Inside This Place Is Warm, Outside It Starts To Pour.

Chapter 10

Lucy's POV
I'm overstimulated as soon as I come to. The buzzing. In a new place. Random person.

I pass back out.

When I wake up again I'm tied to a chair. Caleb comes into the room.

"Oh, hey. You're up. I'd offer you some, but it's better if your stomach's empty, you know, later. All the screaming tends to make you..." Caleb says as he fake gags.

"Can- Can I at least have some water?" I ask.
"Oh, of course. I'm not a monster." He says.

He gives me a few sips before pulling it away.

"Don't get greedy." He chuckles.

"Is this why you talked to me in that bar? So you could abduct me?" I ask.

Oh. No, no. I see the confusion. This wasn't the plan. You were just a happy opportunity. I was there trying to see how much you knew about Rosalind." He smirks.

It all clicks. He's the one who's murdering these people for her.

"Are you gonna bury me in Rosalind's third unmarked grave?" I ask him, trying to get some information.

I think so. I was gonna put Nora in there, but then you screwed that up." Caleb tells me.

"Now, I got to get to it. I got a lot to do before I put you inside." He smirks.

"Wait, wait, wait. Uh, why the tattoo? Is it some display of ownership? The ultimate control over another person, deciding when they die?" I question him.

"No. It's not for me, silly. It's for you. To force you to face the truth of your death. It's the gift of something we rarely get in life. Clarity." He smiles creepily.

"Did Rosalind teach you that?"
"No! That's mine." He exclaims.

I just thought Rosalind is your mentor, so -" I try but he cuts me off.

"No, no, no. It's not like that. We're equals." He tries.

"Does she know that?" I ask.

"You're good, Officer Chen. I'm gonna enjoy this. More than I thought I would." He says, close to my face before walking out of the room.

As soon as he leaves I tug on the duct tape. I manage to get my hands free, then I get my legs free. Suddenly he comes back in and sees I'm out of the chair.

"How the-" He tries to say but I punch him in the nose knocking him down.

I stumble a bit but manage to dash outside.

There's nothing to be seen other than hills.

Shit.

Suddenly he's grabbing me. He sprays me with pepper spray.

I manage to get a few more hits on him but he knocks me down. He grabs my leg and starts dragging me.

He eventually lets me start walking. We get to a hole in the middle of nowhere.

"Get in." He tells me.
"No," I tell him.

"You know, they all say that. And then they all get in. Do you know why? Hope. Inside that barrel, there's still life." He says, then gets out a gun and points it at me. "Out here - Only death. And you and I both know, that despite the evidence literally tattooed on your side, you don't think you're dying today. So get in the barrel." I sigh and start to climb in.

I quickly throw my engagement ring on the ground. I don't want to lose it but if losing it means I have any hope of getting found, I know he won't care.

"Any last words?" Caleb asks me.
"Yeah. You're gonna be dead long before I am." I tell him even though I'm very scared I don't show it.

I see a camera on the lid of the barrel.

"So I can watch." He tells me then clamps the lid down.

Then I'm being buried.

The hours tick by slowly. Soon it's getting hard to breathe. I eventually pass out, images of Tim flicking around in my head.

Tim's POV
We finally know where Lucy is. We all rush to Rosalind uncles house. We get in and see the guy.

"Where is she!" I snap at him as I grab him.
"You won't find her. She's out there somewhere. Buried. Dying." He smirks.

I punch him and he falls unconscious.

I radio that she's buried and then I take Angela and we start to look for her.

We walk for ages but I don't give up hope.

I suddenly see something glimmering. I dash over and pick it up. It's her engagement ring. Angela and I start kicking and stomping around.

Thump thump thump.

I look at Angela and then start digging with my hands. Other officers rush over and start using shovels to dig. We find an old rusty-looking barrel. I pry it open and look inside.

Lucy.

She's all curled up.

I shove everyone aside and pull her out. I lay her down and check her breathing. Nothing.

I start to pump her chest, praying for her to gasp out for breath. Praying for her to wake up and start crying. Praying for her to cuddle up to me as I hold her.

She does.

She suddenly gasps for breath. She starts to sob.

Lucy cracks her eye open a little, just enough to see me. She then reaches for me. I pull her close to my chest and hold her whilst rocking.

She tries to cover her ears up. Nolan quickly hands me her noise-cancelling headphones that someone was thoughtful enough to bring.

I slip them on over her ears and turn them on for her.

After a moment I lift her up and carry her to the helicopter which will air-lift her to the hospital. Lucy spots the helicopter and sniffles a bit.

"Do I get to go in the helicopter?" She asks with a tiny smile.
"Yeah." I nod.
"First helicopter ride." She says softly making me and my friends chuckle a bit.

In the helicopter, Lucy is pretty calm as she's enjoying the ride. Over the next few hours, I wait in the hospital waiting room. I'm eventually allowed to see her. I rush to her room.

When I get there I see her bundled up in bed.

"Someone's getting princess treatment," I say softly as I lay down with her.
"Yes." She says quietly.

Over the next two hours, Lucy gets lots of visitors and even more gifts. She gets a butt load of flowers and loads of bunny plushies each one gets placed on her bed and soon we are basically drowning in bunny plushies.

Sergeant Grey and Luna come in last, both with two bunnies each.

"Seems like we aren't the only ones who know your special interest is bunnies." Grey chuckles as they place the four on the bed.

"I think I'm going to pick out my favourites and donate the rest to kids in the hospital," Lucy says softly while admiring all of them.
"That's really sweet of you," Luna says softly.
"Uhm so, Caleb has been arrested and Rosalind has been sentenced to the death penalty," Grey says.
"Yeah?" I ask hopeful.
"Yes. Now, Lucy, you can have as long as you need off, Tim you can have one month off to look after her. But I do need my best officers back at some time." Grey tells us.
"Thanks, sir," Lucy says tiredly.
"Best we get going. Feel better soon sweetie." Luna says and then they're gone.

Not long after, Lucy's out too.