# A Thin Line - Part Six: Stop at Nothing

Author: RandallShepherd
Tags: A Thin Line, Character Development, Clean, Damien Cole, Death, Doberman, No-Yiff, Sad, Story Progression, Story Series, Violence (Not In Yiff), Wolf, Wolf Dog, cops, fog

#6 of A Thin Line

Uh oh. You know what starts hittin' the fan :P Now we get into the true meat of the story. Damien's loss and slow decent into insanity. Part 7 is finished as well and will be posted probably tomrw.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; _"Keep an eye out for your wife, okay?&nbsp; Keep her safe."_

_&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Keep her safe..._

_&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;_ Damien became light-headed and had to sit down.&nbsp;

_&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;_ "You're going to be a big brother, Damien..." said his father's voice.&nbsp; Damien shook his head.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "And I know from personal experience, you will do anything to keep the ones closest to you safe," said Micah during his speech at Damien's wedding.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Don't leave me..." whispered Alice.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; _"Am I going insane?"_

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "I'm a wreck... just leave me... I understand..." said the dying Micah.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; _Stop at nothing..._

_&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;_ The raccoon's sentence triggered something in Damien.&nbsp; He was short of breath.&nbsp; He didn't know what to think.&nbsp; Was it some kind of warning?&nbsp; Maybe he knows something.&nbsp; Why would Alice be in danger?&nbsp; Damien had no enemies, not that he knew of.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; _Alice..._

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Damien rushed out of the interrogation room.&nbsp; Walking quickly though the police department, Damien came across Clarence, who was busy talking with some other uniformed officers.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Davis... a word?" asked Damien.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; They walked away from the group of officers.&nbsp; Davis was confused, "What's going on, Damien?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "I need the police cruiser."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "What?&nbsp; Why?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "It's Alice.&nbsp; I think she may be in trouble."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "What?&nbsp; What makes you think that?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Damien and Clarence were good friends, but even so, Clarence probably would not believe some criminal they just took off the street seemingly gave him a hint that his wife was in danger.&nbsp; 'She's fine, he was just fucking with you' Damien could hear Clarence saying.&nbsp; "I... just have a hunch she could really be in trouble right now."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That could have been more believable.&nbsp; Telling the truth would have probably been better.&nbsp; Clarence glared at Damien with a look of both suspicion and curiosity.&nbsp; If he denied him, Damien figured he could probably try to get the keys off him by force.&nbsp; Then again, causing a scene in the middle of the police department is not going to get himself home faster, so that may not be the best course of action.&nbsp; While Damien was going through different scenarios and responses in his head, Clarence said something Damien was not expecting, "Okay... but I'm coming with you."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Clarence held out the keys and Damien took them slowly in disbelief.&nbsp; He wondered if this was just a cruel joke.&nbsp; He thought Clarence would yank the keys away when he reached for them, but he didn't.&nbsp; "Really?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Hey, if I believed my wife was in trouble and I needed to get to her, you'd give me the keys."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Damien didn't give himself additional time to thank Clarence for his favor or to even ask why he wanted to tag along.&nbsp; Alice could be in trouble, and Damien has to make sure she's safe and sound.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He didn't know if driving was such a great idea given his episode he experience just a short time before, but he felt fine, and he just had to get to Alice... no matter what.&nbsp; Actually, driving helped him out a lot.&nbsp; He was able to clear his head and get a grip on the whole situation.&nbsp;_Keep an eye out for your wife... Keep her safe._ &nbsp;It still disturbed Damien that Seth even knew Damien had a wife.&nbsp; He never did get an answer from that raccoon in the short time span between entering the interrogation room and when the detective came back to take him away.&nbsp; But none of that really mattered at this moment.&nbsp; What really mattered was getting back home and making sure Alice was okay.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Images of different variations of gruesome detail flooded Damien's mind of what could possibly happen to his wife.&nbsp; What if he was too late?&nbsp; The thoughts made him loose track of the speed of his driving. &nbsp;He lifted his foot off of the gas petal, letting the momentum wear off.&nbsp; Damien expected Clarence to make a comment on Damien's driving using his trademarked smart-ass humor, but he didn't say anything.&nbsp; He didn't even ask for further explanation on Damien's vague and rash actions.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Pulling up to the house, Damien didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.&nbsp; He and Alice lived in a nice, peaceful neighborhood.&nbsp; The clean sidewalks were lined with trees.&nbsp; Often, the sounds of children playing echoed between the tightly packed, brick buildings.&nbsp; At this time of the night, nothing but the occasional car roamed these streets.&nbsp; Tonight was no different.&nbsp; However, an ominous fog flooded the street.&nbsp; The street lamps gave off a halo as the light made its way through the fog.&nbsp; Damien exited the car.&nbsp; Immediately, the cold air hits Damien, contrasting with the sweat he had on him, sending chills through his body.&nbsp; He walked towards his home.&nbsp; His townhome had the numbers 549 engraved in cement beside the front door.&nbsp; Climbing the few steps that lead to the door, Damien became light headed.&nbsp; The closer he got to the door, the more his vision narrowed, trapping him inside a tunnel that wasn't there.&nbsp; He had to pause to keep himself steady.&nbsp; Clarence was right behind Damien.&nbsp; "You alright?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Yeah," Damien answered.&nbsp; Looking back at Clarence, it was clear that he was concerned about Damien, even though he was skeptical about anything really going on.&nbsp; 'A waste of time' he probably was thinking.&nbsp; But Clarence understood Damien and respected him.&nbsp; If he had a suspicion something was wrong, Clarence wasn't going to try to suppress those feelings in Damien.&nbsp; Damien reached out for the door knob, turning it, and opening the door with no effort.&nbsp; This made Damien's heart skip a beat.&nbsp; Damien has always instructed Alice to always keep the door locked no matter what.&nbsp; Even in the middle of the day, even when Damien was at work or home, or even if she was expecting somebody.&nbsp; The door always stays locked, that's the deal.&nbsp; Alice followed this rule religiously.&nbsp; She understood, mostly because she's lived in the city longer than Damien has, that despite the virtual safety of a nice neighborhood, this was a dangerous place.&nbsp; Alice moved out to New York City right after high school graduation.&nbsp; She lived in a small house that she shared with some friends up until Damien came home from war.&nbsp; When they married, they moved into this townhome together.&nbsp; Alice has never had a violent crime committed against her.&nbsp; That's because, just like Damien, she is cautious.&nbsp; So when Damien finds the front door to their home unlocked, it concerns him.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The inside of the house was dark and quiet, as it usually is when Damien comes home after a long night on the job.&nbsp; Damien opens his mouth and attempts to say 'Alice?' but his voice fails him and nothing actually comes out.&nbsp; He clears his throat and tries again.&nbsp; "Alice?" &nbsp;This time, his voice comes through, ringing through the house.&nbsp; Damien begins to panic when there is no response.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Maybe she's asleep?" says Clarence as he tries to discreetly assure Damien that nothing is wrong.&nbsp; But something is wrong.&nbsp; Even if she is asleep, Alice is a very light sleeper.&nbsp; Usually, when Damien comes home in the early hours of the morning, he tries his best to move through the house quietly to avoid waking her up.&nbsp; And just about every time, he fails.&nbsp; When there's no response to her name being called out, it's extremely unusual.&nbsp; Something is wrong, and Damien knows it.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Alice!" he says again in a louder voice.&nbsp; Still, nothing.&nbsp; Damien goes for his gun, which is in his holster.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "What are you doing?" asks Clarence in a panicked tone.&nbsp; Damien moves further into his own home.&nbsp; Clarence, quietly cursing under his breath, follows.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The bedroom is up on the second story.&nbsp; On top of the stairs, Damien is frozen in his tracks when a squeal rings out, "Damien!"&nbsp; It's Alice.&nbsp; No doubt about it.&nbsp; Clarence is now convinced.&nbsp; He, too, pulls out his handgun, and both Damien and Clarence rush down the hallway leading to the bedroom.&nbsp; The corridor seems to extend before Damien's eyes as he runs towards the end of it.&nbsp; With each step, the hallway gets longer, and Damien is further away than he was previously.&nbsp; An open window with the light from a street lamp outside is on the far wall.&nbsp; From its light, a strange shadow appears.&nbsp; It doesn't look humanoid.&nbsp; But Damien can clearly see the handgun is it is raised, and the muzzle flash briefly reveals his worst nightmare.&nbsp; Somebody has Alice.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Damien was unaware of where the bullet that was fired went until he saw his partner drop to the floor.&nbsp; Clarence was hit.&nbsp; Blood was spattered on the wall and Clarence was lying on the floor, gripping his chest as his blue police uniform turned red.&nbsp; Damien flung himself out of the hallway into a bathroom on his right in anticipation for another shot.&nbsp; The gun in the shadow's hand was put away and was replaced with a knife.&nbsp; Damien saw as the light reflected off the cold steel.&nbsp; He ran down the hallway, gun at the ready, as the knife was lifted up to Alice's throat.&nbsp; Damien stopped, and so did the knife.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "You see how this works," said the shadow.&nbsp; It was clear now.&nbsp; This guy was dressed in all black, even his face obscured.&nbsp; This was a more hellish reliving on the standoff Damien found himself in earlier that night.&nbsp; Only this time, the shadow wasn't standing down at the sight of Damien.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Who are you?" Damien demanded.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "It does not matter who I am."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Why are you after Alice?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "It's not your dear Alice I'm after."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "What do you want then?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "You... out of the way!" screamed the shadow.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The knife made a quick movement, finding its way through Alice's throat.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "ALICE!" screamed Damien in horror, pulling the trigger on his gun.&nbsp; The shadow dropped Alice to the floor.&nbsp; He grabbed his arm where the bullet Damien shot hit him.&nbsp; He shouted in pain, cursed, but managed to throw himself out the open window behind him.&nbsp; A loud clank was heard when the shadow hit the garbage below.&nbsp; Damien ran towards the window, but only in time to see the shadow's tail turn the corner of the building next door.&nbsp; He was gone.&nbsp; Damien flung himself down on the floor next to his wife.&nbsp; Blood was gushing out of her neck wound.&nbsp; Damien lifted her up into his arms, trying hard to hold the wound close.&nbsp; Sirens was heard from down the street.&nbsp; Somebody undoubtedly heard the gunshot that took out Clarence and notified the police. &nbsp;At least Damien hoped so.&nbsp; Maybe they could help, maybe Alice would be okay.&nbsp; But deep down, he knew that was false hope.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Damien..." Alice tried to speak, but her words were distorted by the blood in her mouth.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Don't talk... don't talk, honey.&nbsp; Everything's... everything's going to be okay.&nbsp; I mean it."&nbsp; Damien could hardly speak himself.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "I'm... sorry." Whispered Alice.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "No... no! Don't say that, Alice.&nbsp; You're going to be fine."&nbsp; Alice was still able to speak so she must be able to breathe to a certain degree.&nbsp; None of that mattered though because Damien could not stop the bleeding.&nbsp; It was a stationary race against time.&nbsp; The sirens outside were getting closer, but not close enough.&nbsp; Damien held one hand under Alice's head, the other on her throat, covered in blood.&nbsp; Her deep, blue eyes were becoming grey.&nbsp; A pool of blood was forming underneath them.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Damien..." her voice was weak, but still there.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "What is it, honey?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "...Live... on..." she was choking on her word, but their meaning was clear.&nbsp; Damien held Alice as close as possible, sitting on the floor in her blood, covered with the red liquid, as she reluctantly accepted death.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Damien held the lifeless body of his wife, the one person he truly loved.&nbsp; The blood squirting from her neck seemed to subside, signifying that her heart has stopped.&nbsp; Damien gazed upon his wife's open, lifeless eyes in disbelief.&nbsp; "No...."&nbsp; That's all he could say.&nbsp; His blood-covered hand touched Alice's face, cold as ice.&nbsp; The deepest sleep Damien has ever seen her in.&nbsp; One she would never awake from.&nbsp; Sirens grew louder, but it no longer mattered.&nbsp; She was gone.&nbsp; With his free hand, shaking uncontrollably, Damien closed his wife's eyes.&nbsp; He could no longer look into what used to be bright blue eyes, full of life and optimism, full of plans.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Let's grow old together," she would say.&nbsp; "We'll be like those couples who live their entire life together, holding hands, with grey hair, loving each other just as much as we do now.&nbsp; That's what I want, Damien...."&nbsp; And that's what Damien wanted too.&nbsp; More than anything.&nbsp; And after their life here on Earth was over, they would be buried, side by side, to spend the rest of time together.&nbsp; Together forever... in life and death.&nbsp; Forever together.&nbsp; But no more.&nbsp; Sitting in the light that shown through the window, Damien's dead wife in his arms and his dead partner down the hallway, life would never be the same.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Damien's handgun, which he dropped on the floor when he kneeled down next to his wife, reflected light in his eyes.&nbsp; Maybe... maybe they could still spend forever together... in the afterlife.&nbsp; 'We could haunt this house,' Damien thought.&nbsp; 'Two ghosts, side by side, until they tear down this place.'&nbsp; Their bodies would be found together, hand in hand.&nbsp; Buried together.&nbsp; Together forever, just like we wanted.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; _"Live on..."_ Alice's voice echoed in Damien's head.&nbsp; Alice knew Damien better than anyone.&nbsp; She knew that Damien might kill himself after she was gone.&nbsp; He would do anything for her.&nbsp; And he would do anything to stay with her, even if it meant leaving.&nbsp; Her last wishes were the only thing keep Damien from picking up the handgun.&nbsp;

_&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Damien promised to stop at nothing to protect the ones he loved and do nothing to hurt them..._

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "I'm sorry Alice..." tears fell from Damien's green eyes, washing away some of the blood where it landed, "I have failed."

Source: https://sofurry.com/s/ZmMKjx41
Part of the series A Thin Line
Previous: https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/809167-a-thin-line-part-five-homecoming.md