Third Watch Fic: The Rules of the Game (6-8/13)
Title: The Rules of the Game (6/?)
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Only in my dreams do I actually own anything. All are property of Edward Allen Bernero and John Wells.
Rating: PG-13 for language, violence and sexual content
Spoilers: Up through and including "233 Days."
Summary: Bosco and Faith find themselves in a predicament in which they can use only their instincts to survive.
Distribution: My site Only Time, 55-HQ, and fanfiction.net. Others, just ask and I'll probably say yes.
Category: Story
Subcategories: Action/adventure/thriller/suspense/romance/friendship/drama/angst...does that narrow it down too much? *wink wink*
Feedback: Makes me write faster.
Author's Note: I sort of got this idea from a third season episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But just for the very general plot idea. The rest came out of my own messed up mind. :)
Dedication: For Dem and Bree
The Rules of the Game (Part Six)
He was disturbed from his peaceful, dreamless sleep by the sound of a barking dog. He grimaced, annoyed, wishing his neighbor would shut the damned mutt up so he could go back to sleep. He shifted positions slightly, groaning as pain shot up his neck.
What a great way to start the day, he thought, not opening his eyes. He idly wondered if he'd remembered to set the coffee pot the night before. He hoped so. He tried to move his left arm, and when he found himself unable to do so, he opened his eyes, blinking rapidly, then squinting. When his vision cleared, his gaze immediately landed on Faith, who was lying next to him, her head on his arm, still asleep.
Bosco's eyes widened momentarily, then he relaxed slightly as he recalled their situation. His eyes drifted shut again.
The damn dog was still barking, only it sounded closer this time. And this time he realized there was more than one dog.
"Oh, fuck," he uttered as his eyes flew open. "Faith, wake up!"
She opened her eyes, squinting. "Boz?" she whispered sleepily.
"We have to get up and run right now," he told her urgently, his voice low as he pulled her into a sitting position.
"What's going on?" she asked, confused.
Bosco rose to his feet, reached down and pulled her to hers, as well. "The hunters. They're coming."
Faith's eyes widened.
He grabbed her hand. "Come on!"
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Sully knew the moment he stepped into the precinct that morning that something had happened. The officers at the desk all wore grim expressions, and looked at him with sorrow filled eyes.
Dread knotted his stomach as he made his way back towards Swersky's office. In the hallway outside, Davis was sitting on the bench next to Steve Gusler, whose eyes were red-rimmed.
Sully swallowed hard. "Davis?"
His partner looked up at him, stared back for a moment. "They, uh...they pulled 55-David from the Hudson River a few hours ago," Davis said, dropping his gaze to the floor again, his voice low.
He stood there, frozen in place by shock. " No," he whispered.
"They haven't found the bodies, yet," his partner added, his voice catching on the word 'bodies.'
Sully sank down onto the bench beside him, feeling sick. "I can't believe this."
The three officers sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity, when the lieutenant's door suddenly opened. Swersky stepped out into the hallway. "We have a man in custody," he said, his voice grim.
They all looked up at him in surprise.
"We lifted a set of prints from the inside of the car. From a man we've arrested before." Swersky's gaze focused on Sully. "A man you and Yokas arrested."
Sully stared back at him uncertainly.
"In connection to Theodore Chevchinko."
"Son of a bitch," he muttered, closing his eyes.
"The FBI is getting ready to question him now. He's turned down his right to have a lawyer present."
Sully looked at Davis and Gusler, then back at his boss. "I'd like to be present for the questioning, Lieu."
Swersky nodded. "I thought you might. Let's go."
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"Tell me again where officers Boscorelli and Yokas are."
"In the river," the younger man replied.
The FBI agent glared at him. "Their bodies weren't found in the car."
He shrugged. "They are dead."
"Did Theodore Chevchinko order their murders?"
"I know of no one by that name."
"My ass," Sully muttered, watching through the two way mirror and shaking his head. He turned away, anger growing inside of him.
Davis glanced over at him, worried. "Sul, you okay?"
He turned to his partner, a grim look on his face. "There's something I have to do."
"What?"
Sully's gaze flickered to Swersky, who was watching him. "Just a hunch I have. I'll be back." Without another word, he left the room, Davis, Gusler and Swersky all staring after him.
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"You know, despite all the physical training we went through at the Academy, I'm a little pissed that they didn't spend any time preparing us for this," Bosco said as they paused momentarily to catch their breath.
"Yeah, well, somehow I doubt they figured that two New York City police officers would have to worry about being hunted in the middle of a forest," Faith replied, breathing heavily and looking around.
"Good point. But still. When we get back, after I kill Chevchinko, the first thing I'm doing is contacting the supervisors at the Academy and telling them to bring all the new trainees to this island for a couple days."
They both fell silent, listening for unusual noises. They didn't have to wait for long. The dogs were barking again.
Faith and Bosco looked at each other.
"Damn it," she muttered.
"Come on."
They started to run again. His legs were sore and tired, but he didn't let himself slow down. He glanced over his shoulder once in awhile to make sure she hadn't fallen behind.
He wasn't sure how long or how far they'd gone when he heard a low but constant rumbling somewhere up ahead of them.
"Bosco, what's that noise?" she asked as they ran.
"I don't know," he admitted.
The dogs were getting closer. He could hear the barking a lot more distinctly than before.
With every step forward, the rumbling grew louder, but he didn't see anything that could be causing it. He looked over his shoulder to see if the dogs were close enough to be seen now.
"Bosco, look out!" Faith suddenly grabbed his arm and yanked him back none too gently.
He turned to see what she'd pulled him away from and found himself staring down a steep cliff. The river they'd been following abruptly dropped off into a huge waterfall that emptied into a large body of water several hundred feet below them.
Bosco took a step away from the edge, turning to look at his partner, then behind them where he could see the dogs running toward them in the distance.
They were trapped.
"Oh, fuck."
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Sully unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. His wife was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper.
She looked up at him, surprised that he was back already. "John, what is wrong?"
He dropped his keys onto the kitchen counter and focused his gaze on her. "The FBI arrested a man who claims he killed my friends that are missing."
Tatiana lifted a hand to her mouth, horrified. "Oh, John, I am so sorry."
"The man works for a friend of yours," Sully informed her, his eyes narrowed.
She looked at him in confusion. "What?"
"Enough of the lies, Tatiana. Or Natasha. Or whatever your real name is," he snapped, glaring at her. "I want to know everything you know about Theodore Chevchinko. And I want to know right now."
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Bosco's heart pounded heavily against his chest. He looked at the dogs that were now only a few yards away, then down at the waterfall, and then at Faith.
Her eyes wide, face place, she stared back at him. "You're not really thinking what I think you're thinking, right?"
A shot rang out through the air, slamming into a tree only a foot away from him. "Do we really have a choice?"
She looked from him, back toward the dogs, who would be on them in a matter of seconds, then down at the lake below.
Another shot. This time he felt the ricochet of the splintering wood as it stung his arm.
Bosco looked at her intently. "Faith?" he said urgently, every muscle in his body tense.
Wordlessly, she reached out for his hand, a frightened look in her eyes. He slid his hand into hers without hesitation, interlacing their fingers as he swallowed hard. "On the count of three."
Faith nodded, squeezing his hand tightly. "One."
"Two," he said, squeezing her hand back.
Bosco and Faith looked at each other, and then in unison said, "Three!"
They jumped.
* * *
Part Seven
Faith had always hated that dream -- the one where she was falling -- though it wasn't really dream exactly, but a sensation experienced somewhere between being awake and slipping into unconsciousness But the sensation had always been so real, every time she'd experienced it, it managed to invoke in her an innate feeling of sheer terror.
But nothing quite like the fear that overwhelmed her as she felt her feet leave solid ground, her hand grasping Bosco's tightly as they leapt off that cliff, plunging toward the water blow.
In that instance, she saw her life flash before her -- Em, Charlie, Fred, her parents, Stanley, Bosco. All her regrets and her hopes for the future bubbled up within her, but she did not scream. And immediately following the panic was a feeling of calmness, of peace.
Though she didn't know where it came from, the calmness allowed her to remember to hold her breath just a couple seconds before she hit the water, her hand slipping away from her partner's as they both sank under the cold surface.
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Sully held on to Tatiana's arm with one hand and knocked on Swersky's office door with the other.
"Come in," Swersky called.
He turned the door handle and pushed the door open. Swersky and Christopher both looked at him as he pulled his wife in behind him, closed the door and pointed to a chair for her to sit in. She sat down in it without a word, her eyes red-rimmed and downcast.
Swersky looked from Tatiana to Sully, a confused expression on his face. "Sully?"
"Tell them everything you told me," Sully told her, his voice cold.
She flinched at his tone, tears forming in her eyes. She raised a hand to her face to brush away the tears, but remained silent.
There was a knock on the door. They all looked toward it, then Sully pulled open to find Davis standing there, a worried expression on his face. "I saw you come in, and I thought..."
Sully stepped aside wordlessly and let him in, shutting the door again. He folded his arms across his chest.
Davis's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Tatiana, then at his partner.
"Officer Sullivan, what the hell is going on?" Christopher asked, beginning to lose his patience.
Sully moved closer to the chair his wife was sitting in. "Faith and Bosco may not be dead. Yet." He focused his gaze on Tatiana. "Tell them about Chevchinko and his sick little game."
All eyes in the room turned to stare at her.
She swallowed hard, unable to look up. "He is a powerful man. And he has this thing he likes to do. He calls it The Game." Her voice was soft, just barely audible. "He finds islands and then he takes people there. People who owe him or get in his way. And then men with money paying him to allow them on these islands, so they can hunt."
"Hunt?" Christopher repeated, his eyes wide with shock.
"Jesus," Swersky muttered, his face pale. "How long has this been going on?"
"Years," she whispered, a tear running down her cheek.
"We'll keep you in protective custody until we find Chevchinko. We're going to need you to testify." Swersky gazed at her.
She didn't answer.
"We'll put you into the witness protection program after that. So he can't find you."
"It doesn't matter," Tatiana said, shaking her head, looking down at the floor. "He always finds me." Without another word, she leaned over in her chair, put her head on her knees and began to cry.
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The current from the waterfall pulled her deep beneath the surface of the water. All she could feel was the pain and the cold, the only thought in her mind was 'air.'
She was dizzy, disoriented as she kicked her legs, trying to force herself upward, whichever direction that was. Her lungs burned like fire and common sense told her she wouldn't be able to hold her breath much longer.
The water was murky, too murky to see very well, to see which direction was up. It only confused her more. So she closed her eyes and forced herself to keep her panic at bay as she stopped kicking, willing herself to keep holding her breath as she began to float naturally toward the water's surface.
After a few seconds, she kicked again and this time it propelled her upwards, to the surface. She gasped as she sucked in a lungful of air, her ribs aching. She looked around wildly, suddenly remembering that she was not alone, that Bosco was there somewhere, as well. She choked on a mouthful of water as the waves splashed into her face. "Bosco!" she shouted, coughing as she did her best to tread water.
The noise, the rushing-rumbling sound from the waterfall made it impossible to hear anything else. She looked around in the water, on the bannks, but didn't seem him anywhere. "Bosco!" Faith called again, knowing it was a futile effort.
Where is he? she thought frantically. She drew in a deep breath and ducked under the water again, forcing her eyes open. She forced herself further down under the surface, peering into the depths of the lake, her heart racing with fear. Where is he?
She began to swim, diving a little deeper after getting another mouthful of air. And that's when she caught a glimpse of him, sinking slowly toward the bottom of the lake, his body completely limp, his eyes shut.
Faith swam toward him, wrapping her arms underneath his from behind him and using her legs to kick them both upward to the surface again.
It only took them a few seconds to reach it and she gasped for air, kicking in the water, refusing to let go of his body despite the dead weight that threatened to pull them both under. She dragged him through the water in seconds that felt like an eternity, and managed somehow to pull them both onto dry land.
She didn't give herself a second to recover before she pressed her ear against his chest, listening, tuning out the sound of the rushing water.
Bosco wasn't breathing.
She didn't even think, her training as a police officer kicking in as she immediately began CPR--pinching his nose closed, breathing into his mouth, pausing, then doing it again. He didn't move.
Tears sprang to her eyes. "Don't do this to me," she begged. She started the CPR process again. "Come on, Boz, please! Don't die on me!"
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"The FBI is organizing teams of men on helicopters to search the islands all along the East Coast," Davis informed Sully as they stood outside Swersky's office.
Sully didn't respond.
"How's she doing?" Davis asked, nodding toward the office where Tatiana was still sitting in the chair alone in the room, crying.
"She'll be fine."
He was startled by the harshness of his partner's tone. "Sully."
"What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for her? Bosco and Yokas could be dead because she didn't come forward with this information sooner. Not to mention who knows how many other people!"
Davis looked into the office at Tatiana's shaking form. "Talk to her, Sully. Something's not right here. There's more to this story than what we're seeing," he urged quietly.
Sully sighed heavily, closing his eyes. "Davis --"
"If you don't, you'll end up regretting it." He looked at Sully. "Despite the fact that you're pissed at her, she's still your wife. And you might not want to admit it, but you love her. I know you do. Just... give her the chance to explain."
Sully watched his partner walk away, then turned and stared at the woman he'd married, watched as she cried silently, uncontrollably, faced away from him.
He swallowed hard, took a deep breath and walked into the office, shutting the door behind him quietly.
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Please God, don't let him die, Faith prayed as she kept breathing into her best friend's mouth, refusing to give up. It was the only thought running through her mind as she repeated CPR over and over, unwilling to stop.
And her prayers were answered.
Bosco began to cough, water spilling out of his mouth, out of his lungs as he turned his head to the side, finally sucking in a lungful of oxygen on his own. His body shook as he coughed, sputtering, his eyes finally opening.
Relief took hold of her. The crisis averted, she collapsed onto the ground beside him, wrapping her arms around her stomach as she began to cry. Softly at first, then harder.
"Faith." His voice was raspy as he struggled to sit up, feeling dazed as he watched her with blurry eyes as she sobbed. He wasn't sure exactly what had happened, why she was so distraught. Feeling weak and dizzy, he reached out and touched her shoulder, then the back of her head. When she didn't move, real fear took over. Had she been hurt? His gaze went from her to the waterfall, swallowing hard as he realized just how high up they'd been when they jumped.
How the hell did we survive? he wondered. His eyes drops back to Faith again. This time he laid both of his hands on her arm, gently turned her over so he could see her face. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Something between a laugh and a sob escaped her lips and she sat up suddenly, her eyes red from crying. She wordlessly wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Faith?" he asked in confusion.
"I thought you were dead!"
Bosco suddenly remembered the sharp pain in his head when he hit the rock, how everything had gone dark for an instant, and then how he had awakened on the shore. Realization hit him: she had pulled him from the water. Had saved his life. Again.
She pulled away from him without warning. "Don't ever do that to me again!" she said furiously, her voice thick with tears.
He swallowed hard. "Sorry," he said softly, reaching up to brush away the tears from her cheeks.
Wordlessly, Faith leaned toward him, pressing her lips to his gently. Closing his eyes, he could taste the saltiness from her tears on her lips as he kissed her back. He started to pull her closer without a second thought.
A gunshot in the distance immediately caused them to jump and break apart.
"Dammit," Bosco cursed. "Don't these fucking people *ever* give up?"
* * *
Part Eight
Sully leaned against Swersky's desk as he watched his wife cry. With every moment that passed, listening to her quiet sobs, he felt a little guiltier for how harsh he'd been with her. Davis's words rang in his mind. //"Something's not right here. There's more to the story than what we're seeing."//
"Tatiana," he said, his voice soft. "What did you mean before? When you said that Chevchinko always finds you?"
"It doesn't matter," she whispered, wiping the tears off her cheeks.
"It does to me."
"You cannot help me."
"Not if you won't at least let me try," Sully agreed, gazing at her.
She stared down at the floor.
He knelt down in front of her. "Please talk to me." He reached up and brushed a tear off her chin.
After a long moment, she finally spoke. "In Russia, my father and Chevchinko were business associates. He borrow a lot of money from him but couldn't afford to pay him back. So my father make a deal with him." Tatiana looked away.
"What kind of deal?" Sully asked gently.
"For Chevchinko to marry his daughter Natasha."
"But that's--"
"Me. My real name." She looked down at her hands.
Sully stared at her. "So you and Chevchinko were--"
"No. I do not marry him. I was in love with another man. His name was Michal. We run away together, but Chevchinko found us. He killed Michal." Her eyes filled with more tears. "I was pregnant with Sergay, and I knew if he found out, he'd kill us both. So I ran." She took a deep breath. "I stow away on boat to America. And when I get here, I hide in Los Angeles for two years before he find me again. Sergay and I move so many times, try to hide from him, but he knows so many people. He always finds us.
"So I change my name and come here to Big Apple. And I meet you." The tears spilled down her cheeks. "And you seem like good man. You remind me of Michal. So I thought maybe this time, Chevchinko won't find us. Maybe I won't have to run anymore. Maybe you love me and we can be happy." Her voice wavered.
"I do love you," Sully whispered, feeling sick and angry with himself for being so harsh with her before, followed by a rush of fresh hatred for Chevchinko.
She gave him a shaky smile. "You are good man." She touched his cheek briefly, then pulled her hand away. "It doesn't matter now. It's over. It's only a matter of time before--"
"Don't," he said, pulling her into his arms. "I won't let him hurt you, Tatiana. You or Sergay."
"He is dangerous man, John. I don't want you to get hurt."
Sully held her a little tighter. "We'll figure something out." He pressed his lips to the top of her head. She buried her face in his shoulder. He closed his eyes as he felt her tremble against him.
"I'm sorry I do not tell you truth sooner," she whispered. "I'm sorry your friends are missing. This is all my fault."
"Shh. It's not your fault, it's Chevchinko's." He let out a breath. "And we're gonna find Faith and Bosco and bring them back."
"How you know that?" she asked, looking up at him with worried eyes.
Sully gave her a small smile. "Because if anyone can survive on an island of hunters, it's them." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You'll see."
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"I think we lost the dogs," Faith said, trying to catch her breath as they stopped running for a moment.
He nodded, leaning over, his hands on his knees as he breathed heavily.
She started to say something else, but he held up his hand, a deep frown on his face. "What?"
"Do you hear that?"
She didn't answer, just focused herself on listening.
"It's a horse." Bosco stood up straight, his eyes wide as he recalled what Danny had said. //"We were caught by a man on horseback. Most of them will just kill you, but the guy who found us...he's sadistic..."//
Faith met his gaze, her own eyes wide. "It's coming this way."
He could hear the fear in her voice and he hated it. He grabbed her hand as they took off running again.
The hoofbeats were coming closer.
Think, he commanded himself. He spotted a large row of bushes up ahead and quickly made a run for them. He dropped to the ground, pulling Faith down with him, then rolling them so he was lying on top of her, shielding her body further from sight. "Don't move," he whispered in her ear.
Bosco could hear the horse just a few feet away from where they were hiding. He swallowed hard, squeezed his eyes shut as he heard the whinny on the other side of the bushes.
Go away, he thought, every muscle in his body tense, prepared to fight if he had to. Go away.
He felt Faith's heart racing against his chest, echoing his own fear with every rapid beat.
A few seconds later, Bosco heard the horse galloping away, further into the forest.
They remained silent and motionless for several moments, afraid that the man would turn and see them if they moved too soon. Then he lifted his head to look down at her.
Faith stared up at him, breathing heavily, her brown eyes full of mixed emotions.
"You okay?" he asked.
She nodded wordlessly.
Bosco suddenly realized the compromising position they were lying in and he swallowed hard. The urge to kiss her again was nearly overwhelming. He reluctantly slid off her, barely able to resist the temptation. He sat up slowly, rubbing the back of his head. "That was close."
"Too close," she murmured, as she, too, sat up.
He reached out and carefully pulled a leaf out of her hair.
She looked at him.
Unable to resist, he dropped his hand to her cheek, caressing it lightly with his thumb.
Her eyes closed. "Bosco..."
"Faith, I--"
The sound of barking dogs interupted them once again.
Bosco set his jaw, his eyes narrowing. "I thought dogs were supposed to be man's best friend!"
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"Sullivan."
Sully looked up as Swersky stepped into his office. "Boss?"
"We have a lead on Chevchinko's whereabouts. I'm sending you and Davis to try and pick him up."
He nodded, then looked at Tatiana. "I want you to stay here, okay?" he said softly. "You'll be safe here."
Her eyes were full of fear. "John, be carefuly, please. He is dangerous."
"I promise I'll be careful," Sully replied. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, then pulled away. "Everything's going to be okay." He turned and followed Swersky out the door, glancing over his shoulder at his wife.
"We'll take good care of her, Sully," Swersky said, his voice low.
Sully nodded. "Where's Davis?"
"Right here."
He turned and saw his partner walking toward him, a tense look on his face.
"There's a rumor that Chevchinko's been using an abandoned paper factory on Cantrell and Minister as a meeting place for some of his deals," Swersky informed them.
"We'll check it out," Davis said.
The two of them started to walk away.
"Sullivan, Davis."
They turned to face Lt. Swersky again.
"Be careful. We've already got two missing officers. I don't want to lose anyone else. You hear me?"
Sully and Davis exchanged a look. "We'll be careful," Sully promised.
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"What do you suppose is going on?" Alex wondered aloud as she and Kim watched several police officers assembling outside the 55th precinct.
"Maybe they found them," Kim suggested, her eyes locked on the scene before her.
"There's Ty and Sully." Without another word, Alex crossed the street and made it to 55-Charlie before either officer climbed into the squad. "Ty! Did you guys locate Bosco and Yokas?"
Davis looked over the top of the squad at his partner, then at her. "Not exactly. But we have a lead on Chevchinko."
She gazed up at him, feeling a knot form in her stomach. "He's involved in this?"
"Looks that way, yeah." He looked at her for a long moment. "I'll be okay, Al," he said, dropping his voice.
Alex bit her lip and forced herself to smile. "I know."
"I'll call you as soon as we get back, all right?"
She nodded, hesitated for a moment, then stood up on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. His arms instantly wound around her waist as he kissed her back deeply.
After a long moment, they pulled away and stared at each other.
"I just...wanted to give you another reason to come back," she said quietly, gazing at him.
"It was very motivational," Ty replied, a smile on his lips.
She smiled back, but her eyes remained serious. "Be careful."
"Always," he told her.
She reluctantly turned and headed back across the street.
Sully looked at Davis with raised eyebrows. "Thought you two were finished."
Davis looked back at him. "Me too. But I think we've decided to take a second chance. Everyone deserves a second chance," he said meaningfully.
Sully didn't respond, just climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine.
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He kept running, not pausing to catch his breath, not even sure which direction they were headed. He just knew that if they stopped, they'd get caught. And Bosco was NOT about to be killed by some damned hunter or a pack of dogs.
No way.
It was several long minutes later when his head began throbbing and he began to feel a little dizzy that he finally paused, reaching out and resting his hand on the nearest tree, trying to catch his breath. "I need to rest for just a second."
Faith didn't respond.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked, turning to look at her.
She wasn't there.
"Faith?" Bosco looked around, but didn't see any sign of her. The forest was completely still. "Faith!" he said, raising his voice. His heart began to beat a little faster.
The only thing that answered him was silence.
"Oh, fuck," Bosco whispered in horror.
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Sully focused his eyes on the road in front of him. "You were right."
Davis glanced at him sideways. "I usually am." He grinned. "What about this time?"
"About Tatiana. There was more to the story than what she told everyone else."
There was a moment of silence.
"So what'd she say?"
Sully hesitated. "Enough for me to realize that she's just as much a victim of Chevchinko's as Bosco and Yokas."
There was another moment of silence.
"If Chevchinko finds out that she talked to the police, he'll have her killed."
"So what are you going to do?" Davis asked quietly.
Sully gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. "I can't lose her, Davis," he answered, his voice low. "I won't."
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Bosco walked back the way he'd come from. Or at least the way he *thought* he'd come from. It was hard to tell. It's not like there were any landmarks to guide his path. "Faith!" he whispered loudly.
Still no answer.
Thoughts flooded his mind. Had she been hurt? Was she lying on the ground somewhere in pain? Unconscious maybe? Had she been caught in one of the damned bear traps the hunters had set? He shuddered at the thought. Maybe one of the hunters had grabbed her. His throat tightened and for a moment he couldn't even breathe.
He felt himself careening dangerously close to a panic attack. He hadn't had one in almost a month. But the thought of losing Faith, of what his life would be like without her--
Bosco leaned against a tree trunk and forced himself to take several slow, deep breaths in an attempt to calm down.
She's okay. She has to be.
He needed her.
He closed his eyes and took another deep breath, telling himself over and over again that she was all right. That they had just gotten separated, that was all. He'd find her, they'd have a good laugh about it, then they'd find a way off the damned island and somehow get home again.
He opened his eyes and pushed himself away from the tree. He forced himself to remain calm as he continued to look for her.
Come on, Faith, he thought. Where are you?
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Bosco wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. "Faith!" he whispered loudly.
He heard the crunch of leaves behind him and quickly turned around, expecting to see her there. Instead, he saw Danny. Oh, great, he thought. Just what I needed. A lunatic to slow me down. The other man was looking at him strangely, his face pale. "What?"
"Your friend...the woman you were with..."
"Faith?"
Danny nodded slowly. "I saw her."
His heart leapt into his throat and he took a step toward him. "Where is she?"
"She..."
"What? She what? Where did you see her?" Bosco demanded.
"She was shot."
For a moment, he couldn't breathe. "You're wrong."
Danny shook his head. "I saw it happen. She was shot. There was blood everywhere..."
Bosco grabbed him by his shirt collar and shoved him against a tree. "You're wrong! It was someone else!"
"I'm sorry."
He shook his head furiously. "It wasn't her! It wasn't her."
"It was. I saw her. She's dead, just like Shannon!" Danny said, crying. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
Bosco let go of him, feeling numb.
"I'm sorry," the younger man said again. Without another word, he took off and disapeared into the forest.
He sank down until he was sitting on the ground.
//"She's dead, just like Shannon. She's dead, just like Shannon...she's dead...she's dead...she's dead..."// The words echoed in his mind and their meaning hit him like a freight train.
And Bosco began to cry.
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: faithboscorelli1@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Only in my dreams do I actually own anything. All are property of Edward Allen Bernero and John Wells.
Rating: PG-13 for language, violence and sexual content
Spoilers: Up through and including "233 Days."
Summary: Bosco and Faith find themselves in a predicament in which they can use only their instincts to survive.
Distribution: My site Only Time, 55-HQ, and fanfiction.net. Others, just ask and I'll probably say yes.
Category: Story
Subcategories: Action/adventure/thriller/suspense/romance/friendship/drama/angst...does that narrow it down too much? *wink wink*
Feedback: Makes me write faster.
Author's Note: I sort of got this idea from a third season episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But just for the very general plot idea. The rest came out of my own messed up mind. :)
Dedication: For Dem and Bree
The Rules of the Game (Part Six)
He was disturbed from his peaceful, dreamless sleep by the sound of a barking dog. He grimaced, annoyed, wishing his neighbor would shut the damned mutt up so he could go back to sleep. He shifted positions slightly, groaning as pain shot up his neck.
What a great way to start the day, he thought, not opening his eyes. He idly wondered if he'd remembered to set the coffee pot the night before. He hoped so. He tried to move his left arm, and when he found himself unable to do so, he opened his eyes, blinking rapidly, then squinting. When his vision cleared, his gaze immediately landed on Faith, who was lying next to him, her head on his arm, still asleep.
Bosco's eyes widened momentarily, then he relaxed slightly as he recalled their situation. His eyes drifted shut again.
The damn dog was still barking, only it sounded closer this time. And this time he realized there was more than one dog.
"Oh, fuck," he uttered as his eyes flew open. "Faith, wake up!"
She opened her eyes, squinting. "Boz?" she whispered sleepily.
"We have to get up and run right now," he told her urgently, his voice low as he pulled her into a sitting position.
"What's going on?" she asked, confused.
Bosco rose to his feet, reached down and pulled her to hers, as well. "The hunters. They're coming."
Faith's eyes widened.
He grabbed her hand. "Come on!"
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Sully knew the moment he stepped into the precinct that morning that something had happened. The officers at the desk all wore grim expressions, and looked at him with sorrow filled eyes.
Dread knotted his stomach as he made his way back towards Swersky's office. In the hallway outside, Davis was sitting on the bench next to Steve Gusler, whose eyes were red-rimmed.
Sully swallowed hard. "Davis?"
His partner looked up at him, stared back for a moment. "They, uh...they pulled 55-David from the Hudson River a few hours ago," Davis said, dropping his gaze to the floor again, his voice low.
He stood there, frozen in place by shock. " No," he whispered.
"They haven't found the bodies, yet," his partner added, his voice catching on the word 'bodies.'
Sully sank down onto the bench beside him, feeling sick. "I can't believe this."
The three officers sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity, when the lieutenant's door suddenly opened. Swersky stepped out into the hallway. "We have a man in custody," he said, his voice grim.
They all looked up at him in surprise.
"We lifted a set of prints from the inside of the car. From a man we've arrested before." Swersky's gaze focused on Sully. "A man you and Yokas arrested."
Sully stared back at him uncertainly.
"In connection to Theodore Chevchinko."
"Son of a bitch," he muttered, closing his eyes.
"The FBI is getting ready to question him now. He's turned down his right to have a lawyer present."
Sully looked at Davis and Gusler, then back at his boss. "I'd like to be present for the questioning, Lieu."
Swersky nodded. "I thought you might. Let's go."
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"Tell me again where officers Boscorelli and Yokas are."
"In the river," the younger man replied.
The FBI agent glared at him. "Their bodies weren't found in the car."
He shrugged. "They are dead."
"Did Theodore Chevchinko order their murders?"
"I know of no one by that name."
"My ass," Sully muttered, watching through the two way mirror and shaking his head. He turned away, anger growing inside of him.
Davis glanced over at him, worried. "Sul, you okay?"
He turned to his partner, a grim look on his face. "There's something I have to do."
"What?"
Sully's gaze flickered to Swersky, who was watching him. "Just a hunch I have. I'll be back." Without another word, he left the room, Davis, Gusler and Swersky all staring after him.
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"You know, despite all the physical training we went through at the Academy, I'm a little pissed that they didn't spend any time preparing us for this," Bosco said as they paused momentarily to catch their breath.
"Yeah, well, somehow I doubt they figured that two New York City police officers would have to worry about being hunted in the middle of a forest," Faith replied, breathing heavily and looking around.
"Good point. But still. When we get back, after I kill Chevchinko, the first thing I'm doing is contacting the supervisors at the Academy and telling them to bring all the new trainees to this island for a couple days."
They both fell silent, listening for unusual noises. They didn't have to wait for long. The dogs were barking again.
Faith and Bosco looked at each other.
"Damn it," she muttered.
"Come on."
They started to run again. His legs were sore and tired, but he didn't let himself slow down. He glanced over his shoulder once in awhile to make sure she hadn't fallen behind.
He wasn't sure how long or how far they'd gone when he heard a low but constant rumbling somewhere up ahead of them.
"Bosco, what's that noise?" she asked as they ran.
"I don't know," he admitted.
The dogs were getting closer. He could hear the barking a lot more distinctly than before.
With every step forward, the rumbling grew louder, but he didn't see anything that could be causing it. He looked over his shoulder to see if the dogs were close enough to be seen now.
"Bosco, look out!" Faith suddenly grabbed his arm and yanked him back none too gently.
He turned to see what she'd pulled him away from and found himself staring down a steep cliff. The river they'd been following abruptly dropped off into a huge waterfall that emptied into a large body of water several hundred feet below them.
Bosco took a step away from the edge, turning to look at his partner, then behind them where he could see the dogs running toward them in the distance.
They were trapped.
"Oh, fuck."
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Sully unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. His wife was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper.
She looked up at him, surprised that he was back already. "John, what is wrong?"
He dropped his keys onto the kitchen counter and focused his gaze on her. "The FBI arrested a man who claims he killed my friends that are missing."
Tatiana lifted a hand to her mouth, horrified. "Oh, John, I am so sorry."
"The man works for a friend of yours," Sully informed her, his eyes narrowed.
She looked at him in confusion. "What?"
"Enough of the lies, Tatiana. Or Natasha. Or whatever your real name is," he snapped, glaring at her. "I want to know everything you know about Theodore Chevchinko. And I want to know right now."
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Bosco's heart pounded heavily against his chest. He looked at the dogs that were now only a few yards away, then down at the waterfall, and then at Faith.
Her eyes wide, face place, she stared back at him. "You're not really thinking what I think you're thinking, right?"
A shot rang out through the air, slamming into a tree only a foot away from him. "Do we really have a choice?"
She looked from him, back toward the dogs, who would be on them in a matter of seconds, then down at the lake below.
Another shot. This time he felt the ricochet of the splintering wood as it stung his arm.
Bosco looked at her intently. "Faith?" he said urgently, every muscle in his body tense.
Wordlessly, she reached out for his hand, a frightened look in her eyes. He slid his hand into hers without hesitation, interlacing their fingers as he swallowed hard. "On the count of three."
Faith nodded, squeezing his hand tightly. "One."
"Two," he said, squeezing her hand back.
Bosco and Faith looked at each other, and then in unison said, "Three!"
They jumped.
* * *
Part Seven
Faith had always hated that dream -- the one where she was falling -- though it wasn't really dream exactly, but a sensation experienced somewhere between being awake and slipping into unconsciousness But the sensation had always been so real, every time she'd experienced it, it managed to invoke in her an innate feeling of sheer terror.
But nothing quite like the fear that overwhelmed her as she felt her feet leave solid ground, her hand grasping Bosco's tightly as they leapt off that cliff, plunging toward the water blow.
In that instance, she saw her life flash before her -- Em, Charlie, Fred, her parents, Stanley, Bosco. All her regrets and her hopes for the future bubbled up within her, but she did not scream. And immediately following the panic was a feeling of calmness, of peace.
Though she didn't know where it came from, the calmness allowed her to remember to hold her breath just a couple seconds before she hit the water, her hand slipping away from her partner's as they both sank under the cold surface.
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Sully held on to Tatiana's arm with one hand and knocked on Swersky's office door with the other.
"Come in," Swersky called.
He turned the door handle and pushed the door open. Swersky and Christopher both looked at him as he pulled his wife in behind him, closed the door and pointed to a chair for her to sit in. She sat down in it without a word, her eyes red-rimmed and downcast.
Swersky looked from Tatiana to Sully, a confused expression on his face. "Sully?"
"Tell them everything you told me," Sully told her, his voice cold.
She flinched at his tone, tears forming in her eyes. She raised a hand to her face to brush away the tears, but remained silent.
There was a knock on the door. They all looked toward it, then Sully pulled open to find Davis standing there, a worried expression on his face. "I saw you come in, and I thought..."
Sully stepped aside wordlessly and let him in, shutting the door again. He folded his arms across his chest.
Davis's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Tatiana, then at his partner.
"Officer Sullivan, what the hell is going on?" Christopher asked, beginning to lose his patience.
Sully moved closer to the chair his wife was sitting in. "Faith and Bosco may not be dead. Yet." He focused his gaze on Tatiana. "Tell them about Chevchinko and his sick little game."
All eyes in the room turned to stare at her.
She swallowed hard, unable to look up. "He is a powerful man. And he has this thing he likes to do. He calls it The Game." Her voice was soft, just barely audible. "He finds islands and then he takes people there. People who owe him or get in his way. And then men with money paying him to allow them on these islands, so they can hunt."
"Hunt?" Christopher repeated, his eyes wide with shock.
"Jesus," Swersky muttered, his face pale. "How long has this been going on?"
"Years," she whispered, a tear running down her cheek.
"We'll keep you in protective custody until we find Chevchinko. We're going to need you to testify." Swersky gazed at her.
She didn't answer.
"We'll put you into the witness protection program after that. So he can't find you."
"It doesn't matter," Tatiana said, shaking her head, looking down at the floor. "He always finds me." Without another word, she leaned over in her chair, put her head on her knees and began to cry.
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The current from the waterfall pulled her deep beneath the surface of the water. All she could feel was the pain and the cold, the only thought in her mind was 'air.'
She was dizzy, disoriented as she kicked her legs, trying to force herself upward, whichever direction that was. Her lungs burned like fire and common sense told her she wouldn't be able to hold her breath much longer.
The water was murky, too murky to see very well, to see which direction was up. It only confused her more. So she closed her eyes and forced herself to keep her panic at bay as she stopped kicking, willing herself to keep holding her breath as she began to float naturally toward the water's surface.
After a few seconds, she kicked again and this time it propelled her upwards, to the surface. She gasped as she sucked in a lungful of air, her ribs aching. She looked around wildly, suddenly remembering that she was not alone, that Bosco was there somewhere, as well. She choked on a mouthful of water as the waves splashed into her face. "Bosco!" she shouted, coughing as she did her best to tread water.
The noise, the rushing-rumbling sound from the waterfall made it impossible to hear anything else. She looked around in the water, on the bannks, but didn't seem him anywhere. "Bosco!" Faith called again, knowing it was a futile effort.
Where is he? she thought frantically. She drew in a deep breath and ducked under the water again, forcing her eyes open. She forced herself further down under the surface, peering into the depths of the lake, her heart racing with fear. Where is he?
She began to swim, diving a little deeper after getting another mouthful of air. And that's when she caught a glimpse of him, sinking slowly toward the bottom of the lake, his body completely limp, his eyes shut.
Faith swam toward him, wrapping her arms underneath his from behind him and using her legs to kick them both upward to the surface again.
It only took them a few seconds to reach it and she gasped for air, kicking in the water, refusing to let go of his body despite the dead weight that threatened to pull them both under. She dragged him through the water in seconds that felt like an eternity, and managed somehow to pull them both onto dry land.
She didn't give herself a second to recover before she pressed her ear against his chest, listening, tuning out the sound of the rushing water.
Bosco wasn't breathing.
She didn't even think, her training as a police officer kicking in as she immediately began CPR--pinching his nose closed, breathing into his mouth, pausing, then doing it again. He didn't move.
Tears sprang to her eyes. "Don't do this to me," she begged. She started the CPR process again. "Come on, Boz, please! Don't die on me!"
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"The FBI is organizing teams of men on helicopters to search the islands all along the East Coast," Davis informed Sully as they stood outside Swersky's office.
Sully didn't respond.
"How's she doing?" Davis asked, nodding toward the office where Tatiana was still sitting in the chair alone in the room, crying.
"She'll be fine."
He was startled by the harshness of his partner's tone. "Sully."
"What? Am I supposed to feel sorry for her? Bosco and Yokas could be dead because she didn't come forward with this information sooner. Not to mention who knows how many other people!"
Davis looked into the office at Tatiana's shaking form. "Talk to her, Sully. Something's not right here. There's more to this story than what we're seeing," he urged quietly.
Sully sighed heavily, closing his eyes. "Davis --"
"If you don't, you'll end up regretting it." He looked at Sully. "Despite the fact that you're pissed at her, she's still your wife. And you might not want to admit it, but you love her. I know you do. Just... give her the chance to explain."
Sully watched his partner walk away, then turned and stared at the woman he'd married, watched as she cried silently, uncontrollably, faced away from him.
He swallowed hard, took a deep breath and walked into the office, shutting the door behind him quietly.
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Please God, don't let him die, Faith prayed as she kept breathing into her best friend's mouth, refusing to give up. It was the only thought running through her mind as she repeated CPR over and over, unwilling to stop.
And her prayers were answered.
Bosco began to cough, water spilling out of his mouth, out of his lungs as he turned his head to the side, finally sucking in a lungful of oxygen on his own. His body shook as he coughed, sputtering, his eyes finally opening.
Relief took hold of her. The crisis averted, she collapsed onto the ground beside him, wrapping her arms around her stomach as she began to cry. Softly at first, then harder.
"Faith." His voice was raspy as he struggled to sit up, feeling dazed as he watched her with blurry eyes as she sobbed. He wasn't sure exactly what had happened, why she was so distraught. Feeling weak and dizzy, he reached out and touched her shoulder, then the back of her head. When she didn't move, real fear took over. Had she been hurt? His gaze went from her to the waterfall, swallowing hard as he realized just how high up they'd been when they jumped.
How the hell did we survive? he wondered. His eyes drops back to Faith again. This time he laid both of his hands on her arm, gently turned her over so he could see her face. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Something between a laugh and a sob escaped her lips and she sat up suddenly, her eyes red from crying. She wordlessly wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Faith?" he asked in confusion.
"I thought you were dead!"
Bosco suddenly remembered the sharp pain in his head when he hit the rock, how everything had gone dark for an instant, and then how he had awakened on the shore. Realization hit him: she had pulled him from the water. Had saved his life. Again.
She pulled away from him without warning. "Don't ever do that to me again!" she said furiously, her voice thick with tears.
He swallowed hard. "Sorry," he said softly, reaching up to brush away the tears from her cheeks.
Wordlessly, Faith leaned toward him, pressing her lips to his gently. Closing his eyes, he could taste the saltiness from her tears on her lips as he kissed her back. He started to pull her closer without a second thought.
A gunshot in the distance immediately caused them to jump and break apart.
"Dammit," Bosco cursed. "Don't these fucking people *ever* give up?"
* * *
Part Eight
Sully leaned against Swersky's desk as he watched his wife cry. With every moment that passed, listening to her quiet sobs, he felt a little guiltier for how harsh he'd been with her. Davis's words rang in his mind. //"Something's not right here. There's more to the story than what we're seeing."//
"Tatiana," he said, his voice soft. "What did you mean before? When you said that Chevchinko always finds you?"
"It doesn't matter," she whispered, wiping the tears off her cheeks.
"It does to me."
"You cannot help me."
"Not if you won't at least let me try," Sully agreed, gazing at her.
She stared down at the floor.
He knelt down in front of her. "Please talk to me." He reached up and brushed a tear off her chin.
After a long moment, she finally spoke. "In Russia, my father and Chevchinko were business associates. He borrow a lot of money from him but couldn't afford to pay him back. So my father make a deal with him." Tatiana looked away.
"What kind of deal?" Sully asked gently.
"For Chevchinko to marry his daughter Natasha."
"But that's--"
"Me. My real name." She looked down at her hands.
Sully stared at her. "So you and Chevchinko were--"
"No. I do not marry him. I was in love with another man. His name was Michal. We run away together, but Chevchinko found us. He killed Michal." Her eyes filled with more tears. "I was pregnant with Sergay, and I knew if he found out, he'd kill us both. So I ran." She took a deep breath. "I stow away on boat to America. And when I get here, I hide in Los Angeles for two years before he find me again. Sergay and I move so many times, try to hide from him, but he knows so many people. He always finds us.
"So I change my name and come here to Big Apple. And I meet you." The tears spilled down her cheeks. "And you seem like good man. You remind me of Michal. So I thought maybe this time, Chevchinko won't find us. Maybe I won't have to run anymore. Maybe you love me and we can be happy." Her voice wavered.
"I do love you," Sully whispered, feeling sick and angry with himself for being so harsh with her before, followed by a rush of fresh hatred for Chevchinko.
She gave him a shaky smile. "You are good man." She touched his cheek briefly, then pulled her hand away. "It doesn't matter now. It's over. It's only a matter of time before--"
"Don't," he said, pulling her into his arms. "I won't let him hurt you, Tatiana. You or Sergay."
"He is dangerous man, John. I don't want you to get hurt."
Sully held her a little tighter. "We'll figure something out." He pressed his lips to the top of her head. She buried her face in his shoulder. He closed his eyes as he felt her tremble against him.
"I'm sorry I do not tell you truth sooner," she whispered. "I'm sorry your friends are missing. This is all my fault."
"Shh. It's not your fault, it's Chevchinko's." He let out a breath. "And we're gonna find Faith and Bosco and bring them back."
"How you know that?" she asked, looking up at him with worried eyes.
Sully gave her a small smile. "Because if anyone can survive on an island of hunters, it's them." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You'll see."
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"I think we lost the dogs," Faith said, trying to catch her breath as they stopped running for a moment.
He nodded, leaning over, his hands on his knees as he breathed heavily.
She started to say something else, but he held up his hand, a deep frown on his face. "What?"
"Do you hear that?"
She didn't answer, just focused herself on listening.
"It's a horse." Bosco stood up straight, his eyes wide as he recalled what Danny had said. //"We were caught by a man on horseback. Most of them will just kill you, but the guy who found us...he's sadistic..."//
Faith met his gaze, her own eyes wide. "It's coming this way."
He could hear the fear in her voice and he hated it. He grabbed her hand as they took off running again.
The hoofbeats were coming closer.
Think, he commanded himself. He spotted a large row of bushes up ahead and quickly made a run for them. He dropped to the ground, pulling Faith down with him, then rolling them so he was lying on top of her, shielding her body further from sight. "Don't move," he whispered in her ear.
Bosco could hear the horse just a few feet away from where they were hiding. He swallowed hard, squeezed his eyes shut as he heard the whinny on the other side of the bushes.
Go away, he thought, every muscle in his body tense, prepared to fight if he had to. Go away.
He felt Faith's heart racing against his chest, echoing his own fear with every rapid beat.
A few seconds later, Bosco heard the horse galloping away, further into the forest.
They remained silent and motionless for several moments, afraid that the man would turn and see them if they moved too soon. Then he lifted his head to look down at her.
Faith stared up at him, breathing heavily, her brown eyes full of mixed emotions.
"You okay?" he asked.
She nodded wordlessly.
Bosco suddenly realized the compromising position they were lying in and he swallowed hard. The urge to kiss her again was nearly overwhelming. He reluctantly slid off her, barely able to resist the temptation. He sat up slowly, rubbing the back of his head. "That was close."
"Too close," she murmured, as she, too, sat up.
He reached out and carefully pulled a leaf out of her hair.
She looked at him.
Unable to resist, he dropped his hand to her cheek, caressing it lightly with his thumb.
Her eyes closed. "Bosco..."
"Faith, I--"
The sound of barking dogs interupted them once again.
Bosco set his jaw, his eyes narrowing. "I thought dogs were supposed to be man's best friend!"
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"Sullivan."
Sully looked up as Swersky stepped into his office. "Boss?"
"We have a lead on Chevchinko's whereabouts. I'm sending you and Davis to try and pick him up."
He nodded, then looked at Tatiana. "I want you to stay here, okay?" he said softly. "You'll be safe here."
Her eyes were full of fear. "John, be carefuly, please. He is dangerous."
"I promise I'll be careful," Sully replied. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, then pulled away. "Everything's going to be okay." He turned and followed Swersky out the door, glancing over his shoulder at his wife.
"We'll take good care of her, Sully," Swersky said, his voice low.
Sully nodded. "Where's Davis?"
"Right here."
He turned and saw his partner walking toward him, a tense look on his face.
"There's a rumor that Chevchinko's been using an abandoned paper factory on Cantrell and Minister as a meeting place for some of his deals," Swersky informed them.
"We'll check it out," Davis said.
The two of them started to walk away.
"Sullivan, Davis."
They turned to face Lt. Swersky again.
"Be careful. We've already got two missing officers. I don't want to lose anyone else. You hear me?"
Sully and Davis exchanged a look. "We'll be careful," Sully promised.
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"What do you suppose is going on?" Alex wondered aloud as she and Kim watched several police officers assembling outside the 55th precinct.
"Maybe they found them," Kim suggested, her eyes locked on the scene before her.
"There's Ty and Sully." Without another word, Alex crossed the street and made it to 55-Charlie before either officer climbed into the squad. "Ty! Did you guys locate Bosco and Yokas?"
Davis looked over the top of the squad at his partner, then at her. "Not exactly. But we have a lead on Chevchinko."
She gazed up at him, feeling a knot form in her stomach. "He's involved in this?"
"Looks that way, yeah." He looked at her for a long moment. "I'll be okay, Al," he said, dropping his voice.
Alex bit her lip and forced herself to smile. "I know."
"I'll call you as soon as we get back, all right?"
She nodded, hesitated for a moment, then stood up on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. His arms instantly wound around her waist as he kissed her back deeply.
After a long moment, they pulled away and stared at each other.
"I just...wanted to give you another reason to come back," she said quietly, gazing at him.
"It was very motivational," Ty replied, a smile on his lips.
She smiled back, but her eyes remained serious. "Be careful."
"Always," he told her.
She reluctantly turned and headed back across the street.
Sully looked at Davis with raised eyebrows. "Thought you two were finished."
Davis looked back at him. "Me too. But I think we've decided to take a second chance. Everyone deserves a second chance," he said meaningfully.
Sully didn't respond, just climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine.
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He kept running, not pausing to catch his breath, not even sure which direction they were headed. He just knew that if they stopped, they'd get caught. And Bosco was NOT about to be killed by some damned hunter or a pack of dogs.
No way.
It was several long minutes later when his head began throbbing and he began to feel a little dizzy that he finally paused, reaching out and resting his hand on the nearest tree, trying to catch his breath. "I need to rest for just a second."
Faith didn't respond.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked, turning to look at her.
She wasn't there.
"Faith?" Bosco looked around, but didn't see any sign of her. The forest was completely still. "Faith!" he said, raising his voice. His heart began to beat a little faster.
The only thing that answered him was silence.
"Oh, fuck," Bosco whispered in horror.
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Sully focused his eyes on the road in front of him. "You were right."
Davis glanced at him sideways. "I usually am." He grinned. "What about this time?"
"About Tatiana. There was more to the story than what she told everyone else."
There was a moment of silence.
"So what'd she say?"
Sully hesitated. "Enough for me to realize that she's just as much a victim of Chevchinko's as Bosco and Yokas."
There was another moment of silence.
"If Chevchinko finds out that she talked to the police, he'll have her killed."
"So what are you going to do?" Davis asked quietly.
Sully gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. "I can't lose her, Davis," he answered, his voice low. "I won't."
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Bosco walked back the way he'd come from. Or at least the way he *thought* he'd come from. It was hard to tell. It's not like there were any landmarks to guide his path. "Faith!" he whispered loudly.
Still no answer.
Thoughts flooded his mind. Had she been hurt? Was she lying on the ground somewhere in pain? Unconscious maybe? Had she been caught in one of the damned bear traps the hunters had set? He shuddered at the thought. Maybe one of the hunters had grabbed her. His throat tightened and for a moment he couldn't even breathe.
He felt himself careening dangerously close to a panic attack. He hadn't had one in almost a month. But the thought of losing Faith, of what his life would be like without her--
Bosco leaned against a tree trunk and forced himself to take several slow, deep breaths in an attempt to calm down.
She's okay. She has to be.
He needed her.
He closed his eyes and took another deep breath, telling himself over and over again that she was all right. That they had just gotten separated, that was all. He'd find her, they'd have a good laugh about it, then they'd find a way off the damned island and somehow get home again.
He opened his eyes and pushed himself away from the tree. He forced himself to remain calm as he continued to look for her.
Come on, Faith, he thought. Where are you?
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Bosco wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. "Faith!" he whispered loudly.
He heard the crunch of leaves behind him and quickly turned around, expecting to see her there. Instead, he saw Danny. Oh, great, he thought. Just what I needed. A lunatic to slow me down. The other man was looking at him strangely, his face pale. "What?"
"Your friend...the woman you were with..."
"Faith?"
Danny nodded slowly. "I saw her."
His heart leapt into his throat and he took a step toward him. "Where is she?"
"She..."
"What? She what? Where did you see her?" Bosco demanded.
"She was shot."
For a moment, he couldn't breathe. "You're wrong."
Danny shook his head. "I saw it happen. She was shot. There was blood everywhere..."
Bosco grabbed him by his shirt collar and shoved him against a tree. "You're wrong! It was someone else!"
"I'm sorry."
He shook his head furiously. "It wasn't her! It wasn't her."
"It was. I saw her. She's dead, just like Shannon!" Danny said, crying. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
Bosco let go of him, feeling numb.
"I'm sorry," the younger man said again. Without another word, he took off and disapeared into the forest.
He sank down until he was sitting on the ground.
//"She's dead, just like Shannon. She's dead, just like Shannon...she's dead...she's dead...she's dead..."// The words echoed in his mind and their meaning hit him like a freight train.
And Bosco began to cry.