Redrum: Origins

Part 8: Is It Over?

Disclaimer: I do not own Redrum. Redrum is a game developed by Anarchy Enterprises. I only own the OC characters.

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Detective Ravenwood stepped out of his vehicle, flanked by three police cars, lights flashing and sirens wailing. The signed confession delivered to The Daily Dread was the holy grail in this investigation. Finally, he thought in a moment of triumph, a reason to arrest his ass. He figured that Rose and Maddie had something to do with it, and he couldn't wait to get his niece out of the bastard's clutches. There was just one thing bothering him. He had been trying to call Maddie for the past half hour with no answer. That was unlike her, a probable cause for concern.

He approached the asylum's doors, anticipating and dreading what he would find. The interior was as busy as ever, meaning, hardly busy at all. He walked briskly up to the receptionist's desk, accompanied by his blue uniform entourage. "Where is Fraud?" he demanded.

The woman at the desk looked up sharply at the harsh tone, bristling annoyance barely concealed. "He is busy," she replied curtly. "What is your business?"

"I don't care if he's busy, he needs to show himself now," he said, jamming a finger on the surface of the desk to emphasize his point. "If he doesn't, we'll start tearing down walls."

Before the woman could come up with a stinging retort, a booming voice echoed across the lobby. "Detective!" Fraud exclaimed. The grizzled war veteran snapped his gaze over to the older man, the doctor in question emerging from the west wing. "To what do I owe this surprise?"

Ravenwood met the man halfway, fingers itching to wrap around the doctor's throat. Instead, he kept his voice as steady as possible. "Dr. Sigmund Fraud, you are under arrest for malpractice and financial exploitation."

Fraud rubbed at his whiskers, confused. "On what grounds?" The detective smirked. "Your confession," he answered simply, enjoying the way the old man's eyes widened in shock. "All signed and everything. Your victims as lambs sacrificed to your altar? As if you were a god among mortal men? That sounds batshit crazy to me."

Fraud visibly took a staggering step back. "Th-that's not possible!" he stammered, face going red with rage. "It must have been forged, someone is trying to frame me-"

"We checked for that," Ravenwood interrupted. "It's all legit." He took a step forward until their faces were only mere feet apart. The doctor looked as though he was putting in massive effort to hold his ground. "Before we take you in," the detective rumbled, low and dangerous, "where are they?"

Fraud appeared bewildered. "If you are referring to your niece," he said slowly, "her room is at the back of the facility." Two of the officers went on ahead at Ravenwood's nod, while two stayed behind. He could tell that the bastard was lying. "You know who I'm talking about," he said, fists clenching.

The doctor continued to put up his act, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Detective. I don't know who you're talking about."

That sent him over the edge. Ravenwood roughly gripped the lapels of Fraud's labcoat, lifting the man an inch off the ground. Their faces were only inches apart. "Where. IS SHE!?" he yelled, the first trace of fear on the doctor's face flickering into existence. Flecks of spit landed on his face. "Or I'm gonna add the unlawful imprisonment of a minor to your charges!"

Fraud swallowed hard, gaining back his nerve. After several tense seconds, he replied, "I've sent her to a cell in the east corridor of the west wing." Ravenwood set the doctor back on his feet, releasing his grip. The remaining officers moved to handcuff Fraud. As they were locking his wrists into the metal bands, he said something that made the detective's blood boil. "I had a feeling she was working for you," he said. "It's a shame that I won't get the chance to find out why anytime soon."

Ravenwood grit his teeth. "You aren't laying a hand on either of them ever again." The doctor merely chuckled as he was marched outside.

Most of the staff had evacuated, except for a select few security guards. They let him pass at the flash of his badge, having no desire to square up against the town's top investigator. He traveled down several white hallways, trying to find the east corridor. He swore, if Fraud had somehow moved them under their noses, then he was going to...

He stopped in his tracks after turning around a corner. He was slack-jawed. This was definitely the east corridor. He could tell because two buff orderlies were finishing turning the lock to a cell door, pounding and high-pitched screaming coming from the other side. He knew who it was.

He drew his gun, levelling it at the two men. "Step away from the door!" he shouted, everything in him holding him back from simply tackling both. "Down on the ground!" The orderlies whipped around in alarm, eyes wide. Their expressions instantly devolved into panic at the sight of the firearm. "Down on the ground now!" They didn't need to be told a third time. They laid themselves flat out on their stomachs, hands and faces pressed to the floor. Ravenwood quickly strode up to them, bending down to snatch the keys. The pounding on the door continued but was more frantic than desperate. He fumbled with the ring, recalling which one the orderly had used to lock the cell. He grabbed it and shoved it into the lock, twisting it. The door swung outward.

All he saw was a blur before a small figure crashed into him, arms desperately clutching at him. With his gun still in his hand, he wrapped his free arm around the trembling child. "Are you alright?" he asked softly. Maddie slowly lifted her head, tears still cascading down her cheeks. She desperately tried to wipe them away, but they kept coming. Eventually, she nodded, sniffing.

Ravenwood smiled, ruffling her hair affectionately. "C'mon," he said. "Let's get outta here."

They were greeted by Rose and the officers in the main lobby. The two girls cried out at seeing each other, running at breakneck speed. They met in the middle in a tight embrace, the older girl's sobs starting up once again. Rose was also crying as she clung tightly to Maddie. "I know what he tried to do," she said. "Don't worry. He can't hurt us now." Maddie could only let out a laugh through the sobs. Here she was, a teenager, needing comfort from an eleven-year-old girl who had gone through so much more than her. What happened recently was one of the few times she was genuinely terrified.

Two string arms suddenly wrapped around the both of them. They both looked up at Ravenwood, finally dispelling the tears from their eyes. "Uncle!" Rose cried out in glee. Maddie huffed out a breath before cracking a smile. "Hey, old man," she said.

Ravenwood feigned hurt at the comment. It was soon lost in the pure joy that swelled within the small group, drowned in laughter. It seemed that this nightmare was finally over.

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Author's Note: Just an epilogue after this. And then it will be the end of part one. I've already gotten it written too. I just have to decide when I'm going to upload it.

Do you ever get the feeling of being stuck in a perpetual state of existential crisis?

Praise is appreciated and constructive criticism is encouraged.

See you next time!

-The_Mayflower