4:00pm
WWC, INC. BUILDING
Xia was in her office, located on the top floor of the World-Wide Computers Inc. skyscraper. She was wearing a black dress with a green
executive jacket. Her hair was neatly pulled up at the top. She was now typing information onto her computer monitor, when her phone rang. She picked it up. "Yes, hello?"
The voice on the other end answered, "Xia Tan?"
"Yes, this is she."
"I'm Jack Wong. I used to work for Tan, your father."
Xia's polite demeanor changed to dark curiosity. "Yes, I remember you. You work for Bon Bon Hai. HE runs Chinatown now."
"Yes, that's right. I received a strange phone call earlier today, from Philadelphia. A man claimed to be Tan-"
She interrupted with calm rage, "My father is *dead*, thanks to the Shaolin, Kwai Chang Caine. This was a prank call, Jack. DON'T bother me with these insignificant messages!"
He pleaded, "Yes, yes! That is exactly what I told him. But something is gnawing at me, something I can't quite describe. I can't shake the feeling that he could be right..it's what he said right before I hung up on him."
She was intrigued now. Very well, she'll play along. "Oh? And tell me, what was it, what could make you believe him..you of *all* people know Tan is dead: you were there, you saw him die. What else did this imposter say?"
"He told me that his body--his essence, I suppose--was inside the body of a schoolteacher."
"Oh..really."
"And that his soul awakened in Philadelphia..that's strange, I know."
"Hmm..yes. Yes, it is. Was that all?"
"Yes. I know it sounds crazy, but I thought that I had to inform you..sorry if I disturbed you, Xia."
"Oh no, not at all. Actually, it's very interesting, thank you. Goodbye."
"Bye." She slowly put the phone back on the reciever. She pressed one of
the buttons and spoke into it. "Carol? I'm leaving early. Hold all my calls until further notice..I'll be out of town for a few days."
Her secretary's voice answered back, "Yes, Ma'am, it'll be taken care of."
"Thank you." She lifted her finger off the button. "Well, I'll leave now," she says to herself, "and do some research of my own. I'm not sure if my father's spirit is earthbound or not..but there's only one way to find out." She got up from her chair, walking to the wooden doors. She took out her keys, opened the doors, then locked them behind her as she left.
5:43pm
101st PRECINCT
Peter Caine strolled past the desk, on his way to his computer.
Broderick, the Desk Sergeant, asked him,"So, Pete, how did the operation go?"
Peter shook his head. "We caught them. Jody Powell is bringing them in... anything exciting happen while I was gone?"
Broderick laughed. "Hell, no. But, Dispatch from 911 Center received a call at about 9:30 this morning...he asked for you personally."
"What? Why, don't we have other policeman here?"
"Well..he said he needed your father's help. But it's very strange."
"What's strange?"
"Where it came from. It was out-of-state..from a private school, St. Anthony's Academy. In Philadelphia."
"Philadelphia...."
"Right, it was a nine-year-old boy named-"
"-Wait, let me guess. Cole? Is it Cole Sear?"
Broderick was surprised. "Huh..you met him before?"
"Yeah, me and my father met him a week ago."
"Ok, he *did* say that you knew him. Guess he was telling the truth."
"Did he say what the problem was?"
"Actually, the dispatcher said he was a litle vague about it. Something like..'things, bad things are happening'. Oh, speaking of your father, he came here a while ago, asking for you. Look over there." He pointed to the right side of the room.
Peter looked to the right, past the desk, to the bench.
Caine sat calmly, hands folded in front.
Peter walked up to his father and sat beside him. "Pop? What are you doing here?"
Caine looked over at his son. He spoke with seriousness, "Lives are at stake. An innocent child is in fear for his life...an enemy from our past threatens to pollute this child's community."
"What child..who's community? Which enemy..Dad, I need you to be more specific. Did you learn this through meditation?"
He shrugged. "Sort of.."
"Huh, what do you *mean*, 'sort of'? How?"
"I was..summoned."
"You were called by someone for help? Who, the Ancient? Matthew, Master Khan, the Dalai Lama? Who called to you?"
"It was Cole."
Peter almost choked with surprise. "What? COLE? *He* summoned you? Through meditation?"
"Yes..he did."
"But how? He's a little boy. He's nine years old, Pop. A child.."
"Were you not..a boy, once?"
"Yeah, but..he didn't study at a Shaolin temple..he hasn't had any training..at least, as far as I know."
"Yet..he *did* call to me. Our destinies are very similar. He has a psychic ability to see wandering spirits, that he may help them..as I help those in need. He has the heart of a Shaolin. His chi is very strong..very powerful. One day, he will realize that."
"So, what did you learn from him? Did he have any information?"
"No..he was distracted by the storm in his city. I only know that it is an enemy of the Tao, set against the Light. It is one that we know personally.. but I have not discovered its identity yet."
"So, Dad..what are we going to do?"
"We must go to him. Once, Cole left his home to come to us..now, we must go to him, to complete the journey. But first..."
"Yes?"
"I need *this* delivered..as soon as possible." He took his grandfather's amulet out of the bag, handing it to Peter. "It must be given to Cole personally. He must be in possession of it at all times, until this enemy is defeated."
Peter put it in his jacket pocket. "Sure. I can send it on Express Overnight delivery. He'll get it by tomorrow morning, if not tonight. So, when do we leave?"
"Tomorrow..after we meditate."
"Meditate, why?"
"So that Cole may see us..our purpose must be made known before we come. But we must do it together..me, you, and the Lo Si. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go now...I should prepare my soul for the ritual.." He got up, bowed, and left the precinct.
Peter rose to his feet. "Okay..I guess I should take this talisman to the Post Office before it closes."
WWC, INC. BUILDING
Xia was in her office, located on the top floor of the World-Wide Computers Inc. skyscraper. She was wearing a black dress with a green
executive jacket. Her hair was neatly pulled up at the top. She was now typing information onto her computer monitor, when her phone rang. She picked it up. "Yes, hello?"
The voice on the other end answered, "Xia Tan?"
"Yes, this is she."
"I'm Jack Wong. I used to work for Tan, your father."
Xia's polite demeanor changed to dark curiosity. "Yes, I remember you. You work for Bon Bon Hai. HE runs Chinatown now."
"Yes, that's right. I received a strange phone call earlier today, from Philadelphia. A man claimed to be Tan-"
She interrupted with calm rage, "My father is *dead*, thanks to the Shaolin, Kwai Chang Caine. This was a prank call, Jack. DON'T bother me with these insignificant messages!"
He pleaded, "Yes, yes! That is exactly what I told him. But something is gnawing at me, something I can't quite describe. I can't shake the feeling that he could be right..it's what he said right before I hung up on him."
She was intrigued now. Very well, she'll play along. "Oh? And tell me, what was it, what could make you believe him..you of *all* people know Tan is dead: you were there, you saw him die. What else did this imposter say?"
"He told me that his body--his essence, I suppose--was inside the body of a schoolteacher."
"Oh..really."
"And that his soul awakened in Philadelphia..that's strange, I know."
"Hmm..yes. Yes, it is. Was that all?"
"Yes. I know it sounds crazy, but I thought that I had to inform you..sorry if I disturbed you, Xia."
"Oh no, not at all. Actually, it's very interesting, thank you. Goodbye."
"Bye." She slowly put the phone back on the reciever. She pressed one of
the buttons and spoke into it. "Carol? I'm leaving early. Hold all my calls until further notice..I'll be out of town for a few days."
Her secretary's voice answered back, "Yes, Ma'am, it'll be taken care of."
"Thank you." She lifted her finger off the button. "Well, I'll leave now," she says to herself, "and do some research of my own. I'm not sure if my father's spirit is earthbound or not..but there's only one way to find out." She got up from her chair, walking to the wooden doors. She took out her keys, opened the doors, then locked them behind her as she left.
5:43pm
101st PRECINCT
Peter Caine strolled past the desk, on his way to his computer.
Broderick, the Desk Sergeant, asked him,"So, Pete, how did the operation go?"
Peter shook his head. "We caught them. Jody Powell is bringing them in... anything exciting happen while I was gone?"
Broderick laughed. "Hell, no. But, Dispatch from 911 Center received a call at about 9:30 this morning...he asked for you personally."
"What? Why, don't we have other policeman here?"
"Well..he said he needed your father's help. But it's very strange."
"What's strange?"
"Where it came from. It was out-of-state..from a private school, St. Anthony's Academy. In Philadelphia."
"Philadelphia...."
"Right, it was a nine-year-old boy named-"
"-Wait, let me guess. Cole? Is it Cole Sear?"
Broderick was surprised. "Huh..you met him before?"
"Yeah, me and my father met him a week ago."
"Ok, he *did* say that you knew him. Guess he was telling the truth."
"Did he say what the problem was?"
"Actually, the dispatcher said he was a litle vague about it. Something like..'things, bad things are happening'. Oh, speaking of your father, he came here a while ago, asking for you. Look over there." He pointed to the right side of the room.
Peter looked to the right, past the desk, to the bench.
Caine sat calmly, hands folded in front.
Peter walked up to his father and sat beside him. "Pop? What are you doing here?"
Caine looked over at his son. He spoke with seriousness, "Lives are at stake. An innocent child is in fear for his life...an enemy from our past threatens to pollute this child's community."
"What child..who's community? Which enemy..Dad, I need you to be more specific. Did you learn this through meditation?"
He shrugged. "Sort of.."
"Huh, what do you *mean*, 'sort of'? How?"
"I was..summoned."
"You were called by someone for help? Who, the Ancient? Matthew, Master Khan, the Dalai Lama? Who called to you?"
"It was Cole."
Peter almost choked with surprise. "What? COLE? *He* summoned you? Through meditation?"
"Yes..he did."
"But how? He's a little boy. He's nine years old, Pop. A child.."
"Were you not..a boy, once?"
"Yeah, but..he didn't study at a Shaolin temple..he hasn't had any training..at least, as far as I know."
"Yet..he *did* call to me. Our destinies are very similar. He has a psychic ability to see wandering spirits, that he may help them..as I help those in need. He has the heart of a Shaolin. His chi is very strong..very powerful. One day, he will realize that."
"So, what did you learn from him? Did he have any information?"
"No..he was distracted by the storm in his city. I only know that it is an enemy of the Tao, set against the Light. It is one that we know personally.. but I have not discovered its identity yet."
"So, Dad..what are we going to do?"
"We must go to him. Once, Cole left his home to come to us..now, we must go to him, to complete the journey. But first..."
"Yes?"
"I need *this* delivered..as soon as possible." He took his grandfather's amulet out of the bag, handing it to Peter. "It must be given to Cole personally. He must be in possession of it at all times, until this enemy is defeated."
Peter put it in his jacket pocket. "Sure. I can send it on Express Overnight delivery. He'll get it by tomorrow morning, if not tonight. So, when do we leave?"
"Tomorrow..after we meditate."
"Meditate, why?"
"So that Cole may see us..our purpose must be made known before we come. But we must do it together..me, you, and the Lo Si. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go now...I should prepare my soul for the ritual.." He got up, bowed, and left the precinct.
Peter rose to his feet. "Okay..I guess I should take this talisman to the Post Office before it closes."