My second attempt at a story based on the characters of Due South. Hope
you enjoy it. Views, etc to Linda@hamgdns.freeserve.co.uk .  

Due South and all of its characters are the property of Alliance
Communications.    THE DARKNESS by Linda Hughes    

Diefenbacker happily bounded along. The wolf glanced back occasionally to
check if his friend was still following.  

Detective Ray Kowalski walked slowly along. Fraser was busy at the
Consulate for the weekend, and had asked Ray if he minded looking after
Dief. Inspector Thatcher expected him to be on duty all weekend due to the
visit of some high ranking Canadian dignitary, and had made it quite clear
that Dief was not welcome.  

At first Ray had been reluctant. Fraser had been very persuasive, and
despite his initial reservations, he was enjoying have the wolf stay. It
meant he didn't have to be alone in the apartment. He had even found
himself talking to the wolf. He had told Dief not to tell Fraser. He
smiled to himself. He was spending too much time around Fraser; he was
beginning to act like him.  

Dief bounded back to Ray and woofed loudly. "Hungry, eh," Ray said. Dief
woofed again. "OK lets see what we can do. Come on," he said to the wolf,
who danced happily alongside Ray. "Jeez, I'm doing it again. Got to stop
talking to the wolf. I'll be licking the floor next," he shivered at the
thought.  

He knew a good take-away around the corner, they would go there. He
rounded the corner. He looked up as two men passed him. He thought he
recognised one of them. He looked back, but the memory faded as quickly as
it had surfaced. He shrugged to himself, and continued towards the
take-away.  

He left Dief across the street, and told him to stay put while he went to
order their food. He quickly crossed the street turning to see if Dief was
doing as he was told. He couldn't make out what had hit him - a deafening
noise hurt his ears. He felt himself being lifted into the air and then he
seemed to hurtle towards the ground. His head hit the pavement first. He
looked up "Dief," he croaked. His felt a sharp pain in his left arm, and
something was raining on him, stinging his bare skin. His head hurt so he
put in back onto the pavement. Then the darkness closed in around him. 
**************	

Lieutenant Welsh parked as close to the Consulate as he could. It looked
like there was some kind of official function taking place. He quickly ran
up the steps to the building, looking around as he did. He entered the
hall, and saw Fraser talking to Turnbull. Men in dinner jackets and ladies
in long flowing gowns gathered in small groups, clutching filled glasses.
Welsh saw Inspector Thatcher moving around the room, introducing a
distinguished looking gentleman to each group.	

"Constable. Could I have a word?" he beckoned to the Mountie.	

Fraser looked up, and moved quickly to Welsh's side. "Good evening
Lieutenant, is it important? We are quite busy as you can see tonight." He
nervously glanced towards Inspector Thatcher, who on seeing the Lieutenant
standing by the door, was now glaring at the two men.	

At that moment, Dief trotted through the door. Fraser saw him, and looked
at Welsh "Ray," he exclaimed.	

"Now, Constable, its OK," the lieutenant started, putting his hand on
Fraser's shoulder.  

"Where is Ray?" Fraser demanded. Dief whined, and Fraser knelt to put his
hand on his other friend's head.   

Inspector Thatcher had marched over to the two men. Angrily, she said
"Constable, what an earth is the wolf doing back here? I thought Vecchio
was looking after him. We have very important guests, and you promised
that he - she scowled at Dief - would not be here."  

Welsh interrupted her tirade, "Inspector, I was just about to explain.
There was an explosion tonight. Somehow Ray was caught in it. He's on his
way to hospital. I came to get Fraser," he explained.  

"Well the Constable can't leave. He has to stay. I need him here," she
replied haughtily.  

"No Inspector, I am going with the Lieutenant. Ray is my friend, and he
may need me," Fraser said softly. With that he turned his back on her,
motioned to Dief to follow, and walked out of the Consulate and down the
steps. Pausing on the bottom step, Fraser said, "Are you coming
Lieutenant?"  

"Right behind you Constable," Welsh replied. He could tell that Thatcher
was angry. Ignoring her, he quickly followed Fraser down the Consulate
steps. Welsh placed the red light on the top of the car, and they drove
quickly through the traffic to the hospital.   

"What happened?" Fraser queried.  

"Details are kinda sketchy. Seems a take-away just blew up. Huey and Dewey
are there now. We'll have more of an idea of what happened once the Bomb
Squad finish their investigation," the Lieutenant answered.   

"Was anyone in the take-away?" Fraser asked.  

"Yeh, all dead," Welsh responded sadness in his voice.	 

"Oh," was all Fraser could say. He hesitated "and Ray?"  

Welsh was silent. He could feel Fraser looking at him intently, and braced
himself "He didn't look good. He was well out of it when I saw him. The
paramedics seemed to think he had hit his head pretty hard. Look Fraser
don't worry, Ray's got a hard head. He'll be OK," Welsh said. The
lieutenant wasn't sure who he was trying to convince.  

They reached the hospital and quickly entered the Emergency Room. Welsh
went over to the desk to ask for help while Fraser and Dief sat down in
the waiting room. "Please let him be alright," Fraser thought.	

Welsh sat down beside him "The nurse promised to get the doctor to talk to
us as soon as he can. Kowalski's in surgery right now." Fraser nodded
silently absently stroking Dief's head.   

After two hours waiting, Welsh grew impatient and went in search of the
nurse. He came back ten minutes later, and motioned to Fraser to follow
him. Fraser left Dief with a kindly nurse, who had promised to look after
the wolf.  

Fraser followed Welsh along a corridor to yet another waiting area. A
doctor in blue scrubs waited. "This is Doctor Abrahams, he's looking after
Kowalski," Welsh said. The doctor studied Fraser. "Constable Fraser is
Kowalski's best friend and partner," Welsh said by means of an
explanation.   

The doctor smiled at Fraser. "Ah Fraser yes," he said. Fraser cocked his
head to one side puzzled. "Your friend regained consciousness momentarily
when he was brought in, and was calling for you," the doctor explained.  

Fraser nodded, concern showing in his face "How is Ray?"  

"Unconscious, and will be for some time, I would say. He's in Recovery
right now. He had some internal bleeding, but made it through the surgery.
He also has a fractured wrist, some cuts from the flying glass, and minor
bruising. However, I am more concerned about the head injury," the doctor
paused giving Welsh and Fraser time to digest the information.	 

"Carry on doctor," Welsh urged. Fraser continued to look anxious.  

"We won't know the full extent of the damage until he wakes up. Then we
can do more tests." His bleeper sounded, and he glanced at it quickly. "I
have to go now. Have you any more questions?" he asked looking at the two
men.   

"Can I see him?" Fraser asked.	 

"Well" the doctor hesitated, but caught a glimpse of the Mountie's worried
face, and relented. "Yes, yes of course. You can sit with him if you like.
I'll get one of the nurses to come and get you when he's settled."  

"Thank you kindly," Fraser responded quietly. The doctor nodded briefly,
and hurried off along the corridor.  

Welsh peered at Fraser. "Constable, I'm going back to the scene to talk to
Huey and Dewey. Will you be alright staying here?"  

"Yes Lieutenant. I want to stay here; Ray might need me," Fraser answered.
  

"Fraser, here's my cell phone number, call me with any news," he pressed a
card into the Mountie's hand.  

When Welsh had left, Fraser felt totally alone. He shivered slightly.	

"Constable." He looked up. The kindly nurse stood in front of him. "The
doctor asked me to come and get you. Follow me." Fraser silently followed.
She opened a door. "He's in here. Oh, by the way, I smuggled your wolf in
as well. I thought he'd be company for you," she smiled.  

"Thank you kindly," Fraser gratefully smiled back.  

The room was not silent. Machines beeped, and lights flashed in rhythm on
an array of equipment around the bed. Fraser moved silently over to the
bed. Ray's thin face looked pale and gaunt. His left arm from hand to
elbow was encased in a plaster cast. A drip and a blood bag were attached
to Ray's right arm. Small cuts were visible on his bare arms, a large
blueishyellow bruise had formed across his forehead, and both his eyes
were black and swollen. Wires were attached to Ray's slender body leading
back to the machines, monitoring his heart rate and breathing. A
respirator helped Ray to breathe.  

The nurse saw the look of distress on Fraser's face. She moved forward,
"He's doing fine. The equipment is just a precaution," she reassured.
Fraser's worried face just stared at her. "I'll get you a cup of tea." She
disappeared, and left Fraser alone with his friend.  

He sat down. It was then that he noticed Dief, who had been lying under
Ray's bed. The wolf whimpered, and moved towards the Mountie. "I know. Ray
will be OK. We'll look after him," Fraser said. Fraser stroked the wolf's
head. "Yes, Ray will be OK. He's got to be," he thought to himself. 
**************	

They sat in a small filthy hotel room, the curtains drawn. The older of
the two men was sitting at the small night stand quietly cleaning a
handgun. The younger man was slumped in a battered armchair watching the
television news.  

"Hey, look Andy. We made the news," the young man said pleased.   

The older man looked up from his task. He hated being called Andy. He
didn't like his new partner, but had to admit he was very good with
explosives. He turned his attention from his gun to the flickering
television set.  

The television news pictures showed the burnt out wrecked building that
had been the take-away. The fire department were busily cleaning up the
mess. The female anchor of the local TV station was reporting live from
the scene. 

"Unfortunately, all the occupants of the building were killed in the
explosion. Here is Lieutenant Welsh, who is in charge of the
investigation" the reporter said. She moved towards an older dark haired
man, who was deep in conversation with two other men. "Lieutenant. Have
you anything to say?" she asked.  

The man turned "No official comment as yet Miss. We've only just started
the investigation." He went to turn back to his colleagues.  

"Were there any witnesses?" the reporter persisted.  

"Possibly one. He's in hospital in a critical condition," Welsh replied.  

"Thank you Lieutenant." The reporter turned back to the camera, signed
off, and the scene switched back to the studio.  

Andrew jumped up, and switched the television off. He turned to the
younger man, who protested "Hey I was watching that."  

Andrew stood in front of the television set, his hands on his hips "They
have a witness Danny. This could turn nasty," he stated. He moved
restlessly back towards the night stand and fingered his gun.  

"Probably the cop," Danny said, the words out of his mouth before he could
check himself.	

"What cop?" Andrew shouted furiously turning on his partner.  

Danny remained silent, and started to fidget. Andrew moved over, and
grabbed him by the shirt pulling him out the chair. He roughly pushed him
up against the wall. "What cop? Tell me or I'll break you in two," he
snarled tightening his grip.   

"OK, OK. Put me down willya. You're hurting me," Danny spluttered.  

Andrew slowly released the younger man. He glared at his partner. Danny
looked away uncertain, trying to straighten his now ruffled shirt. He
swallowed "Well, when we were leaving the take-away, we passed a blonde
guy and a dog. I recognised him. He busted me about five years ago."  

"What," Andrew exploded. He started to pace the floor agitated. This was
meant to be a simple job, frighten a few residents, get paid and then
leave town. It was turning into something more complicated that could
prove disastrous for both of them. He stopped pacing, faced his partner
again, narrowing his eyes "What did he bust you for?" he demanded.  

Danny hesitated "Blowing up a car. Look man, he didn't recognise me. We're
safe. They said he was hurt bad. Perhaps he won't make it," Danny said
hopefully.   

"I hope you're right. Cos, if you're not, we're dead meat. We haven't
finished the job yet, and we don't need any extra trouble," Andrew
snarled. Muttering, he went back to cleaning his handgun. Danny slumped
back into the armchair and closed his eyes not daring to turn the
television back on.  **************  

A week passed. Ray's condition improved slightly, and the respirator and
some of the equipment was removed on the third day. Ray, however, remained
unconscious. Fraser couldn't be persuaded to leave the hospital, insisting
on staying with Dief curled up at his feet.   

Inspector Thatcher had visited briefly, and surprisingly had apologised
for her unreasonable behaviour. Fraser thanked her touched at her concern.
Lieutenant Welsh checked in to let Fraser know how the investigation was
going. The Bomb Squad had completed their investigation concluding that
the explosion had been deliberate, and probably set by an expert. The 27th
were now in the middle of a murder investigation. Huey and Dewey were
working around the clock on the case, but had yet to come up with any firm
leads, and the trail was growing cold. With the owner, his family and
employees all dead, Ray remained the only possible witness to the bombing.
 

The doctor had encouraged Fraser to talk to Ray explaining that hearing
was usually the last sense to fade. Cheered by the fact that a familiar
voice could help, Fraser threw himself into the task. He told his friend
stories of the frozen north, and talked about their friendship and what it
meant to him. He willed his unconscious friend to wake up, if only to tell
him to shut up. Fraser was in the middle of a long story about a hunting
trip when he thought he saw Ray's eyes flicker. "Ray," he said softly.
Nothing. He returned to his story. He paused to look down at his partner.
Ray's eyes were open wide. He looked confused. "Ray, it's me Fraser," he
said.  

  

"Fraser. Where am I?" he croaked.   

"Don't talk, I'll get the doctor," Fraser said.  

"Fraser, can you turn the light on? It's dark in here," Ray asked weakly.
Fraser was puzzled. The room was bathed in the bright morning sunshine.
Ignoring the comment, too excited that his partner was awake, he raced out
to find the doctor.   

Fraser and Dief were told to wait while the doctor gave Ray a thorough
examination. Fraser sat impatiently in the waiting room. After an hour,
the doctor emerged, and approached Fraser. Fraser jumped up eagerly.   

"Well, doctor," Fraser enquired.   

Thoughtful the doctor said "We need to do some more tests." Fraser
frowned, and the doctor quickly continued, "Oh, don't worry, he seems to
be well on the road to recovery. I am, however, a little concerned. He
doesn't seem to be able to see." Fraser sat down, shock showing in his
face. The doctor continued "I'm going to arrange for a brain scan as soon
as possible."	

"Does he know?" Fraser murmured.   

"Well, he's a bit disorientated at the moment, but yes he knows. I didn't
see any reason to delay telling him. I am afraid he didn't take it too
well," the doctor replied. Fraser leapt up, and moved quickly over to his
friend's room.	

Taking a deep breath, he entered. Ray was propped up on his pillows, his
face turned towards the window. "Hello Ray. So you decided to wake up. Got
fed up of hearing my stories," Fraser said brightly. Ray continued to face
the window. 

Fraser moved carefully around the bed so as not to startle his friend.
Ray's clear blue eyes were wet with tears. Fraser didn't know what to say,
so instead he put his hand on his partner's. Ray jumped slightly. Fraser
cursed himself silently; Ray hadn't seen him put his hand down.   

For once Fraser was lost for words. Ray was silent, staring towards the
window. Fraser decided to keep quiet, but his hand remained on his
friends. Ray eventually fell asleep. Leaving Dief on guard, he decided to
go for a walk to clear his head, and to think.	 **************  

The scan was arranged for the next day. An ophthalmologist from a
neighbouring hospital came to oversee the procedure, and to examine the
results. Ray had endured the examinations in silence, only speaking to
answer the consultant's many questions.   

The tests had shown that although there seemed to be no permanent damage,
there was an area of swelling around the optic nerve. This combined with
the severe head trauma suffered could account for Ray's loss of sight. The
consultant was optimistic, but couldn't give an indication how long the
blindness would last. He had gently told Ray that it may be a week, a
month, or much longer.	

Fraser was worried. Ray had shown little reaction to the news, remaining
strangely silent. He hadn't mentioned the blindness at all, and Fraser was
uncertain about whether to bring the subject up. Fraser wheeled his
partner back to his room, and helped settle him back in bed. He knew Ray
hated being helped, but the plaster cast made it difficult for him.  

"Ray. Are you alright?" Fraser asked.  

"Yeh. Thanks, Fraser," his partner replied quietly.   

"The doctor said he would think about discharging you on Saturday," Fraser
said.  

"Yes Fraser, I know. I'm tired. All those questions have made me tired,"
Ray said closing his eyes.  

"Right, I'll leave you to sleep. I'll come back tomorrow evening. Do you
need anything?" Fraser asked.  

"No. I'm fine. Thanks again Fraser," Ray yawned.  

Fraser hesitated. Ray turned on his right side, his eyes closed. Fraser
patted Ray's arm, called Dief and left.   

When he was sure that his partner had gone, Ray opened his eyes. He didn't
want to be alone, but he needed to think. He could feel the sun's warmth
on his face. It felt like a bad dream. The darkness surrounded him
totally. He was afraid, and he gripped the side of the bed with his good
hand. He stifled a sob as old memories threatened to overwhelm him.
Memories of his older brother locking him in a dark shed when he was four
years old. Of his parents finding him four hours later cowering in a
corner crying. He had been terrified of being alone in the dark ever
since. He had never completely grown out of his fear, but had learned to
control it by staying silent, and concentrating his mind on other things.
He knew Fraser was worried by his silence, but he couldn't tell Fraser
that he was afraid of the dark. Fraser would think he was a coward. His
mind in turmoil, he lay thinking for a while longer. Suddenly, his mind
made up, he fumbled for the bell to call the nurse.  **************  

Fraser walked down the corridor of the hospital, Dief following closely at
his heels. He had brought some of Ray's favourite candy, and carried a
copy of "Mutiny on the Bounty" under his arm. He had decided that he would
read to Ray, and was sure that Ray would enjoy the book.  

"Hello Constable Fraser. What are you doing here?" the nurse in charge
asked.	

"I've come to see Detective Kowalski. I thought I would read to him
tonight," Fraser replied, slightly puzzled at her question.  

"Didn't they call you?" she asked.  

"No, nobody called me," he answered concern on his face.  

"Oh, don't worry, but you should have been called. Detective Kowalski
insisted on discharging himself yesterday afternoon. We tried to persuade
him to stay, but he refused. One of our volunteer staff took him home,"
she explained.	

"I see. How did he seem?" Fraser asked.  

"His usual quiet self, a bit tired, but he seemed OK. I'm sorry nobody
called you," she apologised.  

"It's not your fault. Thank you kindly for your help," Fraser said
turning. He walked briskly down the corridor. "Ray, what do you think you
are doing?" he thought to himself.  

Fraser hailed a taxi outside the hospital. He used the candy to persuade
the driver to allow Dief to ride in the vehicle. He gave Ray's address and
asked the driver to hurry. Twenty minutes later, they drew up outside the
apartment building. He paid the driver and he and Dief ran into the
building and up the stairs. He knocked on Ray's door. There was no answer.
 

"Ray. It's me Fraser, let me in," he said. He knocked louder. "Ray," he
called. He knew Ray was in the apartment. "Ray," he called again.  

"Fraser, go away. I want to be left alone. I don't need you, or anyone.
Just go away, and leave me alone," his partner shouted back.  

"Ray," Fraser said.  

"Quit bugging me. Go away. Don't you understand plain English. Go away. Go
do Mountie-like things. Go annoy someone else. Go tell somebody else your
stupid stories. And while you're at it, tell everyone else to leave me
alone. Just go away, you stupid freak," Ray hollered from behind the door.
 

"Ray," Fraser uttered stung by the harshness of his partner's words.  

"Go away," Ray shouted louder, ignoring the injured tone of Fraser's
voice.	

Fraser felt hurt and upset at his partner. He was only trying to help.
Angry, he decided to leave Ray to his self pity. He turned and stalked
down the stairs and out of the building. He decided to walk back to the
Consulate. He reasoned that the thirty-five block walk would do him good,
and give him time to think.   

Ray heard Fraser leaving. He knew he had hurt his friend. He didn't really
want to be alone. "Come back Fraser," he whispered to himself. He slipped
down the door to the floor, and drew his legs up to his chest. He began to
sob.  **************  

Fraser hadn't been able to sleep, and tossed and turned. Everytime he
closed his eyes, he pictured his partner alone in his apartment. At 3.30
a.m., he had made his mind up; he was going to help Ray whether he liked
it or not. He rose, dressed quickly, and packed some clothes neatly into
his bag. He retrieved his hat, motioned to Dief and quickly left the
Consulate walking briskly towards Ray's apartment building. He would call
Inspector Thatcher later to explain the situation.  

He reached the apartment building in forty-five minutes. He looked up at
the building, drew in his breath, and ran quickly up the stairs, Dief
following.   

Stopping at Ray's door, he paused to look at his watch. It was only 5.00
a.m. "Oh dear" he thought. He was just about to leave and get an early
breakfast when he heard a loud crashing noise from the apartment. He
knocked loudly, "Ray, it's Fraser. Are you alright in there?" he yelled.
Silence. "Ray," he repeated.  

He heard a fumbling with the locks. The door swung open. His partner stood
before him looking more dishevelled than usual. His t-shirt was completely
untucked visible below his sweatshirt, which was on back to front. His
blonde hair was sticking up more wildly than usual. The bruises had begun
to fade, but seemed to emphasise the paleness of his partner's thin
unshaven face. A new untidily bound bandage was visible on his right hand.
He held his left arm across his chest as though it was giving him some
pain.  

"What?" his partner demanded.	

"Can I come in?" Fraser asked. Ray seemed to consider for a moment, and
then hesitantly stepped aside. Fraser quickly walked past his partner
before he could change his mind. He put his bag down quietly on the
kitchen counter. Fraser looked around the dark apartment noticing that it
was more untidy than usual giving the impression that it had been
ransacked.  

Ray had closed the door, and was making his way slowly towards the couch.
Fraser noticed that he put his good arm out in front of him as he went.
Fraser went over to help. Ray sensed him close and leapt back putting his
hand up.  

"Don't Fraser. I can manage," he snapped.   

"I'm sorry Ray. However, I am not sure you can manage. Your apartment
looks like you have been burgled, and you're wearing your sweatshirt back
to front," he accused.	

"So. I can't see the mess, and I'm starting a new fashion," Ray replied
bitterly. Reaching the couch, he slumped down. Dief jumped up, and nuzzled
Ray's side. Ray unconsciously put his good arm around the wolf. Dief
snuggled closer. Ray looked towards where he sensed his friend was
standing, "Do you remember you once accused me of being blind when I
couldn't shoot straight. You know, in the graveyard. Do you remember? I
said I didn't see too well without my glasses. Well, Fraser buddy. My
glasses ain't going to help this time," he said desperately.  

Fraser sat down in one of the chairs and regarded his partner silently.
This was not going to be easy. "Do you mind if I put the light on?" Fraser
asked.	 

Ray shrugged "Makes no difference to me."  

Fraser switched on a lamp, and asked "What have you done to your hand?"   

"Nothing," Ray lied.   

Exasperated, Fraser said "Ray, you can call me names, mock my stories, but
please do not lie to me."  

"Uhh. OK, so I poured hot water on it trying to make myself some coffee.
Happy now?" he said quietly.  

"Let me have a look at it," Fraser demanded. He leaned towards his
partner, and held his hand out, lightly touching Ray's knee in order to
give his friend an idea of where he was sitting.  

"You've got that determined Mountie look on your face, haven't you?" Ray
said 

defeated. Fraser smirked, glad that Ray couldn't see his face. Ray sighed
and held his right hand out towards the sound of Fraser's voice. "Ouch,"
he exclaimed as Fraser carefully removed the bandage. Fraser quickly
examined the burn, running his finger gently over the area causing Ray to
wince at the touch.   

"Mmm, doesn't look too bad. Have you a first aid kit?" Ray motioned
towards the bathroom. Fraser got up and fetched the kit. "Come with me,"
he instructed pulling his partner up out of the couch. Ray let himself be
led to the kitchen. Fraser quickly bathed Ray's hand, applied some
antiseptic cream, and re-dressed the burn neatly. He then led his friend
back to the couch.  

"Thanks, Fraser," Ray muttered. He leaned back in the couch, eyes closed.
"Suppose you are staying then. I heard you put your bag down," he said
waving in the direction of the kitchen counter.  

Fraser raised his eyebrows in surprise "Yes. I will stay, but only if you
want me to."   

Ray considered for a moment. "On one condition. Nobody else comes, not
Welsh, not Frannie, not anyone, just you and Dief," he said.  

"But, they are concerned about you. They want to help," Fraser argued.	

"No Fraser. That's the deal. Just you and Dief. No-one else, or no deal,"
Ray replied determined.  

Fraser sighed "Alright Ray. If that's what you want. Dief and I will stay.
Now why don't you go and relax in the bath. You look like you need it, and
I'll tidy up the apartment."   

"You don't have to do that," Ray said.	

"I know I don't, but I want to. Do you need some help?" Fraser said.  

"No Fraser. I can manage," Ray replied standing up, feeling his way
towards the bathroom. He nearly tripped over a waste basket, but managed
to stay on his feet. He disappeared into the bathroom. Fraser started to
tidy up.   

"Fraser,"  

"Yes Ray," he turned towards his partner.  

"Do yer think you could give me a hand? I can't get the water right, and
this cast is getting in the way," Ray said embarrassed. He looked at the
floor nervously, hating having to ask for help.  

"Of course," Fraser moved quickly towards his partner. He finished running
the bath, and insisted on helping Ray pull his clothes off. He helped him
climb into the bath, and handed him the soap. He knew that Ray felt
awkward. "Call me if you need anything else," he said as he left the
bathroom.  

He returned to the living room, and to his task of clearing up. He quickly
tidied the room, and moved onto the bedroom. The bed was unmade, and
pulled out drawers were strewn over the floor, the contents tipped out. He
remade the bed. Then he neatly laid the clothes back into the drawers, and
replaced them in the dressers. 

He selected a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a plain sweatshirt, and carried
them towards the bathroom. His partner was lying in the bath his eyes
closed. "Ray, I've put some clothes on the chair, about a foot from the
bath to the right. OK?" he advised.  

"OK," Ray mumbled.  

Fraser returned to the living room, and surveyed his efforts. Pleased, he
decided to call Lieutenant Welsh to update him on the current situation.
Welsh wanted to see Ray to ask him some questions concerning the
explosion. They agreed that the Lieutenant would come to the apartment
that afternoon.  

Hanging up, Fraser turned his attention to inspecting the fridge and
cupboards. Just as he suspected, Ray didn't have much in the way of proper
food. Dief woofed quietly. Fraser turned. Ray had emerged from the
bathroom, dressed in the jeans. He was struggling to get the t-shirt over
the plaster cast. Fraser went to help, but Ray sensed him close. "No, I
can do it Fraser," he snapped. Fraser stepped back, and Ray struggled for
a few more minutes. He sighed loudly "OK. You can help." Fraser helped his
friend put on his t-shirt and sweatshirt, and then led him to the couch.  

"Ray. I know you hate accepting help. I want to help, if I can. Please let
me help you," Fraser pleaded.  

Ray gaped "You want to help me after I was... I was mean to you."  

Fraser looked at his friend "Yes, I do if you'll let me."   

Ray looked at the floor "I shouldn't have called you names and insulted
your stories. You're not a freak, and I sorta like your stories, really I
do. It's just kinda hard at the moment. I'm justa about hanging in there,"
Ray murmured twiddling his fingers nervously.	

"It's alright Ray. No explanation is necessary, I understand. I know you
didn't mean to be unkind. And I still want to help," Fraser replied still
determined.   

Ray thought for a moment, and mumbled "OK Frase. I give up. I surrender.
You win. You can help."  

Fraser brightened at this "Well first, we need to go and get some proper
food. The fresh air will do us both good. I'll get your coat."	

"No. I want to stay here," Ray said stubbornly. He couldn't go outside. He
was afraid of the darkness, but he felt safe in his apartment. Going
outside filled him with unimagined terrors. He couldn't explain to Fraser,
he wouldn't understand.  

"You can't stay here forever," Fraser said firmly sensing that his partner
was afraid to go outside. He adopted his most persuasive voice "I need you
to come with me as I don't have any American dollars. Dief will come too."
The wolf barked happily, jumped onto the couch and nudged Ray's arm.  

"OK, OK. Quit nudging me willya Dief?" Ray got reluctantly to his feet.
Fraser handed Ray his coat, collected his hat, and opened the door. Ray
slowly felt his way over towards his partner. He was afraid, and hoped
that Fraser didn't notice the slight tremor in his hands as he struggled
to get his coat on.   

"It's OK Ray. Just take my arm, I won't let you trip or fall over
anything," Fraser reassured reading the nervousness in his partner's
movements.  

Ray gripped Fraser's arm tightly. Ignoring the sudden pain, Fraser slowly
moved forward gently pulling Ray along the corridor. They managed to walk
down the stairs without any mishaps, Fraser counting steps as they went.
Ray was still tightly gripping Fraser's arm, breathing heavily. Fraser
talked softly encouraging his partner to move forwards. They walked out of
the building, and turned right towards a small mini-market. Dief happily
ran on ahead.  ************** 

Andrew and Danny sat in a car across the street from Ray's apartment
building. They watched as Fraser and Dief led Ray slowly along the street
towards a small mini-market. "So. He didn't die," Andrew scowled at his
partner.  

"Yeh, but look at him, he can't see. Easy target, easy target," Danny
grinned viciously.   

Andrew sighed and started the engine. It roared into life, and he drove
slowly along the road towards the market. The cop had to die. It wasn't
part of the plan, but he couldn't risk the cop identifying Danny.  

Dief had bounded off along the street, and soon deserted the partners to
play with a group of children he encountered. Entering the mini-market,
Fraser collected a basket, and with Ray still gripping his arm, they
walked along the aisles. Fraser continued to talk quietly to Ray as he
began to fill the basket. Fraser smiled to himself as gradually Ray's iron
grip on his arm loosened.   

"Fraser. What you got in the basket?" Ray enquired.  

Fraser tried to avoid the question "Oh, you know, provisions for the
week."	

"You got healthy stuff in there, haven't you?" Ray accused.  

"Well, yes I have. It will do you good to eat properly for a change,"
Fraser countered.   

Ray wrinkled his nose up, "Ohh, yuk. Can you get me some smarties?" he
asked hopefully. 

  

Fraser smiled, and led his friend towards the checkout to pay for the
food. As the partners left the mini-market, Fraser stopped suddenly. "Oh
dear, I forgot to get the orange juice. Stay here, I won't be a minute."
He positioned Ray by the door, and ran back into the market.  

"Fraser," Ray said softly. He felt alone. He felt afraid. "Fraser hurry
up," he whispered to himself.	

Fraser kept an eye on his partner as he ran down the first aisle to get
the orange juice. On his way back to the check-out, he picked up a family
bag of smarties. As he queued, he glanced towards his partner, who was
standing still, his hands in his pockets. People accidentally jostled him
as they entered the market, but he remained motionless.  

Ray was frightened. He wanted to run away, but he felt totally helpless
and lost. The darkness seemed to surround him even more, and the everyday
street noises appeared louder than usual, filling him with fear. He
flinched every time someone knocked in to him. "Fraser, hurry up" he
thought to himself. He decided to move from the door, away from people
entering the market. He edged sideways, his arm out. He grunted as he
collided with a rubbish bin. Drawing a deep breath, he started to ease
himself around the obstacle. Once around the other side, he hugged the
wall tightly hoping that Fraser would hurry.  

Fraser looked up from counting out the money, and saw that Ray was no
longer positioned at the door. He quickly finished paying for the juice
and the smarties, and ran out of the shop. He breathed a sigh of relief,
Ray was standing on the other side of a rubbish bin staring towards the
road. As he walked over to join his partner, Fraser noted a light grey
sedan driving slowly along the road. The vehicle suddenly mounted the
pavement, and drove straight at his partner. Alarmed, he dropped his
purchases, and ran towards Ray. The car narrowly missed hitting Ray as
Fraser pulled him backwards. The partners fell in a heap. The sedan
swerved back onto the road, and roared off into the distance. Fraser
scrabbled up and ran forward, but he couldn't make out the mud-covered
licence plate.	 

He turned back towards his partner. Ray was sitting on the floor, eyes
closed, breathing slowly. Fraser knelt beside him concerned. "Ray. Are you
hurt?"	

Ray opened his eyes and brought his left arm up to his chest. He winced in
pain. "No. I'm OK. Just winded. What happened?"   

"I'm not sure," Fraser lied, hoping Ray wouldn't notice the tone of his
voice. In an effort to avoid anymore questions, he pulled his partner up
from the floor. Ray once again gripped the Mountie's arm tightly. Fraser
reassured the gathering crowd that everything was in order. He retrieved
his purchases, and slowly led his friend back to the apartment building.  

Fraser cooked steak and potatoes for lunch. He was worried. The car had
driven deliberately at Ray. During lunch, Fraser told Ray that Lieutenant
Welsh was coming to the apartment to ask some routine questions about the
explosion. Ray had tried to protest, but Fraser had persuaded him that it
was necessary part of the investigation. After lunch, Fraser had insisted
that Ray try to get some rest, and had hustled him off to lie down. He was
cleaning up the kitchen when a knock on the door signalled the
Lieutenant's arrival. Fraser opened the door.  

"Hello Constable. How's Kowalski holding up?" the Lieutenant asked
striding into the apartment. Fraser motioned to the armchair. The
Lieutenant sat down gazing around the apartment.  

Fraser sat in the other armchair "He's asleep at the moment. I need to
talk to you alone. I think someone is trying to kill Ray," Fraser stated
bluntly.  

Startled, Welsh said loudly "What did you say, Constable?"  

"Sshhh, you'll wake Ray," Fraser scolded. "I said I think someone is
trying to kill Ray. This morning, a car deliberately tried to run him down
outside the market. I think that it must have something to do with the
explosion. I can't think of any other reason. Unfortunately, I didn't get
the licence plate, and didn't see the occupants of the car."  

"Well, Ray can be difficult at times. I feel like strangling him at
times," Welsh grinned. He eyed the Mountie, and saw the serious look on
this face. "You're serious, aren't you?" he said.  

"Yes I am Lieutenant. I think that Ray is in danger," Fraser replied.
Restless, he got up, and went to the kitchen. "Coffee, Lieutenant?" he
asked.	

"Yeh, thanks," Welsh replied pondering on what Fraser had just told him.  

Fraser started to make the coffee, neatly placing three mugs on a tray he
had discovered in the one of the untidy cupboards. A cry from the bedroom
made him jump. Welsh leapt up, but Fraser motioned him to stay where he
was "I'll go," he said. Fraser quickly entered the bedroom; Ray was
sitting up, trembling visibly. Fraser cautiously moved towards his friend
speaking softly so as not to startle him.  

Ray stared in the direction of the voice "Fraser," he cried.  

"It's OK Ray. It was just a bad dream. It's OK," Fraser soothed reaching
out and putting his hand carefully on Ray's shoulder. Ray started
slightly. "Lieutenant Welsh is here to see you. Do you feel up to it?" The
trembling was beginning to subside.   

"Yeh, I'm cool. Give me a minute," Ray replied embarrassed. He was
frightened, and his fear of the darkness threatened to choke him. He
needed a minute to concentrate on something else. He guessed that Fraser
was probably looking anxious. "Take that look of your face Mountie," he
grinned crookedly at his friend. Fraser chuckled, patted his shoulder, and
returned to the kitchen to finish making the coffee. 

  

He was just placing the tray of mugs on the coffee table when Ray emerged
from the bedroom. Welsh started to get up to help, but Fraser silently
signalled him to sit down. Ray felt his way over to the couch and sat
down. "Coffee Ray?" Fraser asked.  

"Yeh, thanks Fraser," he gazed in the direction of his partner's voice. He
guessed that Welsh was probably sitting in the other armchair to his
right. He looked in that direction. "Hiya, Lieutenant. Do you miss me
yet?" he asked trying to sound cheerful.  

Welsh regarded the younger man for a moment studying his thin face. He had
never noticed Kowalski's blue eyes before. Fading bruises encircled them
at the moment, but they were a beautiful clear cornflower blue. The blue
eyes stared sightlessly at him now. It disconcerted him, and he shifted
position.  

"No, it's much quieter without you. Don't miss you a bit," he teased
gently.  

Fraser set Ray's coffee in front of his friend. Gently, he placed Ray's
hand on the mug's handle. "Fraser said you want to ask me some questions
Lieutenant. Don't think I can be much help. It's all a bit fuzzy still,"
he admitted.  

Welsh sat forward "Do you remember seeing anything before the explosion?
Try and remember, it might be important. If it helps start from the
beginning," he urged.  

Ray closed his eyes. "Well, Dief was hungry so we decided to get a
take-away. I left Dief across the street to wait for me while I got our
food. I turned to see if he was behaving. Then there was a loud noise, and
it went dark. That's it, I think. No, no wait a minute," he said his brow
creasing in concentration.  

Welsh encouraged "Go on Kowalski."  

"No, it's gone. I keep thinking there is something I should remember. But
I can't, it's just a blank. Sorry," Ray said frustrated looking towards
the Lieutenant.   

"Don't worry. I'm sure it'll come back to you," Welsh tried not to sound
disappointed.	

Ray took a sip of his coffee. He appeared deep in thought. "So Fraser,
what happened this morning?" he asked looking back in the direction of his
friend.  

Fraser nearly choked on his coffee. He spluttered "What do you mean Ray?" 


"Oh come on Fraser. I thought Mounties couldn't lie. I may be blind, but I
think I know when someone is trying to run me down," Ray said.	 

Fraser squirmed in his chair for once speechless. Welsh smiled at the
Mountie's discomfort.	

"Well," Ray demanded. "Is someone going to tell me what the hell is going
on?"  

Fraser recovered his composure. Ray never ceased to amaze him. "The
Lieutenant and I were just discussing possibilities before you woke up. We
think the incident this morning might be connected in some way to the
explosion," Fraser said.   

Welsh added "Huey and Dewey have come up against a dead end. Huey found
out that there have been a number of incidents in the neighbourhood. You
know the kinda of thing, small fires, broken windows, wrecked displays
cases. Word is that it's some kind of protection racket, but the people
are afraid, so no-one's talking. That's why its important for you to
remember as much as you can. It may help us put a stop to it, and catch
the bastards responsible." Welsh continued.  

Fraser said worried "They failed in their first attempt. They might try
again."  

"Don't worry Constable, I'll make sure a black and white patrols the area
just in case, and I'll station an officer inside the building. Fraser, I
take it you'll stay here?" Welsh asked.   

"Yes, Dief and I are staying put until this is over," Fraser replied.  

 "Is that OK with you Kowalski?" Welsh turned.	

"Yeh Lieutenant. It's OK with me, if it's OK with Fraser." Ray leaned back
in the couch and rested his head. His head hurt. He felt tired, and wanted
to go to sleep. He could hear Fraser and Welsh talking somewhere in the
background, but he couldn't make out the words. The mug fell to the floor.
  

Fraser startled by the noise looked over to his friend. Ray's head lolled
to one side, his right arm hung over the arm of the couch. Fraser stepped
over to his friend concerned. His cheeks were slightly flushed, but he
seemed to be breathing evenly. He gently lifted Ray's legs up onto the
couch. Ray stirred slightly, mumbled and turned on his side. Welsh had
fetched a quilt from the bedroom, and Fraser tucked it around his sleeping
partner. Dief, who had been lying on the floor under the coffee table,
jumped up onto the couch, and curled up behind Ray, nose resting on his
legs.  

Welsh turned towards the door, and whispered "I'll keep in touch
Constable. Stay alert. Say goodbye to Kowalski for me."  

Fraser saw him to the door, and carefully locked the bolts across one by
one. He returned to check on his partner. He seemed to be sleeping
peacefully. Fraser smiled to himself, Dief looked comfortable as well.
Fraser cleared up the coffee mugs, fetched a book he brought with him, and
sat in the armchair with his feet up on the coffee table. Every now and
again, he looked up from his book to check on his sleeping friend. 
**************	

They had returned to the dirty hotel room, and Andrew was angrily pacing
the floor. The cop was still alive. Andrew had a clear target, but his
Mountie friend had pulled him out of the way at the last moment.  

"He has got to die. He can identify you," he pointed angrily at Danny.	

"Perhaps, he don't remember me. Nobody has come looking for me," Danny
said trying to calm his partner. He didn't like it when Andrew got angry.
"You should have let me drive. I wouldna missed. I owe him for some jail
time," he sneered.   

Andrew glared at his partner. "Oh, I'm sure he'll remember you in time.
And when he remembers who you are, he'll lead his cop friends straight
here."	 

"So what's the plan Andy," Danny asked. 

  

"Mr. Ryker wants one more job to persuade the locals that he means
business. But first we kill the cop. And this time, we won't miss, and
you'll get your chance to get even," Andrew replied resolutely. Danny
chuckled nastily.  **************  

Fraser woke with a start. The apartment was dark. He switched on the
reading lamp, stretched the stiffness out of his legs, and looked over to
this partner. Ray was still on his side, murmuring in his sleep. Fraser
got up, and went to the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea. Dief
followed him into the kitchen hoping for a snack. "No Dief, it's not your
dinner time yet," he scolded the wolf gently. Dief lay down on the floor
sulking.  

"Mum, Mum, where are you?" Ray screamed.  

Dropping the tea bag he was just above to place in the teapot, Fraser
quickly moved towards his partner. Ray was sitting up, his face shiny with
perspiration. He looked wildly around. "Mum, Mum, it's dark, Mum," he
cried. He tried to jump up off the couch, but his feet tangled in the
quilt and he crashed to the floor.   

Fraser immediately bent down to help his partner, forgetting his
blindness. Ray recoiled violently at the touch, and tried to roll to the
side, his head connecting with the coffee table leg. Stunned he lay on his
back breathing heavily "Mum," Ray asked confused.  

Cursing silently to himself at his forgetfulness "No Ray, it's Fraser. I'm
sorry did I startle you?"  

His confusion gone, Ray stuttered "Nah, stupid dream, that's all." He
struggled to sit up. He moved his left arm up to his chest, and sucked in
a deep breath.	

"Ray, let me help you up," Fraser offered.  

"Nah, I'm good. I can get up, just give me a minute," Ray said.  

"Ray," Fraser started to scold.  

"OK, OK, you can help," Ray said resigned. He gasped as Fraser pulled him
to his feet. He slumped back onto the couch, and closed his eyes. Fraser
gently swung his partner's legs up onto the couch, and tucked the quilt
around him. Dief once again leapt onto the couch and started to curl up on
Ray's legs.   

"Dief, get down off Ray," he commanded. The wolf looked at Fraser
sullenly, and started to move off the couch.  

"No, let him stay, please Fraser," Ray pleaded putting his hand on Dief's
head. The wolf snuggled back on Ray's legs.  

Fraser thought Dief looked smug, and sighed defeated. He noticed that Ray
still supported his left arm across his chest "Does your arm hurt?"  

"No Fraser. Well, OK it's just a bit sore that's all. Don't fuss, please,"
he pleaded.  

Fraser decided to change the subject "Do you want to talk about your bad
dream? It might help."	 

Ray shifted uncomfortably, "No," he lied. He looked up towards the
ceiling, hoping that Fraser wouldn't notice his uneasiness at the
question. In his mind, he could imagine the look on Fraser's face, and it
frustrated him that he couldn't see the Mountie's expressions. He heard
Fraser sigh, and he immediately felt guilty. "Fraser, promise you won't
laugh at me," he said turning to his friend.  

Surprised Fraser asked "Why would I laugh at you Ray?"	 

"No reason, I guess. It's just kinda silly. You see..... Oh it's no good,
you'll just laugh," Ray turned his head back towards the ceiling, tears
threatening.  

Fraser regarded his partner silently for a moment, took a deep breath, and
asked "Ray, are you afraid of the dark?"  

Ray snapped his head back towards the sound of Fraser's voice "How did,
how didya know. Only my Mum and Dad know. I've never told anyone else, not
even Stella," he stammered.  

"Well, I didn't really, I just guessed. How long have you been afraid of
the dark?" his partner asked gently.  

Ray continued to stare at his partner, "Seems like forever. My older
brother locked me in dark shed when I was a little kid. Mum and Dad didn't
find me for ages. Been afraid of the dark ever since. I'm kinda OK when
I'm with other people, it only gets real bad when I'm alone. I know it's
dumb, but I can't help it. I don't show it, I just sorta concentrate on
other things," he said miserably.  

"Fear of the darkness is not stupid or dumb. It is very real to the person
suffering. I think that you cope very well, but I can imagine that you are
finding your present situation rather unsettling," Fraser said.   

Ray looked down, fiddling with the quilt "Fraser, you are the master of
understatement. It just totally freaks me out. The dark is there all the
time, and I can't think it away. When I wake up, I hope its all a bad
dream, and that the blackness has gone away. But it's still there, and I
feel like a little kid again locked in that dark shed alone and afraid,"
he sobbed.  

"You are not alone, Dief and I are here. We will not leave you. You don't
have to be afraid," Fraser said. As if in agreement, Dief woofed quietly,
and nuzzled Ray's legs.  

Calmer, Ray wiped at his eyes "Thanks Fraser. This is going to sound real
stupid coming from me, but is the light on? My Mum used to leave the light
on for me when I was a kid. It used to help me go to sleep," he said
embarrassed.  

"Yes Ray, the light is on. It's safe, you can go back to sleep. Dief and I
won't let anything happen to you," Fraser replied.  

Ray looked concerned "Fraser you won't, I mean you won't tell anyone,
willya?"   

"No Ray, I won't tell anyone, I promise," Fraser assured his partner.  

Ray leant his head back onto the cushions, closing his eyes. "Thanks
Fraser," he murmured relieved.	**************	

It had been two days since the incident with the car at the mini-market,
and as yet no further attempts on Ray's life had been made. As promised,
Welsh had organised for a black and white squad car to cruise the area at
regular intervals. An officer remained on duty in the entrance of the
apartment building around the clock, checking all visitors in and out.
Fraser and Dief remained with Ray at all times. Fraser had managed to
persuade Ray out of the apartment. They took Dief to the Park, or just
walked a few blocks for the fresh air.	

A police car shadowed the partners as an extra precaution. With each trip,
Ray grew more confident, his grip loosening on Fraser's arm. Ray, however,
had continued to stumble around the apartment tripping over, and knocking
into furniture. Fraser, worried that he may do some serious damage to
himself, helped him to pace distances between pieces of furniture, and
between rooms. Ray had learnt quickly, although Dief had nearly tripped
him up accidentally on several occasions.   

Fraser was in the middle of preparing their dinner. Ray was sitting on the
couch with Dief, who had his nose resting in Ray's lap. They were sharing
the bag of smarties, and listening to music. The telephone rang, Ray
reached over and picked it up "Yeh, OK, I'll get him," he said. He covered
the mouthpiece "It's the ice queen for you," he shouted at Fraser.  

Fraser turned the gas to low, and stepped into the living room. He took
the phone from Ray. "Hello Inspector," he said. Ray could hear Fraser
talking quietly in the background, but he turned his attention back to the
CD player. Concentrating on the music he loved, he could forget the
darkness for a while, imaging he was dancing around the apartment.  

"Ray," Fraser said interrupting his thoughts.  

"So what did she want?" Ray asked.  

"She wants me to go to the Consulate this evening. She says it is
important. Will you be alright here?" he asked his partner.  

Ray looked unsure "Yeh, I'll be fine."	

Fraser hesitated "I can ring her back, and tell her I'm staying here if
you want."  

"No Fraser, you go. I'll be fine," he tried to sound sure.  

"The officer is stationed downstairs, and the police vehicle drives past
regularly. I'll leave Dief here with you, would that be OK?" Fraser said. 


Ray stroked the wolf's head "Yeh sure, Dief and I will be fine. We'll look
after each other, won't we Dief?" he said. Dief barked in agreement.  

"Right, if you are sure, I'll go after dinner. I'll be back as quickly as
I can," Fraser replied moving back to the kitchen. "Oh, and Ray," he
turned back to his partner.  

"Yeh Fraser,"  

"Don't feed Dief all those smarties. He'll get fat," Fraser grinned. 
**************	

Andrew and Danny had driven past the apartment building several times.
They had noticed the police officer stationed just inside the entrance.
They had parked the sedan around the corner from the building, and were
now standing in the alleyway across the street watching silently. They had
noted that a black and white squad car passed the front of the building
every thirty minutes or so.  

"This aint going to be easy Andy," Danny said to this partner.	

"Don't worry, I've got it covered," Andrew smiled evilly.  

"What do you mean?" Danny asked puzzled.  

Still smiling Andrew said "I know this woman, who can impersonate anyone
she wants. She owes me so I got her to make a telephone call to a certain
Mountie."  

Danny looked doubtful "He's a Mountie, are you sure he'll be fooled?"  

"Oh, she's real good" Andrew stated. "The cop's going to die tonight. Then
we'll finish the job, collect our money and split this town."  

"Hey wait a minute, aint that the Mountie?" Danny pointed at Fraser, who
was talking to the officer in the entrance. "It worked," he said with awe.
 

"Yes, it did. Looks like he's leaving his friend alone up there," Andrew
said smiling. "This could be our chance."  

They watched as Fraser left the building, and strode up the street. They
watched as a small dark-haired elderly woman approached the officer. He
appeared to hesitate and then followed her back into the building.  

"This is it," Andrew said beckoning to his partner to follow. He patted
his jacket making sure his handgun was still there. They ducked back into
the alley as the squad car drove past the building. When it had
disappeared around the corner, they carefully crossed the road towards the
apartment building. Andrew took a look inside; the hall was empty.
Quietly, he signalled to Danny, and they hurried into the building towards
the stairs. They took the stairs two by two until they reached the third
floor. Cautiously Andrew peered around the corner along the corridor.
Confident that no-one else was there, he motioned to Danny to follow, and
they moved quietly along the corridor towards Ray's door. 

It was dark by the time Fraser had reached the Consulate. He hoped that
the meeting wouldn't take long, but had decided that he would take a taxi
back to the apartment wanting to get back to Ray and Dief as quickly as
possible.   

He hurriedly entered the Consulate, walked past the reception desk, and
knocked on the Inspector's door. "Enter" she shouted. Fraser straightened
his uniform, opened the door, and stepped inside. Inspector Thatcher
looked up surprised "What are you doing here Constable? I thought you were
looking after Vecchio."   

"But you called me and asked me to come to an important meeting this
evening," Fraser answered with puzzled expression.  

"No Constable, I did not call you. I happen to understand that you want to
look after your partner. I would, therefore, not call you unless it was an
absolute emergency," she replied coolly.  

Fraser looked bewildered, and then a flashing thought crossed his mind
"Ray," he whispered softly. He turned and ran out of the office "Call
Lieutenant Welsh, Ray's in danger" he shouted back to the Inspector. He
ran down the Consulate steps and along the street towards Ray's apartment
building.   **************  

After Fraser had left, Ray began to feel nervous so he turned the music
up. He put his feet up onto the coffee table, and tried to concentrate his
mind on the country music of Tracy Jenkins. Dief growled in his throat,
and lifted his head off Ray's lap, his ears pricked up "What's up Dief?
Don't like country music?" Ray sighed he was talking to the wolf again.
Without warning, Dief leapt off the couch, and moved over to the door,
growling softly.  

Alarmed, Ray cautiously got off the couch "What's up boy? Is it Fraser?"
No it couldn't be Fraser, Dief wouldn't growl like that, he thought to
himself. He backed away, moving towards the bedroom calling Dief to come
away from the door. Dief continued to growl at the door.  

Suddenly, the door burst inwards violently. It hung off its hinges; Andrew
and Danny entered the room, guns drawn. Dief growled louder, and leapt
towards the first man snarling. Alarmed Danny brought his gun down and
swiped at the wolf catching the side of Dief's head. Dief howled and
dropped to the floor unmoving. Both men crouched down looking around the
unfamiliar surroundings for their prey. Andrew motioned Danny towards the
kitchen, and he moved slowly forwards into the living room.   

Ray was frightened, he had heard Dief howl. He had managed to find his way
to his night stand. He fumbled with the drawer, and desperately felt for
his gun. His fear threatened to strangle him "Calm down Ray," he thought
to himself. Relief flooded through his tightening chest as his hand
touched the butt of his gun. He grasped it firmly, engaged an ammunition
clip, and flipped the gun's safety catch off. Heart still pounding, he
willed himself to move forwards towards the door. Crouching low, he
listened carefully. He could hear them in the kitchen area whispering to
each other. He crawled into the living room, and ducked behind the first
armchair.   

Suddenly, a thought hit him, Fraser would have left the light on. He would
even things up a bit, and turn the light off. He moved slowly and quietly
in the direction of the light switch. As he went, he counted paces in his
head, as Fraser had taught him, until he came level to where the light
switch should be positioned. Carefully, he reached up knocking a vase off
a shelf. "Damn, I forgot about the shelf," he cursed silently. Too late,
the two men swung towards the sound. Danny fired in Ray's direction. Ray
flipped the light switch off, and ducked as the bullet whistled past
grazing the right side of his face. He winced in pain, feeling blood
running down the side of his face. He brushed at the blood with his
sleeve, and fired two rounds in the direction of the kitchen. Taking a
deep breath, he rolled back towards the bedroom door, and began to crawl
around the couch, trying to work his way around behind his attackers.	

Andrew and Danny hit the kitchen floor as Ray fired at them. With the
apartment plunged into darkness, they were momentarily disorientated.
Andrew lay still until his eyes grew accustomed to the dark. Nudging his
partner, they both advanced slowly into the living room.  

"He can't get away. We've got him," Danny whispered. His partner hushed
him with a wave of his hand.  

Ray had caught the sound of the whisper, and resisted firing in the
direction so as not to give away his location. His head pounded in pain,
and he felt sick. He willed himself forward, and huddled behind the
kitchen counter, holding his breath, listening for any further movements. 
 

Andrew motioned to Danny whispering, "Put the light back on. Over there."
Danny carefully reached up, and switched the light back on. Out of the
corner of his eye, he saw Ray's boot sticking out from behind the counter.
He silently gestured to his partner. Andrew stood up carefully, and
started to follow his partner around the counter.    

Ray sensed that they were close to him, and he shifted position slightly.
Without warning, a foot kicked his gun from his hand. He groaned in pain,
and felt himself being hauled up to his feet roughly. Danny pushed Ray up
against the wall banging his head hard against the plaster. He held him
tightly by the neck, and pushed the barrel of his gun at Ray's head. He
snarled, "You don't remember me do you cop? Oh, but I remember you, and I
owe you for some jail time." Ray whimpered trying to struggle free from
the iron grip around his neck. He felt dizzy, and he couldn't breathe.
Danny tightened his hold on Ray "You're going die cop. I'm going to enjoy
this," he sneered.  

Andrew shouted "Just do it, and let's get out of here before his cop
friends turn up." He turned to leave; Dief, who only been stunned, had
been hiding in the hallway waiting for his chance to help his friend. He
barked loudly, and sprung towards the older man. Alarmed, Andrew cried out
and took a step backwards frightened. Danny distracted by the commotion
let go of Ray, who slid to the floor. Danny swung around to see the wolf
leaping towards his partner. Panicked he fired at Dief, missed and hit
Andrew high in the chest. Andrew looked at his partner in surprise, and
dropped to the floor dead.   

Danny yelped and menacingly turned back to Ray. Ray heard the sound of a
trigger being pulled back, and with his last ounce of strength he kicked
out and caught the young man off balance. Danny fell backwards, his gun
going off, the bullet hitting the ceiling. As he fell to the floor, the
gun slid out of his hand across the carpet. Recovering quickly, he went to
get up, but froze as he came face to face with Dief, who curled his lips
back and snarled threateningly.  

Fraser ran up the stairs two by two, the uniformed officer following him.
He could hear the police sirens in the distance. He raced along the
corridor to Ray's apartment, saw the door hanging off its hinges, and
without thinking rushed straight through the opening. "Ray, where are
you?" he shouted. Entering the living room, he looked around wildly taking
in the scene before him. A man was sprawled on the floor, lying in a pool
of blood. Dief was growling nastily at a younger man, who terrified was
frozen to the spot. The uniformed officer carefully moved over, gun drawn,
rolled the man on his stomach, cuffed his hands and hauled him up to his
feet. He dragged him from the apartment reciting his legal rights as he
went.  

Dief had turned his attention to Ray, who was sitting on the floor eyes
tightly closed. Blood was running down the side of his head, his left arm
drawn up across his blood-soaked sweatshirt. Dief gently nuzzled him. "Oh
Dief, am I glad you're OK," Ray whispered. He opened his eyes "Don't worry
Fraser, we looked after each other." He affectionately stroked the wolf's
ears.  

Fraser knelt besides his partner "Ray, stay still, I'll call an
ambulance."   

Ray weakly smiled at his partner "You been running again? You look kinda
red in the face, just like your uniform."  

Fraser gaped at his friend lost for words for a minute "You can see my
face?" he stuttered.  

Ray looked again, and then around him. It was blurry, but he could see his
apartment, Dief and Fraser's red face, "Yeh Fraser. It aint dark any
more." His eyes closed, and he slumped sideways into his partner's arms
unconscious.   ************** 

Fraser stood on the steps of the Consulate. He pondered the events of the
last few weeks. Ray had spent a couple of days in the hospital for
observation and further scans. Happily, he had been discharged, and had
spent a further two weeks convalescing under Fraser's watchful eye.   

Danny had been charged with murder and numerous other felonies ensuring
that he would be spending a long time in jail. Lieutenant Welsh had
persuaded him to give the name of his employer. Detectives Huey and Dewey
had lost no time in arresting Ryker and his associates. With the criminals
safely behind bars, some of the neighbourhood residents had come forward
and offered testimony. Huey and Dewey had been able to finally close the
case.	

A familiar black GTO screeched to a halt outside the Consulate gates
interrupting his thoughts. His blonde headed partner half got out of the
car and waved to Fraser. Looking over the top of his sun glasses, Ray
shouted "Pitter patter, let's get at it. Come on Fraser, no dilly
dallying." Dief, who had been staying with Ray, woofed enthusiastically
from the passenger seat window.   

Fraser sighed, Dief and Ray had become firm friends, but he worried that
they were a bad influence on each other. He ran down the steps towards the
GTO. As Fraser approached the GTO, Dief jumped into the back seat. Fraser
removed his hat as he slipped into the passenger side of the car. The car
swerved into the traffic just as he was closing the door. Fraser clung
onto the door handle as Ray accelerated down the road, and through a stop
sign.  

"Ray, didn't you see that stop sign?" he protested frowning at his
partner.  

Ray glanced sideways at his partner grinning, his clear blue eyes shining
"Oh yeh Fraser, I saw it, I'm glad to say."   THE END