonna have to borrow your gun, now that you made me lose mine." Upon being picked up and hoisted over his shoulder, she heard the beeping sound of buttons being pushed, likely a code being entered to let them in.
Faith now began to forget which way was up or down. She could only disassociate for the time being as the door slammed shut behind them and their surroundings suddenly became illuminated, albeit dimly. For a moment she was afraid she was about to be dropped, but then realized they were going down some sort of stairwell, possibly to an underground basement floor.
At the landing, Faith heard a grating scrape against the floor beneath them, after which she was put back downward, none too gently, into a plastic chair.
Lifting her head up to take in her surroundings, she was met with a large windowless room littered with debris, but what she saw in front of her made her freeze. There he was, tied to a chair of his own and looking just as terrified as he had when she had first met him. And beside him was Chance, tied up next to him. They both looked horrible, especially Rowan--the kind of horrible that belonged in an emergency room--as Rowan raised his head to look at her. "Faith..." Rowan labored to say. He squinted as he gazed up at her, likely having been in the dark for a long time until Aaron turned the lights on. He shook his head in disbelief. "It can't be."
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