Intrigue

Introduction

Hazileigh Adams had been on the C.S.I. task force since her graduating class of 2006. She worked on the force for a little over 5 years now and only met one criminal she could never get the evidence she needed to convict. Victor LaRue was a hired hit man who had developed an infatuation for Hazileigh at one of her trails against him. He made sure she knew him well now with her sister life at stake and her own hanging in the balance she must find a way to stop the mad man who has become obsessed with her.

Chapter One

Hazileigh jolted awake to the ringing of her cell phone. Her sister always called in the middle of the night she was worse then her boss. She looked around the room for her phone. In the mess she left from throwing her clothes off before she finally fell exhausted into the bed. She found it in her jeans. Flipping it open quick-

“Hello Jesse I’m here was up?” she sat back on the bed
“You’re a sleep already?” her sister sounded annoyed
“Jess it is 3am in the morning this better be good I’ve only had a hours worth of sleep.”
“Gees cool it will ya, I’m at a party sorry what did you say?”
“What do you want?” Her sister laughed and she got more annoyed
“Just to tell ya that I miss you, I’ll call you tomorrow, okay, love you.”
“Love you too sis. Bye”
“Bye”

She closed the phone and then placed it by her bed. Climbing back in between the sheets she dosed off again. She could actually take her time this morning since she wasn’t due in. Looking in the mirror she saw the bags under her eyes. Not as enough sleep as I needed, she thought. She wasn’t a bad looking woman; bluish green eyes with dark eye lashes set off her tan oval face and the pinkest lips of any woman she didn’t even need make up her mother features had taken care of that. She hadn’t dated anyone since she busted her last boyfriend for being a crooked cop. She had loved him then and still does but she loved her job above all else. Putting one of her newest toys in a back holster it was a knife the measured to a sword she always wanted to be prepared with LaRue still free. She holstered her gun on her belt as she pulled on her shirt.

Getting into her Jeep she noticed a note on her windshield. Pausing to grab it she got into her car, she locked the doors and read. “Roses are red, Her Blood was too, guess what sweet heart, I’m coming for you” L. She crumpled the note and threw it in the back of her car she had gotten so many like it yet he hadn’t attempted yet and she was ready for when he tried it. Her fifth year on the force she got called into a crime scene where the victim was still conscious but fading fast. Hazileigh was the first one on the scene and she heard the women’s last dying words, “ Hired hit and LaRue.” She worked 2 full weeks on that scene scanning it from top to bottom finally she found a hair fiber on the woman’s carpet. It was the only hard evidence they had found to place LaRue at the scene. Hazileigh went on stand as a key witness and LaRue kept eye contact the whole time with her. To where it became not noticeable. The jury let him off on a theatricality and he stopped Hazileigh right out of the courtroom.

“I want to thank you for testifying for my wife even though I didn’t do it.” Hazileigh looked at him shocked.
“Mr. LaRue, I held your wife’s drying hand in mine and she said you killed her I scanned your house in search of anything I could find and I did find that key piece of evidence, the jury may of let you go this time but I won’t next time good day.”
“Does this mean you won’t join me for a drink?”
“Not if you were the last man on earth Mr. LaRue!” He grabbed her arm and she tried to walk away. She jerked free and looked at him.
“Don’t grab me! Good Bye!” He smiled as she walked off and Hazileigh memory jumped back to the present as she heard her cell ring.

“Hazileigh here,” she heard a whimper then a scream. She hit the brakes she knew that whimper it was her sisters. LaRue’s laughter stopped her heart dead cold.
“I think I have something you want Hazileigh care to make a trade.”
“If you so much as hurt her or harm a hair on her head I will kill you myself LaRue or who ever touches her.”
“Relax my love she’s safe for now.”
“Meet me at the abandon waterfront warehouse on I.20 in ten minutes I know your close by. And no cops!”

Hazileigh drove 80 the rest of the way she left her car running where she parked as she got out she took the safety off and ran into the warehouse. Coming up the stairs she could her Jess whimpers and cries. She pointed her gun at the room as she round the last steps. LaRue and a few of his goons were standing with her sister on the floor whimpering. LaRue looked up and saw her and smiled. There had to be at least six of the goons in front of her. There had to be more hiding somewhere.

“Drop the gun Hazileigh.” LaRue instructed.
“Let her go first and ill give you them.” He smiled.
“Boys let her sister go.” They untied Jess and she ran to her sister. Her lip was busted and bleeding she mouthed Mason, and Hazileigh nodded.
“Jess grab the gun from my back pocket. I want you to go downstairs shoot anyone who tries to stop you from getting to my car and drive off. -Don’t move or I will shoot where you stand. - Speed the whole way I don’t care if a cop follows you, you don’t stop until you get to the police department or home okay.”
“I can’t leave you.” She started to cry
“Just do it. Damn it Jess please for me.” Jess took the safety off and went down the steps I moved to the window to watch her.
“Drop the gun Hazil we let her go.”
“Let me see her drive off first,” She watched her sister get in the car and speed off. I started to unload my gun I threw some of the rounds out of the window leaving 2 in the cartridge. “Whose Mason?” LaRue looked to a balled man and he stepped forward towards me. I shot one at his kneecap he fell to the ground screaming. I put the other in his head. LaRue smiled at me.

“I did warn you.” He smiled even wider.
“You make an excellent killing machine, I stopped him before he could rape her.”
“Thank you”, her eyes watered up. “It will probably be the only one you’ll ever get from me.” She kicked the empty cartridge towards Larue and placed the gun to the side of her. She unsheathed her two knifes in her wrist sheath and stopped.
“Is that all, I’m surprised, Strikers check her for any more disclosed weapons. Hazileigh head shot up as she felt hands touch her shoulders.” His hands automatically moved to the middle of her back he felt the holster.
“I’ve been wondering what you could possibly fit on the spin of your back do u want me to try and take it out or do u want to?” I lifted my hair up and drew the blade out with one hand. Striker whistled.
“Damn Leigh, you haven’t changed much since we dated except for your exotic taste in weaponry.” LaRue’s head shot up and he looked at us both.
“You’ve dated, did you fuck her?” I looked at him hard for a moment. Striker interrupted before I could say anything.
“Excuse me?” LaRue face flushed with anger.
“You heard me did you sleep with her,” he looked to Hazileigh for answer.
“Don’t even think I’m going to tell you about my personal life.”
“No we didn’t she’s too firm in her beliefs.”
“Knock her out she doesn’t need to know where were going.”

The back of a gun hit Hazileigh in the head black dots blazed her vision before she passed out falling to the floor. Striker picked her up and placed her in one of the Hummers. LaRue airfield was only twenty minutes away from the abandon warehouse. Everyone was on the plane including Hazileigh when they took off. They made it to Costa Rica in the next twenty-six hours. Keeping Hazileigh heavily sedated the whole way. When they got to LaRue’s Mansion she was carried inside and placed in the main master suit. LaRue personally saw to it that she have anything she wanted once she came too off the meds they had been pumping into her blood stream. He called to the hallway for Striker and he came in closing the door behind them.

“I have to leave for a couple of days there’s something I had been looking for and my source finally found one so I need to go get it. I’m leaving you in charge call me at this number when she awakes and make sure she gets anything she wants except for leaving her. The door is to be locked every time someone leaves this room she may have roam of this place but only if you are with her.” He paused to think. “I think that’s about it, oh yeah if you touch her in any sexual way I will personally kill you myself and you would suffer terribly.”

Strikers hands balled into fists as LaRue bent down to kiss her on the forehead. Hazileigh was the woman he had loved and he was only on this stupid undercover up to keep her safe he had failed at that when he learned LaRue’s plan to take her sister. Hazileigh valued family above all else you could do you what you wanted to her but mess with her family and she’d kill you in a heart beat with out a second glance. Hazileigh would have to learn sooner or later about the truth her busting him for being a crooked cop was only for her benefit and she hate him even more for not telling her the truth. LaRue had said something and Striker shook his head from his thoughts.

“I’m sorry what where you saying?”
“Try to keep up, you’re in charge of everyone have the maid dress her in a nice red night gown.” He went to leave the room and he turned back to Striker, “Take care of my prize for me ill be back in a couple of days.” He left LaRue checked on Hazileigh God she was still as beautiful as ever he’d make it up to her one day. He called the maid in and informed her of LaRue request and to lock the door behind her whenever she left.

The maid changed Hazileigh and locked the door as she took her blood stained clothes to the trash. The wound had reopened from where Striker had hit her when she removed her shirt. Hazil slowly opened her eyes trying to sit up she moaned lying back down. The room swam as she tried to regain focus. When she could see with out the room spinning she sat back up. She rubbed her head and noticed the dry blood on her hand had he really hitting her that hard. She got out of the bed and finally noticed she was wearing a red nightgown. “What the hell, I’m not take home dress me up Barbie!” The door opened and Striker walked in with some food and a bottle of aspirin. Hazileigh sat back on the bed.

“It’s good to see that your awake I was beginning to worry that they had drugged you to much.” Her head shot up.
“He drugged me?” Fear in her eyes what had he done to her if she was unconscious.
“Hazil he didn’t do anything to you but drug you, he didn’t want you to know where we were headed.” He handed her the aspirin and a glass of water she took three waiting for them to kick in.
“How’d you get to be one of his goons? Did they let you out for good behavior or did you break out?”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about where I’ve been, I’m not sure how to tell you either so your just going to have to trust me.”
“Yeah look where that got me the last time.” He eyed her nightgown, finally noticing him staring. “What, see something you miss, why didn’t you tell him we slept together any way I’ve never known you to be silent about your sex life before?”
“You always did look great in red, well he’d of killed us both if I would’ve told him and then where would we be besides isn’t it his dream for you to sleep with him without force?”

“Get out I am not in the mood Edward.” His face turned harsh she was pissed at him that’s the only time she ever said his first name. He grabbed her up from the bed and she tried to pull away but his lips found hers and she didn’t stop the kiss at first but she finally did trying to catch her breath. Striker smiled smugly. “You want truth I loved you and yes a little part of me still does but you chose to be a crooked cop and I had to bust you because of it. I’d rather die then let LaRue touch me so that will be the last kiss me and you ever share. So you can leave.”
“It was a undercover operation Hazil you catching me with the drugs and stolen money from the force. I did it to keep you safe, LaRue was getting so close to you and you wouldn’t let me move in with you so I went to Matheson and told him to let me do a undercover op to get more dirt on him so the next day we set it up for you to catch me.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Cause you would’ve stopped me,” Hazileigh nodded yeah she would of tried to stop him to knock some sense into his brain about this she could handle herself. Striker pulled one of the chairs out to sit in front of her.
“I won’t let him hurt you, I promise you that he’s out on some business but ill make it so that you two are never left alone I promise.” She started to cry and Striker sat behind her and held her.
“When do we get out of here how can we get out of here?”
“Matheson is going to send a team as soon as he makes a bargin with Costa Rica president to get a group of our men in here. Till then ill be watching out for you. He shouldn’t be back for at least two more days. There’s clothes in one of the closets for you I have to make some calls you might want to get a shower since you’ve been out for a couple of days.” He got up kissing her forehead and gave her his cell phone. “Call you sister and family let them know you’re alright Matheson knows where we are so no one will trace it. I’ll be back in a few hours and will talk so more.”

She didn’t call her parents because she knew they would worry even more if they didn’t hear from her again shortly after. She would tell Striker to tell Matheson to send word to her family she was all right and to reassure her family that they’d have her home soon. She climbed into the tub and let the hot water from the shower wash away the muscle pains and to get the blood out of her hair. The water turned a soft pink as she washed her head with the strawberry shampoo that LaRue kept in his bathroom obviously he had planned this a while ahead. A knock on the bathroom door made her jump. She turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. “Who is it?” She heard a laugh and Striker opened the door. “What do you want?”

He eyed her towel before he spoke. “I thought you might want to talk a little more.”
She nodded. “Let me get dressed and ill be out in a minute.”

Hazileigh dressed into a t-shirt and jeans. There was everything she needed in the drawers from undergarments to her favorite perfume. My God she thought it had been him who broke into her house she didn’t even call the cops cause like always LaRue was good he never left a fingerprint or another fiber in a crime scene but she knew when it was a crime scene she was at there was always a little note left for her at each scene.

Her mind drifted off the crime scene she had done the night before she went on vacation. Brunette could have been no older than 20 was raped and brutally murdered. She had found a L and H carved into the girl’s forehead. She had known right away whose work it had been even the first one to respond on scene had called for her to specifically come. Hazileigh and lived and breathed LaRue for the last two years and she knew everything about the man not that she wanted to but when they did get that key piece of evidence she was ready to see him burn in hell and get the death sentence that he had so deserved. Striker watched her eyes as she was thinking about something probably LaRue. “Everything okay?” She looked up and half smiled.

“I’m fine just thinking.” She sat on the bed and started to comb her hair. Striker just watched her movements he had missed her so much these past few months. Even the sex had been good. He missed that the most the nights he would dream about her, he wondered if she had even thought about him. He knew that once you did her wrong she would never forgive you but maybe now that she knew the truth they could start where they had left off. Noticing the constant stare she stopped brushing her hair. She knew exactly what he was thinking a part of her loved him but she didn’t think they could go back to the way things were she had been hurt too much even if it was just a lie he should have told her.

“Did you talk to Matheson has he spoken to my parents?”
“Yeah, they were informed that I was with you and I would keep you safe till we get out of here.”
“How well did that go over?”
“You’re father wasn’t to pleased but I talked to him, he always did like me.”
Yeah, that’s why he gave you the broken nose last Christmas.” Striker laughed at her comment.
“He was a good sport about it I had asked him if I could marry you, you being his baby and all he thought different.” Hazileigh jaw dropped. “ He said if I get you home safely I could marry you if you would accept.”
“NO!” Her face flushed with anger. Striker felt like he had been punched in the stomach, Hazil’s eyes started to tear up. “Do you think it can just go back like that, you hurt me even if it was for my own benefit Edward, gosh can you be such a idiot?”
“I love you.”
“And I loved you.”
“Not even a little piece of you still does?”
“We’ve already had this discussion once before I told you apart of me still does but that doesn’t change the situation Edward.” She sighed, “even if it did where too different and I don’t believe in the whole marriage with 2.5 kids with the white picket fence and the shaggy dog in the background that’s not me and you know that.”
He shook his head, “I’m not talking about you giving up your career or to be barefoot and pregnant it would be a partnership just like it is now except we would go back to having sex god was the sex good you wouldn’t believe how much I’ve missed it. That made her laugh. She hadn’t laughed that hard in months, when she could finally stop she looked at him.
“If we get out of this we can talk about second chances how about that?”
“That’s fine with me as long as I get that second chance.” He smiled and grabbed her from her chair. He pulled her to him and his lips found hers. His tongue plunged into her mouth she didn’t pull away this time his hands tightened there grip on her as if he would crawl right through her if he could. His cell phone interrupted them both and Hazileigh jumped. Striker picked it up off the bed and answered on the third ring.

“Striker here?” he said out of breath.
“What has gotten you so out of breath Striker?” LaRue spoke harshly.
“Was in the shower and had to run to get the phone.”
“Has she woken up yet?” he asked in urgency.
“Yes she pissed as hell that we drugged her and she doesn’t like being treated like a my size Barbie she hated the gown.” Hazil could hear the laughter in the background of the phone she sat on the bed and remained quiet.
“The next time you go to see her tell her I have a surprise for her and that I should be back in a few days we got to wait till night fall to transport the body but I want her scientific opinion on this specimen. Tell her I love her too and remember my warning.”
“Yes sir good bye.” He hung up the phone and sat in front of Hazil.”
“He’s got a corpse he wants you to look at something about a scientific opinion I don’t know he said it’s a surprise but it just sounds like he wants you to examine it. You okay?”
“Fine let me know when we can get out of here. I’m going to take a nap okay.”
“We need to talk Leigh,” He only called her Leigh when he was serious.
“If it’s about me and you and not how we get out of here I don’t want to hear it. I just need some time to think about things okay Edward.”
“Alright will stay off the subject of us for a while. LaRue said to tell you he loves you.”
“Well I don’t love him, will talk later, I promise.”

Striker lied down next to her. Hazil looked him in the eye and closed hers it was obvious that he wasn’t going to leave her side. Striker smiled to himself he knew she was falling all over again. She wouldn’t admit it to herself but she needed him. Sleep dragged Hazileigh into its depths. She was at a crime scene and the room was pitch black. She wasn’t alone, someone was hiding in the shadows stalking her at first she thought it was LaRue but she knew all to better. This person felt different more dangerous than LaRue ever could. She felt eyes all on her as if she was the deer caught in the lion’s den. Slowly getting up from the corpse she turned around usually Hazileigh had excellent night vision but the darkness seemed to come in from all sides. She went to upholster her gun and something threw her up against the wall. The force of the impact made her vision blurry. She tried to focus on the hand that was wrapped around her neck. Its cold fingernails hurt almost piercing her skin. Emerald eyes stared straight at her they almost glowed in the darkness. The figure inhaled deeply and his eyes seemed to glow more. Hazileigh tried to struggle free but his firm grip on her was too strong. Hazileigh kicked his kneecap out and he let her loose screaming in pain.

She ran in other direction hoping for an exit. He was suddenly in front of her she grew scared as her heart finally was catching up. There was no way a human could move that fast. Suddenly he was behind her and her neck was jerked downward. It suddenly flashed into her mind what he could be Vampire? She heard a laugh mumble up from him as he licked her neck. He bit down and Hazileigh woke up gasping for air. Striker jumped up and grabbed her. It had been years since she had a vampire dream. They had stopped when she quit her research on them. A vampire had always fascinated her and was why she chose forensic chemistry as a career what else would get you closer to weird types of deaths. Striker was rubbing her back as Hazil tried to control her breathing.

**More to come later**