Agent Fox Mulder (i_want_2) wrote in multi_fiction, @ 2008-11-26 14:10:00 |
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Entry tags: | due south, gen, rated: adult |
Fic: Faith Of The Heart 1/1 Due South
Title: Faith of the Heart
By: Lopaka Tanu
Fandom: Due South
Rating: Adult
Characters: Rayk, OFC, Fraser
Disclaimer: I do not own Due South.
Warning: Not a happy fic.
Summary: Sometimes, no matter what we do, there are those beyond our salvation.
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Ray's breath caught in his throat. Standing over the brilliantly lit city was beautiful, even to his befuddled mind. So many people, all going about their lives, ignorant of the drama above them. Not only were they oblivious to it, but they were also apathetic. It had taken him a long time to reach the obvious conclusion, but his pesky belief in Humanity finally snapped.
Cooling winds buffeted him back against the building again. The sun that had burned the city earlier was long beyond the horizon. Each new breath of air coming up kissed the tears from his cheeks.
It was so hypnotic, the gentle sway of the building in the winds. Ray could feel his muscles relaxing, adapting to the rhythm. In his mind a lullaby started, one he had imagined he would sing to his kids one day. At that, his body started to shudder from the sobs. Sliding closer to the edge, he let the grief over take him, spread his arms, then threw himself to the winds....
****************************************
The call came in to the station house, but no one was willing to answer. They were all too exhausted from a week of being over worked, little sleep, and no respite from the sweltering heat. Finally on the tenth ring, Ray walked up to the sergeant's desk and picked up the phone. "Two-Seven, Detective Kowalski, how may I help you?"
"You've got to get down town, she won't listen to a word I say."
"Down town? Try the thirty-first..."
"I did! Those fuck heads hung up on me! Don't you hang up on me! You have got to get a team together and get down town to the Sears' Tower, she won't listen to a word I say!"
"Whoa whoa whoa, hold on, who won't listen to you?"
"Some fuckin crazy lady, she is on the fuckin ledge and is about to jump. No one is willin to go near her cause she threatened to take them with her!"
Ray sighed, scratching the back of his neck as he tried to come up with the rules for a suicidal. "Just hold on, I'll try and find a negotiator."
"There's no fuckin time, she is on the god damned ledge and is fixen to throw herself off."
"Okay, keep calm, I'm on my way. Don't do anything to set her off, wait for me to get there."
"Fine, man, just get her fast." The phone went dead.
"Greatness, another one for a hellova week." Storming towards the bullpen, Ray adjusted his shoulder holster. He pushed open the door, a cold draft catching him in the face making him pause. "We got a jumper at the Sears' Tower."
"So?"
Ray blinked at Dewey. "Excuse me?"
"I said so? Whoever they are can deal with a negotiator."
"Listen, ya duck head, this woman has gone crazy and we don't have time to find a negotiator. Downtown screwed the caller over and he had to resort to us, now who is going with me?" There was no answer among all the men and women slouching about on desks and chairs around the one air conditioning unit. "Fine, fuck ya'll!" He moved to go.
"Ray!"
Turning, an expectant look on his face, Ray thought may be they were coming to their senses. "Yeah?"
"Close the door, you are letting the cool air out."
Scrunching his eyes tightly, he ground his teeth and stormed out of the bullpen. When the door slammed shut, his only response was to straighten his spine.
The drive to the Sears' Tower was hellish to say the least. Motorists stopped in the middle of the street to scream at each other over insignificant gestures. Finally having enough, pulled out his gun and started shooting. They quickly dived into their cars and drove off. The streets were empty as he drove on.
Not stopping to find a legal place or to use the parking garage, he ran the GTO up on to the sidewalk narrowly missing two parking meters. Climbing out of the car, he looked up. The woman was just barely visible on the observatory ledge.
Ray quickly ran through the entrance of the building, surprised at the lack of people in what should have been the busiest plaza in Chicago. It was a short wait for the elevator then another one as it took him all the way to the roof top observatory.
As the doors opened, a sight that greeted him nearly froze him in place long enough for the elevator doors to close. It was a quick hand that slipped between them making them open once more for him. He stepped off the lift this time, pushing people out of his way. Their cries of indignation were ignored as he moved through the gawkers. "Get the fuck outta the way, fuckers! Police comin through."
It took all his reserve not to pull his gun again. The only thing stopping him was the knowledge that the sound would spook the woman on the ledge.
Moving through the protesting people got harder the closer he got to the ledge. "Move, god damn you! Move!" They weren't getting out of his way despite his actions.
One large man moved to block his way, swaying to every attempt Ray made to go around him. In a fit of rage, Ray gripped the guy's hair, yanked hard to pull him back, then kicked his knees out from under him. Stepping over the screeching man, Ray spit at him, "Excuse me!" They cleared a path for him after that.
Racing to the ledge, he tried not to think of the height. The woman was twenty feet from the reach of the banister. Closing his eyes, and making a silent prayer, Ray climbed over the edge. When he was across, the crowd surged forward again, cutting off access to the roof.
He tried not to think of what he might have to do to get back on and focused on the woman.
She was blonde with dark roots, enough make up that her face was stained severely from the running mascara, and she had on a worn business suit. Her body wracked from coughs, shaking the loose clothing. It was then Ray realized her skin color was pale, almost blue, and she was extremely thin.
"You gonna need medical attention?"
Her startled expression switched to fear as she nearly slipped when looking up at him. "What?"
"I said, are you sick?"
Narrowing her eyes, she tried to look haughty. "What's it to you?"
"Just curious."
"Yeah, well fuck off."
"Can't do that, lady." Ray pointed down to the side walks. "See that city out there, I gotta job to protect it. Even from UFOs."
"What?"
"Unidentified Falling Objects."
Her chuckles ended in a coughing fit that left her breathless and bent over.
Ray took advantage of her helpless state and reached her side. Patting her back as another cough took over, he tried to soothe her aches. "Don't fight it, just breathe slowly. Small breaths, nothin too much, that's it. Now breathe deeply, slowly, remember." Easing her up from the crouch, Ray helped her stand. "Hold on to me."
"I don't wanna die."
"I know, I don't want ya to die either. But we gotta get back to the observation deck, can you do that for me?" He looked down to her shy face under his arm. When she nodded, he smiled. "I'm gonna ease us slowly back along the ledge. It is a good twenty feet so it might take a bit, but you hold on tight."
"I'll try."
Their progress was slow as he moved one foot a few inches, let her move between his legs, keeping her between him and building, then moving his other foot. Smiling at her reassuringly, he tried to think of something to calm her down. "So what brings you here today? Can't be the band or the food, I hear both are terrible."
She looked down to her arms, barely hidden beneath her sleeves.
Ray marked the tracks from extensive needle use then chose to ignore them. "Must be the view. I hear on a good day you actually feel like you are flying. Though I wouldn't know, hate heights. Funny thing though, this Mountie partner of mine actually had me hold on to a plane's wheel as the damn thing was taking off. We were after some bad guys that ended up catching us on the wheels and then tossing our sorry asses out of it. That was no picnic, let me tell you."
She started to chuckle again. "I bet."
"Yeah, that man is Looney, but I'm not sure which is crazier, him or the deaf wolf he has with him. Seems he thinks the wolf can actually read lips. Now I seen that mutt do a lot of things, most you would never think a dog outside of lassie could do. Can I tell you a secret, I think the wolf is faking it. You see this Mountie is a real sucker for guilt trips."
"What would he have to feel guilty about?"
"Oh, nothin much really. The wolf saved his life, pulled him out of a raging river in the middle of winter. Don't ask me how he got there in the first place, that is a story he has still yet to bore me to death with. Anyways, the wolf supposedly lost his hearing because of it." His foot collided with cement making him realize where they were. "Looks like this is the end of the line, little lady, time to go."
Her eyes went from calm to frightened again.
"Calm down, you are safe, I won't hurt you."
She shook her head, pointing at the crowd.
Ray looked up, in the center of the people pressing against the barrier were the people he had kicked and beaten to get to the ledge. "Fuck. Look, you bunch of ass holes, get the fuck back so I can get her to safety or I will blow you the fuck away." He pulled out his gun, aiming at the large man he had scalped. "What's it gonna be?"
The people started to back away slowly until someone thought they would be brave and threw something at him. The travel bag hit him in the shoulder, throwing him off balance. Ray dropped the gun to the ledge, reaching out to grab the railing in one hand and stop the woman from falling with the other.
She screamed as she slipped off the ledge. Her hands wrapped around Ray's offered one, eyes begging him not to let go.
"Help me! Somebody help me?" Ray wildly searched the observation deck for anyone.
The crowd stood back a few paces, none daring to come closer. "Why," one of them asked.
"Why," another asked.
Closing his eyes, Ray turned his head to look at the woman, her body shaking from fright as her grip slowly failed. "Hold on, don't let go!"
"I can't, don't let go of me, please, don't let me go. I don't wanna die."
"I won't, I swear. Please, somebody, anybody!" Ray tried one last time, looking up to the crowd. In that instant, his body suddenly got lighter. Glancing down, he caught the wild glance she sent his way. Watched while it went from panic, to fear, to acceptance before she was too far to look anymore. With the sound of a bag of fruit hitting the ground, it was over.
Ray felt nothing. Reaching up with his now freed hand, he grabbed the railing and pulled himself up. Upon setting both feet on the ledge, he bent down and picked up the gun. Sudden rage filled him, a hatred so deep that his screams blotted out those of the crowd as he fired into the moving mass. He took out the people who had blocked his way first then started on the rest, each bullet he knew was fatally placed.
When the clip was empty, he stopped screaming. He quickly moved towards the elevator, the people waiting their screamed and ran for the stairs. The ride back down was empty, both emotionally and physically. Just before the door dinged, he reloaded his gun.
People cleared out of his way, crying out in fear as he passed by. The GTO was untouched and the streets were empty. In a daze, he drove back to the station house. The station desk was still uninhabited. He made his way down the hall to the bullpen. The door was locked so he kicked it down.
They were on their feet as he entered. Dewey tried to get in his way, Ray spun around, knocking him across the room with a kick to the face. Pulling his gun, Ray emptied the clip into the AC unit. The unit fell out of the window from the result of the impact. Ray then turned on heel and marched out.
****************************************
The crime scene tape and blood stains were the only signs he had been there earlier that day. There weren't any chalk outlines though he knew the exact placement of the bodies. In his mind, all he could think about was how peaceful her face had looked in the end. It replayed over and over.
That was what filled his mind as he swung off the ledge.... only to bounce back as something jerked his belt. Glancing over his shoulder, Ray caught sight of red serge. "Let me go."
"No!"
"Please, Frase, just let me go. It's better this way." There was no answer, just his legs hitting the ledge as he was side walked/dragged back to the observation deck. "Frase..."
"Be silent!" The command was so angerfilled that he did. When they reached the observation deck, the world went out of wack as he was tossed up and over the railing to land hard on his ass. Suddenly a large hand was slapping him across the face. "How dare you!"
"Frase...." Another slap.
"I said be quiet!"
"No, you said be silent!" The large hands flexed in front of him then were replaced by the contorted face of his partner as the Mountie kneeled in front of him.
"How could you try and throw it all away like that?"
"You don't understand..."
"Then tell me. Why?"
"I dropped her, Frase."
"She let go!"
"No! No, I felt it, Frase, I dropped her."
Fraser shook his head as he pulled Ray to him. "I saw the news footage, she let go. She was trying to let you save yourself, Ray."
Ray shook his head trying to deny it. "I shot those people, Frase, they killed her and I shot them. I had to make them pay, Frase, they got what they deserved."
"Yes, Ray, they did."
He nodded. "I made them pay. They killed her."
"Yes, Ray, you did."
He nodded again. "It's gonna be all right now, Frase. She was okay with it, she's happy now."
"Yes, Ray, she is. And it will be all right. I'll take care of you." Fraser held the man tighter as he continued to nod. "It will be all right."
He was still nodding as they placed him in the ambulance. After all, he knew it would be all right.
The End......