The Curse Of Eden

Collette's ears twitched at the faint sound of footsteps closing in.

She waited patiently as the rustle stopped in front of the door she was looked behind. A small gasp escaped her lips as the thin wall vibrated with a thud. "Doctor Newman." She dare called out.

A few moments of silence passed.

"I wish I had more time." Doctor Newman finally spoke in a soft tone. His voice laced with regret and pain. "I was too busy working. Every single day. And I didn't give her the time she needed. I wasn't there most of her life, especially when her mother passed away. I buried myself at work and forgot that there was something more important waiting for me out there." Newman's voice cracked at the end and Collette could hear the silent sobs." I-I wasn't there when she was growing up...and...and.." he sniffed," I wasn't even there in her last days. She died on the floor, all alone and scared and I wasn't there."

Collette's heart ached. She knows what it feels like. She too was on that cold floor before. Oh, how she wished for somebody, anybody to come save her. She prayed and prayed. Screamed her beggings, hoping someone would listen and come. But all that was inside of her. She was never able to utter a single sound and it hurt even more.

Silent tears escaped her eyes. They formed a wet, hot trail down her cheeks.

"y-" Collette swallowed the limp in her throat. "You didn't know. No one did. And believe me, she wouldn't want you to get hurt as well. That's why she didn't tell you."

"I wouldn't have cared! I worked with the police God damn it!" Newman yelled in anger, punching the ground under him.

"I wouldn't have cared." He whispered. "I would've don't everything I could to protect her. To get her out."

Collette's sobs intensified. A voice in the very depths of her mind was yelling at her that E was doing the right thing. That she should help end this. Even if it was just a percentage of the whole world's abusers. But a start nonetheless. She tried to fight it, but no matter how hard she fought, the voice still made its way to her ears.

E saved her and her mother. She owes him her life. She owes him everything she is right now.

'Nothing justifies murder.'

'A murderer will always be a murderer.'

'Once someone gets a taste of blood, it's hard to stop.'

'Killing is addicting.'

Collette sobbed louder, fatigue taking over her whole body and the small room started getting even smaller.

"Let me out." She chocked as she weakly slammed the door she lied against.

"Let me out!" She cried louder as she slammed it once again.

She heard shuffling on the other side and the clanging of keys before the door was pulled open.

Doctor Newman stood in front of her at his full length, face red and tear-stained.

He held her arm quietly, pulling Collette up to her feet and turning her around so her back faced him. Newman Tied her hands behind her and pushed back towards the kitchen.

The kitchen was rather small with an even smaller rounded table in the middle where two chairs framed two sides.

Newman sat Collette down on one of the chairs. He tied both of her legs, her left hand, and her torso, leaving her right hand free.

"You'd do me no good dead. You need to eat something." Newman stated plainly as he rummaged through the fridge.

He pulled out a cold turkey sandwich wrapped in plastic. Unfolding it, he placed the cold food on a plate in front of Collette.

"Eat."

Reluctantly, Collette fetched for the sandwich and took a bite. The taste was tolerable and she thanked God she won't be getting food poisoned.

"Can you show me your daughter? You talk about her so much. I wanna see her."

Newman looked up at the smiling woman sitting in front of him. His gaze traveled to the dusty carpet under the table.

"I wanna share this with you. I know what it feels like." Collette's smile widened kindly as she reached her free hand to place it on the old doctor's arm.

Newman's gaze moved up to hers. He sighed deeply. "I've been avoiding watching them for a while now." He fetched for his personal phone from his pocket and opened it.

§ § §

"Adam!" Alex called in a hurry as she ran towards Adam. "Doctor Newman's phone just got turned on. We located him."

Adam almost ran to the briefing room where Elliot and Kristen stood in front of the big screen that showed a throbbing red dot on the city map.

"It was turned on ten minutes ago. The house is registered under the name of Samuel Green. He was Nadia Newman's ex-boyfriend. He's spending his time in jail for her murder." Elliot reported. Adam didn't waste any more time as he sprinted towards his car, Ken, Alex, and Avery hot on his trail.

He heard Ken say something but for the life of him he couldn't know what it was as his mind was occupied by Collette and the plan he was forming to bring her back unharmed.

"Slow down a little Adam, you won't be good to Collette if we had an accident." Ken begged, holding on for dear life.

"It's already been two days Ken and I don't know what he's done to her all this time." Adam's knuckle whitened as he pressed hard against the steering wheel.

"Newman was never a bad guy Adam. I don't know what is going on right now but I'm sure he won't hurt Collette."

Adam's knuckles paled more and his jaws clenched.

He doesn't remember how he navigated his way through the streets, not even if he crossed a red light or stopped till it was green. All he wanted to do was get to Collette as fast as possible. Upon nearing the address, Adam sprinted out of the car like a madman.

"Adam wait. We don't know if he's armed and whether or not E is inside with them."

Adam looked at Ken. "Good, then we'll get them both together." He turned around to the house once again just as Alex and Avery's car swiveled to the location, both the girls running out of the car. "We'll take the back door." Alex suggested when she and Avery were already making a move around the house, their firearms ready in hand.

Adam nodded, he and Ken walking carefully towards the front door and kicking it down with all his body force.

"Collette!" Adam called but there was no answer.

Just by the entry hall they were in, the two men entered the empty living room on their left.

Adam walked up towards the armchair that hosted dust on only its outline while the seat itself had proof of something hosting it.

He bent down to where the cut rope slept on the ground. He picked it up and showed it to Ken.

"They were here." Ken commented.

Adam stood back up, more determined to get to Collette as soon as possible.

Reaching the staircase, they were met by Avery and Alex coming in from the kitchen, shaking their heads to notify the absence of people.

"They were here though, there's food on the table." Avery reported.

Suddenly, the whole house echoed with Collette's scream coming from upstairs, and that was more than enough to make Adam holler up the stairs.

"Collette!" He called but all that came back was rustling and a muffled cry.

"Collette!" He called again, tearing door's down in his wake. Until he reached the last room in the long hallway.

Collette tried her best to make any possible noise she can make.

She thanked God that her plan of making the doctor open his phone to show her Nadia's photos worked. It brought Adam to her but now, she's not very sure if they'll all come of it unharmed.

They were still in the kitchen when Newman heard faint rustling beside the house. He probably saw someone from CIB as he hurriedly untied her, pulling her forcefully upstairs with a gun to her head and a hand gagging her mouth. "Let her go Newman, you're not a killer." Adam was tense, his eyes were focused on the gun Newman had held up against Collette's head.

"You're too early. You're too early!" Newman yelled in anger. "This is all your fault." He sneered in Collette's ears making her let out a scared whimper.

"Let her go Doc. She has nothing to do with this."

"Don't you see Detective, it's all about her. She's the missing link to everything!" Newman scoffed at Adam's stupidity in his opinion. "We only need one more day. Just one more day."

Adam didn't let his confusion show on his face as his mind ran different ways he could free Collette without harming her.

He turned his gaze to Collette's which directed him down to her hand with her eyes.

Adam breathing stopped for a split second, fearful of what to come. And in only that split second did Collette's finger change from three, two, one....and in that second Collette held Newman's wrist that had the gun and with all her might twisted it away from her head that there was nothing but gunshot disturbing the silence.