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Chapter 9 -- February 10, 2000
Chris stood outside the medical records office staring at the opposite wall. He'd gone to surgery with the man Julie had shot and tried to repair the damage but ultimately the man had become another name to add to the evergrowing list of her victims.
He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at the wall. It was up to him to find Karen now. She'd given him the clue. All he had to do was follow her lead. If he could only remember what it was she was trying to tell him.
Chris: "Hold on, Karen," He said softly, "I'm going to find you."
He walked to the opposite wall where Karen had pulled him into that first innocent kiss. He reached out and touched the cool paint.
Eve came around the corner and walked up to him slowly, "Chris?"
Chris: "I have to find her, Eve."
Eve: "Chris, don't beat yourself up over this. You can't control Julie."
Chris: "No, but I did marry her and I did get Karen involved in this," He said matter-of-factly. He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to the wall, "Julie was so angry when she talked about Christina. Then Scott just made it worse. I just hope she didn't take that out on Karen."
Eve: "Chris, don't think about something that might not have happened."
Chris: "I can't help it. What if it did, Eve?" He said looking at her, "What if Julie hurt her and it's all my fault? I should've known better than to include Baldwin."
Eve: "Scott did waht he thought he had to do."
Chris: "Maybe. Maybe he didn't think at all."
Eve: "Kevin doesn't think Julie would hurt her."
Chris: "Like Kevin didn't think she was pregnant? Pardon me if I don't put much stock in anything Dr. Psychoshrink has to say."
Eve: "Kevin's just trying to help."
Chris: "He can help by not getting involved," He said sharply, "Last think Karen needs is one more idiot to make Julie angry."
Eve: "Chris, I know how you must be feeling..."
Chris: "On the contrary, Eve, you have no clue how I'm feeling," He said then paused, "I'm sorry. I know you are just trying to help. It's just that I don't know how to find Karen. She gave me a clue to find her and I just can't figure it out."
Eve: "What clue?"
Chris: "She asked me if I remembered the dream she had about the two of us."
Eve: "And you don't remember?"
Chris: "It doesn't ring any bells," He said, "Well, one actually. I remember her telling me something about a dream but it was the night we got drunk at Lukes and I don't remember any details of it."
Eve: "Have you gone back there?"
Chris: "No. I've been walking around the hospital trying to remember things but I can't seem to remember what she told me."
Eve: "Let's go over to Luke's. Maybe something will come back to you," She said as she took his arm, "Come on."
He nodded and followed her into the elevator. As the doors closed, Chris thought of Karen and how they'd been caught in the elevator that first night. He reached out and stopped the elevator. Eve turned to him.
Eve: "Why'd you stop the elevator?"
Chris: "Cause we were trapped in the elevator that night. And that's how her dream started."
Eve: "You remember?"
Chris: "I remember that's how her dream started with us in this elevator holding one another and I was kissing her."
Eve: "In the dream or when you two were caught?"
Chris: "Both," He half-smiled, "Except we went home together in her dream to her place. And we made love," He said as the details of her dream came back to him, "And that's when she said Julie showed up. And the next thing we were in....." He said before starting the elevator again, "I know what she's trying to tell me."
Eve: "What? Chris, what happened?"
Chris: "She's in a jail or a prison. In the dream, Julie was holding the two of us in a cell with bars like a prison or a jail."
Eve: "Did anything else happen in the dream?" She asked anxiously.
Chris: "I don't know. That's when Karen started coming on to me," He grinned devilishly.
Eve: "Pretty much ended your capacity for brain activity, didn't it?" She teased.
Chris: "Yeah, actually it did," He smiled, "She's something else, Eve. She's not like any other woman I've ever met. She just gets it with me. No fancy explaining, no big plays. We just enjoy each other."
Eve: "Sounds to me like you're in love," She offered with a smile.
He looked at Eve and realized that for the first time in a long time, it was someone other than Eve that he'd looked forward to spending time with. He met her eyes and spoke up.
Chris: "Actually, I think I might be."
Eve: "Have you told her?"
Chris: "No, I haven't. I just hope I still have that chance," He said stepping off the elevator.
Chapter 10
Garcia stood with Scott at the nurse's station.
Garcia: "I told you to notify me if she made contact with you."
Scott: "She didn't contact me. She contacted Ramsey."
Garcia: "But you didn't bother to contact me anyway. You went in with your own men and got one of them killed."
Scott: "I'm real sorry about that. But it couldn't be avoided."
Garcia: "Yes it could have. You should have called us."
Scott: "Then it would have been one of your guys killed. Same problem, Garcia. Have you found any trace of her or Karen?"
Garcia: "No, not yet."
Scott: "Then what good are you?" He raised his voice.
Chris: "Hey," He said stepping forward, "Hey, killing each other isn't going to help Karen. You can do that when she's safe again."
Scott: "Any suggestion?"
Chris: "Yeah, actually," He said turning to Garcia, "Julie's holding Karen in some type of jail or prison. It's somewhere with bars and a cell."
Garcia: "How do you know this?"
Chris: "Karen gave me a hint earlier and I finally figured out what she was trying to tell me."
Garcia: "A jail or a prison? Julie has a bizarre sense of humor," She said calling his dispatcher.
Scott looked over to Chris who was standing with Eve: "A dream about being in jail?"
Chris: "I'd tell you the rest but you'd get psychotic," Chris smiled as Garcia stepped back to speak with them.
Scott: "We're getting a list of places together. They should have it ready for us by the time we get to the station."
Chris: "I've got a patient I need to sign off on and I'll be ready to go," He said walking to the desk and picking up a chart.
Scott: "I need to call Lucy," He said as he took out his cell phone and dialed Lucy.
Garcia: "Meet me there then," He said going to the elevator.
Scott finished his call and placed his cell on the desk as he leaned up against it beside Chris.
Scott: "Where would Julie most likely tell her?"
Chris: "I don't know. That's the problem. She gets very unpredictable when she's irritated, and she is very very irritated."
Scott: "Think Ramsey! You're her husband."
Chris: "Soon to be ex-husband, Baldwin," He said looking over his chart.
Scott: "How long will you be?"
Chris: "About 5 minutes."
Scott: "I'm gonna go and see Garcia. See if I can rush him up a bit," He said walking to the elevator.
Chris looked over and spotted Scott's cell phone just as it rang. Scott was gone and Chris picked up the phone.
Chris: "Hello?"
Julie: "Chris?"
Chris: "Julie?" Chris asked before walking to a private corner, "I want to talk to Karen."
Julie: "What are you doing on this number?" She snapped.
Chris: "Nevermind that. How's Karen?"
Julie: "She's alive but I'm rethinking that."
Chris: "No, Julie. I want to talk to her. Let me know she's alright."
Julie: "She's currently unavailable but I think I could arrange something."
Chris: "Julie, let me know she's okay."
Julie: "Meet me in the parking lot of the Recovery Room in ten minutes. I'll take you to her."
Chris: "Not good enough. Take me and let her go."
Julie: "No, but you can see her."
Chris: "Julie...."
Julie: "Take it or leave it, Chris. I think I'm bending over backwards to help you out here."
Chris: "Okay, okay. Ten minutes."
Julie hung up on her end and Chris switched off the phone. He left a note on the phone explaining to Scott that they'd be able to find him using the signal from his cell phone. He left and went to the Recovery Room.
He got out of his car and looked around, hoping Julie would make this easy for all of them. He hoped that Karen was okay. He sincerely hoped that Julie hadn't took her wrath out on Karen. Karen didn't deserve any of this. All she had done was be his friend and spend time with him and open his heart to the possibility of love.
He leaned back against the car and hugged his jacket to him as the wind picked up. Slowly a woman approached the car and as she got closer, Chris recognized Julie.
Chris: "Where is she?" He asked watching Julie point to the car door.
Julie: "Get in. I'll take you to her."
Chris held out the car keys to Julie as he walked around and got in the passenger side. He got in and watched as Julie got into the driver's side. She started the car and then placed her hand into her pocket. She removed a single syringe and extended it to Chris, "Take this."
Chris: "What is this?"
Julie: "Sodium pentithol."
Chris: "Why?"
Julie: "I don't want you thinking you can help Scott find you two. You and Karen have no outside help," She explained, "Take it."
Chris took the syringe and looked back at her, "We couldn't just use a blindfold?"
Julie: "No, I'm through with concessions, Chris," She said driving away, "It's this way or no way."
Chris: "Okay, fine," He said as he took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeve and injected himself with the drug. He capped the needle, dumped it into the console and rolled his sleeve back down, "Scott's never going to let you see Christina."
Julie: "Yes he will. Or Karen will be the next victim of the General Homicide Killer."
Chris: "Julie," He started as he began to feel drowsy, "You don't want to hurt her. Karen's your friend."
Julie: "No, she's not. She stopped being my friend when she started sleeping with you."
Chris looked out the window and felt drowsy. Everything on the road became blurred together, "We haven't slept together."
Julie looked over to him and caught his jaw with her hand causing him to turn towards her. She knew the drug worked as a truth agent, but she was beginning to wonder if Chris was fighting. She saw the drugged look in his eyes as he fought to stay awake.
Julie: "You haven't slept with her?" She asked, trying to see if he would tell the truth.
Chris: "No. We made an agreement."
Julie: "What agreement?" She said bringing his eyes beck to hers, "Hey," She shouted as he started to drift off. His eyes perked back up to groggily meet hers, "What agreement Chris?"
Chris: "We wouldn't sleep together until we were free from other people. We wouldn't make love until my divorce was final."
Julie: "You didn't start the divorce though. I did."
Chris: "Yeah," He answered slowly, "I wanted you to understand that I care about you Julie. I wanted you to know that our marriage wasn't all about the plan."
She looked back at him and focused on him for a moment, "You care about me?"
Chris: "Yes," He said, his words more slurred than before, "I loved you, Julie...But . . . . " He trailed off as he slipped out of consciousness.
Julie: "But what?" She asked pushing his arm, "But what?" She stopped when she realized he wasn't coming around, "Dammit, Chris. Not now!" She frowned wanting him to finish his explaination.
Chapter 11
Karen pulled her blanket tightly around her to keep warm but it wasn't the cool air that kept her so cold. It was the probability that Chris was dead, and she'd never get to feel his arms around her again. The thought that she'd never get to taste his kiss again chilled her to the bone.
He couldn't be dead, not now that she'd seen to the good of him. She'd seen the heart that he didn't want the world to see. She'd shared time with him and loved every moment of it, wishing she could hold him to her and listen to his heart beat in his chest. She wanted to be able to look into his dark brown eyes and see that wicked twinkle dance around. She wanted to be able to see his lips twist into that daring smile. She wanted to be able to tell him what he meant to her and that she was falling in love with him.
She heard footsteps outside the door and she walked to the bars. She saw the door open but not who was there. She squinted her eyes trying to make out a figure in the dark. In a moment, the light came on along with the sound of a furnace before Julie stepped inside with Chris leaning on her.
Karen perked up shoving off the blanket as she grabbed the bars: "CHRIS! You're okay??"
Chris: "Karen!" He said going to the bars and reaching to touch her cheek, "Are you okay?"
Karen looked over Chris's chest and didn't see any blood and she looked up to his face, "You're alive."
Julie unlocked the door and Chris quickly darted inside to take Karen into his arms. Karen wrapped her arms around him tightly as she cried.
Chris: "Are you okay?" He asked holding her safely in his arms.
Karen: "I am now that I know you're okay. You're alive," She sobbed with a relieved smile as she placed her hand over his beating heart.
Chris: "She hasn't hurt you, has she?" He asked checking her over as he saw the bump on her head.
Karen: "No. Just a bump on the head," She said reaching up and kissing him quickly before wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug, "When Julie came back last night with all the blood on her shirt, I thought she'd killed you."
Chris: "No, she killed one of Scott's hired guns. She didn't hurt me," He said holding her to him tightly, "Thank god you're okay."
Julie: "Isn't this touching?" Julie finally spoke up as she slammed the barred door behind them, "I'm so glad that I could reunite you two."
Karen kept her arms around Chris as she looked at Julie: "What are you going to do now?"
Julie: "Exactly what I said I was going to do. I'm going to show you that Chris is a lying bastard, but I'm also going to get my baby back," She explained.
Chris: "Scott isn't going to give you Christina," He said still holding Karen firmly, "Face it Julie. You're in a no win situation here."
Julie: "Then we do still have something in common, because you are too. You're either going to die or you're going to lose Karen for good. What a horrible dilemna," She said with a laugh.
Karen: "Julie, give it up. Scott's not going to. You know how stubborn he can be. You're not going to get him this way."
Julie: "And just what approach would work?" She asked picking up her gun again.
Karen: "Nothing you're going to suggest. Besides Scott isn't the only one involved now."
Chris: "That's right. Frank has a say in this too. They're in a custody fight for Christina," He said holding Karen, "If you want Christina, your best bet is Frank or Rachel. Not Scott."
Julie: "Rachel?" She asked then smiled, "You're right. Rachel cares about me. She wanted the best for me. I'll call her," She said walking out the door again.
Karen: "What was the point in that?" She asked touching Chris's cheek, still in awe that he was alive.
Chris: "Rachel's the only person who has been able to reason with Julie. If anyone can make her see reason, it'll be Rachel," He explained moving his hands over her to confirm that she was okay, "You sure you're alright?"
Karen: "I'm fine, Chris. I"m just thankful you're alive," She said moving her eyes to his, "Chris..."
Chris: "Karen....."
They both smiled as they wrapped their arms around one another and held on.
Chapter 12
Scott and Garcia went back to the hospital where there was no sign of Chris.
Garcia: "Where the hell has he gone to?" He asked stepping up to the desk.
Eve: "Hey Scott, Chris left this for you," She said handing him an envelope.
Scott: "What's this?" He asked opening the envelope and seeing his phone, "What the hell?"
Garcia: "Yours?" He asked as Scott took the phone from the package.
Scott: "Yeah, actually it is," He said switching on the phone.
Garcia: "Why would Dr. Ramsey have your phone?"
Scott: "I misplaced it earlier. Ramsey must have picked it up."
Garcia: "And he just gave it back this way?"
Scott: "Yes," He said curtly as he tossed the envelope back on the desk.
Garcia: "We really need to get looking over this list," He said producing a piece of paper from his pocket.
Scott: "Julie would have to be close by. She made it to the amusement park quickly."
Garcia: "Okay, so she's not traveling far," He said glancing over the list and marking out some choices, "That eliminates these two."
Scott: "She took Karen's car. Hasn't anyone found it yet?"
Garcia: "Not yet. We're still looking."
Scott: "How the hell do you keep your job?"
Garcia: "Baldwin, we can only cover so much ground at a time."
Scott: "It's not enough. Find her."
Eve: "Guys, has it never occurred to you that Chris is looking for her too?" She intervened, "He wasn't here when you got back."
Garcia: "He was suppose to meet us at the police station. Maybe we crossed paths."
Eve: "Maybe you should call him."
Scott: "Why bother?" He said sarcastically, "That idiot is probably at home hiding from questions."
Eve: "Scott," She chided as she picked up the phone and dialed Chris's cell phone. She hung up after a minute, "It's busy."
Scott: "Told you."
Garcia dialed his cell phone and spoke with his dispatcher then hung up.
Garcia: "He could be speaking with Julie. I'm arranging to have his signal traced."
Scott: "That will take forever, you idiot. Let's concentrate on more important things. Finding Karen. I don't care where Ramsey is."
Garcia: "Let's go through this list to figure out where Julie is," He said taking Scott to the side.
Eve picked up the envelope that had contained Scott's cell phone and tossed it into the trash can nearby. The note Chris had left would never be seen.
Chapter 13
Chris sat on the cot against the wall, holding Karen against him. He stroked her hair gently as he held her.
Chris: "Warmer now."
Karen: "Yes," She answered, "Heart and body."
Chris: "I'm sorry for all of this, Karen."
Karen: "It's not your fault, Chris. It's mine."
Chris: "No, it's not. I brought Julie back into our lives. This should never have happened to you."
Karen: "I'm the one that made our friendship into something else Chris. She wanted to convince me that you didn't want me."
Chris: "Whatever she said, Karen, it's not true."
Karen looked up into his eyes.
Karen: "I know Chris. I know the real you. And you are not what she said you are."
Chris: "What did she say?"
Karen: "She said that I was only chief resident because of you and Rachel."
Chris: "That's not true. Well, not completely true."
Karen: "What do you mean?"
Chris: "I mean I didn't do anything. Rachel did."
Karen: "What?" She asked in shock.
Chris: "Rachel took on Gail's place in the panel and worked the vote in your favor."
Karen: "She what?"
Chris: "I don't know all the details but you were in top contention anyway. Rachel just made sure you couldn't lose," He explained, "You were the best candidate for the job. I figured Eve would get the chief residency but she had been distracted for a long time with Kevin. And Matt was working himself into an early grave after Ellen split. And Joe was distracted with Neil. You were the best candidate and you won."
Karen: "You knew about this?" She asked wondering how much of what Julie had said was true.
Chris: "I did but I didn't really understand why Rachel was so adamant about slanting the vote."
Karen: "So, I'm chief resident because of Rachel?"
Chris: "No, you're chief resident because you deserved the job."
Karen: "But Rachel slanted the vote..."
Chris: "In your favor because you were her favored candidate. Boardman was for Harmon and Quartermaine was for Joe. You had an equal chance."
Karen: "Why did Rachel do that?"
Chris: "I think she thought if you were chief resident, your character testimony for Julie might carry more weight."
Karen: "But you didn't do anything?"
Chris: "No. I did not sway the voting in any way. Rachel did."
Karen: "Julie said something else......I need to know how much of it is true, Chris."
Chris: "Ask me, Karen."
Karen: "Julie said you were only with me to get information about Christina, Scott and Lucy. Are you?" She spoke softly.
Chris: "Karen, you should know the answer to that already. If I was only helping Julie, would I have told the truth about Christina being Frank's?"
Karen: "If you wanted to keep Scott and Lucy from gaining custody, you would have."
Chris: "I can't believe I'm hearing this. You're going to believe Julie but not me?" He asked as he stood and stepped across the cell, "I did not start seeing you because I wanted information. I did speak with you to begin with to have you help in Julie's defense but I did not use you with Christina. I told you about Neil and Christina to help them both, no other reason."
Karen: "So Julie's lying?"
Chris: "Yes, Karen, she's lying. She's trying to ruin the rest of my short life by driving you away from me. I have not lied to you once since we started seeing one another and I won't ever lie to you. However long we live," He said walking to the bars and leaning against the cool metal.
Karen: "Oh god.." She said as she looked up to Chris, "You think she's going to kill us?"
Chris: "I think it's crossed her mind already."
Karen took a deep breath as tears poured down her cheeks: "I'm not ready to die Chris. I don't want to."
Chris: "Hey," He said walking to sit beside her and take her in his arms, wiping tears from her eyes, "You're supposed to be optimistic. What happened to your being able to see the bright side of things? I'm usually the pessimist."
Karen: "I'm scared Chris. There's so much I haven't done, things I haven't said to people and such. I want to have that chance."
Chris: "You will. Scott's going to find us. I left him a way to find us. We're going to live a long time yet."
Karen: "You let Scott know where we were?"
Chris: "Yes, kind of. It should give him a good idea of where we are."
Karen: "I want to get out of here. Chris, I was so scared when I thought you were dead," She started needing to tell him, "I care about you so much. I haven't told you what you mean to me and I was terrified that I wouldn't have the chance."
Chris: "Karen," He said as he turned her to look at him, "I've been worried since the moment you went missing. I was so scared that I'd never get to hold you or kiss you or see your smile again. I didn't realize how much I care for you. You brought me something that I didn't think I could ever have, Karen."
Karen: "Chris..." She said as she looked into his eyes feeling the emotion in his words. She touched his cheek and felt the tears slip down her own, "I never thought I'd feel this way again. I need you in my life, Chris. I need you."
He lowered his lips to hers in a tender kiss.
Chris: "We're going to make it, Karen. I'm not going to let Julie take you away from me."
Chapter 14
Scott paced the interrogation room in a frenzy.
Scott: "Not only does he get her kidnapped, but then he disappears on us while trying to find her. That idiot is probably in Atlantic City."
Lucy reached out and took his arm.
Lucy: "Scott, Chris is either out looking for her or Julie's killed him. He cares about Karen too much to run."
Scott: "I can't believe you. This is Chris Ramsey we're talking about. He doesn't care about anyone but himself."
Lucy: "You haven't seen him with her. He does care about her."
Scott: "Have you gone loopy again?"
Lucy: "Scott, listen. He listens to her and doesn't judge her. That's what Karen really finds atractive in him."
Scott: "She's talked to you about it?"
Lucy: "Actually she and Ellen spoke. And Ellen and I were talking."
Scott: "Ellen? Did everyone know but me?"
Lucy: "Scott, Karen was afraid to let you know because she knew how you felt about Chris. She didn't want you trying to ruin their friendship."
Scott: "It's a relationship?" He asked still astonished by it all, "It's that far gone?"
Lucy: "Yes."
Scott: "Oh god.....please tell me that she's not sleeping with him."
Lucy: "Would it be so bad if she is?" She defended, "She's an adult and a woman who cares very much for a man."
Scott: "That's just sick, sick, sick, sick!"
Lucy: "She's your daughter, Scott. The thought of her with any man would make you sick."
Scott: "Yeah, but especially him."
Lucy: "Scott, you'd have to see them together to understand. He brings out something in her that I haven't seen in a very long time."
Scott: "You've seen them together?"
Lucy: "Yeah, last week at the Recovery Room. He was very affectionate and she didn't know there was another person in the room."
Scott stopped and looked at her, "Yeah?"
Lucy: "Yeah, Karen looked at him like I look at you. I think she's in love with him, Scott. And I know that he's in love with her."
Scott: "How do you know?"
Lucy: "You're going to freak out."
Scott: "Tell me."
Lucy: "Earlier, he reminded me of you. Going off on his own and trying to do whatever he can to help her...he loves her. That's why I know he's out there trying to find her right now."
Scott: "He is not like me."
Lucy: "Scott, look back to when you were his age. You are."
Scott: "Then I definitely know I don't want her with him. She deserves better."
Lucy: "She deserves to be loved, Scott, like you love me."
Scott: "That's a cheap shot," He frowned.
Lucy: "I know I'd have to play dirty to make you see reason," She smiled.
Scott: "I almost hope you're right. Cause maybe if he really feels that way he'll move heaven and earth to keep her safe," He said taking Lucy in his arms to hold her.
Chapter 15
Chris watched as Karen slept after she'd cried herself to sleep in fear and hope. She lay nestled against him, her head on his chest lulled by the gentle thumping of his heart. Her hand was on his chest linked in his as he cradled her against him. He lay his head back against the cool wall where his back had warmed a spot.
He couldn't lose her. If not knowing where she was had been scary, seeing her in fear of her life was heartbreaking. She was the optimist in their relationship but he had been the one to give hope to her. That scared him.
He heard the door open as Julie stepped inside and sat at the desk across from the cell. He watched her as she placed the gun along with the cell phone on the desk. She sat back, placing her feet on the desk crossing her ankles and crossing her arms across her chest.
Chris: "Julie," He spoke softly trying not to distrub Karen, "Why don't you give this up?"
Julie: "You're beginning to sound like a broken record Chris."
Chris: "I just think I deserve an answer."
Julie: "Why? Because you're my husband? We're getting divorced, remember?"
Chris: "That was your decision. Not mine."
Julie: "Oh, so this fling with Karen? I'm just supposed to forget that?"
Chris: "Julie, you're the one who went to prison and left me alone in our marriage. Did you expect me to take a life sentence with you?"
Julie: "For better or for worse, Chris."
Chris: "That was not part of OUR marriage vows."
Julie: "Are you saying that if it had been you would have lived up to it?"
Chris: "We didnt' marry for love in the first place, Julie. I didn't marry you because I loved you and you didn't marry me for love either."
Julie: "But that changed. We loved each other."
Chris: "Did we?"
Julie: "You told me that you had loved me when you were drugged."
Chris: "I didn't say I didn't love you. But I know that you never loved me."
Julie: "But I did."
Chris: "No, you didn't. I tried to help you Julie. I tried to get you to listen to me over and over again but you wouldn't. Actually now I'm glad you didn't. Because if you had, you'd probably have been found not guilty and been released into society endangering everyone."
Julie: "You think I'm guilty, don't you?"
Chris: "I think you're guilty of killing two people on your first escape from prison and four on this escape. That's six people, Julie. Whether or not you killed the General Homicide victims is irrelevant at this point"
Julie: "I didn't kill anyone." She said sadly.
Chris: "Then who did Julie? Did Marsha do it?"
Julie: "Chris...you don't understand. I had to do it. I had to."
Chris: "No, you didn't. You didn't have to kill anyone."
Julie: "Yes I did I had to do it for Christina."
Chris: "Do you think she would want you to? What kind of legacy is that for her?"
Julie: "She's not your daughter, Chris. You don't make decisions for her!"
Chris: "Maybe not. But the woman that gave birth to Christina would never want her daughter to think her mother was that kind of woman."
Julie: "I'm not the same woman I was then."
Chris: "No, you're not. The Julie I loved, the Julie that loved Christina is dead."
Julie: "No, I'm just fine. And I'm going to get my baby back," She explained getting up and walking to the bars, "Do you love her?" She said pointing to Karen.
Chris: "Yes, I do," He said matching her gaze, "Let her go, Julie. Just keep me."
Julie: "No. She stays. You betrayed me. She betrayed me. Both of you have to pay."
Chris: "What are you going to do Julie?"
Julie: "Kill you, of course," She laughed, "And I'm going to enjoy it." She laughed one last time before she walked out the door, slamming it behind her.
Karen looked up at Chris, "We've got to get out of here."
Chris: "You're right," He answered looking at her, "You were pretending to be asleep?"
Karen: "I was asleep . . for a while," She said pressing her lips to his, "But I heard enough to know I want to get out of here."
Chris: "The first thing we have to do is get that door open. I need something to pick that lock with."
Karen: "You can do that?"
Chris: "If I have the right tools, I can," He said glancing around before stepping off the bed and holding his hand out to her. He helped her off the bed and flipped the mattress into the floor. He looked over the springs and found a weak link. He began to break away the weakened metal as he looked at Karen, "We're going to get out of here."
Chapter 16
Garcia: "We've got a lock on their location," He said as he stepped into the interrogation room.
Scott: "Where?" He asked converging on him.
Garcia: "In an abandoned station house about ten miles outside of town."
Scott: "Police station?"
Garcia: "That's right. We found Karen's car about half a mile down the road from it, and someone has been going in and out via the access road."
Scott: "Let's go. We have to get Karen out of there," He said grabbing his jacket.
Garcia: "Hold it. You're not going anywhere Scott."
Scott: "Yes I am. That's my daughter."
Garcia: "No, you're not. I have to think of your safety."
Scott: "Safety, schmafty. You're either taking me with you or I'll follow. It's that simple."
Garcia: "Okay, fine," He sighed, "But you stay out of the way."
Scott: "Great, lets go," He said pushing Garcia out the door.
***Meanwhile***
Karen watched as Chris worked a metal link free of the springs and bent it straight: "You can really do this?"
Chris: "Yes," He answered walking to the door and slipping the link into the lock, "My father taught me all sorts of useful things," He said sarcastically.
Karen: "Well for this particular talent, I'm thankful to him."
Chris: "Acutally," He said pulling up on the link. The lock clanked and the door opened, "So am I.'
Karen: "You did it!" She said as she followed along with Chris as they stepped out, "I'll have to think of a way to thank you."
Chris: "I'll remember you said that," He said as they started for the door.
***Meanwhile***
Garcia and his men pulled their weapons from their cars and switched on the attached lights. They switched the lights off as they surrounded the building. Garcia stood at the doro on one side while a SWAT member stood on the other side. The door was kicked in and the police stormed the building. Another team kicked in the back door and rushed the building from there.
"Clear!"
"Clear!"
"Clear!"
Garcia looked around the empty station and cursed.
Scott stepped in behind them and looked around, "Where are they?"
Garcia: "Not here."
Scott: "What do you mean they're not here?!"
Garcia: "This isn't where Julie has been holding Karen."
Scott: "Then where are they?"
Garcia: "I don't know."
Scott: "Dammit!" He shouted in frustration, "This has been a waste of time."
Garcia started to say something before a street office came up to him.
Officer: "Detective, dispatch just radioed. They found Dr. Ramsey's car outside the old city zoo."
Scott: "Let's go," He said dragging Garcia with him.
***Meanwhile***
Chris and Karen started up a foot path in the abandoned old zoo. They had left the monkey house where they'd been held and started towards the gate. There were no lights in the old zoo except the faint glow from the single street light located outside the zoo.
Karen: "Where do you think she went to?"
Chris: "To irritate Scott again. No doubt," He answered as they started across a foot bridge over a river tributary that had been diverted through the zoo.
Karen was yanked away from Chris as she screamed. Julie placed the barrel of her gun under Karen's chin. Chris turned and started to reach for Karen but Julie pulled back the hammer of the gun while securing her hold on Karen. Karen ceased fighting and looked to Chris with fear in her eyes.
Julie: "Going somewhere Pookey?" She asked pressing the metal into Karen's skin.
Chris: "Let her go, Julie."
Julie: "NO!" She screamed, "She's going to die, Chris and you get to watch."
Chris: "Is that what this is? You want to punish me for not loving you?"
Julie: "Something like that," She said with a smile, "Say goodbye to your girlfriend Chris."
Chris tried to remain calm as he thought of a way to get Julie's attention: "You really want to know why I could never love you?"
Karen watched him through the tears in her eyes. She didn't know what he was up to, but she prayed he knew what he was doing.
Julie: "Why don't you enlighten me Chris."
Chris: "Because you had Frankenstein's spawn. The thought of his child growing inside you makes me sick. I would never be able to love someone that makes my skin crawl like you and your brat do."
Julie: "Shut up Chris. You loved us!"
Chris: "I could never love you!" He said firmly and in disgust, "You're everything that Kevin Collins said you were."
Julie: "No!" She screamed.
Chris: "Yes!" He shouted back at her, seeing her anger mount, "You're nothing but a cold blooded killer and Christina's going to be a monster, just like you!"
Julie: "No!" She screamed raising the gun towards Chris.
Karen saw the gun and saw Julie begin to squeeze the trigger. She pushed Julie's arm but the gun went off. Karen felt Julie's surprise as she spun on her. Julie tried to train the gun on Karen, but Karen shoved her backward. Julie lost her balance and fell over the bridge.
Karen watched as Julie fell to the water below and lay motionless. Karen closed her eyes for a moment in relief before turning around to look for Chris.
"Oh my god!" She breathed, "No!"