Under His Protection
Chapter 22

“Good, you’re awake Angel,” Kenny said as he pulled bread, meat and some fruit from the bag. “I got what I could for now. I’ll try later to get more and something for you to wear.”

She cringed every time he called her angel and watched as he prepared some sandwiches and handed her one. “I want to go home.”

He shot her a look of anger and smacked himself in the head. “I told you no so stop talking about leaving, it’s not happening.” Pulling out some magazines from the bag threw them on the table by the bed. “Here, this will help to pass the time and if you’re a good girl I’ll try and rig up a small TV for you to watch.”

She saw how Kenny was getting mad so she took the sandwich and started eating. It was better if she didn’t push him too hard or not ask him what he would do to her.

He sat down and watched her eat, his eyes going to her legs and he felt the stirring of desire for her building. He had admired her from afar for so long and longed to touch her. If only she would hurry up and fall for him. “Why can’t you love me?” he asked, rubbing his crotch to ease the throbbing.

She swallowed the piece of her sandwich and looked at him. “You can’t force someone to love you.”

“Yes, yes you can and once you are with me long enough and realize I can protect and love you as no one else can. In time you will want me, you will want to sleep with me and I promise it will be good. I won’t ever again let another man touch you.”

You keep me tied up in this horrible place with no proper food or living conditions and you expect me to fall in love with you. I’ll never love you nor will I let you touch me, I’ll die first,” she cried out.

Hearing this he flew into a fit of rage, knocking everything off the table and jumped towards her, pushing her down on the bed. He climbed on top and glared angrily down at her. “You will love me, Angel,” he said, his mouth going to hers he tried to kiss her but she moved her head from side to side, crying out for him to stop. He stopped, got up and pulled himself together. “I’m so sorry, forgive me. I will not touch you until you are ready.”

She cowered in the corner of the bed, she felt his hard cock pressing into her and she felt sick, wanting to throw up. If she didn’t stop running her mouth next time he might not stop and would rape her. She watched as he cleaned up the mess and put his disguise back on.

“I’m going out for a while.” He looked over at her. “Again I’m sorry, I will bring you back a special treat.” He took out a bottle of water and set it and some fruit on the table next to her bed. Without saying anything else he walked out, locking the door behind him.

Meanwhile back to Zane: He picked up the cup that was filled with the dark steaming black coffee that was on his desk. He took a sip as he read through the paperwork that Kenny’s doctor had faxed over. Joe sat across from him, making a face when he too drank the coffee.

“This taste like shit, why can’t they spring for a decent coffee machine?” he said and taking a report from an officer who handed it to him. Dropping the papers he was going through read it and looked over at Zane. “You’re going to want to read this,” he said and handed him the file.

His eyes narrowed as he read and he looked up at Joe. “The cottage fire was no accident, it was blown up with a homemade bomb. I can’t say I’m surprised. But is Kenny smart enough to build one?”

“According to these records, he is a genius. The man has one of the highest IQs I’ve ever heard of but he is also mentally disturbed. In his years of being kept in the mental ward, he stayed busy teaching himself about electronics. It says he learned how to build computers from bits and pieces the hospital gave him. Took broken cameras apart that weren’t in working condition and fixed them. Damn, the hospital even had him repair their surveillance cameras.”

“That’s a bit unethical isn’t it?” Zane asked.

Joe raised an eyebrow. “Guess it was cheaper than paying someone.”

Zane went back to reading. “Nowhere in the report does it say he is dangerous but is prone to fits of anger when pushed. That’s just stupid, I’m sure if he becomes angry enough he could be dangerous. Hell, he killed Trevor and blew up the cottage and if Jade makes him mad he’ll hurt her, or worse kill her.” He rubbed his eyes which were stinging.

“Why don’t you go home and get some sleep? I’ll call you if anything pops up.”

“I’m not going anywhere until we replace Jade,” he said, taking another drink and continuing to read the reports. “Not considered dangerous my ass,” he scoffed.

Joe got up and poured them both another cup of coffee. “We have every available cop out there searching the entire city. It’s only a matter of time before we replace her.”

Zane leaned back in his chair, his arm was aching but he wasn’t about to give up. He had to replace her before it was too late. There had to be something in these files to give them a clue as to where Kenny had taken her. A pain sliced through his heart, like a knife being plunged into it at the thought of her out there somewhere with that sick bastard and what he might be doing to her. He knew if Kenny hurt her he would kill him. “Where the hell are those surveillance tapes from the hospital?” he cursed out loud.

“They’re on the way, should be here any minute,” Joe answered.

Half an hour later the tapes were dropped off and they and a couple of other officers sat back and watched them. There was no sign of Kenny wandering the halls or entering the hospital. The tape from the back stairway was blank.

“He must have tampered with it,” Joe said to the others. “Let’s check the one in the underground parking lot.”

“There,” Joe pointed.

They saw on the tape a man carrying what appeared to be a body wrapped in a sheet. They couldn’t see his face but knew it was Kenny by the way he limped.

Zane banged his fist on the table and stood up. “That’s him, that’s the son of a bitch and he has her hidden in a fucken sheet.” He stared at the tape and watched to see where he was heading and saw him opening the back door to an old black van.” “Zero in on the license’s plate,” he ordered the one officer.

“It can’t be his vehicle, he doesn’t have a driver's license,” Joe said as he wrote down the numbers. Handing it to the man told him to run the plates and send out an APB on this.” He must have stolen it.”

“I know the man is criminally insane but I still can’t believe he is the killer and that there is someone else involved,” Zane said as he ran his hand through his hair.

“We replace the van, we replace Kenny,” Joe said as he scanned through more papers.

They heard back immediately that the van was stolen. Zane scratched at the growth of hair on his face. “I think he probably ditched it by now knowing it was only a matter of time before it was reported stolen. So he may not be too far away, hiding somewhere. Get some men out searching abandoned buildings in the area.” Leaning back he closed his eyes. “That prick will have to show up somewhere for food and other essentials. Get them to keep an eye on grocery stores, take-out places.”

“Zane, if you won’t go home then at least lay down on the couch and I’ll wake you if there’s any news.”

“Ok Joe, for a few minutes.” Getting up he stretched his muscles, the shirt Joe had given him to wear in place of his bloodied one was a bit tight on him. Closing his eyes he laid down on the old couch that was in the back room, he drifted off and slept for an hour before waking up in a cold sweat. He dreamed of her, that she was cold and in the dark, calling him. In the short time, he had known her they had become close, closer than he had with another woman.

“Zane, Zane,” Joe’s voice hollered out as he opened the door to the back room. “They found Kenny and are on their way here.”

He jumped to his feet, his heart was racing and he prayed she was with him. “Jade, do they have her too?” His hopes were dashed and his heart sunk when Joe shook his head. “Where did they replace him?”

“Coming out of a mini-mart. And get this, he was wearing a blond wig, a fake beard and using a cane. He would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for those God-awful glasses of his. Look, Zane, you’re too close to the victim so I want you to step aside and let me interrogate him with another officer.”

“No fucken way Joe, I’m going to be there and since it’s my case you have no right to stop me. I hope you aren’t going to go over my head and have the brass pull me off this case. We’ve been friends for a long time and I’d hate for that to end.”

Joe saw the flicker of anger in Zane’s eyes. “It’s just that you have become more than friends and your emotions might get the best of you. The last thing we need is for you to fly off the handle and give Kenny the opportunity to cry police brutally.”

“If it were someone you loved would you not want to be involved?”

“You love her?” Joe asked, staring at him.

Realizing what had come out of his mouth he cleared his throat. “All I’m saying is if it were someone you knew wouldn’t you want to be in the same room as him to try and get him to tell you what you needed to know.”

Joe raised his hands in surrender. “OK, man. But if you lose control I will pull you out of there so fast it will make your head spin.”

Zane dumped his coffee which was now cold and poured a fresh cup and sat down, waiting for Kenny to be brought in. There was no doubt in his mind that Joe meant what he said so he’d have to try and keep a lid on his anger. Thirty hours she had been gone and usually, after twenty-four hours it was presumed the victim was deceased. But he refused to believe that, Jade, was alive, he just knew it.

“Kenny’s in the interrogation room. Keep your cool Zane,” Joe said as they headed down the hall.

Opening the door they stared at the man cuffed to the table. A wig, beard, and cane laid on the table. Zane wanted to go over and put his hands around the man’s neck when Kenny looked at him with a smirk on his face.