Fear Read online

  ***

  Traci had arrived at the station shortly after Kerry, and hadn’t left in the following hours. They had another captain filling in for Riever, and he seemed to take it personally that Riever turned out to be a bad cop. Captain Tonika had known Ryan’s parents and felt awful for what Ryan had gone through.

  The search of Riever’s house after Traci left had turned up an alarming amount of papers referring to retraining and brainwashing. Traci was still thinking about them when Levi came back after the search.

  “He’s going to try to brainwash Ryan into allowing him to gain control. That’s all this is about. The psycho wants to ruin Ryan,” Traci stated to Levi with little emotion. She had to work to keep her mask of professionalism on.

  “We can’t tell Kerry what we found,” she warned him as she glanced toward the break room where Kerry was sitting. Levi agreed, and they went to talk to Captain Tonika about what the search had turned up.

  “There were also some references to some property, but there was no building out there. We should check into it,” Levi said as he concluded the report to the captain.

  Tonika sat at Riever's old desk and looked appalled by what they had found. “Brainwashing?” he said in disbelief. “The man is going to brainwash this kid into becoming his property?”

  Traci nodded. “The list of drugs we found in his house adds to that theory. We think he plans on using them on Ryan to make him more compliant. He could become addicted if Riever gives him too many for too long.”

  “I agree. There is little chance that Riever will allow Ryan any chance to escape,” Levi said. “He may not be strong enough to withstand the drugs and probable beatings that Riever is planning to use on him,”—Levi held his hand up to stop Traci from speaking— “although I agree that Ryan is strong, he doesn’t have any resistance to drugs, and continual beatings would wear on anybody. Bottom line is, if we let Riever have him for too long, it is more likely that Ryan will become what Riever wants him to be.”

  Captain Tonika listened to both opinions, and noticed Traci’s face pale as Levi spoke. “Are you all right, Officer Vetters?” he asked her. She nodded. “Good. I think that we need to send some people out to check the property that was mentioned.”

  Levi hesitated before responding. “We would, but we don’t know where the property is located. It is mentioned, but there are no specifics about it.”

  Tonika gave Levi a hard look. “Find it. I want our officer out of this psycho’s hands ASAP.”

  “Yes, sir,” Levi said heading out of the office.

  “Officer Vetters, I want you to help with the search for the property. Also, send Ryan’s girlfriend in here. I want to make sure she’s doing okay in this whole situation. She needs to know what we’re up against.”

  “Okay. I’ll send her in,” Traci said as she left the office.

  “Officer,” Traci hesitated at the door, waiting for the captain to continue. “The thought of anyone going through what Riever has planned for your partner makes my blood boil. Know that I’ll do anything in my power to bring him home.”

  “I know. Thank you, sir,” she said as she walked out of the room.

  Kerry looked up as Traci entered the break room her eyes red from crying, yet shining with hope that they had found something. “Did you…” she trailed off as she saw the look on Traci’s face.

  “Sorry,” Traci said with a quick shake of her head. “We haven’t found anything yet. Captain Tonika wants to see you. He wants to talk to you about Ryan.”

  “Will you come with me?” Kerry asked with a hopeful look at Traci. “After what happened with Captain Riever, I don’t feel comfortable with… well, you know…”

  “I understand. Captain Tonika seems like a good guy. He is extremely upset about what happened to Ryan, and wants to do whatever he can to get him back. I can walk you into his office and introduce you, but I have to do whatever I can to help find Ryan. We’re trying to find the property that we believe is where Riever is keeping Ryan.”

  Kerry narrowed her eyes. “If you know he owns property, why can’t you just find out where it is by checking his records?”

  “His records don’t show the property. The only indication we have that he owns a property is a piece of paper we found at his house that mentioned it. There was nothing showing where it is, so we’ll have to hope that we can find Riever and either take him into custody or tail him back to Ryan. Beyond that, we’re going back through all of his records to find out when he acquired the property and possibly who he got it from so we can find out where it is.”

  After thinking for a moment Kerry nodded. “Okay. I just feel so helpless right now. There’s nothing I can do to help him, and I feel like there’s something I should be able to do.”

  Traci patted Kerry’s shoulder in support. “We need to get to the captain’s office so I can get to work; the sooner the better.”

  Traci knocked on the door, sticking her head into the office. “Captain? Kerry Hendrix is here to see you now.” She turned to Kerry and ushered her in when the captain nodded. “This is Kerry, one of Ryan’s closest friends. Kerry, this is Captain James Tonika. He’s on loan from precinct nine until we can get a replacement for Riever.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Hendrix. Officer Vetters, thank you for showing her in; I believe you have some work to do?”

  Traci nodded and gave Kerry’s arm a reassuring squeeze as she walked out of the office.

  “May I call you Kerry?” Tonika asked. When she nodded, he added, “Call me James. You don’t need to stand on formality in this kind of situation.” Tonika went on to tell Kerry what he had told Traci about his relationship with Ryan’s parents and what they found at Riever’s house.

  James’ hazel eyes showed sympathy for Kerry’s reaction. “We’ll find him, Kerry. After we do, you can help him get over whatever happened to him. I need you to be strong for him so you can be helpful when he gets home. Can you do that for me?”

  Kerry nodded tearfully, trying to stifle her sobs. “I’ll… I’ll do my best,” she promised.

  They stayed in the office for a few more minutes while Tonika explained that he didn’t want to send her home by herself, since there was no guarantee Riever wouldn’t still try to use her to manipulate Ryan

  After he explained to her that she could be used against Ryan, Kerry agreed to stay at the station as long as necessary. “Would it be possible to get some supplies? I’m guessing that Traci will be here almost straight through until Ryan is found.”

  “Most likely. I have people looking into Riever’s background to see why he killed Ryan’s parents and to see if there’s anything or anyone we can use to draw Riever out of hiding so he could lead us back to Ryan.” Tonika realized that he hadn’t answered Kerry’s question and continued. “Of course we can have someone take you home to get some supplies. You may also want to feed your pets if you have any.”

  “Thank you. Who can take me?”

  “I’ll send you with Officer Vetters. Whenever you want to go, just let her know.”

  “Thank you, James,” she said again as she left the office.

  She found Traci in the bullpen with Levi working to find any information that would help them to find Ryan. “Traci?” she called softly as she walked to the desk. “I need to go home for some supplies. Whenever you think you can take a break, can you let me know? I’ll be here for the duration, and I would like to at least have my toothbrush and a change of clothes.”

  Traci glanced up from her computer and nodded. “I’ll take a break after I finish going through this file,” she said. “It shouldn’t be too long, if you just want to wait out here."

  Kerry agreed, and found herself sitting at Ryan’s desk. She noticed a picture of the two of them that had been taken when Ryan had first started working at the precinct, and her eyes teared up. Next to the picture of her and Ryan, she noticed one of Captain Riever, Traci, and Ryan. Her hand started to shake as she reached for it. Rememberin
g her promise to James about being strong, she wiped her eyes and steeled her nerves.

  “Kerry? Are you okay?” Kerry shook herself from her angry thoughts and managed to sound normal when she replied to Traci.

  “I’m doing fairly well, considering the circumstances. I just saw the picture of Riever, and felt upset.” After a moment’s pause she continued, “Are you ready to go?”

  Traci nodded, accepting Kerry’s answer. “Yeah. Do you need to take care of the dog and horses too?”

  Kerry answered that she did and that she would call a friend to take care of them if they couldn’t find Ryan quickly. The chores took about half an hour to complete, and about an hour after leaving the station, the two women returned.

  “Anything new?” Traci asked Levi after she had settled Kerry back into the break room.

  “We got another message on Kerry’s phone. It was a picture. He doesn’t look good, Traci,” he warned as he hesitantly handed Traci the phone.

  “Has the captain seen this?” she asked as she felt the blood leave her face. The picture showed Ryan beaten and chained into a cage. He was hanging limply from the handcuffs around the railings as if his legs could no longer support him. From the look of it, his weight was all being put on his arms at the time the picture was taken and the strain of it had caused Ryan’s left shoulder to dislocate. Ryan’s look of pain and fear brought tears to Traci’s eyes, and she swore to herself that Riever would pay for what he had done.

  TWENTY

  Ryan wanted to scream out in pain as his injured arm felt the pull of his weight. He wasn’t sure when it had happened, but his shoulder had become dislocated sometime during the course of the day. Only now, with the depletion of his earlier adrenaline, did he feel all the pain that had been inflicted on him so far. The singular thing that kept him from crying out was his desire to hide his pain from his tormenter. Riever had left him alone for several hours, but Ryan couldn’t relax after Riever’s promise. The thought of a “treat” from Riever made him shiver in terror.

  Riever had entered the room once and used his cell phone to take a picture of him as he hung helpless and in pain from the bars of the cage. Ryan had cursed to himself as he realized that Riever was planning on tormenting his friends by sending pictures of him to them. His thoughts turned venomous and he knew that given the opportunity, he would not hesitate to kill Riever. Too bad that doesn’t seem like it’s going to be an option, he thought as he pulled weakly at his cuffed hands. Blood was rolling down his arms as the metal dug into his wrists, and Ryan struggled to get his feet under him to grant his abused arms a reprieve.

  Hearing Riever entering the room gave him the adrenaline rush he needed to push so his legs were once again holding his weight. He looked at Riever warily, and blocked the emotion from his face as the other man entered the cage and removed the tape from Ryan’s mouth. “What do you want, Riever?” Ryan asked, proud at how calm he sounded as he spoke.

  “I came to give you your treat,” Riever said, relishing the fear that flickered through Ryan’s eyes as he pulled out the syringe he had prepared earlier. “From now on, you will be receiving daily doses of this lovely drug. I stole it from evidence lockup, and I also managed to find a decent supplier who gave me free samples in exchange for not arresting him.”

  Ryan tried to recoil, but was only able to move a few inches. “What is it?” he asked—the onset of panic now evident in his voice.

  “Tell me what it is before you give it to me,” he demanded. The fear in his voice took away from any threat he had intended.

  Riever just shrugged as if it didn’t matter that he was about to inject Ryan. “It’s a special mixture including Rohypnol and a pretty strong hallucinogenic, along with a little something extra to make it more addictive,” he answered Ryan. “It will be rough at first, but the more doses you get, the less you will react to the drug, and the more you will react to not having it.”

  Ryan strained against the handcuffs trying to avoid the syringe, but Riever punched him in the face, stunning him so he barely felt the sharp pinch of the needle as it entered his skin. He did feel the pressure as Riever depressed the syringe, emptying the contents into his system. “Do not fight me, Ryan. It won’t do you any good. No one is coming for you; they don’t know where you are.”

  Ryan gasped as he felt the drugs coursing through his veins. “Why send pictures to them?” he asked, trying to fight the panic that he felt knowing what was going to happen. In about half an hour he would begin hallucinating and going through who knows what else because of the drug.

  Riever chuckled as he answered, “Because I enjoy knowing that they see you are suffering at my hands, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  Ryan blinked rapidly as he continued fighting his fear. “I thought you wanted to be a father to me,” he said weakly. “Fathers would never do this to their sons.”

  Refusing to rise to the bait, Riever answered calmly. “You were out of my hands for too long, Ryan. You don’t depend on me like you should and it’s Frank’s fault,”—Riever’s voice rose as he spoke about Frank, but he calmed quickly—“I am merely giving you a reason to depend on me.” He waited for a response, shaking his head when Ryan remained silent.

  “I have some business to take care of,” he said as he left the room, leaving Ryan alone to face the coming hallucinations and mood swings that could range from happy to depressed to furious in a matter of seconds. He could also go from being terrified and feeling every ache and pain in his body, to being fearless and feeling nothing. Once the trip started, Ryan knew he was in for a rough time.

  The effects came gradually, starting with sharpened vision in the dim room. He could see a cot outside the cage that had a pillow and blanket on it. He felt furious suddenly as he fought the chains, and tried to get to the cot so he could warm up in the cool underground room.

  Riever listened from the next room, smiling as he heard the rattle of the chains and the incoherent yelling that was an obvious indication that the drugs had begun to take effect. His body will get used to it, and then he will be mine, he thought. Once the boy’s body became accustomed to the drug, Ryan would feel worse during the hours he was off the drug and Riever would give him the risperidone he had prepared. It would keep him docile and mentally compliant. Only after Ryan asked for the drug would Riever allow him to leave the cage and occupy the other part of the room that included a cot and a dresser with clothes for Ryan. He would still be locked in, of course. He couldn’t risk the boy’s friends seeing him and ruining the effects of what he had accomplished.

  The boy’s angry yelling had turned to cries of terror as the hallucinogenic properties of the drug made themselves known. Riever didn’t know what the boy was seeing, but he could tell that it had terrified him. I bet his friends would like to see him, he thought, smiling sinisterly as he grabbed a camcorder and entered Ryan’s room.

  ***

  Frederick Matthews was scared. He had heard that the officer who had come to see him was now missing, and he knew it was his fault. I should never have gotten involved. He knew his wife had noticed that he seemed upset about something, but she didn’t ask him what it was. If she had, he probably wouldn’t have been able to resist telling her.

  There was no way he could have known that Riever had actually planned on kidnapping the kid. I thought the underground rooms were there as a hiding place in case he got caught on the stalking charge. Now I hear he killed the kid’s uncle and kidnapped him? I can’t do this anymore.

  Matthews wrote a note to his wife, and put it on his desk. If he told the cops what he knew, Riever would come after him. He could only hope that the other man would leave his wife alone. He leaned back in his chair and thought about how he had gotten involved with the man. At first he had thought that Riever wanted to keep an eye on the boy to make sure he was doing okay and that his uncle was treating him well. Riever had said that Ryan’s parents were his best friends and he had promised to keep an eye on their chi
ld if anything ever happened to them. The reason for the secrecy and sneaking around was that he and Frank didn’t get along, and Frank wouldn’t be happy with him checking up on the boy.

  Thinking back on it, Matthews snorted at his own stupidity. I can’t believe I fell for it. And once I figured out what was going on, I was in too deep; Riever had proof that I had been stalking the kid. I would have gone to jail, and my family would have suffered. I was trying to protect them. He laughed bitterly at himself. Yeah, right. I was too much of a coward to admit what I had done. I would have rather had an innocent kid suffer than have people find out that I had become a criminal.

  He knew it wasn’t too late to change. Officer Vetters had given him her card, and he could call her and tell her everything. They might even catch Riever before the psycho found out that Matthews had betrayed him.

  Matthews fiddled with the card in his hands for several minutes before reaching for his phone and dialing the number. He heard the pleasant, albeit strained alto voice of Officer Vetters and hesitated before explaining why he was calling. “This is Fred Matthews. I have some information for you that could help you find Ryan. I don’t want to give it to you over the phone, can we meet?”

  Traci nearly dropped the phone when she heard Matthews say he had information on Ryan. “We can meet. When and where?” she asked. Levi watched her curiously as he continued digging into Riever’s background.

  “The north edge of the park; I’ll be there in a couple hours. Say around seven?”

  “Riever already has Ryan. We can’t wait that long. I’ll meet you where you want, but it needs to be now, and I’ll have another man with me who has been working with us to find Ryan.”