The Facility, Saturday afternoon

"Hello?" Calvin had been nervously walking around his workplace when his cell rang.

"Miss Ryan, where *are* you? I've been..." he was cut off.

"Pack your stuff and get out of there. Go on a holiday and don't tell anyone where you're going!" Ryan ordered him without an explanation. But Calvin didn't need one. He was a nervous wreck by now anyway.

They had discovered that so far, each of Adrian’s victims had been in contact with him one way or another over the last years.

What she didn’t know was who had found those files before her.

+++++

Police Headquarters

“Sam!” Tony walked past her office into the conference room.

Looking up a little confused, Sam wondered what was up with her friend and followed him. He had already called the whole team and they all arrived one after the other within a few minutes.

“I have news.” Tony grinned and his face showed deep lines around his eyes. “A match to the DNA results from our third crime scene.”

“Who is it?” Harrison tapped his pencil to the table.

“One Adrian Bloom,” Tony read the information his informant had given him.” What no one knew was that Calvin had sent a mail to Tony’s office before he had taken off. He knew he couldn’t help his boss. He was no warrior, but at least he could see that Ryan wasn’t alone out there. He had added all the pictures Adrian had send to Ryan as well and hoped that they could arrest him before he did even more damage.

+++

Police Headquarters, a little later

“I can’t let you go there by yourself, Sam.” Tony tried to convince his friend that it was too risky to visit Ryan.

“Our main suspect’s last known address is the mental home your friend works for. Why has nobody reported him missing since?” Tony couldn’t understand why Sam seemed so blind.

“Tony, I don’t understand it myself, but I have to go talk to Ryan about this.”

“But you’re not going alone. I’ll come with you.” Tony hoped he could at least get some more information. Of course he wanted to keep an eye on Sam as well.

After dropping Jerry of with Tony’s wife, Rita, they drove to the cottage together.

+++

“Let me go and talk to her alone first.” Sam told Tony and didn’t wait for a reply. She just got out of his car and walked over to Ryan’s cottage’s porch. Knocking twice she entered when she heard a yes.

Right after Sam entered the living room and closed the front door behind her, she sensed something was wrong.

Adrian stood next to Ryan and held her at bay with her own 9mm.

“Hi, Sam! Nice to meet you!” Adrian greeted her cheerfully while Sam and Ryan locked eyes. It looked like they had been fighting. Adrian’s cotton pullover he wore with his black leather pants sported blood drips from his split lips and a nasty bruise started to show below Ryan’s right eye. Her blue, long sleeved t-shirt was torn around the neck and her coat was dusty all over.

Sam’s mind raced and tried to think a way out of there but Ryan shook her head lightly. Adrian saw it and nodded.

“Smart one, here, eh? She’s right, don’t try anything or I’ll blow her brains out. You!” he pointed the gun at Sam and then back at Ryan, “get on your knees and put your hands behind your head.” He ordered and when Sam didn’t follow his orders immediately, he punched Ryan in the ribs without warning. “Do it!” he said calmly while Ryan sank to one knee and tried to catch her breath.

Tony glanced at his watch again. He’d give them five more minutes.

Meanwhile Adrian pulled Ryan’s hands up roughly and told her to keep them behind her head.

“You’re probably wondering why I’m here, right?” he walked around the cottage’s living room looking into Sam’s eyes and keeping the gun pointed at Ryan. “Because I can!” he pronounced each word.

“You’ll never catch me if I don’t let you” he spat out, challenging both women.

“But you want us to.” Sam bit her tongue as soon as the words were out. She should know better than to play mind games with a sociopath.

“How do you know what I want?” Adrian walked over to the window and peeked out. “I see you brought a friend,” he smiled and took aim.

“No!” Sam spun up but Adrian’s gun was in her face before she could attack him.

“Don’t even think about it,” Adrian pressed the barrel to Sam’s temple.

Both women were surprised how cold and unattached Adrian sounded, like he wasn’t really involved.

“How about we join him outside? Get up and walk to the door.” He ordered Ryan.

Not having any other choices, the brunette did as he asked. “Try anything and I’ll shoot your girlfriend, got me?” he loved how angry Ryan looked at him. Grabbing Sam by her coat, he pushed her towards the door. Peering out once more through the window next to the door, he ordered Ryan to open the door and step out on the porch. He followed with Sam.

When Tony saw the front door open he got out of his car and stretched his limbs. Eying Ryan curiously, he waited for Sam to follow and froze when he saw their suspect holding a gun to the blondes head.

“Don’t even think about using your gun.” Adrian warned and pushed Sam to the ground.

“Hey!” Ryan growled. She felt helpless and useless. Sam was being pushed and could be shot and she couldn’t do anything about it.

“Ten steps back,” Adrian ordered, “now!”

"What do you think your dear uncle will do when he finds out that you co-operated with the cops?" Adrian grabbed Sam's hair and pulled her up on her knees while he pointed the gun at Ryan and Tony.

"Let her go!" Tony said with calm voice. He knew panic wouldn't get any of them out of this situation.

"You!" he let go of Sam and walked over to Tony, all the while swinging the gun between him and Ryan. Pushing Tony back, who held his hands up in defence, Adrian took his gun from its holster. With skilled fingers he opened the cylinder and emptied all but one of the bullets. Swinging the cylinder shut, he threw that gun at Ryan's feet.

Taking his position next to Sam he once again held the barrel of his gun to her head.

"Take the gun!" He screamed at Ryan, who started to realize what his plan was. "I might let her go if you shoot him." Adrian smiled devilishly.

"Don't believe him!" Sam shouted and Adrian pulled on her hair brutally and the blonde let out a scream.

"Do it!" Adrian screamed at Ryan who picked up the revolver. She knew there was no chance she could take down Adrian before he could pull the trigger and shoot Sam. Clenching her teeth Ryan closed her eyes and pointed the gun at Tony who looked shocked.

"Shoot!" Adrian said and pulled back the hammer of his gun. Hearing the clicking sound, Ryan whispered. "God forgive me!" and the next thing that was heard was a loud bang.

Tony looked horrified when he fell to his knees. Blood trickled down his shirt and it was only seconds before his face fell down in the thick carpet of leaves.

Adrian grinned, Sam screamed something and Ryan dropped the gun and bent down on her knees, her coat falling widely around her on the ground.

Sam tried to run away but Adrian's grip was too tight. He pulled her back forcefully.

That was the moment Ryan needed to pull out her backup gun from her ankle holster.

Adrian's gun fell to the ground when a bullet hit him right in the arm, with a shocked look on his face, he let out a scream, and Sam stumbled to her feet and over to Tony.

Ryan walked over to Adrian, her gun pointed at his head. "Tell me just one reason why I shouldn't end your miserable life right here?" she asked with her voice as cold as ice when Adrian tried to shrink further away, to no avail.

Sam fell on her knees next to Tony. Tears were running down her cheeks and her eyesight was blurry. Checking for a pulse with shaking fingers, Sam fell back startled when Tony stirred. Bringing his left arm to his shoulder, Tony laughed. "Bitch!"

"Tony!" Sam helped him to his feet and steadied the older man and they walked over to Ryan.

"Don't!" Sam was frightened by the glare Ryan shot toward Adrian. "He's not worth it."

Ryan kept staring at him for a moment and then lowered the gun a bit, the tension leaving her body.

"Turn around!" the brunette said to Adrian who was holding his bleeding arm now.

"She shot me in the shoulder!" Tony mumbled. "Damn!"

"But you're still alive, right?" Ryan searched Tony's eyes and was relieved when she saw no hard feelings.

"Alive, but I'll be deaf on this ear for weeks!" Tony pulled his handcuffs from his waistband and threw them at Ryan to chain Adrian to a metal ring on the tap and searched him for any other weapons.

Sam helped Tony over to his car when they were sure Adrian wasn’t a threat anymore. Tony radioed for help while Sam stopped the bleeding with her wool jacket.

“You sit here tight and don’t move!” she ordered him after the confirmation that paramedics and their team were on the way.

Sam didn’t know how long they were waiting. It was like time had stopped, the adrenaline slowly leaving her system.

She kept watching Ryan who stood at the same spot, guarding Adrian until the horn signalled them the cavalry was arriving, then Ryan walked back to the cottage and leaned against the wall, legs apart, head back.

After greeting their team and instructing the paramedics, Sam walked back over to the brunette and flinched when she saw how bad Ryan looked. Adrian had hit her twice, once in the ribs and once in the face. The bruises around the eye were already visible.

Hesitating for a moment, Sam stepped closer and between Ryan’s feet.

“Are you alright?” the blonde asked timidly and brushed a strand of dark hair from Ryan’s face. Their eyes locked and Sam knew that they were both far from being alright. She caressed the not bruised cheek slowly and Ryan pulled her closer, encircling the blonde’s waist with her arms. First one tear slid down Sam’s cheek, then followed others while Ryan held her tight.

It didn’t take long to get their emotions back under control, but it would also not too long until they’d come to interview them.

Sam knew Tony had held them off for a while, and when she looked back at the scene, it all seemed so unreal to her now. Her arms were still around Ryan’s neck when she watched the paramedics argue with Tony about him obviously not wanting to ride with them.

Ryan hadn’t said anything yet. And she didn’t know what to say. Thoughts were swirling around in her head and her bruised ribs were starting to really hurt, but she didn’t want to go see the paramedics.

Sam made that decision for her. Brushing some hair away once more, and taking a look at the colours on Ryan’s cheek, Sam took a step back and took the brunettes hand.

“You need an ice-pack for the bruises and you should get your ribs checked.”

Not feeling up for resistance right now, Ryan followed Sam.