Chapter Ten

"Skalany, I want you to back away," Wolf said.

"Don't be scared by the changes you see happening to me. It's my only way to fight my brother on equal terms. Like in the old country when we were mere boys," Wolf said, and then he paused, glancing back at her. "But if I fail, throw everything you've got at him. My brother must be stopped one way or another."

Mary Margaret swallowed and limped a few steps back into safer territory. Freize was making his way up the steps of the shrine. She kept glancing from Wolf to Freize to Wolf again, amazed each time by the unbelievable transformation occurring in Wolf.

Freize only laughed at what he saw. Mary Margaret's breath caught with her next glance at Wolf. He now was truly more wolf than man.

"This ends now, brother," Wolf growled, gnashing his fangs at Freize and flashing the long claws of his front paws.

Wolf circled Freize, sizing him up, looking for the best opportunity to attack. Freize merely stood with his arms folded in front of him, shaking his head in disbelief at his brother's audacity. Moving as fast as a bolt of lightning, Wolf attacked, knocking Freize to the ground. Wolf went directly for his brother's throat, but suddenly Wolf went flying through the air, up the hillside until he slammed into the side of a huge tree with a definite canine yelp of pain.

Freize chuckled to himself as he stood and dusted the dirt from his dark clothes. "Foolish, foolish brother. What do you have next to entertain me before I destroy you?"

His gaze grew dark as he stared at Mary Margaret. "My lady, perhaps I could bring on the rest of my horde of frogs and watch you melt away into nothing with their united attack?"

Freize stopped as he paused in thought. Mary Margaret didn't know what to say or do. All she knew was she was looking death in the eye and had no defense against it. Suddenly, there was a loud roar and Randy came running up behind Freize with a large silver cross and impaled Freize in the back with it.

Dr. Freize actually appeared stunned by Randy's attack and dropped to his knees as he struggled to remove the cross from his back. He craned around, seeing Randy standing several feet away, gleefully pointing at Freize.

"I got him! I got him! Now, you are gonna die, Dr. Freize! Your kind of evil is just too much to walk this land. You can go back to the hell you came from and never come back! A silver cross should kill you! I bet you never thought I would be the one to get you, but I did. Randy Watkins, the avenger!"

Freize let Randy rant until he ran out of air, then stood and reached behind him to extract the cross that protruded from his back. There was a wet, sucking sound as the cross came out and Freize dropped it to the ground, still dripping with his blood.

Then he turned on Randy. Randy's whole demeanor had shifted in those brief moments from victor to victim. He started running for the hills, but he didn't get three paces before Freize held him in a spectral choking grip around his neck. The young man floated higher and higher as his air supply was cruelly denied to him.

Mary Margaret hid her face. She knew Freize was going to drop the man from a height rivaling the treetops in the area. Then it happened. Randy screamed, then there was a sick resounding thud echoed through the silent crowd when Randy's dead body hit the ground.

Freize dusted his hands and glanced around the area. "Next?"

Caine's angry voice cut through the ensuing silence. "Freize, stop this! You have come for me... take me and leave the others unharmed."

The man merely chuckled maliciously at Caine's offer. "It's much too early in the game for me to leave now, Caine."

He waved a hand, throwing Caine against the shrine wall. Caine hit the wall hard and slid slowly to the ground, causing Mary Margaret's hands to ball up into fists.

"I will get back to you later, Kwai Chang."

The other detectives, who had been out by the kiln watching Lo Si's burial ceremony, slowly shifted their position, moving in closer, hoping for a good shot, or some other means of attack.

"Come, come, am I surrounded by men or mere cowards?" Freize taunted.

Mary Margaret watched Captain Simms stepped forward and said, "You are surrounded by many brave individuals. I have to inform you that you are under arrest for your past crimes, in addition to the litany of new charges you've incurred since your return."

Freize smiled, obviously sizing her up. "Bold, I'll give you that, Captain, but you are not of interest to me. I am here for Peter Caine at the moment. Since I don't see him around, I can only assume he is cowering in fear somewhere."

Simms folded her arms in front of her. "Not hardly, Dr. Freize."

"Well, I have something that might bring out Peter Caine."

"Freize, cease your efforts now!" Lo Si shouted as he held the jade medallion in front of him. "We have dispatched your horde of angry ghosts and we will take care of you, too, if you force us to."

"I do not fear the likes of you, old man. Besides, I have other surprises to unveil."

The group held their breath as an unconscious Jody Powell floated over the hillside and settled down on the ground at his feet. "The woman Peter Caine loves will die in the next minute unless he shows himself."

There were several sharp inhalations and curses as the detectives recognized their fellow detective. Freize shouted, "Peter Caine! Come out, come out wherever you are! I've got someone dying to see you!"

Freize laughed at his own quip, obviously the only one entertained by his dark humor. The villain stood for another moment before he became bored. "Perhaps, Peter doesn't love her as much as he's led us to believe."

A solitary figure stepped out. It was Kwai Chang Caine, staggering more than walking, but he was clearly ready to stand between Freize and his son. Two more men stepped behind Caine – Lo Si to the right, and Master Khan to his left.

"Well, look at the Shaolin force, but where is dear little Peter? Hiding from me? Doesn't he know he can't hide?" Freize put a hand to his forehead and concentrated for a long moment before he pulled his hand away in irritation.

"You Shaolin and your mystical tricks. You cannot block me for long. Your tricks will only delay the inevitable. I never would have imagined your son as a coward, though, Caine!"

Kwai Chang bristled at Freize's words, but he didn't reply. Mary Margaret looked at the others, then put a hand to her injured leg and sighed. Freize was right. They couldn't shield Peter from him forever and that was what scared the hell out of her.

oOoOoOoOo

As the scene unfolded, Peter struggled against Strenlich's strong hold around his chest, wasting precious energy he should be saving to use against Freize. "Dammit, Frank, you can't keep me from doing what I have to do!"

"I have orders to keep you hidden and that's just what I'm gonna do!"

"Orders from who?"

"Kermit and Simms."

"Dammit, Frank, if I don't go out there, my father is going to sacrifice himself in some horrible way. I can't let him die for me!"

Kermit opened the door into the small storage shed where Frank had hidden Peter, sliding it open only wide enough for him to enter, and then closed it behind him. Looking at the two of them, Kermit said, "If you die for your father, kid, he's lost to Freize forever. Do you really want that on your conscience?"

Kermit reached out to put a hand on Peter's shoulder and faltered with his movement that caused a flash of agony from his burn. Frank caught him as he dropped to his knees and said, "Ah, geez, Kermit, that must hurt like a son of a bitch."

"Nah, not so much," Kermit whispered.

Then he caught Peter's gaze as Peter slumped against the wall, wrapping both arms around his chest. The two men, who were more like brothers than friends, traded much information in their visual exchange.

Peter was the first to look away. He stammered, "I – I can't just let Freize kill my father."

"That's not exactly what I have in mind," Kermit whispered as he straightened.

"Well, if you've got a plan, tell me. Otherwise, I'm going out there. I can't let him kill Jody or take my father. I'd die first."

Kermit shook his head and straightened. "Enough with the dying already. I believe in surviving my wars. Here's the deal, but you've got to follow the plan exactly or it won't work. Shit, it still might not work even if you do follow it exactly, but it's a hell of a lot better than just turning yourself over to him."

Peter eyed him. "Talk to me."

oOoOoOoOo

Frank gave Peter his spare handgun, which Peter slipped into the back of his pants. Kermit handed over the small cylindrical plastic container. Peter didn't need to look at it to know what was in it. Palming the container, he slid it into the other pocket. Peter could feel Kermit watching him warily.

Peter shook his head and squared his shoulders. "I'm not going to collapse on you if that's what you're worried about."

Kermit grunted. "Good, because the game plan would be over before it ever got started if that happens."

Kermit flinched when he shifted in the wrong way, then continued as if nothing had happened. "Xenia will step out beside your father, Khan, and Lo Si. Together, the four of them will create a few moments of smoke that will block Freize's sight of your approach. I was going to do it, but they insisted with your Shaolin training that you could get much closer to Freize than I could."

Peter licked his lips and nodded as Kermit continued, "Get as close to Freize as you can in those moments. I wanted to go for the killing head shot first, but Lo Si insists the plastic container will do much more permanent damage, maybe even kill him."

Peter frowned, then he pulled out the vial of ashes. "I don't get it. What's ashes from the Chinese immigrants gonna do to a man like Freize? I mean, I can see where they might have some power over him, but it doesn't seem to be much. After all, he caused them to die in the first place."

Kermit leaned sideways against some tall tools in the shed, protecting his burned areas and rested for just a moment. He let out a long breath and looked like he wasn't going to be able to stay on his feet much longer. "Lo Si said to tell you this, 'The ashes represent good now that the spirits have been laid to rest. The good contained inside may be enough to destroy Freize's evil.'"

Peter mulled over Lo Si's suggestion when another thought hit him. He rubbed the back of his neck and said, "What – what about Jody? She's just lying there, unconscious and unable to protect herself."

Kermit patted Peter on the shoulder. "That's up to you. Once you make your move against Freize, grab her and get as far away from him as you can."

Peter licked his lips. He knew his odds of surviving were so low they really didn't matter, but he wanted really to drop kick Freize's ass back into hell, but he wanted so much more. He wanted for Jody to survive. And his father. But there was very little within his power to make any of it a reality. And the possibility of death to those he loved was more than he could tolerate.

Frank patted Peter on the back. "It's now or never, Peter."

Peter nodded and pushed open the door to the shed. Sure enough, there was a thick screen of smoke covering the area, but Peter knew exactly where Freize was standing, almost as if he could see him in his mind. He had to trust his instincts against Freize, otherwise he would lose everything.

He made his way around the edge of the shrine and listened for Freize, who had started to rant about the uselessness of the smoke screen. Hearing Freize's voice helped pinpoint his location. Closing his eyes, he could see Jody's helpless body still lying at Freize's feet.

"This is for you, Jody," Peter whispered, in the same way he had whispered ages ago at the cemetery.

Now, so many more lives depended on Peter's next move. He was determined not to make the same kind of mistakes he made at the mausoleum. He paused in prayer for a moment, meditating to focus his thoughts and actions, and then he stepped out. After providing the smoke screen, the Shaolin men and Xenia had begun to mask Peter's approach in another way. To cover any possible noise Peter might make, Caine was chanting, Khan and Lo Si was singing, and Xenia was deep in concentration.

Freize called up his frog contingent, but they were met with flame throwers manned by Strenlich and TJ, and hand grenades thrown by Kermit and Simms. Peter knew the weapons had to have come from one of Kermit's sources, but military ordinance?

*Shit, Kermit, nobody ever said you didn't play to win,* Peter told himself.

Without warning, Freize struck out at Xenia, apparently choosing her as the most vulnerable and she collapsed without a sound. Another arm lashed out in Khan's direction. He deflected most of the blow, but the impact knocked the wind from him. He was about to aim in Lo Si's direction when Peter finally came up behind Freize.

Peter opened the plastic container Kermit had given him with the ashes that had been blessed by a priest. With a prayer on his lips, Peter sprayed the contents of the container all over Freize.

At first, the man laughed at Peter's audacity, but then a look of pure horror came over his expression as he started to burst into flame wherever the ashes landed on his skin and clothes.

Disbelief remained for several long moments as he attempted to put out the flames, but the flames only grew stronger. Freize became enveloped in the fire and staggered around, screaming horribly. His army of frogs also burst into flames at the same time.

Peter glanced down to where Jody was lying on the ground and Freize was dangerously close to her in his erratic death throes. Peter dove for her, wrapping his arms around her to protect her as much as possible and they began rolling down the incline away from the shrine, down toward the pond.

As they rolled, Peter knew he'd used the last of his meager energy supply and the darkness of unconsciousness was now moving in to claim him. He rallied against it, fighting against it with all he had.

He had to make sure Freize was really gone. He had to make sure his father and Xenia were okay. He had to make sure he hadn't harmed Jody by rolling down the hillside. He had to – close his eyes, if only for a moment.

As he did, all he could hear was death screams. It wasn't the end of one man's life, but the end of an immortal. The screams were a little different, but the result was the same.

Then came a cacophony of voices, joyous and pure, from the souls Freize had enslaved during his short time since the attack at the carnival. The ensuing chorus sounded like freedom to Peter and he prayed those poor souls now truly were free from Freize's influence.

When silence filled the air, Freize was gone and all that was left was his ashes. When Freize set fire to those poor Chinese immigrants, ashes were all that was left of their existence, too. But their ashes – the good that remained of the murdered Chinese, had become the weapon that had ultimately destroyed Freize and all his evil power.

Ashes to ashes, Peter whispered to himself.

Peter opened his eyes one last time and then collapsed to the ground beside Jody. As he checked on her, he found her eyes were open, too, and she was watching him. Seeing Jody's beautiful eyes open again was like a healing balm to his troubled soul. Jody was awake. His heart sang with joy. It was the stuff dreams were made of and a much welcomed change from the living nightmares they'd been experiencing for the last several hours. He moved forward to kiss her, but he just ran out of energy and slumped to the ground... but he was finally at peace.

oOoOoOoOo

When Peter awoke at the hospital, he knew where he was immediately. Thankfully, he was back in a world he understood, and far away from a world where impossible things were commonplace. It didn't change the fact that so many people had died who didn't need to die.

He shifted and groaned softly. His body ached with a fearsome misery. He had been too hard on it and now it was paying him back with every ache and pain possible. He sighed, gripping his side as it throbbed. "Suck it up, Caine. This is what you get for playing Superman."

He had thought he was alone but with his muttering, he heard the deep resonant chuckle of his father. Immediately, he felt better, just knowing with certainty his father had survived in the encounter intact. He opened his eyes to see his father sitting in a wheelchair beside his bed.

"So, is this the lesson you have learned from this traumatic ordeal, my son? That you are not Superman and must learn to deal with life's problems without putting yourself into intensive care each time?"

Peter made a face at his father. "Very funny," he muttered.

He pointed a finger at him. "As I recall, Pop, you were taking several risks with your own well being. Are you telling me to do as I say, but not as I do?" Peter could feel the mischievous glint in his eyes.

His father smiled back at him and leaned back in his seat. "Let us all rejoice in the fact that we survived our final encounter with Dr. Freize, without further loss of life. The hospital administrator was telling Captain Simms that those injured in the midway massacre are improving and they haven't had another fatality for the last twenty-four hours."

Peter perked up with that news, straightening up in his bed, but he immediately regretted the action. He hissed through clenched teeth, "That's great."

His head dropped back to the bed and his eyes narrowed. "The last twenty-four hours? How long have I been out?"

His father paused in thought. "Since the morning before last. You underwent surgery, blood transfusions, and were in a coma much like Jody's until this moment."

A thousand thoughts rushed through Peter's mind at the same time, all jostling for importance, leaving him silent for a moment. His eyes closed as he tried to concentrate, but he could tell the medication in his system had jumbled his brain.

"Freize?"

"Gone forever."

"Jody?"

"Doing very well. She will probably be discharged tomorrow."

Peter relaxed. "Ah, that's great news."

"What about Xenia? And Wolf?"

His father's gaze dropped down and he toyed with a plain-wrapped object on his lap.

"Pop, what is it? Are they okay?"

"Wolf wants to take Xenia and Inky back to the 'old country' where he knows people who can help Xenia develop her gifts to their full potential. She is fearful of leaving, but Inky is going with them. It will be an interesting adventure for them all."

Peter took a deep breath. "So, it's over – it's really over," Peter whispered as he ran a hand through his hair. "And the others from the precinct? What about Lo Si?"

"Peter, those with injuries are healing. Those without injuries have returned to work. The hostages Freize had hidden away were found with Mary Margaret's help and Lo Si is his usual chipper self. Please, there is no need to agitate yourself."

Peter frowned, and fiddled with the adhesive on one of his bandages. "Why do I get the impression there's something that's not finished? Or maybe like you've got something bad to spring on me."

His father smiled. "Your intuitive senses are growing strong, my son, but what I have for you is not bad. In fact, it is quite the opposite."

Peter straightened up in bed, still slightly apprehensive. "What is it?"

"I have a gift for you, one offered by the departing Chinese spirits."

Peter's mouth dropped open. "What?"

His father held up a small book wrapped in brown paper. "The last spirit presented it to Lo Si as a thank you for helping them join their ancestors."

Peter knew his expression had to look like one, big unspoken question, but his heart had begun to beat faster as he wondered what the object might be.

His father handed Peter the dusty gift. Peter took it and sat it on his lap – too afraid to open the wrapping, only to have his hopes dashed. His father leaned forward and placed a hand on Peter's arm. "Open it, my son, and rejoice a gift long thought lost."

With that, Peter needed no further encouragement; he tore through the wrapping and found it was indeed his mother's journal. He opened it with shaky hands. On the first inner page, there was a notation.

'This is to you, my dear Peter. In these pages, I've tried to tell you as much as I could about me and my life and how I met your father, and how much I love you, but one journal is not enough. Unfortunately, a hundred journals would never be enough, but hopefully it will help you understand and know the mother you lost so long ago. With love eternal, I will be with you always, my son.

'Signed, your loving mother, Laura Caine.'

Peter shuddered with the intensity of his reaction and tears filled his eyes as his fingers traced the impression of the handwritten words. His father moved stiffly to sit on the bed beside his son.

"It is a miracle. Truly a miracle."

Peter's wide eyes glanced up at him. "But how?"

His father shrugged, then flinched when the motion aggravated painful wounds. "I can only imagine Tan stole it from the temple during its destruction and hid it away at the shrine for some unknown reason. Maybe he planned to return there one day and use the book to torment you. Maybe he died before he could carry out those plans. I do not know. All I know is you now have a connection with your mother you never had before. Rejoice."

"Even though I've only flipped through a few of the pages, this – this journal will bring her to life for me in a way I never dreamed possible. I only wish... "

"What is it, my son," his father asked.

"Nothing. I was going to say I wished we had found the journal earlier. It might have quieted some of the discord I've felt over never really knowing her, but... "

Kwai Chang smiled. "But the journal was not revealed to you until the proper time for you to have it. Now, you will take this journal and learn about your mother in a way you might not have fully appreciated at an earlier age. All things in their proper time."

"Yes, I think I really understand that now. This journal is more precious to me than any gold in the world. But, maybe, you should be the one to keep it. I mean, after all, she was your wife."

His father shook his head. "No, she wrote that journal for you, so that you could know her inner thoughts and dreams for you. She did not write it for me. It is for you and you alone, my son."

"Well, after I've read it, you are more than welcome to borrow it any time you'd like."

His father patted his son on the arm and shook his head. Peter glanced up at the television running the news for a moment, but that's all it took. The news report was glorifying the catastrophe, showing injured victims in recovery and a shot of the morgue with so many dead, leaving Peter awash in guilt over the whole incident again.

Peter's fists tightened and he said, "If only I had just paid more attention – "

His father stopped him with a single touch to his arm. "Peter, let me explain this in a different way. There are no mistakes in life. Everything happens for a reason – even our forced separation – even your mother's missing journal turning up so much later than she had planned to give it to you – all of these things happened because they were supposed to happen at their appointed time for us to learn the lessons we need to learn. Never doubt that."

"How did the spirits find the journal?"

"One of the spirits, a father who had lost his son, had come across it as they invaded the shrine. The spirit sensed the book's great importance and gave it to Lo Si before leaving this earthly realm."

Peter's head dropped down and he picked up the book again.

"So, this will finish most of the unfinished business between Mom and me?"

His father smiled broadly. "No, it will not finish anything. You will read it and find yourself with a whole host of new questions. I will help answer them as best I can."

His father eased himself back in his wheelchair and sighed, "All of life is a matter of attempting to finish unfinished business in one form or another, but we can never finish everything in the course of one life. Yet, the circle of life gives us opportunities to resolve the more important ones. Each moment is precious, each lesson an influence upon us. We do the best we can – and, Peter?"

Peter looked up at him, waiting for the end of the lesson.

"Yes, Dad?"

"We do the best we can and it is enough. It is always enough, because that is the way it is supposed to be. That, my son, is the lesson you need to accept and ingrain into your heart and soul from this latest incident. Whatever you did at the mausoleum that night was enough. The things that happened afterward were meant to happen, with everything all falling into its proper place – perhaps, so that you could finally gain possession of your mother's journal. Never question fate, it will guide us along our proper path as long as we keep our hearts and minds open to what is around us."

Peter blinked away a few tears and swallowed away the rest. "Pop, I love you. God, I love you. Thanks for being here with me as we walk the journey of life together once more."

His father bowed and reached forward to clasp Peter's hand. They held onto each other with the journal resting underneath their hands, as if Laura Caine was joining in the embrace with them. And perhaps she was looking down on them, reveling in the love shared between the two most important men in her life.

oOoOoOoOo

Chapter 10