Aria (a psych fanfiction)

Chapter 14

TSLP: Mwahahaha :) Trust me, you're not the only one who wants to beat up Mystery Killer Man. And of course you can get a James-hug instead of a Shawn-hug. :)

"He hung up," Shawn told the others, feeling hollow inside. "A game...we have to find her."

"We'll find her, Shawn." Gus placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"How? The call wasn't long enough to trace, and we have no idea of - "

"Well, we know her captor is a man. Sounds between thirty and forty. It's not much," Lassiter said, nodding, "but it's a start."

Shawn tried to be optimistic, but as of that moment their prospects looked so bleak...He collapsed back into the chair and leaned his forehead on his hand, closing his eyes. Henry noticed. "Shawn, can I talk to you outside?"

They closed the door on their way out. "Look," he said, "Shawn. Look at me." Shawn looked up, reluctantly making eye contact with his father. "Did you hear anything in the background of that phone call?"

"No. I mean, maybe, I don't...I don't remember. I don't know."

His dad shook him gently. "Yes, you do, Shawn. You can do this.

"No, there was nothing. I'm sure of it." Shawn's eyes widened. "Nothing. Of course! Dad, there was no echo, no cars or rain or anything. So, uh, the room she's in is soundproofed somehow. And, and he wouldn't have had enough time to get her out of the city. I think." He looked up at Henry. "I hope."

Months of observing Shawn's sarcasm and snarkiness had begun to rub off on Aria - and not necessarily for the better.

"Look, you really need to work on the whole knocking-me-out-every-two-seconds thing," she said weakly. "I mean, how am I useful unconscious? I'm not surprised if I die of an aneurism before they find us."

"Shut up."

"Wait, wait, wait. First you beat me up because I wouldn't speak, and now you want me to be quiet? How is that fair? On any level?"

"Be quiet."

"Why? I mean, I made enough noise before and nobody heard. I think. You have to have soundproofed the place or something. You know, I think I at least deserve to know where we are. If I'm nev - "

"I said shut UP!" He yelled. Aria braced herself for another swing of the gun, but instead she heard a slight clicking noise. She looked up and sucked in a deep breath.

The gun was aimed at her head, His finger poised on the trigger.

"I'm getting tired of your yapping, little bird. So I would advise you to avoid irritating any further, or else..." He shifted the pistol to point to her knee. "...this could get a whole lot messier than it already is."

Aria paused before nodding, her mouth clamped shut.

"Good." He lowered the gun.

She let out a sigh of relief. Too close. "I do have a serious question, though." When he didn't threaten her, she continued, "Why me?"

He snorted, glancing at her with a look of disbelief. "I couldn't very well let the job go unfinished, could I? I got your mother, I had to complete the set."

She stared. "That's it?"

He jerked his head affirmatively.

"But..." So He has no real motive for ruining lives? None at all?

He whirled around. "But what?"

She swallowed nervously. "Nothing." Shawn, please get here soon...