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I'm Your Shield	By : HobNobsAndTea Category: S through Z > Wallander (UK) > Wallander (UK) Views: 1069 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Neither I, nor any of the writers own any of the characters or story lines of this story. All rights belong to the writers and producers of "Wallander" . We recieve no money for writting this story, only the enjoyment of writing it

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            When hearing you were found, and how you were found Magnus immediately went to the hospital. Nearly at a full run down the hall he nearly knocked over Wallander heading to Niki’s room. “Curt, where is she? Is she all right?” He said quickly.

            “Yes, and No.” Magnus frowned and continued down the hall and Curt hurried after him. When he went in the room his heart sank seeing you asleep, in restraints. “She’s sedated. As usual she wasn’t very cooperative when she woke up.” He said motioning towards the restraints. Magnus walks close to you with a frown seeing the bruise on your face. “That’s the only severe mark on her. She has a few cuts and bruises but they’re very minor. Other than that, her blood is swimming with a wide array of drugs. Sedatives and such. They’re giving her fluids and counteractive drugs and they think she’ll be fine by morning. But for safety’s sake, they’re keeping her asleep.”

            He swallowed, “Are you sure . . . are you sure that was all?”

            Curt stepped closer, “They did a full rape kit, Magnus. She wasn’t touched. There were some fluids on her legs, but they didn’t come from her. They’re testing them now.”

            Magnus sighed and wrapped his hand around yours, “I don't understand. Why didn’t he kill her?” He questioned. “If she was his next move . . . . why did he give her back?”

            “Because I don’t think she was his next move.” Wallander admits, “I think it was Becky.”

            Martinsson shook his head and ran his hand over his face. “Because she’s the closest to Niki. Closer then Alice was.” He looks at you once more, “Does she know? Does she know that Becky’s gone missing?”

            “No. But she was asking about her. She’s going to be a holy terror when she wakes up and we have to tell her.” Wallander said.

            “You have no idea.”
            Becky was roused awake by a bucket of ice cold water. She screamed, all the pain that unconsciousness pushed away came washing back in. He'd raped her, twice that she'd been awake for. He'd cut her after the second one.
            "They're looking for you. They won't find you. But they're looking for you. Nikola should be awake by the time I get to the hospital. I want to be there when her partner tells her I have you and I let her go."
            The killer systematically checks Becky's bonds. "Why are you doing this? Please. Let me go."
            "Because I want her pain." He held Becky's chin. "I want it like she gives it to Martinsson. Willing and eager with screams and grunts and-" He stops himself and backs away.
            "You shouldn't make think like that. I haven't the time right now." He glides his thumb over her busted lip. This one had fought. Hard. He'd liked it. It was almost a shame to finish it.
            "Don't scream too much while I'm gone. I'd hate for you to be hoarse when I got back."
            Magnus holds your hand. They were still strapped down. The hospital had learned their lesson after your shooting. They brought you out of your sedation painfully slow. Your eyes flutter before they open.
            "Magnus?" You try to reach up and wipe your face.
            "Right here, Nik."
            "Why am I strapped down? And why does it feel like I've had a mouse living in my mouth?"
            "You're at the hospital. And you've been under sedation." Magnus texts Wallander to let him know you'd woke up.
            "What happened? Why am I at the hospital?" Magnus sits on the bed as he releases your wrist and pulls your hand up to his mouth.
            "You don't remember anything?"
            "Last thing I remember is having to pee at the bar."
            "Honey. You were missing. They found to in a torn tee and your underwear in the parking lot."
            "Where's Becky?" He sighs and you try to pull your hand away but he clamps his grip down. "Magnus. Where's Becky?"
            "She's still missing."
            "What?!"
            You sit bolt up, kicking the covers of your legs. You try to pull your hand away from him but he tightens his grip. You finally wrench it free and begin scrabbling the restraint on your other hand. Magnus puts both his hands over yours.
            "The entire department is looking for her. If it's not emergent, it's not getting done today."
            "He has her Magnus. He has her and it's all my fault!"
            "Niki, calm down. If you calm down, I'll unstrap your wrist and we'll see about getting your release." You swallow and nod. Watching him as slowly removes the strap. You're screaming inside your head for him to move faster.
            As soon as your hand is free, you sucker punch him. Magnus falls into some equipment. "Fuck!" You hiss as you rip out your IV and dart for the door.
            "Niki!" He catches up to you. You open handed slap him but he pulls you into his arms. Security runs up but doesn't intervene. You scream and sink to your knees in Magnus's arms. He holds you as you cry then carries you back into the room. You curl into a ball, letting the nurse manhandle you to bandage the IV site.

            The killer watches the incident unfold. He becomes focused on the blood running down your arm and the new bruises on her knuckles from punching Magnus. He smiles to the nursing staff in the hall and heads out inconspicuously. By the time he reaches his vehicle, he's panting and extremely aroused.
            Magnus followed after Wallander as he walked down the hospital hallway, “Curt, we can’t just keep her tied up and sedated. The doctor said her blood tests have come back as normal the drugs are out of her system, and her bruises and cuts are small and superficial. She’s fit enough to be released.”

            Wallander stopped and looked at him, “How can you say that? She might be physical fit to be released, but mentally she’s a loose cannon! As soon as she was released from her restraints she sucker punched you and was on her way out of the hospital even though she was just wearing a hospital gown. She assaulted another police officer when last time I checked we were the good guys. She tried to break your face.”

            “If she wanted to do that then she would have, she was just upset. Wouldn’t you be if you found out a friend of yours was kidnapped and is no doubt being tortured right now as we speak? What’s worse she blames herself for her being taken. Not just at the bar, but the fact that just by knowing Niki made Becky a target. There’s a lot weighting on her about the whole matter.” Magnus explained.

            “Which is why she is being taken off the case and being moved to a safe house. If she remains this uncooperative then we’re going to have to put her under house arrest and fit her with an ankle bracelet.” He said continuing down the hallway. Magnus sighed shaking his head following after him once again.

            “Curt, that isn’t fair. She’s done nothing wrong, she’s the victim here and locking her up like a criminal, punishing her for it, is cruel.” He insisted.

            Wallander stopped again and faced him, “We aren’t punishing her; we’re trying to keep her safe. Trying to keep her alive. One officer missing and down is enough and she has a history of going off half cocked and running head first into danger. We’re police, not vigilantes. She should have died the last time she did that, and you damn well know it Magnus.” He said in a stern tone.

            Magnus looked at Curt and sighed putting his hand on his waist knowing that he was right and had a point. “If she’s being moved to a safe house then let me go with her.” He requested. “If anyone has a chance of keeping her in check, I do.” Wallander sighed knowing that was probably true. Only God himself understood the relationship you had between you, but Magnus did seem like the guy for the job. Her other ‘escorts’ failed miserably.

            “Fine. But she’s going to be fitted with an ankle bracelet. She goes more than 50 yards away from the safe house and there’s going to be hell to pay.” He warned. Magnus wasn’t expecting him to approve that easily and just nodded gratefully. Wallander sighed shaking his head turning the corner before walking past the police officer standing guard outside your room.

            You were awake, but you were fastened down with the restraints again. Magnus walked up beside you and gently brushed the hair that had fallen over your face back. He hated the bruise on your face, it was like someone punched you and only God knew why when the rest of you seemed to be relatively untouched.

            “How are you feeling today Niki?” Wallander asked, “Better?”

            You sigh closing your eyes, “Clearer.” You admit before opening them and starring straight at him, “Clear enough to know I’m still in bed when I should be trying to find Becky. If he stays true to his own pattern there’s only 3 days left before we find Becky’s mangled body in a ditch.” There was a knot in your throat which only made you angry. “I should be out there, trying to find her.”

            “We’re doing everything we can Niki, I promise you. What I need from you now is to try and remember anything that happened, anything that might help us.” They’d asked you before but you were to out of it, and to upset to give any kind of coherent answer. “Can you remember anything? Anything leading up to your abduction, anything between the time you disappeared and we found you again.”

            You take a breath closing your eyes tight digging around in your own head as you’d been trying to do since you woke up. “Becky and I were at the bar, we were talking about Alice’s funeral, about how Alice liked to bake. She baked all the time, it was her favorite thing to do. Then I started to feel sick, like I was going to throw up. Becky went with me to the rest room and stood watch in the hall . . .” You paused there as things seemed to fade away. You couldn’t remember more.

            “You said you felt sick.” Wallander said. “When did you start to feel sick? What cause it?”

            “I was drinking beer. I had three at the table with the officers sent to escort me home . . . and then I had a fourth at the bar that Becky bought me. Trying to make up for when we fought . . . .” Oh God. What you said to her. You told her she wasn’t your friend anymore after what happened with Magnus. What if that was the last thing you said to her? She was just trying to protect you, trying to save you from getting hurt worse. It was a terrible way she went about It and should have done things differently, but the two of you had been so close since you met at the academy.

            Magnus knew about the fight, he knew that you’d been pushing her away and writing her off considering your friendship over. He stepped closer to the bed and gently took your hand in his. “What about after that? Is there anything? Anything at all you can remember?”

            You swallowed the lump in your throat shoving down the pain in your chest concentrating hard. “Lightening.” You whisper.

            Magnus and Curt looked at each other, “Lightening?” He said confused. You wished you had more than that but the flashes that came, the flashes and the sound like . . .”A camera . . . it was a camera.” You said quickly remembering the sound like a lens focusing. “They were taking pictures of me . . . dozens of pictures . . .” You close your eyes trying to focus harder. “And they smacked me, really hard. I . . . I can’t remember why . . . and then there was nothing. I heard Curt calling my name, and then woke up in the parking lot.” You shook your head wishing you had more than just useless tid bits.

            Wallander gave a nod before taking a breath, “You’re being released today, Officer Rayne. But you should know, you are being taken off this case and transported to a safe house.” He said seriously.

            Your eyes go wide as you shake your head, “No. No you can’t take me off of this. I have to help, I have to find her.” You say quickly.

            “Niki, you are already in hot water as it is. You’re record doesn’t speak in your favor, you are at the center of the case, and now a close friend of yours has been taken. You are just too close to it and you’ve managed to make it clear you are emotionally compromised. It affects your judgment. Now we’re going to do with you what we would do with anyone under such a threat. We’re going to get you out of here, keep you safe, and catch this bastard. But you need to cooperate and do as we say. Expending resources to watch you to make sure you don’t do anything stupid is taking away resources that we could be using to find Becky.” He explained. You close your eyes knowing he was right.
            “But I can help find her, I know I can help. Maybe . . . maybe he would be willing to make a trade. Her for me.” You say tears in your eyes as you fight to hold them back.

            “And that is exactly why you aren’t going to do anyone a bit of good by staying here if you think that’s even an option. You leave directly from the hospital to be taken to the safe house. Magnus is going to escort you, and Rayne . . . you will do as we ask you or you will not be part of this police force anymore. I’ll have your gun and your shield and you will be dismissed. Do I make myself clear?” He warned.

            You clinched your jaw refusing to let your lip quiver before giving a nod. Of course you didn’t want to be fired, it had been so very important for you to become a police officer and you worked so incredibly hard to get here. He gives a nod and glances to Magnus starting to walk out to process your release. “Wallander.” You say causing him to pause. “Who’s going to tell her children and husband why she died if you don’t find her in time.”

            He took an uneasy breath before continuing out the door. You were definitely going to be fitted with the ankle bracelet before leaving the hospital. You were just too hotheaded to turn loose. Magnus sighs looking at you, not liking this any better then you did. “Keep trying to remember what happened. Anything that will give us a clue that will give us somewhere to start looking.”

            Meanwhile, Becky hung from the ceiling; her arms tied high over her head. She was somewhat out of it having been given limited quantities of water, and very little to eat. Just enough to keep her alive, but not enough for her to keep her own strength. Her head fell back not even able to see the restraints that held her in place.

            She wasn’t completely naked anymore. Instead she was wearing your jeans, and your bra. The things that had been taken from you before you were left in the parking lot at the bar all but naked.

            “You slept in the same room with her.” She heard her captor’s voice say, “Shared everything. Even showered together.” He grasped her hair pulling her head up his face so close to hers she could feel his breath. “Did she touch herself? In the dark and night in your dorm? Could you hear her moan? Hear her gasp?” Becky had been hearing this for a while, being questioned about things that were obviously fantasies in his imagination that he wanted nothing more than for them to be confirmed. She’d stopped talking or answering him realizing that she wasn’t going to be leaving this place. It would frustrate him and he would begin to hurt her again, just wanting to hear her scream. “Answer me woman.” He demanded. “Answer me now, or soon wish you had.” He said through grit teeth grasping her face.

            She took a ragged breath as her dry tongue moved over her sore dry lips finding no moisture whatsoever. “I will tell you something, about her.” She whispered her throat just as dry as her mouth. It hurt to talk.

            His eyes lit up as he leaned closer to her. “Yes?”

            Becky opened her eyes looking straight at him it took almost her last ounce of strength, “She’s going to kill you.” She half smiled finding comfort in the thought, “You think you know her so well. You have no idea.”

            He pushed her face away starring at her darkly, his teeth clinched. He stepped away and Becky’s eyes closed her head dropping back again. She heard the unmistakable sound of a blade being picked up off the table. “You have so much faith in her, don’t you.” He says waking closer holding a large sharp knife in his hand. “She’s a woman, like any other. Don’t worry. She’ll be taught her place, very soon.” Becky felt cold steel against her neck, the point of it pressed to her skin. “Either way, it’s not going to save you. What's left of you will be buried next to that blond bitch. And Miss Niki? She belongs to me.”
            Curt looks up from his desk as Minister Rayne and her security detail flow in like a bad wind. "Shit." They head for the chief's office and Curt is right behind them.
            "Chief, where is my daughter? And what are you doing to protect her?"
            "Minister Rayne, Nikola and her boyfriend, partner Magnus Martinsson have been remanded into protective custody. They're in a safe house. Every uni that is not looking for my missing officer is protecting them."
            "The SSS will be joining in this investigation. I will allow you to retain jurisdiction because you have made great progress on case but you will use them and their resources to your full advantage. Where's the detective heading up the case?"
            Curt clears his throat. "That would be me."
            "And you are?" Her stern face fixes him with a glare he'd seen on Nikola before.
            "Minister Rayne, this is Detective Curt Wallander."
            "Have there been any new leads since the girls were abducted?"
            "I'm afraid not. Nikola and Magnus were our two best detectives on this. They were the ones who found the connection. And some other details that I won't worry you with. But I do have some questions if you'll be so kind?"
            "If it will help."
            The chief signals for another chair to be brought in. "Minister Rayne-"
            "For the purposes of this meeting, you may call Aneta."
            "Aneta, do you remember anyone having an interest in your daughter in 8th grade?"
            "Middle school? No, Nikola was very tomboyish. She was asked to both dances that year but didn't date anyone. She ran track. That was also the year her father spoke in Oslo on one of the potential identities of Jack the Ripper."
            "Her father?"
            "My husband Dr. Peiter Rayner is on the team that has linked Jack the Ripper with a Norwegian immigrant."
            Curt sits up. "Might I speak with Dr. Rayner?"
            "He's in Stockholm but I will give you his number. He will be more than happy to help."
            "Do you remember any male friends or aquaintances?"
            "Not really. Niki had female friends mostly. Though she was nice to her brother's friends."
            "Alexi correct?"
            "Yes, my son is London. He works at the Consulate. I can get you his contact information as well."
            "Thank you, Aneta."
            "I know it is dangerous to her safety for me to see but can you deliver her a message?"
            "Of course." Minister Rayne's hand shakes as she writes it down.
            "You have my full cooperation, detective. Any help I can be of, let me know." She folds the paper and hands to him.
            The second drops a bag of groceries on the table and runs a hand through his hair. He can hear Becky's muffled screams and a loud thumping. How was he going to tell Him? How would he react?
            "Brother!" He pushes open the heavy door and closes it behind him. His steps echo in the hallway. Becky's screams cut short. "Shit." He's choking her. "Brother!" He breaks into a run.
            The killer's voice drips with rage. "What is it?" He turns away from Becky. The black leotard accentuates how excited he is.
            "We have a problem."
            "Speak. So I can get back to work."
            "They put Nikola and Martinsson in protective custody."
            "What?"
            "They're in a safe house."
            "Can you find out where?"
            "I'm just a clerk. I only know this because Minister Rayne came into the station."
            "Fuck!" Becky's head lolls to the side. She groans, the restraints on her wrists dig into her flesh. She's dead weight. No strength to keep pressure off. "Get her down." The killer moves away from them, knocking things over and screaming. This wouldn't do. No. No. No. This wouldn't do.

            You sit on the edge of the bed buttoning your blouse. Magnus rolls over and trails his fingers down your back. "Come back to bed. It's not like we have anything else to do."
            "I know. I hate this. I'm going down to get coffee. Maybe they'll let me sit in the backyard and get some sun."
            "I'll shower and be down in a few."
            This was driving you absolutely nuts. No phone calls, no internet access, no contact with the outside world. This was maddening. You couldn’t help with the investigation, you couldn’t help find Becky, you couldn’t try and retrace your steps you never felt more useless in your life. This wasn’t ‘living’ this was utter stagnation.

            You manhandled the large mattress out of the guest bedroom down into the basement and rolled it up tight tying a rope around both ends and hanging it off the beams. You looked at it for a moment. It would work but boy did you feel redneckish for making a punching bag out of rope and a mattress. You punched it and sighed finding it much softer then a real punching bag. “Fuck, what good is this going to do?” Taking it down you rolled it even tighter before hanging it back up and hitting it again. That was much better. You weren’t able to go to the gym, obviously, and there was no way to work off the aggression and frustration you were feeling.

            Rolling your shoulders you started punching exercises. Your mind dipped back into that night. You were being stupid. As usual you were being independent and foolish. You walked away from your escorts, then instead of telling them you were leaving to the back of the bar like you should have, you pulled Becky into it. You punches became harder as you added kicks to the exercise routine. You should have said something, you felt so strange. You hadn’t felt that way since college when ‘experimenting’ with recreational drugs seemed common place. You should have said it, you should have said it outloud instead of pretending you didn’t know what it was.

            Then there was Alice. Because of this mess, Becky was missing and you were whisked away to a safe house. Neither of you were able to attend Alice’s funeral. A bunch of strangers, although well meaning and with good intentions, were all that were at her funeral. No one who actually knew her. You bit your lip and punched the mattress harder, spinning around and kicking it high and then low before returning to punching it so hard your nails were digging into your own hand cutting the skin.

            How could you fail so many people like this? You’d trained, you’d worked hard, you put up with a lot of shit from the male good ol’ boys on the force with the object of helping and protecting people. What have you done so far? Gotten 7 girls killed, soon to be 8 if they didn’t find Becky. Dax was almost killed in a crack house bust. You stupidly rushed in head first by yourself to a high profile criminal meeting, were beat half to death, before being shot and somehow surviving it when you shouldn’t have. Your eyes closed as a few tears escaped your eyes and rolled down your cheeks. You punched harder and harder grabbing the mattress and hitting it over and over with your knee before punching it again.

            Maybe you weren’t meant to be a police officer. Maybe you were doing more damage than good being on the force. People around you just seemed to get hurt, or killed horribly. You’d basically been on your own since you were a teen. Your family paid for your education but you’d been pretty much completely alienated from them. You and your mother hated each other. You always felt like she was an elitist. Stuck up and completely focused on her job. She had little time for you or her family and she always put her job and work first. She didn’t approve of you because you weren’t what she thought you should be. You weren’t well behaved in school, you fought openly in class with teachers, you ditched on occasion, you got into fights, and to be honest you went out of your way to be as opposite of her as you could. You had a better relationship with your father but not much. Another one focused on his work and as usual, family was secondary. You were sent to private schools, boarding schools, camp during the summer. It was like they never wanted you and you were an accident of nature that they had to deal with and tolerate. When you were at home, it was you and your brother who were pretty much allies in the fact you were in the same boat. But he was different as well, wanting to make your parents proud instead of your take which was just to keep them on their toes.

            The only relationships you had were the friends you made along the way. Alice was one, Becky was another, and probably the closest relationships you had in the course of your entire life. Then there was Magnus. Magnus had somehow become more than any other to you. It was strange and you weren’t sure how it happened. You would never let anyone lay a hand on you for any reason, you’d never let anyone think they could get the upper hand on you, you would never ever relinquish any kind of control over you to anyone. But you did to Magnus. You found yourself being okay and almost craving the way he dominated you in bed. For some reason you couldn’t explain, it made you feel safe. It made you feel like there was someone stronger then you out there you could trust. If you ever seriously said ‘no’ or ‘stop’ he would. You never did of course, but the knowledge that he would respect you enough to listen was always there and always would be.

            From the time you went to college, you managed to distance yourself from all of them. You would have used a different name except once again, your family paid for your education and enrolled you. There was no chance to go under an alias. But it seemed like after a while, since you never confirmed them, your family ‘connections’ were forgotten. When someone heard your name and asked, “Are you related to . . .” Your answer was always the same, “No. There are a lot of Rayne’s in Sweden. No relation.” And it seemed to kill any suspicion of who you really were. You didn’t take money from them, you preferred to make your own way.

            Covered in sweat, your hands bloody, your eyes red you didn’t stop pounding on you makeshift punching bag. You only seemed to become more aggressive tearing the fabric with each powerful blow. You had to find Becky, you just had to find her. She had a family. She and her husband had their differences sometimes but they loved each other. Any idiot could see that. They had beautiful children together that they loved so much. You remembered graduation from the academy. The way her husband was so proud of her. He gave her a dozen roses before picking her up in his arms and swinging her around before kissing her so happy and excited for her achievement that she had worked so hard for and wanted so much.

            It should have been you. The killer should have taken you. From the beginning if it was you he wanted, he should have just taken YOU. You hit the mattress harder and harder as the rope started to come loose. You began to holler, scream, and shriek until you jumped up spinning around kicking the mattress clear off the ropes that held it together and on the ceiling. It flew across the basement and hit the wall with such force it unfolded and split down the middle. It was hard to breathe and you bent down resting your hands on your knees gasping for air, your eyes closed, shaking your head.
            Magnus was sitting on the stairs that led down to the basement having been watching you for a while in silence not calling attention to his presence. He knew you now, he knew you well enough that the more you thought about it, the longer you were kept here in the dark, the less chance there was that you were going to keep cooperating. If Becky’s body turned up in pieces like the others, he had a feeling you were going to go over the edge into a place you weren’t going to come back from. There had always been rage bubbling just under your surface. Becky knew it from the first day she met you. It had always been there since you were a child. The only time it really came out into full view was when you were working out, running the obstacle course, sparing, anything really that was an outlet for the deep seeded anger inside of you. It made you very good at hand to hand but it also made you dangerous to your partners. Magnus was the only one who was ever a match for you.

            Things felt like they were spiraling out of control and you couldn’t keep sitting on the sidelines like this. Not when someone who was so close to you was being hurt BECAUSE of you. You were running very low on actual friends and people you cared about. You couldn’t lose her like this.

            You wiped your face before covering your eyes with your hand. From the moment you’d been fitted with the tracking house arrest ankle bracelet you’d been thinking about how you could get out of it, and get a head start on everyone before they realized you were gone. Magnus was fully aware of the wheels turning in your head and knew it wouldn’t be long before you acted on it. He wanted you safe, but he also understood where you were at and where you were coming from.

            He stood from the stairs and walked down into the basement behind you. Hearing footsteps on the cement you instantly spun around with your fist. Magnus ducked the first blow, and then blocked the second. You spun back around again with your foot but he caught your ankle and backhanded you twice before pushing you back causing you to fall. However you quickly used your leg to sweep his out from under him as he fell to the floor with you.

            Instantly you were both back on your feet in full out fighting mode, neither of you pulling your punches even slightly. When he threw a punch you ducked it and reached up grabbing his wrist with both hands spinning your body under his arm and flipping him over onto his back hard on the cement. Within half a heartbeat he reached out and grabbed your ankle jerking your feet out from under you. You fell onto your back on the floor before curling up in a ball backwards jumping to your feet as he got to his.
            You trade blows and blocks. He lands a kidney punch but you drop down and hit the inside of his knee which buckles. You sweep your leg under him and bring him down on his ass. He puts up both of his hands, wishing now he'd never told you about injuring his knee in lacrosse.
            "Nik, I'll help you get out of here but you have to promise to keep me with you."
            "Magnus-"
            "I know you're going to try to bolt. I can practically see it on your face. But you can't go this alone. Keep me with me you. Don't ditch me. Don't try to run. Work the case with me."
            "You'll help me find Becky."
            "You know I will." You take a step back and let him up. "Nikola, despite what you believe, I love you. And my feelings are real not a game I'm running."
            "Magnus, don't do this right now. I can't think about it."
            He cups your face, running his thumb over your busted lip. It was his favorite thing. To see you with a blood on your lips, blood running down your chin. It was his biggest trigger. His tongue darts out and cleans it up. You hiss when he sucks your lip into his mouth. "I can't lose you. I've never felt this way about anyone. Ever."
            "Fine. But where are we gonna start looking?"
            "It has to be someone you know. Through school, through friends, through family. What about your brother?"
            "He's in London. And my dad is in Stockholm. I just talked to him before we came here."
            "I know we've gone over this before but you're going to have to try to remember everything about your 8th grade year."
            "Rayne! Martinsson! Detective Wallander is here."
            You brush Magnus's blonde hair back from his piercing blue eyes. He said it. You'd threatened him with beatings and he still told you he loved you. In the middle of blood and murder. Fuck. Why couldn't he have waited? A piece of you still believed he was running some type of game. But everything he did with you was different. Fuck. You needed to get out of here. But first up, Curt.
            You and Magnus come up from the basement looking a little worse for wear as you wipe the blood from your mouth. Curt gives the two of you a look shaking his head, “Glad you two are using your time constructively.” He grumbles slightly.

            “I’m not allowed to go to the gym, remember? I have to find other ways to work out.” You growl slightly resenting the fact you weren’t allowed off the property. Curt sighs shaking his head glancing towards Magnus in disbelief. “What’s going on? Is there any news about Becky?”

            “No. However your mother, Minister Rayne came by the station.” You sigh plopping down on the couch with your arms crossed. Magnus eyes go wide as he looked between you and Curt.

            “What? Niki? What’s he talking about?” He looks at Curt, “Thee Minister Rayne?”

            “Yes.” Curt says looking at you rather displeased that you’d managed to keep this under wraps. “She’s less than happy about our dealings with the whole case. The SSS is now part of the investigation which means we have even more people going through all the evidence and this entire mess is now spread through the media. The killer is going to know our every move just by turning on the news.”

            You close your eyes and drop your head slightly, “I didn’t call her. I didn’t tell her about any of this.” You said in an annoyed tone. “She doesn’t care, I don’t know why she made the trip.”

            “She seemed very concerned about you and your safety when she spoke with me and the chief. She was very eager to help however she could.” Wallander said. “Any parent would be horrified and worried knowing their daughter was in such deadly danger.”

            “Yeah?” You give him a look, “How many reporters, photographers and PR people did she have in tow when she showed up at the precinct?” He quieted having noted quite a few. “That’s what she was doing there. It had nothing to do with me.”

            “Whatever the situation is between you and your parents, they’ve brought some interesting possible leads to our attention that we’re working on tracking down. It might give us a clue as to who this is, what direction to start looking in.” Curt said sitting down in the chair across from the couch where you sat.

            “Time’s running out.” You say, “Tomorrow is the deadline. If he sticks to his pattern then tomorrow is when what’s left of Becky turns up.” Your stomach flipped when you said it feeling a giant knot in your throat. “If the media really is blanketing this it could be our chance. To offer a trade, something that will buy her more time or maybe get her turned over to us.”

            “That’s absolute bullocks Niki, you know full well we don’t do things like that.” He said in a stern tone.

            “What choice do we have!?” You say raising your voice. “If I’m his objective, then all of this, the torture, the killings, the mutilations will stop with me! If I offer myself up to him he could let Becky go while she’s still alive and can be saved, and no one else will get killed or hurt! It would stop with me!”

            Curt raised his hand warning you to calm down and you took a breath leaning back on the couch trying your best to keep things in check. “If it was just you he wanted Niki, then why didn’t he just take you in the first place? Why have stand-ins to pretend that they’re you when he could have just taken you outright?” He questioned.

            You take a breath starring at him having done a profile on the killer when you were first brought in on the case. “Because he’s practicing.” You say softly. “He wants to get the fantasy right before actually taking me.” With another uneasy breath you close your eyes, “Because he’ll do things to them he can’t do to me. He doesn’t want me dead.”

            “No. He doesn’t.” Curt agreed.

            “But then that is all the more reason to offer me up in a trade. I won’t be in the same danger the others were in. If he won’t kill me, then the worst he will do is hurt me.” You say quickly.

            “He’s already hurting you Niki.” Curt said sternly. “Now, I don’t know when, or how, or why his fixation fell on you. But the fact remains that his focus IS on you, and that’s why you need to stay in protective custody. If we keep your whereabouts a secret so that only myself, Marritinson and the attending officers here at the safehouse know your location it might be what buys Becky more time. Because without you, if he can’t find you, the only thing he has is her. Her being the stand in for you will keep her alive because if he kills her it will severe the only connection he has.” He explained.

            Covering your face you close your eyes tight, “Alright, ALRIGHT!” You say in a frustrated tone. “I get it. But Curt,” You begin. “The moment you find Becky . . . if she isn’t still alive . . . I won’t stay in hiding anymore.” You warn seriously. “This needs to stop. If it’s me that has to do it, I will stop him.”
            Curt spent the following evening talking to Dr. Rayner and Alexi Rayne via Skype. Dr. Rayner had given him a name. An assistant on the team around the time of your 8th grade year. You and he had been pretty close the summer before but your mother was uncomfortable with the age difference in your chosen friend and your father had let him go.

            Alexi had confirmed the odd relationship between the two of you. The assistant had always been appropriate but there had been looks he'd given you. Like he'd wanted to fuck AND kill you, probably at the same time.

            Curt ran the background check but it came back clean. Nothing. Not so much as a traffic violation. There was no record of his DNA in the system. However, he did have a local address. In the industrial part of town.

            You sit on the couch with your knees drawn up watching Magnus play a video game. You look up as Curt and one of your security detail walked in. "Your father wishes you love, Nikola. So does your brother. I've got a name for you though." Your heart squeezes at the mention of your brother and father. Magnus pauses his game. "Greger Elkor."
            "Shit."
            "Who's that?" Magnus looks from you to Wallander.
            "I'd forgotten him. He was an assistant with my father's team. He was also an expert on Jack the Ripper. Which was how he got on the team."
            "We need to question him."
            "I'm on my way to his address to do that very thing. But first, what can you tell me about him?"
            You sigh and lean back. "He was nice enough. We talked a lot. About school, boys, Jack the Ripper, music. He never did anything inappropriate but he liked to tuck my hair behind my ear and smile at me. I think he would have tried something if my mom hadn't made my dad fire him. He wrote me letters but I never responded. Even at 13, I knew a guy in his mid-20s shouldn't be flirting with a teenager."
            Magnus looks at Wallander. "Background?"
            "Clean. DNA?"
            "None in the system."
            "Curt. Let me go with you." You drop your feet. "Please. If it's him, my being there could force him to give something away."
            "But if it's not him. We've put you at undue risk."
            "Please. Bring Magnus. I'll stay with him. I promise." You sigh. "I just can't stay here and do nothing."
            "Fine. But you're not driving. You'll go with a unit. I want you within shouting distance of a uniform at all times."
            "Magnus, she doesn't leave your sight."
            "Got it."
            Curt sits in the front seat going through several of the files that had been turned up about your fathers research on Jack The Ripper. You and Magnus sit in the backseat, another officer driving at the front. “Five minutes.” The driver said.

            Wallander closed the file and turned around looking at you, “Your weapon Officer Rayne.” He says holding out his hand.

            “Sorry?” You say starring at him.

            “Give me your gun.” He demands knowing full well you’d heard him. Your look darkens slightly before you pull out your handgun taking out the magazine and popping the bullet from the chamber before handing them over to him.

            “Do you want my shield too?” That came out a bit more snarky then you meant it.

            “No, you’ll need that.” He says turning back towards the front. “As has been stated numerous times, you’re already emotionally compromised being so close to this case. We’re here to question, not threaten, and not to execute potential suspects. Understand?”

            You sigh looking out the window, “Yes sir.” Magnus had been feeling like Curt was being a bit harsh on you for a while. Granted you’d put yourself in this position with Dax and that business at the warehouse, but those were a completely different matter.

            “Why didn’t you tell me?” Magnus says in a low voice. You look towards him not understanding what he was asking you. “About your mother?”

            “I don’t tell anyone. She’s not exactly the mother-of-the-year type.” You shake your head, “Should have seen her reaction when she found out I intended to join the police academy out of college. She’d thought college was a leap enough and thought I’d get married to some well to do high society type as soon as I was ‘over that nonsense’. How incredibly archaic is that?”

            “Maybe she was just concerned at how dangerous police work was.” You gave him a look letting him know he had no idea how things worked in your ‘family’. The car pulls down a long driveway to a house that looked like it stood completely by itself in the middle of nowhere. It was weird for this area.
(Continued -->)
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I'm Your Shield