*****
"Hey, Partner," Jody said, resting her hand on the familiar shoulder as she drew close. "I thought you were going to your dad's tonight..."
The man at the table checked her out as she sat down next to him. He nodded approvingly.
Seated, Jody got a look at his face. "WHAT happened to you??"
"Well, baby, these bad guys grabbed me..." Wolf rubbed his jaw and put on his best hurt puppy expression. "Maybe you could kiss it and make it better...?"
It was Jody's turn to stare. "BABY?" She didn't nod, but creased her brow in confusion.
"I did go to Pop's," Peter whispered in her ear, behind her. "What's your excuse for being here so late?"
"Huh...?" Jody looked over her shoulder. Recognition dawned. "Peter...! What's going on?"
Peter sat a bottle of beer in front of Wolf then pulled up a chair so he could sit between Jody and his double. "You remember Wolf Gan-"
"Ssshh!" Wolf hissed. "Not so loud, man! I don't wanna be mobbed."
"Of...course," Jody said, as she subtlely nudged Wolf's foot away from her leg.
Peter sipped his beer, sat the bottle on the table and continued, "It seems Wolf decided to impersonate me tonight and became the unwilling guest of some bad guys who mistook him for me."
"Who? WHAT did they want??" Jody asked the celebrity.
"Don't know...and don't really care," Wolf said in between sips of brew. "Don't remember much, anyway...."
"They might have been Sing Wah. We really didn't stay long enough to take notes," Peter said. To Wolf, he asked "You REALLY don't remember anything...?"
Wolf shook his head.
Peter tried a different tactic. "You better tell me what you do remember. They might come back, you know."
That thought was all Wolf needed to start talking. "Two guys in black grabbed me in the parking lot. I woke up tied to a chair. They asked me some questions and when I couldn't tell them anything, they drugged me."
"What questions did they ask? What did you tell them?" Peter pushed for an answer.
"I DON'T know...!" Wolf insisted, annoyed. "Back off, man! You're givin' me a headache!" He finished his beer, glaring at Peter. The case was closed as far as he was concerned. *Make me look bad in front of the babe...thanks, buddy!* he thought.
Peter turned to Jody. "You and I should check the warehouse where we found him tomorrow, right, Partner?"
"All right," Jody agreed. "Well, I'm outta here...'Night, guys." She stood.
"Leavin' so soon, Babe?"
Peter restrained the urge to elbow Wolf in the ribs. He knew Jody would rather handle her own dirty work.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Wolf..." Jody said. *Hmmm, he looks like Peter...maybe...nah!* Aloud, she continued, with a lift of her eyebrow, "Peter, maybe you should introduce him to Morgan!"
Peter thought about it for a second. "Not a bad idea, Jody. Is she here?"
"Who's Morgan?" Wolf asked.
"Well, you tell him all about her," Jody walked away from the table after affectionately squeezing Peter's shoulder.
"So, you gonna tell me or what?!"
"She's another detective on our squad, usually gets the vice assignments...."
*****
Two hours, three beers, a story about Morgan and some introductions later, Peter yawned.
Wolf regarded his twin. "Whatsa matter, kid? Can't take life in the fast lane?" he asked, a smirk as punctuation.
"Some of us have to WORK for a living...6:30 comes early...."
"Hey!" Wolf growled. "You sayin' I don't work for a livin'?!"
"Oh, yeah, I forgot how HARD you work," Peter replied, sarcastically. "C'mon, let's go so you can get plenty of beauty sleep - Where are you staying, anyway?" He stood and shoved the chair under the table.
Wolf polished off his beer as he rose. "Alright, alright. I'm stayin' at the Ritz..." He followed Peter out the door.
They crossed the parking lot. As they neared the Stealth, Peter stopped Wolf's progress by placing a hand on his double's shoulder, then deactivated the car's alarm system. The parking lights flashed twice. No tampering. Peter dropped his hand and continued to the car. Wolf matched his stride.
"Paranoid!" Wolf accused with contempt.
"Gotta be," Peter replied evenly as they approached the car.
Without warning, the parking lot tipped. Peter, suddenly disoriented, fell against the car door. Wolf slid across the hood and grabbed Peter under the arms, preventing his fall to the ground. "Hey, man, you okay?" With a grunt, Wolf tried to hoist Peter back up to his feet. Peter remained silent, a dead weight in Wolf's arms.
A second later, black-clad figures emerged from the shadows and surrounded Wolf. "Not again!" A heartbeat later, his neck hurt and his knees hit the pavement.
*****
"Where the HELL is Caine??" Strenlich bellowed, standing next to Peter's unoccupied desk, a file in his hand.
"Haven't seen him yet, Chief," Jody replied, turning her chair to face him.
"HAVEN'T SEEN HIM YET??? Doesn't HE have to report in on time like the rest of us??" The Chief checked his watch. It was 7:30 a.m. "He SHOULD have been here half an hour ago!"
"Chief, take it easy," Captain Simms suggested as she walked up next to Strenlich. "What's wrong?"
"It's Caine. He hasn't reported in yet."
Karen Simms sensed trouble. "When was the last time anyone saw him?"
"He was at Chandlers with Wolf Gannett last night. They were still there when I left at 9:00," Jody supplied.
"Wolf Gannett?" Simms echoed, surprised. "I wasn't aware they had become drinking buddies."
"I don't think they have, Captain," Jody replied. "They said something about Wolf being mistaken for Peter and grabbed by some 'bad guys'."
"Who?"
"I don't think they know for sure. Peter speculated it might have been the Sing Wah but didn't give a reason for that suspicion. He and I were going to check out the warehouse where they found Wolf this morning."
"Take Kermit and FIND him," Simms ordered.
*****
Caine sipped his tea as he stood in his herbarium. A beautiful day had dawned. He reached out to share his joyous feelings with his son. He found stillness rather than Peter's presence. Distressed, he endeavored again after calming his chi. The results were the same.
*Master...* Caine turned his thoughts to Lo Si. *I cannot detect my son's presence. Are you able to sense him?*
Lo Si, at home, lifted his head and ceased grinding herbs. He concentrated. After a few moments, he thought, *I cannot, Kwai Chang Caine.*
*****
Wolf bent over Peter's inert form on the cot and jostled him. "Hey, man, you gotta wake up!"
Peter stirred, groaned and, very slowly, cracked open his eyes. Bright light assaulted him and he squeezed his eyes shut tightly against it. "My head's killing me..." he whispered.
Wolf wasn't sympathetic. "Yeah, cry me a river....Now, wake up! You gotta get us outta here!" he insisted, grabbing the front of Peter's sweater.
"Wait a minute...." Peter protested, as he squinted up at Wolf. Wolf hauled him up into a sitting position and Peter surveyed the environment. He found himself in a small room, featureless except for two cots and an overhead light. It reminded him of a jail cell. "Didn't I take you home?
"Nah, man, we never made it into the car. Our favorite black-clad buddies decided to reacquaint themselves-"
"WHAT???" Peter tried to spring to his feet. The room spun and tilted underneath him so he laid back down, ignoring Wolf's protests. Despite feeling like he was going to vomit, he managed to say, "Where in the HELL are we? Back in the warehouse?"
"Don't know...."
"How'd we get here?"
"Don't know that, neither...."
"Well, WHAT do you know then??"
Wolf heard something behind him so he straightened and looked at the door. Someone moved passed the small window. The door's bolt opened with a clunk. "We're about to have company," he told Peter then stared at the entrance with dread.
*****
"That's right, Chief," Jody said, into the receiver of her cellular phone. "There are no signs of life or foul play here at Peter's apartment. The bed hasn't been slept in and his car is not in the garage or on the street."
Kermit still prowled around the place looking for clues. He returned and shook his head at her, indicating he had found none.
"Yes, we'll go by the Blaisdell house - and, we'll be discreet, Chief, don't worry. After that, we'll check with Caine, then with Wolf." Jody listened for a few seconds, then added, "We'll keep you informed."
Jody clicked the cellular phone closed as she and Kermit strode out.
*****
The heavy wooden door swung outward. A sturdily built man in black breezed into the room with a grand flourish. His inertia carried him to the side of Peter's cot. There, he evaluated his prisoners.
"Sorry, Nephew, did we put too much pentazocine hydrochloride in your beer?" He grinned down at Peter and stroked his long ponytail.
"Damon...." Peter acknowledged him with disgust. Feeling very vulnerable - like when Damon had the sword to his throat, Peter tried to sit up again. Still too dizzy, he dropped back onto the cot. "WHAT did you give me...?" Peter wasn't a big fan of his father's potions but, right now, he'd accept one gratefully.
"Who's this JERK?" Wolf asked, cockily, looking down at Peter, pointing at Damon.
Damon whirled and faced Wolf. "I SUGGEST you watch your tongue, boy!"
Wolf saw the threat of death in Damon's eye. Fear filled him and he backed away. He turned to Peter for support.
"My uncle..." Peter explained, trying to fight the vertigo.
*****
"I have been expecting you," Caine said as Jody and Kermit entered his apartment.
"I guess it's safe to assume you haven't seen him," Kermit said.
"No, he is hidden from me," Caine's tone indicated a hint of annoyance mixed with concern. "The Ancient cannot sense him, either."
Lo Si bowed.
"He is HIDDEN from you?" Kermit asked. "What does that mean?"
"I have a...bond with my son," Caine explained briefly. "It enables me to reach out and touch his essence. Through this, I am able to determine if he is all right. However, I cannot find him this morning."
"Who could HIDE him from you like you say?" Kermit asked.
"Perhaps, one such as I...or the Ancient," Caine speculated. "I do not know how this has been accomplished."
"What can we do then?" Jody asked, obviously worried and frustrated.
"You saw him most recently," Caine said to Jody.
"Uh...yes, how did you kn-...Never mind. It was last night at Chandler's. Oh, and Wolf Gannett is missing, too."
"The perpetrators must have taken him also," Lo Si suggested.
"Why would they want HIM?" Jody asked.
"To keep Peter in line," Kermit said, matter-of-factly.
"Yes, I do believe those who have taken my son know he would not want to see another suffer because of him," Caine stated. He was endeavoring to remain unemotional but was not completely successful.
Jody nodded her understanding. "Is there ANYTHING we can do?" she asked of Caine.
"If we were to go to Chandler's, we may find a 'lead'," Caine suggested.
"Then, let's do it," Kermit led them out the door.
*****
All Peter could do was lie on the bed and try to remain calm. If he let his anger get the best of him - which he did a couple of times - his head would throb. "What do you want, Damon?"
"You, of course!" Damon leaned close to Peter. He spoke quietly while wearing a big grin. "I told my men I wanted the medallion. They don't need to know the truth."
"Why?"
"Well, DUUUH!" Damon mocked. "You will be useful to me!"
"How?"
"Enough questions!!" Damon pronounced as he made a motion towards the doorway. Two men entered.
"Just one more, if I may...Uncle."
"Oh...if you must...."
"What are you going to do with my friend, Wolf?" Peter saw one of the men cross to Wolf and the other walked toward his cot. The one coming toward him held a syringe in his hand.
"Hmmm..." Damon mused as his eye travelled up and down Wolf's body. "Deja vu...BIG TIME!" Then, Damon became more serious. "He is a fine specimen...like you, Nephew. Good enough to fool my men...but, more's the pity, I think he will be more trouble than he is worth."
"Then let him go," Peter suggested.
"LET HIM GO???" Damon was indignant. "YOU THINK ME THE FOOL, DON'T YOU, NEPHEW?!?!"
"No, Uncle," It irritated Peter to address him as a family member. Martin was easier to accept. "If you let him go, I won't fight you."
Wolf whipped his head sideways to stare at Peter. He couldn't believe someone would make that sacrifice for him!
"Is THAT an offer I cannot refuse?" Damon chuckled.
"Depends on how badly you want me...and my cooperation," Peter replied, stomach churning at the thought but nonetheless holding his ground.
After a thoughtful couple of seconds, Damon shrugged and adopted a mischievous expression. "Well, I think it will be more FUN this way!"
Damon nodded to his men, then sat down on the cot near Peter's hips. The flunky near Wolf grabbed him and pressed him against the wall. The other flunky bent over Peter and pulled the cap off the needle.
"Now, be a good boy and take your medicine," Damon teased.
Too weak and too dizzy to fight, Peter stayed still, conserving his strength. The needle slid beneath his skin and he winced.
"NOOOO!" Wolf shouted. He struggled against the man holding him but was easily contained.
The flunky removed the needle and recapped it.
"There. That wasn't toooo bad, was it?" Damon smiled and patted Peter's thigh. He stood up and pressed his fingers down on a point on Peter's chest, then bent over and pressed his fingers into the back of Peter's neck. "Don't go away!!!"
Damon swept out of the cell, his underlings in his wake. The door closed and the bolt slid into place.
Peter felt the first of the drug's affects, sleepiness. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. *Why can't I be like my father! He could stop this from affecting him...*
"Peter...?" Wolf tried to get his double's attention.
Peter heard his name being called from a great distance. He wanted to respond...but he felt SOOO warm all over and his limbs felt heavy....
*****
Kermit, Jody, and Lo Si watched as Caine touched Peter's car reverently. "Peter," Caine murmured. "What has happened to you...?"
Jody looked questioningly at Lo Si. Lo Si understood her silent plea for information. "Kwai Chang Caine is trying to track his son," he explained in a low voice. He saw that Caine was having trouble making the connection. "Excuse me," he said, and he joined Caine in walking to the door of the nightclub.
"Peter," Caine was muttering, frustrated.
"Kwai Chang Caine."
Caine looked up at his teacher.
"You are not focusing correctly."
"I...know," Caine replied painfully. He was careful to keep his voice low so
Jody and Kermit could not hear. "I cannot...." he rubbed his eyes with one hand. "Peter is in danger...."
Caine could not express his distress to his old friend aloud. It was unnecessary anyway. He knew Lo Si could feel the fear in his heart as he worried that this could be the time when one of his enemies had succeeded and his son was truly dead. He had become addicted to the wonderful feeling of being a father, loving his son and being loved in return. Now, he felt as he did during his wanderings - isolated and alone.
Lo Si, once again, understood. "Kwai Chang Caine..." he said, bringing Caine back into the here and now, "you must focus...and you will once again see your son. I will help you. Take my strength."
Determination flared in Caine's eyes. "That will not be necessary," Caine told him, his voice gaining strength. "*I* will find my son."
Lo Si smiled as he bowed and stepped back to make room for Caine to examine the area.
Caine summoned his chi as he slowly walked from the door of Chandler's to his son's car. Kermit, his curiosity getting the better of him, followed Caine, looking to the ground for signs. Just as Kermit saw something glitter out of the corner of his eye, he also saw Caine sway and nearly fall. He rushed forward to steady him.
Caine recovered quickly. "He has been drugged," Caine said in a tone that Kermit himself used on occasion - when he was ready to blow someone away. Caine stepped away from Kermit's support, leaving Kermit free to find whatever was glittering. It was Peter's car keys. Kermit, doubting anyone's fingerprints but Peter's were on the keys, retrieved them and dropped them into his jacket pocket.
Caine, meanwhile, was examining the area toward the hood of the car. "Wolf was taken while trying to help Peter," he said. "He felt much fear but acted to help Peter, anyway."
"Can you feel anything from the perpetrators?" Jody, always the detective, asked.
"They...are Sing Wah," Caine honed his concentration to the utmost of his abilities, "however, there is something more...."
Lo Si closed his eyes and silently - and humbly - asked his old friend if he could help. Together, their linked chi formed a picture in their minds.
Caine's eyes narrowed. "Damon," he stated.
"What now?" Jody asked.
"Now," Caine said, "we must search by conventional means." He told the detectives the license number that he had seen when Wolf was first kidnapped.
"We must also go back to the warehouse," Lo Si reminded them.
*****
It was a fairly unusual sight, even for Interstate 90E.
"Ray, stop the car, please," the RCMP-uniformed man in the front passenger seat requested.
"I thought you were in a hurry," the driver groused.
"I'm afraid this can't wait."
"Don't you wanna stop at a rest area?"
"Ray - PLEASE stop the car."
"Okay, okay," Ray grumbled. "This better be important," he warned as he announced his intentions to the other cars and carefully pulled over on the side of the road. The RCMP officer opened the car door only when the car had come to a complete stop. Ray sat in the front seat, fuming. "He wakes me up at 6:00 - SIX, for cryin' out loud! - drags me out of bed, insists on going to investigate a tip 200 miles away, won't take a plane - WHAT ARE YOU DOING BACK THERE???"
Ray opened his car door to get out just as the passenger car door opened and the Mountie got in. Detective Ray Vecchio regarded him with irritation. "Finished smelling crawdad buds or eating cigarette butts or whatever the hell you were doing?"
"We can go now, Ray," RCMP Benton Fraser stated. "Thank you for your patience." As Ray stared at his friend, the Mountie added, "We had best leave, Ray - you might want to close your door."
Ray closed his door with a slam. "What were you doing?" he asked as he started the car in motion again.
"Diefenbaker wanted an open window, Ray."
Ray glanced back incredulously to see the white wolf happily lolling his tongue as he put his paws up to the open window.
"I stopped so that MUTT could stick his head out the window??? You BETTER keep your claws out of the upholstery, buster!" he warned the wolf.
Diefenbaker favored Detective Vecchio with a glare and a growl before turning back to the window.
"Same to you," Ray told the wolf. Turning his attention to the wolf's 'keeper', he said, "I thought you were in a hurry!!!"
"Actually, I am, Ray," the Mountie said. "You are currently going three miles under the speed limit. I hate to be a nag, but would you mind...?"
Ray pressed the accelerator. "You don't even know if this tip was on the level, Benny," he complained. "Of course, we both know you'd be crazy enough to drive to hell and back for this ditzy dame-"
"Ray, please," Fraser said reproachfully.
"-and you'll take me with you, of course!" Ray continued.
"Thank you for driving, Ray," Fraser said sincerely.
Ray waved a hand dismissively. "You know, if you're gonna be here a while,
you really should take a driver's test to get your license. I'm a cop, not a chauffeur - although you wouldn't know that lately!"
"Yes, you do have a point, Ray," Fraser said. "As a matter of fact, I have been studying the driver's manual - isn't there supposed to be one full car-length between cars?....Ray, I DO know that you really shouldn't close your eyes when you're driving....Ray?" *****
*How LONG are they gonna leave us in here?!* Wolf thought, getting up from his cot AGAIN to look out the small window in the door.
As before, only the silence of the vacant room outside the cell greeted him.
"HEY!" This time, he shouted. "I gotta go to the can, man!"
No response.
"I'm WOLF GANNETT!!! You can't DO this to me! I'm a STAR!!!"
No response.
"Can ANYBODY hear me??!"
If someone could, they were not acknowledging him. Frustrated, he kicked the door and flopped back onto his cot. He looked to his friend - or the closest thing he had to a friend - for answers.
Peter, drugged into unconsciousness on the other cot, began tossing his head from side to side. "...no...no...!" he mumbled, as if he were trapped in a nightmare.
Scared and uncertain what to do about it, Wolf stood and resumed his attempt to wear down the concrete in front of his cot with his pacing. His eyes never left his double, who was becoming increasingly more agitated.
*Oh, man...* Wolf groaned to Peter silently, *WHAT did they do to you?!*
Making the decision before realizing it, Wolf took two quick steps over to Peter's cot. Abruptly, he sat down in the spot Damon had occupied. Bending close, he shook Peter. "WAKE UP, man! WAKE UP!!!"
Peter's eyes popped open to see a blurred face staring down at him. Faster than a serpent's strike, he grabbed the throat attached to the face and squeezed. "WHAT did you do to me, you sonofabitch?!?!" he snarled. He sat up, forcing his victim to straighten back up.
Shocked, Wolf clawed at the hands that threatened to end his life. "P-Peter..." he choked. "It's m-me...W-Wolf..."
Peter's vision cleared and he was puzzled to see his own face staring back at him. He released some of the pressure, thus allowing his victim to breathe, while turning the head he held up, down, sideways. "WHO the HELL are you???"
Wolf, filled with fear, replied, "I-I-I'm WOLF...W-Wolf G-Gannett! D-Don't you remember?" He struggled against Peter's grasp but could not break free.
Peter stared at the face between his hands for a few seconds and finally released his hold. His hand dropped to Wolf's shoulders and said, "Sorry, Wolf....Must have been the drugs. How long have I been out?"
Wolf rose and backed off a step. *DAMN! He doesn't LOOK that strong!* he thought, rubbing his throat. "Don't know," he replied to Peter. "My watch is gone...and it was a ROLEX, too!"
Peter smirked as he checked for his own. "Mine's gone, too."
"What do we do now, man?" Wolf was glad that Peter had finally woken up.
"Let me think about it for a minute...." Peter said, swinging his legs over the side of the cot to sit on the edge.
"That jerk in black was your uncle...?" Wolf asked from his position near the cell wall.
"Yes," Peter replied in a monotone.
"Must be the black sheep of the family...."
"Huh?" Peter asked, looking up at Wolf.
"I SAID he must be the black sheep of the family," Wolf told him, speaking louder.
Peter rose, tugging at his ear, to get closer to his double. "Wolf, I can't hear you....Do YOU hear a lot of static?"
"No. Why? Do you?"
"What??"
The white noise obliterated the words Wolf spoke to him. Peter passed a trained eye over the dimensions of the cell, searching for some item that could or would produce the sound. He found nothing - no surprise since Wolf had not been adversely affected. Slightly disoriented, he sat back down on the cot and tried to plug his ears against the noise.
Wolf crossed to where his friend sat and squatted down. "Whatsa matter, man?" he asked as he placed his hands on Peter's upper arms.
Peter flinched as Wolf's hands made contact. Instead of the warmth of another's touch, he felt needles pricking his skin. He saw Wolf's lips move and tried to read them. As he concentrated, bright white and dark black spots filled his visual field. He blinked several times, trying to clear them away. With each blink, more spots appeared.
Wolf, now panicking, began to shake him. "C'mon, man....TALK to me!!!"
Blinded by the spots and deafened by the static, Peter, his heart pounding in his chest, forced words through his tightening throat. "Wolf...the drugs...."
"Come back to me, man!" Wolf pleaded. "I'm gonna lose it if you don't help me!!!"
Peter, angry and scared, tried to think clearly. All he could manage was "Damon...you mother-"
*****
At the precinct, Simms was pacing. Strangely enough, it made her feel better.
"So," she summarized, "you think Detective Caine and Wolf Gannett were taken
outside Chandler's last night by the Sing Wah."
"No," Detective Caine's father said. "We KNOW they were taken outside Chandler's last night."
Simms regarded Kwai Chang Caine silently. She never had the opportunity to get to know the priest well and she was the first to stand up to be counted as one who could not believe all the fantastic things she had heard he was capable of. However, she had thought Paul Blaisdell was the same, yet he was almost in awe of the man's talents....The few times she had seen Caine in action made her give him the benefit of the doubt.
Besides, it was easy enough to put out an APB for anyone matching the description of Detective Peter Caine - which would reap results with Wolf Gannett as well! How easy WAS it to hide two men who looked virtually identical? SOMEONE should have noticed that odd spectacle!
She nodded and issued the orders for the APB, feeling a completely irrational flutter of pleasure at bringing a relieved smile to Caine's face. *He DOES look worried,* she rationalized.
"Now," Caine said to Kermit and Jody, "we must go to the warehouse where Wolf was previously held." Lo Si nodded assent.
"Mr. Caine," Simms said, "you don't have to-" She stopped as she saw the look on his face. He WOULD have to go, she saw immediately. She nodded again as the quartet headed for the door....
Karen Simms wondered, as she absently twirled the ring on her finger, how it would feel if someone cared for her that much....
*****
Ray Vecchio had been trying for the past four hours to lure Benton Fraser into small talk to no avail. The closer they got to their destination, the more close-mouthed the Mountie became. Diefenbaker, for the most part, ignored the whole thing as the wolf's entire torso was now hanging out the vehicle, even going 75 miles an hour. Ray wondered how the white wolf maintained his balance.
"So," Ray said, "you think this Lieutenant Gomer Pyle will be there when he said?"
"Lieutenant Gerome Bixley," came the automatic reply, "and I have no doubt that he will be at the rendezvous as scheduled, as long as we are on time."
"What will he do if we're late - blow up?"
"Ship out."
"What???"
"Ship out," Fraser repeated. "He IS a naval officer, Ray, and he is agreeing to meet us just before his flight leaves to his next posting."
"So we could call him at his next posting!"
"They don't typically have telephones on submarines."
Ray threw his companion an irritated look. "You didn't tell me THAT!"
"I'm sorry. I didn't think the detail was important enough to mention."
"So why do we have to MEET him? Why can't you just talk to him on the phone?"
"He has promised to bring along someone that wouldn't agree to meet us otherwise," Fraser said. "This informant may have some additional leads as to where we might find Victoria." As always, when he spoke of the lovely, raven-haired woman, Fraser's voice softened.
Ray looked at his friend sympathetically. It was tough to find out that the woman you were head over heels in love with was a criminal and you were honor-bound to hunt her down to turn her over to the authorities. Ray looked at the oncoming scenery, hoping to find something to distract his friend.
"HEY! Look what we're passing!"
Fraser turned to examine the picturesque city that they were about to pass by. "Yes, Sloanville. Perhaps we should visit Caine and Peter on the way back. It is a shame we don't have the time now."
Diefenbaker dragged himself back in the car and barked loudly, startling the occupants in the front seat.
"All right, THAT'S it!" Ray snapped. "Taxidermist, next stop!"
Fraser turned to face Diefenbaker. "He seems quite agitated, Ray."
"SO AM I!" the detective stated.
Fraser looked Dief in the eyes. "We really cannot stop right now, Diefenbaker," he told the animal. "We'll visit Caine on the return trip."
Diefenbaker barked again, loudly and emphatically.
"No," Fraser stated firmly, enunciating the word.
Diefenbaker went back to the open window, paced the back seat for half a minute, glanced at the humans in the front seat, readied his haunches, and leaped out the window!
Screeeeechhh!!!!!
"DIEFENBAKER!!!"
*****
Peter's head spun as he tried to control the reactions the drugs were forcing upon him.
Suddenly, his father's voice echoed in his head. *Yield, Peter....*YIELD!**
Having thought of no better plan, Peter heeded his father's advice and relaxed, giving into whatever the drugs were doing to him. The outside world faded away as his gaze shifted inward.
He stood in the middle of his own mind. While he watched, new areas began to open as shields cordoning them off collapsed. In awe, he stared until a realization forced itself to the fore.
*NO!!! I don't want these shields down! NOT YET!*, he thought.
He tried to counteract the effects of the drugs by supplying energy to the shields. Despite his best efforts, the shields kept deteriorating. Weakened,
he gave up the fight. A few heartbeats later, all the shields were down.
He stood in silent darkness.
*Now what...?* he wondered, not really wanting an answer.
A light flashed on his left. He oriented on it. Another flashed behind him. He turned to look at it. Another flash...and another...and another...and another....
Soon, he was surrounded by lights that were growing larger as they raced toward him. He searched for an escape but, to his dismay, there was none.
*Oh, hell....*
In a second, the lights were close enough so that he could discern individual lightning bolts. The bolts arced to the ground near his feet. Waves of energy flowed continuously along each arc, then across the ground to him. Fascinated, he watched as a pool formed beneath each boot.
Without warning, a tentacle of light shot up out of each pool. They wound around his legs and joined together to encircle his hips. Then the single tentacle wrapped itself around his torso, pinning his arms to his sides. He struggled, afraid, but could not free himself. He felt something trying to overwhelm him. Concentrating, he held it at bay.
More tentacles leapt out of the pools and joined the first. In the blink of an eye, he was cocooned from feet to shoulders. Paralysis set in from his neck down. As he recognized this, his concentration faltered. The height of the cocoon rose to his jawline. He panicked for a brief second - then, a feeling of peace and rightness flowed into him.
*MMmmmmmmm....*
He ceased fighting the inevitable and the cocoon rose past his head. He looked up to see that the cocoon did not close off but continued upward until it was lost in the darkness.
An invisible hand forced his head back to level and held it still. Small fingers of light grew slowly out of the side of the cocoon and glided toward him. He knew they would pierce his body. Fear dampened down the feeling of rightness...until one of the fingers made contact with his Third Eye. The point of contact vibrated, sending shivers down his neck, wiping away the fear. His crown vibrated too, as did other select points on the front of his body - the base of his throat, heart, solar plexus, navel, hips and thighs.
His gaze shifted further inward. Now, he could see his entire body. The fingers travelled straight through him and out his back. Outside him, they glided to the other side of the cocoon and melded into the structure enclosing him. A jolt ran down his spine....
*Omig...!*
His mind was assaulted by a maelstrom of images, sounds, thoughts, tastes and smells. He was connected to...EVERYTHING!!! None of it made sense but his mind, reeling, tried to accommodate it all. It was too much. He tried to think through the confusion....
He heard Paul Blaisdell's voice. *Sift through the information, son....Pick out what is pertinent.*
Turning his attention to the images, he tried to filter the information.
One image in particular caught his eye. Wolf, looking terrified, squatted before him. Wolf's lips were moving so Peter listened for the words that accompanied those movements.
*TALK to me, Peter...PLEASE! I'm scared, man....*
Peter, unable to control himself, chuckled as he heard the words slightly out of synch with the lips. *...I'm watching a bad Japanese movie...!*
Then Wolf's thoughts invaded his mind. *We're gonna die...I know it...they're gonna kill us...I'm too young to die...I'm too FAMOUS to die!* Peter could taste the fear that soured Wolf's mouth.
*I'd better help him.*
*****
It was an unhappy group that left the warehouse where Wolf was hidden before. The Sing Wah had stripped the place bare.
Caine learned that Peter and Wolf had not been brought back to the warehouse. As he searched for their essences, he found only residue from the previous evening.
As Kermit drove them to Caine's, he was full of condolences. "Don't worry...we'll find them. We won't stop looking - you know that!"
Kermit's babbling only showed how nervous HE was. Caine tried to give him a reassuring smile but had the distinct feeling that the effort fell flat. Caine gave Jody's hand a squeeze as he and Lo Si got out of the car upon their arrival to do the hardest thing Kwai Chang Caine could ever do - wait.
*****
Ray Vecchio's complaints could now be heard halfway across the deserted baseball field that he and Fraser were crossing - thanks to their misbehaving companion.
"I just don't believe it!" Ray was complaining. "You'd chase that hound through a minefield and just expect me to follow! When are you gonna learn, Fraser, to quit letting that mutt guide YOU around by the nose!!!" Ray stopped talking as he felt something squishy under his foot. He looked down into a mud puddle. "Great - JUST GREAT!!! FRASER!!! Are you listening to me?"
The Mountie, by this time, had reached the dirt road. "I'd advise silence now, Ray," he said, speaking softly. He indicated the tail end of the black
limousine that was visible around one side of the building.
Without hesitation, the detective drew his gun. "What's going on, Benny?" he asked the Mountie while trying in vain to scrape the mud off of his shoe.
"That is what I am attempting to ascertain," Fraser said.
The two men made their way carefully to the car to examine it at close range, with Vecchio occasionally glancing around nervously. "I don't see the mutt," he whispered to Fraser.
"I do not suggest you call Diefenbaker that to his face - he just might take exception," Fraser warned him softly. Fraser crouched and examined the ground next to the car. "They are undoubtedly from Sloanville. There's not enough grime or dirt on the car to suggest otherwise, plus the license tags are the ones I saw in Sloanville."
"How do you know someone's committing a crime here?"
Fraser pointed at the "Condemned" sign posted a fair distance away. "A limousine at a condemned site - I don't think so."
Fraser glanced at something, picked it up and brushed the dirt off of it.
*Oh, here we go,* Ray thought. Even pre-warned, his stomach did flip-flops when the Mountie placed whatever-it-was lightly between his teeth to taste it.
"Mint," Fraser mused.
"It's a mint?"
"No, it's a piece of rope. But there is a faint odor and taste of mint. It is very light, as though the person who touched this rope...Caine."
"Caine?" Ray was seriously beginning to feel like the straight man in a vaudeville routine.
"Caine had the scent of light mint when he failed to surprise me last time," Fraser explained. "This is the same scent but it's not as strong."
"So either he washed his hands-"
"Or this rope was used to tie someone up who frequents Caine's residence," Fraser said. "I suspect it's the latter. When I pointed out Caine's error, he promised to correct his mistake. I doubt he would make the same mistake twice."
Both men ducked quickly as a door to the side of the building opened. Someone came out, carrying a bag of garbage. As the door swung open for the return trip, the white wolf suddenly sprang out of nowhere and dashed through the door, unseen by the inhabitant of the building.
Ray swore silently. "Let's go get him," he mouthed.
Fraser nodded and followed.
*****
Suddenly, Peter could see through his eyes again and found himself sitting on the cot, looking at his double. He spoke aloud, surprising himself and Wolf. "Wolf, take it easy-"
Wolf jumped, almost falling over. "PETER??? WHAT the HELL is going on, man???"
Peter heard Wolf's words rather than the static and said, "I'm tripping on the drugs. It's not over yet but don't worry...it'll be okay soon. Be cool. Watch my back...." His hand seemed to extend, without his conscious control, and Wolf grasped it with his own in an upright handshake.
Wolf, calming visibly, said, "You got it, man!"
The images swirled about him again. One image, that of a more confident Wolf squatting before him, was carried away by the tide.
A conversation - about him - asserted itself as pertinent.
*What does Damon want that kid for?*
Peter searched for the associated image. He found a picture of two men in black, walking down a hallway, speaking in hushed tones. He was certain they were the underlings who came, when Damon beckoned, to contain Wolf and drug him.
*I heard him talking to himself....He thinks he can turn the kid, who will then protect him from the rest of the Sing Wah.*
*So, THAT'S your game plan, Uncle!*
*Bon Bon Hai was NOT happy when Kwai Chang Caine defeated Damon...NOT at all!*
*I'd like to see the Master have Damon strung up and tortured!*
They laughed - and ran right into twin fists as they rounded the corner.
*What the-?* Peter thought as he watched.
Two men came around the corner and, to Peter's shock, he recognized them. They were the strangest pair Peter had ever seen that worked together with the exception of himself and Pop.
*Is this a temple of some kind, Fraser?*
*No, Ray, I don't believe so.*
*Then what's the deal with these crazy-looking ROBES?*
*I don't know, but I DO know that Diefenbaker went that way.* Fraser pointed down the corridor in the direction where Peter knew his and Wolf's cell was.
Peter smiled. He didn't know WHY his Chicago friends were here, but right now he didn't really care. He had other things to attend to.
*Time for a talk....*
Deliberately, Peter searched for an image of Damon. He found one. Damon was alone in a room, seated in a throne-like chair.
Peter stood in the room facing Damon.
"I have been waiting for you, Nephew....I knew you could handle the drug and would make it here to confront me."
"Your faith in me is flattering...Uncle," Peter replied. His sarcasm was not lost on Damon, who retaliated.
"I have more faith in you than your father does!" Damon rose quickly and crossed to where he sensed Peter's essence.
Peter knew he was wrong and ignored the bait. "What did your drug do to me?"
"It made you the psychic you should be...One who is more powerful than the great Kwai Chang Caine!" Damon stated. "Why do you think I spared your life the fateful night we met...?"
"That question had occurred to me," Peter admitted. "So, now I know..."
"Fate...Ain't it grand!!" Damon mused, a big evil grin on his face.
"What I really want to know now is what happens when the drug wears off?" Peter asked, keeping his cool.
"You will find out soon enough that the long-lasting effects are up to you," Damon said, enjoying the chance to be cryptic. "Know this, Nephew...I will NOT rest until you are mine!"
"Give it up, Damon...You will NOT turn me to the dark side of the Force," Peter replied confidently. Using a reference from one of his favorite movies gave him a boost. "Uncle or not, I will protect you from the Sing Wah only if you leave behind your evil ways."
Damon was shaken, though he tried not to show it. How did Peter know his plan? To cover, he tried to undermine Peter's confidence. "Remember, Nephew, there is an evil within us all which can be awakened at any time!"
With VIVID total recall, Peter relived, in a heartbeat, his time under the influence of the Brujo. A cold chill ran through him, breaking his concentration. The room started to spin and he fought to orient himself.
"I WILL return for you, Nephew. This I promise you," Damon told him. "Until then...ADIEU!"
Peter saw Damon exit the room then his world went black. His awareness slammed back into his body. He was falling...
*****
"Uhhh..."
Peter was moving - falling sideways. Wolf, grateful to see the movement, sprang from his position kneeling in front of his double and caught Peter, easing his torso down onto the cot. Then he picked up Peter's legs and settled them on the cot as well.
"Peter...? You back with me, man???" Wolf asked. The few short minutes Peter had been "gone", Wolf's calm had faded, replaced by more intense feelings of fear and loneliness. "Say somethin', man...ANYTHING...!"
Peter lay on his side, shaking. "...c-cold..."
Relieved to hear Peter's voice, Wolf turned and grabbed the blanket from his own cot and turning back, draped it over Peter. He sat down next to his twin and asked, "What can I do to help...? C'mon, you gotta stay with me..."
"...g-gonna...be...sick," Peter slurred.
Wolf had no clue how to help. "TELL me what to do..." Wolf insisted.
Peter didn't respond.
Wolf looked around as he tried to figure out what to do. Surprised, he found he WAS doing something. Unwittingly, he had removed the blanket from Peter's back and was applying pressure to two spots - one on either side of the spine - at the solar plexus level. As he watched, his hand moved of its own volition and began to massage Peter's neck. *I'll be damned. How did I know to do that???*
Within a couple of moments, Peter's shaking stopped. Wolf ended the massage and Peter rolled over onto his back. "Thanks, Wolf..."
"No sweat, man...You gonna stick around and get us outta this mess now?"
"It's cool, man...Chill out," Peter said. "Damon's gone and some friends should be here any minute now...."
"How do you know???"
"...just trust me...." Peter said as his eyes slid closed.
"JUST TRUST YOU!...Dammit!" Wolf was indignant. "Ah, what's the use...."
A scratch sounded on the door. An animal was trying to get inside the cell.
*Great! Now, we're gonna be lunch for some vermin...* "Peter, WAKE up!!"
The door clock opened with a clunk as it did before, then it swung outward. Wolf rose, trying to look tough. A big white dog bounded in and raced to the cot. A man swung around the door jam, gun at the ready. He sighted in on Wolf...."POLICE!! FREEZE!!"
Wolf raised his hands. The officer approached him and patted him down. The dog placed its front paws on Peter's chest and smothered the sleeping detective with wet licks.
"Kelly...stop it...." Peter mumbled, pushing the dog's muzzle away from his face.
The dog barked, rousing Peter with a start. Peter's vision cleared and he recognized his assailant. "Dief...?"
The dog barked confirmation.
"All right, move over there, scummo! Get away from him! NOW!" the officer ordered.
"Wait, you don't understand-" Wolf insisted.
The officer turned Wolf around sharply and plastered him up against the far wall. He then looked down at Peter. "Pete, you okay?"
"I've been better, Ray," Peter replied, petting Diefenbaker. He sounded tired, even to himself. "Thanks for stopping by."
"Thank Dief. He was the one that picked up your trail," Ray replied. "Is this the guy that grabbed you?" he asked as he poked Wolf in the back with his gun.
"Watch it with that thing!" Wolf demanded.
Peter lifted his head to see who was at the business end of Ray's gun. "No, he was grabbed with me. He's Wolf Gannett, a friend."
Wolf adopted his best "told you so" look and puffed his chest. He found he liked being called someone's friend.
"Who grabbed you, then?" Ray asked, lowering his gun and releasing his prisoner.
"Long story..." Peter replied. "They're gone, though."
"Okay, you can fill us in in the car. Care to go?'
"Yeah...." Peter sat up after Dief backed off then pushed himself into a standing position - for about two seconds - then his knees turned to jelly. Someone took hold of his arm and put it around their shoulders. Peter looked to see Wolf standing next to him. "Thanks, man...."
"Hey, no sweat. Let's get outta here. I could use a brew...." Wolf said.
Peter chuckled.
"Hey-! Did you guys know you look a lot alike?" Ray asked as Peter and Wolf gratefully left the cell. "FRASER! We're bookin' it NOW! Fight's over!"
*****
The ride to his father's passed in a haze of sights and sounds. Exhausted, Peter found it impossible to distinguish the components of his environment, except for the occasional bit of Wolf's lament.
"...by a big jerk in black with a funny hairdo...drugged Peter and then I don't know WHAT happened...."
*****
"Peter! Can you hear me? " a familiar voice asked.
Raising heavy eyelids, Peter looked into his father's face then looking to each side, found himself supported by Wolf and Ray. "Father...?"
"It is all right, son. You are safe....Please place him here," Caine said.
Wolf and Ray lowered him onto Caine's sleeping pallet. Caine knelt down and, cradling Peter in his arms, said "Peter, drink this, please-"
"NO!" Peter protested, his arm shooting out toward the cup, very nearly spilling it. Caine, however, managed to keep a hold on it. "No more drugs...please...!"
"This will help ease the effects of those given to you by Damon," Caine explained gently, holding the cup to Peter's lips. "Trust me!" His father's voice finally permeating the fog in his head, Peter drank the concoction obediently. Caine laid his son onto the pallet and Peter was asleep before his head touched the pillow. Caine examined his son's chi as the Ancient, Peter's co-workers and the other cops plus both Wolfs looked on.
"Well???" Kermit asked, anxious.
*Damn you, Damon!* Caine thought angrily.
Peter was in shock. His mind was inflamed. The drugs given to him by his half-uncle had destroyed the shielding Peter had created in his own mind to prevent himself from becoming psychically aware. Caine knew it was a defense mechanism his son used to protect himself from the harshness of his reality after the destruction of the temple. Without the shields, Peter would have been too sensitive to have survived during those years. Recently, Peter had begun to relax the shields on his own. Damon had wanted to see how talented Peter truly was and had succeeded in doing so, but at what price?
"Caine??" Kermit fished for an answer.
Caine turned to those standing nearby. He hedged. "Peter requires rest. He will be all right." Then, he turned to the Ancient. "Master, will you stay with Peter? I must find Damon-"
"Your place is with your son, Kwai Chang Caine," the Ancient told him.
"Excuse me?"
Jaws around the room dropped as Caine looked at the Ancient for an explanation.
"You heard me."
The cops looked at one another uncomfortably. Finally, Kermit broke the uneasy silence. "Uh...yeah, I...uh...I mean, WE oughta go check in with Simms. Let everyone know the kid's okay...Come ON, guys!"
Jody started. "Yeah, sure," she said, dragging the reluctant Wolf out. Their Chicago visitors quickly followed.
When they were outside, Jody asked Kermit, "What was THAT all about?"
*****
"What is this all about...?" Caine demanded. "I must find Damon!"
Lo Si turned to face him. "You must be with your son! He needs you!"
Caine fought every urge to grit his teeth. "He is safe. Damon-"
"-will return," Lo Si finished. "Peter needs you NOW!"
Caine took a deep breath and let it out slowly in an effort to control his temper. "Master," he began slowly and deliberately, "Peter is safe at the moment. Damon is a threat that must be dealt with."
"Damon is not going anywhere," the Ancient fairly spat. "Peter just may! Is Damon more important than your son?!"
Leaving Caine open-mouthed, the Ancient stalked out of the apartment.
*****
It was a very long night for both Caine and Peter. Even in sleep, Peter was disturbed and restless as his body fought the effects of the drugs. Caine stayed by his son's side, applying blankets, wiping the never-ending supply of sweat off his son's face, and stabilizing his son's chi to ensure that there were no more visions.
When Peter finally opened his eyes, he glanced away sharply at the bright light streaming through the window. He felt a gentle hand brush his hair out of his eyes. Peter looked up to see his father, looking concerned and holding the inevitable cup of tea, no doubt packed with more medicinal herbs.
"Good morning," his father said, sitting by his side. "How are you feeling?"
Peter yawned and stretched as much as he could. "I guess I'll live," he
said. "I'm not sure I can say the same of you, though."
Caine cocked his head quizzically as Peter sat up to stretch more thoroughly.
"Did you get ANY sleep last night?" Peter asked.
"That is not important," Caine said as he handed the cup to Peter, who drank it without a word of protest.
"You look worried," Peter said as he handed the cup back. "Something weird happened, didn't it? AM I okay?"
"As...okay as you usually are," Caine said wryly, getting up. Caine was pleased to note that, as the drugs wore off, most of the shielding in Peter's mind had reformed. He blessed his good fortune. Peter was not yet ready to become as sensitive as was possible.
"So what did Damon do to me?" Peter asked, keeping an eye on his father. Caine's back was to him as he tidied his work table but at the mention of Damon, Caine's back muscles tensed and Peter could swear he saw Caine shudder ever so slightly. Peter got up and went to him. "Pop?" he asked quietly. "What is it?" He put his arm around his father; he could feel the tension within.
CRACK!!!
Peter gently took the fragments of the broken jar out of Caine's hand. Caine closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself and let it out slowly as his son took his hand to examine it for cuts.
"I did not mean for you to see this," Caine said slowly, opening his eyes. "I am very angry at Damon for...kidnapping you."
Surveying the jar that Caine broke with one hand, Peter said, "Yeah, uh...remind me to never get you mad at me!"
Caine reached up with the hand that Peter was not holding and cupped his son's cheek. "I would never be mad at you. I am sorry for worrying you."
"Hey, Pop," Peter said comfortingly, "I'm here for you. Just like you're here for me."
*I almost wasn't,* Caine thought shamefully. *Master, forgive me.*
"So, where are the Band-Aids?"
Peter's question brought Caine back to the present. "Band-Aids?" he repeated incredulously. He couldn't help it - he began to laugh. Peter grinned with him.
"Does that mean you don't have any Band-Aids?" Peter said, starting to chuckle.
"Yes," Caine said, laughing with his son until tears came to their eyes.
*****
Crouching in the shadows of the underground tunnel, Damon breathed heavily and nervously pawed his ponytail.
The Sing Wah assassins were EVERYWHERE he turned!
"...but it was worth the risk to determine your skill, Nephew," Damon whispered to the darkness. He figured the assassins had detected the high level of psychic activity and picked up his trail. "I WILL return for you and you WILL protect me, Peter."
*****
The hair on the back of his neck prickled and the laughter caught in his throat. Turning, Peter looked for a threat from behind. He saw nothing save the wall of his father's apartment.
"Peter...?" Caine asked, his own laughter dying. "What troubles you, son?"
Peter stared, brow creased, at his father for a second then replied. "I...I thought I felt...something...." He shook his head. "Geez! I gotta get a grip! C'mon, let me clean up your hand."
Caine placed his uninjured hand on his son's upper arm and said, "Do not dismiss your feelings, my son. I, too, felt Damon's presence just now."
A feeling of dread washed over Peter. "He really means it, doesn't he, Father?"
"Yes, he does," Caine said as he took a nearby cloth and wrapped it securely around his hand before Peter could even blink. "But I will be here to help you. There are many more lessons I can teach you before-"
A loud thunk outside interrupted Caine's statement. Father and son looked at each other, then at the door, in confusion. Neither one of them sensed any malevolent thoughts nearby.
Peter walked cautiously to the door, ready for the impending attack. He reached it and, with a cop's well-honed instinct, turned the corner and lashed out at the intruder. Seconds later, he dropped his arms with a sigh.
Wolf sheepishly walked in. "Geez, man, if I'd known I'd get a reception like this, I woulda stayed at the hotel."
"How long have you been outside?" Peter asked curiously.
Wolf shuffled his feet, embarrassed. "Well, y'know, what does that matter? Couldn't sleep...I mean, I wasn't the one they were pumpin' the drugs into...."
Caine, still obviously in a good mood, walked over to Wolf and put a friendly arm around the star's shoulders. "It is not difficult to say," he told him. As if instructing a recitation class, Caine continued for Wolf, "'Peter, I was concerned about you.'"
Peter looked at Wolf incredulously. "Really? Hey...does that mean...you weren't out there all night, were you? WERE you???"
Evading the question, Wolf said, "I think I got more sleep than your old man here."
*Which is why I did not sense him,* Caine thought to himself, suppressing a yawn.
Peter regarded his double fondly. "I'm touched, Wolf."
"Yeah - well, if you're so touched, buy me breakfast and a brew."
"Deal. And you, Pop - get some sleep!"
*****
Breakfast turned out to be lunch since Peter soon discovered he had slept the morning away. *No wonder Pop was so tired!* Peter thought with amusement.
He also insisted upon reporting in and, ignoring Simms' comment about the precinct being pleased that he was back again from another kidnapping unharmed, corralled Kermit and Jody to join him and Wolf for lunch.
Peter surveyed his surroundings. "I can't believe I'm back here again."
Jody and Kermit grinned as the waitress of Chandler's brought them beernuts and pretzels.
"No kidding, man," Wolf said, downing his beer. "Deja vu, big-time!" He frowned; where had he heard that before? *Oh, yeah; Damon.* Wolf was sorry he even opened his mouth.
Peter glanced at his beer suspiciously. Kermit grinned again.
"Don't worry," Kermit reassured, "I saw them open it and bring it straight here."
Peter favored him with a mixed look of 'are you being sarcastic with me?' and 'are you sure you saw them open it?'
Kermit laughed and set the beer in front of Peter. "Drink up," he said. "That's an order." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out Peter's car keys and sat them next to the beer. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to leave your keys on the ground next to your car? You never know who could pick them up!"
Peter smirked as he pocketed the keys.
Fraser, Ray, and Diefenbaker walked in. The manager walked up to protest the presence of the wolf but Ray, claiming the wolf was his seeing-eye wolf and also greasing the manager's palm a little, handled the situation.
Fraser and Ray sat down at the table. Fraser looked decidedly guilty.
"Oh, c'mon, Benny," Ray said, "he probably allows his daughter's dog in here all the time."
"That is not the point, Ray. It IS against the law-"
"So what were you guys doing in town, anyway?" Peter interrupted as he welcomed Dief with a scratch on the belly and a pretzel.
"Peter, don't-" The Mountie sighed as the wolf gobbled the pretzel in one bite.
"Sorry."
"He really doesn't need any encouragement, Peter."
"THAT'S for damn sure," Ray agreed. "STILL steals everything on MY plate!"
Dief's tongue lolled, obviously begging for another pretzel.
"We weren't in town," Ray explained. "Dief jumped out the window as we passed by going 75 miles an hour! Guess he really wanted to save your lousy butt. Haven't the slightest idea why...."
"You okay, Fraser?" Peter asked the Mountie, ignoring the jibe. "You seem kinda down."
"No, it's all right, Peter," Fraser said. "Saving you was a definite priority."
"Priority to what?" Peter asked, while sneaking a few more pretzels to Diefenbaker.
Fraser paused and smiled at the young man. "Nothing important."
******
NOTE: Those who wonder where the Caines and the Due South gang have met before are encouraged STRONGLY to read Amparo Bertram's excellent stories "He Said Always...He Said Never" and "Sloanville Holiday," used with permission. Thank you, Amparo!