ELSEWHERE... part 1/? by Jackee C.
"That'll be $24.47, Constable," Ed, the grocer, said. He glanced out of the window of the storefront. "Looks like rain," he added, slipping another beef jerky to Dief. Fraser pretended not to notice the exchange, but paused to look out the window and comment on the weather as he was expected. "Yes, it does," he agreed, and immediately went back to the business of counting money. When he was done paying for his purchases he grabbed up the bag and headed briskly out the door with a 'thank you kindly' for the grocer. Dief followed obediently at his feet. The sky was looking quite ominous as he started toward his apartment building. So much so that he decided to forego the planned lecture to Dief concerning the beef jerky. The wind had picked up considerably by the time they reached the corner...half a block later, the sky opened up. Ben broke into a jog. The sounds of an odd screeching caught his attention from the someplace up ahead. It was loud. Loud enough to be heard over the spattering of the rain. Ben slowed as he tried to identify the sound. Having determined that it came from an alley up ahead, he quickened his pace. Just before he reached the alley, a blur of blues and greens and reds preceeded by a large white wicker basket shot toward him at top speed. Ben felt the air whoosh out of his lungs as the ancient bicycle spilled it's occupant into his chest. He saw the contents of the wicker basket unite in mid air with the contents of his grocery bags, in the next instant he saw a large rear tire fill his line of vision. He felt his head abruptly jarred and his vision began to fade...the sound of a whining Dief, and squealing tires, and the ever and ever more distant echo of rain...
Ben slowly became aware of his surroundings. He could hear rain falling against a window. His head felt unnaturally...out of porportion, throbbing with a dull ache near his right temple. Opening his eyes was proving difficult. He decided to try his other senses. Smell. He smelled Dief, his wolf also the familiar smell of his bed...and something else. Rain, mixed with persperation and...wild flowers? He must have made a sound then, because he heard hurried footsteps. In reflex, he pushed his body into a sitting position, opening his eyes by force of will. Thus he was totally unprepared for the five identical faces surrounded by a mass of dark blonde curls. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" a female voice demanded. Then he could feel her hands catching him when he would have fallen to the floor. "I'm terribly sorry," he apologized as she solidified into a single form, her hands still attempting to support his upper body. He'd settled on the floor with his back against the bed. He blinked to clear the still fuzzy edges. "...um...I'm afraid I don't recall, who are you?" To Fraser's utter surprise the woman burst into tears. Even beyond the ache of his head, Fraser reddened. He had no memory of this woman. He glanced out the window...it was dark outside. What had happened? A million horrified thoughts ran through his mind. The woman grabbed him and pulled him tightly into her arms. The slight motion cause the room to again tilt. Fraser had to grab hold of her to steady himself. Just then the front door slammed open and running footsteps could be heard approaching. "Benny?!" a frantic Ray called. "Benny, where are you?" Both of the occupants of the bedroom heard Ray trip over something metallic and utter a curse. The woman's sudden stiffening made it obvious that whatever he'd tripped over was hers. "In here, Ray." Fraser called, still a bit weakly, pushing back out of the woman's arms. But not before Ray caught sight of them. Ray paused for the briefest second before he rushed to his friends' side. "Mr. Mustafi called. What happened?" Ray demanded, wincing at the sight of a very large darkened bruise on one side of Fraser's temple and the black eye that there was no avoiding. He passed a curious glance between Fraser and the mysterious woman. "I don't know, Ray," Fraser answered, not missing his friends expression. "But I think Ms..." Fraser allowed the statement to hang. "Sarah. Just Sarah," the woman filled in the blank. "...was about to tell us." Fraser finished, watching the woman intently from his left eye. The right was swollen shut. His motions did not betray the fact that the pain in his head was trying to impede his thinking ability. Ray's eyes widened with the thoughts that rushed through his mind. The least of all which was the fact that he'd just seen the mountie alone in his apartment in an embrace with a woman whose name he hadn't even known! Ray did not want to interupt this reply! Sarah drew a shuddering breath as she wiped at the tears with the back of a sleeve. Her eyes were a cloudly gray against the white of her spring sweater. "I was riding my bicycle," she began haltingly, "when he jumped out in front of me!" She pointed an accussing finger at Fraser. "Then he hit his head," she added, more quietly. "Some old guys knew where he lived and said that he never locked his door and they helped me get him in here." Ray sighed heavily. The woman looked like she would break into tears at any moment. "All right," he said. "Benny, we need to get your head checked out. You could have a concussion or something." "No, Ray. I'll be fine." Ben protested. "The pain is really beginning to recede." Ray gave his friend a dubious look. "Uh huh." Then to Sarah, "help me get him up." "No, Ray. I assure you, I'm quite all right." Ben pushed himself up from the floor in an effort to prove the medics were not necessary. He really did feel better and the room no longer threatened to spin with each mot on of his head. He slowly pushed himself into a standing position. "See? All fine." Ray and Sarah caught him when he fell to the floor.
to be continued...
I LOVE THE TIME AND IN BETWEEN, THE CALM INSIDE ME IN THE SPACE THAT I CAN BREATHE, I BELIEVE THERE IS A DISTANCE I HAVE WANDERED TO TOUCH UPON THE YEARS, REACHING OUT AND REACHING IN, HOLDING OUT, HOLDING IN. I BELEIVE THIS IS HEAVEN TO NO ONE ELSE BUT ME AND I'LL DEFEND IT LONG AS I CAN BE LEFT HERE TO LINGER IN SILENCE IF I CHOOSE TO WOULD YOU TRY TO UNDERSTAND...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elsewhere part 2
Elsewhere part two
"He's had a pretty good bump to the head, but he should be fine. Just make sure he goes home and gets lots of rest. If you notice anything strange, though, be sure to bring him back in so we can take another look." The doctor handed a white slip of paper to Ray along with instructions. "These are for pain. He's gonna feel like he got run over by a truck tomorrow. " Sarah gently removed the prescription from Ray's fingers while he continued to speak with the doctor. Ray very deliberately took it back without missing a beat in the conversation with the doctor. He hadn't liked the way she'd been trying to take over ever since they'd gotten to the hospital. He threw a glare in her direction for good measure. Sarah, undaunted by Ray's attitude, took the coveted slip of paper back, folded it and enclosed it in a tight palm behind her back. She threw Ray and the doctor a sweet smile before walking off. Ray gave the doctor a hurried 'thank you' and ran after her. "Hey! Mind if I ask what you think you're doing?" "I'm going to go get this filled," Sarah declared over her shoulder. "No you're not!" Ray exclaimed. "It's not like you're gonna get him to take it anyway! And besides, who *are* you, anyway? Why do you keep hanging around here? Your part is done, you hit him with your bicycle...move on." Sarah spun to face Ray, something flickered breifly in her eyes. "Now Detective Vecchio, you don't mean that. You're upset, I can understand that. But just because I only met Benton 2 hours ago, doesn't mean that I can't care for his safety. You're his friend and you want to take care of him. I only wanted to help. I'm sorry if I stepped on your toes." With a wry little smile, Sarah handed the slip of paper back to him and walked out of the hospital. Ray watched her go, sorry for his rash words. Well, it was water under the bridge. Nothing to be done about it now.
"Ray, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Fraser was saying as he climbed the stairs to his apartment. "Well, I'm not leaving Benny til you take this. Doc says you'll be happy you did tomorrow." "Ray, you know I dislike..." Ben paused in midstep, raising his nose higher in the air in a gesture he surely must have learned from Dqefenbaker. Ray had to take the steps two at a time to keep up with his friend. "What is it?" he whispered, hand under his jacket, ready to pull his gun if need be. Fraser paused outside of his door, a look of panic on his face. Ray gave his friend a curious look. Then something else caught his attention. "Something smells wonderful..." he said. "And it's coming from *your* apartment!" Ray eagerly pushed his way into the apartment. "Gentlemen, your timing couldn't have been any more perfect!" Sarah exclaimed from the kitchen area.
Sarah managed to convince Ray that she hadn't poisoned the food. And Fraser that she had indeed made the meal with ingredients from his refrigerator and cupboard. Dief had lain sedately at her feet as she stated her case. Fifteen minutes later, Fraser and Ray had managed to down all the food that Sarah set before them. When they were done, she asked Ray if he'd picked up the prescription. "Yeah," Ray responded, digging the bottle of pills from his pocket. He passed the bottle to her. He could hardly be mad after she'd cooked a meal that rivalled his mothers. That and the fact that he hadn't been very nice there at the end at the hospital. "Thanks!" Sarah gave him a cheerful smile. After a glance at the label, she poured two pills into her palm and handed them toward Fraser. "Uh, no thank you." Fraser politely refused the offer. "They'll help with the pain. I know it's still gotta hurt." "He prefers not to take medication," Ray answered boredly. "It's useless arguing with him." "Oh? I find that hard to believe." Sarah drawled as she considered Fraser for a moment. "I'll bet arguements with him could be quite enlightening." She smiled. "Benton would you like to argue with me about this?" Fraser's face begin to redden under her glance. "No," he swallowed, tossing a pleading look in Ray's direction. Ray was really beginning to really like Sarah. Could handle Benny and cook too! When he saw he would be getting no help from Ray, Fraser quickly took the pills from her hand and placed them in his mouth with a smile of surrender. He finished off his milk behind it. "See that wasn't so bad was it?" Ray patted him on the back a bit firmer than necessary in encouragement. Ray's face spread with a satisfied grin when the pills went down Fraser's throat with a large gulp...and not a little coughing.
After they'd put an extremely drowsy Fraser to bed, Ray offered to take Sarah home. "You wouldn't make that offer if you knew whereqI live," Sarah smiled. "You're not gonna ride back there on your bicycle are you?" Ray asked. "It's too dangerous for you to be out there this time of night." "If I could I'd like to hang around til morning to make sure he's okay," Sarah said. Ray realised she was asking his permission. His eyes widened with the dawning realization. "Uh...um," he shrugged. He pointed in the direction of the bedroom. "It's...his..." "I'll cook breakfast," Sarah added with a sly grin. "Done," Ray grinned. "How could I turn down such a deal?" "Well, I do need a favor. I need some things to make breakfast with. See, the majority of what got smushed, ruined or broken when I ran Benton over was breakfast stuff." "Sure," Ray agreed with a slight shake of his head. "Ready?" At Sarah's nod he led her out of the door. When Dief, who'd been shadowing Sarah for most of the night, would have followed, Ray turned and told him to sta and take care of Benny. Dief whined the doggie equivalent of 'okay' and went to lie beside his friend.
Delicious smells awoke Fraser. He got up from the bed with a frown. Dief was not in his usual spot at the bedside. And a lump in a sleeping bag near the door, at a guess, had to be Ray. Fraser stepped around his friend in search of the mystery cook. He leaned against the door frame when he saw Sarah dressed in one his blue flannel shirts over a pair of beige leggings. She was currently bent over slipping something into Dief's mouth. "I do hope that wasn't anything sweet," Fraser said. "I'm trying to break him." Sarah looked up in surprise. Her eyes were blue against the flannel of his shirt. "I'll bet you're very good at sneaking up on people," she smiled. "So, I've heard," Ben responded, returning her smile. Sarah noticed that his eyes flickered over his shirt. "Sorry," she said. "I hope you don't mind. I simply *had* to get out of that sweater..." "No, it's fine," he assured her. "And I don't mean to be rude," he continued. "Although, I really appreciate your cooking a meal yesterday and ..." his voice trailed off as she placed a pan of crossaints on the table along with several other delicasies he hadn't had in a while. Ben cleared his throat and continued. "But, you don't have to do this. I'd be happy to borrow Detective Vecchio's car and take you home." Sarah just gave him an amused look as she walked up to him. "Two knights in shining armor, huh?" "Pardon?" Fraser stood up straight at her approach. And she stopped directly in front of him. He was about to take a step to the side to avoid standing so close. Sarah simply pushed him back toward the wall. "Stop moving," she said, looking into his eyes. Then she turned her attention to the bruised skin on the right side of his head and around his eye. She had to move closer to get a better look. She could tell that Fraser was holding his breath. "Better yet," she murmured, taking a hand. "Why don't you sit down. You're a bit tall for this." Fraser released the breath. "Are you always this nervous around women?" Sarah asked when she'd got him seated in a chair. "No." Fraser said quickly. "Yes," Ray spoke up as he pushed the flap o the sleeping bag back. "No," Fraser insisted, then acquiens d. "Sometimes." "Hmmm..." Sarah said.
* * * * * *
The trunk of the Riviera was tied down with rope and one slightly bent bicycle tire stuck out. "Where'd you say we were going?" Ray asked again. "The downtown Hilton," Sarah answered. Ray did a doubletake. "Where'd you say?" "I think we're being followed," Fraser spoke up from the backseat, where he was crowded between what had been the contents of Sarah's basket and Dief. Ray glanced in the rearview mirror. "Which one?" "Gray sedan, two cars back," Fraser answered. Sarah moved to spin around in her seat. "Where?" "No, don't," Ray grabbed her to hold her still. "Look forward as if nothing is happening. I'm going to try to lose 'em." Ray put on his signal light to make a right turn at the next intersection. The gray sedan put on its signal as well. "Well, it's official." Ray said as he put on his signal to make a left. The gray sedan tracked. Ray slammed his foot unto the gas and sped to the next interesection and made an immediate right. The gray sedan, realizing that its cover was blown, gave chase. "He's got a gun! Down!" Fraser yelled just before the back windsheild shattered in a sea broken glass.
Elsewhere 3
"He shot my window!" Ray exclaimed from his stooped positon over the steering wheel. He pulled his gun form its holster and fired out of the now open back window. "Stay down, Benny!" "Ray, I don't think this is a good time to engage in an exchange of fire!" Fraser gestured in Sarah's direction. Ray glanced over at the woman down on the floor boards with her hands over her head. "Yeah, you're probably right," he said, as he radioed in for backup. The sedan continued to take pot shots at them until they turned again. Ray groaned when he saw they were near to the old railroad yard. Another shot caught a rear tirecausing the Riv to spin wildly, out of control. Ray peppered the air with colorful exclamations until the car came to rest against a stack of boxes along side a building. Fraser and Ray were out of the car seconds after it came to rest. They'd had to drag Sarah from the car. It took a few seconds for her to get her feet under her. They were climbling over the boxes as the gray sedan skidded to a halt in the yard. They skidded behind a large metal bin as the shots rang out. Ray ducked behind the bin and waited for an opening to return fire. "How many," he asked. "Two," was Fraser's immediate reply. His eyes were scanning the warehouse and the catwalk that led to a point behind where the men were hiding. "I think I can get in behind them." Ray nodded as he spun around and fired over a few shots. "Make it fast, I'm gonna be out of bullets soon," Ray said as he loaded his last clip. Fraser nodded. He made his way through scattered metal containers and into the warehouse on their side of the yard. Getting to the catwalk was a simple matter. He mentally kept track of the number of bullets that Ray shot. From the catwalk he had a clear view of most of the yard. He noticed that one of the men was no longer with the car, but was circling around to Ray and Sarah's position. In fact he was almost behind them. Fraser looked around quickly taking stock of what might be used as a weapon. Then overhead he saw the remnants of a pulley. Grabbing a hand hold, he slid down the creaky chains and landed just behind the man. The man, hearing the commotion Fraser made when he landed, spun around. Fraser punched him. The man fell back against a large crate and then through it. The man hurried to get up and charged at Fraser who ducked out of the larger man's way. The man ran head first into a very large metal container. The fight was over. Fraser found some old rope and bound the man before returning to his friends. "Where's Dief?" he asked. "I dunno," Ray said. "I thought he left with you." A moment later, they heard the gunman from the car yelping in fear. "It would seem, we've found our missing wolf."
A tall heavy set man with greasy, slicked-back hair and a thin, equally oily looking fellow were ushered out of the interrogation room after having been identified by Fraser as the two gentlemen from the crime scene. Ray stood by and watched as they passed, still furious at what they'd done to his car. With a sigh, he went to find Benny. Ray found Fraser signing his statement that these were indeed the men he'd seen when he was on the catwalk and on the ground. "Where's Sarah?" Fraser asked as Ray approached. "She's with Elaine. She seemed pretty shaken up, so Elaine got her some tea or something," Ray said. At Fraser's nod he continued. "These guys were hired hands, Benny. Contract workers." Fraser smiled his thanks at the officer who'd handed him the form to sign and turned to Ray. "I see where you're going, Ray but I don't think that those thugs were after us." "So, you think they were shooting at the wrong 1971 Riviera?" Ray asked. "No, Ray," Ben responded. "I think they were after Sarah." "Sarah?" Ray gaped.
"Okay, Sarah you have to make a statement, too, since you were an occupant of the aforementioned vehicle." Ray said, when he found Sarah and Elaine in the lounge. At a signal from Fraser, Elaine waved a silent goodbye to Sarah and left the room. "I saw the same thing you two did. Why do I have to add to it?" Sarah asked from her seat at a small table in the corner of the room. "You have to. It's your civic duty," Ray replied, taking a seat opposite hers, clipboard in hand. Fraser looked on as Sarah and Ray debated the issue. He took careful notice of her reactions. "I'm a Canadian citizen, so it really isn't my civic duty," Sarah shot back after a few seconds. "Is too! Ask anybody. Ask *him*." Ray pointed a finger toward Fraser. "Well, Ray, technically, she has the option of stating her case to the consulate ..." "There you go!" Ray exclaimed. "Make your statement to him." "Him?" Sarah stared confused form one man to the other. "He's a mountie," Ray supplied with studied innocence. "Speaking of which," Ray turned to Fraser. "Where's your hat?" He hadn't seen Benny in the hat all weekend. "It's at the cleaners. I have to pick it up this afternoon. And," he turned to Sarah, "you can make your statement to me. Although, this isn't Canadian soil, and outside of the consulate I have no jurisdiction, I can forward it through the proper channels if you'd like." "No. No thanks," Sarah answered the question, then focused on him again, confused. "Why didn't you tell me you were a mountie?" "I thought you knew. Surely you saw when you got the shirt...?" "No. Actually your wolf brought me the shirt. I didn't know where he got it from and it smelled clean and so..." Sarah shrugged, "I put it on." Her gaze lingered on his. Ben wondered if Die had known that Sarah would look wonderful in that shirt. The shirt she still wore. He blinked several times and cleared his throat. "Since you don't want to make an official statement, would you tell me everything you remember?" "Okay," she agreed, "but under one condiion." "Yes?" Fraser asked. "That we do it on the way to my hotel. I really need a shower, if you don't mind." Fraser glanced at Ray to gauge his reaction. Ray shrugged. "I'll meet you over there in an hour. No telling how long motor pool's gonna be."
"This is it," Sarah said as she came to a stop in front of room 1217. She slid the magnetic card through the slot near the door to deactivate the electronic lock. Fraser followed her into the room carrying her bicycle and the remnants of her wicker basket. "You can just put it down over there," she threw over her shoulder as she headed toward the suite's bedroom. "I won't be long." Ben carefully set the bicycle in the corner as Sarah had suggested. That task accomplished, he didn't take a seat, but began to absently survey the room. Sarah obviously liked flowers. There were vases full of daisies everywhere. The main room led off into a smaller room. Curious, Fraser stepped into the room. An easel stood facing a blank wall, where it would have caught the morning sun. A thick white cloth hid whatever lie underneath. An incredibly large assortment of paints and brushes were neatly organized in a heavy gray tool box, which sat to one side of the easel. A large window overlooking downtown Chicago stood on the wrong side of the easel. Fraser gazed out at the city for a few minutes and then turned back to lift the cloth. "No!" Sarah exclaimed from across the main room. "No one can see until it's complete." Fraser drew his hand back and left the little room. "I'm terribly sorry to have invaded your privacy. I was merely wondering why your easel was facing a bare wall when there's a lovely view of the city through the window." Sarah brushed his apology off with a wave of her hand. "No, don't worry, you didn't invade anything. It's just that I have this thing where if someone see's a painting before it's done I can't finish it. Just a bit of my own personal wierdness. And the reason I faced the easel toward the wall is so that I wouldn't be distracted after I got the image in my mind." "So, you came to Chicago to paint?" Fraser asked. "Yes and no," Sarah replied. At Fraser's confused expression, she went to a vase a picked a daisy. "See this daisy?" she asked. "Yes," Fraser responded with a nod. "Now close your eyes," she said. Fraser stood very still for a second but then obliged her. He heard her stepping closer. A moment later he could feel the coolness of the petals against a cheek and then beneath his nose. "Feel that. Smell it. KNOW it. Can you see the daisy in your mind?" "Yes." Fraser opened his eyes. Sarah was standing very near rubbing the daisy against his face. "That's how I paint," she whispered, holding his gaze. "I hope you're not allergic," she continued, still on a whisper. "No." Fraser shook his head. Sarah's eyes fell shut. "I've got you," she said, a small smile curling her lips.
Elsewhere 4/5
Disclaimer is in part one
"Got me?" Fraser questioned. "Yes," Sarah opened her eyes. "I've got you here," she touched her forehead, "in my mind." "Sarah," Fraser spoke her name suddenly, snapping the spell that she seemed to have cast. He cleared his throat and backed away. "Can you think of any reason someone might want to hurt you?" "Why do you ask that?" Sarah evaded, moving to return the flower to its vase. "It's quite possible that the gentlemen who pursued us today were after you." Fraser explained. "Although there are those who might want to exact some sort of revenge from Detective Vecchio or I, these gentlemen don't fit the profile of any of those people." "Are you saying you can just look at a person and tell if they'd ever want to kill you?" Sarah asked. "No, not precisely. But I trust my instincts. And my instincts tell me that you're running from something or someone. But there's a thing about running. Some day, somewhere, you get tired and you get caught." Sarah glared across the sofa at him. "You don't know everything, you know. Matter of fact, you don't know anything. And if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if--" Just then there was a knock at the door. Sarah continued on her tirade as she moved toward the door. "...you wouldn't stare like that, like you know what I'm thinking. I hate it when--" Sarah yanked the door open. Fraser could see that there was no one standing in the hallway. His ears caught the distant sound of a few running footsteps and then the slamming of a door. He moved slowly toward the door, suspicion growing as Sarah looked furiously down the hall both ways. He was halfway around the sofa by the time her eyes settled on the hall floor in front of her. She'd stooped down to pick up the plain white package by the time he reached her. With one swift motion, he knocked the package into the hallway, grabbed Sarah to him and pulled the two of them behind the door. Sarah stood stunned in his arms for a half second before she began to struggle. "What--" She never finished her statement because the white package exploded with such force that it blew the door off it's hinges. In the aftermath tiny pieces of burning confetti rained upon the once opulent suite.
"Sign here," the harassed looking desk officer for motor pool said, turning the clip board toward Detective Vecchio. "Leave it on the desk, will ya? I gotta get that." He turned to the dispatch console and answered the incoming 911. "Precinct 27, this is 911. We have a possible bomb explosion at the downtown Hilton. . . " Ray jerked to attention as the words sunk in. "Benny..." he whispered as he grabbed up the keys and rushed out of the station, Dief hot on his heels.
Ray displayed his badge to the firemen on the scene at the hotel. "Detective Vecchio, 27th," he said. "Where did the bomb go off?" The fireman pointed up the hallway. "Looks like it happened right outside of room 1217, or what's left of it anyway." Ray steeled himself to ask the next question. "Was anyone hurt?" "No," the fireman shook his head. "It happened out in the hallway. Blew the door off 1217, though." "Thanks," Ray said, sighing his relief.
"Where are we going?" Sarah asked from across the back seat of the cab, where she sat curled into a corner. Bare feet stuck out beneath her long skirt. She hadn't caught the words Fraser'd whispered to the driver when they left the hotel. "Later," Fraser told her as he scanned the street around them. "Here will be fine, thank you," he told the driver. "Come on," he called to Sarah after paying the driver. The car had stopped in front of a small diner. "We're not going to eat," Sarah said as she took in their surroundings. "No," Fraser shook his head. "This way." He grabbed her hand and lead the way into the diner. "Good afternoon, Ms. LaChino. May we use your back door?" He asked politely. "Sure, Constable. Knock yourself out," the short heavyset woman chuckled, shaking her head as they passed. "Thank you kindly," Fraser said. "Now can I ask where we're going?" Sarah asked when they emerged into an alley. "Yes," Fraser said as he took in the garbage strewn alley and Sarah's bare feet. "May I?" he asked gesturing toward her feet. "May you what?" Sarah asked. "This alley is full of all sorts of objects that might become lodged in your feet. But if I were to carry you, we would make better time and also decrease the risk of your requiring a tetanus vaccination in the near future." Fraser said very matter- of-factly. "May I?" he reiterated. "One condition," Sarah countered. Fraser glanced quickly around them. If his calculations were correct, it wouldn't take long for the mystery bomber to realize that his plan had not succeeded. He needed to get Sarah to a safe place. "Which is?" he asked, urgency in his tone. "You tell me where we're going." "Fair enough," he grabbed her up into his arms and started across the alley. "We're going to the consulate. It's Canadian territory and I'm fairly certain that whoever is after you has not compromised security there." "Put me down," Sarah demanded. "I wouldn't advise that," Fraser responded as he continued along the alley. A couple more blocks and they would come up near the backside of the consulate. Sarah began to struggle. "I *said* put me down. You can't take me anyplace against my will. That would be kidnapping." "This alley is peppered with broken glass and all manner of refuse. If I put you down you will likely get hurt." Fraser insisted. He didn't understand why Sarah was being so difficult about this. He was trying to help her. "You're a mountie! You're supposed to maintain the right, aren't you?" Fraser stopped walking and put Sarah down. "*Thank* you," Sarah said. "Now, I can take care of myself. I don't want to go to the consulate." "Why not?" Fraser asked. "You're a Canadian citizen. You'll be safe there. Right now we have a leg up on whoever is pursuing you, but we won't if we remain here in this alley arguing about it." "We don't have to stay here *arguing* as you put it. You can leave me alone and let me go my way," Sarah said "I'm sorry, I can't do that," Fraser said. "I'm sorry, you'll have to," Sarah said with a spin of her head as she turned and stalked off through alley, in the opposite direction of the consulate. Fraser stood very still in the alley as he watched her go. She was quickly becoming the most erratic individual he'd ever met. He folded his arms and waited. As soon as she reached the corner, he would follow. He didn't have to wait that long. Before Sarah could reach the corner of the building that adjoined the diner, she let out a sharp cry and hopped onto one foot. Fraser ran to her side, dismayed at the huge drops of blood that fell to the ground. "*Now* you need a tetanus shot," he softly admonished as he removed a piece of metal from her foot. He pulled his handkerchief from a pocket and tied it around her foot. "I insist that you allow me to take you to the consulate to take care of your injury," he was saying as he insured that the make shift bandage was properly wrapped. "Sure, whatever," Sarah said, leaning against a wall battling the woozies. She didn't put up any fight at all when Fraser again picked her up and headed toward the consulate.
Ray took another look around the demolished room, unable to find any clues as to where Benny and Sarah had gone. He knew they'd been there, because the broken bicycle sat in a corner beside where the door had blown. He'd phoned the consulate and they weren't there. Mr. Mustafi said that he hadn't seen the mountie since this morning when they'd left and Elaine said that they hadn't come by the station. He was giving serious thought to trying to track him with Dief, when his cellular rang. "Benny?" he answered, hopeful. "Yes, Ray," an exasperated voice answered from the other end of the connection. "Where the hell are you!" Ray exclaimed, oblivious to the strange looks from the fire crew. "Dief has been worried sick! We get to Sarah's hotel room and it's a wreck! What's --" "Ray..." Fraser interrupted. "...the door is halfway out the window--" "Ray..." "...there are flower petals all over the pl--" "Ray, we're at the consulate," Fraser said. Click. "Benny?...Benny?..." Ray clicked off his cell phone and turned to the wolf. "Can you believe that? He hung up on me!" Grunting in disgust at Dief's disinterested whine, Ray prepared to leave the room. Just then, a cell phone began to ring. "That's probably him apologizing," Ray said self-righteously to Dief as he clicked on his phone. The ringing continued. Confused, Ray looked around at the accompanying fire crew, who returned looks that were even stranger than before. Ray turned at Dief's sharp bark, to find the animal trying to get to Sarah's wicker basket from her bicycle. As some of the items were cleared away the ringing of the phone became louder. Ray caught it on the fourth ring. "Hello? ... Yes, I do mind. *Who's* this?" Rang clicked off the phone and stuffed it into his other pocket when the caller hung up. "Come on, boy," he called to Dief before he headed for the consulate.
"No one is trying to kill me, I'm just having a run of bad luck," Sarah insisted wearily. She sat on a sofa in the consulate's first aid area with her wounded foot propped on a pillow. Fraser sat at the other end of the sofa, checking the bandage. "The anti-bacterial spray will have to do for now, but you really should see a doctor and have a shot. You can't be too careful when it comes to infection," Fraser muttered, given the bandage a final tug. "Now," he said, again facing her, "why don't you get some rest, you've had a very eventful morning. Constable Turnbull won't let any harm come to you." "You're leaving?" Sarah asked, suddenly alert. "Where're you going?" "I'm just going down the street," Fraser gestured. "I would think that you would prefer it if I left, after what happened in the alley." "Oh, yeah. That," Sarah said sheepishly. "Well, Benton, I have a confession to make." Sarah gazed across at Ben for a few moments before she continuing, almost as if she were gathering her courage. "I'm scared," she whispered, is if admitting it to herself for the first time. "I thought that if I came here, I could hide and that the problem would just go away. You see, I haven't felt safe in a long time. And I'd really appreciate it if you would stay." Her eyes were beginning to fill with tears, but she held his gaze. Fraser watched her silently, carefully weighing her words, her expression. "I'll ask someone else to run the errand," he said with a small smile. "Thank you," she sniffed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. But the more she wiped at them, the faster they came. "I'm sorry," she tried to apologize through her tears. "I-It's allright," Fraser said. After an uncomfortable second he reached out and took her into his arms. "I know you're scared and I'll stay here with you." "Constable Fraser--" a voice suddenly called out as the door opened. Fraser froze.
Elsewhere 5/5
Ray gave up on patience as Turnbull halted in his entry, quickly averting his gaze and backing out of the first aid room. "Excuse me, Sir. I-I apologize..." Ray pushed his way passed the stuttering mountie and swung the door completely open. His friend stood, an embarassed look spread across his face. Sarah's face were tearstreaked, but she looked more confused than anything else. "I miss something?" Ray asked. Fraser cleared his throat. "Er... no, that is...I..." "No," Sarah answered the question, shooting Fraser a look that Ray wasn't sure he could decipher. "Well, in that case," Ray continued. "Would someone mind telling me what's going on?" "My life is in danger." Sarah said. "That's news?" Ray asked. "I'm admitting it, okay? Cut me some slack." "All right, all right," Ray put his hands up. "Any idea who is after you?" "No," Sarah shook her head, sinking back on to the sofa. She glanced between the two men, looking almost sheepish. "I hope that it was my imagination. Or that it would go away if I came here, but it just followed me." "Maniacs are persistant that way," Ray injected. Sarah continued. "It started about a month ago. Little things, you know - threats and stuff. Then, last week some one cut the brake line on my car. That's why I decided to come to Chicago. I thought I could get away, do some painting. I convinced myself that it would be good for my creativity, that that would be my reason for coming." "Did anyone know you were leaving, and where you were staying?" Fraser asked. "Maybe a handful," Sarah shrugged. "My publicist. A couple close friends. My ex-husband..." "Your *ex-husband*?" Ray questioned. "We're friends." Sarah said in an attempt to defend herself. "He wouldn't try to kill me. Besides, he's busy with his band." "All right. Whatever. We need to get you someplace where no one will find you." "That doesn't sound very reassuring," Sarah shot back. "I don't mean it in the serial killer kind of way." Ray said. "We're trying to save your life here." Tossing Fraser a look. "Feel free to jump in here anytime, Benny." Fraser shrugged. "You're doing just fine, Ray." "I know a place," Sarah said. "My mother lives a couple hours from here. No one would ever think to look for me there." "Why's that?" "We haven't spoken in 10 years. We're not exactly on one another's favorite persons lists." "All right. We'll take you there, and then we'll go talk to some people. No phone calls. Got it?" "Got it."
"Is this really necessary?" "Yes, Ray. We're going to be going back to Sarah's mother's home. And the painting won't be required as evidence." Fraser stepped beneath a line of yellow tape marking off the remains of the hotel room as a crime scene. The side room had been shielded form much off the explosion, the only evidence that anthing had occured was that the easel and painting leaning against a side wall. Fraser carefully gathered the wrapped portrait and easel and headed out of the room. "Aren't you even going to look at it?" Ray demanded. "No, Ray." Fraser answered. "Why not?" Ray asked. "It's not like she's going to know." "Because she asked me not to, Ray." "Well, she didn't ask me not to." Ray reached for the painting. Fraser pulled away, giving his friend a warning look. "Fine." Ray said, giving up. "So, what's going on between you two?" Fraser sighed.
Ray pulled the Riv to a halt before the Windham mansion and turned to his friend. "Some folks have all the luck," he said. He gazed over the grounds the surrounded the house. It seemed to go on forever. Fraser simply looked the house over. "The design appears to be mid-1930s. It was most likely a family inheritence. " "Yeah, that's what I said. It's probably drafty, anyway." Inex, the housekeeper, met them at the door. "Are you here to see Miss Sarah?" she asked. "Yes, Inez." Fraser answered her, sitting the easel on the front step. "She's not here." "What do you mean, she's not here?" Ray asked. "She and Mrs. Windham had a disagreement and she made a phone call and left." "Do you know where she went?" Fraser asked. "You should have seen her on the way to the main road," Inez said, her eyes beginning to take on a fearful look. "She left walking. " "How long ago?" "About thirty minutes." Ray and Fraser shared a look. "Call the police! Now!" They were across the porch and in the Riv moments later. "Any ideas?" Ray asked as he sped along the drive. Fraser was busy scanning the horizon. "That way." He pointed off to the left. Ray squinted in the direction the mountie had pointed, seeing nothing but a wood and wire fence separating the road from a field.. "Any particular reason that way?" he asked. "I'm only questioning because I don't see anyway to get over there." "Because there is a dust cloud over there, Ray. And a group of birds just took flight suggesting that something disturbed them." "Right." Ray said, wondering why he'd bothered asking. He tried to gauge the size of the ditch that lay between the Riv and the fencing. He felt almost certain that the Riv could make it, but he'd need more speed for ramming. He floored it, and then was saved from the procedure entirely when he saw an opening. Slamming on the brakes, the Riv skidded sideways and he expertly pulled it between the posts that led to a dirt track. The Riv bounced and rocked as the car flew over the uneven path. "See anything?" Ray coughed as the dust showered over them from the previous vehicle that had gone that way. "Follow those birds," Fraser said, pointing ahead. "Wha--?" Ray asked, but sure enough a group of birds flew ahead of them along the track. Ray was forced to slow as the birds started out over the tall thick grasses that covered the field. "Stop the car." Ray slammed on the brakes, and the flying creatures dispersed. Ray was preparing to argue when he heard a scream. Both men tore out of the car and through the grasses in the direction of the sound. They came to a stop behind a dark-haired man of medium height. The man spun and fired a shot wildly in their direction. Both men ducked to the ground, rolling. Ray's arm came up shooting. A bullet caught the man in the shoulder and he went down in a moaning heap. Sarah stood trembling through it all, tears streaming down her face. Fraser went to her as Ray handcuffed the man, and then pulled out his cell-phone to call for back-up.
"Hey Benny, listen to this," Ray said, holding up a copy of the Chicago Tribune. Fraser looked up to see an image of Sarah in the corner of the page. He'd read the article earlier, but listened as Ray explained nonetheless. "It talks about her old manager. He was convicted yesterday on attempted murder charges. Seems she's having a showing here in Chicago this weekend. Continued on page... " Ray's voice trailed of as he found the page. "Look at this picture!" Ray again held up the paper. It showed a man gazing off toward snowy peaks. His features were obscurred, but the image conveyed his attachment to whatever lay beyond. The title beneath the portrait was `Elsewhere'. "Elsewhere?!" Ray questioned. "What kind of name is that for a picture? Never can understand artist types." Fraser smiled as Ray continued. His mind wandered to the package that had arrived in the mail the day before. Two tickets. He wondered if Ray were busy.
The End.