Music Note: "Witness" by Sarah McLachlan
Second episode in the Fourth Sister Series
Piper stepped forward and knelt near the headstone, placing a bouquet of orchids on the lush grass. She ran her hand over the carved letters:
Prudence Ann Halliwell
October 28, 1971 – May 17, 2001
Beloved Sister, Daughter and Friend
In Our Hearts Always
"Oh, Prue," Piper said quietly. "I don't know what to do. I'm so lost. I keep saying that I'll get Phoebe back, but every day she's gone I lose my confidence. I'm the oldest now. I'm supposed to get her back. I'm supposed to take care of her. I'm not meant for this. I don't know how you did it. You're the big sister, not me. I need help. I miss you. I love you."
Piper crumbled into tears, finally truly mourning for the sister she had lost and the sister she hoped would return. But she stopped herself when she heard someone clearing their throat. She wiped away her tears and turned.
"Piper," she said sniffing back her tears. She recognized the girl that had been so surprised by the dollar drafts. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I was just visiting family and I happened to hear you ask for help," she replied.
"How? What are you talking about, Piper?"
"Um, my name's not Piper. It's Price. The name we have in common is Halliwell," she replied. Piper's eyes widened in surprise. "And I think I'm your sister."
Piper just stared at her for a moment. Then a look of anger spread across her face. "What the hell is this?" she asked, her voice filled with bitterness. "Is this some kind of insurance scam? Well, save it because I'm not rich and Prue's policy barely covered her funeral." Piper turned and started to walk away.
"Wait, Piper. This isn't a scam," Price said, chasing after her.
"Okay, then you're just really sick," Piper said. "Do you like seeing people in pain? One of my sisters is dead, the other is missing, and I don't need you pulling this crap with me." Piper crossed the street, got in her car and drove away before Price could even manage to chase after her.
"Not exactly the approach I would have taken," someone said from behind Price. She turned and gasped in surprise. Standing before her was her mother, except that she wasn't really standing there. Her translucent spirit glowed in front of her.
"Mom, but how?" Price asked, her eyes welling with tears. She had never had the chance to meet her mother.
"Something your grandmother has been teaching me, well your true grandmother not the one that you think is your grandmother," Patty replied.
"Wait a minute, are you saying that Alicia's not my grandmother?"
"No, she was your great aunt, my aunt," Patty replied. "Your real grandmother was Penny Halliwell, my mother."
"How can I convince her of who I am?" Price asked.
"Well, first off you have to get her to stand still long enough for you to show her your power," Patty replied. "And your timing wasn't great. Just because it was your first chance at getting her alone doesn't mean it was the best opportunity. Give her a little time. She's still mourning Prue, or I guess I should say finally mourning Prue."
"Why have I never known about all of this? Why was I forced to grow up away from my sisters and my grandmother and you?"
"You may have noticed from your research that Phoebe was born on the same day as you," Patty said.
"Yeah, I thought that maybe it was a typo," Price replied.
"It wasn't a typo," Patty said. "You and Phoebe are fraternal twins. But when I first became pregnant everyone thought I was about to deliver the Charmed Ones. No one in the Warren line has ever had more than two daughters. The Elders believed I would have the Charmed Ones as well. So, when you were born two minutes after Phoebe, they were greatly displeased. They were certain it was time for the Power of Three to arrive. They didn't care what they had to do, even if they had to force it to happen. So, they took you away from me. They erased memories and tampered with past events, all the way down to changing birth certificates. They made Alicia believe that I was her daughter and that she didn't have a sister. They also made my mother forget about you. They fixed everything to seem like you were not a part of this family."
"But how do you remember all this?" Price asked. "If they erased memories, how do you know?"
"A mother's love conquers all," Patty said. "No one could force me to forget you. All they could do was keep me away from you. They put up magical barriers to keep me from going to you and revealing the truth."
"And what is the truth? I mean, all this proves that the Charmed Ones still don't exist. The Power of Three does not exist."
"It does exist because you are the third Charmed One," Patty replied.
"How? There's four of us."
"The Elders went to all that trouble of taking you away for nothing," Patty replied. "You see, there was something they didn't know about Prue."
"What?"
"Victor Bennett was not Prue's birth father." Patty looked down. "I was afraid to tell the Elders, for fear that they would punish Prue's true birth father."
"Why would they punish him?"
"I fell in love and had an affair with my whitelighter, Sam," Patty explained. "The affair went on for so much longer than anyone knew. When I became pregnant with Prue, Victor just assumed she was his."
"But I don't get it," Price said. "Even if Prue had a different dad, it should be the Warren blood that matters."
"The Charmed Ones must be born of the same parents, both parents, whether the father is supernatural or not," Patty said.
"So, why did you let them take me away from you? Why didn't you stop them?"
"I knew that they had put you with Alicia and that you would be well cared for there," Patty replied. "But if Sam and I revealed our affair, there was no telling what they would do to him or me. I just had to hope that you would be reunited with your sisters some day."
"But Prue, Piper and Phoebe have been fighting evil, believing they're the Charmed Ones. How could they defeat so much evil seemingly using the Power of Three when they didn't have it?"
"Prue was extremely powerful. With the power of a whitelighter running through her veins, as well as that of the Warren line, she was possibly the best fill in for the true Power of Three. But when you, Piper and Phoebe join together, you will be so much more powerful than they ever were with Prue."
"It still shouldn't have worked," Price replied.
"It all got so complicated," Patty said. "It's hard to explain, but what's important now is that you prove to Piper who you are, and then you must help her get Phoebe back."
"What do you mean?"
"Phoebe made a deal with evil in order to protect her sisters," Patty replied. "She is evil now, but you and Piper can turn her back. You are a very important key to getting Phoebe back on our side."
"So, what do I say to Piper?" Price asked.
"Show her your power and the rest will fall into place," Patty replied. "I must go now. I've been down here longer than I should have been. Good luck."
"Thanks," Price said as Patty disappeared. She was confused. Nothing that Patty had told her made sense. It didn't seem possible. But what did make sense was that she had to prove to Piper who she was.
Make me a witness
Take me out
Out of darkness
Out of doubt
Cole paced the mausoleum. He knew he had to find Phoebe. He had been tracking her, but he lost the trail. Now he didn't know what to do. He couldn't go back to Piper and tell her that he had lost Phoebe. They were running out of time. If Phoebe didn't kill Leo, the Source would lose his patience and either send her after someone else or kill her.
I won't weigh you down
With good intention
Won't make fire out of clay
Or other invention
Will we burn in heaven
Like we do down here
Will the change come
While we're waiting
Everyone is waiting
Price sat in her car across the street from Halliwell Manor. She was trying to sort everything out in her head—her approach, the back story, the explanation on how she completed the Power of Three and not Prue. She got out of her car and crossed the street.
And when we're done
Soul searching
As we carried the weight
And died for the cause
Is misery
Made beautiful
Right before our eyes
Will mercy be revealed
Or blind us where we stand
Piper sat on the sofa clutching the photograph of her and her sisters. She cried out of frustration and mourning. Nothing felt right anymore. She didn't know how to go on. After all her attempts to find Phoebe and bring her back, she felt like she was at the end of her rope. If someone didn't pull her back soon she would fall.
Will we burn in heaven
Like we do down here
Will the change come while we're waiting
Everyone is waiting
Price rang the doorbell. She knew she had to say something quick and then prove her power to Piper. She had a limited amount of time before Piper could slam the door in her face. The door opened, and Piper stared at her.
The scream resonated from Lookout Hill. No one else was up there but him and his victim. He held the still beating heart in front of the screaming woman so she could see it. They both watched as the beating of the heart slowed and the screaming died down. He bagged the heart and left the scene.
"Fourth one this week, Morris," Inspector Daniels said, dropping a file in front of Darryl. "Looks like you've got a serial killer on your hands. Need some help?"
"I've got it Daniels," Darryl said.
"Pamela Keats," Daniels said. "Twenty-six. Hundred-fifteen pounds, according to her driver's license. Brown eyes. Brown hair. Worked at a bar on Verik Street. Lived on Bartol Street. Two sisters."
"Matches up with the other three," Darryl commented. He pulled out another file and looked at the reports on the other women. "Hey, Daniels, check out these addresses." Daniels looked over Darryl's shoulder. "Peyton Hill, 1329 Grant Avenue. Preston Lewis, 1329 Kearny Street. Paige Christopher, 1329 Montgomery Street. Pamela Keats, 1329 Bartol Street. All these streets run parallel to each other, and if you go in order he's heading east."
"What's the next street down?" Daniels asked. "We'll get the name and post a car across the street."
Darryl pulled out a map of the city. "Grant…Kearny…Montgomery…Bartol…Prescott. Oh no." The realization hit him like a brick. He grabbed his coat and left without any explanation.
"What the hell? Did you follow me?" Piper asked angrily. She started to shut the door. "Leave me alone!"
Price stopped Piper from closing the door. "Please, hear me out. I'm telling you the truth. I know this is hard for you…"
"What the hell do you know? Have you ever lost a sister?"
"Yes, I have. Three of them. I just didn't know it until now," Price replied. "I want to get two of them back before it's too late. Try to freeze me." Piper was shocked. "Good witches don't freeze. Try it."
"Some upper level demons don't freeze either," Piper commented.
"Do I look like an upper level demon to you?" Price asked with a small laugh. "I'm here to complete the Power of Three. I am your sister."
Piper tried to freeze Price, but nothing happened. "You've proved that much," Piper said quietly. "But you can't be my sister. The Power of Three is made up of three sister witches, not four."
"Please, I'll explain. If you'll just let me in," Price replied. Piper looked at her warily and finally let her in.
"You're telling me that Prue was only my half sister, that my mom's whitelighter was really her father and that you're Phoebe's fraternal twin that the Elders decided to take away in order to fulfill a prophecy," Piper said.
"Yes," Price said.
"Bull," Piper said. "I think I would know if I had two younger sisters. I remember when Phoebe was born. She was born right here in the Manor, and I remember hearing only one baby crying that day. Not two. Nothing three minutes later. Just Phoebe."
"The Elders erased everyone's memories and altered history and records," she explained. "You don't remember because you were magically forced not to."
"Why?"
"Because they believed it was the time for the Power of Three," Price replied. "They couldn't accept that the Charmed Ones didn't exist. And they didn't know that we did exist after all. They screwed everything up. Everything would have been fine with you me and Phoebe as the Charmed Ones, and Prue would still be our sister. And it's pretty damn likely that she wouldn't be dead right now either. Everything would have happened differently."
"But we've fought evil as the Charmed Ones with Prue. If she wasn't part of the Power of Three, how could we do that?"
"It's very complicated, but basically with Prue having the blood of a whitelighter added to the blood of a Warren witch, she was the strongest single witch the Warren line could ever have known," Price explained. "Her power falls second only to the Power of Three. She was a suitable fill in for the third in the Power of Three."
"No, I mean there were things, Power of Three things, that could only happen with the true Power of Three. Spells, vanquishings, everything."
"The only explanation I have is what I said before. Her power exceeded that of any typical witch," Price said. "There must have been some kind of supernatural exception."
Piper ran her hands through her hair and then rested her chin on her fists. "I'm sorry, but I just have to have some time to think about this. It's just so much for me to handle right now."
"I understand," Price said. She stood and walked to the door with Piper following. She turned. "But just a word of advice. Don't think too long. We're running out of time to get Phoebe back." Then she left.
Piper had no sooner shut the door when there was a ring at the door. It was Darryl.
"I have a case I think you should know about," he said as Piper let him in.
"No, Darryl, I can't hunt demons now," Piper said in protest. "There's just too much happening with me right now…"
"No, Piper, it's all right. I'm not here to ask for your help," Darryl said. "I'm here to warn you. There's been four serial murders in the past week. First victim lived at 1329 Grant Avenue, second at 1329 Kearny Street, third at 1329 Montgomery Street, fourth at 1329 Bartol Street. You seeing the pattern here?"
"Oh God," Piper said, seeing what Darryl was getting at.
"You fit the victim profile almost perfectly. Female, mid to late twenties, brown eyes, dark hair, work has something to do with a night club or bar, first name begins with a P," Darryl said. "It's a bad enough coincidence that four victims with so much in common live at such similar addresses. But the cause of death is really odd, too. I didn't want to mention this, but now that I think about it, it's not exactly a humanly possible feat."
Piper sighed, knowing she would be drawn into this case one way or another. "What is it?"
"The heart of each victim was removed, but there were no cuts, marks, holes or wounds on any of the victims. There's no evidence of how the killer got the heart out of the body," Darryl explained.
"Do you have any other background info on the victims?" Piper asked. "Like did they have any family?"
"Uh, yeah, they each had two sisters," Darryl said. "I didn't mention it because, well, you don't have two…" He trailed off, suddenly uncomfortable. He had no idea how wrong he was. "Look, I just wanted to warn you about this."
"Thanks."
"And Piper, I like to think that I'm your friend, and I just want to make sure you know that if you ever need anything, you can come to me," Darryl said. "I don't wanna see you hurting like this. Whenever you want to you can call me. And be careful."
"Thank you. I will," Piper said as Darryl left. She had more things going on than she could handle. She didn't know where to start.
He watched her leave the house at 1329 Prescott Street and wondered about her. She looked like Phoebe, but he had never seen her there before. Phoebe had disappeared, and Prue had died. So, he had settled for Piper, even though she was married. Now was his chance to truly keep with the pattern. If this one lived there, he wouldn't screw it up. Did she live there? Would she live there? He studied her features, the way she moved, her whole essence of being. He was captivated and he hoped that she would live there. He didn't want to screw up the pattern…because she had to be next.
Price sat in her hotel room. She had just received two phone calls, neither of them Piper like she had hoped. One was someone offering her a job and the other was a woman offering her first shot at an apartment she had looked at. She had said yes to both. She knew she would get through to Piper and she would then be in San Francisco permanently. All she could do was wait.
The room had been untouched for almost two months. A thin layer of dust was gathering on the furniture. The bed was made. There was a To Do list waiting on the desk. Dry-cleaning was crossed off. Film developing was next. Piper just stared at the list in awe, following the loops and curves of the letters with her eyes. Then her eyes travelled upward to a framed photograph. Prue had set the timer on the camera and it was supposed to have been a nice, simple, organized shot of the three sisters. But Phoebe had started teasing and tickling Piper, Prue had joined in and the end result was a picture of Piper halfway hanging off the living room sofa with Phoebe and Prue trying to pull her back. All of them were laughing hysterically. That had been one of their Sisters Only days, and it had been one of the best ones they had ever had. No demons. No men. Nothing but the three of them. Piper picked up the frame and concentrated on Prue. She started noticing the little differences. The shape of her nose. The fact that her hair was jet black while Piper and Phoebe's was dark brown. The blue eyes as opposed to Piper and Phoebe's brown ones. The sound of Leo orbing in pulled Piper away from the photograph. Piper turned and just looked at him. She saw it in his eyes. He knew.
"She wasn't my sister," Piper said, not sure she believed it. She was still just trying to make sense of it all.
"Yes, she was," Leo said. "Piper, in that aspect, blood doesn't matter. If Prue had been adopted, and you had just found out, would you think that she wasn't your sister?"
"I guess not," Piper replied. "But how is all this possible? I just don't understand."
"Neither do we," Leo replied. "The Elders just told me about it because they just found out about it themselves. Your mother and grandmother are up there arguing with them right now and trying to explain it. But the one thing that seems clear is that you and Price need to make the connection. With Price you can get Phoebe back."
"I don't know if I can accept this," Piper said, her voice shaking.
"Prue knows about this also, and she asked me to tell you something," Leo said. Piper looked up in surprise.
"Wait. You can talk to her? She's up there?" Piper asked.
"Only momentarily," Leo said. "There's so much confusion right now that people are kind of getting mixed together and souls are ending up where they're not supposed to." Leo pulled Piper over to the bed and got her to sit down next to him. He took her hand in his. "Prue told me to tell you that she loves you. No matter who her father was she was your sister. Nothing can change that. She wants you to accept Price, and not think of Price as taking Prue's place. She wants you to just think of Price as a new addition to the family. Don't hate Price just because Prue's dead."
"What am I supposed to tell dad?" Piper asked through the tears that were starting to form. "He was upset enough about mom's affair with Sam. If I tell him that Prue was really Sam's daughter, he'll go ballistic. The last thing I need right now is for dad to take off."
"What makes you think he'll take off?" Leo asked.
"Because that's what he does when he's upset. Where do you think Phoebe gets that trait?" Piper asked. "He'll disappear for God knows how long, and I'll lose yet another part of my family."
"For now, don't tell him. Give this some time. Deal with Price first, and then you can deal with your father."
Piper just tried to sniff back her tears. Leo pulled her into his arms and held her. She leaned against him, revelling in the comfort of his embrace. She closed her eyes and listened to his heart beat.
"Leo, if Prue's still there the next time you go up there, tell her I love her," Piper said quietly. Leo smiled and tightened his embrace.
"I will," he said. "I will."
Piper headed up to the attic to consult the Book of Shadows. Price was going to come over later that night to talk again, and the situation with Phoebe was currently at a stand still. Nobody, not even Cole, had seen Phoebe since her attack a couple weeks earlier. So, Piper was going to use Darryl's case to take her mind off of the other matters.
"Hon, have you ever heard of someone removing hearts without cutting into the body?" Piper asked as she flipped the pages in the Book of Shadows. "Like maybe a demon or something that feeds off hearts?"
"Haven't heard of it," Leo replied. "Why?"
"Well, Darryl has this case, and the victims' hearts were removed, but there were no incisions or wounds of any kind."
"So, Darryl thinks it's supernatural," Leo said.
"Well, he didn't when he first came over, but he changed his mind, I guess," Piper replied.
"He didn't come over to ask for your help?"
"No, actually, he came to warn me about it," Piper said. "He said I match the victim profile."
"What? Why didn't you tell me about this?" Leo asked, immediately concerned.
"I just did," Piper said. "I'm going to get some other books to help me with this from Phoebe's room. Could you keep looking in here?"
"Piper, you're acting like this is no big deal," Leo said urgently.
"Well, compared to everything that's happened in my life lately, it is no big deal," Piper said. "Don't worry. I'll be careful, Leo." She kissed him and headed down to Phoebe's room to get some other books.
By the time Price arrived that night, Piper had found nothing to help with Darryl's case. She allowed Price in and the two of them sat in the living room. The reality of the whole situation was finally sinking in with Piper, and she started to sense some things about Price. She was suddenly feeling drawn to her. Piper's anger was subsiding and new emotions started to fall into place. Feelings of sadness over the fact that Price had grown up with hardly any family, taken away from her sisters like she was the ugly duckling, the runt of the litter.
"So, what's your conclusion about all of this?" Price asked Piper. She smirked. "Am I your sister, or am I some supernatural con artist?"
"You're my sister," Piper said quietly. "It seems you're causing quite an uproar up there."
"Up where?" Price asked, confused.
"Up there, where the Elders are," Piper explained. "Leo says there's a lot of confusion."
"Who's Leo?" Price asked.
"He's my husband and whitelighter," Piper said. "Well, I guess now he's our whitelighter."
"Wait, you married a whitelighter?" Price asked. Piper was creating more questions than Price could handle.
"It's a long story, but yes they let us bend the rules," Piper explained. "But I think what we need to worry about now is where we go from here."
"I'm not entirely sure," Price said. "We have to get Phoebe back, but you already know that much."
"Actually, I have a question for you," Piper said. "Have you ever heard of a demon or warlock that takes hearts without making any cuts or wounds on the person's body?"
"Psycho-surgery," Price said quickly.
"What?"
"Psycho-surgery," Price repeated. "It's not a demon or warlock. Certain humans claim to possess the ability to remove or alter human organs without making any incisions. It could actually be quite an innovation in alternative medicine, if it really exists."
"How do you know about this?" Piper asked.
"I was a double-major in college, biology and journalism," Price said. "Weird combination when you think about it, but I do a lot of articles for medical journals and magazines. I wrote an article on alternative medicines and procedures once. Psycho-surgery was just making an appearance in the medical world. Why do you want to know about it anyway?"
"I have a friend. He's an inspector in homicide. He's had four murders this past week where the heart was removed, but there were no cuts."
"So, you consult with the police? You guys aren't as secretive here as I had to be," Price said.
"No, we are," Piper replied. "We had never really intended for Darryl to find out. We just sort of got in over our heads and we had to tell him. No one else knows about us."
"Then why's your friend coming to you with his case information?" Price asked.
"Usually, when he recognizes a case that's going to end up demonic, he'll come to us," Piper explained. "This one, he was just coming to warn me."
"Warn you? Why?"
"I fit the victim profile," Piper replied. "So, now I can give Darryl an idea what he's looking for."
"Things really are different here," Price said quietly when Piper stood.
"What do you mean?" Piper asked, stopping for a moment.
"Well, I never really actively pursued the whole witchcraft thing. I didn't look for trouble. It just sort of came to me," Price said. "Here, it's like cops and robbers, supernatural-style."
"I generally don't look for trouble either," Piper said as she picked up the phone. "You're probably just surprised because it happens more here. Get used to it."
"Psycho-what?" Darryl asked over the phone.
"Psycho-surgery," Piper said. "And believe it or not, this is a human that you have on your hands. No demons involved."
"Still gonna be hard to explain to my captain when I bust this guy," Darryl replied. "How'd you find out about this so fast?"
"Um, long story," Piper said. "Look, I'm going to keep an eye out. This guy's been following a pattern. Every night, right?"
"Yeah, every night he's killed a victim that lives at a house numbered 1329," Darryl replied. "Are you going anywhere tonight?"
"I was going to head over to P3, but I'm not sure now," Piper said. "I think I'll just stay home."
"That could be a good idea," Darryl said. "I'll send a car over for surveillance."
"All right," Piper said. "Bye."
She hung up the phone and turned to Price, who was patiently waiting. "So, um, what now?"
"We need to start working on finding Phoebe and turning her back to good," Price replied. "The sooner the better."
"Okay. How long have you been in San Francisco? I mean, do you have a place to stay?"
"Well, I just talked to a woman today about an apartment in Santa Rosa," Price replied. "I was going to go sign the lease tomorrow."
"Where are you staying now?" Piper asked.
"Uh, the Sheraton downtown," Price said.
"So, you'd be there tonight, too?" Piper asked.
"Yeah, it's no big deal," Price said.
"Well, something that we always found helpful with all the demons and stuff, was staying together," Piper said. "And with the whole Phoebe issue, we're going to be spending a lot of time together trying to figure it out. Maybe you should just stay here. It would save you some money."
Price realized that Piper was actually inviting her to move in to the Manor, and she immediately felt uncomfortable. "Oh, well, I appreciate it and everything, but I just think…when I came here I never intended to take Prue's place. I just think I would feel uncomfortable just moving in here like that."
Piper sighed and motioned for Price to sit down. "The thing is that when you got here a half hour ago, I felt something, something I wasn't able to feel before through my anger. There's some kind of connection between us, and I'd be surprised if you don't feel it too. But right now it's really weak. I think what we need to do is make it stronger. And with you an hour and a half drive away in Santa Rosa, that's probably not going to happen."
"But I just got here. I don't want it to seem like I'm a replacement or anything," Price said. "I'd just feel like I'm intruding."
Piper thought of something and smiled a little. "I received a message from a very smart person today. She told me not to think of you as replacing Prue, but just as a new addition to the family. You won't be intruding. You'll be coming home."
"Are you sure about this? I mean, I know we're family and we have to make this connection, but are you sure you want to go about it this fast?"
"Once Phoebe came back home and she and Prue reconciled, Prue made it her duty to keep this family together and to protect me and Phoebe. She felt it was her duty as the oldest, and I can't help but feel the same way. I'm the oldest now, and I just have to force myself to keep going, for Phoebe and now for you."
Price looked down at her hands. She was surprised by Piper's sudden change in attitude. She had expected the whole transition to be difficult and tense, but Piper was making it so easy.
"We need each other, Price," Piper said. "And Phoebe needs us. Are you ready to find out what it's like to be a Charmed One?"
Price looked Piper in the eyes and slowly nodded her head. Piper took her hand and led her out to the foyer. "Okay, go get your stuff, and tomorrow you can call that woman back and tell her you're no longer interested in the apartment. When you get back here, I have something to show you."
Price just nodded her head again and left. She had no idea what Piper wanted to show her, but she knew it must be important. Price Halliwell, for the first time in her life, was scared of what her future held.
He watched her leave the Manor at 1329 Prescott Street once more, and he was sure that she was the one for that night. He would wait for her to come back, and then he would grab her and take her for the final procedure.
The phone rang in the Manor and Piper answered it. It was Darryl.
"I looked up that psycho-surgery stuff you told me about," Darryl said. Piper listened to his explanation as she looked out the window. There was a gray sedan parked across the street with a man sitting inside. She assumed it was the car Darryl had sent over. "It turns out it's not just an alternative medicine. There's cults out there that believe using it to collect certain body parts will empower them with their god. So, I did some fast research on those cults, and it turns out my cases here are just the tip of the iceberg."
"What do you mean? Is there more to it?"
"Absolutely," Darryl said. "You got a calendar handy? What's today's date?"
Piper walked over to the wall calender. "It's the 13th. Friday the 13th. Ugh! I hate that!"
"Yeah, well, this guy has more of a pattern than just the victims," Darryl said. "The last Friday the 13th was 2 months ago. That Friday and the four days before it, he killed five women, same details as here in San Francisco, except that it was in San Jose and he took their livers. In three other cities in California there have been five murders per city with a different organ in each city, the last murder being on Friday the 13th. Do you want to know what happens when you connect the cities with straight lines?"
"Not really, but you're going to tell me anyway," Piper said. She looked back out to the sedan across the street. The man was still there.
"A pentagram. I'm guessing all this guy needs is one more heart and he'll have everything he needs for whatever he's planning," Darryl said.
"Hey, have you sent that car over here yet, Darryl?" Piper asked, continuing to look out the window. She walked away from the window.
"Not yet," he replied. "Why?"
When Darryl said 'not yet' Piper became instantly on edge. "There's a dark sedan parked across the street from my house. There's a guy sitting there just watching. I thought it was the guard you had sent over."
"No, I got too caught up in my research," Darryl said. "Don't go anywhere, Piper. I'm going to come over myself with a couple others, and we'll check that car out."
Piper looked back out the window. The man was gone, but the car was still there. "Oh, the guy's gone."
"What do you mean?" Darryl asked.
"I mean he's not in his car anymore," Piper said.
"Piper sit tight," Darryl said. "I'm on my way over."
Piper hung up the phone and looked back out the window. The sedan was still there. Suddenly, a fist smashed through the window and punched Piper in the face. She fell back onto the floor, holding her hands to her face. She could feel the blood trickling from the cuts on her face and felt a momentary relief that none of the glass had gone into her eyes. But she felt really dizzy and could tell she was about to lose consciousness. The last thing she heard was tires screeching.
Price awoke in a dark room. She had just arrived back at the Manor when she had been struck from behind. Her world quickly went black. Now she wasn't sure where she was. She looked up and saw a blurry figure standing over her.
"It's almost time," the man said. "He will be very pleased."
Darryl arrived with two officers at the Manor, but there was no dark sedan across the street like Piper had told him. They walked up the front door, Darryl putting the officers on alert in case there was an intruder in the house. Darryl rang the doorbell, but there was no answer.
"Piper! Are you there? It's Darryl!" he shouted as he knocked on the door. He signalled for the officers to follow him. Then he pulled his gun and slowly pushed the door open. He advanced into the foyer, his gun raised in case anyone came jumping out of a corner somewhere. Darryl stepped into the living room and was instantly worried when he saw Piper lying on the floor. There were cuts on her face, and she had a black eye and bloody nose. Darryl knelt next to her and checked for a pulse, breathing a sigh of relief when he found one. He turned to the officers. "She's still alive. Call an ambulance."
One of the officers got on his radio to call an ambulance while the other one checked the rest of the house for any intruders.
"Piper, can you hear me?" Darryl asked, gently shaking her shoulder. She groaned a little and then her eyes started to flutter open.
"Darryl? Did you get him?" Piper asked. She groaned a little, feeling the pain of the cuts on her face when she spoke.
"Try not to talk too much," Darryl said. "You're damn lucky."
"The killer. Did you get him?" Piper asked.
"No, there's no car across the street either," Darryl replied.
Piper started to sit up and Darryl helped her up to the sofa. "Screeching tires. That's the last thing I heard. He left. Not that I'm not happy, but why would he just leave like that?"
"I don't know," Darryl said. "Maybe you didn't fit the profile after all."
"No, you said it yourself," Piper said. "I fit it to a T."
"Maybe he found someone who fit it better," Darryl suggested.
Piper got a look of realization on her face. "Oh no. Price."
"Price? Who's Price?" Darryl asked.
"Long story. Get your officers out of here," Piper said. "I have to call Leo."
Darryl understood why the officers had to be gone and he got them to leave. "You two can go now. I'll radio you if I need you." The two of them left, and Piper quickly called Leo.
"What is it? Piper, what happened?" Leo asked, noticing the cuts on Piper's face. He was about to heal them when Piper shook her head no.
"Leo, Price is in trouble," Piper said. "You have to find her."
"What's going on?" Leo asked.
"Remember that case of Darryl's that I told you about?" Piper asked. Leo just looked from Darryl to Piper, confused. "Well, it seems like the killer thinks Price fits the victim profile better than I do. You have to find her."
Leo closed his eyes, not understanding the situation but still trusting Piper's instincts. "I've got her," he said finally.
"Where is she?" Piper asked.
"Sheraton Hotel. Room 431."
Darryl immediately got on his radio. "This is Inspector Morris. I need all available units at the Sheraton Hotel. I've got a murder suspect and he should be considered armed and dangerous. Do not proceed without my go ahead."
Darryl looked to Piper, who just nodded for him to go. He took off to catch a killer.
"What do you want with me?" Price asked.
"I want to please my lord," he said. "I must have your heart, or he will smite me down."
"Who is he and why does he want my heart?" Price asked, trying to stall the inevitable.
"It will set him free, open the portal to this world, and he can rain fire on all those who would oppose him," he said. "No more questions."
He held his hand outstretched to Price and a searing pain filled her chest. She cried out in pain. But he stepped forward and clamped his hand over her mouth. "No screaming."
Suddenly, he flew across the room. Price laid on her side on the bed, clutching her chest. The pain was starting to subside a little, but he was also starting to rise in order to complete the job. Price looked over and saw him. She stumbled off the bed and headed for the door. He grabbed her and threw her against the wall.
"You're not going anywhere," he said. She threw him across the room telekinetically and he looked at her in shock. "How are you doing that?"
Price didn't answer. She rushed to the door and stumbled out into the hall. He must have injured her somehow. Her chest was still hurting. She stumbled down the hall, looking back to see him after her. But when she rounded a corner she breathed a sigh of relief. There was a group of police officers, led by Darryl hurrying down the hall. She fell to her knees against the wall. Darryl knelt next to her while the police officers rounded the corner.
He saw the cops and realized he was cornered. He looked for an escape, but there was none. He hurried back into the room and slammed the door shut. He smashed a chair through the window. There was a rooftop across the alley that he possibly could jump to. He went to the window and looked across. He was determined not to get caught. The police were slamming against the door, trying to get in. It was now or never. He positioned himself and jumped just as the police burst into the room. He landed hard against the edge of the roof. He felt a couple ribs crack when he hit the concrete. His grip started to slip, and he knew there was nothing else he could do. He looked back at the police officers, smiled and shouted to them, "I'm not his only disciple. They will finish where I left off." Then he let go, falling four stories to the alley below.
In the hall, Piper and Leo rushed in. Piper knelt next to Price and took her hand. "Oh, thank God. I thought I'd lost you already."
"I think I'll be okay," Price said. "My chest really hurts, though."
Piper looked around the hall and saw that there was no one else around. "Leo, quick, before someone comes."
Leo knelt down and held his hand over Price's chest. Darryl kept a look out until Leo finished. Price breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks." Leo just nodded to her.
"He came really close," Price said. "And I think there's more to this than we know about. He was completing some kind of ritual."
"Yeah, Darryl filled me in on some stuff," Piper said. She turned when a police officer came out of the room.
"He jumped out the window," the officer said. "Said something about he's not the only disciple."
Darryl looked at Piper and Price. "This isn't over is it?" he asked.
Piper and Price exchanged a glance. Piper answered Darryl, "Probably not."
"I grow impatient," the Source said. "You are running out of time to fulfill your end of the bargain."
"Please, I just need a little more time. I will not disappoint you," Phoebe replied.
"The Charmed Ones are one witch short of completing their connection once more," the Source said. "If you do not kill the whitelighter soon, it will be your head that I will display instead of his."
"I think I know how I can get back in," Phoebe replied. "If you will just give me time, I can get to the whitelighter and destroy him. Then the remaining Charmed Ones will follow him."
"And how is that?"
"All I have to do is make Piper believe that I have returned to the side of good," Phoebe said. "She will believe me because she wants her sister back. Then they will all die."
THE END