"Suffering is the Best Punishment" - Chapter 18
Title: Suffering is the Best Punishment
Author: Shannon - shannyfish
Disclaimer: I do not own “The Mentalist” or its characters, CBS does. This is merely for entertainment purposes only.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Takes Place during Season Two. Red John attacks Jane using his own twisted type of psychological warfare.
Warning: Severe spoilers for season one.
Chapter 18 - “Soul Stealing”
Author’s Note: Please review! :D
............................
“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.”
- Norman Cousins
CBI Headquarters
It had been weeks since Minelli had allowed them out of the county. Lisbon had assured them that it was just for recovery purposes. Everyone was back on the job, but it was still an adjustment for everyone. He’d noticed that Lisbon had been allowing Rigsby and Van Pelt about fifty-fifty time between the office and in the field, but he felt that was for the best. It kept morale up.
They were investigating a kidnapping of an official’s child, which was why they were working it rather than local law enforcement. He knew that this was a hard case for Lisbon, whenever the parents would lose it and breakdown he could see this fear and worry and some kind of darkness in her. It wasn’t that he was exempt from the discomfort or the rest of the team for that matter. Lisbon just exuded this extra deep sadness about her.
The case was focused on finding Kaydance Millary alive and soon.
She was the daughter of a California Senator, who had requested the CBI’s presence on the case. That was the only reason they had it. There’d been no ransom or threat. She’d been abducted from an international gala, which had been held on capitol grounds eighteen hours earlier. The senator and his wife couldn’t say for sure exactly when their daughter disappeared.
Kaydance Millary was just five years old with long wavy brown hair, bright eyes, porcelain skin, and a brilliant smile. Her picture was everywhere and the child’s parents made him ill. How could people allow their five year old our of their sight? Even for a second? At an event so large she should have been left at home with a nanny or kept a hold of at the very least.
There was truly nowhere safe in the world. That was the sad current state of the world they lived in. Sad and utterly pathetic.
Patrick Jane had seen too many people who used their lovely and beautiful children as merely jewelry. Things to be put on display. That’s not what children were for. It made him angry and at the same time it made him immensely sad. To think of his child, his daughter, who he would never see grow up. He’d loved her and cherished her and allowed her to be a child. To do what children do. To have fun and explore the world around her. To love and be loved. Jane had a feeling that if all parents experienced the pain and sadness he felt everyday that they’d treat their children as they should.
“Do you want tea?”
The voice was quiet and he looked up at the quiet Grace Van Pelt staring down at him. He’d been lying on his couch in the main bullpen area. He’d pretty much just been lying there with his eyes closed, zoning out. She was so sweet and polite, but he moved his legs off the couch and got to his feet.
“You don’t have to wait on me, though it’s very sweet,” he told her. “I thought Lisbon was sending you all home?”
They hadn’t found any more leads. There was no evidence. Everything that could be followed or processed had already been done. They were hoping for a ransom note or something… So far, nothing. It didn’t bode well for the case or the girl’s safe return.
She looked exhausted and he doubted that the discoloring that remained from the bruising on her face was helping to hide that fact. “The doctor said you and Rigsby need to take it easy.”
“I am,” she said. “We are.”
“If Lisbon is pushing-“ he started.
Grace interrupted. “No, it’s not that. She’s buying dinner…it should be here in twenty minutes. That’s why no one’s left yet.”
“Oh… That’s nice of Lisbon,” he commented. No one was going to pass up a free meal. Plus, it would be good to have a meal together even if it was at work.
“She’s the one you should be worried about,” she said. “Rigsby found her asleep at her desk earlier. Cho doesn’t think she’s sleeping…”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said.
Two weeks before, he hadn’t left Lisbon’s side. He’d been racked with worry and he had taken up residence on her couch at her place every night. With everything going quiet, they’d gone back to sleeping at their respective places. In truth, he missed it. It was nice to be living with someone, he’d forgotten that.
Lisbon had never really commented positively or negatively about his declaration of love. He had expected something…even if it was just a joke. So, in efforts to keep her from pulling away, he’d given her the space she needed. After all, he loved her…he was going to do what made her comfortable.
Hours passed, they’d all eaten together. Chinese, everyone had seemed quite happy about it. After dinner, Cho, Rigsby, and Van Pelt all left. Lisbon had insisted that she’d be leaving shortly, but Jane had stayed behind to ensure that she really was. Lisbon wasn’t one to lie, but Jane figured it was more of her getting wrapped up in work.
So, he napped for a while on his couch. He knew that if Lisbon decided to leave while he was asleep that she’d see him. Jane had no doubt that she’d tell him to go home and chew him out for staying.
Midnight rolled around and he got up from his nap. Lisbon’s office was still lit. Her door was still open. He frowned and made his way there. He found her asleep, her head on top of her paperwork. Sighing, Jane moved to retrieve her jacket. With it in hand, he gently shook her. “Lisbon,” he said. She stirred and then looked at him groggily. He held out the jacket and she started to put her arms into the sleeves. But she stopped.
“Wha-what time is it?” she asked.
“Time for you to go home and sleep in your own bed,” he responded.
Lisbon frowned.
“Past midnight,” he said as he forced her into her jacket.
She covered her face. “It’s been over twenty-four hours…”
“I know,” he said quietly. “But you can’t do anything this late and you’re not going to do that little girl any good sleep deprived.”
They stared at each other for a good minute before Lisbon started to gather her things from her desk. He was happy that at least she wasn’t arguing with him. Jane would hate to fight with her and in all honestly, he was looking forward to sleeping in his own bed.
“Please don’t lecture me about driving,” Lisbon said as they headed out of the building.
“Okay,” he said. “I’m driving anyways.” He’d snagged her keys from her jacket pocket already and had them securely in his jacket’s pocket instead. He wasn’t going to allow her to drive in such a sleep deprived state. It was the same as allowing someone who was drunk to drive. He’d be the DD.
“Jane-“
“I have your keys anyway,” he said with a smile. He put an arm around her and guided her towards his car.
“Not at my place,” she mumbled as she got into his car. “It’s really a mess. I haven’t really been there much-“
“We’ll stop by and you can grab clothes and then we’ll stay at mine,” he said. It wasn’t exactly the best idea, but Lisbon had already seen his bedroom wall. So, he wasn’t that worried.
…
Jane Residence
Surprisingly, the sleeping arrangements hadn’t gone as he’d expected. He expected Lisbon to sleep on the couch. Somehow they’d ended up spooned together on his twin mattress upstairs. This is what he focused on for a good few minutes when he first woke up. And then he realized he’d been woken up for a reason.
There had been a sound.
“What?” Lisbon whispered.
“Did you hear that?”
“What?”
“A sound,” he said as he sat up and then looked around. The room was pitch black. They were just alone in the darkness.
“Well, that’s specific,” she mumbled.
Before he could move to stand and step over her, she moved first. For a moment, Jane entertained the concept that he was being paranoid. A quick look back at the reminder on his wall told him otherwise. He wasn’t paranoid, just cautious.
“Stay here,” he told her.
He noticed that she didn’t and pulled out her gun. They moved to the top of the stairs and took in what they could see. Silence. Darkness. Everything in its place.
“It could be the wind,” she told him. “Big storm coming in.”
“Maybe,” Jane allowed.
Lisbon continued to sweep his house though. He just followed closely behind. She was probably right and it was just the wind picking up for the storm cell. He’d remembered seeing the news segment on it earlier. People had been complaining about the impending rain, which confused him since California was one of those places that really didn’t get enough precipitation, but if it misted then the news channels would be calling it ‘Storm Watch [insert year]’. He just didn’t understand it.
“Looks clear,” Lisbon said.
Jane watched as she lowered her gun and looked at him. He smiled at her, he didn’t mind having a jersey clad Lisbon there. Though it didn’t keep him from worrying about her. They turned and headed back for the stairs.
Jane swore that men appeared out of the shadows. Three men. One of them was behind him and restraining him before he could say anything. He watched in horror as two men disarmed Lisbon and then fought to control her. One of them managed to get behind her and hold a blade at her throat. Lisbon froze. Their eyes met and he was confused at what he saw. Lisbon looked sad and angry, but she also looked apologetic as well. As if he’d blame her for this. He was fairly sure that these were Red John’s minions. She had nothing to apologize for. He was the one who had put her in danger.
“We’re going to stay very calm here,” one of them said.
The one not holding the blade on Lisbon moved and handcuffed her hands behind her back. Jane watched and listened to the clicks as they tightened them until Lisbon cringed. The one holding Lisbon worried Jane; he could see the shadow of a smirk on his face.
“You don’t know who-“ Lisbon started.
“Agent Teresa Lisbon and Consultant Patrick Jane,” the man holding her spoke up.
He ran a hand along the side that had been cut open at one time by Red John. Jane wanted to scream at him to stop, he could see that she was increasingly uncomfortable and worried by it. But he also didn’t want to cause the man to think that doing so would get a rise out of him and possibly end up having their captors hurting Lisbon. The knife pressed against her throat.
“Stop!” Jane finally yelled. “What do you want?”
“It’s not what we want,” one of them said. “It’s what Red John wants…”
The man with the blade pulled it across Lisbon’s tender throat. Just enough to tear the skin and cause it to bleed, nothing mortally wounding. Jane felt like crying and he watched Lisbon, she was keeping her eyes on him but then her eyes closed and he could only think that she was trying to be brave. Most likely doing it for him. The man continued to stroke her scar on her side under her jersey top. Jane pulled against the man holding him.
“Leave her alone and just take me to Red John,” Jane said.
“Hero,” the man with the blade said and moved the blade to Lisbon’s side where the scars were.
“Please,” Jane pleaded, tears sprung to his eyes and clouded his vision. Before he’d come home to find his wife and child murdered…he couldn’t stand there and watch them torture and murder Lisbon in front of him.
The floor greeted Jane and Lisbon’s screams pierced his ears before the black overtook him.
…
TBC…
Author: Shannon - shannyfish
Disclaimer: I do not own “The Mentalist” or its characters, CBS does. This is merely for entertainment purposes only.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Takes Place during Season Two. Red John attacks Jane using his own twisted type of psychological warfare.
Warning: Severe spoilers for season one.
Chapter 18 - “Soul Stealing”
Author’s Note: Please review! :D
............................
“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.”
- Norman Cousins
CBI Headquarters
It had been weeks since Minelli had allowed them out of the county. Lisbon had assured them that it was just for recovery purposes. Everyone was back on the job, but it was still an adjustment for everyone. He’d noticed that Lisbon had been allowing Rigsby and Van Pelt about fifty-fifty time between the office and in the field, but he felt that was for the best. It kept morale up.
They were investigating a kidnapping of an official’s child, which was why they were working it rather than local law enforcement. He knew that this was a hard case for Lisbon, whenever the parents would lose it and breakdown he could see this fear and worry and some kind of darkness in her. It wasn’t that he was exempt from the discomfort or the rest of the team for that matter. Lisbon just exuded this extra deep sadness about her.
The case was focused on finding Kaydance Millary alive and soon.
She was the daughter of a California Senator, who had requested the CBI’s presence on the case. That was the only reason they had it. There’d been no ransom or threat. She’d been abducted from an international gala, which had been held on capitol grounds eighteen hours earlier. The senator and his wife couldn’t say for sure exactly when their daughter disappeared.
Kaydance Millary was just five years old with long wavy brown hair, bright eyes, porcelain skin, and a brilliant smile. Her picture was everywhere and the child’s parents made him ill. How could people allow their five year old our of their sight? Even for a second? At an event so large she should have been left at home with a nanny or kept a hold of at the very least.
There was truly nowhere safe in the world. That was the sad current state of the world they lived in. Sad and utterly pathetic.
Patrick Jane had seen too many people who used their lovely and beautiful children as merely jewelry. Things to be put on display. That’s not what children were for. It made him angry and at the same time it made him immensely sad. To think of his child, his daughter, who he would never see grow up. He’d loved her and cherished her and allowed her to be a child. To do what children do. To have fun and explore the world around her. To love and be loved. Jane had a feeling that if all parents experienced the pain and sadness he felt everyday that they’d treat their children as they should.
“Do you want tea?”
The voice was quiet and he looked up at the quiet Grace Van Pelt staring down at him. He’d been lying on his couch in the main bullpen area. He’d pretty much just been lying there with his eyes closed, zoning out. She was so sweet and polite, but he moved his legs off the couch and got to his feet.
“You don’t have to wait on me, though it’s very sweet,” he told her. “I thought Lisbon was sending you all home?”
They hadn’t found any more leads. There was no evidence. Everything that could be followed or processed had already been done. They were hoping for a ransom note or something… So far, nothing. It didn’t bode well for the case or the girl’s safe return.
She looked exhausted and he doubted that the discoloring that remained from the bruising on her face was helping to hide that fact. “The doctor said you and Rigsby need to take it easy.”
“I am,” she said. “We are.”
“If Lisbon is pushing-“ he started.
Grace interrupted. “No, it’s not that. She’s buying dinner…it should be here in twenty minutes. That’s why no one’s left yet.”
“Oh… That’s nice of Lisbon,” he commented. No one was going to pass up a free meal. Plus, it would be good to have a meal together even if it was at work.
“She’s the one you should be worried about,” she said. “Rigsby found her asleep at her desk earlier. Cho doesn’t think she’s sleeping…”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said.
Two weeks before, he hadn’t left Lisbon’s side. He’d been racked with worry and he had taken up residence on her couch at her place every night. With everything going quiet, they’d gone back to sleeping at their respective places. In truth, he missed it. It was nice to be living with someone, he’d forgotten that.
Lisbon had never really commented positively or negatively about his declaration of love. He had expected something…even if it was just a joke. So, in efforts to keep her from pulling away, he’d given her the space she needed. After all, he loved her…he was going to do what made her comfortable.
Hours passed, they’d all eaten together. Chinese, everyone had seemed quite happy about it. After dinner, Cho, Rigsby, and Van Pelt all left. Lisbon had insisted that she’d be leaving shortly, but Jane had stayed behind to ensure that she really was. Lisbon wasn’t one to lie, but Jane figured it was more of her getting wrapped up in work.
So, he napped for a while on his couch. He knew that if Lisbon decided to leave while he was asleep that she’d see him. Jane had no doubt that she’d tell him to go home and chew him out for staying.
Midnight rolled around and he got up from his nap. Lisbon’s office was still lit. Her door was still open. He frowned and made his way there. He found her asleep, her head on top of her paperwork. Sighing, Jane moved to retrieve her jacket. With it in hand, he gently shook her. “Lisbon,” he said. She stirred and then looked at him groggily. He held out the jacket and she started to put her arms into the sleeves. But she stopped.
“Wha-what time is it?” she asked.
“Time for you to go home and sleep in your own bed,” he responded.
Lisbon frowned.
“Past midnight,” he said as he forced her into her jacket.
She covered her face. “It’s been over twenty-four hours…”
“I know,” he said quietly. “But you can’t do anything this late and you’re not going to do that little girl any good sleep deprived.”
They stared at each other for a good minute before Lisbon started to gather her things from her desk. He was happy that at least she wasn’t arguing with him. Jane would hate to fight with her and in all honestly, he was looking forward to sleeping in his own bed.
“Please don’t lecture me about driving,” Lisbon said as they headed out of the building.
“Okay,” he said. “I’m driving anyways.” He’d snagged her keys from her jacket pocket already and had them securely in his jacket’s pocket instead. He wasn’t going to allow her to drive in such a sleep deprived state. It was the same as allowing someone who was drunk to drive. He’d be the DD.
“Jane-“
“I have your keys anyway,” he said with a smile. He put an arm around her and guided her towards his car.
“Not at my place,” she mumbled as she got into his car. “It’s really a mess. I haven’t really been there much-“
“We’ll stop by and you can grab clothes and then we’ll stay at mine,” he said. It wasn’t exactly the best idea, but Lisbon had already seen his bedroom wall. So, he wasn’t that worried.
…
Jane Residence
Surprisingly, the sleeping arrangements hadn’t gone as he’d expected. He expected Lisbon to sleep on the couch. Somehow they’d ended up spooned together on his twin mattress upstairs. This is what he focused on for a good few minutes when he first woke up. And then he realized he’d been woken up for a reason.
There had been a sound.
“What?” Lisbon whispered.
“Did you hear that?”
“What?”
“A sound,” he said as he sat up and then looked around. The room was pitch black. They were just alone in the darkness.
“Well, that’s specific,” she mumbled.
Before he could move to stand and step over her, she moved first. For a moment, Jane entertained the concept that he was being paranoid. A quick look back at the reminder on his wall told him otherwise. He wasn’t paranoid, just cautious.
“Stay here,” he told her.
He noticed that she didn’t and pulled out her gun. They moved to the top of the stairs and took in what they could see. Silence. Darkness. Everything in its place.
“It could be the wind,” she told him. “Big storm coming in.”
“Maybe,” Jane allowed.
Lisbon continued to sweep his house though. He just followed closely behind. She was probably right and it was just the wind picking up for the storm cell. He’d remembered seeing the news segment on it earlier. People had been complaining about the impending rain, which confused him since California was one of those places that really didn’t get enough precipitation, but if it misted then the news channels would be calling it ‘Storm Watch [insert year]’. He just didn’t understand it.
“Looks clear,” Lisbon said.
Jane watched as she lowered her gun and looked at him. He smiled at her, he didn’t mind having a jersey clad Lisbon there. Though it didn’t keep him from worrying about her. They turned and headed back for the stairs.
Jane swore that men appeared out of the shadows. Three men. One of them was behind him and restraining him before he could say anything. He watched in horror as two men disarmed Lisbon and then fought to control her. One of them managed to get behind her and hold a blade at her throat. Lisbon froze. Their eyes met and he was confused at what he saw. Lisbon looked sad and angry, but she also looked apologetic as well. As if he’d blame her for this. He was fairly sure that these were Red John’s minions. She had nothing to apologize for. He was the one who had put her in danger.
“We’re going to stay very calm here,” one of them said.
The one not holding the blade on Lisbon moved and handcuffed her hands behind her back. Jane watched and listened to the clicks as they tightened them until Lisbon cringed. The one holding Lisbon worried Jane; he could see the shadow of a smirk on his face.
“You don’t know who-“ Lisbon started.
“Agent Teresa Lisbon and Consultant Patrick Jane,” the man holding her spoke up.
He ran a hand along the side that had been cut open at one time by Red John. Jane wanted to scream at him to stop, he could see that she was increasingly uncomfortable and worried by it. But he also didn’t want to cause the man to think that doing so would get a rise out of him and possibly end up having their captors hurting Lisbon. The knife pressed against her throat.
“Stop!” Jane finally yelled. “What do you want?”
“It’s not what we want,” one of them said. “It’s what Red John wants…”
The man with the blade pulled it across Lisbon’s tender throat. Just enough to tear the skin and cause it to bleed, nothing mortally wounding. Jane felt like crying and he watched Lisbon, she was keeping her eyes on him but then her eyes closed and he could only think that she was trying to be brave. Most likely doing it for him. The man continued to stroke her scar on her side under her jersey top. Jane pulled against the man holding him.
“Leave her alone and just take me to Red John,” Jane said.
“Hero,” the man with the blade said and moved the blade to Lisbon’s side where the scars were.
“Please,” Jane pleaded, tears sprung to his eyes and clouded his vision. Before he’d come home to find his wife and child murdered…he couldn’t stand there and watch them torture and murder Lisbon in front of him.
The floor greeted Jane and Lisbon’s screams pierced his ears before the black overtook him.
…
TBC…