"This area matches the photo, I think." Jim put the car in park.
Jessie angled her head and looked up at the old building. The sky was just beginning to turn pink in the east, but the side street was still very dark. "Lily, why don't you stay here while we check it out?"
Lily looked like she was going to argue, but instead quietly said, "Should I call an ambulance?"
"We don't know if one is needed. Remember, all of the images in the photos might not have happened yet." Jessie tapped Jim on the shoulder. "You have your weapon?"
Jim nodded and opened the center storage compartment, withdrawing his own gun. "This place looks deserted, though."
"Still, better to be prepared." Jessie exited the vehicle, scanning the alley for any movement. "What do you think, Jim? I don't see anything except some trash bins that need emptying." She looked around then squatted and pointed to the ground. "Lots of footprints here though. With this new snow, they can't be more than a few hours old."
The door closest to them had the faded words they had seen in the photo except now it was open a crack. Jim put his hand in the slit and pushed the door wider. He turned to Jessie and whispered, "I'll go first. Cover me."
Jessie nodded and pulled her gun. Ordinarily, she would have rolled her eyes at his chivalry, but she was too keyed up and barely noticed it. "Right."
They slipped inside and paused to let their eyes adjust. Jim pointed at his nose, indicating that he smelled something.
She mouthed the word, 'Fire?' at him.
Jim nodded and pointed in the direction he was going to go. Swallowing hard, Jessie motioned for him to move forward. She followed behind him, her eyes darting around. There was a short hallway that opened into a warehouse. The windows on the opposite wall faced east, and a dim golden light illuminated the room. Jessie looked to her right, into the darkest corners, senses alert for danger. No matter how hard she tried to walk quietly, her footsteps echoed off the walls and she cringed. A beam of sunlight illuminated dust motes, turning them golden. The beam ended in a rectangle of light on the far end of the room.
"Good God! Taylor!" Jim stopped suddenly and Jessie stumbled into him. She looked over his shoulder, seeing nothing but the glowing remains of a fire. She raised her eyes.
A wave of shock and horror exploded through her. Mark was suspended by his hands…on a cross-just as Jim had said. His head hung, and Jessie couldn't tell if he was still alive. Frozen, she barely heard Jim tell her to call for an ambulance and back-up.
She fumbled for her cell phone, but training took over as she relayed the need for help. Even as she gave the dispatcher instructions, she hurried towards Mark, but stopped several feet away as the need to vomit overwhelmed her. She bent and swallowed convulsively, fighting it down.
"Jessie, I need your help!"
Jim's sharp, commanding tone snapped her out of her immobility and she rushed to his side. He pointed at the base of the cross, and she saw what she could only describe as a giant Christmas tree stand. The vertical part of the cross stood inside the holder and long curved legs angled off and were bolted onto the floor. Whoever had done this had planned well in advance.
"We need to try and lift this up and lay it down!" Jim had his shoulder against the vertical part, his arms wrapped around it. Jessie shuddered as her gaze fell on Mark's feet on the small platform just above Jim's head. She didn't know where to grab, and finally snaked her arm behind Mark's knees, the other at the small of his back. His skin was cold and she recoiled for a split second, terrified that he was dead. Swallowing down bile, she regained her hold at his back.
They grunted and strained, but after the wood swayed precariously and threatened to topple, they stopped, afraid that the pole would crash down and crush the suspended man.
Jim swiped his arm across his brow. "We need more people."
Mark's head lolled and a groan slipped from his lips. Jessie could have cried in relief. He was alive! Her elation dimmed when she took a closer look. Barely alive, from the looks of it. Blood ran down his arms in a thick trail and the floor beneath each hand was marred with large puddles. Just beneath his ribs, another wound bled freely, soaking into his sweatpants. Despite the chill in the air, sweat dripped and his hair was wet with it. A coarse rope circled his neck, and Jessie could see ugly purple bruises spreading out from beneath it. She touched the part that dangled down, wishing there was some way she could take it off him.
"Jessica, why don't you go show the fire department where we are?"
Jim's voice held a note of sympathy and she knew that he was trying to spare her witnessing Mark like this. But, he was right, the crew might waste time looking for them, so she turned and raced out of the building. In the far distance she heard sirens and willed them to drive faster.
Lily was pacing the sidewalk, her back to Jessie. At the noise of the door hitting the wall, she spun. "What?"
"We found him and he's alive. Whoever took him is gone, though."
Lily's shoulders sagged as she sobbed, "Thank God!"
She turned to enter the warehouse, but Jessie put out a restraining hand. "Wait! He's not in the best shape and we can't get at him until the fire department arrives."
Lily straightened and lifted her chin. "I'm going in there. I saw the pictures too. If they were right, and I can see by your face that they are, then he's going to need all the friends around him that he can get." With that, she shrugged off Jessie's hold.
"Okay, Lily. You're right, but at least hold on until the rescue squad gets here, then I'll go back in with you."
Lily opened her mouth to protest, but Jessie cut her off. "Look, I want to be there with him as much as you do, but there's nothing we can do until help arrives!"
They waited in silence, the sirens growing closer. Just before the rescue squad reached the building, Lily asked, her voice full of dread, "Are you sure he was alive?"
Jessie hesitated before answering. "Yeah, he was…but the bastards left him in bad shape."
Mark sensed movement and strained to lift his head. What did they plan to do to him now? Thirst overwhelmed him and his tongue felt thick. He'd give anything for a drink of water. Maybe they would give him one. If nothing else, it would prolong the fun they were having. Mark's last memory had been of the cult milling beneath him. Chanting and drumbeats had echoed in the warehouse, but they had seemed distant and disorganized. Someone had wondered aloud about breaking Mark's legs but Snake Eyes had told them no, because things would go too fast then. Mark hadn't been sure what he meant, but was thankful that he didn't have that added misery.
He arched his back in a futile attempt to relieve the strained muscles and pressure on his hands, but that movement intensified the pain in his palms. Mark couldn't help uttering a deep moan. The smallest movements sent shards of agony through his hands and so he stilled, his breathing rapid and shallow. Blinking, he tried to focus on the blurry forms in front of him. The room was lighter and a slow glance to his left showed sunlight beginning to spill into the room. The pink and gold looked beautiful and he tried to block out everything except the sunrise. His last sunrise.
How long had he been here? It seemed like days had passed since he had gone to bed, and he wasn't sure what time they had come for him, but his impression in the van had been that it was around two or three a.m. Very few cars had been on the streets. He guessed it was now almost seven. There was a sudden lurch and the cross swayed. Mark groaned, dropping his head and closing his eyes. The pain in his hands became exquisite. He whole being; his awareness telescoped down to the his palms. Nothing else existed.
"Hurry! He's in here!" Jessie pointed the way for the paramedics as they exited their squad, then motioned for Lily to follow her. The paramedics rushed in ahead of them, loaded down with their supply boxes. The first one stopped abruptly.
"What the hell?" He turned to look at Jessie. "What happened here?"
The second paramedic looked beyond his partner and his eyes widened. "Jesus Christ!"
"No, he's Mark Taylor and he needs your help," Jessie snapped and pushed the man firmly towards the cross. She turned and grasped Lily's elbow. "It might be best if you stand over here, okay?" Lily began to protest, but Jessie put her hands on the other woman's shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "We have to stay out of the way for now. It's going to get crazy in a minute, with a whole slew of people running around."
"But I feel like I need to do something." Lily shrugged Jessie's hands off and crossed her arms.
"I know. I do too, but we have to let the paramedics do their job, okay?"
Lily let out a deep breath and swiped at a tear at the corner of her eye. "You're right. That's the most important thing. I'm fine."
"Thank you." Jessie turned to see more help pouring into the room. "Come on." She put her hand on Lily's back. "Let's get a little closer." They moved to where Jim stood, his arms crossed, his expression hard.
Jessie watched silently while the firemen rigged ropes and first lifted the cross out of its stand and eased it down onto the floor. Even though the men did their best to be gentle, the cross jolted slightly as it met the cement, eliciting a strangled moan from Mark. Her stomach twisted.
Jessie tried not to focus on him, and on the horror she felt every time her gaze was pulled to his limp figure, but found it impossible to look away. She had a constant taste of bitterness in the back of her throat and swallowed audibly.
"You okay, Jessica?" Jim searched her face, concern in his eyes.
Jessie nodded and cleared her throat. "Yes. I just…this is…" She gave up, unable to form a coherent sentence about what she was feeling at that moment. Her revulsion at what was done to Mark almost overwhelmed her and her throat tightened. She crossed her arms. Lily rubbed her back, and Jessie felt grateful for her presence and silly for any jealousy she'd felt earlier. It was trivial now.
Jim looked at the flurry of activity and nodded. "I know what you mean. I think this ranks up there as one of the sickest things I've ever seen."
At that moment, something caused Mark to start thrashing his head, his back arching. His mouth opened and a hoarse series of protests mixed with moans poured out. Jessie hurried closer, feeling a need to do something. Jim and Lily only steps behind, but they had to stop short of reaching him as the paramedics surrounded him, and two more entered the warehouse, muttering curses and dragging a gurney behind them.
Lily's face was still wet with tears, but there was a desperate note of hope in her voice as she said, "He's going to be okay, right?"
Jim sighed. "I wish I knew."
One of the paramedics stood arms outstretched and bellowed, "Stop! Everybody just stop for a second!"
All activity ceased and they turned to the paramedic for direction. Mark quieted as well, his head turning weakly from side to side.
"Listen up. We all want to help him, but we have to do this right, okay?" The paramedic scanned all the members of his team, "We need to be very careful because we don't want to cause more damage. Do not pull the nails out. They need to do that at the hospital. What we have to do, is somehow get the nails separated from the wood while keeping his hands and feet as still as possible."
Another paramedic nodded and spoke up. "I think the eight inch bolt cutters will fit in between the victim and the wood. They shouldn't have any trouble cutting through these nails."
The first one nodded. "Good idea, John. Let's try it."
Jessie watched the one called Luke turn to a toolbox and pull out the tool. He moved to Mark's left arm. "Mark? Can you hear me?"
Mark's eyebrows raised as his head turned towards the voice. "That's it, buddy. I'm going to insert a bolt cutter beneath your hand here, and snip that nail. It might hurt a bit, but I need you to try and hold still and not pull away. Do you understand?"
Mark opened his eyes and turned his head, looking up at the ceiling. For several seconds his eyes roved the upper reaches of the building before drifting closed. His lips began moving but only a whisper of sound came out. Luke leaned closer and turned his head to hear, holding his hand up for quiet from the rest of the crew. His eyes squinted in concentration then an expression of disbelief washed over his face as he sat back slowly.
"What did he say?" Jim stepped forward and Jessie realized that Mark might have told the paramedic something important that would help them catch the bastards who had done this to him.
Luke looked at Jim. "I…I think he said, 'Our Father, who art in heaven.'…and then he started saying something else. It might have been a prayer too, but it's all mixed up and jumbled."
"Oh." Jim sounded non-plussed and crossed his arms. Out of the corner of her eye, Jessie saw one medic make the sign of the cross.
The paramedic motioned for his crew mates to hang on tight to Mark's arm and then he leaned in, cutters in hand. "I need some more light!"
Someone aimed a bright flashlight on the trapped hand and Luke spoke once more to Mark "Okay, here we go, Mark."
He wiggled the tool into the slight gap and took time to assess his placement, peering into the tiny space he'd squeezed out between wood and flesh. "Looks good. Hold him tight!" His forearm muscles flexed as he exerted pressure on the handles. The nail snapped with a soft pop accompanied by a low moan by Mark.
Luke backed away and allowed another paramedic to ease Mark's arm down and Jessie shuddered at the agonized cry that the movement elicited from Mark. She turned away and in her haste, bumped into Lily. "Excuse me," she choked out as she side-stepped the other woman. Jessie didn't know where she intended to go, but she knew she couldn't watch any more of this. Lily's hand on her arm stopped her.
"Don't go. He needs us here." Her voice was calm despite the tears running down her face.
Jessie turned back, seeing that the paramedics were about to free the other hand. She quickly glanced away. "He doesn't even know we're here, Lily."
Lily's chin quivered in an instant of uncertainty before her resolve returned and she squared her shoulders. Her grip tightened on Jessie's arm. "I'm going closer."
Before Jessie could reply, Mark cried out again and this time, he began flailing his right arm at the paramedics, catching one on the jaw and leaving a bloody trail. Lily stopped in her tracks.
"Mark! It's okay, we're trying to help you!" Luke grabbed the flailing arm and tried to wrestle it back down, but was having a hard time of it. Despite Mark's injuries and weakened condition, his fear and desperation lent him extraordinary strength.
The other paramedics tried to help, but they literally had their own hands full. One man had been trying to start an IV on Mark's free hand, and was now leaning back, bloody IV needle held out of the way of the other paramedics; a thin stream of blood flowed from the attempted IV site. Two other firemen maintained their grip on Mark's legs, trying in vain to hold them completely immobile and the man who had been hit by Mark was swiping his jaw on his shoulder.
"Hold still, buddy!" Luke sounded frustrated and Jessie stepped forward, pulling Lily along with her. She nudged the man holding the needle out of the way.
"Let me through. I have his friend here. She might be able to calm him." She ached to be the one to calm Mark, but worried she might do more harm than good. They hadn't parted under the best circumstances.
The paramedic nodded and scooted back. "Go for it."
Lily sank to her knees and touched Mark's shoulder then moved her hand up to rest on his brow. "Mark? It's me. You're safe now." She stroked his hair back and he stilled. "Shh…that's it. Relax."
His head turned, and Jim saw him struggling to open his eyes. "Lily?" The hope in his voice tore at Jessie's heart.
"Yes, it's me. And Jessie and Jim too. Whoever did this is gone, okay?" Lily continued the rhythmic motion of feathering his hair back and Jessie could see the tension in Mark's body begin to ease. "There's a whole lot of people here trying to help you. Let them help you, Mark."
He blinked and his eyes roamed, seeking but unfocused, his brows knit in confusion. "Jessie's here?"
Jessie knelt beside Lily and put her hand lightly on his shoulder, surprised at how cold and clammy his skin felt. "Yeah, Mark, I'm right here. Hold still now and they'll have you…free… in just another minute. Got it?"
He nodded obediently. " 'kay". Mark sighed and his body went limp as he gave in to his exhaustion.
Jessie nudged Lily and motioned for them to step back to allow the medics more room to work. In a matter of minutes, his feet had been freed, but the medics taped them together, opting to allow the doctors to remove the long nail. They moved him to a gurney, hung bags of fluid and placed an oxygen mask over Mark's face.
He never stirred throughout the rest of the treatment and Jessie didn't know if that was a good sign or bad. She heard a blood pressure number tossed out by one paramedic and saw another quickly adjust an IV bag until what had been a slow, steady drip of fluid into the the line became a fast stream.
Luke swore and tossed a blanket over Mark, tucking it around him; the paramedic's hands a blur as he secured Mark to the gurney. "Let's wrap and run, guys!"