Well, this chapter has been a long time coming. I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own anything. Sorry.
When he woke up, Gus expected to be tied up in a chair in some creepy basement, possibly next to Shawn. They'd chat, catch up, and figure out a way to kick Yin's ass together. However, Gus did not wake up in a creepy basement. He was in the back of a limousine with the last person he expected. His worst nightmare.
"Ronald McDonald?"
The terrifying clown shushed him. "Shh, Gus, it's me. Rob Tomly."
Now Gus was really confused. "What the- Rob? Wait a minute. You kidnapped me!"
"It's not like that, Gus. I'm here to help."
"Help? Help with what? Yin?" What the hell was going on?
Rob nodded. "I know this seems crazy. But I can help. It's the least I can do for when you and Shawn cleared my name."
"It's called paying us money. Not kidnapping me."
Rob rolled his eyes. "What I mean is, I know about Yin. Do you really think it was a coincidence that he came back while you were working on my case?"
"Um, yeah."
"Well, it wasn't. Everything about Yin is deliberate. You should know that by now."
"Yeah, but what do you have to do with anything?"
"Remember Mary?"
"Of course I do."
"We're cousins."
Gus felt like slamming his head against a desk. "Of course you are." They could never just have an open and shut case, could they? No, something weird always had to happen too. "That still doesn't explain why you kidnapped me."
Rob, who still looked menacing in his clown make up and wig, only shrugged. "I received some intel that implied you were in danger."
"So, logically, your response was to kidnap me."
"Yeah. Seemed like a good idea when they did that on National Treasure, you know, with the Declaration of Independence."
So Rob was getting all of his advice from Nicolas Cage. Perfect. Gus shook his head. "What intel did you get?"
Rob reached into his pocket, pulled out a slip of paper, and handed it to Gus.
"The sidekick's next." Gus read aloud. He felt faint. "Great. Just great." He shook his head. "And is there any reason you didn't bring this info to the police?"
"I was already a suspect for murder. I didn't need them suspecting me to be Yin too."
"So you kidnapped me instead. Your logic seems just a bit flawed, in my opinion."
"Okay, well, maybe it wasn't exactly the best plan, but I panicked. I picked up where Mary left off when he died. We were close, you know? At first it was just a hobby, and then it became an obsession. But I never thought anything would actually come of it. Turns out Yin knows more about me than I do about him. Here, he sent me this last week, after Naomi was killed and you and Shawn contacted me." Reaching into his pocket again, he pulled out another slip of paper.
Dear Mr. Tomly,
It seems that we've never been acquainted properly. I'm Mr. Yin. I know about your relation to Mary. It was a pity that I had to kill him. I'm glad someone picked up his mantle.
I see you've met my friends, Burton and Shawn. How exciting. I have a feeling you'll be getting to know them a lot more in the coming weeks.
By the way, I know you didn't kill Naomi. Shawn will figure that out eventually. He is a genius, after all.
I was going to put my plan in motion later, but with all three of you meeting now, the timing was just to perfect to pass up. You'll be hearing from me soon.
It will be a pleasure working with you, I'm sure.
- Yin
(P.S. It would aid me a great deal if you kept this information to yourself. But if you must have motivation, be assured that dear Talia will not appreciate it if you did, or your unborn child.)
As Gus read the note, he gulped. "Okay, so he threatened your girlfriend and your kid. I can see why you kept it quiet. But she's safe now, in police custody. Sure, it's because she killed someone, but she's safe there. You can go to the police now. No need to hold me captive."
"Maybe. But with you missing, it will throw Yin off his game." Sweat was beading off of Rob's face, obscuring his make up. "Sorry about the costume, by the way. I had an early gig this morning."
"What's with the limo?"
"I like to imagine Ronald likes to travel in style."
"Fair enough."
The two of them sat in awkward silence for a while before the limo pulled over. "Looks like we're here." Rob said.
"And where is here, exactly?"
"Parent's old cabin. Totally secluded. We'll be safe. I promise."
Gus wasn't so sure about that. Could he even trust this guy? What if he was working for Yin? So much of this situation seemed off to him. A little too coincidental. And now he was off the grid. He gulped as he realized that no one knew where he was. Gus was ripe for Yin's taking.
As Gus got out of the limo and Rob paid the driver, an uneasy sense of dread crept into his stomach. They were in a forest, a small brook could be heard, and birds chirping up above created an almost cheerful atmosphere. But none of this comforted Gus in the slightest. "Can I at least call my friends at the station, to let them know I'm okay?"
Rob shrugged. "Sure, if you can get service out here. But try to keep it limited to certain people. One of my theories is that Yin is someone that works in the station."
Gus grabbed his phone. No service. His life was looking more and more like a bad horror movie.
"Hey!"
Nearly jumping out of his skin at the new voice, Gus whirled around. A woman with light brown skin and black hair that cascaded down her shoulders met his eyes. "Who are you? Rob, who is this?"
"Oh, that's my sister, Esther. She's the one that helped me get you off the road. Sorry about hitting you, by the way. I was going for a gentle tap, but it didn't really turn out that way."
"Yeah, I noticed. My head still hurts, thank you very much." Gus gave Rob a pointed look and turned to Esther. "So, you're his accomplice, huh?" He smiled at her and winked. "'Cause you can kidnap me any day."
What? She was hot. Even if she did help kidnap him.
"You're still wearing the costume? I'm surprised you didn't scare him to death." Esther chuckled. "You'll be safe here, Mr. Guster. Believe me. I know a lot about Yin, too. This is the safest place for you to be. There are traps all around this cabin. No getting in or out without our help."
Those words hung in Gus' ears as he followed Rob and Esther into the cabin. Whether their intentions were good or bad, one thing was certain.
He was trapped.
Adam, also known to the rest of the world as Yin, was in the bathroom of the Santa Barbara police department.
Guster was missing.
Adam swore as he slammed his fists against the wall. This messed up his plans in a major way. And Yin didn't like it when someone messed with his plans.
Someone was going to pay.
Taking out his phone, he decided to give a little blonde detective a call.
"This is Detective Juliet O'Hara."
"Hello, Detective. Remember me?"
It was a moment before she spoke again. "Yin."
"That's right, dear. Do you know why I'm calling?"
More hesitation. "Why?"
"I'm upset, Juliet. One half of our favorite duo is missing."
"Shawn is-"
"I'm not talking about Shawn, dear."
"How do you know about Gus?" Yin smirked at the panic in her voice. Undoubtedly, she was looking around frantically to see if he was in the vicinity.
"I have my ways. But you know what I need? I need you to find Guster. It's just no fun to play without him."
"You mean you're not behind his kidnapping?"
"Ah, so he was kidnapped. I would look for him myself, but as you know, I'm rather indisposed at the moment. You see, Juliet, it makes me angry that someone interfered with my plans. Someone's going to pay for it. We wouldn't want something to happen to our favorite psychic because I was angry, now would we?"
He could hear Juliet gulp over the phone. "No."
"Then I suggest you find Guster. And fast, before someone gets hurt." Adam hung up the phone.
There. His business was done. Time to get back to work as one of the SBPD's finest tech analysts. Finding Guster was now up to the detectives. And if they didn't find him, well, Yin would be angry. And Yin was not a pleasant person when he's angry.
People would die, and Shawn, poor, little Shawn, would be the one to pay.
Well, there you have it folks. The long awaited chapter 14. I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
Also, I have a poll on my profile. It would be absolutely fantastic if you checked it out.
Live long and prosper, my friends.