In the driveway, his feet hit the ground running even before the vehicle came to a stop. The house was dark with its front door left wide open like a mouth frozen in a silent scream. They were the first ones there. He would later learn that a police unit had been detained waiting for a line crew to remove a tree from across the highway. That crew was directly behind them as his feet made contact with the driveway and he bolted into the house. He heard shouts behind him, telling him to stop but their warnings didn’t register.
The voice of despair echoing inside his head told him that he was too late. But he had no other choice but to follow his heart which led him rushing upstairs to their bedroom, two steps at a time. Tearing down the long hallway, he glanced at the wreckage, remembering the sounds of Max as he fought savagely to defend his home. Pictures had fallen to the floor, their frames shattered, as well as several vases atop an overturned armoire. Most disturbing of all was the door to the linen closet which was covered in a spray of blood. Bloody paw prints led the rest of the way to the bedroom in a bone chilling trail.
Once inside the room, Joe paused abruptly, looking around in shocked disbelief. The last terrible battle had been fought here in what he once considered their private sanctuary. The door of the walk-in closet lay in splinters. There was blood on the carpet as well as the nearest wall. His eyes followed a haphazard trail of overturned furniture until they came to rest upon the shadowy form of Max.
The dog lay quiet and still, facing away from him beneath the wreckage of a small side table. Joe cleared the debris away from the fallen warrior and checked him gently. Max was wounded severely but he was still breathing. He had been shot, at least twice Joe surmised, careful not to move him around too much. Max whimpered softly and was able to give a weak wag of his tail as he tried to lick his master’s hand. Emotions arose in Joe’s throat that threatened to choke him but he swallowed hard and walked back across the room to the closet. He could hear the sounds of police as they stormed up the stairs. Too fucking late…he thought bitterly, closing his eyes as he approached the door.
But the closet was empty.
As several officers burst into the room, Joe Perry fell to his knees and wept..
In the backseat, Lily lay quiet, exhausted from struggling within her bonds. Mike Warren had not only cuffed her hands but had also bound her ankles and covered her mouth with duct tape. It was dark and she could see nothing. The only thing she knew was that they were moving. Like a madman, he had driven straight through the front gate, rendering it open with the heavy vehicle like an armored tank. Though wooden, the gate was heavily reinforced and she realized that it must have very nearly destroyed the front of the vehicle. Surely that would draw someone’s attention! For the first few moments of the trip, she prayed furiously. The only thing she could cling to was the hope that someone was coming to her rescue. Joe had said that the police were on their way. But as time passed, she heard no sounds of pursuit. With every mile that passed, the last of her hopes were slowly dashed to bits. Silence filled the vehicle like a tomb and she began to cry yet again.
Just yesterday, she and Joe were living a dream come true. With their even love stronger than ever, they had been making plans for a beautiful wedding. It had all been so perfect, especially with the news of the baby. Her stomach tightened into a knot of anxiety as she thought of the baby inside of her body. No matter how hard she tried, she could only fear the worst for both of them. Suddenly, the vehicle lurched off the road, coming to a screeching halt. Her heart pounded as she heard Mike get out and slam the door. For a few minutes she wondered what he had planned. Then the back door was wrenched open forcefully and he climbed inside.
“So now….how are you feeling, angel?” he sneered, breathing heavily into her ear as he collapsed, grinding his body roughly into hers. “Enjoying the ride, I hope?”
He breathed in the fragrance of her hair like an animal, his eyes cold and glittering.
“Shhh…that’s okay, you don’t have to answer.” he said mockingly, tracing the outline of the duct tape on her mouth. “I know you’re just shy. I’ve never been this close to a woman like you. You’re like a pretty little schoolgirl….sweet and so unspoiled.”
He touched her face, stroking the baby smooth skin almost tenderly. But after a moment, his mouth formed a twisted grin as he smacked her cheek hard with the flat of his hand.
“Oh yeah that pinks up nicely, angel. You know what I‘m thinking? Huh? I’m thinking that you and I are gonna have a lot of fun later on, won’t we?” The fear in her eyes worked like an aphrodisiac, turning on his darkest appetites. His voice became an evil hiss. “Just nod your head…yesss! That‘s a good girl!”
Lily lay pinned beneath his weight, unable to move as she breathed in the stench of his fetid breath. But she felt the cold steel of a knife blade pressing into the hollow of her throat and so she nodded quickly. He seemed pleased and leaned down as if to kiss her, letting his tongue trail down her face toward her ear.
“Since I have so much to give you later, I need you to do something for me now, okay?” he said, applying a little more pressure to the blade. “I still have your phone in my pocket. How about we give Joe a call? Would you like that?”
Lily’s eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and relief. Just the mention of Joe’s name…the thought of hearing his voice again was like the lighting of a candle in the darkness. Somehow it gave her the strength to try to hold on a little longer.
“I assume the number is stored in your phone?” he said, propping himself up on one elbow as he scrolled through the numbers in the menu. “Ah yeah…there it is. Lucky us, you‘re so well organized, huh? Joe’s cell and home…awww how sweet! Well, we’re gonna call his cell and if you’re a good girl I just might let you speak, okay? Nod your head, sweetie….say, yes, Mike…that‘s my girl.”
Seconds crept by as he pressed the send key and waited. Finally, she saw a wide grin cross his twisted face.
“Hey cowboy! You drowning your sorrows yet?” Mike rolled his eyes sarcastically. “Oh yeah that’s right…wrong decade! You don’t drink anymore!”
Lily had no idea what was being said on the other end of the phone. She watched Mike’s face intently, trying to read his expression as he spoke.
“Relax, Perry, she’s fine! But I’m hurt that you don’t seem to care about me. You didn’t even ask about me!”
Mike chuckled, his inner soul soaring with a feeling of power he hadn’t felt in years. Or maybe never.
“As a matter of fact, you know what I’m doing right now? I’m in the backseat of your big fancy truck with your love dove! And as much as I dig this awesome leather interior, I’m digging your little lovey a helluva lot more! Oh, you wanna hear her voice? Say please..”
Mike laughed menacingly. “Well, well…Joe Perry finally says please, I like that! But I do detect a little hostility in your voice. Now where’s the love, huh? Here I thought we were friends----okay, now that’s better. I like that tone of voice a lot better. Here she is, okay?”
Catching her by surprise, he roughly ripped off the duct tape, causing her to yelp. Then he pressed the phone to her ear. He no longer held the knife but instead let it lay on her bare skin as a reminder of who was in charge. The sound of Joe’s voice made her cry as a myriad of emotions came rushing forward. She heard him speak her name, his voice broken and full of pain.
“Joe---”she managed to say before Mike slapped the tape back down over her mouth once more.
“Ya hear that, Joe? She needs you to help her!” he said mockingly. “So you better do just what I say or I’ll mail her back to you piece by pretty piece. You got that? Stay by the phone. I’ll be in touch soon!”
Mike clicked off the phone and forcibly pressed his face into the curve of her neck as he inhaled her intoxicating fragrance.
“We have to go now before they find us! But don’t worry. I know a place where we can hide out and get to know each other a little better, okay? Nod your head yes, sweetie. Yeah, that’s a good girl.” he acidly hissed, unable to resist pushing his tongue into her ear before hopping back into the driver’s seat.
As the vehicle pulled away, she closed her eyes and drowned in despair.
“Are you sure that’s all he said?” John Ryan asked gently. “Take your time, Joe.”
Though he was a private detective, he had close ties with the Boston police department, having worked there many years ago. He was well known, well liked and thorough beyond belief with the instincts of a true hunter. In this case, because of his prior experience with both the suspect and the victim, he was asked to come aboard as a consultant in the manhunt for Mike Warren. As in most kidnapping cases, time was of the essence. In this particular case, however, it was crucial.
“That’s exactly what he said, nothing more…”
Joe spoke in a low, quiet tone. One look at him said it all; he was exhausted, both emotionally and physically. But he refused to sleep, afraid he would miss something; afraid he wouldn’t be there when the call came.
“Just hang in there, Joe. We’re gonna do everything humanly possible to bring her back, okay?” John stepped quietly away, motioning for Steven to follow.
Steven had been there at Joe’s side all evening. In fact, the entire band had set up camp at the Perry house for the better part of the night. At first, the crime scene investigators had tried to get them removed. But as John Ryan pointed out, the crime scene had been contaminated from the very beginning. And it was likely that DNA from each of them could already be found anywhere on the premises. So as unconventional as it seemed, they had been granted permission to stay as long as they did not interfere with the investigation.
That was a hard stipulation for Steven Tyler. His natural tendencies dictated that he waltz in and take command of most every situation. Knowing this, John kept him busy. When he wasn’t with Joe, Steven was immediately given something to do, even if it was simply making coffee. So far, it had worked like a charm.
“The department is still counting on Warren to place the next call to the residential number. That’s the information they’re getting from the profiler.” John sighed deeply and shook his head. “I think they’re full of shit.”
“You think he’s gonna call Joe’s cell, right?”
“I’d bet the farm on it. Why wouldn’t he? He’s already established contact through that number.” John paused, then lowered his voice even more. “What troubles me is the idea that Joe could get a call and choose not to tell us about it.”
“And try to go off on his own.”
“Especially in his present state of mind. He believes the cops failed once, why should he trust them now?” John nodded knowingly. “Steven, I need you to promise me that you’ll keep an eye on him. If he gets a call, or he tries to slip outta here, I need to know.”
Steven looked back across the room. Joe sat hunched over on the couch, staring blankly into his lap. Though he was surrounded by friends and family, ultimately he was alone; lost in a dark place, tormented by suffocating fear and pain. His eyes were tired and full of shadows; his expression hollow and weak. Steven thought for a moment, putting himself in Joe’s place. Suppose something had happened to Teresa? What would he do? Or more importantly, what wouldn’t he do to get her back?
“Okay, John. I understand.” Steven nodded slowly, continuing to stare at Joe.
“He needs to get some sleep so he can think clearly.” John clasped Steven’s shoulder reassuringly. “I‘ve gotta go follow up something with Perez. Check with me before you go.”
But Steven was scarcely listening. He was lost in thought, scouring his brain for something to say to Joe. Everything sounded so lame. But Joe was his best friend…there had to be something he could say or do…
“Terry just called!” Teresa touched his elbow lightly as she entered the room along with Tom and Brad. Joe picked up his head at the sound of her voice.
“Max is out of surgery.” she said. “Joe, honey he’s going to be alright.”
Joe nodded, a deep sense of relief flooding his expression. He tried to speak but could barely get the words out. “Thank you..”
“Are you sure I can’t get you something?” she sat down beside him, gently rubbing his shoulder. “It’s almost midnight. You haven’t eaten anything in at least twelve hours.”
“Thanks, but I’m not hungry.” he whispered, rubbing his tired eyes as he fought back the tears. There was an infinite tenderness in her voice that spoke to his tired body and soul, threatening to drain his final reserves of strength. But he couldn‘t go there yet. He had to be ready when the call came.
“Thank you all--for staying with me. I don’t know what I would do without you guys.” Joe said, attempting a weak half smile. “But you have to go home. Your kids need you. There’s nothing else to do here but wait for the next call.”
“I‘m not leaving you alone.” Steven said in his best “don’t-fuckin’-argue-with-me-Joe” voice. “Besides, you need some sleep. I can keep my ears open and wake you up if something happens.”
“Count me in too.” Brad added solemnly.
“Me too." Tom chimed in. "Somebody has to be here to make decent coffee, after all.” Steven shot him the look of death.
“Don’t worry about the kids. They’re with April and Joey. You don’t need to be alone right now.” Teresa soothed.
Joe managed a half smile and nodded, feeling the overwhelming warmth of lifelong friendships course through his veins. “Yes, ma’am..”
“Hey, you talkin’ to me or the missus?” Steven pretended to scowl.
“God, isn‘t he just awful?” Teresa smiled a little, noting the glimmer of humor hidden deep in Joe‘s eyes. Steven was good for him, that much she knew already. “I’m going to the kitchen to fix you something nice and hot to eat. Then you have to get some rest. You‘re not going to be any good to anyone if you‘re passed out from exhaustion. Brad, come with me. Tom…we need fresh coffee. Decaf this time.”
As she departed the room with her assistants in tow, Steven took her spot on the couch. “I love that woman.”
“She’s terrific.” Joe agreed. He thought for a moment then added softly. “No matter what happens, I know I couldn’t have held it together this long without you being here.”
“You’d do the same for me.” Steven replied. “And if you need to talk--no matter what time it is---don’t hesitate to ask. You got that?”
“Yeah..I know.” Joe whispered, then after a long pause he added. “Steven, if I get my hands on that sonofabitch first, the cops won’t get a chance to screw up again.”
Steven realized he was dead serious. “Joe, you heard what John said. They have people working on this. We just have to wait and see what---”
“NO! If I find out where she is, I’m going after her! They fucked this whole thing up in the first place! ” Joe choked angrily. “They don’t know what it was like for me to sit there and listen to her screaming, crying….knowing she needed me and I couldn‘t do a damned thing to save her! And right now, she‘s alone with that animal! As bad as things are for me, I can‘t even begin to imagine what she must be going through. But if he hurts her, I swear...I‘ll hunt him down and rip out his fuckin’ heart!"
Steven listened quietly. He could feel Joe’s emotions as if they were his own. He had no argument; he knew that he would likely do the same thing. But John Ryan’s words echoed in his head like the undeniable voice of reason. How could he let his best friend risk his life and not try to stop him?< p>
“Joe--” he began.
“No! End of conversation. What the police are most interested in is catching Warren. My priority is bringing Lily home and I might only get one chance. I won’t watch them fuck that up! Not this time!”
“I was just going to say……okay. I want to help.”
Steven clasped Joe’s hand and met his gaze squarely. Joe nodded, setting his jaw in stiff resolve. The pact was made.
In the back of his mind, Steven couldn’t help but wonder what they were getting themselves into….
The Trail of A Shadow
As one dark soul continued on his downward spiral into madness, a soulless queen continued to grow stronger. The shattering of the mirror had opened the door but that wasn’t enough. Weakened from centuries of starvation, she needed a chosen one to pull her across the portal. It was time for him to prove himself worthy…
The town of Scituate was still fast asleep when Mike Warren entered its fringes. A coastal town, just north of the pillaged Casa Perry, it held a special place in his memory. Once he had walked its streets with his head held high, feeling the entire world at his fingertips. Those were the days when he first became part of Blue Gems. He remembered the first day he’d met Joe Perry.
It was summer of ’82 on an ordinary Thursday afternoon. He was rehearsing with his own band, The Deviants in a rented warehouse space down near the docks. They were a rough, rowdy bunch of musicians that cranked their amps up high and let it rip. As the lead singer of the group, Mike was their self appointed leader and his savvy business sense had landed them enough gigs to get noticed by many in the industry. Including someone close to Joe Perry.
Mike had gotten a call two days earlier from Joe’s manager, Harv Silver, who wanted to know if he’d be interested in meeting Joe Perry. As if he wouldn’t be… Perry was only the coolest motherfucking guitar player he’d ever heard. He knew he’d dropped out of Aerosmith and had lined up his own band but it didn’t quite dawn on Mike the real reason behind the phone call. But when Joe walked into their rehearsal space that day, everything in his life changed.
He had arrived in time to hear them play a few songs. Since he wore dark glasses, it was hard to read his rather stoic face to know if he liked what he was hearing. Then Mike noticed the twitch of a smile growing at one corner of Perry’s mouth and knew that he was definitely enjoying himself. After rehearsal, he sat down with Perry and Silver and they proceeded to talk. Mike was blown away when Silver told him that they were looking to recruit him as the new singer for Perry’s band, Blue Gems. It was, in fact, the best day of his life. The rest was history.
He still remembered those early days after joining the band. Being quiet and solitary by nature, Joe rarely hung out with any of his new band mates. But he invited Mike into that private sanctum, eventually sharing his drugs and drink. Then on one monumentous occasion, they wrote a couple of songs together. From there on, Mike was living larger than he’d ever dreamed.
Until Perry had taken all that away.
Revisiting Scituate brought all these memories flooding back. Now he stood gazing at the abandoned warehouse where he had first met Joe Perry. It was still dark but he could see that the building was in near ruins. How appropriate, he thought. It all began here….right here. What better place for it to die!Climbing back into the truck, he glanced back at the sleeping beauty in his backseat. Smiling to himself, he started the engine and pulled slowly around the side of the building to the loading dock. From there, he drove straight up the ramp that led into the cargo bay, completely disappearing from sight…
“John, did you even go home last night?” Detective Simon Perez was among the first to show up at the Perry estate the next morning. The sun was just beginning to rise over the tree line, the sky tinged a beautiful orange. John Ryan sat at a tiny corner desk, hunched over a laptop computer as he poured over his notes.
“No. You want some coffee?” John replied wearily.
“Did that Tyler guy make it?”
“No, I did.”
“Thank God..” Simon replied, pouring himself a cup. “I’m assuming since I wasn’t notified that our guy didn’t call last night.”
“No…” John shook his head, turning to face Perez. “Not on either phone.”
Perez scoffed. “C’mon John! You’re still giving me crap about that?”
“Because I know I’m right, Simon. If we’re not careful, this whole thing could go down without us. Are you willing to take that risk?”
“I’ve got an FBI profiler telling me differently!” Simon replied carefully. “Listen, John we all respect your opinion and part of me wants to agree with you. But I have to stand by the decisions of the department and they’ve decided to go with the profiler’s assessment.”
“Your profiler suggests that Warren will be contacting Perry within the next forty eight hours demanding ransom and transportation out of the country, correct?”
Perez nodded, his curiosity piqued.
“Wrong! Your profiler just failed Mike Warren 101!” John said with chilling certainty. “This thing isn’t about money! It’s personal. He’s driven by one thing, Perez…..revenge. It’s all about getting even.”
“Then explain the paternity scheme he planned with Claudia Perry. That was all about money!” Perez countered.
But John remained undaunted. “The promise of money was the hook he used to keep Claudia involved. Sure he planned to partake in it! But ultimately it was about screwing up Perry’s life.”
“I understand that part. But logically speaking, why wouldn’t he ultimately require or want money this time? He’s gonna need it if he plans on escaping.”
“Because he doesn’t care if he escapes this time.” John replied solemnly. “I believe that he doesn’t even plan to try. He’s playing with Perry’s emotions. He’s counting on baiting him into a situation where he can kill him. After that, Warren doesn’t care if he’s shot down by a hundred officers. His duty is done.”
Perez thought for a moment, absorbing it all. Maybe it was the fact that it was so early in the morning but it suddenly made a lot of sense. What if John was right? The implications of that theory could be deadly and he doubted the department could survive that kind of negative fallout.
“Well John, if your theory is correct, we’ve got one sick fucker on the loose out there!” he said with a grimace. “I’m calling the chief.”
Beaurocracy! John remembered it all too well. It was one of the reasons he’d left the force. He just hoped that the wheels of justice could be refocused in time.
A Queen Amongst Mortals
He watched her sleep, studying the delicate features of her face; his eyes following the curves of her body. She was like candy in a wrapper and suddenly all he wanted to do was open her up. His hands shook as perverse thoughts and their accompanying mental images flooded his dark mind. It had been a long time since that itch had been scratched. A little too long.
Follow your desires, dark warrior…
A voice came from out of nowhere. It was soft and feminine; dripping with seduction. He looked around but saw no one.
You have needs to be fulfilled…..
“Who’s there?” he whispered, again glancing around. Climbing out of the vehicle, he looked around the dusty dim warehouse. “Show yourself!”At that moment, a sharp pain went through his head, bringing him to his knees in shock. Look no further, dark one! I am here within you!
As crazy as it seemed, Mike realized that the voice was coming from inside his head. He closed his eyes and tried to make sense of this revelation.
You have nothing to fear from me, dark warrior! I am here for you. I am here because you called on me….I am here because you belong to me.
“I don’t belong to anybody!” Mike buried his head in his hands, trying to block out the frantic whispering that seemed to be growing louder and louder. “I’m not crazy! Now get the fuck outta my head!”
We are kindred spirits, Michael Warren! We desire the same things. We both seek revenge on those who wronged us. Can you deny that?
“What the fuck do you want from me?” Mike yelled, wincing as the pain grew more intense.
I desire to help you achieve your wildest dream. In return, you will swear to help me enter your realm when the time is right.
“If you can‘t help yourself, how the fuck can you help me?”
Submit to me and I will show you a beautiful darkness like you’ve never imagined…
“And if I refuse?” he countered sarcastically.
At that very moment a pain entered his body like none he had ever felt before, sending him crashing to the floor, writhing in agony.
Do not toy with me, insolent one! I can tear your mortal body to pieces with my thoughts alone! Submit to your Dark Queen or face a painful death that will never end!
“Okay, okay!” Mike howled like a wounded animal. “I submit, I fuckin’ submi---” And then the pain was over. The voice was gone.
Rising to his feet, he looked around warily. Mike you‘re losing it, buddy, he thought to himself. Then as he glanced down at his body, he was shocked to see that his wounds had completely disappeared, as if they had never even existed! But the thing that amazed him the most was the tattoo that now graced his left arm. It was wickedly detailed, almost to the point of being unnerving; a black dragon climbing up his arm. Its eyes glowed fiery red, unlike any tattoo ink he had ever seen before; its talons were razor sharp. As part of the tattoo, it appeared as if those talons were breaking into his skin as the dragon gripped his arm.
And he suddenly feltutterly fantastic. It was as if some unknown power now surged through his being, coursing through his veins like liquid fire. The fog in his head cleared away, taking with it his doubts. Whatever or whoever this dark queen was, he embraced her fully, drawing her deep inside of his body. Laughing wildly, he danced around for a moment, then sprinted to the vehicle and snatched open the door to the backseat.
Leaping inside, he discovered his captive was already awake. From the look on her face, he knew she had been listening to his chatter with his new found friend. The terror in her eyes made his skin prickle with excitement. She tried to look away but he held her face in his hands, focusing her attention just where he thought it belonged.
“Good morning, angel.” he said cheerily. “Welcome to the lover’s suite. The bellhop lost your luggage. But I don’t think you’ll be needing it really.”
Ripping the duct tape from her mouth, he moved in to kiss her lips. Lily met his advances with whatever resistance she could muster but being bound, she was completely at his mercy. He kissed her mouth violently, forcing his tongue inside. She tried to turn her head but could not wriggle from his grip. The sounds of protest that came from deep within her throat only served to turn him on further.
“You taste just like sugar..” he said with a horrendous smile, watching as she gasped for breath. “God, I bet he enjoys fucking you.”
“You’re a sick bastard!” she yelled, spitting fully into his face.
He would have hit her immediately if it hadn’t been so funny.
“So the kitten is a spitfire….literally! ” he laughed. “Don’t you know that only turns me on? I’m into the rough stuff, sweetheart.”
He continued to laugh then hit her so hard across her face that he drew blood, stunning her momentarily. Slapping the duct tape back over her mouth, he began moving his hands over her entire body, feeling her muscles contract as she tried to shrink away from his touch. Tears streaked her face as she closed her eyes.
“You know, I watched Joe fuck a girl once.” he said, toying with the buttons of her shirt. “We were on tour……uh, somewhere down south, maybe Savannah. Anyway I was looking for him and the door to his room was open. He didn’t even know I was there! Man, her eyes were all rolled back in her head…”
Mike shook his head as the vivid memory replayed itself before his eyes. “He was fucking her so hard she kept bouncing off the mattress and she was screaming his name...over and over. I never forgot that scene.” he smirked.
A sudden thought came to his mind that halted his explorations quite abruptly. Of course, that would be perfect! One final scene that would haunt the bastard even in death. Grinning like the cheshire cat, he smoothed her rumpled shirt and removed his hands completely.
“I know you’re disappointed but try to be patient, angel. We’re gonna have our moment together real soon.” he said, rising to his knees. “I just think its only right to let Joe watch, don’t you?”
The horror in her eyes told him he was correct. She shook her head, struggling to speak from beneath the tape.
“Shhhh…..not now, baby! You get your rest, okay? I have to go make a phone call now.” he said, opening the door. “What’s that? No, its nice of you to offer but I couldn’t possibly use your phone again. It wouldn’t be polite. I’ll be back soon.”
Slamming the door, he disappeared from view.
Bad Things Come In Threes…
In his dream, he had fallen into a pit of darkness, feeling the cold fingers of evil, unseen beings brushing his body as he tumbled past them. Suddenly he hit bottom, landing miraculously unharmed in a shallow pool of some sort of wet muck. Climbing quickly to his feet, he looked around but was unable to see anything but pitch blackness. Then something rustled in the darkness just beyond his reach. He heard what sounded like footsteps except that each one was proceeded by an odd scraping noise. Suddenly, the area around him became illuminated by a strange red glow and he came face to face with her.
The sound of a female voice entered his brain but he couldn’t understand the words. He could feel her breath, hot and moist in his ear and on his neck as she touched his skin, dragging her dagger-like nails down his back and up his arms. He was frozen in place, unable to move or even breathe when her words suddenly became clear.
“Anthony! I know who you are now..."
The voice hissed, filling his mind with images he could not understand. He glanced up from where he had fallen and saw a faint light shining down from above. Out of that light, the sound of another voice filled the blackened void like the voice of an angel, shattering the darkness and enveloping him in a blinding veil of white light…
When he first woke up, he wondered if maybe he had died. But after laying still for a moment, Joe heard the sounds of Steven breathing loudly from a nearby chair and realized that he had only been dreaming. In the stillness of the early morning he momentarily pondered the bizarre imagery of the dream. That is, until reality came crashing back down upon him like a suffocating weight, choking him to tears. Lily was gone, taken away from him in the night by a lunatic who had seemed to vanish into thin air. The torture of not knowing if she was hurt or even still alive ripped through his body like a cold steel blade. In his mind, he could still hear the sounds of her crying, the terror in her voice and the agonizing scream just before the sound of silence had separated them completely. Now hours later, there had still been no further word from the demented Mike Warren.
Joe rose stiffly from the couch and walked into the foyer to stretch his legs in private. He could hear John in the kitchen talking with Perez but couldn‘t force himself to speak with them just yet. As best he could tell, they still had no leads. A madman had broken out of their custody in the middle of the day, shot and killed two of their own and yet gone unnoticed for hours before anyone reported him missing. Even then, no phone call had been made alerting him or Lily of the prisoner‘s escape; the same prisoner who had vowed explicitly to kill him as part of some sort of twisted revenge. No phone call, so certainly it shouldn’t have shocked him that none of Boston’s finest had thought to check his residence either. It maddened him to know that probably the entire time he had talked to Lily, a monster had been hiding in the basement, waiting to strike. Of course that led to another thought entirely. The person Joe was most angry with was himself.
Having a so-called “security system” had lulled him into a false sense of safety. The grounds were enclosed by walls over eight feet high, complete with motion detectors supposedly designed to capture the movement of a fly’s wings. The front gate was designed to keep an army out of a castle. Made of solid oak, it was reinforced with a steel crossbeam and was guaranteed to be impenetrable. The entire alarm system was wired to its own generator that also powered emergency lighting throughout the home as well as the yard in the event of power outages or emergency. He had spent a small fortune to secure the house and safeguard their life together. In the end, it wasn’t worth one penny. The generator had somehow failed, disarming the entire system. An insane killer had entered his home, shot his dog and in a matter of minutes had stolen that which he loved most of all, his precious Lily. There were so many other things of value in the house that any normal thief would have desired instead. Priceless guitars, rare collectible knives and guns along with a lion’s share of other treasures such as jewelry and art would have suited any other criminal just fine. But Warren had gone after that which mattered the most; that which could never be replaced.
But as much as Joe felt like sinking under and drowning, he knew that there wasn’t time for that now. He had to keep himself pulled together and focused so that he could bring Lily home. A voice deep within kept telling him that she was alive. Yes, he had suffered. But he reasoned that Warren must believe he had not yet suffered enough; that his torture had just begun. If that were true, Joe knew that there was chance, albeit slim, a chance that Lily could be rescued. And he didn’t plan on letting the police fuck that up.
“Joe?” said a familiar voice from behind him. “Are you okay?”
There was something deeply comforting in that bluesy voice that quietly helped to soothe his raw nerves. Joe turned, shrugging his shoulders.
“I’m breathing, so I must be alive.” he said. “Beyond that, I don’t know.”
“You look like you could use some coffee.” Steven replied. He was struck by the emptiness he saw in his friend’s eyes; an infinite sadness that he had not seen in a very long time.
“Perez is in the kitchen and I don’t wanna talk to him right now.” Joe growled. “I want to go see Max, but I can’t leave the house knowing that psycho might call. Can you go check on him for me?”
“It makes more sense to think that he’d call your cell. He’s gotta figure that by now if he calls here, the cops will be tracing the call.” Steven reasoned. “It’s not that I mind checking on your dog, but I think you’re trying to get rid of me.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Joe, when that call comes, you want to be alone. You’re not gonna tell a soul……not John, not Perez, not even me! You’re gonna try to take this bastard on all by yourself, aren’t you?”
Joe shifted uncomfortably. “I told you that much last night. What’s your problem now?”
“My problem is that last night, you were at least including me. Now you’re hell bent on going solo!” Steven said, his voice becoming more agitated. “I can hear it in your voice! You can’t lie to me! I know you better than I know myself!”
“Well then you also know that I’m worried about Max!” Joe countered. “He fought one helluva fight last night and almost died. Lily loves that dog and I believe with all my heart that he loves her just as much as I do!”
Joe sighed, pacing the foyer as the horrifying images of his wounded dog flashed before his eyes. “Steven, I looked into his eyes last night and I know that he felt the same thing I’m feeling right now! He feels like it’s his fault………that he failed her---and me! And I know you might think I’m projecting too much onto a dog but he’s a lot more than that.”
Joe trailed off for a moment as his voice began to break. Steven reached out to touch him but he backed away. One comforting touch and he would become emotionally unglued. It hurt deeply but as long as he could choke most of it down, he knew he could stand on his own two feet. Anything less meant failure.
“When I touched him last night, he tried to get up. But he was so weak, all he could do was lick my hand……wag his tail a little.” Joe continued, staring up at the chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling. “He needed me but I was too wrapped up in me to be there for him. He needs to know that I love him……that it’s okay; that it’s not his fault.”
“It’s nobody’s fault, Joe!” Steven said, his voice heavy with emotion. “This Warren guy is insane! Nobody even realized how sick he really was until now.”
“Insane, yes. But you’re wrong about one thing.” Joe replied. “This whole thing is my fault, starting from way back when. I should have tried harder to help him then.”
“How can you say that?” Steven exclaimed. “You can’t seriously believe that, Joe! Yeah you left that band to come back home to Aerosmith where you belonged! So? It’s where your heart and soul always was, just like the rest of us! You can’t hold yourself responsible for Mike Warren! We were all close to losing everything! Look at how close we came to dying? And later when you could, you did help him because I gave you hell about it, remember? You tried to get him into rehab at least five times! You got him into other bands! Beyond that Joe, what the hell could you have done besides sing his fuckin’ vocals for him---”
“Are you done?” The dark haired axe slinger interrupted Steven’s emotional tirade. He realized that Steven was mostly right. But it still didn’t totally erase his haunting feelings of guilt.
Steven fell silent, knowing that his words were useless. There was nothing he could do because Joe was, after all, just being….Joe. He’d carried the weight of the world on his shoulders all his life, always taking the blame; always feeling undeserving of the love held for him by so many whose lives he’d touched.
“Now will you please go check on my dog?” Joe whispered. “Tell him that I love him. Tell him I was only teasing about him being a hairy marshmallow. Tell him I think he’s the bravest dog in the whole fuckin’ world.”
“Come with me and tell him yourself.” Steven said. “Please?”
But he saw the look in Joe Perry’s eyes. Suddenly Steven felt a pain inside that made him want to double over as a tear fell unchecked down his face. He felt as if he couldn’t breathe, like water was filling his lungs. Joe was saying goodbye……he was saying goodbye in case he didn’t get a chance later.
Suddenly the phone that was clipped to Perry’s belt rang softly, breaking the silence. Steven stared in horror, as Joe quietly answered it, knowing by the look on his face that it was Mike Warren. The conversation was brief, with no more than a couple of yes and no answers on their end. When he hung up, Joe put his finger to his lips and silently backed toward the front door. Steven followed him in avid protest but Joe narrowed his eyes and gestured toward the kitchen, shaking his head.
And Steven wanted to scream. He wanted to yell loud enough to sound the alarm and wake up the neighbors. But he wavered, remembering his promise……knowing that inevitably, he himself would be doing the same thing. But how could he let him go on his own? He was trapped in an impossible situation and with no means of navigation. If something happened to Joe it would be his fault; then again if he blew Joe‘s cover and something happened to Lily, that would be his fault as well.
“Let me come with you!” he whispered loudly as Perry glanced out the door to make sure no one else was there. “Joe! At least tell me where the fuck you’re going!”
Joe very nearly always kept the key to his motorcycle dangling from his belt. Today was no exception. He turned to Steven and took a deep breath.
“I’m going to where it all began with Mike Warren. If I have to kill him, I will. But I’m bringing Lily home.”
“Don’t do this, Joe! What are you going to kill him with, your goddamn scowl? Are you listening to me, you stubborn motherfucker! You don't even have a gun!”
But Joe patted his jacket pocket and gave him a one cornered smile. “Oh, yes I do…”
Seconds later, he was gone…