Chapter 18- Jade

Glenn stayed with Sierra while they bandaged her and put another cast on her leg. He glared at the nurses when they asked him to leave. They tried to stay away from him afterwards. Once they were alone, Sierra said, "thank you, Glenn." "Anything for you." He gently took her battered form into his arms, and held her. "I'm just glad we weren't too late."

==================================

Mark and Madison stood in the hall, thank full that it was all over. The EMTs wheeled the maniac on the gurney past them. "You sick bastard," Mark said as he went for him. Madison held him back. "He's not worth it anymore, Mark." "Heh, so you're Mark? No matter. You probably fucked her too." Madison had to hold him back again. She turned to Chester. "You're lucky they didn't kill you, asshole! After what you did to my sister, I wish they had." The maniac started coughing up blood, and Mark gave him an evil grin. He was then rushed into one of the rooms. "I wish I had killed him." Madison wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her head on his chest.

Glenn came out of the room. "Sierra wants to see you two." They followed him back in. "Hey, sis. How are you feeling now?" "Between the drugs and Glenn, just fine. I wanted to thank you two." "Stay away from motorcycles for a while, and we'll call it even," Madison teased. Glenn sat on the bed next to Sierra. "No more rides until she's healed up." "When can you go home," Madison asked. "The doctor went to get my release papers. Thank God I won't be here long." "You had better get some rest this time." "I'll make sure of it," Glenn told Madison with a smile.

The door opened. They all thought it was the doctor, but they were wrong. A man walked in with a bouquet of flowers covering his face. "Hey, Sierra." "Robert," Madison asked. "What the hell are you doing here?" "I heard over the police scanner that she was here." He set the flowers down on the table. He looked at Mark and Glenn. "Who the hell are you two?"

Chapter 19 - Lady B

Glenn and Mark looked at each other and then at Robert with murder in their eyes after what they had been through. Madison noticed the looks that the guys gave each other and turned to Robert. "I think we better talk outside".

Robert followed her outside of Sierra's room with one last glare at Glenn and Mark. "I've missed you" Robert said to Madison as he attempted to put his arms around her. "Robert, don't!" Madison said as she pushed his arms away and took one step back from him. "What is it Babe? You don't love me anymore?" Robert said as once again he tried to step closer to her. "Robert things have been over between us for over 2 years now. "Why did you come here today?" Madison asked him. "Because I wanted to see you. I wanted to tell you how sorry I was for what I did to you and to tell you that I'm willing to take you back" Robert said.

Madison looked at him with shock on her face. "Willing to take me back? Listen, you son of a bitch, you were the one that played me dirty. You were the one that I found to have another woman in your apartment when we were supposed to have gone out to dinner' Madison said starting to raise her voice slightly. "Wasn't it you who opened the door, when I went to your apartment looking for you, wearing just a towel and wasn't there a nude woman in your bed? You have got to be out of your fucking mind to think that I would go back with you. And even if I had entertained that thought at one time, I am now seeing someone else so you stand no chance buddy" Madison hissed as she turned to go back into to the room.

Robert caught her by the arm spinning her around. "Which one of them is it? he hissed angrily. "The tall one with the hazel eyes or the freak with the tattoos?" he asked roughly bringing his face close to hers and attempting to kiss her. Madison gave him a resounding slap as she said "That is none of your business". She turned once again and entered the room.

Robert stood there watching the door to the room close behind her in shock and rubbing the cheek that she had slapped. ¡She won't get away with this. I don't care what freak she is seeing' he thought to himself as he took one final glance at the door and stormed out of the hospital.

Chapter 20 - Jade

Unbeknownst to Madison and Robert, Mark moved closer to the door after she raised her voice. When he heard the slap, he went to open the door. Before he got his hand on the knob, Madison slammed the door into his hand. He shook it off, and asked Madison if she was alright. "I could scream right now! He said he's sorry for what he did, and he'll take me back. He must think I'm desperate!" Mark walked over to Madison, and wrapped his arms around her. "It'll be alright, darlin'." He sat in the chair next to the bed, and pulled her down with him.

He contemplated what Robert had said to Madison. He knew it could get ugly, if Robert was persistent. He had to put a stop to it, before it did. The doctor came in, and gave Sierra her release papers.

The nurse came in soon after with a wheelchair. Glenn helped her in it, then wheeled her out of the room, and out of the hospital. Once they made it back to Mark's house, Glenn helped Sierra into bed, Madison went to take a long hot bath, and Mark sat in his favorite chair, still bothered by Robert. His curiosity got the better of him. He went to Sierra's room, and knocked on the door. "Come in." "Glenn, can I talk to Sierra for a minute?" "Sure." He gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back in a few." After he left, Mark asked," what's the deal with this guy, Robert?" "He's Madi's loser ex-boyfriend. He tried to control her. He wanted her with him every moment she wasn't at work, which put a crimp in our relationship. When he started spending more time alone, she got suspicious. One night, they were supposed to meet for dinner, but he never showed up. She went to his apartment, and found him with another woman. You're the first guy she's been with since." "Do you know where I can find him?" "Yes. What are you up to?" "I just want to have a little talk with him." "The Willow Bend apartments on Center St., number 526." "Thanks. Now, you listen to Dr. Glenn, and get some rest. If Madison asks you where I am, tell her I went for a ride."

******************************

Thirty minutes later, Mark was standing in front of Robert's door. Rage was boiling within him over the way this guy treated Madison. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his anger, then knocked on the door. Robert opened the door. When he saw that Mark was on the other side, he asked, "what the hell do you want?" "I hear you have a problem with tattooed freaks." "Yeah, so?" "Unless you want an even bigger problem, stay away from Madison. If she wanted you back, she would have told you long before now." "And, if I don't?" "Like I said, you'll have a big problem. Me. I ain't giving her up without a fight." "That makes two of us." He slammed the door in Mark's face. Mark wanted to break the door down, and strangle the bastard. He decided against it, and went back to his bike, to go home.

Chap 21 Lady B

Mark drove around for a while trying to cool his anger. He knew he would eventually have a confrontation with Robert and he knew who would be on the ¡shit end of the stick' if it ever happened. Once Mark had calmed down he drove back at Madison and Sierra's home. He parked his bike in the driveway and entered. The house was quiet as he entered. He could hear soft music coming from the backyard. He walked through the house and found Madison sitting on one of the lounge chairs in the back. After her bath she had changed into a pair of shorts and tank top and was sitting there sunning herself with her eyes closed.

Mark took a deep breath as he swept his eyes over her body. He took in her shapely legs and the curve of her hips. His eyes lingered on her breasts as they rose slightly with every breath she took. He moved his gaze up to her face, gazing at her pouty lips which just begged to be kissed, the long lashes and the way her hair fell slightly over her face. He approached her quietly and bent down until his lips were over hers. He kissed her. Madison was startled out of a light sleep by someone standing in her sunlight and then by a set of lips on hers. Thinking it was Robert, she immediately put up a struggle for a few minutes, but noticing the way that she was being kissed, she knew that it could only be one person who would kiss her like that. She relaxed then as he sat next to her and pulled her up to him, all the while kissing her. He broke the kiss and held her to him. She wrapped her arms around him as she lay her head on his chest. I'll never let her go' he said to himself. At least, not without a fight' as he crushed her to his chest.

**************

Sierra had finally fallen asleep with Glenn laying beside her. He looked at her and knew that he would be lost without her. But he also knew that he and Mark would be leaving in a few days to rejoin the WWF on tour. He wanted so much to ask her to go with him, but knowing what he knew about her, she wouldn't leave so easily. He ran his fingers over her face and kissed her on the cheek before he got out of bed. He stretched as he stood up, took one look back at her and made his way out of the room and down to the kitchen to get something to eat as his stomach was making all these weird hunger noises.

**************

"Who the hell does that tattooed freak think he is to come to my place" Robert grumbled to himself as he stomped around his apartment. "Does he think that just cause he's at least a foot taller than me he can push me around? I'm going to have to show him that I'm not scared of him and that I can get Madison back any time I want her". He added as he went and fixed himself a tall drink of Scotch and soda and paced some more. "I'll show him that I can get her back cause she belongs to me. I haven't released her and given her permission to see other men. Especially not a freak" he said as he sat down and grabbed the phone.

*************

When Glenn entered the kitchen he heard the music coming from the backyard. He poked his head out the door and saw Mark and Madison kissing. He quietly stepped back and snickered. He opened the frig and brought out some sandwich meats and bread. He got the bowl of potato salad and started to prepare himself a plate. Madison pulled slightly away from Mark and said "That has to be Glenn in the kitchen making a mess of the place". "Yep, it's the bottomless pit alright" Mark replied as they both got up from the lounge chair and headed inside.

. "I knew I would find you here" Madison said as she saw Glenn heaping the potato salad onto his plate. "Well . . . I got a little hungry and thought I'd get something to eat" Glenn said sheepishly. "No problem" Madison said "Here, let me help you with that" she added as she took the knife from his hand and put together a triple decker sandwich for him. "Mark, would you like one?" she asked . "Sure" he replied as he brought down three more plates and Madison fixed them a couple of sandwiches, and fixed a plate for Sierra. They sat down to eat at the table. "Madison, Glenn and I have to go back on the road in two days. We don't want to leave you girls alone, but we just can't take more time off right now. I know I speak for Glenn when I say that we would like you girls to go with us" Mark said. "I would love to accompany you, but right now I have to go back to my office. I'm in the middle of a large case which goes to court in a few days and I haven't even been in the office in over a week to review what my assistant has been doing. And of course, I'm sure Sierra is in no condition to travel right now. As it is, I'm going to have to hire someone to stay with her when I go back to work" Madison replied. Madison saw the look that passed over Mark's face and her heart nearly broke. "How about I do this" she said as she reached over and placed her hand over his. "I can take care of what has to be done at work in the next couple of weeks and then Sierra and I will catch up with you guys at one of the events? By then Sierra should be up and around and hopefully out of her cast" Madison added.

Mark grabbed her hand in his and squeezed it. "It's going to be a long couple of weeks but I think I can wait" Mark said as he brought her hand to his lips. "I'm going to take Sierra some food and also explain to her that we will be leaving in a few days" Glenn said as he grabbed the plate that Madison had prepared for Sierra and a bottle of iced tea and headed up the stairs.

Chapter 22 - Jade

Sierra was still resting peacefully when Glenn came into the room. He set the plate and tea on the bedside table. He sat on the edge of the bed, and watched her. He gently rubbed the back of his fingers across her cheek. "Sierra, wake up." She didn't move. He came down closer to her, and kissed her. Her hands slid over his chest and further up until her arms were wrapped around his neck. When the kiss ended, Glenn said," so, the ogre can wake up Sleeping Beauty." "I don't see an ogre. I see Prince Charming."

A grin spread across his lips. "Madison made you a sandwich. Are you hungry?" "A little," she said as she sat up. "There's something I need to tell you. Mark and I have to go back on the road in a couple days. I don't want to leave you, especially in your condition, but we have to go." "There's nothing you could do to help if you stayed, hun. I'll miss you, but there's no sense in you moping around here, eating us out of house and home," she laughed the last part. "I'm so glad everyone finds my eating habits amusing," he said, while rolling his eyes. Sierra giggled. She laid her hand over his. "Don't worry about us. We'll be fine while you're gone."

**************************

In an apartment across town, the phone rings. "What?" "Hey, Jack, I need to talk to you about something. Can we meet somewhere," Robert asked. "Cafe on 20th in about 30 minutes."

**************************

Mark and Madison wanted to spend the rest of the day hidden from the world. Their time together was running short, and he wanted to spend the rest of it memorizing all of her beautiful features. They were laying on her bed, trying to relax, when the phone rang. "Hello," Madison answered. "Last chance, sweet heart. Come back to me." "Good bye, Robert." then, she hung up on him. She felt how tense his body became when she laid her arm on his chest again. "Mark, calm down," she whispered. "I can't. How can I go back on the road when I know this guy is bugging you?"

**************************

Robert sat on the patio at the cafe. He smiled as he closed his cell phone. "She always did like things the hard way," he said to himself. Jack came up to the table, and sat in a chair. "So, what did you want?" "Here's the deal. I'm trying to get Madison back, but she's dating this big freak. What I want you to do is put a hit out on him, and kidnap her. Will you do it?" "How big are we talking?" "Almost 7 feet." Jack whistled. "Yeah, I'll do it. I'm gona have to hire a couple guys to help with the guy. I'll take care of Madison, so nothing happens to her." He thought for a few seconds. "You pay me a grand, and I'll handle the rest." Robert sat back in his chair, an evil grin on his face. "Great."

Chapter 23 - Lady B

The guys had been gone for about 3 months. They would call the girls everyday. Madison had gone back to work once Sierra was able to fend for herself with help from the part time girl that Madison had hired to take care of her and do the light housecleaning.

Sierra had just had her cast removed that day and was able to walk with the help of a cane which the doctor had informed her she wouldn't need for too long. She returned to her tattoo parlor and everyone there was glad to see her strut in.

Madison was in her office trying to wade through the tons of documents that had been piled on her desk and all over her office in boxes which pertained to her case which she was trying in a few days. She took a deep breath and lit a cigarette as she sat back and just stared at the tons of paper piled up all over the place. She sighed and reached toward a pile "It's gonna be a long night" she said as started shuffling through the papers and setting some in a pile and putting others into a box to be taken out of her office.

Ring. Ring'. Madison heard her phone ringing and absently reached over for it. "Hello" she said into the mouthpiece as she ran her hand through her hair. "Hi Sweetie" she heard him say. "Oh shit, Hi Mark. I forgot you were coming in today" Madison said as she straightened up. "I just got to your house and Sierra informed me that you were still at the office. How about I swing over and pick you up?" he said. "I'd love that" she replied. "I'll be there in about 10 minutes" Mark said as he hung up the phone.

"Hey Glenn, Sierra. I'm going to go pick up Madison" Mark yelled up the stairs which Glenn had carried Sierra up not two minutes ago. He grabbed his keys and walked out the door.

He got into his car and turned on the lights as he drove out of the driveway. Several seconds later a set of car lights came on and followed Mark's car. The driver made sure to stay far enough behind so that Mark wouldn't get suspicious, but not too far that he would lose him.

Mark pulled up in front of the office building where Madison worked and saw her just coming out of the glass doors. He stopped the car and got out. In two steps he was in front of her and had picked her up off of the ground as he kissed her and held her to him. "I've missed you" he said as he broke the kiss. "I've missed you too" Madison said as he slowly brought her back down to the ground. "Let's go. We've got a lot of catching up to do" he said as he led her to the car. He opened the door for her and once she was inside he came around and got behind the wheel. The talked all the way back to her place.

Madison had a weird feeling, but knew that it had nothing to do with Sierra. The vibes she was getting from Sierra were good ones and she appeared to be enjoying herself. She shook it off as just exhaustion and turned her attention to Mark.

_____________

The car followed them back to Madison and Sierra's place. When they pulled into the driveway the other car slowly stopped across the street and turned off his lights.

Madison and Mark walked into the house and shut the door. "Shit It appears as if I'm out here for the rest of the night" the man mumbled as he fished into his shirt pocket and took out his cigarettes. "Just my luck. This is the first time they've been together in a long time and I'm the one that has to sit in this bloody cramped car and babysit them all night. Man, this isn't worth it. My fee will be going up if I'm not able to take care of this soon" he said as he lit a cigarette, leaned his seat back and made himself comfortable.

Chapter 24- Jade "Good morning. Do you think you can handle being alone with Mark for a few days? Glenn invited me to stay at his house."

"Sounds like fun. This would be great, if I didn't have to work."
"Knew you'd be happy to get rid of me," Sierra joked. She caught a hint of something wrong with Madison. "You seem anxious. What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing. I just have a busy day ahead of me. Work's gonna be hell for awhile."

Sierra knew it was something else, but didn't want to press the matter. Mark and Glenn came in soon after, and fixed themselves a plate. The girls had to fight them to get any food. Once finished, Madison went to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for work. Sierra had gone to her room and packed a bag. She knocked on the bathroom door, and told Madison bye, before she and Glenn left.

*********************

The man sat in his car, watching the house. He saw two people leave, but he wasn't concerned with them. He climbed out of his car, and snuck around the house. He looked in the window, and saw Mark sitting on the couch, watching tv. Then, he watched as Madison came out of the bathroom, dressed in a business suit, and grabbed her purse and keys. Mark followed her as she went out the door.

He peeked around the corner of the house. They were just getting into the car. "Damn it," he whispered. He waited until they had backed out of the driveway, and pulled away, before leaving his hiding place. He ran to his car, and gave chase.

********************

Mark and Madison were almost to her office, when the feeling returned to her that something was wrong. She checked the vibes coming from Sierra again, but like before they were joyful vibes. Once they stopped outside the building, the feeling became stronger. She decided to lock herself in the office once she got inside.

"Can I take you out for lunch," Mark asked. "Sorry, hun. I'm gonna be busy today. How about dinner tonight?" "Alright." He kissed her goodbye, then she ran into the building.

*********************

Glenn and Sierra went to his house and dropped off her things, before they headed over to the tatoo shop. Once there, she looked over the books, and let Glenn watch her do a butterfly tatoo on a woman's back. She told Jim to keep up the good work, then left again. They went back to the house, and hung out for awhile. Around 7 o'clock, they went out to dinner.

When they got back, Sierra had the strangest feeling that something was wrong at the house. She checked on Madison, but she seemed to be relaxing. "Glenn, something isn't right at my house." "Is it Madison," he asked. "I'm not sure. I think I'll call her."

She dialed the number and let it ring. On the sixth ring, Madison answered. "Hello?" "Madi, are you ok?" "Yeah, I was just in the shower." "Where's Mark?" "I guess he went outside. I don't see him." Madison felt how Sierra was feeling. Then, another strange feeling came to her. "You feel it too, don't you?" "Yeah, I do. Maybe you two should go to Mark's." "I'm starting to think so too. I'll call you when we get there."

**********************

Madison hung up the phone, and got dressed. She looked throughout the house for Mark, but couldn't find him. She looked out the window, and caught a glimpse of something moving. She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Mark was ok.

Mark stood outside, taking in the light breeze. He was just getting ready to step back on the porch, when he was attacked from behind. The man had hit him in the head with a slap jack. He pulled Mark onto the porch, and laid him beside the banister. Then, he went inside, in search of Madison.

Chap. 25
Lady B

As Madison approached the door to open it, it was kicked in. The door hit her on the shoulder and she fell to the floor overturning one of the end tables and breaking the lamp that was on it.

Madison looked up but didn't recognize the man that now stood in front of her. She tried to get up but was kicked in the ribs so hard that the air came out of her lungs with a "whoosh". She grabbed her ribs and struggled to get up.

"Here, sweetheart, let me help you" the man said as he grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up. He dragged her out the door by pulling on her hair. As she went past the porch she saw a pair of boots that she knew had to be Mark's. She was roughly shoved down the porch stairs and she hit the ground face first, obtaining several long scratches on her right cheek. The man came down the stairs and once again grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to his car. He produced a roll of duck tape and taped her arms behind her. He brought her legs together and taped them too. He placed a piece of tape over her mouth to keep her quiet. He threw her into the back seat of the car and looked around. No one had seen what had happened so he got into the car, put it into drive and sped away at a normal speed.

_____________

"I'm telling you, something is wrong" Sierra said to Glenn as she reached up and grabbed her head as if someone were pulling on her hair. "Okay, babe, just to put your mind to rest let's go check on them" Glenn said as he grabbed his car keys.

____________

Madison could not see where the man was driving but she could tell when he made a left or a right hand turn as she had all she could to make sure she didn't fall off the back seat. They finally stopped after about half an hour. The man opened the back door and before Madison could make out any of her surroundings he put a blindfold on her. He chucked her over his shoulder and proceeding to walk into a musty building. He opened another door and took several steps. She was unceremoniously thrown onto a bed. As her body hit the bed Madison thought she would choke from all the dust that flew up. She gagged and then choked as she tried to cough. The man walked out of the room and she heard the door bang shut and the lock on it being turned.

_____________

Glenn and Sierra arrived at Mark's house but noticed that all the lights were still off. They drove on to Sierra and Madison's house. As they approached they noticed tail lights in the distance. Glenn squealed the car to a halt in front of the house when he noticed that the front door was wide open. As they raced up the porch steps Sierra almost fell over Mark's feet. She bent down to make sure he was still alive and as she ran her fingers over his head she noticed the bloody bump on the back of his head. Glenn approached the front door. He peeked inside and not seeing anyone he entered and proceeded cautiously throughout the house checking for any intruders.

The only thing he found out of place was the overturned end table and the broken lamp. He emerged several minutes later to let Sierra know that there was no one in the house.

"We better call an ambulance and the police" Sierra said as Mark started to stir. Mark tried to sit up but was hit by a bought of vertigo and had to lean against the porch railing. "No. No ambulance" he whispered as Glenn helped him to his feet. "I'm not gonna spend one minute in a hospital until I know where Madison is" Mark said as he reached to the back of his head and groaned as he felt the bump there. When he pulled his fingers away they were full of blood. "But Mark, you need medical attention" Sierra said as they helped him to the love seat in the living room. "No. I said" he replied.

"Stubborn S.O.B." Sierra muttered to herself as she went into the kitchen and came back with ice wrapped in a towel.

They called the police and waited for them to arrive.

_____________

Madison was having a hard time breathing due to all the dust and the injury to her ribs. She tried lying on the side that wasn't injured but the stench coming from the mattress just made her stomach heave.

She had lost track of time. After some time (which seemed to her to be several hours, but in reality was only 15 minutes later) she heard footsteps approaching the bedroom door. She tried to sit up and was able to do so with a lot of effort. Just as her feet touched the floor the lock on the door clicked and she heard the door squeak open.

She sat still with her head tilted to the side trying to make out any noises but heard nothing but breathing. The footsteps got closer and she heard the scrape of a chair against the floor as whoever it was pulled up a chair and sat down in front of her but at a distance. She still heard the breathing but nothing more.

After a while she heard the person get up and walk back out the door. She couldn't say anything as she still had the tape over her mouth. When she heard the lock click shut again, she leaned back and tried to relieve the pressure on her ribs. She was finding it harder and harder to breath.

____________

The police arrived at the house and tried to talk Mark into going to the hospital, but Mark would have none of it. They finally gave up after trying for several minutes. They took his statement and left, telling him they would be in touch as soon as they had any news.

"Mark you should come with us" Glenn said. "Nah, there is something I have to do" he replied as he got up unsteadily from the love seat and headed out the door to his bike.

Mark knew exactly what he was going to do and when he got there. Robert was going to regret ever being born' he thought to himself as he sped away in the direction of Robert's apartment.

Chapter 26 - Jade

As Mark neared Robert's apartment, he thought he saw a car pulling out of a spot in front of it. When he got closer, though, he saw that Robert's car was still there. He walked up to the door, and pounded on it. No one answered. He knocked again, but still no answer. He kicked the door in, and searched for him. He wasn't there.

He found a notepad on a table next to the phone. On it was written, "Market St. Warehouse". 'Good place to start looking,' Mark thought.

"I knew I had a good reason to follow you," Glenn said from behind him. "Are you trying to scare the hell out of me?" "No, I'm trying to keep your ass out of trouble. Why the hell did you break in here?" "I'm looking for clues. I know this asshole has something to do with Madison disappearing." "Well, what did you find?" "This," and he handed Glenn the notepad. He looked at it, then said," let's check it out. You lead." "You won't be able to keep up."

Madison slowed her breathing, trying to keep as much dust from her lungs as possible. For a brief moment she thought she heard a voice she recognised, in the next room. She tried harder to hear them, but they had stopped talking. She leaned against the headboard, trying to keep from crying. She was terrified. She had no idea who this guy was, or what he wanted. All she knew was she had to "connect" with Sierra, and get any information she could to her. She concentrated, as best she could, and called out to her.

She heard the key unlocking the door. This time, she heard two people come into the room.

Sierra heard Madison call for her. She tried to see through Madison's eyes, but everything was dark. She tried to stay with Madison as long as she could. Her concentration was broke when Glenn came back to the car, and distracted her.

"Mark found a place to start looking." "Hurry, please. She's not in good shape."

"Just one more loose end to take care of," the hitman said to himself. Once Robert and his friend came to watch Madison, he left to finish his business with Mark. "The guy said he wanted him dead, that's how he'll get him. If I can find him..." Just then, Mark raced passed on the cross street. "Perfect." He turned off his headlights, and followed him closely. "This is almost too easy."

************************* "What does this idiot in front of us think he's doing," Glenn asked himself. They watched as the person flashed his high beams at Mark. The car in front of them sped up, then they saw Mark swerve away from the front of the car. "Shit! He's trying to hit Mark!"

Glenn pressed the accelerator, and changed lanes to get beside him. The man driving sped up again, and tried to hit Mark, but he swerved again. Glenn swerved, and hit the side of the man's car. The man regained control of the car, and returned the bump Glenn gave him. Glenn hit him again, making him lose control, and hit the street light. Steam billowed from the radiator. The man was pounding on his steering wheel, when Glenn pulled up beside him.

"Drunk mother fucker! Watch where you're going!" The man pulled a gun out, and pointed it at Glenn. Glenn hit the gas, and sped off down the street.

Madison's fear rose, when someone touched her face, caressing her cheek gently. The carress went down her side. She flinched when the hand touched her aching ribs. The hand traced her bikini line, then cupped her center.

Her mind screamed for anyone that could hear her, "please, someone help me, NOW!"

Chapter 27 - Lady B

As Robert touched Madison she let out a mental yell. Sierra, if you can hear me. Help me' she cried. Robert proceeded to touch Madison in her most private area with one hand as he rubbed himself. "You belong to me" he said. "And you always will" he added as he brought his face to hers and rubbed his cheek against hers. He pulled her arms above her head and tied her wrists with more duck tape to the headboard. He pulled her down on the bed and laid next to her. He went back to his ministrations of himself and her.

Madison started to whimper as she was unable to cry out due to the duck tape over her mouth. Mentally she was screaming for someone to help her. As Robert pulled her down on the bed she mentally cried out "Help me. Mark, Sierra, Glenn".

"Hurry Glenn" Sierra said as she heard Madison's scream. "Madison's voice is getting louder so we have to be close to where she is" she added as she put the palms of her hands over her ears in an attempt to drown out Madison's cries for help.

They drove down the road a ways until Sierra pointed to another road that branched out from the one they were driving on. "Take that road" Sierra pointed. Glenn honked his horn several times to alert Mark of the direction they were heading in and made the turn. They sped down the road.

Mark heard the horn and looked in his rear view mirror. He saw Glenn turn and wondered what was happening. He remembered that Sierra was with Glenn in the car. He made a fast u turn on the bike which spewed rocks and gravel from the road in every direction. He went back down the road until he found where Glenn had turned off. He throttled his Harley and zoomed down the road. He caught up to Glenn.

A few minutes later they were approaching a row of factory like buildings.

"She's here. I know she is" Sierra said as she heard Madison scream one more time for someone to help her.

Robert removed the duck tape from Madison's ankles and roughly pulled her legs apart. At the sudden movement Madison could feel the tingling start in her legs as the circulation started returning to her legs. She tried to fight him off but her legs would not respond to her commands. They felt like lead. All she was able to do was squirm slightly on the bed and Robert's warped mind took that as a sign that she was enjoying what he was doing. He ripped her underpants off and licked his lips. "Don't worry Baby, it's gonna be like old times" he said.

Madison had all she could do to try to keep from going insane. As she felt him rip her panties off Madison yelled mentally "God. Noooooo".

Glenn stopped the car and Taker pulled up behind them. Glenn and Sierra got out of the car and came over to Mark as he got off of his bike. "Madison is here" Sierra said. Just then she heard Madison yell "God. Noooooo". "This way" she said as she approached one of the buildings. Mark took the lead as he cautiously opened the door and they all walked in. The walked through the first door and as they walked further into the building they could hear a muffled voice. Mark sped up and walked quietly towards where he heard the voice.

Robert opened his zipper and his erect member sprang out of his pants. "I'm gonna show you what having a real man make love to you again is like, cause I bet that tattooed freak you are with is not a real man at all". With that he pulled her legs apart and positioned himself for the grand entrance. "Relax Babe. You never fought so much with me before" he added as he leaned towards her.

Mark, Glenn and Sierra approached a closed door and could hear a man mumbling and the sounds of a squeaky bed. It sounded as if someone were in the mist of lovemaking. "She's there" Sierra mouthed. Mark took one step back and kicked in the door. He was the first one to enter and what he saw made him go ballistic. In the blink of an eye he saw Madison on the bed with her arms duck taped over her head, duck tape over her eyes and mouth and nude from the waist down. Robert was between her legs with his zipper open and was just about to violate her. Robert was holding her legs open to such a degree that it looked as if he were trying to split her in two.

Mark took two running steps and had Robert by the throat before Robert knew what was happening.

Chapter 28
Jade

Mark dragged Robert from the bed by his throat. He threw him up against the wall. Mark stared him in the eyes, and said, "you just don't listen, do you?" He shook his head, in frustration. "She's not your woman anymore," he stressed by banging Robert's head against the wall with each word. Mark's arm shot back, and crashed into Robert's jaw. He threw several fast punches into his stomach. Then, he threw him into the opposite wall.

Sierra stood outside the room, trying to get to Madison, but Glenn blocked her. She tried pushing him out of the way, but he wouldn't move. "Dammit, Glenn! If you don't get out of my way..." Then, Robert flew across the room in front of them. Glenn went after him, and Sierra ran to Madison's side. She ripped the tape from her eyes, and mouth. Madison yelped with pain. "Sorry, sis."

Madison was yelling curses, and cheering Mark and Glenn on. "Kill that son of a bitch!" Sierra put the tape over her mouth again. "That was not a smart thing to say, because I'm sure Mark would." Once she finished taking the tape off, she turned to Glenn to help get her to the car. That's when she noticed a man behind him. "Glenn, look out!"

He whirled around, but the man ran past him, and went after Mark. Glenn caught him before he reached him. He punched the guy in the cheek. He stumbled back, and hit his head on the wall. Glenn picked him up by the collar of his shirt, and tossed him over to Robert, who was slumped against the wall.

Mark was looking at the floor, as if he were looking for something. He bent over and picked up the roll of duct tape. "A little taste of their own medicine," Mark said to Glenn. They proceeded to tape them up. When they were done, Glenn got on his cell phone, and called the police.

Mark went over to Madison, and hugged her. "Thank God you're ok." "Ow! Mark, my ribs..." He pushed her shirt up, and saw the large bruise over her rib cage. He yelled over his shoulder, "tell them to bring an ambulance." Madison put her hand to his cheek. "Are you ok, hun? I saw you laid out on the porch..." He held her hand to his cheek, and said, "I'm fine, now that we found you." Sierra tugged on Glenn's arm. "Come on. Let's go wait for the cops." Glenn took the hint, and led her to the car.Madison leaned her head against Mark's chest, and wept. He smoothed her hair away from her face. "Shhh. It's ok now," he whispered.

Chapter 29
Lady B

Once the cops arrived, Robert and his accomplice were hauled off to jail on charges of kidnaping, attempted rape, assault, trespassing, attempted murder and some other charges that the officers told Madison they would file at the precinct and get back to her with. Mark and Madison were put into an ambulance and taken to the hospital to get checked out. Glenn and Sierra put Mark's bike on the pickup and followed the ambulance to the hospital. They sat in the waiting room while Mark and Madison were examined by the emergency room doctors. It was determined that Mark had a concussion and the doctors couldn't for the life of them figure out how he was able to function with it, less alone ride a motorcycle. They had all they could do to keep him on the examination table cause all he wanted to do was make sure that Madison was okay. The doctors decided to keep him overnight for observation but they had to shoot him full of tranquilizers and sedatives before he was calm enough for them to transfer him to a room.

The doctors found that Madison had a broken rib and several bruised ribs. She had cuts and abrasions on her legs and arms, a split lip and a dislocated jaw. They wired her jaw shut and put her in the same room with Mark. They figured it'd be easier to control him if he woke up and found Madison in the same room he was in.

**************

Glenn and Sierra headed towards Madison and Sierra's house to close it up for the night. "You are staying with me tonight" Glenn told Sierra as they locked the door. "But . . . " Sierra started. "No buts. You are staying with me and that's that. Grab Puppy and let's go" he said as he handed her Puppy's leach and opened the dog house for Puppy to come out. Puppy came running over to Sierra and ran around her legs several times as she reached down to attach the leach to his collar.

They got into the truck and headed towards Glenn's house. Sierra had never been inside. She had waited outside before as Glenn had gone in to get his bag when they stayed at Mark's place and she was very impressed by the inside of his house when she entered.

It was spacious and the living room was done in hues of red, burgundy and black and had a wood burning fireplace. The bedroom was done in shades of green and beige and the bathroom was gold and black. It was as if each room had it's own theme to it and Sierra liked it.

They went into the kitchen and Sierra fed Puppy some of the food that she had brought with her for him. They sat at the kitchen and ate sandwiches and drank iced tea as they talked about the events of the last couple of days.

Once Puppy was done he came over to Sierra and put his head on her lap indicating that he had to go outside. "Why does he do that" Glenn asked as Sierra unconsciously rubbed Puppy's head. "What" She asked. "Lay his head on your lap" Glenn said indicating what the dog was doing. "Oh, that. He needs to go outside" she replied as she got up from the seat and opened the back door. Both Glenn and Sierra stepped outside with Puppy. They stood by the back door as Puppy walked around sniffing the ground. He went around the side of the house and a few minutes later Sierra could hear him growling. Sierra and Glenn walked over to the side of the house, but by this time Puppy was barking up a storm and jumping against the fence. Glenn looked around the fence and over it, but could see nothing.

"Good dog" Sierra said to Puppy as she knelt on the ground and put her arms around his neck to try to calm him down. Puppy licked the side of her face and sat in front of her with his short, curled tail thumping the ground, loving the attention that he was getting.

"I don't see anyone or anything" Glenn said as he came back over the fence. "Let's go inside and lock up for the night" he added. All three went inside and Glenn went around making sure that all the doors and windows were secured. They went to his bedroom and entered. They left the door open and Puppy followed them and laid at the entrance to the bedroom.

*************

"Good thing they didn't see me" he muttered to himself. "They're gonna pay for having had my brother thrown in jail because of that slut he used to go out with" he said. If it wasn't for that damned dog I would have been inside the house waiting for them and they wouldn't have known it" he said as he climbed down from the neighbors tree he had scampered up before. Once he hit the ground he looked back and walked away muttering. "I'm gonna get them if it's the last thing I do."

Chapter 30
Jade

When Mark awoke, the first thing he thought about was Madison. He looked around the room. A smile crossed his face, when he saw Madison sleeping peacefully in the next bed. He sat up, and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He walked over to her bed, and stared down at her. He brushed a few strands of hair from her face. 'How could anyone do this to such a wonderful woman,' he thought to himself.

The dizziness became too much for him. He went back to his bed, and laid down. When he awoke again, it was to the sound of the door opening. A male nurse was coming into the room, to check on them. He checked Mark's blood pressure, and the bandage on his head. Then, he went over to Madison, and checked her heart monitor, and i.v. bag. He pulled a needle out of his pocket, and took the cap off. In a low voice, he told Mark, "it's just something to keep her from getting an infection." He slid the needle into a plastic contraption on the i.v. hose, and emptied it of it's contents. He pulled the needle out, and stuck it into his pocket, then left.

Minutes later, there was a knock on the door before it opened. "Hey, Mark," Glenn said when he stuck his head in the door. Mark glanced over at Madison, to make sure Glenn didn't wake her up. "Shhh." He and Sierra went into the room as quietly as possible. Glenn walked over to Mark, and asked, "how are you feeling, man?" "Pretty good. A little dizzy, but that's to be expected."

Sierra put the flowers she brought on the bed side table, then sat in the chair next to Madison's bed. She held her hand, and watched her as she slept. She'd never felt so separated from her sister. Their connection seemed to be lost. She hoped it was just a temporary thing. For that alone, she wanted to go to the jail, and beat the hell out of Robert. "I love you, sis," she whispered to her. Glenn and Sierra left the room to get a cup of coffee, and told Mark they would be right back.

Just then, Madison's heart monitor went crazy with beeps and buzzes. Sierra jumped up and pressed the button for the nurse. Mark rushed to Madison's side. "Don't you die on me, girl," he said to her.

A doctor and two nurses rushed into the room soon after. By then, she had flatlined. The doctor started CPR, and yelled at the nurse to get the crash cart. Mark laid in his bed to stay out of their way. He let out the breath he was holding, when the heart monitor went back to it's usual steady beep. The doctor stood there, and watched the monitor to make sure it would stay steady. He turned to Mark, and asked, "was she under any stress, or did anything happen that would her heart rate to change?"

"She was asleep. Maybe she had a nightmare, or she's allergic to the medicine that guy gave her." "What guy?" "A male nurse came in here about a half hour ago, and put something in her i.v. He said it was for infection." "We don't have a male nurse on this staff."

****************************

Robert's brother watched the commotion from around the corner. "That should take care of her," he said to himself. He laughed. "One down, three to go."

Chapter 31
Lady B

Glenn and Sierra were walking into the hospital as the Code Blue was sounded. They looked around as the medical personnel went into action. There was much running, and what looked like confusion, as the Crash cart was pushed into the room where Madison and Mark were.

They jogged along with the doctors and nurses headed towards the room, but were stopped from entering by a security guard.

Once Madison was stable, they were allowed to go into the room. "What happened?" Glenn asked Mark. "Someone posing as a male nurse tried to poison her by putting something in her intravenous fluids" Mark said as he laid back down and placed his arm across his face. "Shit. We cant leave you guys alone for a few minutes cause we never know what to expect" Sierra said.

************

The doctors had gone to the nurses station and called the police. The two detectives who were previously assigned to the case were the ones who showed up again.

"We have got to stop meeting like this" they said when they entered the room. "Who can it be now?" Sierra asked the detective. "I dont know, but why dont we ask her" the first detective said as he saw Madisons eyes open.

Madison tried to sit up, but couldnt. Mark came over and helped her as he put his arm around her. He Gave her a sip of water and she rested her head on his shoulder as she tried to answer the detectives questions.

"Im not sure who it was," she croaked out in barely a whisper. "But it somehow looked like Roberts brother Richard" she added. "They look a lot alike. As a matter of fact, there is a picture of both of them sitting on the fireplace mantle in Roberts apartment" she added. "Thanks for your help. Well check it out," the second detective said. "By the way. Were going to post an officer outside of the door. So please, why dont all four of you stay here tonight so that we know you are safe" the detective said.

"Okay, but weve got dibs on Marks bed" Glenn said pointing to Marks bed. Mark just looked at Glenn and Sierra and smiled. "I think I can sleep with Madison" Mark said with a wicked smile on his face.

The detectives looked at each other and smiled as they left the room. They called the station and a few minutes later, a huge officer (at least 68") came in and pulled up a chair outside of the room and got comfortable as he pulled out a newspaper and started to read.

"Lets go check out Roberts place," the first detective said as they walked out of the hospital.

*****************************

Richard had gone to Roberts place. He went to the bedroom closet where he had stashed a small suitcase. He pulled it out and opened it. Inside were passports with various different names but all with his picture. In some he had a mustache, a beard, different colored hair, glasses and a variation of all.

He pulled out a passport, looked at it and reached into the suitcase again. He pulled out some hair dye and went into the bathroom. He stripped, applied the hair dye and then stepped into the shower. When he stepped out, his hair was blond. He shaved off his beard, but left the mustache, which he had also dyed blond.

He went to the closet and pulled out a pair of medical scrub clothes. He wanted to see if he could pass and no one would recognize him. He drove to the hospital and parked two blocks away, he didnt want anyone to recognize the car. He then walked to the hospital. He draped a stethoscope over his neck and nonchalantly walked into the hospital and to the floor where Mark and Madison where. As he got off of the elevator he noticed detectives by the nurses station and a police officer at the door to the room. He casually backed into the elevator and rode it to the next floor where he got off and took the stairs back down. Once he reached the lobby he exited the hospital.

When he was at the corner he let out a huge "Whop" and started jumping up and down. "I did it. I got rid of her, now on to the rest of my plan" he said as he got in his car and headed towards a bar not far away From Roberts place where he knew the ladies were easy and the booze was watered down.

Chapter 32
Jade

Richard took a seat next to a woman he'd known for ages, but tried not to associate with. "Hey, Angie. How have you been?" "You're being nice. What do you want?" "Robert's told me about you helping him with some of his schemes. I want you to help me." "And just what makes you think I'll do it?" "A grand." She thought about it for a moment. "Two grand, and you have a deal."

"Damn, you're steep. Alright, here's the plan..."

***************************************

Later in the evening, Glenn became hungry. "I'm going down to the snack machine. Anybody else want something?" After Mark, Madison and Sierra said no, he headed out the door. The officer asked him where he was going. "I'm going to get a snack. I'll be back in a minute." "Hold on. I'm supposed to keep you four out of trouble. I can't let you go off without me." "I can handle myself. Just keep an eye on them." The officer reluctantly sat back down, and finished his paper.

On the way back to the room, Glenn was stopped by a woman in the hall. "Hey, sugar. You are too fine. Why don't we go get a drink?" He looked her over. He thought she was pretty, but wasn't interested in her offer. "Uh, no thanks. I'm going to see my girlfriend and her sister, down the hall." He walked off down the hall, but she followed him. "Are you sure, I can't talk you into just one little ol' drink," Angie said, while batting her lashes at him. "Nope. Not even one."

*******************************

"I wonder what's taking that man so long," Sierra said. "He probably went for a walk outside to get some fresh air," Mark said. "I'm sure he's fine," Madison added. "With all that's happened, I won't feel better until I know for sure. I'm going to look for him." "Be careful," Madison said.

Sierra stepped out the door, and stared in amazement when she saw Glenn standing with a woman. The way she was dressed, she knew she wasn't one of the nurses. The woman stood on her toes, and kissed him on the lips. Sierra crossed her arms over her chest, and cleared her throat. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Sierra, it's... I..." She went back into the room before he could say anything coharent. He went in after her. "Can we go outside, and talk?" She looked at the other two, and knew they didn't need to be dragged into this. She nodded, and walked out ahead of him. When they were out of the door, Mark said, "I wonder what that was all about." Madison just shrugged.

Once they stepped outside the hospital, she laid into him. "You know, I thought we'd all been through enough shit, but for you to do something like this right under my nose, it's down right mean!" "I didn't kiss her, she kissed me." "You sure as hell didn't push her away!" "Look, I love you. I want to be with you." "You sure have a funny way of showing it." "I don't even know who the hell that was." "I thought I knew who you were. I guess I was wrong," she said as a tear slid down her cheek. He wiped the tear away with the pad of his thumb. She pushed his hand away.

With a sigh, he said, "I'm going home for tonight. I don't want to argue with you, and Mark and Madison don't need to be in the middle of it. Do you want me to go back up there with you?" "No, I can manage by myself." "Ok, then. I'll be back in the morning."

*********************

Richard and Angie stood around the corner of the building, watching as they argued. "You did great! I could almost kiss you!" "Spare me, will ya." Then, they saw Glenn going to his car, and Sierra going back inside. "Hey, Angie, why don't you go get a cup of coffee. I have to go do something, then I'll take you back to the bar." "Whatever..."

Chapter 33 - Lady B

Glenn was walking when he heard someone running up behind him. As he turned he was hit on the side of the head with something. He felt himself slowly falling to the ground. He was aware of someone standing over him and laughing. "Not as tough as you thought" he heard the male say, as he lifted the blackjack again to hit Glenn on the forehead. Glenn tried to move, but it felt as if his head was disconnected from his body. Try as he might his body refused to obey his mind. Just as he thought he was a goner, he saw the man look up and leap over his body as he jumped over and fence a into the park that was on the other side of the fence.

"Someone get a gurney" was said as a doctor leaned over him and tried to access the damage to Glenns head. "Dont move young man" the elderly doctor said as he was handed a cervical collar by the nurse and he placed it on Glenn. "Damn, he is a big man and heavy too" the doctor said. "Nurse go get some of the orderlies inside the hospital" he ordered. The nurse ran inside and came back with 4 burly men. They easily lifted Glenn onto the gurney. He was wheeled into the emergency room and the doctors started checking him out.

The Emergency Room doctors and nurses knew Glenn and they sent word to the officer sitting at the door to the room where the others were that Glenn was in the ER and had been hurt. The officer radioed it in and several minutes later two police cars pulled up at the entrance to the Emergency Room and four officers got out. They went inside and proceeded to the E.R. room where Glenn was. They stationed themselves by the door and would not let anyone unless they were emergency room personnel in or out of the room.

_________________________

Wonder what can be taking him so long Angie thought to herself as she waited for Richard to return. As she sat there thinking, her cell phone went off. "Hey, meet me at the corner two blocks down from the hospital" she heard Richard say on the phone before he hung up.

She got up from the stool where she had been sitting in the hospital coffee shop and walked out into the street. When she approached the corner where he had told her to meet him she looked around, but did not see anyone. She tucked her hands deeper into the pockets of the plastic jacket she was wearing as she stood there. "He must think Im a Ho" she said out loud. "I dont think it, I know it" he replied from behind her as he patted her on the ass. "Come on" he said.

"Do you want me to take you back to the bar, or do you want to come with me and suck on this" he said as he grabbed his crotch. She licked her lips as she said "Ill go with you, but no rough stuff" she said as she put her arm through his and they headed in the general direction of the nearest hotel. "How much you gonna pay me?" she asked. "Ill give you an extra five hundred bucks if you do me good" he said as he put his hand on the back of her head and grabbed her hair. "And you better make sure you swallow" he said roughly as he yanked on her hair and then let it go.

She thought about it and continued to walk with him, as an extra five hundred dollars would keep her in two dollar bottles of wine and three dollar crack rocks for a few days.

________________________________

Glenn was checked out by the emergency room doctors and was found to have a gash on his head near his left ear and a concussion. They sealed the gash with 5 sutures an bandaged him up before the officers questioned him. He told them he had seen the man as he was turning around and if he ever saw him again he would recognize him. They escorted him upstairs on a gurney to the same room where the others were.

As they approached the room the officer got up and looked at Glenn on the gurney. The detectives showed up at that precise moment and told the officer "Didnt we tell you no one was supposed to leave without our being notified? Now look what has happened." One of them turned to the other four officers and said "Charlie, Bill. Stay here with him and guard that door. No one is to leave and no one enters without your checking their id first. Then one of you is to accompany that person into the room and stand guard inside until they leave. Under no circumstances are they to be unguarded" The detective said. He turned to his partner "Now lets go find us a doctor and have two more beds put into that room." "Like I said no one comes out and no unauthorized persons enter" he said to the officers as they walked down the corridor.

_____________________

When the door to the room was opened and Glenn wheeled in, Sierra almost went into shock. She waited until he had been transferred to the bed on the other side of Madison and asked the orderly what had happened. "He was attacked outside of the hospital and has a concussion" the orderly replied. "Oh my God!!!" Sierra said as she came over to his bed and grabbed his hand.

"This shit has got to stop" Mark said as he looked from Madison to Glenn to Sierra as the orderly left the room with the gurney. He went to go after the orderly and was stopped at the door by the three officers. "Sorry sir, but we cant let you leave" one of them said. "You think you can stop me?" Mark hissed angrily just as the detectives approached followed by two orderlies with two beds. "Im afraid they can and will any way they have to" the detective said. "Mark, this is for your own good and the good of the others inside" he said as he escorted Mark back into the room.

"There seems to be a nut out there bent on harming you guys and I mean to keep you safe" the detective said as he entered the room with Mark.

"But why us?" Sierra said. "Thats what I mean to find out. This is only a temporary solution. Once them two are ready to move (he said as he indicated Madison and Glenn) I will take you all to a place that I know where you will be safe. In the meantime, hang out here for a few days. Ive made sure that you have everything you need" the detective said as another orderly entered with fresh clothing for them. "This is the best I can do for now and keep you safe. I promise this will all end soon" he added as he walked out with the orderly.

"Glenn. How are you feeling?" Sierra said as she gingerly touched the bandage going around his head. "Ive got a whopper of a headache, but if I ever get my hands on that son of a bitch, Im gonna kill him" he said as he slowly dozed off when the medication they had pumped into him in the emergency room kicked in.

"Lets let them rest" Mark said as he went over to the bed that had been set next to Madison and started fixing it. Sierra did the same with the bed that was near Glenn. Once they were done they turned on the TV in the room. Marked laid on the bed as Sierra grabbed some of the clean clothing that had been brought in and headed to the bathroom door adjacent to the room which contained a shower.

__________________

Richard and Angie entered the cheap motel room that he rented and as she turned around to close the door, he slapped her in the back of the head. "Come here" he ordered. She came to him and he pushed her down onto her knees until she was kneeling in front of him. "Now suck it" he said as he pulled out his penis and waved it in front of her face. She went to work on it as he grabbed her hair and head and forcefully pushed himself into her mouth. He banged away at her open orifice until he was ready to come. He pushed himself in deeper down her throat as he felt the first spasms hitting him. As he ejaculated into her mouth he could hear her gagging, but he didnt care. He held her in place as he emptied himself into her mouth and down her throat.

When he was done he slapped her in the face and pushed her onto the floor again where he ripped her skirt off, flipped her over and proceeded to penetrate her anally. She tried to scream, but he clamped a hand over her mouth as he slapped her again. She had no recourse but to take his assaults. When he was done with her, he pulled out of her. Kicked her in the ribs as he pulled up his pants. He looked down at her lying on the floor with a scared look on her face as he took out the blackjack from his pocket. He slapped her on the head numerous times with it until she was a bloody pulp. Once she stopped struggling and breathing, he opened the door, took one last look at his handiwork and walked out.

chapter 34 - Jade

Two weeks later, Madison and Glen were ready to leave the hospital. Mark called the officer in charge of their case, to inform him. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

Once the officer arrived, he filled them in on what would be happening. "Instead of moving you all to a new location, we are taking you all to Mr. Callaway's home. From what he has told me, and from what the other officers have said, his home is almost as secure as any safe house we can put you in. We will station an officer inside the home, one on the street, and one around the grounds." "Just as long as that last one watches out for Harley and Puppy. They don't like strangers." "I'll take a walk around the grounds with you, that way we know what we're dealing with."

**********************

While Mark and Glen walked the grounds with the officers, Madison and Sierra worked on dinner. While they were cooking, they saw a shadow outside walking through the yard. When he came into the glow of the back porch light, they saw that it was one of the officers. He waved at them. They let out a sigh, as they turned to each other. "This shit is getting old." "I know. I'm tired of hiding," Madison said.

They looked out the window again in enough time to see the officer drop to his knees. "Ok, please tell me he is praying." When he fell over, Madison said, "I don't think so." They dropped what they were doing, and went to find the officer stationed inside. Madison explained to the officer what they had witnessed, as calmly as possible. The officer radioed for his colleague four times, without answer. "I have to go check on him. I want you two to stay in a room without outside doors, or windows. I'll let you know when it's safe to come out."

Madison and Sierra went to the upstairs study, where Mark and Glen went after their rounds with the officers. Sierra marched past them, and went to the bar to pour herself a drink. "What's going on, ladies," Mark asked. "We may have just watched an officer die outside the kitchen window," Madison said. "And, quite frankly, I'm tired of hiding," Sierra said before gulping down her drink. "We have no choice, Sierra. We've managed to escape any assault and battery charges, so far. Let's try it by the books this time," Glen said.

'Madison, are you thinking what I'm thinking?,' Sierra mind spoke to her. 'Daddy didn't teach us to shoot for nothing,' Madison sent back.

"I get the idea we're missing a conversation," Mark said to Glen. "Yeah, and I don't like that evil grin Sierra has." "Don't worry, guys. We'll behave," Madison said. 'Yeah, right,' they sent to each other. 'Let's check out the house for a good look out spot when they go to bed,' Madison sent to Sierra. 'Good idea.'

"Look, ladies, we're tired of this, too," Mark said. "We have a job to get back to, but we're not leaving you two, until we know you're safe." "Mark, I don't deal with cabin fever too well," Sierra said. "I was locked into the hospital with you three, and now I'm expected to stay locked into your house. I have a business to run. Madi has to get back to work, before she loses her job. We both have a house to take care of. We can't stay locked up."

Glen stood from the chair he was sitting in. "Come here, hun," he said as he held out his hand to Sierra. They walked out into the hallway. "Baby, listen to me. I don't think any of us can take anymore abuse. Let's just let the police handle it this time." She looked down, afraid that her eyes would give her away. "Ok." "Besides, it's not so bad being locked up with me, is it?" "No, it's not. I'd like to have a normal life with you, but that won't happen until we can stop hiding."

"Think of how this is affecting Madison. First it's her ex-boyfriend, now it's his brother." "I don't have to think. I feel it. That's why I want this over with now. We keep feeding each other's fear, anger and irrationality. In other words, we're both going off the deep end."

The officer came up the stairs looking for everyone. "I want to speak to all of you together." "Alright."

**********************

"How are you feeling, Madison?" "Tired, scared, tired of being scared..." "I know, baby. Hopefully, this will all be over soon." "I feel like a damn animal being caged up like this. I'd be happy if I could just go grocery shopping again." Mark laughed. "It's not funny. We've gone through hell over and over again," she said, her voice cracking. Mark stood from his seat, and walked over to her. He wrapped his arms around her, and let her cry into his chest. "Don't let him get to your head, Madison." He pulled her head from his chest, and kissed her forehead. "Why don't you go take a hot bath, and try to relax?" Madison nodded, and headed for the door.

As she opened the door, the officer was about to knock. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to speak to all of you." Madison invited the officer in, who was followed by Glen and Sierra. "My colleague was shot in the back. That means he's around here somewhere. I want ya'll to stay away from the doors and windows, and stay together as much as possible."

***********************

Richard sat just beyond the wall of trees that lined the property, looking up at a window on the second story. He could see the exchange between Madison and Mark. He softly sang, "one, two; Richard's coming for you. Three, four; better lock your door. Five, six; it's you I'm gonna fix. Seven, eight; heart and bullet have a date. Nine, ten; never breathe again."

Chapter 35

Lady B

The officer in charge asked them all to converge in the living room. "The officer patrolling the grounds has been shot, but he will live. I'm having a patrol car stationed outside the front gate and another patrolling the grounds with 2 officers in it. I'm advising all of you to stay inside until we apprehend this mad man," he stated as he walked outside. A patrol car picked up the officer and took off to make a patrol around the grounds.

************

Richard saw that there were now more officers and it would be more difficult to get near the house.

******************

"We better try to get some sleep," Glen said as they all trotted up the stairs.

******************

Harley and Puppy were inside the house and they left them downstairs in the living room as all four went upstairs to get ready for bed.

In the middle of the night Puppy's head jerked up and he raised his ears. Harley saw him raise his hackles and he to rose to attention without making a sound.

Richard waited until the patrol car made its round and approached the living room window. He peeked in and saw nothing. He got closer to the window. Next thing he knew there was a low growl coming from behind him. He turned around cautiously and Harley stood there with barred teeth. Richard turned and ran around the house with Harley at his heels.

Madison awoke as she heard the dog bark and take off after Richard. "Mark. The dogs are outside," she whispered as she shook him awake. They got up and left the room. They met up with Sierra and Kane outside in the hallway. "Did you hear the dogs outside too," Sierra said. "We sure did," Madison replied. They ran down the stairs to the kitchen. They noticed that the doggie door was not the way they had left it. They knew the dogs were outside but couldn't figure out how they had unlatched the doggie door. They opened the kitchen door to see Harley bounding towards the woods.

Puppy watched as the man approached, he waited until Harley jumped on the stranger's back and knocked him to the ground. As Richard turned around on the ground readying the gun that he had pulled out of his waist band. Harley clamped his teeth into Richard's arm as Puppy jumped on his chest and clamped his teeth into Richard's neck, drawing blood and restricting his breathing.

Every time Richard tried to loosen his arm from Harley's grip, Harley would shake his head, tightening his grip on Richard's arm until Richard could feel Harley's teeth grinding into his forearm bone.

He tried to grab Puppy by his ear with his free hand. Puppy locked his grip on Robert's neck puncturing the skin, making Robert loose consciousness.

Sierra, Madison, Glen and Mark came to a halt where the dogs were as the patrol cars approached. Harley was lying on the ground with Richard's arm still clamped in his teeth.

Puppy stood over Richard with his head turned sideways and Richard's neck still clutched in his jaws.

The officers arrived with guns drawn, ready to shoot the dogs. Mark and Madison approached the dogs.

"If you can't control them we will be forced to shoot," one of the officers said. Sierra came over to where Madison was and they both approached Puppy. "Let him go, boy," Sierra said as she brought her hand to Puppy's head. Puppy growled and would not let go.

Madison crouched down in front of Puppy and extended her hand to his nose. "Puppy," she whispered. "Nice dog," she said as she ran her hand along his face. "Good dog," she said still caressing him. "Let him go," she said as she brought her face to his eye level.

Both Sierra and Madison could see Puppy lose the glazed look from his eyes as he unlocked his jaws and started to pull away from Richard. Sierra grabbed Puppy by the collar as he let Richard go.

"Harley. Heel," Mark said. Harley instantly let Richard's arm go and went to sit by Mark. His mouth, snout and coat were full of blood.

Madison knelt in front of Puppy as Sierra held him by the collar. She put her hands on the sides of his blood soaked muzzle. "Good dog," she said as she rubbed him behind the ears, Puppy turned his head into her hand so she could continue to scratch him as he thumped his tail against the ground.

The officer approached Richard, not noticing he was awake and had released a small derringer gun he had up his left hand sleeve. As he aimed at the officer, both Puppy and Harley saw the glint of metal in the moonlight.

Harley ran from beside Mark as Puppy jumped over Madison. They both reached Richard before he could pull the trigger.

The dogs grabbed Richard by both sides of neck with their teeth, clamped down and pulled in different directions. Richard never stood a chance as the blood spurted from his torn open throat.

Both dogs sniffed the now lifeless corpse, then they trotted off towards the lake behind the dog house where they all heard them splash in the water to wash off.

The coroner was called and the body was removed to the morgue.

"What will happen to the dogs now," Glen asked the officer in charge.

"Nothing. They were protecting their property and their owners. Serves the bastard right," the officer replied. "This case is now closed," he added as he closed his notebook and headed towards his patrol car.

The four walked back to the house. "I'm glad this is over," Sierra said as Glenn put his arm around her. "Amen to that," Madison said as they entered through the kitchen door.

Puppy and Harley were lying in the living room next to the fire drying off.

"I could use a drink," Mark said. They all went into the living room as Mark poured. He handed out the drinks. "Here's to going back to our normal lives," Mark said as they all clinked glasses.

As Madison sipped from her drink, she peered over her glass and she saw Harley and Puppy raise their heads from their paws. She would swear Puppy winked at Harley.

The End