10 years ago...

Pain streaked through her, burning through the drugs that she was given to keep her compliant. Darkness swam in and out of her vision and she was vaguely aware of the sweaty, stinking man that was on top of her. Her breath was coming in shallow gasps, barely able to escape with the man's hands around her neck, squeezing the life out of her. She was going to die. She knew it was inevitable. She was going to die and she couldn't even scrape up enough will to care.

Somewhere to her left she could hear soft sobs. She couldn't see anything but the form above her but she knew that Libby, the girl that they had brought in a few days ago, was curled in a corner with her arms covering her head. The man had wanted to take Libby but she wouldn't allow it. She kicked and bit and fought every time the man went towards the little girl, fanning the man's anger until he wanted to make her regret the pain she had caused. She might not be able to set the girl free but she could protect her, at least this once. A tear slowly slipped down her dirty, bruised cheek as she thought of the horror the girl would endure after she was dead.

The man on top of her was growling threats, trying to fan the fear that wouldn't come. She didn't even try to make out his words, she simply fought to stay conscious. The longer she lived, the less that Libby would draw his attention. But breathing was becoming harder and harder as her lungs ached with the burning need to draw air.

The darkness of the dank basement flared to life as light flooded the room. Shouts and orders barked at her captor broke the stillness of the room as he was yanked off of her. Air come flooding back into her burning lungs, causing her to cough as she gasped for breath. Every breath was sharp as a dagger and drew the darkness nearer. Her sight weaved in and out as a man in a dark charcoal suit carefully knelt down beside her.

"Hold on. Yer safe." He turned to yell at someone behind him. "We need a medic over here." As he turned back to her, his face began to weave in and out. She glanced to her left to see that Libby was being carried out by a uniformed officer. Seeing the young girl safe, She allowed the darkness to take her.

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When she finally awoke, she found herself laying in a slightly elevated bed, her right arm held an IV and she was hooked up to several monitors. The room was a sterile white that reflected the sunlight into the room from the large double window that predominantly sat in the right wall. Having been kept in the dank basement for several years, the sunlight stung her eyes, causing her to grimace as they once more slammed shut.

Leather creaked to her left as someone stood. In an instant, her eyes were open and she was already trying to spring from her bed, only to be held in place by the straps confining her to the bed. A streak of panic rolled through her as her eyes whipped open. A man, the same suited man from the basement stood by the now shuttered window. His eyes were soft and patient as he read the panic and fear that gripped her body.

"Easy now. They are only ah precaution. Ye have already tried to escape once on the nurses." He held up his hands in a show of peace. "I'm DI Hardy. I was one of the men who rescued you from the basement." He slowly walked back around the bed, his eyes never leaving the girl, as he retook his seat. "I want to ask you a few questions. Is that ok?" The girl was silent for so long that Hardy didn't think she was going to answer him. Finally, slowly, she nodded. "Good. We'll start with something simple. Can you tell me yer name?"

"Lee."

"Alright Lee, do you have a surname?"

"Just Lee…"

Alec Hardy just nodded lightly. He knew he had to gain her trust. The name she supplied him probably wasn't even her real name. He wrote the name down in his notebook with a question mark beside it. "You don't sound like yer from this side of the pond. Where are ye from, Lee."

"Nowhere."

"E'eryone is from somewhere."

"Not me."

He raised a brow at the girl. Strange, the girl didn't want to tell him where she was from. "From yer accent I'ma guess the States. Am I right?"

Lee remained silent. Her eyes never left the detective as constantly moved her hands against the bonds that held her to the hospital bed.

"Are they hurtin'?"

"Hurting?"

"The bonds. Ye seem to be tryin ta get comfortable." He nodded to the fact that she was testing the bonds. She instantly stopped as he drew attention to the fact.

"No..they are fine."

He just nods lightly and once more writes something in his notepad. Interesting. She was unconscious of the fact that she was constantly testing her bonds. Habit? That thought made Hardy frown.

"How old are ye, Lee."

"15"

"and yer folks? Where are they?"

"Dead."

"Dead?" He cocked a brow at her.

"Yeah, dead."

Again she watched him write something down on his notepad. "I know this next question will be a bit hard but I need ye ta answer honestly, ok?" He asked as he met her gaze. "How long have you been a captive of Larry Donavon?"

Lee frowned lightly. She had never knew her captor's name before. She glanced down at her bound right hand. "Five years…I think. I could be wrong." She knew that she probably was. It had been almost pitch black in that basement and their captor never really regularly fed them.

"Five…years." Anger flashed across the detective's face, a storm building in his eyes. Five bloody years. How had the girl survived that long in the hands of a monster like Larry Donavon?

Lee shrunk back slightly from the show of anger. She knew that it wasn't directed at her but it was instinct to put distance between herself and the person angry. At her movement, the anger was smothered as a neutral mask descended over the detective's face. "Ya need yer rest. I only have once more question fer now. How many other girls were kept with you in the basement?"

"I..I'm not sure. Four..maybe five."

"Where are those girls now, Lee, d'ya know?"

"Dead. Except for the newest one."

"Libby Wilson. She said ya protected her. Kept the men from hurtin' her." When Lee didn't say anything, the detective stood and moved over to lay his hand on her arm. He pulled it away though when she flinched away from him." Thank ya fer that."

He closed his notebook and turned to leave. He paused at the door and looked back at the girl. "Get some rest." He said softly before closing the door behind him.

Alec Hardy nodded to the two police officers that stood guard over Lee's door. "Everything ok, Sir?" The eldest of the two, Bobby, asked seeing the look on his face.

"She survived five bloody years with that monster."

Bobby was speechless, the look on his face reflecting the horror that Hardy was feeling. "Keep a good eye on her aye?" When Bobby nodded, Hardy turned and left the hospital. There was no way he was going to be getting any sleep tonight. He stopped by the Sandcastle Police Department to retrieve some files. If he wasn't sleeping, he might as well work.

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The call came in the middle of the night. Hardy was sitting on his couch pouring over the case file in front of him when his phone buzzed. He glanced up to where his wife and Daughter were sleeping soundly upstairs.

"Hardy" He answered the phone on the first ring.

"Sir, we need you to come to the hospital."

He didn't bother to ask questions. He would know soon enough. "On my way."

Fifteen minutes later, he was standing in the now empty room that Lee had previously occupied. The IV lay on the bed, it's saline soaking into the mattress. The soft cloth cuffs that had bound her to the bed were still hanging. Blood congealed at their edges.

"We think she escaped sometime within the last hour. " Bobby informed Hardy softly. "She must have been fighting those cuffs for a while by the look of the blood on the edges."

"And where were you twits while she was escaping?"

"We were guarding the door. We didn't know she was gone til the nurse came by." Bobby glanced at his companion before looking back at Hardy. "She didn't come out this way sir and there was no sound because she managed to cut off the machines."

"Don't just stand there. FIND HER!" He bellowed as he turned and went into the room, checking the dresser and the bathroom before going to the window. The window stood slightly opened. Hardy looked out. There was a thin ledge that ran the length of the building. It was barely big enough to stand on. A few feet away was a large tree who's branches hadn't been trimmed back for the summer yet.

"Bloody hell." He muttered as he pulled back into the room. Just what he needed, a search for a key witness who wasn't in great health and could keel over in a stiff wind. She shouldn't have even been able to walk yet.

Hours later, the search of the hospital and the surrounding areas turned up nothing.

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The months passed and the girl, Lee, was no where to be found. She had disappeared for all tense and purpose. The trial of Larry Donavon proceeded without a hitch and the evidence, as well as Libby's testimoney was enough to lock him away for life. Hardy was declared a hero of the hour but he was the only one not celebrating their victory. His mind kept going back to that slip of a girl and her haunted forest green eyes. Every once in a while, he thought that he had glimpsed her in the crowd but by the time he arrived at where he had seen her, she was gone. Maybe she had never been there?

Life went on. For the next few months, fleeting glimpses of the girl continued to appear to Hardy. More so by a particular alleyway then anywhere else. He was beginning to see a pattern in her appearences. If she were living on the street, he would bet money that the alley was her home.

Time to set a trap for the swift little mouse.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lee turned the corner swiftly, looking behind her to make sure that she had lost the merchant that was following her. In her hand was a stale week old hot dog that she had fished from his dumpster. Still he had called her a theirf and started to chase her. She leaned against the alley's wall and looked out.

"Ya don't have ta steal ta survive."

The voice made her jump, spurring her into flight but a strong, steady hand grabbed onto her. She tried to jerk away but could not break his grip. As Hardy drew her closer, she bit down. HARD.

"Easy no…oww." He wrapped his other arm around her to steady her as she kicked back. "I just want ta talk."

"LET…ME…GO" Lee aimed a kick once more but Hardy shifted his weight, pain flaring up his thigh as she connected.

"Are ya gonna run?"

"Let me go."

"Only if ya don't run. I told ye I only wanna talk." She grunted an agreement and he slowly sat her down on her feet, still holding onto her wrist as he placed himself between her and the street enterence.

"So talk." She said as he released her wrist. Her entire body reflected the need to run from him but she held still, her deep forest green eyes glaring at him.

**This is going ta be fun**