Disclaimer: As everyone knows, I don’t own the charaters, I only play with 
them for alittle while.  I also don’t claim rights to the Dave Matthews song
(I LOVE him, you should listen to it). Please give me feedback at 
tigeresse@hotmail.com  Thanks Mae               April ‘00


                    INHERTIANCE      




	There was no discussion about it, she could seduce you with almost no
effort. She kept the night warm with the heat from her body, and, 
continuously in a dancing motion, never seemed to sleep.  She was the city, 
daughter of civilization, home to millions of lives. Some she exalted, 
others she destroyed, but all were weaved together into her raiment of fine 
colors.
	Exhaling loudly in the cold night air, he was dazzled by her beauty.  
Turning sharply, he walked over to an awaiting limo. Its bright headlights 
illuminated a man tied to a tree.  A woman stood nearby as the he walked 
over to them. Lazily glancing at the pair, he took in the captured man’s 
appearance. Young and from Asian origins, blood trickled from a cut on his 
head and from the corner of his mouth. Once nice clothes were torn and 
blood stained. Seeming on the edge of conscieness, he had kept his silence 
throughout the ordeal. 
	“He won’t say a word, Tony. Can I kill him now?”  said the husky voice
of the woman.  
	Anthony Donovan smiled at her. Reaching out a hand he lightly caressed
her dark brown hair. Moving his fingers along her jawline, he felt the 
smoothness of her milky skin, belonging to an almost perfect face.  Her dark
eyelashes framed coal-grey eyes. A slightly cat-faced head graced a slender 
body, lithe and fast.  No one had ever guessed that she was the perfect 
killer, cold and bloodthirsty.  
	“A little impatient now are we?”
	Her cold eyes gave him the awnser.  
	“Give him one last chance.”
	Walking over the hostage, she pulled out a small pin from her hair.  
Placing the pin at the man’s throat, she asked him, “Where is the he?”  
The man stared straight ahead and began to chant a mantra in Chinese dialect.  
Lorraine went to push the pin in.  
	“Wait.”  Tony held up his cane.  The shaft was a dark rosewood color, 
which gleamed malevolently in the irrdesant light. Lovingly sliding his hands
over the sleek wood, he gripped the knob at the top tightly, feeling the 
metal carving of the raven that adorned it. With its sharp beak and pure ruby
eyes, it was truly a masterpiece of art.  
	Stepping over the hostage, Tony placed the knob under the man’s chin, 
forcing him to look up.  The man only chanted his prayers louder.  
	“This is your last chance to tell us what you know. I am not as patient
or as kind as Ms. Lorraine here.”  
	The man ignored him.  
	“Kill him.”
	Lorraine smiled and pushed the pin into his throat.  A sharp gurgle 
brought an end to the chanting.  At the same instant, an old beat up car 
appeared. Stopping by the limo, two men raced out. Coming to stand in front 
of Tony they knelt before him.  
	“Master, we have found what we seek.  The man you have asked for, he 
resides near Chinatown.”
	Tony nodded, “What have you learned of him?”
	The man shook his head.  “Only that he is a cop.  And his father is a 
Shaolin priest.”
	Tony smiled, his hunting skills had paid off.  For many long years he 
had been searching, and now the real hunt was about to begin. “Good, go back
and see what else you can find.”  
	The men quickly rose and left, leaving Tony and Lorraine in silence.  
	She was the one that broke it.  “What are we going to do now that we 
found them?”
	Tony shrugged, “I know the father, Kwai Chang Caine. Him and I go back
years. I will deal with him for now.  And you will find out what you can on 
the son.  Find his strengths and weaknesses.”
	She pouted.  “Is that all?”
	Tony smiled, cupping her face he replied “Don’t worry, the fun is only
just beginning.”


*****


	Peter watched his follower sneak up behind him. Walking between the 
restaurant tables, the perpetrator observed his every move.  Pretending not 
to notice, Peter lightly kissed his father on the forehead.  “So how’s it 
going today Pop?”
	Kwai Chang Caine gave Peter a raised eyebrow at the term of “Pop”.  
	“I know, I know, don’t call you Pop.  I was followed on my way here. 
We might have a problem soon.”
	Caine tilted his head in interest “Oh?”
	“Yeah, just look between the tablelegs next to us. He’s creeping 
closer.”
	Looking under the table, Caine smiled.  “Do you think he is dangerous?”  
	Peter laughed and shook his foot alittle. His shoe string had become 
untied a few streets back. It was then that he picked up the follower. “Ok, 
Pop, I’ll get him close if you’ll grab him.”
	Peter shook his foot. The attacker raced out after the shoestring only
to be picked up by Caine’s sweeping hand. Setting the kitten on the table, 
Caine smiled. The kitten, with its black and brown tabby stripes, seemed 
lost.
	“Do you think he’s hungry?” Peter asked. The kitten continued to stare
at the new surroundings that he found himself in. Peter laughed. “Don’t worry
little kitty, we won’t hurt you.”
	The kitten sniffed in Peter’s direction as he talked. Turning his head,
he casually observed the other person siting at the table.  
	“Oh I’m sorry about this Mr.Caine.” Both Caines turned at the speaker.  
A waiter in a starched white apron stood before them. He went to grab for the
kitten.
	“That is not necessary, Jonathon. The kitten is a guest.”  Caine told 
the waiter in his soft voice. Peter smiled at the look the man gave them.  
The kitten sat down like he owned the table.
	“I am sorry to disturb you then.  Shall I bring you your usuals?”
	Peter and Caine both nodded and the man went away. The kitten seemed 
happy now that he left. Purring softly, he walked over to Peter.  
	“So, how ya doing today little fella?”  Accepting the scratching 
fingers, the kitten purred louder. “I see you like this.” The kitten 
playfully began batting at Peter’s fingers.  “Do you think he has a home?” 
Peter asked noticing the thinness and raggedness of the kitten’s body.
	“I believe he is a stray”
	Just then the waiter brought out their food. The kitten watched him set
their plates in front of them. First the kitten wandered over to Caine’s 
plate. Looking at the veggies on rice, he quickly turned around and wandered
back over to Peter’s plate.
	“I see you like my cheeseburger better.  Smart kitty.”
	“It means both of you need to learn to eat a better diet.”
	Peter gave the kitten half of the burger. Quickly devoured, the kitten
looked up for more. “Hey Pop, I have an idea, I can’t keep pets at my place, 
but you on the other hand...”
	The kitten, sensing that it was being talked about, purred louder and 
playfully began batting at Caine’s chopsticks.  
	“Isn’t that cute Pop?  How can you say no to a face like that?”
	Reaching out a hand, the kitten began to play with Caine’s fingers.  
“Do you need a home, little cat?” The kitten turned its all-knowing eyes 
toward him. “You may live with me then.”
	Peter laughed, “alright.  Wonder if its male or female?  I think you 
should name it Fester if its a guy.  Or how about...”


	Three more files were slammed onto his desk. Peter groaned as the pile 
before him rose higher.  “Why can’t you people see that I’m already up to my
neck in work to do?  When am I supposed to do this, in my sleep?”  Not 
daunted at the young detective’s outburst, Strenlich walked off without 
another word.
	“Tough luck Peter.” a nearby detective commented. Mary Margret Skalany 
smiled as Peter shot her a dirty look. Examining him closer, she watched him
run his hand through his dark brown hair. Always upbeat and energetic, he 
had been talking all afternoon about the kitten him and his father had found.  
Personally to her, she couldn’t wait to visit the new kitten, or Peter’s 
father.
	Carefully shifting the new pile on his desk, Peter glanced over the 
new cases. One more murder, killed in almost exactly the same style, like 
the two other cases given to him yesterday. Putting the files down, Peter 
rubbed his eyes then glanced around the room. His partner, Jody Powell, was 
busy pouring herself coffee. Eyes roaming next to Mary Margret Skalaney, 
the dark haired detective would have gladly made some interesting comments 
about his break. What his father saw in her still mystified him but she was 
a good detective, he had to give her credit for that.
	He casually watched Karen Simms walk into the room.  Blond and female 
hadn’t kept her from running the precint in style like Paul Blazedell had.  
On some things, he would have said she had done a better job.
	“Peter, I’m glad to see you’re so attentive this afternoon,” Simms 
began, coming alongside Peter’s desk.  “I just came from the mayor’s office.
I want you in my office now.  And you too Jody.”  With that, she left, 
expecting them to follow.  
	“Now what’d we do?” Jody asked him.
	Peter shrugged as he rose, he felt he had been especially good this 
week.  
	Following her into the captain’s office, he shut the door.  The room 
was sparsely decorated, with filing cabinets and a desk as the main comforts.
Peter looked at the papers on the desk and then at the picture of Karen’s 
son, the only softness in the woman of steel. 
	“Downtown today they kept asking me how far along was the case on all 
the throat-slashings. I told him I have two of my best detectives on it.  
Now what do you have?”  Simms stared both of them in the eye. 
	Jody cast a quick glance in Peter’s direction before replying, 
“other than the fact its most likely the same sick person whose doing it, 
not much else. The victim was tortured before death, traces of acid was 
found in their eyes. Other than that, no witnesses or prints.”
	Simms nodded as if expecting it. “Have you anything else to add, 
Detective Caine?”
	Shaking his head, “All of them were found in different parts of 
Chinatown. Different backgrounds and lifestyles.”
	“And that’s all?”
	“For now.”
	The harsh ringing of the phone broke the interrogation. Mildly annoyed,
Simms picked it up.  
	Letting out the breath he had been holding, Peter gave Jody a thumbs 
up sign. She gave him a sarcastic grin back.
	“Who is it again?” the captain’s voice said,“And he will be here when?” 
	Peter wondered who was coming.  
	“Alright, bye.” Setting the phone down, Simms slowly looked at Peter. 
“It seems that these killings go higher then we thought. The feds are getting
involved. An Agent Anthony Donovan is going to be here tomorrow tonight. 
This time, please show some respect.”  Peter turned to leave, “Oh Peter, 
tell Kermit and Skalaney they’re next.”  


	“What else did you find out?” Tony asked.  
	Lorraine, lounging on a leather sofa in a plush motel room, took her 
time answering. “I told you all about the 101st Precinct. Its headed by Karen 
Simms, who’s dating one of her fellow officers and former ex-mercenary.”
	“Kermit Griffin.  I knew him.”
	Ignoring the interruption, Lorraine went on, “Jody Powell, a young, 
ambitious detective, has the hots for Peter. It seems he had dated her sister
a few years back and she was murdered by the Shadow Assassins.”
	“Is he dating her now?”
	“No, never did date her, just her sister.”
	Irritably, Tony replied, “Go on.”
	“You’ll like this, Detective Mary Margret Skalany, she’s dating Peter’s
father. It seems nothing other than a few innocent kisses passed between 
them so far. What did you find out?”
	Tony rose from the seat he was in. Crossing over to the bar, he made 
himself a drink.  “What did you find out on Kwai Chang Caine?”
	Lorraine sat up, “that was supposed to be your area today.  Aren’t you
going to give me a drink?”
	“After you tell me what I want.”
	“I found out that most people say he has some strange powers.  Like he
can heal people from terminal diseases and sense things before they happen.”
	Bringing Lorraine a drink, he sat down next to her.  “You are going 
to take care of Caine while I deal with Peter.”
	“Why not just kill him?”
	Tony shook his head, “too risky.  And besides, he has a major 
influence over Peter. If we kill him, Peter could go berserk, and we need 
his cooperation. Our whole future rests on Peter’s cooperation.  I have an 
idea of how we can control the father.  That is where you come in. Tomorrow 
I will make up a special mixture and you will...”
	As Tony described her part to her, Lorraine began to enjoy the idea of
corrupting a priest. 

	Returning home that night, Caine set the kitten on the floor.  First 
sniffing the air, the kitten began to explore its new surroundings.  
Quietly watching the cat, he wondered how she would like it here. Peter and 
he had discovered that the kitten was female.  Deciding on a name finally, 
Sassy seemed to fit the kitten best.  Walking further into the rooms, Caine 
began to feel the presence of evil. Carefully exploring the rooms, they were
all empty. Something had been there while he was away. He couldn’t keep a 
shiver from the thought.
	Getting ready for bed, the kitten followed him where ever he went. 
Sitting down in a lotus position, Caine watched Sassy curl up next to him.  
Smiling, he gently stroked the back of the kitten. Caine began to go into 
meditation.  
	A sudden sharp pain brought him out.  Expecting some kind of enemy, 
he began laughing when he saw it was the kitten fighting his toes.  “I think
Sassy, this is going to be an interesting relationship.”  The kitten just 
purred.


	Lorraine watched the priest stop and go in an herbal store.  She had 
been following him all morning, learning what she could.  Shoulder length 
grey hair, well built, and in his late fifties, Lorraine knew there was more
to him than meets the eye. Tony had warned her about Kwai Chang Caine. At 
first she thought he was joking, but at one point on her tailing, she got 
the impression that Caine knew she was following him. He had turned around 
and made eye contact with her. That scared her, his gaze seemed to penetrate 
into her being and pull out her darkest secrets. She had broken away quickly 
and walked on, the feeling still haunted her.  
	Caine came out of the shop, bowing to the owner before walking on.  
Lorraine came after, a little slower. What were his weaknesses?  So far 
she had come up with his love for his son and that he was always alone. Both
of them powerful tools that would work for her benefit. Tony had told her 
he knew more, but he’d reveal it later. He still hadn’t told her what they 
were after. Only that it was big, and going to give him tremendous powers.  
She hadn’t cared, she drained her victims of chi before she killed them, 
stealing their life-force. Some she played with for weeks, seducing them 
nightly while stealing their very existence. Tony could gain his powers 
however he wanted as long as she could keep hers.  
	Lorraine paused in her thinking, she had lost her prey. Closing her 
eyes, she focused on his chi. Not in front of her, she set her mind to 
searching for him. 
	She found him, behind her.  Opening her eyes, Lorraine stared directly 
into the face of Kwai Chang Caine.
	He stared once again into her eyes. She was ready this time. Her guards
were raised just as she could feel his. Lorraine began to get uncomfortable 
as he stood there quietly.
	“What, what do you want?” she asked him impatiently.  
	“Why are you following me?”
	A lie came naturally to her lips but Lorraine knew she couldn’t fool 
him. Maybe she could buy some time to think of something. 
	“What’s it to you?”
	“People do not follow each other unless they have a reason.”
	She shrugged, “maybe I do.”
	He waited for her to continue.  She didn’t.  
	Caine turned to leave. “I will be going to Mrs. Wong’s, then home to 
teach a few students.”  With that, he disappeared in the crowds around them.  
	Lorraine let out the breath she didn’t know she had been holding.  
He knew something was going to happen, but he didn’t know what.  Glancing at 
her watch, she decided to go home herself. Tony would be interested in 
her day.


	“And then, Kermit flies out from Simm’s office with Skalaney right 
behind. He slams the door to his office and Skalaney tells me the news, 
that some kind of convention is being held in Atlanta and they have to go.”  
Peter shook his head before taking another bite from his meal. “I pity them,
they are the most awful form a torture.  What’s odd is that there wasn’t 
supposed to be anymore this year. You gonna eat that?” Peter pointed at his 
father’s roll. 
	The two of them had decided to eat supper together. Caine 
half-heartedly picked at his food while Peter quickly devoured his, all the 
while, giving him a full account of happenings of the past two days at the 
precint. Mary Margret had been by earlier to tell him of the convention, 
and play with the new kitten.  She would be leaving the next morning and 
returning a week later. She had added that it was an unusually long seminar 
but there was no way to get out of it.  
	“Hello, earth to Pop, can I have your roll?”
	Smiling at his son, Caine replied “whatever I have is yours.”
	Peter reached over, snatched the roll, and began eating it.  
“Mmm, these are really good rolls Pop, you don’t know what you’re missing.”  
Glancing at his watch, Peter jerked up quickly, “I forgot I had to meet 
someone. He’s with the government helping with this case that I have.  
Catch you later Pop.”
	A sudden feeling that something was wrong attacked Caine. 
“Peter, wait.”  His son turned around, “Be careful my son.”
	“Sure, you know me, carefuls my middle name.”  With that, Caine watched
Peter hurry over to his car. Rising himself, he began to walk home, the 
feeling of dread still upon him.


	The coal grey walls of the room did little to give Tony a feeling of 
peace. He had been waiting over a half hour for Detective Caine to show up.  
He had heard that Caine had a problem with arriving on time, and Tony’s 
position of being an upper agent hadn’t changed a thing. Not that he really 
was an agent in the first place, but he needed some kind of cover.
	The door suddenly opened admitting the late detective.  
	“Sorry I’m late, Detective Peter Caine.”  Held out his hand to Tony.  
	Tony smiled, and introduced himself. “Anthony Donovan, Special Agent. 
It seems that we are working on the same case, the throat slasher.  He’s 
wanted in two other cities with a total of seven victims so far.  We’ve got 
practically nothing except the style, the acid in the eyes, throat-ripped 
out. You gonna help us or not?”
	Peter nodded yes.  “My partner, Jody Powell and I have just been given 
it.”
	“I’m your new partner for this, Ms. Powell has been reassigned.  
I heard two of your other best detectives are away at a convention?”  
	Peter grimaced, “yeah, its kinda strange, a convention at this time 
in the year, but I guess you have to go to them sometime.”
	Tony smiled, it hadn’t been a coincidence.  “They don’t get more 
interesting as you get older.  We’ll start tomorrow at the crime scenes, 
see what we can find.  Say, is there anyplace around here to get something 
to quench one’s thirst, a local hangout maybe?  One gets mighty tired from 
all this talk of bad guys.”
	Laughing, Peter replied, “there’s Chandlers just down the street.”
	“Great, you can buy. I need to make a quick phone call, if you’ll 
excuse me for a moment.”  Peter left the room as Tony pulled out his phone.  
It had been easier than he thought to get close to Peter, and best of all, 
his father had no knowledge that his only son was in danger.  Now, all he 
had to do was keep it that way.
	“Lorraine?” he asked into his cell phone. “Do it now, we’ll be at 
Chandlers when he gets the call.  And remember, don’t kill him.”


	Hanging up the phone, Lorraine opened the doors to the van, letting 
four henchmen out. Man-like in appearance, in reality, skilled killers 
that had no soul. Very effective, except they were messy at times. She had 
placed them two blocks away from Caine’s home, by a dark alleyway that 
he had to pass. Perfect for their onslaught. Her other helper, a small boy 
at first looks, was quite the little devil inside. He stood guard by the 
opening, bait to draw Caine to them. Caine would never suspect a thing.
	The boy raised his hand. Caine was just about at the opening.  
The boy took off. Seconds later he appeared again, with their prey.
	Kwai Chang Caine paused, the ally felt evil, so did the boy. Walking 
home, he was approached by the boy telling him his sister was being attacked
by bad guys, down in this dark alleyway. It didn’t feel right, something was 
wrong, but was it really a hurt girl?
	“Hurry Master Caine, she could be dying.”
	Caine heard a woman scream come from the dark. Someone was back there.  
Hesitantly, Caine began to go deeper into the ally. His eyes slowly adjusted 
to the dimmed light.  Figures moved in, surrounding him.  
	“Help me please, somebody!”  A woman’s voice cried out.
	A shape suddenly loomed up before him. He felt the wind pass over him 
as he ducked. It was an attacker. Catching the arm as it passed by him again, 
he pushed it away. Three other shapes joined the first. Caine felt their 
presence, evil, and five of them. One was still off to the side, and more 
powerful than the others. 
	“Hello Kwai Chang Caine, told you I had a reason.”  A feminine voice 
spoke out. Caine recognized it as the woman from earlier.  
	“What do you want?”
	Lorraine paused, she loved the feeling of knowing what was going to 
happen, especially if it was soon going to be one of her new toys. 
	“Attack, and remember, don’t kill.”
	Caine felt a blow go over his head as another slammed into his back.  
He gasped as the assailant struck. They were smart, all attacked at the 
same time. As he fought one, the other three landed blows. Completely blind 
by the darkness, Caine tried to get away. Their strength amazed him as he 
hit one in the jaw, his hand went numb from the punch. Caine looked to the 
light at the end of the ally, it seemed distant in the blackness surrounding 
him. But who were they and what was it that they wanted?      
	More blows rained down, he fought what he could, but it was too much.  
He heard one of them growl like a dog.     
	A blow landed on his knee. Caine fell in a haze of pain. The cold 
pavement offered no comfort. The fiends kept their beating. Unconscience 
blackness enveloped Caine as something connected with his head.
	“Stop.”  
	Lorraine walked over to the prone figure. He hadn’t done bad for a 
mortal, other circumstances, he might have had a better chance.  Pulling 
out a small syrimge, she plunged it into his arm. Insurance Tony had told 
her. Finished, she motioned for the others to follow her. Someone would find 
him, sooner or later. Laughing, she walked away.
       
	Tony slapped the bar at Peter’s joke. “And you are considered one of 
the precinct’s finest?” 
	“Believe it or not.”  Peter took a sip of his beer. It had been Tony’s 
idea to go talk somewhere, where one could get a drink. Over the course of 
the evening they had compared precint stories and other similar street 
stories.  
	Tony watched the young man take a sip, he had been gaining Peter’s 
trust all evening, it hadn’t been hard.  But now it was time to do some 
digging, without raising Peter’s suspicions.  
	“So tell me Peter, you got any family in this area? You seem like the 
kinda guy who has a number of broads on the side.”
	“It’s women, mind you,” said Detective Mary Margret Skalaney, suddenly 
joining the two. After watching them for the past twenty minutes, she decided
to see how things were.
	“I’m sorry.  And who might this beauty before me be?”
	Peter laughed softly, “Tony, meet another of the precincts finest, 
Detective Mary Margret Skalany. Skalany, this is my fed partner for the case, 
Agent Tony Donovan.”
	Tony stood up and bowed. Why did she have to come over and visit, 
didn’t she have any other plans, he thought bitterly. “Its a pleasure to meet
any woman named Mary.”
	Mary Margret shook her head, men, who really could understand them.  
“Its nice to meet you too, I think.  Hey Peter, any idea where your father 
might be? He was supposed to be here a half hour ago.”
	Peter shrugged, “Last I saw of him had been about three hours ago.  
Maybe he had some patient to attend to. You know how he is.”
	Frowning, the dark-haired detective glanced at her watch. “If he isn’t 
here in twenty minutes, tell him it was nice of him to see me off before I 
leave tomorrow.  My plane leaves at 7.”  Turning, she walked away.
	“That’s a tough broad to stand up.  Isn’t your father married?”
	Peter shook his head no, “my mother died a few years after I was born. 
He hasn’t remarried or anything.”
	“What’s he do?”
	“He’s a Shaolin Priest and apothecary in Chinatown.”
	Tony probed the relationship between them deeper. “Are you two close?  
I mean he’s a priest and you’re a cop, those are a strange mix.”
	Peter laughed, “yeah, it gets complicated sometimes. No matter what I 
do, I can never understand him or what he does.  And I think at other times, 
he’s at a loss with me.”
	“Any brothers or sisters?”  Tony held his breath with this question, 
the awnser might change his plans entirely.
	“Nah, just one of me’s enough.”
	Tony let out a breath and played his next card, reeling Peter in on 
more personal terms. “This is just on a wild hunch. Is your father Kwai Chang 
Caine?”
	A look of stunned surprise crossed Peter’s face. “That’s him. How do 
you know him?”
	Smiling, “That’s the only Shaolin priest I can think of, we go way 
back before you were even born or your father had any plans for settling 
down. Yeah, we’re old buddies. Him and I used to get into so much trouble, 
with the women and booze. But we had a great time at it. So how’s he doing?”
	“He’s good, tell me more of the past between you too?”
	Tony’s smile went wider, things would go fine.  
	Just then, Peter’s cell phone went off. Pulling it out, Peter answered 
it.  “Yeah?”  
	Tony waited, he knew what it was for. Turning to Tony, Peter said, 
“I’ll be back in a moment.”  He got up and left.
	Glancing around the room, Tony noticed the brown-haired detective who 
came over earlier.  She looked mad. Peter came back with worry on his face.  
“Something happened to my father.  I need to go to the hospital, do you want 
me to drop you off anywhere?”
	Tony feigned surprise, “my god Peter, is he okay?”
	“They wouldn’t tell me anything over the phone.”
	“I’m coming with you then. I’m your new partner, not just a stranger.”
	Peter nodded. “I need to tell Skalany, then we’ll go.”
	Tony watched Peter go quickly over to the woman. Lorraine did good he 
thought. Standing up, he walked out with the two worried detectives. Neither 
of them realizing the danger of the game just starting. 


	Peter slid into the hospital room and stopped, his father, whom he 
always believed to be an invincible fighter, now lay before him.  A victim 
of a brutal attack, something that Peter always thought his father would 
never succumb to. Proof that even the great could fall.  
	A gasp behind Peter pushed past him as he saw Mary Margret go to the 
side of the bed.  
	“Oh Caine, how are you?”
	The doctor told Peter that his father had woken earlier, speaking 
nothing but Chinese, an effect of the concussion. Then Caine had passed out 
again, once waking, spoke in english. A good sign, the doctor said, no 
perminate brain damage.
	Hearing Mary Margret coo over his father, he decided to move in too.  
Nearing the bed, Peter saw that one of Caine’s legs was elevated and a cast 
had been set around his left arm.
	“Hi Pop.”  
	His father smiled weakly in response.  
	“You forgot one of your greatest lessons.”  
	“What was that, my son?”  
	Peter blinked at the weariness in his father’s voice. He must be 
drugged up, he thought.
	“Duck.” 
	Peter watched his father break out into a smile.  Reaching out a hand, 
Peter smoothed a strand of his father’s grey hair back.  “Glad to see you’re 
alive.  Any idea who did this?  Or how many?”
	A look of confusion crossed Caine’s features as he shook his head.  
“No, all I remember is darkness.”
	It wasn’t much to go on. “Think real hard Pop, anything at all?  Close
your eyes and think back.”
	“Nothing Peter, my head hurts so I can not concentrate.” Seeing Peter’s 
growing frown, Caine said, “I am sorry my son, maybe tomorrow will bring 
something.”  
	“Yeah, hopefully.”
	Peter made eye contact with Mary Margret, concern was in her eyes too.  
What if this was planned and whoever did this will be back to finish?  
Peter heard the door open and close.
	“Ah, Detective Caine, the head nurse had told me you arrived.  I’m 
Dr. Gregors, I treated your father.”
	Shaking hands, Peter eyed the man up. As many times as he had been in 
the hospital, he didn’t remember this guy.
	“I’m new to the area.  From Chicago actually, too windy.  Lets talk 
about your father now.  Any idea who might have done it?”
	“That’s a long list, but I’m working on it.”
	“Good, whoever did it, knew what they were doing.  His left knee looks
worse than it actually is, he’ll be out of the brace in a week.  His left 
hand, a few broken bones, but it should heal nicely.  He has one hell of a 
concussion, I want to test him again before I leave.”  
	Peter looked at his father sitting in the bed listening quietly. A 
late fiftyish man with grey hair and weather-beaten features, one could not 
guess his true worth.
	“I want to keep him for a day, the blows to the kidneys and liver might 
be a problem, but lets hope not.”
	“Has he said anything about the attackers?”
	“If he did, it was in Chinese.”  Dr. Gregors went over to the patient’s
bed. Reaching out to massage Caine’s throat, he asked, “how are you seeing 
things, Mr. Caine?”
	“Fine.”
	“How many fingers am I holding up?”  
	Peter saw the doctor hold up two fingers.
	“Three fingers”
	“How many now?”
	“Two.”
	It was four fingers.  
	“Just what I thought.  Peter, do you have anyone to watch over your 
father when he returns home?”
	Peter thought for a moment, he was busy on a case and Skalany had to 
leave for the conference.  “I’m sure I could find someone.”
	Dr. Gregors nodded, “I have a nurse here who’s house brunt down last 
week. How about if she watch over your father?  The fact that she would 
temporarily be living at his home could be payment. It would be only until 
your father’s able to be on his own again.”
	“Could I meet her first?”
	“I’ll be back in a moment.  Her name is Lorraine.”  The doctor left.
	Mary Margret stared at him.  “Peter, why can’t I help?”
	“I thought you had that conference.”
	“I could cancel my plans, Simms would let me off for this.  This deal 
sounds too good to be true.”
	“Kwai Chang Caine,” Tony said entering the room, “you old son of a 
bitch, what have you got yourself into this time?”
	Peter felt a little annoyed at Tony interrupting them, not to mention 
the greeting.  Few people talked like that around his father.
	“Don’t you remember your old buddy?”  Tony wheedled coming alongside 
the bed. “All the times we had together?  Its only been about thirty-five 
years.”
	Caine looked at Tony confusedly, should he have known him?  
	“Anthony Donovan ring a bell?”  Tony knew Caine would never remember 
who he was until it was too late, that’s what Lorraine’s job was for.
	“How do I know you?” Caine asked hesitantly.
	“Don’t you remember the good times we had, just living life up?  The 
parties and women we knew?  The places we traveled and sites we saw?  
Remember Big George and Sonya?”
	Putting his head down, Caine answered, “no. Maybe tomorrow I will 
remember something, my mind is a little cloudy.”
	“You always did have a hard head.”
	“This is Lorraine, Detective Caine.” Peter turned from the conversation
to view one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. Her hair was black, 
and it framed a cat shaped head. Her body was well shaped and lithe. A 
bewitching woman. 
	“Uh, hi Lorraine. I’m Detective Peter Caine”
	She smiled, “Hello Detective Caine. I believe we both have a problem 
that can be fixed today. Your father needs someone watch over him and I need
a place to stay until I can find a new apartment. I think we can solve this 
problem, what do you think?”
	Peter liked the melodious sound of her voice. He looked to his father 
to know what he thought.  
	Caine was looking at Lorraine suspiciously.  
	And jealousy could be read in the other woman’s eyes. 
	“When is Mr. Caine getting released?”  
	“Tomorrow afternoon.” Dr. Gregors replied.
	“I’ll be moved in by then.  Thank you Detective Caine for this 
opportunity for the both of us.”  Lorraine turned and left.
	“Man, what a woman.”  Tony whistled.  
	Mary Margret eyed him evilly.  Something was wrong, but there was 
nothing she could do for now.  She leaned back beside Caine and offered him 
her strength.
	The doctor followed after checking to make sure Caine was comfortable.  
Tony walked to the door as well.  “Well, Peter I have to be off.  Nice to 
meet you Mary, and you Kwai Chang, we’ll have to get together sometime soon.” 
With that he was gone.   
	“Its Mary Margret.” she said softly. “I need to get going too.” giving
Caine a quick kiss on the cheek she stood and walked out. 
	Peter, left alone with his father, looked at him.  He was patiently 
staring back.  Peter could see the tiredness in him though.  What a day, he 
thought.  
	“Well Pop, is there anything I can get for you?”
	Caine paused, “yes, my son, do you think you could go take care of 
Sassy tonight?”
	Peter laughed, “I thought about sneaking her in, but I didn’t want you
getting into trouble.”  His father smiled. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be 
back in an hour, sans cat.”  Peter turned to leave.
	“Wait,” said Caine “I remember something, the attackers, they growled.”  
	“Growled?” 
	His father nodded.  “Like a wolf or dog.”
	“Okay, I’ll see what comes about with that.” Giving his father a kiss, 
“I love ya, Pop. I’ll be back later.”  Peter left, hitting the lights on 
the way out.
	“I love you too, my son.”  Caine whispered to the darkness.  It had 
been growing on him, he couldn’t feel his son’s presence, even when he had 
right been next to him.  He couldn’t feel anyone else’s either.  A 
discomfort of the concussion?  He didn’t want to think about it.  Didn’t want
to think about anything else either.  He laid back on the bed and closed his
eyes. Vaguely, he heard the door open and someone creep over to him.  The IV
jingled as they took a hold of it.  Caususiouly, Caine opened the corner of 
his eye, it was Lorraine.  He could see her injecting something into the IV.
Was she supposed to do that?
	“Don’t worry, Kwai Chang, I didn’t think you wanted me doing this 
earlier when everyone was here.  Its more medication to help reduce the 
swelling in your brain.”
	How did she know he was awake?  He heard her finish and leave.  How 
would he make out with her living with him?  
	Whatever it was she had put into the IV was making him feel giddy.  
Caine thought he saw shadows begin to dance, it made him feel good, and 
slightly high. What was the stuff?  It took away the pain that was beginning 
to grow, but it felt different from what was used earlier.  He closed his 
eyes, and tried to sleep again.  Wonderful dreams began to play with his 
mind, as he drifted off and gradually fell asleep.  
	He didn’t hear Peter enter and turn the chairs into a bed, falling 
asleep himself.  Nor did he fell a small feline curl up on the bed next to 
him.


	“Good morning brighteyes.  How do you like your coffee?”  Tony held 
up a mug as Peter slowly walked over to him.  “I reviewed your files on the 
case, I thought we could talk to the coroner tomorrow and check out the 
crime scenes today.”  He watched Peter massage his neck, then take the 
coffee mug.
	“So Pete, hows your father doing?  Any idea who did it yet?”
	Peter shook his head no.  “He didn’t remember anything else except 
that he heard growling.”
	“Growling?”
	“Yeah, odd isn’t it?”
	“What’s this world coming too.” Tony glanced around the room. No Mary 
Margret and no Kermit Griffin.  No Jody, who got stuck on nights. His vision
stopped as Karen Simms came through the precint entrance.
	“Good morning Agent Donovan and Peter.  Glad to see you here early.”
	“Morning Capt.”  Peter said.  Tony nodded.
	“I’m sorry to hear about your father, Peter. Any idea who had done it?”
	“Not yet, its a long list.”
	Simms smiled assuringly, “don’t worry, whomever did it won’t be able 
to keep silent for very long. Its quite a feat to have put a Shamballa Master
in the hospital.”
	Tony blinked, Shamballa Master? There might be complications. He’ll 
speak to Lorraine on it later.
	“I’ll let you two get to work.  Update me if anything turns up.”
	Tony watched her walk away.  She might be trouble, he’d keep an eye 
on her. Turning to Peter, he asked, “Well Pete, which first, trucking docks,
flower market alleyway, or the warehouse?  Lets get a case solved.”


	“So have you found anything else?  We need to drive a wedge between 
them if I’m going to be able to get him completely on my side.”
	Lorraine slowly sipped from her glass as Tony complained to her.  It 
had been two days since she moved in with Caine, nothing much was happening.
	“Well, aren’t you going to answer me?”
	She thought about it.  “I found out that Caine supposedly abandoned 
Peter when he was a teen, when his temple was destroyed.  Is a quick healer, 
friend’s with the Ancient, who needs to be removed.  Also, that Peter doesn’t
understand him much.  Is alone alot. Other than that, no.”
	“How have the poisonings been going?  Does he suspect anything?”
	“He has no idea.  He just thinks I can’t make tea right. But he drinks
it anyway.  Then goes to sleep, like he should.”
	Tony nodded, the drugs will slowly become more potent as time wears on.  
	“Peter will be over tonight to join him for supper, want me to be 
there?”
	“Yes, Peter needs to trust you more.  Start stepping up pressure to 
control Caine.  Peter needs to start seeing me as a person he can talk to 
about his father, Caine needs to slowly be falling apart for this to happen.  
Understand?”
	Lorraine shifted her position on the plush couch.  “What exactly is 
this for anyway?  Cause no, I don’t understand. How do I know we aren’t 
wasting time?”
	Taking a sip from his own drink, Tony’s eyes flashed. “Peter Caine has 
prophecy written about him.  He is the last of the line of Caine.  An 
inheritor of great power.”  
	Lorraine stared at him.  
	“I’ll tell you more later, but Caine needs to be out of the way, and 
that’s what you’re to do.”
	“Why is Kwai Chang so important? Why not just kill him?”
	Tony shook his head, wasn’t she listening?  “If Caine dies, Peter will
become lost to us. The power that Peter inherits will overwhelm him, that’s 
why I need to establish control over him. That way when Caine does die, Peter
will come straight to me.”  
	Lorraine finished her drink, if Tony didn’t want to tell her everything,
fine, she’ll learn it later, Tony had done things like this before, and it 
ended very profitably for the both of them.
	“What are you going to do when you go back to Caine’s?”
	She shrugged, “change, then join him and Peter for supper.  I still 
think you should have me seduce Peter, he’s younger, and more malleable, not
to mention cuter.”
	Sighing loudly, Tony replied, “don’t worry, Kwai Chang will more than 
make up the age difference. He’s a Shaolin priest, they study both the pain 
and pleasure meridians in the body.”
	“Oh, is that so?”
	“I think you’re underestimating him. Like I said I knew him many years
before Peter was born.”  Tony sat on the couch and laughed, remembering an 
older time. “I knew he would be the father of the last Caine, so I became 
his best friend.  I had him so deep in my power, I had him hooked on heroin 
and other drugs. And women, I gave him plenty.  But the son of a bitch 
couldn’t get one pregnant.”  Tony drank the rest of his drink in one swallow.
“He fell in love with this woman named Selena, she broke my grip and cleaned
him up. Both disappeared.”
	Lorraine stood with her arms crossed, “that’s a charming tale.”
	“I found out twenty years ago that Caine had a son, Peter, only I had 
to find him.  And now, I’m finally getting what I deserve, retribution from 
him and power beyond my dreams.”
	Clapping, Lorraine walked behind the couch and began giving Tony a 
shoulder rub.  “What happens to me?”
	“Do you mean now or later?  You know what you’re supposed to do now.  
And later will resolve itself.”
	“I gotta go, its getting late.”
	Tony watched Lorraine slide over to the door. “Oh Lorraine, tomorrow 
bring Caine to Chandlers, its going to be an interesting night out.”
	“Whatever.”
	“And one more thing, examine the plants closely when you have a chance.
You’ll find a good argument starter.”  Tony heard the door close.  
	Picking up his cell phone, Tony dialed.  It was time to move the 
investigation more quickly.  And it helped to know the killer.

 
	Another death, that added the count to four in six days.  Peter rubbed 
his eyes, Tony and he had been on the case for days now, and not a single 
clue to who had done it or why.  
	The crime scene for the latest killing was at a normally busy 
warehousing district.  They had closed for the day due to the death.  Going 
over to the dead body, Peter identified the burned eyes as the mark of the 
serial killer. He had seen some really nasty things, but he was sickened at 
the sight of this.  A cruel way to die, he thought to himself.  
	Carefully looking over the body, multiple bruises and cuts covered 
the it, the mortician would find out if there was anything else. Peter sighed
and quickly ran his eyes over the body again, fried head, broken body, 
closed fists,... that was unusual, the hands.  Reaching out a gloved hand, 
Peter noticed a piece of cloth clenched in between the fingers. Evidence?  
He hoped so.  
	Standing, he watched his partner, Tony Donovan walk over. He was 
likeable enough, but he had a strange aura of power surrounding him, but 
evil and malicious. Shaking his head, he laughed, these are things my pop 
would say.  His father, now that was story all its own.  
	“Find anything yet?” Tony asked.
	“There’s a scrap of cloth in the dead man’s hand.  Tests might reveal 
something. Other than that, same pattern.”
	Tony scanned the area around them, as if searching for something. 
Curious, Peter did the same. The sky was overcast, creating strange, 
ubiquitous lighting 
	“Did you look anywhere else? You know, take a walk?”
	Peter shook his head, “not yet.”
	“Get your ass moving, we’ve got work to do.”  With that, Tony abruptly
turned, leaving Peter with the body.
	What’s his problem?  Peter felt a little pissy himself, but that was 
due to lack of sleep.  With the attack on his father, he had been out on the
streets trying to find out who did it or knew anything of it.  Nothing, was 
all he had come up with.  He had eaten supper with his father the night 
before. Peter noticed that his father had seemed tired, but was healing 
rapidly, the knee brace was gone but the arm and sides were a little tender 
still.  What had worried Peter was that his father had admitted to him that 
he had lost his Shaolin powers.  A side effect from the concussion?  When he
asked if Lo Si had known, Caine had told him that he left to visit a friend 
outside of town.  Not only that, but he couldn’t remember Tony from his past.
He felt as if he had known him, but not how or when or more importantly, why.
When Peter asked how he and Lorraine were making out, he said fine, abrutly 
ending the topic.
	The banging of a door brought Peter back to the present.  He had been 
nearing one of the warehouses.  Its aluminum structure blended in with the 
grey sky of the day. Grabbing the door in one hand and his gun in the other,
Peter slowly passed into the warehouse.  Streaks of light glowed from 
skylights in the ceiling, but did very little to lighten the large room.  
Peter could see towers of wooden crates stacked in rows throughout the 
building.  Eyes adjusting to the dimmed light, Peter began to walk along the 
rows. The perfectly stacked crates concealed their secrets.  
	A sharp bang rang out, Peter turned quickly.  “Who’s there? I’m a 
police officer.  Come out and show yourself.”
	His voice sounded harsh in the Spartan atmosphere.  He heard the sound
of footsteps running a few rows over.  Cutting through a break in the boxes,
Peter saw a figure racing down the ailes.  He hurried to catch up.  
	“Freeze, I need to talk to you.”
	The man ran on.  
	Being physically fit and always active, Peter caught up to the man and
tackled him.  They hit the ground in a loud thump. 
	“You’re under arrest for running from an officer”  he said, reaching 
for his handcuffs.
	“Please don’t hurt me, I was scared.  That’s all.  I hurt no one.  
Please, oh please, let me be.”  The man whined.  
	Ragged and ill-looking, Peter knew the man most likely was just 
spending the night in the warehouse.  It was a common thing for whinos to do
on cold and rainy days.  But did the man know anything?
	“That’s ok.  Just calm down now.  Why did you run from me?  Did you 
know there was a man murdered right outside of here?”
	The whino just shivered.  “I saw it happen.  That poor man, he just 
screamed and screamed.  Then it stopped.”
	Peter asked suspiciously, “Did you see what he looked like? 
The killer?”
	He shook his head, “he stared straight at me.  I’ll never forget that 
look.”  He wheezed in his slightly slurred voice. “I run from you ‘cause I 
thought you be him looking for me.”
	But how much of that was the truth, Peter thought, many lied just to 
get a warm meal and bed for an evening, but if this guy actually did know 
something...
	“What is your name?”  Peter asked.
	“People call me Thomas Edison.”
	Thomas Edison?  “Alright Thomas, we’re going to go down to the precint 
and ask you what you saw last night. If you’re lying to me, we’re gonna lock 
you up. Understand?”
	The man nodded his head vigorously.
	“Good, lets go.”
	Peter and Thomas made their way from the warehouse, once outside, 
Peter noticed Tony standing by the body.
	“It’s about time you showed up, I was wondering if you got lost.  
I figured I might have to come in after you. Who’s this with you?”
	“He says he saw something.  Says he might identify the guy for us.”
	Tony laughed, “great, just what we need. A bum telling us how to 
solve cases.”
	Thomas huddled next to Peter, “I don’t like him. He’s evil. I tell you
what you want to know but only to you.”
	“Fine.”  Peter was tired, he didn’t want to argue anymore. Peter helped
Thomas in the car.  
	“Hey Peter wait up.”  Tony said coming over.  “How about a little get 
together tonight?  Bring your father and that cute nurse of his.  We’ll meet 
at Chandlers’.  Sound ok?”
	“Sounds great, we’ll be over after my shift.”
	Tony smiled.  “See ya kid.”
	Peter got into the car and drove off.


	The kitten basked in the sunlight.  Purring loudly, she just enjoyed 
the moment.  Feeling as if she was being watched, she opened her eyes and 
stared at the man watching her. Caine smiled and thought, who’s watching who.  
Finishing trimming a small bonzi tree, he placed it on the work table.  
A large potted plant was in the place where he wanted the smaller one.  
He wrapped his arms around the large pot and tried to move it.  It wouldn’t 
budge.  He tried again.  It slid an inch.  Where was his strength?  Caine 
looked at the cat, she had no response. He dully noticed a headache forming.
	“Kwai Chang?  You in here?”  Lorraine’s voice rang out.  She slid into 
the room, as if stalking prey, creeping and silent.  “Why didn’t you awnser 
me?”
	The cat hissed at her.  Caine noticed that the cat always hissed when 
Lorraine entered the room.  She wore a short green skirt with a white halter
top under a fitted white shirt.  She had just come from work, supposedly.
	“Why didn’t you awnser my question?  You should know by now.  Don’t 
make me have to tell your son.  And get rid of that damn cat, she’s always 
hissing at me.”
	The cat came over and stood protectively in from of him.  Was the cat
trying to tell him something?  Caine picked Sassy up.
	“You can be so impossible sometimes.  I’m going to make you some tea.”  
Lorraine left.
	Scratching the cat’s ears, Caine asked her “why do you not like her?  
Should I be wary of her?”  
	The kitten kept tense in his arms, giving only intelligent, but 
impenetrable eyes in return. Caine put the cat back on the floor and went 
into the kitchen.  Lorraine was pouring the hot water.  He sat down on the 
small stool usually used by patients.
	“Here, be sure to drink it all.”
	He sniffed it.  It never smelled like his herbal remedies.  Was she 
putting something else into it that shouldn’t be there?  Whatever it was, 
he always wanted more. His stomach began to hurt, so he took a sip.  He had 
been getting many headaches and stomachaches lately, but was it a byproduct 
of the concussion?
	“Pop, Lorraine, anyone home?”  the sound of his son’s voice cheered 
him up.  Peter came into the room. “So what kind of plot are you two 
discussing?  Are you not listening Pop?  I don’t want to have to give you 
the ‘be good’ speech again.”
	A raised eyebrow seemed a fitting response.  Peter had given him a 
speech for not listening to Lorraine.  Why should he have someone tell him 
what to do?  Wasn’t he a grown man?
	“I’ll take that as a sign you were behaving.”
	Caine ignored the sermon and took a sip of his tea.  He had become 
more dependant upon it, he noted.  
	Lorraine smiled at the banter, “Peter, I was just giving your father 
his daily tea.  Would you like some?”  
	He shook his head, “I need to go back to the station.  We have a 
possible witness to the murders.  I stopped by to see if you two wanted to 
come to Chandlers tonight.”
	“Sure, we’ll come.”
	“Great, see you there then.  Oh, and Pop, Tony says he wants to talk 
to you.  Do you remember him yet?”
	Caine stared out the window.
	“Pop.” Peter said louder.
	Caine looked at him.
	“Nevermind. I gotta go. Bye.”  Peter left as quickly as he had come, 
but slightly more troubled.
	Lorraine strolled over behind Caine and put her hands on his shoulders.  
“Your son has alot of energy.  Is he always moving?”
	“Yes, though I am trying to teach him the importance of stillness.”
	“You’re tense, is everything going alright between you two?”  Lorraine
felt the smoothness of the silk under her fingers as she began giving his a 
shoulder massage.
	It took a moment before Caine replied.  “Yes things are well.  Why do 
you ask?”
	Now it was Lorraine’s moment to hesitate. “He seemed a little reserved
toward you, especially when you faded out.  Do you like this?”
	“Yes, it feels nice.  Peter is just troubled by the case he is working
on.”
	“What about your friend Tony?”  She slid her hands down his chest.
	“Maybe when I talk to him tonight, a memory will stir.”  Caine stood, 
breaking their contact.  Lorraine slid in front of him.  She had taken off 
her overshirt.  The halter underneath only emphasized her shapely shoulders.
	“Since you don’t want a shoulder rub anymore, could you return the 
favor?”  She turned her back to him.	
	Caine slowly reached out and began rubbing her shoulders.  Her skin 
was soft and silky compared to his rough hands.  She leaned her head back 
and moaned softly.
	“That feels good.  Do you do any other parts?”
	Caine stopped. “I have work that needs finished.”  He hurried away 
from Lorraine and unto the terrace.
	Lorraine laughed at his abrupt leaving.  “This is going to be fun.”  
She said to herself.  Running her fingers through her hair, she sat down on 
the stool.  
	A small hiss drew her attention.  The cat was in the doorway.
	“What do you want, you little pest?”
	The cat hissed louder.
	“Oh, is that it, well I can do better than that.”  Lorraine hissed 
back at the cat.  The cat ran out onto the terrace, where Caine had gone.
	“Stupid cat, doesn’t realize who the real tigeress around here is.  
Maybe I’ll kill her tomorrow.” Lorraine stood and walked over to the 
apothecary counter.  “Tony said to look around.  Wonder what I’ll find.”
	First she rooted through the various plants and jars on the table.  
Next she moved to a small altar.  A golden Buddha surrounded by candles and 
other figurines sat on it.  She picked up the one statue.  “Kwan Yin, the 
goddess of mercy.  Caine may want to start praying more to her.  He’ll need 
the help.”  Lorraine set the figure down and went to the plants on the 
window sill.  Moving plants around, she laughed and pulled one out.  
Examining the green, jagged leaves, she put the plant out in front.
	“This is what Tony wanted me to find, Caine’s growing Marijuana.  
Imagine if Peter found out.  Would he arrest his own father?”
	She idolized the plant before putting it back in its place. “It’s not 
time for its discovery.  Thank you Tony, you truly are evil, but there’s 
more isn’t there?”  
	Closing her eyes, she concentrated, focusing on the plant.
	Opening her eyes, she quickly walked over to the apothecary cabinet 
and opened the door. Reaching inside, she pulled out a small jar.  Looking 
in it, she laughed, and slid out a couple joints.  
	“Ah Kwai Chang, you make it almost too easy.”  Lorraine put them back 
and replaced the jar.  “Tony says tonight’s the night, I wonder what he has 
in mind?”  She crossed over to the terrace and watched Kwai Chang work in 
the garden, oblivious to what was being planned. 


	“The lab report will be in tomorrow.  We’ll just have to wait until 
then.”  Peter drank a sip from his beer.  It had been a long day, he only 
wanted to relax alittle.
	Tony watched the younger man, the lab tests would lead them to the 
killers hideout.  A sample of the surrounding soil had been planted on the 
victim’s body.  As well as the whino seeing who the killer was.  He made 
sure that the whino knew enough characteristics to give a rough sketch, but 
not enough so that the killer could be easily identified.  
	“Don’t feel so bad Peter, the whino wasn’t the best witness anyway.  
We’ll catch the guy.”
	“That’s not much help.”
	“But its a start.  Hey, here comes your father and that nurse of his.”
	“Lorraine.” said Peter grouchily.
	“So that’s her name.  Personally, I prefer to call her sweetchecks.  
Your father always did have a way with women.”
	Tony watched Caine and Lorraine mingle their way to the bar. Strenlich
and Blake yelled greetings to Caine, the rest of the precint gang was 
missing.
	“How is it, Kwai Chang, that when we were together, the ladies always 
went home with you instead of me?  Personally, I think I’m much more 
handsome.”  Tony said the two newcomers.
	Caine shrugged.
	“That’s my Pop.” said Peter giving his father wide grin.  “At least 
now I know where I get it from.  Tony’s been filling me up on the times you 
two had.”
	“Hopefully not too much.” Caine said, frowning.
	Tony laughed and slapped the counter, “just enough to have you 
worried.” He turned around, “Hey barkeep, bring my friend what I’m having.”
	Caine raised his hands, “no thank you.”
	“You mean you’ve given that up?”
	“Just wine every now and then.”
	Tony gave his most convincing smile, “just one drink for old times 
sake?”
	“No thank you, just water please.”
	“What about a Shirly Temple?”     
	Peter watched the greeting, what side is this to my father’s past, he 
wondered.  Tony had told him of drinking, drugs, and women, he didn’t see 
his father getting into that stuff.  But there was much to his father he 
didn’t know.  And if this was one of the things he wanted to keep hidden, 
Peter didn’t blame him.
	The group talked for awhile.  Peter learned that his father had been 
in band, he and Tony went from bar to bar playing for money and a place to 
sleep.  His father remembered that. Peter noticed that his father remembered
most things that happened, but he couldn’t recall much about Tony, not even 
how they met. Peter searched his own mind on what he knew about Tony Donovan.
It didn’t amount to much.  Tony knew alot of things and was helpful to ask 
when seeking advise, manipulative at times, other times, one of the greatest
guys he knew.  A seemingly normal man, but was he really?  
	“Don’t you agree Peter?” Tony’s voice broke his thought.
	Lorraine noticed Peter’s confusion and responded in her sultry voice, 
“we’re trying to get you father up and sing something with Tony.”
	He laughed, his father up and singing in a bar?  Peter remembered the 
time when Caine supposedly had amnesia. “Come on Pop, you know you want to.”
	“No, I do not.”
	“Mary Margret would love to hear how well you can sing.  She’ll want 
you to sing for her.” Peter tried.
	Caine paused for a moment.  “But she is not here.”
	“She’ll be back tomorrow.”
	Tony  broke in, “Come on Kwai Chang, do it for me, for your son, and 
everyone else in here.”
	People around them began urging them on.  Caine wavered.  “Alright, 
but only one.”
	“Deal.” Tony said standing up.  “Hey bartender, what instruments do 
you have?” 
	The bartender walked over.  “There’s a piano, guitar, and a saxophone 
left over from the last band.  Be nice to them.”
	“Gottcha.  So what do we want to sing?”
	“How about a love song?”  said a female from a nearby table.
	Tony looked at her.  She was pretty and petite.  Next to her was a 
young man.  Both had large smiles on their faces.  
	“He proposed to you tonight didn’t he?”
	She laughed and he nodded. 
	“Well a love song it’ll be.”  
	Together, they walked up to the small stage, softly discussing what 
they were going to play.  A few minutes later, both were seated up on the 
stage’s stools and ready to play.  Caine with the guitar and Tony with the 
saxophone.
	Tony took the mike, “Its been awhile since we’ve played together, so 
no throwing of fruit please.  And since we’ve already had a request for a 
love song, cuddle up to your loved one and enjoy. Its called Lover Lay Down.”    
	The song began softly, both guitar and saxophone blending in nicely, 
like two lovers.  His father began to sing in a soft, gentle, pleading voice,
everyone quieted to listen.

		Spring sweet rhythm dance in my head
		Slip into my lover’s hands
		Kiss me won’t you kiss me now
		And sleep I would inside your mouth.
		Don’t be us too shy
		Knowing its no big surprise
		That I will wait for you
		I will wait for no one but you.
		Oh please lover lay down, spend this time with me
		Together share this smile
		Lover lay down, spend this time with me.
		Walk with me, walk with you
		Hold my hand your hands
		So much we have dreamed
		And we were so much younger
		Hard to explain that we are stronger now.
		A million reasons life to deny, lets toss them away
		See you and me we lay down, look see she and he
		By my lover’s side.
		Together share this smile, each other’s tears to cry
		Together share this smile, lover lay down.
		Oh please, oh please, please lover lay down
		Oh please lover lay down. 
		And you weep, lover lay down
		Cause it’s over, lover lay down
		Say love, say love, say love, say love, say love
		Lover lay down
		Could I love you, could you love me
		Darling its all the same
		Till we dance away
		Chasing me all around, leading me all around 
		Leading me all around in circles, say... 
                          (by Dave Matthews)

	The song ended on the same soft notes it began, and left you wishing 
for a loved one.  Peter sighed, Jordan was on vice for the week, and nights 
were her shift on it.  Peter glanced over at Lorraine.  He shivered at the 
sight, she had a predator’s gaze, and it was directed at his father.  Maybe 
he’d stay over at his father’s house for the night.
	People clapped as Tony and Caine left the small stage.  A few people 
were calling for another song.  They just smiled and shook their head’s no. 
	“We’ll Pop, Skalaney’s gonna like what she hears from me.  You’ve got 
to teach me that song.  Did you notice how many women were watching you?” 
Peter asked.
	Caine gave him raised eyebrows, and a knowing smile. 
	Tony laughed.  “How else do you think we picked up chicks?”                            
	“That’s women.” replied Lorraine tartly.
	He shrugged.  “Its getting late, and Pete and I have a long day 
tomorrow.  I hate to end this party, but we best get going.”
	Everyone agreed.
	“Hey Pop,” Peter asked, “do you and Lorraine want a ride home?”
	“Sure, its too cold to walk home tonight.”  Lorraine responded before 
Caine could answer.  He just nodded in agreement.  It was a short ride 
anyhow.   


	Caine blew out the last of the candles in the workroom, he had 
finished his tea and now felt disoriented, best to sleep it off he figured. 
He went into the bathroom and finished getting ready for bed.  Upon going 
to his futon, he found Lorraine lying on it. She rose as he came nearer.  
She had changed into a long, white, shimmering nightgown. The pale light 
from the moon gave her an ethereal quality, beautiful and tempting.
	“I’ve been waiting for you.”
	His head hurt, he felt distanced as she spoke to him.  Lorraine stood 
in front of him, dominating over him.  Caine began to back up.  She smiled 
cruelly and forced him against the wall.  She leaned against him, lightly 
stroking his head as if he were an animal. 
	Caine knew she had been drugging him.  He could feel the effects, 
the confusion, a lack of focus, from the last dosage placed in his tea.  
But could he stop what was happening before it fully affected him?
	She wrapped her arms around his head, pulling him down to her, pulling 
him closer.
	“What do you want?”
	Lorraine laughed.  “Your chi.”
	“Why?”
	“You’re a powerful man, and I need chi to stay alive.  You fill this 
need, so just relax and enjoy the moment.”  She pulled his head in closer 
and roughly began kissing him.  She hungrily began trailing kisses down his 
neck as her hands undid his shirt and slid it off of him.  
	Caine’s hands seemed weak as he tried to stop her intrusive fingers.  
She laughed at his feeble attempt.  It made him feel even more helpless.  
He turned his head and focused on the small statue of Kwan Yin, the drugs 
were blocking his mind, clouding his thoughts.  He said a silent prayer as 
Lorraine leisurely undressed him. The cool night air tickled his warm body, 
heightening every sensation.  He gritted his teeth as she sensually slid 
her hands along his thighs, and gently began massaging his groin, languidly 
at first, but picking up rhythm as his body responded.  Caine heard the soft 
rustle of her nightgown as she knelt before him, hungrily tasting him along 
the way.  He inhaled sharply as Lorraine teasingly licked his manhood, then 
she took him into her mouth.  Caine closed his eyes and tried to focus, 
tried to find some bit of strength to fight her.  
	Lorraine felt his body tremble. She could feel the power he had, the 
strength in his muscles from the many years of martial arts.  She loved the 
fact that he still tried to resist her, even though his body had betrayed 
his true feelings.
	Suddenly, strong hands grabbed her shoulders and threw her back. 
	“Get off me.”  said Caine in a firm voice, but the wall supported him.
	She looked into his eyes.  They were black in the night, revealing 
nothing.  Damnit, the drugs should have given him a trance-like state, what 
happened? Lorraine violently thought.  How could he have overcome it?  
The many years in Shaolin training had not only built up his body, but also 
his mind.  He was still under the effects of her drugging, she just had to 
make use of it differently.  Lorraine rose slowly from the floor, realizing 
this.  She gathered her own chi strength, then looked into his eyes. She 
was a deadly predator, using her own hypnotizing powers.
	“I had been going about this all wrong, haven’t I?  Its been some time 
since any woman has touched you like this.  I should have started slower.”  
She put her arms around him.  “Is this better?”
	He reached out, grabbing both wrists and held her back. “Get away from
me.” it was slightly slurred, he didn’t have total control.
	“What are you doing?  Is this any way to treat the one you love?”  
Lorraine forced her will through his eyes, implanting the thought. The drugs
had left his mind unguarded, and she forced the idea to be true in his mind.
How could he fight one of his own supposed feelings?
	Lorraine saw the confusion pass over his features, the drugs made the 
situation worse in his mind.  Lies came easily to her.  “My love, why are 
you hurting me?”  she asked, continuing the hypnotism.
	Caine stared at her darkly, unsure of himself.
	Lorraine moved her arms down, the grip on her had weakened. She 
wrapped her arms around him again and rested her head on his shoulder.  
He was still tense, but he put his arms around her in return.  Lorraine 
smiled and started kissing his neck and face, finally, his lips.  At first, 
he didn’t respond, then he began kissing back. 
	Lorraine once again began stroking the sides of his body, sliding her 
hands along him, then slowly, between his legs.  A sharp intake from him, 
but he let her do as she wanted.  He began to run his hands along her body.  
She enjoyed the feel of his strong hands as he caressed her.  
	Lorraine broke the embrace and lead him to the bed.  Kwan Yin just 
stared coldly on.


	Lorraine lounged in Caine’s bathrobe, she hadn’t even bothered to 
close it, or put anything on under it.  She sipped her coffee and waited.  
It was early, but she knew Caine was usually an early riser.  It was six 
thirty, late for him.  
	Starting on her second cup, she heard him moving.  He went into the 
bathroom and threw up.  “Lovely.”  she said to herself.  She was fine, never
felt better, full of Caine’s own strength.  Lorraine listened to the sounds 
of running water as he brushed his teeth. Then she heard him go back to bed.  
	Lorraine stretched, cat-like, arms and feet extended, even her toes 
were stretched.  Finished she slumped back down onto the chair.  A tiny hiss
broke the silence.
	Lorraine saw the cat sitting on the windowsill in the morning light.  
“Jealous cat? Your days are numbered so enjoy life while you still have it.”  
The cat hissed again and ran off.
	Lorraine stood, and slipped a small tube into her pocket. She finished
her coffee.  “Tony, I owe you one.  Study of pain and pleasure lines, you 
weren’t kidding.”  
	Ambling over to the windowsill, she rearranged the plants to her 
liking.  Satisfied, she went into the bedroom.  Caine had laid back down and 
was curled up facing the wall. Blankets pulled up to almost his chin, she 
noticed that he had put his pajamas on.  
	Creeping over to the futon, she pulled out the small vital and needle 
from her pocket.  Filling the needle, she took Caine’s arm and injected it.  
He stared back at her, eyes uncaring.
	Once done, she forced him onto his back and slithered on top of him.  
The smell of toothpaste greeted her nose as she began unbuttoning his shirt.  
She discovered the strength of his body last night, he was like a rock, 
strong and powerful, she was like silk, smooth and desired.  After believing 
he had loved her, he had shown her his true passion towards love.  She began 
to drain his strength, giving nothing in return.  
	Kwai Chang reached up and slid the robe from Lorraine’s body, as she 
leaned down to kiss him.  She began running her hands along his chest, 
whispering softly.   
	Kwai Chang gave the pleasure she sought, as he slid his hands down her 
chest, gently massaging her breasts, she arched her back in want of more.  
He sat up and kissed her nipples lightly at first, then harder responding to
her moans.
	“Lower.”  she whispered harshly, wrapping her legs around him.
	His large fingers moved their way down along her supple sides, her 
hips, then slowly, between her legs. 
	Lorraine cried out as he rubbed. “Get in me,” her ragged voice 
commanded.  She positioned her body over his and impatiently undressed him, 
beginning massages to his growing erection.  
	She slid him into her and enjoyed the pleasure he could give.  When 
finished, she lied next to Kwai Chang and rested.  He wrapped his arm around
her and together, the morning wore away.


	“And the dirt found on the cloth was what exactly?” a frustrated 
Detective Caine asked.  “This time say it in english.”
	Mortician Nikki Elder looked up from his clipboard.  Dressed in the 
required white lab coat, he readjusted his tied.  “Before that, what do you 
think of my new tie?”
	Peter glanced quickly at the tie. What an ugly tie, he thought before 
responding. “Its nice, the yellow palsies look nice over the blue background.  
Now what can you tell me about the dirt?”
	“Its definitely not an ordinarily picked up piece of dirt from walking
around the streets. Its a type of mud and river silt compound and its a fresh 
sample, hours old.  And what’s more, there’s soot mixed in on the sample as 
well.”
	Digesting it, Peter said, “so the killer most likely has a place by a 
river with something burnt nearby.”
	“The soot is from a building fire, it has traces of things common to 
certain burnt structures, like a hotel or restaurant.”  
	“Anything else Nikki?”
	Flipping through the papers on the chart, “sorry Peter, the body was 
just like the rest.  Did that witness you brought in say anything?”
	Peter walked over the corpse in the small room.  Lying on a table, 
the man was covered by the infamous white sheet. Pulling back one corner of 
it, Peter looked at the head staring back at him.  Only a head, no eyes.  
He shivered, this whole case was a monstrosity.
	“The witness gave us rough characteristics, nothing really definite.  
But do you want to know what the weird thing is?”
	Nikki gave Peter a questioning look. 
	“The way my partner Agent Donovan responded, as if he knew something 
that I don’t about this case.”
	“How long’s he been on the case?”
	“Longer than me.  Nevermind.  I’m just tired I guess. Thanks for what 
you found. ”
	“No sweat.”  Nikki studied the detective, usually upbeat and cheerful,
he seemed downcast and dreary. Glancing into Peter’s eyes, they were clouded
and distant. 
	“Hey, maybe you should visit you father or take some time off.”
	Smiling, Peter responded “maybe afterwards. Take care and let me know 
if anything turns up.”  Peter walked out.
	Nikki stood among the three cadavers in the room, “I may deal with 
dead people all day, but I think he should take my advise.” He said to them.
“And I don’t think he liked my tie.”


	Passing from one area of the precint to another, Peter attempted to
put the puzzle pieces of the case in order.  A couple dead guys, all male, 
throats ripped and eyes burned.  Each came from different life styles and 
different stations in life.  Nothing fit, like why.  What was the killers 
motive? 
	Upon reaching his desk, Peter noticed that papers had been pushed 
into hurried piles at the edges, and two coffee mugs sat in the middle.  
Hearing a familiar voice, Peter turned and saw Tony walk out from 
Captain Simms office, seemingly, finishing a meeting that he hadn’t been 
invited to.
	“Its good to see you Detective Caine,” said the blond captain, “we 
were just wondering when you would arrive. Tony tells me you two are getting
along fine on this case. I hope it stays like that. Now if you’ll excuse me, 
I need to be at the mayor’s office right now.”  Simms walked briskly away, 
expertly putting her long coat on at the same time.
	“They don’t make captains like that anymore.  So where were you Pete?”
	Peter, slightly annoyed, began separating the hasty piles on his desk.  
“With forensics.  It seems the sample taken is from a riverside where there 
was a building fire.”
	“Good work.  Any idea where this river is?”
	“There’s the McPherson on the north side of town. We could go through 
some files to see if there was a fire there in the past few years.  Kermit 
could get into the databases.”
	Tony picked up one of the coffee cups.  “Can’t you do it?”
	Peter laughed, “Kermit threatened to break all of my fingers if I ever
touched his computer without his permission.  Besides, he likes to go 
through the fire marshals files, the one in charge of the northern part of 
the city and Kermit are not exactly friends.”
	Wheeling quickly around, Peter waltzed up to the other detective’s 
door, and with three quick knocks first, walked in.  
	“Good morning Kermit, how was your trip?”  he asked, a large grin on 
his face.
	The older detective looked up from his computer screen and a slow, 
menacing grin spread across his features.  “I’ve been waiting for you.  
This is for being too busy to take my place.”  Kermit’s arm whipped up and 
began throwing small gummy objects at Peter.
	“Hey,” Peter raised his arm to fend off the attack as a gummy bear 
hit him smack in the face.  “Its not my fault.  You’re wasting good gummy 
bears.”
	Kermit paused, “you could’ve opened your mouth to catch them. What do 
you want?  And if it has anything to do with proper police procedure, I’ll 
toss something else at you. Something very hard.”
	“How about going through some fire marshal’s files?  Particularly in 
the north, by McPherson River.”
	The other detective leaned back and smiled, “go through ‘Old Hickory’s’ 
supposedly antihacker database?  Love to, what we after?”  
	“I need data on any burnt down buildings along the riverside within 
the last few months?”
	Peter moved around the desk and next to Kermit.  The older detective’s
fingers swiftly moved across the keyboard as he accessed the necessary codes.  
A few seconds later Kermit had found what they needed.  
	“There’s been two fires there in the past five months.  One was a 
former whorehouse/crackhouse residence.  Lovely view for business, wouldn’t 
you say?”
	“So romantic. And the other?”
	“A former restaurant by the name of Bella Donna’s, like the poisonous 
flower, pretty but deadly.  It seems that the fire was caused by a grease 
trap, not suspected arson.”
	Tony, who had been standing at the doorway waiting, moved in opposite 
of the two.  “Do either of the places have an address?”
	The intrusion drew both detectives from the screen.  Peter stood up 
straight.  “Kermit, this is my partner for the case, Agent Anthony Donovan. 
Tony this is Kermit.”
	Kermit leaned back in his chair, studying the man.  He seems familiar,
he thought, gazing at him through his green glasses.  “The case that big?”
	Tony nodded, “its a serial killer we have on our hands.  Thankfully 
the media haven’t caught on yet.  They can be such a pain.”  A smile topped 
off the line.
	A shark-like grin seemed a good response, “I’m printing the addresses 
for you now. Then I’m going to put in a few surprises for the marshals to 
enjoy.  How’s your father doing Peter? ”
	Peter took the freshly printed page from the machine.  “Oh, Pop? He’s 
doing alright.  Saw him the other night.  Where’s Skalany?”
	“At home with food poisoning.  Any luck on who the attackers were?”
	“Not yet.  Thanks Kermit.”  Peter waved the page and followed Tony out.   
	With the door closing, Kermit went back to the computer and went into 
his own databases to try and discover who Anthony Donovan was.


	The burnout shell was all that was left of the Madison Motel.  
Blackened posts stuck mournfully skyward as broken glass littered the area 
around them.  Peter kicked an old soda can and listened as it rattled 
emptily.  Searching for signs of human habitation, he found it nothing more 
than a meeting ground for kids to come and drink at.  After rereveiwing the 
scene, Peter walked down by the riverside, where Tony was supposed to be 
searching.  
	He stared at the silent, dark river.  Its current was slow and lazy.  
It was too narrow for ships, but it was a favorite place for picnickers.  
Peter closed his eyes and focused, feeling for his father’s chi.  As far as 
he knew his father was still missing his Shaolin powers.  Peter felt with 
his powers and found the older Shaolin at home.  Concentrating deeper, he 
could tell his father was agitated and slightly off balance.
	Breaking the connection, Peter turned and said to Tony.  “There’s no 
trace of our killer here.”
	Tony cocked his head to the side, “no luck for you either?”  Looking 
up at the sky, Tony took in the setting sun.  “The days are getting shorter. 
Tomorrow we’ll check out the other site.”
	“Fine.”
	Tony was taken aback by Peter’s response.  “Something wrong that I 
should know about?”
	Peter smiled, his tone changing once again back to normal. “No, sorry.
I have to go visit my father, something’s up over there.”
	“Okay, but if you need anyone to talk to, I’ll be at Chandlers’ till 
late, got that?”
	“Thanks.”
	Tony watched the younger man turn and walk away, the setting sun 
casting everything in an orange-red glow.  Tony knew that Peter would be 
by later tonight, and that he would soon have total control over the last 
Caine.


	Peter took in the mess, plant parts, dried and fresh, littered the 
table-top.  The usual neat and orderliness that his father kept was missing. 
He went into to his father’s meditation room, no sign of the man he was 
looking for in there. Picking up a nearby candle, Peter noticed a thin layer 
of dust.
	“He’s not meditating.” He said to himself, while moving back into the 
hallway.  A Shaolin priest needed to meditate to keep his balance, what’s he
been doing the past couple of days, he thought.  And where’s Lorraine?
	A noise from behind the bathroom door drew his attention. Peter crept 
over to it, it was slightly ajar.  Pushing it wider, he saw his father 
throwing up.
	“Pop, are you alright?”
	The elder Caine flushed the toilet and stood up, then began brushing 
his teeth.
	“Pop, where’s Lorraine, shouldn’t she be here with you?  And how long 
have you been sick?”  Peter couldn’t remember a single time when his father 
was ill, but then again, he never would have guessed his father succumbing 
to street attackers.
	Peter reached out a hand and felt his father’s forehead.  “Pop, you 
have a fever.  Where’s Lorraine?”
	“She went out.”  Caine turned and went into the kitchen.  
	Peter watched as his father put on a kettle to make tea.  “What do you 
mean she ‘went out’?  She was supposed to be taking care of you.”
	“Let it go my son.  It is best not to upset her.”  Caine said softly, 
absently.
	 “And what is meant by that?”
	“I gave her the night off.  Otherwise, she is normally here.”
	“Oh.” Peter still felt upset, he came hoping for some healing himself,
not to find another problem to add to his list.  “So, did your powers come 
back yet?”
	Caine shook his head no.  “It has been only a week and a half, it will
come back in due time.”
	“Why haven’t you been meditating?  Or keeping this place as clean as 
you normally do?”
	“Since when has my life been up for evaluation by you?  Can I not live
how I want to live without receiving my son’s permission first?”
	“That’s not what I meant Pop, its just that, that...”  Peter was saved 
by the shrill whistle of the teapot announcing that the water was ready.  
His father turned to take care of it.  
	What’s his problem, Peter thought, watching his father.  The usual 
grace that the older man moved with was gone, replaced by slow and precarious
movements, as if every move had to be thought out.
	Not standing watching the painful movements, Peter examined the room 
again.  His eyes combed over everything, looking for some awnser. The plants,
there was something about the plants.
	Going over to get a better inspection, his eyes picked up what he had 
been looking for.  
	“Father, this better not be what I think it is.  If it is, we need to 
have a long talk.”  Picking up the jagged-edged leafed plant, he swore out 
loud.  “This is marijuana, what the hell are you doing with it?”  Peter 
dropped the plant on the table in front of his father.  
	Caine stared at it like he had never before seen it. “It is a powerful
herb, my son, its healing abilities are numerous.  You were never meant to 
have seen it.”
	“Well, its too late now.  This plant is illegal, I can arrest you for 
having it.”
	“You would arrest your own father?”
	“If I had too.”  Peter’s words were like steel, cold and ungiving.  
The two men stared at each other, like two tigers in a cage.
	Caine was the one who backed down. “Yes, you would my son, you are a 
good man.  Take the plant if you wish, but many people need its abilities.”
	“I’m not letting you off that easy.  Do you give it out for people to 
smoke or smoke it yourself?”  
	“I do not give it for that purpose.”
	“But what about you?”
	“It can also be used as an aide to meditation.”
	Peter laughed, “alright, I have a father hooked on weed, what a 
wonderful family this is.”
	“Peter, please...”
	“Don’t ‘Peter, please’ me.  When was the last time you smoked it?”
	“Two days ago.”
	“And how often?”
	“Once every week or two.”
	“Well, thank you for your honesty.  And if I find another marijuana 
plant, I’ll arrest you and bring you up on charges, got that?”  Peter put 
his hand under his father’s chin and made him look him in the eye.  Peter 
felt like the parent chastising a disobedient child.
	“I understand.”
	“Good.  This is not what I came here for, but when do I ever get what 
I want when coming here?  I’ll be by tomorrow or the next day.”  Peter 
kissed his father on the forehead.  “Try to get better, and tell Lorraine 
I want to talk to her.”  With that, the younger man left with the 
confiscated plant.
	Caine stared at the door from which his son departed, loneliness 
replaced the presence.  Going over to the apothecary cabinets, he opened it 
and pulled out a small jar.  Pulling out a rolled up joint, he lit it at a 
nearby candle.  Going outside to smoke it, he anxiously waited for Lorraine 
to return with something stronger to stop his pain.


	Tony watched the younger man’s stormy entrance.  Peter tightly greeted 
the other people in the bar, giving a polite hello but not staying to talk.  
He walked like a man with much on his mind.  As he should, Tony added.  
	“So what’s troubling ya, kid?”  Tony asked, pulling out a chair for 
the younger man.
	“Is it that obvious?”  Peter spoke quickly to the bartender before 
continuing on. “Life could be better at the moment.”  Peter took a long sip 
from the newly arrived beer.
	“That bad huh?”
	“Not even the beginning.  Let me ask you something.  Why all this now? 
With the case and my father and god knows what else is gonna come tomorrow.  
And why does it have to be me?  Someone else can do it for a change.”
	Laughing, Tony replied, “that’s because you are a Caine and are 
entitled to all of its problems.  Your father has the same problems you do, 
he just knows how to hide it better.”
	Frowning, “that’s not the awnser I was looking for.”
	“Tell me the current crisis of the moment and see what the Great Tony 
can do.”
	Peter smirked and took a sip, “Lets just say, its personal.”
	“Nothings too personal for me.”
	“Sorry Tony.  I think I’m gonna get going, tomorrow is gonna be a long 
day.”
	“But you just got here.” Tony watched Peter finish his drink.  “When 
you feel like talking, I’ll be there to listen.  See ya tomorrow Peter.”
	“Yeah, tomorrow.”  With that Peter left. 
	Walking slowly out too his car, he paused in the cold night. He could 
hear the music from the bar and traffic cruising by on the street.  What a 
day, he thought.  
	A car pulled in behind him, Peter ignored it, and fumbled with his 
keys.  Feeling someone behind him, Peter turned, and caught an upperarm 
directed to under the chin
	Using ingrained training, he threw a kick at the opponent, hitting his 
target.  The blow threw the attacker back, but another came at him from the 
side.  Peter heard him growl.  The assailant, dressed entirely in black, 
fought wildly. Peter knocked him back as another approached.
	Where’s Pop when you need him, Peter thought, preparing.  The fiend 
struck.  Moving swiftly, Peter dove out of the way and pushed the attacker 
into the car.  A foot came out and knocked the unlucky detective to the 
ground.  
	“Hold it right there.” Tony’s voice cut through the night, gun aimed 
at the assailants.
	The one above Peter growled and ran off.  The others did the same, 
disappearing as swiftly as they had come.  
	“Thanks Tony, I owe you one.”
	The older man came over and helped Peter to his feet. “I’ll keep that 
in mind.  Any idea who they were?”
	“Yeah, the same ones who attacked my father.”


	The sun had risen behind heavy rain clouds.  Peter and Tony were at 
the other burnt site, and couldn’t believe what they had found. 
	“This guy must be one sicko.” said Tony in an astonished tone.  
	The walls of the burnout shell were covered in strange hieroglyphics.  
Broken glass and partially brunt animal parts littered the floor.  Trash and
other refuse mixed in with them.
	Peter put a hand over his mouth before continuing in further.  He 
stared at the obscenities covering the walls.  The current rainy day only 
added deeper to the gloom.
	“I think we found our man, Peter.  Where do you think he’s at?”  Tony 
asked, examining a nearby wall.
	“I dunno, maybe he saw us coming and flew the coop.  Or he may only 
come at certain times of the day.”  Peter carefully made his way over to the 
other side of the raized building, taking mental notes of what he found.  
“We’ll take some forensic evidence then watch the place in case we can catch 
him coming back.”  
	“Sounds good, I’ll go get the kits.”  Tony turned and left, leaving 
Peter alone.
	Taking deliberate steps, Peter continued to roam.  He stopped and 
picked up an old ledger.  Flipping through the pages, he began to feel cold 
and ill at the same time.  The pages were freshly written but old at the 
same time.  Its faded green, leather cover was streaked with dirt and 
another dark substance, possibly blood.
	“What’s that?” 
	Peter jumped at the sudden interruption.  Tony stood right behind him. 
“Its a book.  And it has the same writing that’s on the walls in it.”  Peter 
flipped through some more pages and froze.	
	“Anything useful in it?” Tony asked.
	“Its a list of names of the victims.” Peter looked up from the ledger, 
“and mines next.”


	Things were slow in the precint, few crimes occurred on cold, rainy 
days.  That was a fact that Kermit Griffin knew to almost always hold true.  
How else would most detectives get their paperwork done?
	Grabbing his full cup of pick-me-up-anytime-of-the-day coffee, he went
into his domain, where only the wary dared tread.  The morning had worn away 
with little results on finding out who Agent Anthony Donovan was.  The FBI 
had his file, but Kermit knew it was bogus. Anyone, with the right knowledge,
could tamper with personal files, even add some new ones.
	Kermit sat down in his office and let his mind wander, he had the 
feeling that he had known Donovan before, somewhere long before he joined 
the precint.  But he just couldn’t remember from where.  
	Frustrated, Kermit checked his e-mail, hoping the letters he sent out 
earlier would shed some light on the matter.  One response from an old merc 
in Kenya, never heard of the man.  No other responses were listed.
	After a moment, Kermit began typing again, curious if Interpol had 
anything on the mystery man.  Tapping into Interpol could get him into big 
trouble if he was ever caught, but that was just it, if he was ever caught.
	The computer began to beep favorably, he had new mail.  Kermit brought
up the new message before the computer could announce again of the arrival.  
It was from an old friend in Laos.

	Kermit, I remember a man by the name of Donovan. Watch yourself 
	around him, he will literally steal your soul.  
	Death comes along with the devil himself.

	Kermit sat back and mused over the message, the devil, really?  The 
writer hadn’t been known to exaggerate.  Shrugging, he went back to work.  


	Kermit watched Peter enter the precint a few hours later. Glancing at 
the clock, it said a quarter to six, almost quitting time for the young 
detective.  What was more important was that he wasn’t alone, Agent Donovan 
was with him.  Both men went over to Peter’s desk and began filling out 
paperwork.
	Paperwork, what fun, Kermit thought, waiting for when Peter was alone. 
Soon, the patience was rewarded and Tony took the forms and left, giving a 
short ‘see you tomorrow speech.’  Kermit moved in.
	“Peter, please come into the wonderful frog-heaven for a brief moment 
in your mundane life.”
	The younger detective rolled his eyes, and muttered something about 
how he hated it when Kermit played on the dramatics.  But he came, and shut 
the door behind him.
	“What do you want, Kermit?”
	Kermit noticed the weariness in Peter’s voice.  “I found out some 
important news about our new friend at the precint.”
	“And?”
	“Lets just say, the facts should be here in time.  A message came 
through, more of a warning really.  It said that death traveled along with 
Donovan.”
	Peter digested it. “Oh, is that it?”
	Kermit grimaced, “and that Donovan was supposedly the devil himself.  
I think that’s enough for now.”
	“Well, I’ve traveled around with Tony for the past couple days. He may 
be odd at times, but the part about the devil himself seems alittle 
stretched.  He saved my life last night when the same thugs who attacked my 
father attacked me.”
	“Can you id them?”
	Shaking his head no, Peter opened the door.  “It was too dark. Let me 
know when the facts come in, and thanks.”
	“No prob.” Kermit said the empty doorway.  His message to Peter didn’t
seem to have the effects he had hoped for, but that was figured.  He was 
always watching the troublesome detective whether he was aware of it or not.  
And this time, Kermit would be paying very special attention.


	“Peter, its for you.  Line two.”  Jody’s voice interrupted Peter from 
his thoughts, already cloudy and confused from the day, with Kermit’s 
insight added on top.
	He ungracefully picked up the standard, tan-colored phone.  “Detective 
Peter Caine.”
	Silence greeted his opening.
	“Will whomever is on the other line say something, or else I’m gonna 
hang up.”
	Finally, a wheezing laugh, followed by a raspy voice. “Hello Detective 
Caine, do you know who this is?”
	Peter signaled to Blake to try and trace the call.  The other 
detective scrambled to record.
	“No, I don’t know who this is, would you mind telling me?”
	The voice wheezed again.  “Oh, I think you know very well who this is. 
You found my hideout, something others like yourself were unable to do.  
Unfortunately, it rather upset me.  I want my book back.”
	“You’ll just have to come downtown and get it.”
	“I’ll just have to do that now won’t I?  You did see that you were 
next on the list, so watch your step, detective.”
	“And why...” Peter pulled the phone away from his ear. The caller had 
cut of the line.  “Did you get it?” he asked Blake.
	The older detective shook his head.  “Sorry Peter, the line was 
tampered with.”
	“Damn.” 
	“Did you at least get a voice recording?”  Kermit asked, standing in 
the doorway to his office.
	Blake held the small tape up.
	“Good, Peter what are your plans tonight?”
	The irate detective eyed Kermit.  “Jordan had a night off.  Thought 
we’d have a nice supper and spend some quality time together.”
	“Time to change your plans.”
	“No way Kermit, I’m a big boy, I can handle it on my own.”
	Kermit frowned, “Alright, but call every so often to make sure you’re 
alright.”
	“Yes mother.”  with the last snide comment, Peter left before more 
could be discussed.
	“Is anything wrong that we should know about?” Jody asked Kermit. 
	“What isn’t wrong with him?  I’ll stop by his father’s place tomorrow 
to see if Caine might help.”  Kermit told the worried detective, wondering 
what else was going on with his friend’s life.


	Sassy knocked the small vital from the table, shattering it into tiny 
fragments.  Glancing briefly at the mess, the brown tabby searched the 
countertop for more things to knock off.  She came across another of the 
small vitals, clear liquid was inside with strange drawings on the outside.  
Using her paws to act out her animal instinct, the little glass jar tumbled 
off the counter and landed with a ting, sending its fragments everywhere.
	“No! You evil little thing you!” Lorraine screamed.  Hearing the noise,
she went into the room and saw the mess, then the cat.  
	The cat took one look at her and took off running.
	“Get back here!”  Lorraine raced for the cat.  Trapping the cat into 
a corner, Lorraine kicked her.  The cat screamed and hissed.  In one swift 
move, Lorraine caught the cat by the scruff of its neck and held her up 
like some prize at a carnival.
	The cat, claws extended, swiped at Lorraine’s wrist, missing but still
writhing.
	“I got you now, you little furball.  I told you, two females in this 
house is too many, now its time to fix that.”			
	“Put her down.”
	Lorraine glanced up to see Caine standing in the doorway watching them.  
	“Don’t you even want to know what your precious little kitty did?  
Take a look on the floor over by the counter, that’s your problem more than 
mine.”
	Hesitantly, Caine went over to the work table, carefully avoiding 
stepping on the glass.  Picking up a large piece, he read the label to 
himself.  
	Lorraine saw him stiffen, she knew what it was, but he didn’t, until 
now. That was the way things were supposed to be, she was the one with the 
power, he just had to simply obey her, and he would live to see another day.
	Caine rose unsteadily to an upright position and fixed his gaze at her.  
“This is heroin” he simply stated.
	Lorraine nodded, a cruel smile creeping up the corners of her mouth.
	“Why? What do you want?”
	“I told you already, your soul.”  With a quick flick of her wrist, 
Lorraine snapped the kitten’s neck.  
	“No!”
	Swiftly moving over to him, Lorraine pushed Caine into the wall.  
Most of his strength was gone, Lorraine had drained him as weak as the 
kitten had been.  
	Caine tried to resist, but failed miserably; he loved Lorraine, how 
could he hurt her?
	She laughed at his indecision, then kissed him roughly.  “Clean up 
this mess, then come into the bedroom, maybe you could earn more, that is, 
if you really want it.”  She said the last part in a whisper by his ear, 
suggesting and controlling at the same time.
	“Why are you doing this to me?”  Some part in his mind told Caine to 
fight her power.  
	She lightly stroked her finger along his face, tracing the contours.  
“Because I love you.  Now do as I say.”
	“No.”
	She loved a man with fight in him. Lorraine wrapped her hand around 
his throat and rested her knee against his groin.
	“You don’t have a choice.  Everytime you disobey me, you put your son 
Peter at risk.  Remember the people who attacked you? I control them, and 
they are watching your son even as we speak.”
	Caine stared at the woman darkly, half unbelieving, yet knowing it was 
true.
	“Now do as you are told.  Oh, and tell anyone about this, your son 
pays.”  With that, Lorraine exited the room, leaving Caine alone with his 
thoughts.
	Caine slowly turned and looked at the dead feline lying desolately on 
the floor.  He picked her up gently petted her soft fur, wondering how 
things could have gone so wrong. 


	Head down to avoid the steady drizzle, Kermit climbed the stairs to 
Caine’s loft in a melancholy silence.  Ever since he had come back from the 
conference less than a week ago, Peter had been in a strange mood.  And now,
he hoped to find an answer.
	The usual quiet of the place greeted him, only this time, the peace 
and calm he usually felt was missing.  He felt like he was intruding.
	“Caine, are you here?” the detective asked the lonely surroundings.  
Exploring further, he saw that half the candles were lit to offset the 
growing darkness outside.
	“Caine,” he called again, “Caine, I need to speak with you.”
	A figure moved from the corner of his eye.  Kermit reached to pull 
his gun.
	“Caine, you shouldn’t sneak up on me like that.”
	The other man shrugged.  Kermit looked at his friend, he looks sick, 
he thought to himself, no wonder Peter is in such a foul mood.
	Kermit cleared his throat.  “I came by to see if you could help me.  
Peter seemed out of sorts lately and I just wondered if you might have any 
idea of why.”
	Caine motioned for Kermit to follow as he went back into the room he 
had come from. Plants and bowls were out upon the table, as well as two tea 
cups. Caine spoke as Kermit trailed behind.
	“Peter came by yesterday.  He is upset by the case he is working on.  
The evil in it bothers him, as well as something else.”
	Kermit attentively listened to what Caine said, noticing a slight slur.  
“Any idea what it could be?”  Not only that, but he also noticed a whiff of 
perfume that fragranced the room.  A woman’s perfume.		
	The priest shook his head no.
	“What about Tony Donovan?  Peter told me that you knew him at one time
or another.”
	Again, another negative head shake.  “I remember him, but I can not 
seem to recall much about him.”
	“What do you remember?”
	“I do not know.”
	Kermit sighed, it was turning out that both Caines needed some sort 
of help.
	“Tea?”
	“Huh?” 
	Caine held out a ceramic cup for him. 
	“No thanks, let me know if you learn anything about Peter’s problem 
and if you remember anything about Tony.”
	The elder man bowed.
	“And one more thing,” Kermit asked, almost out the door, “how did you 
know I was coming?”
	“I did not, the tea is for someone else.”
	“Peter?”
	“Lorraine.”
	Kermit moved back into the room.  That was the woman who was supposed 
to be staying with Caine, his mind registered.  “I thought she’d be gone 
by now.”
	Caine shrugged and turned away from him.
	Did I hit a sensitive topic, Kermit thought, noticing the total 
breakdown in communication.  
	“She decided to stay another week.”  Caine said still turned.
	“Why?”
	“Does it matter?”
	I guess it doesn’t.  “Alright, I’ll be by later this week.” With that, 
Kermit left with more questions than answers.


	Peter saw Kermit’s signature corvere leave from his father’s building.  
Is he checking up on me?  Peter grabbed a small grocery bag then angrily 
ran up the stairs to his father’s living space.  
	“Pop, where are you?  I know you’re here.  What did Kermit want?”  
He entered Caine’s main workroom and saw his father sitting at the table 
sipping his tea.  “Hi Pop.”
	The elder Caine plainly ignored the curt entrance.
	Peter set the paper sack on the table next to his father.  “Here, I 
brought some groceries for the week.  Thought you would like to join me for 
supper tonight.”
	Caine hesitantly set down his teacup.
	“I made sure to get things I knew you’d like.” Peter began pulling 
things out of the bag.  “Here, some rice, and some apples, tangerines, 
I know you like tangerines, and some veggies.  Yuck.”
	“They are necessary for a balanced body and chi.”
	“That doesn’t mean I have to like them.”
	Caine cracked a smile.  
	“So would you like to have supper with your son?”
	“I would but...”
	“But what?”
	Caine shifted his position on the chair. “Lorraine will be back soon.”
	“So?”
	Caine once again shifted his stance on the chair, glancing back down 
at the teacup.  “She wants to know where I am at all times.  She is afraid 
I will get hurt again if I go out after dark.”
	The line didn’t seem right, did he just lie to me? raced across 
Peter’s mind.  He was begining to get angry.  
	“If its about yesterday, I had everyright to do that, Pop.  But why 
won’t you go out to eat with me?”
	Caine didn’t respond.
	Peter waited, he could almost hear his watch ticking as the time 
passed.  “Well, why don’t you just say you don’t want to eat with your son 
tonight?”
	“That is not it at all, I want...”
	“You want to but you have better things to do? Or are you not allowed 
to?” The heavy scent of plants was getting on Peter’s nerves, maybe because 
they received more attention than he did, some part in his brain responded.  
The thought was soon overruled with the last statement, a look of fear had 
flashed across his father’s face when he said it, maybe he had been missing 
something.  His father had returned to the same stotic position as before, 
as if nothing had happened.  
	A dark idea drifted through his mind when trying to figure out his 
father’s reaction, the logical portion of his mind told him to ignore it, 
the other more inquisitive, detective side cried out for attention.
	“Peter, please leave.”
	He couldn’t believe it.  “No.  Why should I?”
	“Because I do not feel well.”
	Was that a lie too?  Peter tried to analyze it.  No, but there was 
more to it than that. It had to do with Lorraine.  And the nagging question.
	“Where is Lorraine?”
	“I do not know.”  Caine stood up, eyes still downcast.  Peter roughly 
pushed him back down.  Caine sat with little protest.
	“You will sit and awnser to what I have to say.”  Peter paused before 
asking the nagging question.  It was time to grab the tiger by the tail.
	“I’m going to put this nicely, are you two sleeping together?”
	Caine looked up sharply.
	“Don’t play dumb with me.  It’s either yes or no.”
	Peter watched his father nod his head yes.  It was what he feared.  
But why would his father take a lover now?  And why Lorraine?  
	“Ok, so I guess it’s none of my business what you do, but why?  After 
all these years, and why her and not Mary Margret?”
	Looking away from him, Caine quietly responded, “I love her.”  
	His father seemed more like a chastised dog than he did a man in love.
	“After two weeks?”
	A simple nod.  
	Peter sighed, will he ever understand his father?  “Are you sure?”
	Another nod, this time more hesitant and unsure.  
	He felt like a parent having to give his kid a sex talk.  What was 
he supposed to do now?  He suddenly felt very tired and old before his time.   
“All I’m gonna say is to be careful. I love you Pop, you’re the only father 
I have since Paul left, and I don’t want to lose you again.”  Unsure of what 
to do next, he started to leave.  He got halfway across the room before his 
father respond.
	“Peter.”
	“Yeah Pop.”  He didn’t turn around.
	“I love you.”
	Peter left.


	“Kwai Chang.”
	The instant he heard the voice he knew he was in for trouble.  Caine 
sat quietly, pondering what his son had told him.  He couldn’t make up his 
mind if he loved Lorraine or not.  He must, or else he wouldn’t have shared 
himself with her or told Peter what he did.  
	As if on cue, the woman walked into the room.  Only candles lightened 
the room, the sun had gone down hours before.  She didn’t seem to care, 
anger radiated from her, casting a shadow on any light that there might have 
been.  
	“Hello my love, did you have a good day?” she asked venomously, 
creeping closer.  “You must have been fairly busy with both Kermit and Peter 
visiting you.”
	Caine winced at the mention of his son and friend.  How did she know 
they had been by?
	“While I was out this afternoon, getting more drugs for you, you had 
friends come by.  What did you tell them?  Did you mention me at all?  
Oh come now, you can trust me.”  Lorraine slid her hand under his chin and 
forced him to look at her.  
	He hesitated before answering.  “Kermit wanted to say hello and tell 
me Mary Margret is feeling better.”  It was a lie, but would she know?  
“And Peter brought some groceries.”  He held up an apple.
	“Is that all they wanted?”
	He nodded his head yes.
	Lorraine’s eyes glittered in the eerie light.  And Caine knew that 
she knew he had lied.  
	In response, she smiled.  “You are a Shaolin priest, you should know 
better, I guess I’ll have to teach you to behave.”  
	At the end of her words, a dark figure ambled into the room.  
Dominating the door frame, he seemed to be a moving shadow, a very large 
moving shadow.  It stopped next to Lorraine.  And then growled.
	Caine began to back away from the figure.  He was defenseless and too 
weak to fight, and he had the feeling that the creature knew this.
	“Dark deception kills the light, Kwai Chang.”  With that, Lorraine 
left the room.


	Morning came in a haze of pain as Caine awoke, but clarity as well. 
Lorraine was still sleeping against him, she seemed so innocent when she 
slept, but he knew the truth of how things went when she was awake.  
Right before he had drifted off to sleep, she had told him he was forgiven 
from earlier and she’d end all his pain.  Lorraine had given him another 
dose of heroin.  To him, the worst part was that he wanted it since he was 
beginning to go through withdraw, anything to stop the pain.  
	And now, watching the deep orange of the rising sun upon his wall, 
he realized what he had to do.  And it was not pleasent.     


	Morning had come bittersweet for Peter as well, once arriving at his 
shift for the day, he discovered another body had been found.  With a note 
addressed to him attached.  It was full of the normal, I’m going to kill 
you nonsense that most psychotic killers liked, but it also had a riddle to 
where and when to meet him for the final show down, mano to mano.
	Peter sent the note to the lab to be tested. He had scribbled the 
riddle on another piece of paper in his pocket.  Placing it upon his desk, 
he read it once again.  

		Who dares to walk where fires raged,
		water surely opposes,
		both different, yet same.
		On the darkest hour of night,
		on the darkest night of nights,
		the steam shall arise,
		but who will survive?
		Just remember, dark deception kills the light.
		Come alone, or fire shall smite.

	What the hell did that mean?  He needed his daily pick-me-up coffee 
before starting anything.  
	“Need help?”  Tony pulled up a chair across from him, and read the 
note.  “What a fruitcake.”
	“Yeah.” Peter took a sip of the warm liquid and grimaced, couldn’t 
anyone who knew how to catch a criminal make coffee right?  
	“What’s your element symbol?”  Tony asked.
	“Water.”
	“How much do you wanna bet that he knows that and wants to take you 
down?”
	Peter glanced at the poem again.  “Or else he wants to meet me at the 
burntout restaurant by the McPherson river.”
	“Or that too.  Lets keep testing your detective skills.  When’s the 
darkest hour of night?”
	“Midnight.”
	“Sure about that?”
	Peter thought for a moment.
	“Ernt, the darkest hour of night is right before sunrise.”
	“I thought that was the coldest time of night.”
	Tony scratched his head, “its that too.”
	“What’s the moon like?”  Seeing a confused look from Tony, Peter 
expanded.  “It’s phase, is it full or new?”
	“It’s a new moon tonight.”  said Kermit, joining them.  “Heard you 
have a conference with the killer, need back-up?”
	“Don’t know yet.  Thanks for the offer, Detective Griffin.”  Tony 
replied to the interloper.  He was doing a fine job of leading Peter’s 
thinking to how he wanted, in essence, showing him who’s smarter.  Why did 
he have to get interrupted?
	“Need any help, you know where to find me.”  With that, Kermit left 
them.  But his purpose for the interruption was successful, he managed to 
plant a bug on Tony, to see where it leads.
	“Well, lets put the facts together.”  Tony began, unaware of what 
Kermit had done.  “The killer wants to meet you at his hideout right before 
sunrise tomorrow.  Any questions?”
	“Yeah, where do you wanna eat for lunch?”
	Tony blinked, it wasn’t quite what he was expecting.  “You can pick, 
I’m going to use the men’s room first.”  With that, he left.
	The men’s room was down the hall on the right.  Entering, he was glad 
it was empty.  He pulled out his cell phone and quickly dialed.
	“Lorraine, kill Kwai Chang tonight.  And make it look like a suicide.”


	It was after sunset, he knew she would be returning soon, and what 
she was expecting of him when she did come.  Once, he looked forward the 
appearance of a loved one, now he knew how false it was.  
	Caine said the last of his prayers, “Buddham saranam gacchami. Dharmam 
saranam gacchami.  Sangham saranam gacchami.  I take refuge in the Buddha.  
I take refuge in the Dharama.  I take refuge in the Sangha.”  The three most 
important elements in a Buddhist priest’s life, the Buddha, the Dharama; 
the law, and Sangha; practice of the Way. Three things he had been neglecting 
ever since Lorraine had come.  
	He heard a door close.  
	“Kwai Chang, where are you?”  Lorraine came into the room and saw him 
sitting before the alter.  Lorraine could hardly believe it when Tony had 
told her to kill him, he had so much life in him still to drain. She decided 
to keep him on the side, what Tony didn’t know, wouldn’t hurt him.
	“How was your day, my love?”  Kwai Chang asked, rising to greet her.  
	“Long, too long, I was thinking about you during most of it.”  Partly 
true, she didn’t want to kill him yet.	
	“Is that so?”
	She kissed him gently in response.  Beginning to intensify, the two 
found themselves in the bedroom, performing their daily rituals.  
	Kissing, touching, the momentum increased as Caine soon saw Lorraine 
wanting him in her.  Beginning an act that he once considered sacred, 
he began to make love to one he now hated.  
	Gently at first, he began to get rougher, as she cried out how she 
wanted it.  He added his own variations, which only made her cry out more, 
she was a noisy lover.  Kwai Chang concentrated on his breathing, and began 
to drain his strength back.  
	Lorraine started screaming, feeling the draining, and began to fight 
back viciously.  
	Kwai Chang grabbed her arms as she began beating him, forcing her to 
stay underneath him.  She only shrieked louder.  Her eyes blazed with hatred 
as she writhed, he only thrusted harder, exciting her body more.
	Finally, she screamed as she came, it was a mixture of both an animal 
pleasure and pain.  
	He came right after, implanting his seed in her for the last time.  
	Lorraine stared at him venomously, Kwai Chang still held her pinned 
beneath him.  
	“So, how does it feel, knowing you finally fucked a demon?” 
	Caine glared back at her. “I want you to leave and go back to hell.”
	Lorraine began laughing.  “Oh, you think its going to be that simple.  
I can leave you, but what about your heroin problem.  And the well being 
of your son?”
	Moving swiftly, Caine gripped his hand around her throat, and squeezed.  
Lorraine tried to free her arms, and she managed to wrap her legs tightly 
around him, crushing him slowly.  He thrust his hips to the side, twisting 
her legs at the joint.  She screamed in pain.
	“Swear to me you will never go near my son, or by the gods I will 
kill you now.  Swear it.”  He shook her head.
	“I swear I will not go near your son, but you will pay for this priest, 
you will die in agony beyond belief.  I have the devil by my side.”  She 
flashed a menacing grin, and Caine felt fear and doubt grip his soul.
	“Who is the devil that sent you?”
	“You know him very well, and your son is with him this very instant.”
	Battling within himself whether to kill Lorraine or not, Caine looked 
up and saw the Kwan Yin statue glaring down on them.  He released Lorraine 
and rose unsteadily.  “You will leave and never return.  And if my son dies, 
tell Tony no force on earth will stop me from killing him.”
	Unbelieving that she had life herself still, Lorraine quickly dressed. 
Kwai Chang followed her to the door.
	“Do you realize you will be dead by morning priest?” she asked.
	His dark eyes held their silence.
	“I’m not out of your system yet.  When withdraw kicks in, you will be 
begging for my return.  You better hope your son will protect you then.”  
With those final words she left, but the evil she had brought with her still 
permeated the rooms, and his soul.
	Kwai Chang went and dressed himself in the soft silk gei he usually 
practiced in.  Suddenly cold, he put on his robe.  He felt old, the strength 
he had regained wasn’t much, and it was tainted by her darkness.  
	Making a cup of tea, he waited for what the night might bring, hoping 
someone he loved would remember him.


	It was two hours before sunrise, and Peter felt the disturbance in 
his soul.  Only, it wasn’t he who needed help, it was his father.  
	Glancing around, he knew Tony and Kermit were in their appointed 
positions, both in close enough range not to be seen but still able to 
respond quickly if needed.  The killer hadn’t shown up yet, and probally 
wouldn’t for another hour.  Peter began walking back to Kermit’s green 
corvere, parked in a nearby driveway.
	“Psst, Kermit, I need you.”  he whispered out loud.  Something moved 
behind him.  Turning to pull his gun, a smiling face with green sunglasses 
greeted him.
	“You called, master.”
	“I could’ve shot you!  Don’t sneak up on me like that.”
	“Sorry.”
	“I need you to go and see if my father is ok.”
	“Why?”
	He shrugged “call it a bad feeling.  Just do this for me please.”
	Kermit nodded, the kid seemed serious, and Kermit knew that he and 
his father shared some kind of telepathic link.  He never understood it but 
neither did he doubt its reality.
	“Sure.  I’ll be back as soon as I can.”  With that, Kermit got into 
his car and drove off in the quiet night.  
	Peter waited until the taillights disappeared before starting back 
down to his position.
	Time passed slowly as he waited in the cold, he glanced at his watch,
hard to believe nearly an hour had passed since Kermit left.  Tony had been 
down once to see if he wanted anything, like coffee.  Peter said no, he just 
wanted it to be over.
	Pacing around to keep warm, the burntout shell did little to calm his 
uneasiness.  He pondered the events that lead him to this.  All were 
unpleasant, so he decided to think about Jordan.  He could see her now, 
sleeping in his nice warm bed, hair in little, golden ringlets, body...
	A snap behind him got his attention.  Peter paused, listening.  Its 
just the wind.  He calmed down alittle, here I am on a stakeout, thinking 
about Jordan, wanting it to be over to go see her, some cop I am. He laughed.  
	The wire that whipped around his throat stopped it.  The killer had 
finally arrived to claim his next victim.


	“Caine, my god, are you alright?”  Kermit had searched all throughout 
the apartment before finally finding the priest curled up on the floor.  
Caine rested against one of the walls in the workroom, facing the doors that 
led out onto the terrace.  
	Kneeling down next to him, Kermit checked to see if Caine was still 
alive.  The other man groaned.
	“My son, you must help him.”  Caine whispered.  
	He must be going through some sort of withdraw, Kermit thought.  
Reaching under his friend, he tried to help him stand.
	“No Kermit, let me be.  You must save my son.”  
	“Caine, I need to get you to a hospital, what happened to you?”
	The other man laughed, “I angered the gods, I remembered who Tony was, 
you must get Peter away from him, please Kermit, go.”
	Kermit was torn between two friends, he couldn’t leave Caine here like 
this, and he couldn’t take him along.  Glancing over at the other man, 
sweat gleamed on his forehead from the effort of talking, he’s definitely 
in pain, he surmised, great pain.
	“Who is Tony, Caine?”
	Caine stared blankly out the windowdoors, as if waiting for something.  
	“Tony is the devil.”  Kwai Chang turned toward Kermit, 
“and he’s after my son’s soul.”


	Jackknifing himself backwards, Peter fell heavily on the assailant, 
knocking the wind out of him.  Grabbing the hands that held the wire, he was 
soon free.  He twisted but was kicked hard in the side.  
	“Gottcha detective.” hissed the killer.  “Who will win I wonder?”  
The man dove, trying to tackle Peter.  Years of martial arts had heightened 
Peter’s reflexes and he easily deflected the man, throwing him against one 
of the walls.
	Peter heard a gun go off and saw the killer’s body jerk, then lay 
still. 
	Tony slowly came into view.
	“Damn it, did you have to shoot him?  I was about to cuff him.”  
Peter angrily shouted.
	The other man glared in defiance.  “He was going to kill you, I was 
doing what I thought was best.”
	“But you always do what is in your own best interests don’t you, 
Anthony Donovan.”  Kermit said flatly, gun raised and pointed at Tony.  
“Now why don’t you tell us who you really are.  I just came from visiting a 
priest, and he says you’re the devil.  Now why doesn’t that surprise me?”
	Tony cruelly smiled “gotta make a living somehow. You don’t know who 
you’re messing with do you Kermit?  And yet you know me too.  I was with you 
on some of your mercenary missions, wasn’t I?”
	“That doesn’t change the facts.”
	“No, but this does.”  Tony tossed something at them.  Both detectives 
ducked as smoke began filling the air.  Scrambling away from it, the smoke 
covered Tony's getaway.  
	“Will you please tell me what’s going on?”  Peter yelled at Kermit.
	“I will on the way over to your father’s, he needs you right now.”


	Hints of gray began in the east, as Kwai Chang waited for the sunrise.  
He had been fighting with himself as the withdraw pains began to get more 
severe, more controlling.  
	Feed me, beg her to come back, kill me, the demons whispered, all in 
his own mind.  He wept from the pain.
	Lorraine was near, he could feel her, watching him and laughing.  
And she could still control him.
	After Kermit left, he had gotten up and looked for some rope. And then 
he began to build a makeshift ladder to the rafter beam in the main workroom, 
using chairs and other objects.  
	Slowly, with the rope in hand, he climbed to the top of the tower and 
swung the rope over the rafter beam.  
	Why was he doing this?  “I want to live, live!” he cried out to the 
empty room.  No one answered.  With tears sliding down his face, he made 
the necessary knots.  And slipped the loop over his head.
	Stop it, he silently ordered his hands, but they moved of their own 
accord, tightening the noose.  
	No no no no no, why was this happening?  “Somebody please, help me.” 
he pleaded to the empty room, “please.”
	The makeshift ladder began to wobble.  In one swift motion it fell, 
crashing to the ground.  
	Kwai Chang’s body jerked on the rope, as he kicked and clawed at the 
noose.  Glancing outside for one last time, he saw the pale colors of the 
sunrise begin.  His fingers stopped their clawing as he stared at the 
brilliant oranges and reds.  
	Then the colors faded to black.


	Peter and Kermit took the stairs two at a time, both praying in their 
own way, hoping that they weren’t too late.
	Peter was the first one in the workroom.
	“No! Father!”  Pulling his gun, he shot the rope that his father hung 
from.  Catching him in his arms, he screamed at Kermit to get a knife.
	Oh god, why now, why did he do this?  He asked himself, cutting the 
noose away.  The body was still warm as he felt for a pulse.   
	“Come on, you can’t leave me now, you promised.”  Peter briefly heard 
Kermit saying something about finding a phone, as he massaged his father’s 
neck.
	Wildly eyeing around the room, he saw the Kwan Yin statue staring at 
him.  The goddess of mercy drew his attention, he vaguly remembered hearing 
a story about how she saved those who prayed to her. 
	“Oh please, help me,” he asked of it. “Please, don’t let my father die.  
I’ll do anything, just don’t let him die.”
	Almost as if his prayer was heard, Peter felt a faint pulse in his 
father’s neck.  He was alive, but barely.  Peter thanked Kwan Yin and held 
his father close to him till the paramedics arrived. 


	Day two since the suicide attempt, and Peter still felt like a 
basketcase.  What made things so hard to comprehend is that he didn’t know 
why.  Because he was a Caine, was the only explanation he could think of.  
	Sighing, he slumped himself down in the hospital chair in his father’s 
room.  Why, why, why, why, why, the same monologue kept running through his 
head. So Tony had wanted his soul, why? Peter leaned back and closed his 
eyes, images of his father hanging haunted his sleep.  He could see the body 
just hanging limply, arms dangling at the side, head lolled to the right, 
he seemed more like a thrown away doll than a man.  
	Brilliant hues of red and gold flashed through his mind.  It was the 
sunrise.  He remembered the sunrise when he had held his father’s body, 
as if heaven was welcoming the arrival of a soul that been to the door many 
times and was finally coming in.  It would have to wait some more, Peter 
stubbornly thought.  
	Glancing at the comatose body on the bed, the doctors had thought it 
best to keep his father sedated while he went through withdraw.  Caine had 
been given a thorough physical exam, and a number of bruises and abrasions 
had been discovered, as well as a dependency upon heroin.  That had shocked 
everyone, and Peter couldn’t wait to find Lorraine and give her a taste of 
her own medicine.
	Peter watched the door open slowly and admit Mary Margret. She had a 
pale and tired appearance, the look of one getting over a sickness.  After 
coming back from the convention, she had been ill with food poisoning, 
and now that Tony and Lorraine were gone, she miraculously began to improve.  
More proof of their evil motives.
	“How’s he doing?” she asked hesitantly, coming to stand next to the 
bed.
	Peter rose and joined her, offering her whatever strength he could.
	“They lowered the dosage on the tranquilizers.  He should be waking 
either today or tomorrow.” 
	She nodded as if expecting it, but her eyes still stared at the angry 
red scar across Caine’s throat left by the rope. It would disappear in time.  
She reached out her hand and smoothed a stray strand of hair away from his 
face.  Then she slid her hand down to where his hand was resting against the 
rail. Mary Margret could feel her hackles raising just by looking at the 
restraints that the doctors had placed on him.  Both his wrists and ankles 
were cuffed to the bedside, and three straps prohibited his body from moving.
	“They said they have to do it on all withdrawing addict cases.”  he 
couldn’t keep the venom towards the practice out of his voice.  “He’ll go 
crazy if he wakes to find himself tied up. But they won’t listen to me.”  
His voice broke with anger.
	“Calm down Peter, maybe when he wakes and they see him calm, the 
doctors will remove them.” 
	“Yeah right.”
	Mary Margret sighed, she had another reason for this visit.  “Peter, 
something arrived for you at the precint.” She reached into her purse and 
brought out an envelope, still sealed with red wax on the back.  “Here, no 
one wanted to open it.” 
	Peter took the envelope, he had been waiting for something like this; 
he knew who it was from.  Carefully examining it, it made him think of a 
Hallmark card.  Peter broke the seal.

		This isn’t over between you and me.
		Be at the roof of the Devil’s Tower by midnight tomorrow                                                                        
		night, or everyone you love will die.  And come alone.               
			Anthony Donovan

	Putting the letter away, Peter looked down at his father.  
“Skalaney, when you go back to the precint, ask Kermit if he has time to 
stop by later on.”  
	“Why?  What did the letter say?”
	“That it isn’t over yet.” 


	Kermit carefully read over the letter again.  “Sternman CEO 
Headquarters, aka, Devil’s Tower. Want me to come as backup?”
	Peter shook his head, “no, I want you to watch over my father while 
I’m gone.  I have a feeling that Lorraine will be back to finish the job.”
	Kermit nodded, it was what he was expecting, only Peter didn’t know 
about the bug trace on Tony.  He would investigate that out personally 
tomorrow before the rendezvous. 
	“I need to get back, is there anything else?”  Kermit asked.
	“Yeah, how about a vacation? I heard the Caribbean is nice this time 
of year.”  
	At least the kid still had his sense of humor.  Kermit knew that it 
was tough for Peter, when his father had woken earlier, he went crazy in 
finding himself strapped down.  Peter had knocked some of the nurses and 
doctors away to keep them from pumping his father with more sedatives.  
Peter then managed to calm his father down, but the hospital staffers 
decided to sedate him again anyway, if only on a lesser doseage.  And now, 
Caine was awake but still groggy.  And in pain.  They doctors didn’t want 
to give him anything for the pain in case it might feed the addiction habit.  
A load of bull to Kermit personally, and he knew Peter had thought the same. 
Deep inside, Kermit knew Peter was boiling over.  He hoped the younger man 
would keep his whits about him when facing Tony, but he would be there just 
in case.  Afterall, wasn’t he Peter’s guardian angel?
	“I’ll be by tomorrow.”  Kermit left, nodding a brief good-bye to Caine.
	Peter and Caine were the only two left in the room.
	“Well Pop, is there anything I can get you?”  The younger man asked, 
coming alongside the bed.
	Caine sighed, he always knew this day would come, just not so soon.
	“My son, I need to tell you something.”  	
	“You can tell me some other time.  Rest now.”
	Caine shook his head.  “It is why Tony is here.”
	Peter felt anger rising in him again, it was a question he had been 
wondering. “I know he wants my soul, but why?”
	Pausing before speaking, Caine began slowly, “because you are the last 
of the line of Caine, my son.  All that has passed before you, will gather 
in you.  When I die, you will be the guardian of all that knowledge.”
	Peter sat back skeptically, he had known he was destined for something 
great, he found out when his father and Lo Si had sent him back in time.  
He could still remember the phrase ‘the last shall save the first.’
	“Why me?”  was all he could ask.
	“Why any of us.  I questioned when my father left me, and I questioned 
when your mother died.  I never found an answer.  But my son, with this 
‘gift’ it can be given away or taken from you.  I had hoped time would have 
let me train you more but I can not, so please guard it with your life.”
	He sounded like he was going to die soon.  “Don’t worry Pop, when we 
get through this, we’ll take a vacation together.  We’ll go to the beach or 
something.”
	Caine weakly smiled, “if you say so my son.  I love you, always 
remember that.”  With that, Caine closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
	Peter watched his father sleep, wishing he could too, but the 
nightmares wouldn’t let him.  Standing, he went to talk to someone to see 
if he could get the restraints taken off.


	Lorraine’s head jerked to the side as Tony hit her.  She had failed, 
Caine was still alive.
	“Tonight I plan on taking Peter’s power, but I can’t do that if 
Caine’s still alive, now can I?”
	Tony had filled her in on the inheritance power, what he was after.  
She had rarely seen him in such a rage, especially at her.
	“Listen Tony, I said I would kill him and I will, just give me some 
time.”
	“Time, you want time!  I have three hours until Peter shows up.  
You were fucking Caine for three weeks.” Tony paused to collect himself.  
“If Caine’s not dead by the time Peter arrives tonight, you better not let 
me catch you.”
	It was a threat Lorraine knew wasn’t idle.  “Yes master,” she hissed.  
Kwai Chang would be dead by then, nothing else mattered.


	 Ten o’clock, showtime.  Kermit stood, grabbing extra clips for the 
Desert Eagle just in case.  He had been watching the tracking device for 
the past couple of days and knew the location of Tony’s lair.  Now it was 
time to close in on him.   
	“Going somewhere?” a feminine voice asked behind him.
	Kermit turned to see Mary Margret watching him.  His cover was blown.
	“I’m coming with you to track the scumbag down.”
	“I can’t let you do that.”
	Coming to stand directly in front of him, Kermit could see in her 
dark brown eyes that she was serious.  Dead serious.  Short of shooting her, 
Kermit yielded.
	“I put a tracking device on Tony a few days ago and had been monitoring
his movements.  He stayed at the same place on Logan Street.  I’m guessing 
that Lorraine will be there also.”
	Mary Margret stiffed at the mention of Lorraine, Kermit knew he’d have 
to hold her back if the two of them were in the same room.
	“Lets go.” she harshly whispered, and turned to leave. 


	Apartment 1240, perfect view of the city.  The apartment was posh and 
expensively decorated.  Kermit had kicked the door in after receiving no 
response.  The tracking device said Tony was inside, but his mercenary 
instincts were going wild, something was wrong.
	“Lets get in and get a quick look around, then get out.  I’ve got a 
bad feeling about this.”
	Skalaney nodded in agreement.  Both of them split up, each searching 
for clues.  Seeing the bedroom door cracked, Kermit kicked the door open.  
Gun raised, he crept into the room.  A break in the curtains allowed him to 
see a coat and a large gift box on the bed.  The coat was the same one he 
planted the bug on.
	His instincts were going haywire.  What was in the box?  There was 
something about it.  Bomb.  It was a bomb.
	“Get out Skalaney, bomb!” He screamed, racing out of the room himself.   
	The bomb exploded in a haze of fire, flinging glass, metal, and 
concrete.  With the force that it exploded, a large chunk of the apartment 
building was destroyed.  
	Neither detective made it out alive.    


	Lorraine slinked into the room.  Peter had left a few minutes before 
to meet with Tony.  With Kermit never arriving, the younger man had called 
to the precinct.  Kermit and Skalaney were missing, and someone else would 
be by to watch his father for him.  Satisfied with that, Peter left.
	It was time to finish the job she started.  Creeping over to the bed, 
she saw the Shaolin sleeping, unknowing of her.  He was still in restraints.  
It would make her job even more amusing.  
	Lorraine crawled onto the bed and whispered into Caine’s ear, “wake up 
sleepyhead, it’s me again.”
	He opened his eyes.  She could see fear cross the soft brown eyes as 
they focused on her.
	“What? Where’s Peter?”
	“He went to go meet Tony.  It’s just you and me now.”  Caine looked 
wildly at the door.  “No one else is coming.  Both Kermit and that bitch 
of yours is dead.”
	“No, help me!” he cried out at the door.  “Help!”
	Lorraine gathered her chi and swept her arm out towards the door, 
creating an invisible shield.
	“No one can hear you Kwai Chang.”
	She reached out and pulled the IV from his hand.  Then she moved the 
left arm shackle up above Caine’s head.  Then she moved the right.  He tried 
to pull away as she moved his arms, but she was stronger.
	“Don’t you just love those control freaks?  They tie down an unruly 
patient, supposedly, to keep them from hurting themselves.  But then there’s 
your case where they set you up just for me.”
	Caine closed his eyes and began to pray.  Dear Lord Buddha, please 
help me, he silently whispered.  Kwan Yin have mercy on me.  He could feel 
Lorraine moving the straps that held his body down, now she could get to 
the parts she really wanted.  
	She laughed as she removed the blankets and bedclothes, a thin layer 
of protectiveness now gone.  He gritted his teeth as he felt her hands move 
up and down his body.  
	And then Kwai Chang began to scream.


	Captain Karen Simms set the phone down gently.  There was no way to 
comprehend it.  Kermit and Mary Margret were dead.  They went to trap the 
devil and he got to them first.  How would she tell the others?
	Rising, she walked over to the door and looked out at the squad room.  
Most of the detectives had gone home for the night, but Strenlich, Jody, and 
Blake had remained.  They knew what Peter was going to do tonight and they 
wanted to be around just in case they were needed.  
	She would tell them now.  Simms went out into the room.  
	Strenlich looked up.  “Hey Capt. want some freshly brewed coffee?  
Blake made it correctly for once.”
	The other detective gave him a dark look.  “Ha ha, Frank.  At least 
I make the attempt.”
	Karen smiled at the banter.  With what she had to say, things would 
never be the same.  “I have some bad news.”
	The other detectives turned to listen to her.  She felt like the grim 
reaper, but there was no easy way to do it.   
	“Its about Kermit and Skalaney.  They went to try and arrest Tony.  
The place was rigged and a bomb went off.  They didn’t get out in time.”  
	Shock registered on their faces.  Everyone was too stunned to speak.
	“Hello?”  
	Karen looked up to see an RPS deliveryman standing at the desk.  The 
young man’s uniform was dirty and the man himself seemed strange. Karen felt 
animosity at him for intruding upon them. 
	“I have a package addressed to the 101st.  Will somebody sign for me?”  
He help up the brown clipboard.  Frank signed it, and took the shoebox size 
package.  The man dissapeared as quickly as he had come.
	That’s strange, Karen thought, RPS doesn’t deliver after seven. 
Unless...
	“Frank, its a bomb!”  
	All of them heard a distinct tick come from it.  Strenlich opened it.  
The device was small with colored wires connecting parts together.  The 
clock read 30 seconds.
	“Blake, get over here.”  Strenlich bellowed.
	The other man, with wire cutters in hand, quickly examined it.  
“Studying a bomb’s blueprints is alot different than actually diffusing it.  
This is a tricky one.  Its either the red or blue wire.”
	“Just cut one.”  Jody yelled. 
	“Here goes.”  He cut the red wire.
	Silence filled the room as the detonator stopped.
	“He did it!”  Jody ran and hugged Blake, practically tackling him.
	Karen felt her heart miss a beat as relief washed over her.  The gang 
joyously hugged each other and laughed, each at escaping death once more.
	The phone rang.
	“101st.”  Answered Jody to the caller.
	Karen turned to go back into her office.  When will this day ever end, 
she asked herself.
	“Captain, its the hospital.  They need to speak to Peter.”  said Jody, 
holding up the phone.
	“Put them on the line. Hello?”
	Jody and Blake waited in the doorway as she spoke on the phone, 
concern written on both their faces.  
	Karen hung up.  She wanted to go home, the day had gone from bad to 
worse.
	“Well?”  Jody asked.  
	She took a deep breath before responding, “Caine’s dead.” 
	The celebration died as soon as she spoke the words.  The sorrow from 
earlier also hitting home again.
	“Jody, I need to go to the hospital.  They wouldn’t tell me anything 
over the phone.  I want you to keep me posted on everything that happens.”
	The woman nodded.
	With no words of comfort to offer them, Karen left.
	Hearing a slight beep, Strenlich glanced down at the bomb.  It had 
restarted with three seconds left.
	The explosion destroyed the entire building.


	The lights glittered like tiny jewels, and he had a perfect panoramic 
view of the city.  Peter stood atop Devil’s Tower, one of the highest 
skyscrapers in the city.  And well named too, ten people had been murdered 
in it.  He remembered reading about it in the papers. 
	Peter could feel the bitter wind, bitter like his heart; his father 
was dead, his friends were dead, he felt the explosions and heard their 
souls cry out in fear.  Ignoring both the wind and view in front of him, 
Peter focused on his newly acquired power, it pulsed within him. He silently 
prayed, father please be with me, trying to prepare himself for what was 
ahead.
	And what exactly was ahead? Death? If it is, I’m not going down 
without a fight. Peter grinned at his thought, tightening his grip on the 
frigid steel rail that surrounded the large rooftop.  I sound like a man 
who has nothing to lose.  Maybe I don’t, but no one messes with the Caine 
family.  Now I sound like a mobster. His laughter echoed off the nearest 
buildings. Get a fucking grip on yourself Caine, this is no time to lose it, 
said the logical part of his mind.
	“But I’ve already lost it!”  He shouted to the empty sky.
	“What if I could give it back to you?”
	Peter whirled around at the sudden intrusion.  His nemesis stood 
watching him, patiently waiting for an impatient man to make a wrong move.  
Peter wouldn’t give him the pleasure of seeing him fuck up, he needed to 
fulfill his destiny.  What once was clouded, has cleared and only the cold, 
hard truth remained. He was the last of the line of Caine, whether or not 
he survived didn’t matter, as long as he rids the world of a certain evil.
	Tony cautiously watched him, “so Peter, you finally understand what 
your life has been for so far, what if I could make it worth more?”
	“Then I’d say go back to hell.”
	“Tsk, tsk, such a firebrand youth, doesn’t know what he’s missing.”  
Tony lifted his cane, admiring it.  “Do you see this staff?  It was carved 
by a Shaolin monk many centuries ago.  It was meant to be a gift to the 
emperor of China at the time.  I murdered the emperor and blamed it on the 
Shaolin.  The monk was beaten to death by it. His blood still stains it.”
	Recoiling at the story, Peter wondered where Tony was leading him.
	“And to this, my dear friend, you have a choice, join me or suffer 
eternal damnation.  And I always get what I want.”
	Damned if I do, damned if I don’t.  Peter could feel a churning of 
power within himself, his chi growing stronger with every passing heartbeat.  
He looked out over the seemingly silent city.  
	“It won’t answer for you.  Neither will your friends.  And your 
father’s dead.  Paving the way to hell for you.”
	At the mention of his father, Peter turned sharply back.  He had felt 
the death of Kermit and Skalaney, and the death of his other friends.  The 
inheritance gave him power beyond his dreams, but he could feel it fraying 
the corners of his mind, wanting control that he couldn’t grant.  Mustn’t, 
it would drive him insane.
	“It’s over now Tony, leave or I will kill you.”  Peter felt the 
strength rise within him, the strength of ages.
	“Then it’s time to die.” said Tony calmly, quietly. “I will just have 
to pull the power from you unwillingly.” Tony threw the staff down between 
them.  A rose colored fog began to snake its way from the tip, delicately 
dancing its way over to Peter, wrapping itself around him.  It tightened.
	“No.”  Peter screamed as the thing began to absorb itself into his 
body.  He writhed, trying to get away from it, but his body wouldn’t obey.  
	Calm down, he ordered himself, I have the power to stop it, lets use 
it.  Beginning to focus on ridding his body of the intruder, Peter was dimly 
aware of the receding smoke. His body was free again.
	“A simple carnival trick.” Tony smirked.  	
	Peter could feel the other man gathering chi.  Suddenly, lightning 
streaked across the sky in electric blue.  In dazzling displays of power, 
the lightning danced with each other, each bolt getting closer and closer 
to the tower.  
	In less than a blink of an eye, a bolt shot towards him. Peter raised 
his hands, and with his own chi, guided the strike directly at Tony.  
	The devil screamed in pain as bluish-purple flames engulfed him.  The 
bodily image that he wore quickly burned away, as his true form emerged.  
Peter felt sickened at the sight and turned away, but the image of a 
dragon-like monstrosity flashed before his eyes.  
	He had to end it.  Peter forced himself closer to the searing heat 
and picked up the staff.  It felt cool and untouched by the events around 
it.  In one swift motion, Peter threw the cane into the devil.  His aim was 
true, and the staff pierced the center of the devil’s chest.
	Then the screaming began.  Peter clamped his hands over his ears, but 
the sound only rose in higher frequency and pitch.  He could feel it 
reverberate in his bones, his head, his soul.  It steadily got louder and 
louder.  Peter added his own screams to it.  
	He turned to see what was happening.  A doorway was opened, liquid 
fire writhed inside as shadows danced near its opening.  The gateway to hell.  
And it was sucking Tony inside. 
	With a loud pop, the gateway exploded, driving heat in waves beyond.  
Peter passed out as he felt his body being seared by the first wave, but 
had the strange feeling that someone had wrapped their arms around him to 
save him from the flames. 

**************************************************


	It started with gray first, slowly banishing the blackness beforehand.  
Next came a bluish green, then a whitish yellow.  Peter sat up as the orange 
glow of the sun greeted the world for another day.  The deep orange orb 
gradually rose higher, and the city began to come alive below him.  
	Peter stood and went to the railing, unbelieving, as if he had awaken 
from a vile nightmare.  He touched his ear.  Blood, dried blood.  It had 
been real.  All at once his body gave muntinty and he fell hard onto the 
rocky roof.  
	Oh, I ache, he moaned, half weeping.  The ground where the doorway had 
been was scorched black.  His skin had a slight red burn to it. 
	Forcing himself up again, Peter slowly headed for the stairs that 
would take him off the roof.


	Why did I come here? Peter asked himself, staring at his father’s 
apartment.  He had walked the few blocks, receiving stares and whispered 
comments.  I must really look bad, passed through his mind, when one mother 
grabbed her child’s hand.
	I know why I’m here, I’m hoping for him.  I want the peace and 
tranquility that resides there with him.  Peter wished he could feel the 
solace he sought, but he was too empty to feel anything.
	A darkness passed before his eyes.  No now, he cursed, I made it 
this far only to crash in the street.  
	“Are you alright?”  
	Peter turned to see a young Asian man next to him, concern was written 
on his face.
	The blackness came again and Peter vaguely saw the man try to catch 
him as he fell.


	The flames danced wickedly toward him as a great winged beast swooped 
down from black skies to tear at his already ravaged body.  Peter screamed 
as the claws began to rip him.
	Strong hands grabbed him as he fought off the attack, but his legs 
were free.  Mustering the last of his strength, Peter kicked out.  His feet 
hit their target and he was free.
	Peter, the name was whispered in the growing darkness of his mind as 
the war scene faded away.  Peter, was someone calling him?  Peter, the name 
was called louder.
	“Peter.”
	Finally awakening from unconscienceness, Peter opened his eyes.
	“He’s awake!  Peter how are you feeling?” asked a feminine voice.
	Wincing at the unaccustomed lighting, things began coming into focus.  
Peter dimly saw a dark haired female leaning over him.  It was Mary Margret.
	“Oh no,” he moaned, “I’m dead.”
	“You’re in the hospital Peter.”  she answered, a slight hint of 
sarcasm in her voice.  “Although with what you just did to your father,” she 
paused before continuing, “but I’m sure he’ll forgive you.”
	Tilting his head up, Peter realized she was right, he was in the
hospital.  The IV was stationed near his head, as glum, blue walls 
surrounded him.  His father stood next to Mary Margret, rubbing his jaw.  
Panic set in, they were dead.  Or was it all a dream?  
	Eyeing one person to the next, Peter just didn’t know.  “I thought you 
two were dead.  What about Tony and Lorraine?”
	He saw confusion pass over their features.
	Caine reached over and placed his hand on Peter’s head. “Who are they, 
my son?”
	“You know who they are.  The devil and his associate.”
	At the confused looks he was recieving, he continued on. “I had a case 
about a serial killer and Tony showed up as a fed.  He he was actually the
devil, wanting my soul.  I just fought him before coming to your place, Pop.  
I know its real, it just happened!”
	“Peter it was just a dream, a byproduct of the concussion.”  said Mary 
Margret. 
	“No, Pop, you see things others don’t, tell me it happened.”
	His father shrugged, “it is possible.  What did this man say?”
	Peter threw himself back against the pillows frustrated.  “That he 
wanted my soul because of the inhertance!  And Lorraine distracted you so 
you couldn’t help me.”
	“And how did she come into the picture?”  Mary Margret asked 
inqusitively.
	“Pop, you were attacked and Lorraine was supposed to take care of you, 
only thing was, is that she was evil and was poisoning you. Then she seduced 
you.”  He stopped there on purpose.
	“Is that so?” Mary Margret asked, darkly glancing at Caine.
	“Then she killed you.”  Questions about the inheritance jumped in his 
mind, was that real or just imagined like everything else supposedly was?  
He’d ask his father later.
	“You are safe now, my son.”  Caine gently picked up Peter’s hand, 
continuing his readings of Peter’s chi. 
	“Yeah, but I have one question: how did I get here?  All I remember is 
fighting Tony, waking up, and going to your place before passing out.”
	“You were found outside my building.  A young man called for help and 
you were lying there.  Only you know what else had happened.”
	Peter sat back stunned, so it did happen, or didn’t it?
	“My son, you need rest.  We will talk more later.”  With that, Caine 
and Mary Margret left.
	Alone now, Peter stared around the small room.  What was going on?  
He felt argry and frustrated, was everyone else alive as well?  Could he 
have just imagined it all?  
	No, it happened, he was sure of it.  But how could it be?  Perplexed 
Peter closed his eyes, he felt used and old.  Trying to sleep, he willed 
away the nightmares.


	Staying at his father’s loft, Peter searched through the various herbs 
and plants that rested on the windowsill. With a cry of triumph, he finally 
came across what he was seeking: the marijuana plant.  Peter had decided to 
check out the knowledge he had gained form the strange time lapse.  Some 
things agreed with his version on how the past few weeks were, but other 
parts were different; like Tony and Lorraine.  The serial killer was real, 
the federal agent wasn’t.  The whole incident boggled his mind, but he had 
gained new insight to things like his father’s past and the loyalty of his 
friends, not to mention the inheritance.  Peter had asked about that.  As 
usual, his father answered in cryptic tones that boiled down to: I’ll tell 
you at a later date.  When asking his father about his not-so-priestly past, 
all communications had broken down. Peter didn’t know what was worse, having 
his father just clam up on him or play Chinese boxes, answering a question 
with a question.
	And now, he had found the marijuana plant that was to be kept hidden.  
Should he say something?
	Peter put the plant back, he’d leave it for another time.  Caine was 
out helping a patient but he’d be back later.  Peter just enjoyed the peace 
and silence that the abode offered.  He still had nightmares and deep inside 
he knew it had happened; that Tony and Lorraine were real and had come after 
him.  How the two time frames could exist, he didn’t know, he just accepted 
it.  
	Going over to the terrace doors, Peter stared out the windows and 
watched the sunset.  Going in opposite colors of the sunrise, the sky turned 
a deep gold before finally darkening.  Peter wondered if he had fulfilled 
his destiny.

	Coming home right after sunset, Caine saw his son sleeping peacefully 
on the futon.  Pulling a blanket up over the younger man, he realised that 
his son was finally begining to accept his fate as the last of the line of 
Caine, something he hardly understood himself.
	Queitly standing, the priest left the room to go say his evening 
prayers, making sure to thank Kwan Yin for watching over his son.



                    THE END