When Worlds Collide

Chapter 24

~Tobias~

I'm on patrol, feeling really down, I've not seen Roxanna for weeks and I have to admit I miss her, this may have started as just another case but I've grown feelings like when we were kids, I need to get off this case, I may get demoted but I can't be the reason she gets put behind bars...again, I'll have to talk to my chief and just hope he understands. I'm lost in my thoughts when I see my friends, the beauty of being on patrol is you can stop to talk to others until you get radioed by another officer requesting backup as it's counted as patrolling in 1 area, so I go over to them, it's on my route anyway.

I arrive at my group of friends, we've been friends for many years and are close. Lucas is the 1st to talk to me "hey T, you ok? You're looking a bit down there" "I'd hate to agree but Luc is right, what's up man?" Matty says concerned, 1 thing is these guys really know me. I can't lie to them, they know me to well for that so I tell them the truth "you know that Roxanna case I'm on?" "yeah, what about it?" Derrick asks, so I carry on "I think I'm actually becoming a proper friend again, but I can't with my job, but it's just kind of happened. I see her as a best friend again, a very stubborn, feisty and potentially dangerous one, but a friend none the less. Then to top it off, I've not seen or heard from her in weeks. I don't know if she's safe. I mean she's got a nasty addiction and I'm hoping that's not killed her, or her 'secret business' that she won't tell no one about, has put her in danger. I just don't know where she is or if she's safe, and I can't exactly put a missing person on her because she's a wanted criminal" I say all at once as fast as I could without realising I was talking fast, but somehow Lucas knew what I was saying, it felt good to tell them. It weren't worth trying to lie and hide the truth, I never was good at lying and they are my friends. It was Lucas who broke the silence "oh man, I'm sorry. I'm sure she'll be fine, just have faith" "thanks man, I better get going, see you later guys" I said then I walked away, at the end of the day I still have a full route to patrol.

~Stefano~

We've had Roxanna in the room strapped for about 6 weeks, I don't know why but each time I go in she looks worse and worse, last week I went in and she was near naked bar from her underwear and a sheet covering her, I questioned it and Robert said she was feeling trapped and like her clothes were strangling her and was getting hot so he cut her clothes off to make her more comfortable, when I asked about the sheet he said it was to give her some dignity. Although the explanations sounded reasonable something wasn't sitting right with me, whenever I asked why she looked so awful Robert would say it must just be being in here and the fact he's put her through withdrawal by mistake a few times, something still seemed off so I thought I'll go and do an unscheduled check, so it weren't expected.

I opened the door to the room and the sight I seen was horrifying even by my standards to the state Roxanna was in and all that layed around the room,there was blood, torture instruments, even our branding stick which we use when we're torturing a traitor to death,the rule is only I decide when that gets used. to say I was furious was an understatement, I specifically told Robert I wanted no harm was to happen and here in front of me I see him start to inject her with poison, no wonder she's been looking so bad. I only expect to see this sight when I say it's ok to do this much harm and torture and I most certainly did NOT consent to this to our Roxanna, she's our number 1. I see her looking so limp and weak, I've never seen Roxanna like this "Robert!" I yelled with much anger, he jumped about 5 feet and as I walked towards him I could see the full extent of what he had been doing "y...yes sir?" Robert asked stumbling over his words "how long?" I asked "well you see, urm...I was just coming to check and..." "Enough!" I yelled again "I will deal with you later, I seen you so don't bullshit me, now how long?!" I demanded "urm...I..." "leave NOW!" I commanded. Robert left and I ordered everyone else to stop and they all left.

I knelt down to Roxanna so she could see what I was saying, the state I seen her in was awful, she was still strapped, she looked beaten and looked like she was bleeding out. her face was covered in blood coming from her mouth and nose, so much swelling but what made me most furious was that she had been branded, it didn't look old either.

After I knelt down I started talking to Roxanna "can you see me kid? Can you see my lips?" I asked, if she's going to read my lips to talk to me and all I heard was a slight mumble, it was then I realised she was gagged so I removed the tape and gag. "Sorry I didn't realise you had been gagged" I said to Roxanna as I threw the tape and gag in the bin "can you see me Rox?" a injured slurred "uh huh" was all I got in response "kid you ain't looking too good, got to give you credit for the fight you're putting up, I had no idea this was happening to you, I'd of stopped it immediately if I knew. Tell me, how long has this been going on for?" a weak "6" was all that I got '6 what? Days? Weeks? Minutes? I need to ask her' I thought to myself as I opened my bottle of water, I poured some into a cup and as I kept hold of the cup I went to give her the water, her eyes widened "I promise its just water look" I said and took a drink from my bottle, that was enough to convince her to take some water, as she did blood from her mouth went into the water, she must of been desperate as it didn't bother her. I carried on speaking to her "there we go. So as I was saying, I've got to give you credit kid for the fight you're putting up, so how long has this gone on for?" I asked hoping for an answer "6 weeks" she answered weakly, I'm sorry what? Weeks? "Did you just say 6 weeks?" "Yeah" was all she could say to answer, I'm beyond furious at this point, in fact I'm absolutely livid, how dare Robert go behind my back like this? "You've endured all this for 6 weeks and still stuck to your guns, that's impressive. I really don't like seeing my number 1 in such a bad state like this, you look pretty banged up" I wasn't lying either, ever so desperate and slurred I heard "stop it, p..please" "ok kid, lets make a deal. I'll demote Robert, ban him from ever using this room again and never allow this to happen to you again by making you my 3rd in command if you agree to join us. I don't want to see you die kid, you're too valuable, you'll take Robert's position as 3rd in command. So, do we have a deal?" I asked and to my delight a weak and injured voice said "yes, I'll join" "perfect kid, just let me call our doctor to come fix you up, I'll also ask Thomas to make sure everything is sorted for you to join us" I say, then I stood up and started to undo all the straps and removing the shock machine probes, I still can't believe Robert done all this behind my back, he could've killed her.

after I removed everything I undone all the straps holding her on the chair, as I undone the last strap Roxanna flopped forward and falls flat on the floor, but she never screamed or shouted like most would she just simply said "ow" "oh man, hang on kid" I said as I picked her up and held her in my arms, her eyes start to roll "no, no kid, you don't get to lose consciousness now, you stay awake yeah? Look at me" I said shaking her lightly whilst holding her. As I hold her in my arms after picking her up I realise just how light she is, I get what my brother was saying now "man kid you're light, you can't be healthy, I'll get the doctor to check you properly over. You won't have to go through the endurance part of the initiation though, I promise that, you've already proven you can take a hell of a lot" I say as I start carrying her out the room.

Then Roxanna just went unconscious and I knew I had to be even faster to get her up to the treatment room, I look at her with much concern, hoping she'll be able to regain consciousness and still be the Roxanna I want in my mafia "hate to admit it kiddo, but you've grown on me. You remind me of my daughter who died 10 years ago when she was 15, she was a lot like you" I said as I arrived outside the treatment room.