Deliberate Lies
Firstly literaryleming made the most wonderfully beautiful music video for The Inside.
She made me cry. You can find it here for download.
Nextly, I wrote a chapter for Deliberate Lies, which is a... not really a round robin. But kinda. The stories are connected in varying degrees. It's the inside, and you all should read.
The Request by
literarylemming
Please by
aliaspiral
What Lies Beneath by
bugchicklv
Breaking by
wily_one24
These Sins by
rinalin
The Gift by
literarylemming
Love Throws a Line by
earthwhatwere
The Countdown by
aliaspiral
The Lucky One by
earthwhatwere
Stranded by
earthwhatwere
Little Boy Lost by
rinalin
Title: These Sins
Author: Rinalin
Fandom: The Inside
Word Count: 1303
Rating: PG-13
Mel crossed the room slowly and Rebecca pretended not to see the tremor in her hands as she pinned the picture to the bulletin board. Mel stood there a moment, staring at the image surrounded by so many others on the already crowded board.
Rebecca didn’t notice as Mel went quietly back to her desk without a word. Not that words would be any comfort.
She looked away from the other woman, she couldn’t stand to see the guilt in Mel’s eyes. Her own found the picture again and she couldn’t tear them away. It didn’t look like him. His expression was blank, his eyes more gray than blue.
It was the snapshot taken for his ID badge. It was the only photo of Danny they had.
The silence was oppressive.
The door to Web’s office opened, and they all turned to watch him descend on them. He looked at each of them impatiently. “Well?”
“Well, what, Web?” Paul was quick to answer, frustration sharpening the edge on his words.
“Have you found him yet?”
Paul sprung like a coil wound too tight. "Find him. Like it's just that simple." His glare was venomous, "Have you found him? No, wait, I forgot. You aren't even looking."
"Paul," Mel tried to intercede, resting her hand on his arm, but he simply ignored her..
"You're so hard up to find the un-sub you're willing to sacrifice the people you're supposed to be protecting!"
Rebecca studied Web for any hint of emotion. The man was blank. Cold.
She wondered if that was how she looked to the others. To Danny.
"You knew he shouldn't be out on that job! You knew he wasn't sleeping. He wasn't eating. Hell, you had to ask him to go undercover. He had no business out in the field and you fucking know it."
Rebecca watched as Mel's hand slipped from Paul's arm and her eyes went shuttered. She doesn't understand, but she's beginning to.
"He's a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation," Web said slowly. "He had a job to do. He did it."
Paul laughed and the bitterness made Rebecca flinch, "But, oh yeah, he might be dead because of it. Darn."
"He's not dead yet," Web’s tone is uncompromising. "But unless you have something productive to tell me about our un-sub, he might be soon. Rebecca?"
"Y--" she had to clear her throat to get her voice to work. It sounds foreign to her own ears, "Yes?"
"Tell me about him."
She looked down at her desk, the words on paper looking like so much gibberish. “Male, mid- to late- thirties. He’s-“ She risked a glance at Web and got caught in the steel in his eyes. “His victims are mostly men his own age. Well built. Strong. Smart. Cocky. They’re everything he’s not.” She swallowed as the words got thicker on her tongue, “He strikes at night. Perhaps fearing that if his victims see him, they won’t fear him. That’s what he wants, to see fear in the eyes of men that, by all rights, could destroy him.” She exhales sharply, “Desire for revenge has likely been percolating since he was a child, being tormented by his peers for ears too big or a voice too high or poor aim. He’s a geek who has finally found that he has the greater power.”
“And that is--?” Mel prompted.
Rebecca turned to meet her eyes and she couldn’t seem to find her voice. “To take life.”
“I was asking about Danny.” Web stepped forward, leaning both hands flat on her desk, “Tell me about Danny, Rebecca.”
“I-“she looked helplessly to Mel and Paul.
“We know all about the un-sub. Who he is and what he wants. Which is why I sent Danny under. He’s closest to the victim profile.” His words cut into her. “But Danny was supposed to come back. Danny is a federal agent. Danny is better than this guy.”
The fire in his eyes demanded answers.
“Tell me why Danny isn’t here.”
“He-He got taken.”
“Why?”
“He wanted to be.” The words tumbled out of her mouth without thought and her eyes lost focus with the dawning realization, “He wanted to be.”
“What?” Mel’s voice sounded distant. “Can someone who speaks Rebecca please decipher?”
“Of course he wanted to be, that was the whole point of going undercover,” Paul said slowly, like he’s not sure she understood.
“We had it all wrong,” She shook her head, focusing on Web as he rocked back on his heels. “The un-sub, he doesn’t want them because they’re big and mean. He picks his victims because they’re precisely that. Victims.”
“Danny’s a lot of things, Rebecca,” Paul drew her attention and a wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm her. “But a victim? A victim of what?”
She’d been cold since she got the call from Mel, more than twenty-four hours ago, that Danny hadn’t met his contact. She’d been drowning in coffee, trying to get warm again. Part of her feared that after this, maybe she never would. But the bone deep chill couldn’t compare to the ice that flooded her veins as searched for some way to answer his question.
“Of things that…he tried to help. I don’t think he understood what I...” She fumbles for an explanation, but there isn’t one that makes sense. Not even to her. “I needed him.”
Paul was silent and it was Mel whose voice dropped threateningly low, “What did you do to him?”
“Nothing…nothing he didn’t agree to.” Her fingers grazed over the front of her shirt, the weight of Danny’s ring burned against her chest.
“What did you-!“
“Mel, enough.” Web interrupted and Rebecca couldn’t bring herself to be grateful. “What does it mean, Rebecca?”
Her fingers fluttered over the papers in front of her, “One of the previous vics, Michaelson, he-his wife was murdered in ‘99. The perp was found and incarcerated for life. We weren’t able to make any connection to our un-sub so we dismissed it as unconnected, but I think it is. Victim ten, Mark Stiles, lost his business in a fire. Uninsured. Wife and kids abandoned him soon after. He lived out of a suitcase in a motel. Buford, his girlfriend has had four miscarriages in five years. The last one killed her.” Rebecca looked briefly from Mel to Paul to Web, “I think… if we look at the eight other vics, we’ll find similar tragedies.”
“Danny wasn’t a victim,” Mel had never looked so deadly before. “He was only pretending to be.”
Rebecca’s hands shook, “He wasn’t pretending.”
~
It was Paul who found the connection first. The past four vics were all treated for injuries sustained to themselves or family members at Micasa Medical Center in the last eight months. Danny had been there. Two weeks ago, for a strained muscle while playing baseball.
Rebecca knew he hadn’t been playing baseball.
Neither of them looked at her when they left to investigate. Her promise to catch up followed after them, ignored.
She entered Web’s office and closed the door firmly behind her. “How long?”
“How long, what Rebecca?” He didn’t have the decency to look up, “Shouldn’t you be with Paul and Mel?”
“How long have you known about this case, Web? How long?”
Slowly, he set his pen down and leaned back in his chair. He didn’t have to say a word. His silence was damning.
“You told me,” she whispered, tears springing sharp to her eyes. “You told me to go to him.”
“I told you Danny was the strongest man I know. He still is.” He gestures dismissively, “Now go.”
She can’t swallow past the lump in her throat, and even if she could, she has no words left to say.
She made me cry. You can find it here for download.
Nextly, I wrote a chapter for Deliberate Lies, which is a... not really a round robin. But kinda. The stories are connected in varying degrees. It's the inside, and you all should read.
The Request by
literarylemming
Please by
aliaspiral
What Lies Beneath by
bugchicklv
Breaking by
wily_one24
These Sins by
rinalin
The Gift by
literarylemming
Love Throws a Line by
earthwhatwere
The Countdown by
aliaspiral
The Lucky One by
earthwhatwere
Stranded by
earthwhatwere
Little Boy Lost by
rinalin
Title: These Sins
Author: Rinalin
Fandom: The Inside
Word Count: 1303
Rating: PG-13
Mel crossed the room slowly and Rebecca pretended not to see the tremor in her hands as she pinned the picture to the bulletin board. Mel stood there a moment, staring at the image surrounded by so many others on the already crowded board.
Rebecca didn’t notice as Mel went quietly back to her desk without a word. Not that words would be any comfort.
She looked away from the other woman, she couldn’t stand to see the guilt in Mel’s eyes. Her own found the picture again and she couldn’t tear them away. It didn’t look like him. His expression was blank, his eyes more gray than blue.
It was the snapshot taken for his ID badge. It was the only photo of Danny they had.
The silence was oppressive.
The door to Web’s office opened, and they all turned to watch him descend on them. He looked at each of them impatiently. “Well?”
“Well, what, Web?” Paul was quick to answer, frustration sharpening the edge on his words.
“Have you found him yet?”
Paul sprung like a coil wound too tight. "Find him. Like it's just that simple." His glare was venomous, "Have you found him? No, wait, I forgot. You aren't even looking."
"Paul," Mel tried to intercede, resting her hand on his arm, but he simply ignored her..
"You're so hard up to find the un-sub you're willing to sacrifice the people you're supposed to be protecting!"
Rebecca studied Web for any hint of emotion. The man was blank. Cold.
She wondered if that was how she looked to the others. To Danny.
"You knew he shouldn't be out on that job! You knew he wasn't sleeping. He wasn't eating. Hell, you had to ask him to go undercover. He had no business out in the field and you fucking know it."
Rebecca watched as Mel's hand slipped from Paul's arm and her eyes went shuttered. She doesn't understand, but she's beginning to.
"He's a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation," Web said slowly. "He had a job to do. He did it."
Paul laughed and the bitterness made Rebecca flinch, "But, oh yeah, he might be dead because of it. Darn."
"He's not dead yet," Web’s tone is uncompromising. "But unless you have something productive to tell me about our un-sub, he might be soon. Rebecca?"
"Y--" she had to clear her throat to get her voice to work. It sounds foreign to her own ears, "Yes?"
"Tell me about him."
She looked down at her desk, the words on paper looking like so much gibberish. “Male, mid- to late- thirties. He’s-“ She risked a glance at Web and got caught in the steel in his eyes. “His victims are mostly men his own age. Well built. Strong. Smart. Cocky. They’re everything he’s not.” She swallowed as the words got thicker on her tongue, “He strikes at night. Perhaps fearing that if his victims see him, they won’t fear him. That’s what he wants, to see fear in the eyes of men that, by all rights, could destroy him.” She exhales sharply, “Desire for revenge has likely been percolating since he was a child, being tormented by his peers for ears too big or a voice too high or poor aim. He’s a geek who has finally found that he has the greater power.”
“And that is--?” Mel prompted.
Rebecca turned to meet her eyes and she couldn’t seem to find her voice. “To take life.”
“I was asking about Danny.” Web stepped forward, leaning both hands flat on her desk, “Tell me about Danny, Rebecca.”
“I-“she looked helplessly to Mel and Paul.
“We know all about the un-sub. Who he is and what he wants. Which is why I sent Danny under. He’s closest to the victim profile.” His words cut into her. “But Danny was supposed to come back. Danny is a federal agent. Danny is better than this guy.”
The fire in his eyes demanded answers.
“Tell me why Danny isn’t here.”
“He-He got taken.”
“Why?”
“He wanted to be.” The words tumbled out of her mouth without thought and her eyes lost focus with the dawning realization, “He wanted to be.”
“What?” Mel’s voice sounded distant. “Can someone who speaks Rebecca please decipher?”
“Of course he wanted to be, that was the whole point of going undercover,” Paul said slowly, like he’s not sure she understood.
“We had it all wrong,” She shook her head, focusing on Web as he rocked back on his heels. “The un-sub, he doesn’t want them because they’re big and mean. He picks his victims because they’re precisely that. Victims.”
“Danny’s a lot of things, Rebecca,” Paul drew her attention and a wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm her. “But a victim? A victim of what?”
She’d been cold since she got the call from Mel, more than twenty-four hours ago, that Danny hadn’t met his contact. She’d been drowning in coffee, trying to get warm again. Part of her feared that after this, maybe she never would. But the bone deep chill couldn’t compare to the ice that flooded her veins as searched for some way to answer his question.
“Of things that…he tried to help. I don’t think he understood what I...” She fumbles for an explanation, but there isn’t one that makes sense. Not even to her. “I needed him.”
Paul was silent and it was Mel whose voice dropped threateningly low, “What did you do to him?”
“Nothing…nothing he didn’t agree to.” Her fingers grazed over the front of her shirt, the weight of Danny’s ring burned against her chest.
“What did you-!“
“Mel, enough.” Web interrupted and Rebecca couldn’t bring herself to be grateful. “What does it mean, Rebecca?”
Her fingers fluttered over the papers in front of her, “One of the previous vics, Michaelson, he-his wife was murdered in ‘99. The perp was found and incarcerated for life. We weren’t able to make any connection to our un-sub so we dismissed it as unconnected, but I think it is. Victim ten, Mark Stiles, lost his business in a fire. Uninsured. Wife and kids abandoned him soon after. He lived out of a suitcase in a motel. Buford, his girlfriend has had four miscarriages in five years. The last one killed her.” Rebecca looked briefly from Mel to Paul to Web, “I think… if we look at the eight other vics, we’ll find similar tragedies.”
“Danny wasn’t a victim,” Mel had never looked so deadly before. “He was only pretending to be.”
Rebecca’s hands shook, “He wasn’t pretending.”
~
It was Paul who found the connection first. The past four vics were all treated for injuries sustained to themselves or family members at Micasa Medical Center in the last eight months. Danny had been there. Two weeks ago, for a strained muscle while playing baseball.
Rebecca knew he hadn’t been playing baseball.
Neither of them looked at her when they left to investigate. Her promise to catch up followed after them, ignored.
She entered Web’s office and closed the door firmly behind her. “How long?”
“How long, what Rebecca?” He didn’t have the decency to look up, “Shouldn’t you be with Paul and Mel?”
“How long have you known about this case, Web? How long?”
Slowly, he set his pen down and leaned back in his chair. He didn’t have to say a word. His silence was damning.
“You told me,” she whispered, tears springing sharp to her eyes. “You told me to go to him.”
“I told you Danny was the strongest man I know. He still is.” He gestures dismissively, “Now go.”
She can’t swallow past the lump in her throat, and even if she could, she has no words left to say.