Forgotten Sonata

Chapter 28

Ian's feet clicked heavily against the tile floor of the down stairs office. He was greeted by one of his chief investigators Houston, "Calm down Ian, we have a lead, but it's going to cost you."

"I don't care!"

Houston held up his hand, "He wants 100k are you sure?"

Ian gave a cold glare, "What do you fucking suggest?"

"We will give him half now, half after if we find her."

Ian stood in a puzzled daze, "Has he seen her?"

Huston sighed, "Yes.. But that doesn't.. "

Ian didn't let him finish as he bolted into the small office, "Where is she?"

The man sat silently as he nervously looked back and forth to both men, "She's in an old school house."

The man started to shake as Ian eased towards him, "Who took her?"

"They called her Teacher.. She... She.. she hunts girls.. young girls for her clients. She conditions them for her clients preferences." The man realized that Ian was far more dangerous than Teacher. Especially since he had unlimited means to do whatever and get away with whatever. "I can tell you where it is, but you have to hurry, she said something about a dividend withdrawal .. I didn't know what it means... Then she was going to skip town."

Ian turned away to face Houston, "Pay him!"

Houston called out to him as he walked out the door, "All of it?"

Ian roared, "All of it!"

He started to speed dial his old friend Mike, "I think I just found a lead on some of your missing girls cases."

******************
Brooke sat in the dark until her eyes burned from the bright lights switching on. Teacher towered over her smiling, "Hello Brooke.. sleep well..?"

Brooke squinted and held up her hands to block the bright lights. She couldn't speak from her throat being so dry. She had bloody puss oozing from her ruptured eardrum.

"Thanks for the cash, I really needed the funds after you skipped out on my deal with Mr. Donovan. He was pissed that you escaped, but I did sell him another, just couldn't charge the same price." Brooke heaved from exhaustion as she tried to listen. Teacher smiled as she looked her over, "Hmm.. have you lost weight? You look great.."

Brooke eased her eyes closed as she was starting to realize, she was about to come to an end. She pressed them tighter as she heard the gun click and Teacher speak, "I didn't want to do this, but you were my prized pupil, and you severely disappointed me."

Brooke told Ian goodbye in her mind as Teacher slowly squeezed the trigger, but she stopped when she heard a megaphone outside the abandoned schoolhouse, "You are surrounded Linda Rhodes! Come out with your hands up!"

Brooke turned her shocked face to Linda. She seemed different now since she knew her real name. She didn't have the same effect on her.

Linda's eyes frantically searched as the thought for a way out. She smiled her evil smile to the shaking skeleton, "Hello hostage."

Ian held his breath as he watched Linda pull a weak Brooke from the old school house. He leaned forward as she stumbled over her dirty designer dress. Lina bared her teeth as she forced her back up, "Get up! I'm not dying because of your worthless ass."

Brooke gasped as exhaustion took over, "I.. Can't.. I.."

Ian stood beside Mike, "Do something.."

Mike slightly cut his eyes to him, "What? She has at least twenty girls in transit. What is one compared to twenty. We have to nail her."

Ian growled as he pressed his hands on top of his head.

Linda smiled, "Well Brooke, looks like lover boy came to say goodbye."

Brooke cried as she laid against the ground until she realized she wasn't giving up. Linda stepped back as Brooke stood and wobbled towards her, "What are you doing?"

Brooke's eyes did a long blink as she mustered all she could to speak, "What I should had done a long time ago."

Linda held up her pistol to take aim, but was shot in the back, by a police sniper that had been placed on the roof. Both women fell at the same time the shot rang out.

Ian screamed as police had to hold him back as he heard over the police radio, "Suspect is down.. I repeat.. suspect is down."

Mike looked to a frantic Ian as he watched as the paramedics lifted Brooke's limp body onto the gurney.

Ian felt as though he was about to pass out from the sight of blood that was oozing from the side of her ear.