Nightmares by Pari

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He had driven down Old 30 road for nearly half an hour before he spotted Garcia vintage caddy, which was partially in a ditch. He was relieved to know he was getting close, but also anxious to get to Garcia, he figured she was probably scared nearly witless by now. He only had to drive another five minutes before spotting the old abandon barn, which had a slight eerie illumination streaming from its cracks. He drove through a cleared path, which had he not been so focused on getting to Garcia might had seemed suspicious to him. He parked near the barn doors, leaving the car running and the headlights on, he exited his car and made his way to the door.

“Penelope?” He called out as he entered the barn, his training instinctually making him scan his new surroundings.

“I’m here.” A meek voice called out from a darken corner of the barn, and Morgan quickly moved towards it. He stopped as soon as his eyes focused enough and he could see that Garcia was restrained. He swiftly dropped to one knee as he reached for his gun holstered on his left ankle.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” A voice spoke out and Morgan instantly looked up, but he couldn’t get an exact location of where the voice was in the dark barn, just that it seemed to be above them. “I have a clear shot of her head, so unless you want me to splatter her brains all over you, you’ll slowly remove that gun and toss it away.”

“All right, just don’t hurt her.” Morgan said as he did as instructed upholstering his gun and tossing it back towards the door of the barn, which was brightly illuminated by his headlights. “Ok,” Morgan then raised his hands up in a surrendering manner as he once again stood, still looking above. “You’ve obviously gone through a lot of trouble to get me out here, well I’m here now why don’t you let her go.”

“So she can go tell the others where we are, I don’t think so. Besides, I know that as long as she’s here you’ll do whatever I tell you to do, because if you don’t I’m going to shoot her.” Those words invoked a pitiful groan from Garcia, who was openly crying. Morgan quickly focused back on Garcia, taking a couple of steps towards her.

“Shhh, that’s not gonna happen,” Morgan spoke in a hushed tone to Garcia. “Baby girl look at me,” Garcia complied as she opened her eyes and locked onto his. “I’m not gonna let that happen. Ok?” She nodded her head but continued to cry.

“I’m so sorry, but he had a gun and he said if I didn’t call you he’d shoot me. I didn’t want to get shot again, I’m sorry.”

“Shhh, hey don’t you worry about that. He took you because he knew that I’d come looking for you, isn’t that right?” Morgan again looked up as he spoke to the darkness.

“Yes I knew that she would be my ticket to you. I’ve studied you for a couple of months now learning your habits and your routines. Researching your life, both professional and personal, she was a constant variable in both.” Morgan bunched his brow a bit at these words.

“What do you want from me?” Morgan asked growing tired of the game.

“What do I want from you? Well for a very long time I wanted you to die, no that’s not true, no I wanted to kill you. But I’ve had years to rethink that, years of suffering because of what you did. So now it’s time that you pay.”

“You seem to have me at a disadvantage, you know me but I…”

“Oh you know me, Detective Morgan. You may not remember me but you know me, you ruined my life.”

“Detective…”

“Yeah, I know it’s Special Agent now, but once upon a time it was Detective Morgan of the Chicago PD.”

“So what, you one of the guys I put away and now you want revenge.”

“No my son was the one you put away, and yes I want revenge. He was 16 years old and tried as an adult for something that you said he did, but he was innocent.”

“If he was convicted, then he evidence against him was sufficient enough for him to be found guilty by a jury of his peers.” Morgan tried to reason.

“But he was later found innocent.” The man’s voice suddenly seemed closer and Morgan quickly turned to face his accuser, and he was stunned by who was standing before him.

“Mr. Daniels.” Morgan sputtered in a soft and almost sympathetic tone.

“Oh, so now you remember, and do you remember Michael, my son?” Mr. Daniels asked but Morgan seemed at a loss for words. “It was your testimony that got him convicted.”

“I just presented the evidence that we had, but when I realized he was innocent I fought hard to get his conviction overturned.” Morgan defended. “I didn’t stop until it was overturned.”

“Three years later, it was too late by then. Michael was lost. Do you know what they did to him in there? He was just a child, he shouldn’t have been subjected to such things.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Sorry, you’re sorry? What are you sorry for exactly sending him into prison where he was raped and beaten every single day, or are you sorry because once he got out he was so damage that five months ago he took an axe and hacked up his mother and 11-year-old sister, before taking his own life? ”

“I’m so sorry,” Morgan said genuinely. Garcia, who was nearly hysterical with fear, even felt sympathy for the man standing before them, welding a gun.

“Sorry won’t bring my family back!” Mr. Daniels shouted as he angrily jerked his gun, which was still aimed directly at Garcia. Morgan quickly side stepped and placed himself between the gun and Garcia.

“Neither will this.” Morgan again tried to reason with the grieving man. “I know there’s nothing that I can say that will bring your family back. Nothing that will ease your pain, but please know that there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of Michael.” Morgan’s voice cracked and he had to pause to swallow back the lump in his throat and push down impending tears that wanted to spill out. “What happened to him is the reason I became a profiler for the FBI. I want to make sure I never make a mistake like that again. I was wrong, I was so wrong about Michael. The evidence seemed to fit Michael, but Michael didn’t fit the evidence. I know now that Michael wasn’t our guy because he was too introverted and timid with a severe case of OCD. That was nothing like the guy who did those murders; he was very outgoing and sure of himself. He was charming which is why his victims succumbed to him so easily. That guy’s entire life was in chaos and it showed in the way he butchered his victims, but Michael needed order in every aspect of his life. I regret everyday that I helped convict your son, because I know that he was innocent, and by focusing on Michael we let the real killer get away. But I’m going to find the real killer even if it takes the rest of my life I’m going to find him and make him pay.” These words got the man’s attention.

“But the case has been closed for years now. I call every week but they tell me it’s been listed as a ‘cold case’.”

“Yeah well I have a little more pull then your local police office. And officially it is a ‘cold case’ but I still work it, constantly looking for new leads, and that beautiful young lady you’re pointing your gun at right now, she help me. She’s one who got me access to those files.” Mr. Daniels resolve seemed to give a little and he lowered his gun as his face crumbled under the weight of his tears.

“I’m…I’m sorry.” He openly cried as he let the hand holding the gun fall to his side. “I just miss them so much.” Morgan moved to him swiftly but not in a threatening manners. Morgan gently tugged the gun from Mr. Daniels complying hands.

“It’s ok,” Morgan reassured as Mr. Daniels leaned against him and he fell apart with grief. Morgan placed a comforting arm around the man as he turned his head to stare at Garcia, who just stared back with relieved eyes. “It’s ok Mr. Daniels, it’s gonna be ok now.”

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Nightmares by Pari

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