Un-betaed

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The True Measure

(The great thing about fan fiction is that you can make up scenes and words that may not make sense in the real world but work great in fan fiction.  If any medical terms or police vernacular don’t fit reality just blame it on this writer.  It works for me though.)

Chapter 3

Meanwhile at the Love Center gymnasium the Llanview Police Department Crime Scene Unit (LPD CSU) continues to collect evidence samples since the Fire Department has extinguished the flames.  John receives a report from the officers canvassing the area that they have not found Attorney Williamson or the kidnapper.

Frustrated John feels at fault for the kidnapper escaping. If he had not rushed in without backup then other officers would have been there to assist him in rescuing both women and would have apprehended the kidnapper.  As it stands now, Evangeline is in the hands of the kidnapper once again and Natalie is in the hospital.  With nothing more to do at the Love Center, John heads for the hospital to interview Natalie.  Time is of the essence.  He needs to know where the kidnapper is taking Evangeline.

Arriving at the hospital he finds that Natalie is stable and awake. Before he approaches her room he meets Mrs. Lisa Williamson, Evangeline’s mother.  Receiving news of a rescue Mrs. Williamson rushes to the hospital to see her daughter.  When she arrives a police officer informs her that her daughter is still missing.  

“Where is my daughter John?  Why aren’t you out there looking for her?”  

Lisa wants to put all of the blame on John for Evangeline’s kidnapping but taking one look at him she can see that he is torn apart by all of this. Curbing her outrage, just a bit, she says, 

“John please find Evangeline.  Find my daughter.  There’s nothing I can do here so I will return to Evangeline’s apartment. You can reach me there if you hear anything.”  

As she turns to walk away John hesitantly grabs her arm.  She stops and looks at his hand on her arm, which he quickly removes.  Her action does not deter him though from saying what he wants to, no needs, to say, 

“Mrs. Williamson, I will find Evangeline.”  With that said he turns and walks into Natalie’s hospital room.

Once in the room John sees Natalie lying in the hospital bed and feels relief that she has regained consciousness and looks on the mend. He recalls the shock and fear that he felt upon entering the Love Center and seeing her and Evangeline tied to those basketball posts.  Natalie’s mother, Victoria ‘Vicki’ Davidson, is with her sitting on a chair next to the bed.  

Natalie sees John and smiles at him. “John, John, you rescued me!  I knew that you would find me.”  

John approaches her bed and pulls up another chair on the opposite side from Mrs. Davidson.  He pulls out his tape recorder and presses ‘record’.  

“Natalie, I am so glad that you are safe.  I need to ask you some questions about the kidnapper.  Can you tell me anything about him?”  

Natalie frowns, “John do you have to ask me that now?  Can’t it wait until I’m out of the hospital?”

Natalie is not feeling comfortable that John wants her to remember the horrible things that happened to her.  John does feel a bit sorry about having to question Natalie so soon after her rescue but he has to get to work on finding Evangeline.  Trying to ease Natalie’s apprehension, at least a little bit, he takes her hand.  Natalie interprets John’s actions as further confirmation that he loves her. 

She gushes, “I knew that you would rescue me John.  I know that you love me and wouldn’t stop until you found me.”  

John does not respond to Natalie’s statement and instead asks her again for information on the kidnapper.  

Natalie again appears confused that he continues to question her, “But John now that we’re rescued, can’t you wait to catch the kidnapper and instead stay here with me?  I will feel safe if you’re here with me.”  

John looks Natalie in the eyes and says clearly, “Evangeline has been taken again.  While I was working to revive you she was taken again so please help me to find her.”  

Natalie looks at John horrified.  She remembers how much Evangeline helped her and looked out for her while they were held captive.  

“John I don’t remember much but there are two (2) of them.  Evangeline and I tried to escape.  I climbed up some boxes to a basement window.  All the while we could hear the kidnapper pacing the floor above us. When I made it to the basement window and was climbing out, a second man caught me.  He pushed me back in the window and I fell back on the boxes.  Then one (1) of them came downstairs and warned us not to try to escape again.  I don’t know how we ended up at the Love Center.  They must have drugged us.  But can’t someone else go and find Evangeline?  Why can’t you stay here with me?  I’m sure Uncle Bo can have some other officers look for Evangeline.”  

Before John can respond Vicki interjects, “Natalie, John is the lead officer on this case and it is his responsibility to head the efforts to find Evangeline just as he did to find the two of you.  Your family will take care of you and keep you safe.  Let John do his job.”  

Vicki takes Natalie’s hand and tries to comfort her.  John looks at Mrs. Davidson and nods his head in thanks for her assistance.  John releases Natalie’s hand, puts his recorder in his pocket and rises from the chair to leave.  

As he opens the door to exit he turns and says, “I’m glad that you are safe Natalie.  Take care of yourself.”  With those words he leaves and heads to the police station.

Walking down the hallway to exit the hospital John sees his brother, Dr. Michael McBain.  Calling out to him to get his attention John hurries to speak with his brother. “Michael is Natalie really okay?  She looked really bad when I pulled her from the fire and it took a while to get a pulse.”  

Michael notices that John looks very haggard.  He can’t imagine the pain his brother is feeling knowing that Evangeline is still missing.  Michael knows that John would feel bad too if Natalie was the one missing but Michael knows how much his brother really cares for Evangeline but is also aware that his brother will not admit it to himself.  So to ease his brother’s pain Michael responds, 

“John don’t worry.  Natalie will make a full recovery.  How’s the search coming for finding Evangeline?”  

John tenses when his brother says Evangeline’s name. ‘Why did all of this happen?’ he thinks to himself.  Knowing that he has to remain focused on the case John holds his emotions at bay.  He tells Michael, 

“We’re still searching Michael.  I just spoke with Natalie and she remembers that there are two (2) kidnappers.  That’s more information than we had before.  I’m on my way back to the station now.”  

At that moment Michael’s pager beeps and he steps away to answer the page.  Before John makes it to the exit door Michael calls out to him, 

“John, that call was from the police station.  Someone there specifically requested me for medical attention so I guess that I will see you there.”  

John looks at his brother puzzled that someone would specifically request his brother to attend them.

John arrives at the police station and as soon as he enters the Sergeant on the Desk (SOD) asks to speak to him in the Sergeant’s office. Sergeant Jacob Moore is a 25 year veteran of the police force and strikes an imposing figure, standing over 6 ft tall.  Having joined the force as a young man he always wanted to ‘protect and serve’.  He’s a no nonsense officer and the staff respects him for his knowledge and fairness.  Of course he could have advanced further but he always wanted to stay close to the rank and file.  When Sgt. Moore stops him John is a bit puzzled because he seldom has much interaction with the SOD.  Sgt. Moore says, 

“Lt. McBain, we have some major developments in the Killing Club Killer (KCK) case. Before you ask why we did not notify you please know that we only acted as we did because any delay would have been disastrous.  We know that you were at the Love Center and then you went to interview Mrs. Vega at the hospital.  We, I, had to make an executive decision, at a moment’s notice and success or failure weighed in the balance.  It is within my realm or responsibility to take such action when warranted. This circumstance certainly warranted it.”  

Sgt. Moore can see that the Lieutenant is getting a bit agitated but he wants to make sure that he explains that he did what he did when he did not to usurp the Lieutenant’s authority but because it had to be done.