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Nick kept an eye on Josef while Carmack radioed for a squad car to take him in. Once the call had been made, they dragged the large man back to the cars they had arrived in. "Nick, why don't you go in and see if they need help. I'll have to stay with him till backup arrives anyway, and he's not going to tell either of us anything useful..." Carmack shrugged and continued, "At least that way one of us can help. If you're still not done by the time backup arrives, I'll come and check on you."
"You sure, Frank?" Nick asked, looking at the blotchy redness around Carmack's throat where he knew it would bruise.
"Yeah, I'm sure. They may need your help, and standing around with me and the Great Wall here isn't going to get anything accomplished."
Nick nodded, understanding Carmack's frustration all too well. "Okay. But if you need help..."
"If I do, you'll know it," Carmack answered, motioning to his weapon.
Nick nodded again and said, "Gotcha." Then he ran back to the house and cautiously walked inside. Once in, he paused to listen for any signs of life, and realized all the noises he heard were coming from upstairs. It didn't sound like trouble, but he climbed the stairs cautiously, ready for anything.
Anything, that is, except for Philip kneeling in the middle of the hallway, praying his heart out...He looked around for any sign of trouble, and, seeing none dropped to one knee beside his friend. When he gently laid a hand on Philip's shoulder, the priest nearly shrieked and was halfway to his feet before he realized it was Nick.
"Oh my God, Nick -- y'scared me..." he gasped when he finally gathered his wits.
"Yeah, I noticed," Nick said softly as he stood up again, "You okay? What's been going on?" Philip looked around for a moment, as if he were trying to figure out the same thing, and Nick grew more concerned -- if Philip had been there the whole time, shouldn't he *know*?
Then Philip met his worried gaze and said, "There was an angel here, Nick. With wings an' ev'rythin'..."
"An angel?"
"One of th' Watchers...He seemed t'be helpin' Arkadi -- but then he left..."
"Well, that's good," Nick said, although something about the dazed way Philip said it made him very nervous. "So...where are they? Did they find Derek?"
"Ah -- I dunno..." Philip admitted, looking around. Then he saw the doorway to the room and pointed. "In there."
"Okay -- come on," Nick urged, grabbing Philip's arm and nearly pulling him to the room. When they entered, Rachel and Alex looked up at them, at first startled and then relieved. Then Nick felt Philip pulling back, trying to escape his grasp.
"I -- can't go in there," he said shakily, looking at the bed with Derek's naked form sprawled on it. He shook his head and whispered, "M'sorry..."
Nick turned back and looked him in the eye, gently grasped him by the shoulders. "Philip, it's okay. Arkadi's gone -- it's just us and Derek...and I think he probably needs us right now." Philip took a deep, shuddering breath and closed his eyes, trying to calm his whirling thoughts. Nick was right -- Arkadi wasn't there so the danger was gone. Derek was obviously hurt and needed them -- needed his friends...And providing comfort for a friend in need wasn't a sin -- wasn't anything he should feel guilty over -- Except that seeing Derek's naked body lying on that bed, with the whip marks all over him, reminded him too much of those horrible few moments where his body had started to respond to what Arkadi had done... _Oh God, forgive me for bein' so weak!_ he thought desperately. _He needs me an' I can't..._
"Philip," Nick said softly, moving himself in the way of his friend's view of Derek, "what happened *wasn't* your fault. I know it's frightening seeing him like that -- I *know* it's making you think about what Arkadi did to you..." He paused, seeing Philip shiver, knowing that most likely he was experiencing unpleasant memories. "Philip, I *understand*," he continued, "but I also know if you don't go in there, you're giving him power over you..."
Philip closed his eyes and whispered, "I know -- y're right...It's just that I keep thinkin' about what he did -- what he made me feel..." He shook his head and continued, "My God, Nick, b'fore it really hurt, he made me respond t' him."
"It's okay, Philip, really. Don't feel guilty about it -- it *happens*. Honest, it *does*. It doesn't make you a bad person -- it happened to me when Richter had me captured..."
Philip blinked, suddenly speechless. Finally, he stammered, "Y-- you?"
"Yeah, me," Nick answered softly. "And I was as screwed up about it as you are...Until I realized that even though he was gone, he was still controlling me."
"Jus' like that?"
Nick took a deep breath and shook his head. "No, it's not that easy -- but going in there and helping Derek is the first step towards it..." He smiled slightly and said, "I'll be right there with you -- I won't let anyone hurt you."
Philip swallowed hard and said, "Okay...Let's go then."
When they entered the room again, Alex and Rachel looked up from the dressing they were taping across Derek's back. "Oh good," Rachel said, looking back down at her work after seeing them. "Philip, are you okay?"
"I -- I'm not sure," he answered truthfully. "But th' angel's gone."
"Good," Rachel said softly while she finished taping down the dressing. Then she looked at Alex and said, "I think we're ready to turn him over."
Alex looked at Nick, who she could tell was uncomfortable seeing Derek in the condition he was in. Then she looked at Philip and noticed immediately that his frightened gaze was locked on the leather wrist cuffs at the head of the bed. _Uh oh -- problem,_ she thought, knowing she would have to find something to keep him busy so he didn't get further upset.
"Philip," she said, glad when his attention suddenly focused on her, "We think he was drugged -- there was incense burning when we came in here. I took the charcoal out and put it on a candlestick so the incense wouldn't burn any further. "We need a sample of the incense to test, and I'd also like you to make sure the charcoal's out, so we don't burn this place down for the real owners..."
"I think I c'n handle that," Philip said quietly, inwardly glad for something so mundane to keep his mind off...other things.
Nick gave Philip's shoulder a gentle squeeze and said, "Sorry I didn't get any evidence bags from Carmack..." He walked to Alex's side and got his first close look at Derek. "Damn it," he ground out, seeing the evidence of the various tortures Arkadi had put Derek through.
"Victor?" Derek murmured, responding to a male voice. He opened his eyes and looked up again, partially turning over on his own before pain filtered through the fog and he fell back.
"Whoa, Derek," Rachel said, catching one arm and nodding to Alex and Nick to help her. They turned him over, Nick getting the extra pillow out of the way and then covering him up to his waist with the sheet. "It's *Nick*, Derek," he said, trying to keep annoyance out of his tone. In the back of his mind, he was brutally gunning down the tiny voice that had dared to wonder if Philip's earlier condemnations had been right...
Alex pulled him back and let Rachel continue examining Derek, while she quietly asked, "Okay, what's going on here? I realize you're trying to help Philip get over what was done to him, but why all the anger towards Derek all of a sudden?"
"How could he ask for *him*?" Nick hissed, quickly glancing at Philip and Rachel to make sure they hadn't heard.
Alex frowned and said, "Nick, he's been *drugged* -- he probably doesn't know where or *when* he is. I don't even know if he recognizes us." She paused and met Nick's gaze, seeing pain behind the anger. "He's going to be okay, but -- I don't know everything that was done to him yet. There were spells, too...There was a magic circle around the bed that I think the angel cast, but there was also some magic involving all of these candles, and some symbols written *on his back*. For all we know, Arkadi could be controlling his mind somehow..."
"Great...and this is supposed to make me feel better, how?" Nick muttered, realizing what she was saying but feeling a need to lash out anyway.
Alex heaved a frustrated sigh and glared at him, but her expression softened when she saw the fear he couldn't hide behind his anger. "Nick, a spell we can *break*." She looked over at Rachel, who had paused in her examination of Derek to remove the black leather collar from around his neck. "Once we make sure he isn't seriously injured, we can get him home and try to break whatever spell remains."
Nick nodded and walked back to the bed with Alex following him. She noticed that Philip had found a small jar near the incense burner and emptied the remaining incense into it. With that duty finished, he was staring at Derek with an expression she couldn't quite interpret. "How's he doing?" Nick asked quietly, eyeing the collar with disgust and then looking at Derek.
"He keeps fading in and out," Rachel said softly. "I think it must be whatever he was drugged with, because his injuries aren't *that* serious...The whipping could have put him into shock, but he seems to be out of that now..." She turned to Nick and said coldly, "Tell me you or Frank got the animal who did this..."
Nick shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, Rachel...He got away -- I had to let Arkadi go when his goon nearly killed Frank."
"Where is Frank, anyway?" Alex asked.
"Downstairs, waiting for backup so they can take Arkadi's assistant away," Nick explained.
"I'd *like* to have Derek checked out at a hospital," Rachel said, then before Nick could protest she added, "I know, I know. But I will *strongly* advise he see a doctor as soon as he can -- preferably as soon as you're sure the spells are gone."
Philip walked closer and softly asked, "Wha's wrong with his chest? Looks like he was burned..." He reached out to gently touch Derek's shoulder, not even realizing he was doing so until the semi-conscious man groaned.
"Philip, don't -- " Rachel said. At the same instant, Philip snatched his hand back as if burned.
"Derek?" Alex and Nick both asked, Nick sitting on the bed next to him.
"Ooooh..." Derek groaned, stretching luxuriously in the bed, then rolling onto his side and trying to wrap around Nick. "'M hungry, Victor...can't keep me in here all night..."
"Derek, it's *Nick*," he said, brushing Derek's hair back from his face. "Don't you recognize any of us?"
"Huh?" Derek asked, blinking slowly and looking around.
"He's still too deep," a voice came from the doorway. Everyone except Derek jumped, badly startled, and Carmack said, "Sorry -- I thought you heard me coming up the stairs...Rachel, how badly is he hurt?"
"Some first degree burns, a little teeny cut, some -- I don't know -- looks like razor burn, and his back and -ah- he's been whipped and some of the welts are bleeding. I cleaned and dressed the wounds, and he's physically stable. The problem is he seems to be drugged, and Alex thinks a spell has been cast on him." She frowned, looking back at Carmack and asked, "What did you mean 'he's still too deep'?"
Carmack shrugged and said, "I've seen it before -- some SM scenes tend to put the submissive in a bit of an altered head-space..."
Nick looked up at Carmack and growled, "He's not 'the submissive', Frank, this is *Derek*, and that bastard Arkadi--"
"Nick, take it *easy*," Rachel said sharply.
"Rachel, it's okay -- Nick, calm down, I *understand* how you feel," Carmack said, for a brief moment letting all his frustration show, before he bottled it all up again. "Right now, we have to deal with Derek -- the drugs bother me. You sure he's stable, Rachel?"
"I think so. Look, if we could get him back to the House, I could do a tox screen and find out what's in his system. I really think we've done about all we can, here."
Carmack nodded and said, "I'd strongly advise you to take him to a hospital instead, but I suppose you don't want any more police involvement than you've already got..." Alex nodded, and he said, "Not that I blame you for wanting to keep *this* quiet...sooner or later, something would get leaked to the media. It always does..." He took a deep breath and added, "Why don't you talk to Nick and Philip and figure out how you're getting him back to the House -- I'd like to talk to Rachel for a minute, okay?"
Alex nodded, suspecting what they were going to discuss and wishing fervently that it wasn't necessary...
Carmack took Rachel aside and very quietly said, "Okay, Rachel, I don't know how much of this was consensual and how much was forced, but you and I both know there could be some *serious* physical repercussions as well as the psychological ones..."
Rachel studied his expression carefully, trying to discern if there were more than his police knowledge at work in this case. She stepped on her curiosity, knowing it was none of her business, and said, "There was a--" She paused and motioned towards the butt plug she had left on the nightstand and frowned.
"Butt plug," Carmack supplied.
Rachel grimaced and continued, "It was in him when we found him..."
Carmack nodded thoughtfully and said, "Unfortunately, that doesn't mean Arkadi didn't have unprotected sex with him earlier, and we don't know if he's used that butt plug on anyone else...You're going to have to ask Derek if he remembers..."
Rachel nodded and said, "I know. God, poor Derek...He's always so much in control -- I don't want to think about how badly all of this is going to affect him..."
While Rachel and Carmack discussed the situation, Nick sat with Derek and gently stroked his hair. Derek had slid back into the drugged stupor and didn't seem aware of anything going on around him. Philip sat on the bed next to Nick, startling his friend slightly. "How's he doin'?" he asked softly.
Nick noticed that Philip seemed to be working up his courage to look at Derek, and equally softly answered, "He's out cold again...Doesn't seem to be hurt too badly, all things considered." Philip swallowed hard and looked at Derek's face, then slowly turned to look at his torso. "So he only whipped 'im on the back -- what did he do t'his front?"
Nick followed Philip's gaze and frowned. Very slowly he moved his hand over to gently grasp Philip's where it was digging into the mattress, trying to reassure his friend. He allowed himself a slight smile when Philip let go his death grip on the bed and squeezed his fingers in return. "Well, there's some wax dripped on the sheets around him, and what looks like wax shavings all over the place," Nick observed. "I *think* he must have dripped hot wax on him and then scraped it off."
Philip frowned and shook his head, then looked back at Nick. "I don't get it -- Nick, I spend a lot of time 'round candles. I've *had* hot wax drip on me -- I didn' like it..."
Nick tried to think of something to say that wouldn't sound too judgemental of Derek. Finally, he just shrugged and said, "I don't understand, either..." He squeezed Philip's hand again and asked, "How are *you* doing?"
"I've been better..." the priest answered softly. "I -- couldn't send th' angel away -- couldn' exorcise him..."
"But you said he left," Nick said, puzzled.
"Yes -- he *left*. B'cause *he* wanted to...An' I think I might be in trouble b'cause of it..." Philip whispered.
Nick asked, "How?" but before Philip could answer, Alex walked over to them and kneeled down.
"How are you two doing?" she asked softly, seeing Philip try to free his hand for a moment, then relax again when Nick wouldn't let him go. "Philip, it's okay -- I know it's got to be tough sitting in here..."
He nodded, and knew the colour was rising in his cheeks. _Great. Now I'm feelin' guilty for bein' caught holdin' hands..._ He took a deep breath and said, "Guess I'm doin' okay," although it wasn't as convincing as he would have liked.
"Look, Nick, we're going to have to get him back to the House where we can try to break whatever spells are on him, and Rachel can run some blood tests. "We'll have to use the launch to bring him back -- there are too many of us to go back by the chopper and we'd never be able to make him comfortable, and I'm *not* putting him on the ferry."
"Makes sense," Nick said, looking up at her. "So, what's up?" "You're going to have to fly the chopper back and get the launch," she explained, knowing he wouldn't like leaving Derek's side, even for a short time.
"Oh," Nick said, instantly seeing what she was trying to tell him, and liking it as much as she thought he would. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yeah, you're right. Anything else would take too long..."
"Don't worry, Nick. We'll keep him safe until you come back with the launch," Alex reassured him. "We'll even keep Frank with us," she added, loud enough for the detective to hear.
"Only if you promise to feed him, too," Carmack answered, realizing that the sun was already beginning to peek over the hills.
"Okay, okay," Nick agreed. "I'll fly the chopper back and get the launch out here at top speed. Just be careful and make sure that angel Philip tangled with doesn't attack you while you're waiting!"
Carmack nodded and said, "We'll be careful, Nick." He patted his pistol and added, "May not be able to kill him, but with any luck I'll be able to keep him away. Maybe the good Father could bless my bullets..."
"Huh? Wha--" Philip asked, realizing Carmack was referring to him. He blinked and looked from the detective to Nick and back again, then said, "Oh -- I dunno if it'd work, but I guess I could..."
"Don't worry, Philip, *I* believe it would work," Carmack said, trying to reassure him. For everything that had happened, Philip actually seemed to be holding up fairly well.
"Okay," Alex said, catching everyone's attention, "Rachel, if you think it's safe, we need to get Derek out of here. Nick, Frank, if you two can carry him down to the Explorer, we can get on our way."
To be continued in part 16
Poltergeist: The Legacy is (c) 1998 MGM/UA and Trilogy Entertainment. This story is not intended to infringe on these copyrights.
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