Secrets and Oaths✓

Loving Him Was Burning Red

I wasn't sure how I made it to the station in one piece. I was ugly crying by that point. I sat in the car for a couple of minutes, trying to get my tears to stop and my breathing back to normal. I walked into my captain's office, took my badge out my pocket and my gun and holster off my hip and sat them on his desk, turning and leaving without a word. As I walked back through the precinct I felt all eyes on me. Walker met me at the exit, pulling me into a hug. "Do me a favor?" I ask.

"Name it."

"When you get a lead on him, call me. There's too much at stake for me not to be part of the team that brings him in."

"Kat, I..."

"Please Walker. I haven't ever asked you to toe the line before but I owe this to Charlie, to my mom, to Laurie and every other woman who died because I let him get away in Memphis. I need to be the one to bring him in. I'm begging here. I'll get down on my knees if you want."

"Ok Kat, ok. I'll call you as soon as something useful comes in." I nodded in thanks and left.

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Three weeks had passed and no new leads had come in. I was on paid leave and going absolutely crazy. Charlie was back in school and still not talking to me, not that I could blame him. I had done what I promised Andy I would do. I hadn't talked to him since the day Laurie was killed. There had been a funeral. Charlie had gone to support Jacob but I had made some excuse when asked about my attendance while running errands. Charlie had scoffed and I made up some other lie about how he thought running errands with his older sister was kid stuff. This seemed to placate whoever asked but did nothing to provide me any comfort. Of course Charlie and I both knew my excuses were just that. It would be in poor taste if the mistress came to the wife's funeral, even if the town didn't know that. But most importantly, I still couldn't face Andy or Jacob.

I was once again at the grocery store, buying what Charlie and I would need for the week. I think at this point he was just tossing shit away just to get me out of the house and away from him. I was walking through the cereal aisle, grabbing the kind I knew Charlie liked, Reese's Puffs, before grabbing one for me, Cap'n Crunch with the Crunch Berries, before turning around and quite literally running into Andy and Jacob. Andy and I make eye contact briefly and I almost allow myself to get lost in his eyes but I lower my head and walk away. I quickly check out and get home, ready to spend the night as I have for the past three weeks, a bottle of wine and some shitty romance movie.

I'm putting the groceries away when Jimmy comes down with his things. We briefly talked after I was removed from the case. He decided to move out, bunking with one of his buddies from work. I didn't fight it. I had nothing left. I apologized again, he just nodded and left. Charlie was over at Jacob's for the afternoon so I was completely alone. I had uncorked the wine and was in the process of pouring myself a hefty helping when I heard the door that lead to the garage open. Calling out for Charlie, thinking it was him, a deep laughter filled the downstairs. I backed up into my counter, hand going into the knife block and grabbing the first one that my hand touched, hiding it behind me. "Daddy's home," my father said as he walked into the kitchen. Well shit!

I lunged at him with the knife, which he easily dodged. He brought his own up, trying to swipe it across my face. I brought my arm up, hissing as the skin opened where the blade came into contact with it. I didn't falter. I kicked him in the chest, sending him flying back. I ran towards the front door, hoping I could get outside and yell for help before he got me. No such luck though as he grabbed my hair and threw me against the wall. My head was spinning and my ears were ringing but I knew that if I gave up I would be joining my mother and leaving Charlie without anyone. So I did what any girl would do in my situation; I brought my leg up and got him square in the nuts. He went down, dropping his knife as his hands went to his groin. I hit him with both of my fists on his back and took off again. I thought I was safe, I thought I was in the clear. But just as I turned my hand on the knob, there he was again. But this time he wasn't taking any risks. He banged my head against the door, knocking me out, sending me into a blissful darkness.

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I came to, tied to one of my kitchen chairs with zip ties. I could feel the bump on my head as it grew under my skin. That was going to leave a nasty knot. "Did you really think you could get away from me?" He asked from where he was sitting in the living room.

"Yeah actually. I thought having a detective, who was hell bent on making sure you paid for the murder of her mother, as a daughter would have made you stay as far away from here as possible. Because now I have no choice but to either lock you up, or kill you."

"Oh Katherine, I think we've proven time and time again that you don't have what it takes to put me down." We heard the front door rattling and keys being put into the lock. Charles had moved over to me and had his hand over my mouth and his knife to my neck.

"Don't even think about yelling out." As the door opened we heard Charlie yelling to Andy, thanking him for giving him a ride. I struggled against his hand, desperate to get loose enough to yell out but he had too tight of a grip.

Charlie came in and saw the state I was in. "Come on in Charlie. Don't be shy." I tried to shake my head but he took one look at the knife to my throat and complied.

"Why are you here Charles?" I asked, muffled as it was with his hand covering my mouth.

"I'm here for my son."

"You don't get to call him that. You lost that right when you decided to kill his mom."

"Come with me Charlie. Remember how angry with her you are. She got your friend's mom killed."

"I'm not going with you. I saw what you did to those other women."

"Come with me, or I'll kill your sister."

"Don't do it Charlie! I'm not worth it. He'll ruin you. Run. Get out! I'll be ok."

"Katherine, Katherine, Katherine. I thought you weren't going to lie to him anymore. You know what I'm capable of. Do you want to put that on your brother?"

"If I go with you, you'll let her live?"

"Charlie don't listen to him. Where'd you think we learned to lie from? You can't trust him." Charles hit me again, shutting me up.

"I swear I will let her live."

"Then I'll go with you."

"No Charlie..." I was cut off by Charles shoving his knife in my thigh. I cried out and watched as blood started to seep through my jeans. I was getting woozy and drifting on the edge of consciousness from the pain. I thought of Charles and that he technically didn't lie to Charlie, he won't be the ultimate reason I die. No one finding me in time will be my undoing. The pain became too much and I blacked out again, willing someone to find me.