X. Eclipse

Rebecca and David Sheller. Married on March 3, 1995. No children.

All these damn things read the same.

Sara Pezzini rested her head on her desk. That statement wasn't entirely true. This time, there were friends and family to talk to. Unlike the Fillamore woman, whose relatives in Montana refused to give the NYPD the time of day. She was supposed to go and meet with Rebecca's sister and mother. Then go and talk with David's boss.

It would go faster if Jake were here, but he wouldn't be back for two more days. Last night she had the same dream over and over. And she would always wake up at the same part of the dream. It had gotten old. Sara had almost gotten up just to see if Nottingham was lurking somewhere, at least then she'd have company. Even if he was a pest. She wasn't that desperate.

"Sleeping on the job, Detective?"

Why couldn't the Captain just disappear?

"No, sir. I was contemplating banging my head on the desk."

"Cute."

Captain Dante stepped inside her office and looked around.

"That's some wall paper you two have there."

"I'm running out of room."

"Actually," he laughed, "that's what I'm here to talk about. This case, is not going to well for the two of you, is it?"

"No, sir. It isn't."

He sat down in Jake's chair.

"I realize that you and I . . . don't have a great love fore each other. I have re-evaluated my position on you, I've told you as much."

"With all due respect, sir, please get to the point."

"Is it too much, Detective? Is Jake holding you back? Why is this going nowhere?"

"It is not too much. Jake has been a huge help, and it's not going anywhere because there is nothing to go on."

"How so?"

"There is hardly anything at the crime scenes, all of them have been so public that no individuals can be singled out. The victims don't seem to be connected in anyway. We figure that either this guy is highly intelligent to avoid us, or he doesn't care."

"Doesn't care?"

"When people try to cover things up they panic. They leave the best clues. The one's who don't care or worry are the hardest to catch."

"True. I realize that this is difficult, but you two need to wrap this up. If you can't, I have to bring other teams in to help, and that will only slow things down."

"I know that, sir."

Dante stood up, "Let's get to work."

He shut the door behind him.

Sara got up and grabbed her helmet, it wouldn't hurt to be early to speak with the sister and mother.

* * * *

"I just don't understand how someone could do that to anyone."

Joyce Roberts spoke quietly about her daughter. Rebecca's sister, Marie, had said nothing.

"Every time I close my eyes, I see that picture that the Officer had to show me." She looked at the photo in her hand, "I'm glad her father wasn't here to see this."

"Mrs. Roberts. As you know we have very little to go on. I know you've told us everything that you could think of, but I want you to try and find something that you didn't give in your earlier statement. No matter how strange."

"She knew."

"Pardon?"

"My Rebecca, she knew that she wasn't going to live much longer. Both she and David knew. They had the sight, you know."

"Mother," Marie interrupted, "don't tell Detective Pezzini that nonsense."

"It's ok. Go on Mrs. Roberts."

"You may think it is silly, but it was real. Rebecca saw things, she knew I was pregnant with Marie before I did. She dreamed these things, and they would happen. David was the same."

"So, you say they were psychic?"

"Yes. It was so strange. The both of them being that way. David saw things when he touched them. He knew when George, my late husband, got the cancer. And Rebecca saw his death in a dream. It was exactly the way she had described it to me. Even the funeral. A few months ago, she had come home and she was so pale. I thought she might have gotten sick with some flu, but she sat down and told me that she had another dream."

"About what?"

"Pain. Blood, a-and she said there was singing. She said had had seen her death."

"Did she say if David had-"

"Yes. Rebecca told me that David kept on having this feeling, like some one or something was keeping an eye on them."

Sara wrote all of this down in her note book. Singing, in her visions there was always singing.

"Marie would you go and put some tea on."

"Of course mother."

Joyce waited for her daughter to leave the room before she began again.

"Ms. Pezzini. Have you seen something?"

"Wh-what do you mean, Mrs. Roberts?"

"Joyce, please. When I said that part about the singing, you had gotten so pale. Are you? Like my daughter?"

"I really don't know, Joyce. This," she held up her notebook, "helps more than you know."

Sara stood, and Joyce moved to guide her out of the house.

"Thank you, again, for speaking with me. I know this is a hard time-"

"I just want this man caught, Ms. Pezzini. This shouldn't happen to anyone."

Joyce waited for Sara to start her bike and take off before she shut her door.

"Mother, the tea is ready . . . are you all right?"

"I'm just worried about Detective Pezzini."

"She's a professional, she'll be okay."

Joyce picked up the photo of her family that she had been holding earlier. Rebecca and David looked so happy.

"I hope she will."

* * * *

She needed to dig up more on the other victims. The Fillamore family had hung up on her when she had tried to call them. David's boss had given her no new information.

Sara wondered how Jake was doing in North Carolina. Only one more day until he came back. After she had left the Roberts' house, she had come back to the station and began to dig around. Maybe she could turn up something new on the other ID'd victims. After the call to Billings, it had left her with Anton Xanus, the SEAL, and Peter Thomas. Xanus had proved to be a dead end, for the thousandth time. So she had focused on Thomas. She had been here all day and night.

It wasn't going quickly.

That was the understatement of the year.

Nearly every person Thomas knew was dead. There was a granddaughter in Baton Rouge, but repeated calls had yielded no results. It had ended up giving her a killer headache. The kind that had everything from the shoulders up in pain.

She would have to try for the grand daughter later.

A glance at the clock told her that it was nearly two in the morning. Sara had gotten up at four forty five. It was time to try and get some rest. She needed to call Jake. See if he had anything yet.

Sara grabbed her helmet and took of to go back to Jake's apartment. She started up her motorcycle and pulled out on to the street.

Heading in the opposite direction that she wanted to go. Instead, she took herself to the huge rot iron gates that marked the entrance to Kenneth Irons home.

The gates opened and she drove up the long, winding driveway to the main building. She parked her bike by the main door and walked though the open door.

Why was she here?

"Isn't it a bit too early for house calls, Sara?"

"You tell me. I don't even know why I'm here."

Ian Nottingham closed the doors behind her. Did he ever sleep?

"I can not tell you what I do not know, Sara."

"Yeah right." She said under her breath.

"But you are here, and we should make use of this time."

"And what would that entail?"

"Perhaps I could change your mind about my offer, or convince you to stop whatever it is between you and Detective McCartey; take your pick, Sara."

She narrowed her eyes at Irons. Neither of those two things would happen.

"Why do you want this thing so badly?"

"I know. There are more powerful beings and objects out there. So why the Witchblade? It is an interesting question."

"Then answer it."

"I feel drawn to it. It fascinates me."

"You said there were things out there more powerful than this?"

"Yes. Most myth is based in truth. Believe it or not, there are individuals who could rip this planet in half. I find it very interesting that many of those people or not even over 21. Other armored legends that originate from Asia, are so true that some of the persons in question are the only thing keeping life as we know it safe. And all of us alive. I would not want to interfere with that. Would I?"

"Moby was right about you."

"He was, wasn't he?"

"You can't find a way to control them, can you?"

"I wouldn't dream of trying. I do have a healthy fear of death."

"They'd off you?"

"I know. I know. Do the world a favor. It really doesn't matter. I am the only one who can offer you any sort of knowledge on the Blade. You will come to me, one day, " he laughed, "You already have. And the Blade always comes back to me."

Sara glared at him and left, Ian opened the doors for her as she passed by.

"Good night, Sara."

She didn't answer him.

* * * *

Why did all of these places have to look the same?

Jake McCartey walked down the long, dark metal hall way in the Naval Base. After Officer Powell had dropped him here, he had been searched almost instantly. They had let him keep his phone, for a little while. He had to leave it with the desk clerk at the beginning of the hall way.

She had recognized him. He didn't tell her that he was with the NYPD, he let her think that he was helping them with some assignment. She believed him.

The only thing that bothered him was that she was authorized to answer his phone. It was part of her job. He had a bad feeling about that.

Jake got to the door he was looking for and knocked.

"Enter." A voice replied.

Jake opened the door to greet the General.

"Oh. You. I though that the NYPD was sending some one."

"They did, General."

"An agent? Working with the civilian police. I didn't know that the DO-"

"I am on the permanent inactive list, General," He flashed his badge.

"I'm not one to argue. If I had know it would be this Jake McCartey, I would have sent Xanus' records on immediately."

Jake was confused. The General was unfamiliar to him.

"I'm sorry, General, but we have never met."

"Not like this. I was in Greece seven years ago. I was the front to the mission you were on."

"Really? Who did you think I was when I called?"

"That surfer guy."

"That's me, too."

The General looked at him in disbelief. Jake raised an eyebrow. The General turned around in his chair, and came back with a sealed package. He slid it across his desk.

"Here's everything on Xanus. I trust that what isn't meant to be seen, won't"

"I understand."

"Is it different? The NYPD from the Agencies?"

"Night and day. Thank you, General."

Jake turned and left.

* * * *

There was blood covering everything. Nearly every one had fallen.

She continued to slash her way through the battle. Friend and foe alike met their end on her sword, if they were in the way. She wanted to get to the Ninja master. She wanted to rip his heart out and squeeze the life from his body while he watched.

It would be glorious.

She would feed him to his underlings, then crush them as well.

Everyone would die. It didn't matter who they were anymore. It's what the Blade wanted. To bathe in the red life of all it's enemies.

She didn't mind too much. She enjoyed the act of killing.

The setting was perfect. The moon was full, and it's color mirrored the scene below her.

Another down, and another, and another. She could see their leader.

They locked eyes as his last guard died on the end of her sword.

He raised his weapon in a mock salute and took up a defensive position.

She lunged at him, and their battle began.

The sounds of metal on metal rang through the surrounding hills.

The smell of victory invaded her nose, and she let out a full throated laugh that echoed just as loud as the sounds their swords made. The fight intensified. She couldn't lose.

She was superior to this filth that she fought. He was hardly worth her time.

Her laughter grew.

The enemy smiled, and her sword was knocked form her hand.

No! It wasn't supposed to be this way!

He lifted his blade in to the air, and took her head off.

* * * *

Sara fell out of bed. She frantically reached for her neck. It was still there. She dropped her head into her hands and sobbed. She didn't want to end up dead. Not for a long time. She wiped the tears off her face and composed herself. She needed to talk to some one.

She climbed back into bed, and picked up the phone. Her fingers dialed Jake's cell number.

Three rings.

A woman's voice answered.

"Hello."

"Who is this?"

"This is General Banner's secretary."

"What are you doing with this phone?"

"No cellular devices are allowed beyond this point. I am authorized to answer any incoming calls for screening."

"Where is Jake McCartey?"

"Agent McCartey is unavailable. Have a good night."

The line went dead. There was that "Agent" thing again. Either Jake was in over his blonde head, or he hadn't told her everything. Maybe she should . . . no. She wasn't going to do a search on her partner. But it was the second time that word had come up.

Sara got dressed and headed for the office. Should she be doing this?

Curiosity always got the better of her. With no one on the streets, she was there in no time. Officer Smitty greeted her at the door.

"Just want to check on something, Smitty."

"Happy hunting. I have a drunk to go pick up."

"Sounds like fun."

"You know it."

He started his squad car and backed out of the parking space. She liked Smitty, he was always nice.

She went straight to her computer, and hesitated.

"What am I doing?" She whispered.

"I've come this far."

She began to type in the starting information.

* * * *

The white-haired man had liked his picture. He should have taken photographs of the others too. It was too late for that. They were all gone now. The police had taken his most recent one's apart, but nature had taken the others. It wasn't such a big deal to him, he could remember what each of them had looked like. The white-haired man was always happy with his work.

He liked to make people happy.

It made him happy.

He liked to be happy.

Being happy all the time wasn't a good thing, though. Sometimes he had to be careful. The white-haired man had told him that the Partner was gone for a while. That had made him happy, but he needed to be careful right now. Something had upset the Lady Detective. She seemed like she was looking for something. He couldn't follow her into the building, but he still got to see her. As long as he was careful.

He needed to be careful when the Partner came back, and when the Atlanta girl got here. The white-haired man had told him not to worry about her. He would know what to do when the time came.

He trusted the white-haired man.

He didn't worry about her anymore.

He closed his eyes and looked for the Lady Detective. She had found something that made her sad.

He wondered what it was.

* * * *

"You answered my phone?!"

"It was procedure, sir."

Oh man! He should have shut it off. He knew some thing was going to happen.

"Did they say who it was?"

"No. It was some woman asking for you."

Even better. It was Pez.

"What did you tell her, exactly?"

"That Agent McCartey was unavailable."

Jake's heart nearly stopped. Oh shit. Pez was going to be pissed. He knew her enough to know that she would find out what the secretary had meant by "Agent." Curiosity would get the better of her.

He'd be sleeping on the floor. If she didn't completely get rid of him for not telling her everything. It's not like he could have just told her. Jake had taken a vow.

"I'm out of here."

* * * *

"What's eating you, Pez?"

Danny had appeared an hour ago. She had decided to call it quits two hours ago. The screen saver had come on a long time ago.

"Aw, come on. You can tell me."

"You were right. I shouldn't have trusted him."

"Who? McCartey? No. I was wrong, he's one guy you can trust."

She moved the mouse to end the screen saver. A short list comprised of years, locations, and other information came up.

"Four years of his life are classified. All I could find was that he had been in the Mediterranean."

"Military?"

"No. Government."

"Ask him about it, Pez. Maybe he'll tell you."

"Do you know, Danny?"

"Yeah. I told you to ask him about it, remember?"

"What? Greek Mythology? That's a long way off from a government agent!"

"What else is in there?"

"Nothing I didn't already know."

Sara closed the window, and leaned back in her chair. She didn't know if she should be mad at Jake right now. She'd find out soon enough. His flight arrived in four hours.