A/N: Before the story I've got some good news, and some bad news. The
good news is my fiancé gets back to the United States from Iraq on Monday.
I bet you can guess the bad news—hehehehe—I'll be down with him in Savannah
until Wednesday. That means no updates, so darlings—as much as I love you,
don't kill me if I don't think of you often while I'm there. LOL! I am
going to take my laptop down with me, so when they kick me off base at 11
pm—if I'm up to it—I will write then and hopefully will have at least one
chapter of this and Broken ready to post Thursday or Friday. Until next
week—A very happy and excited PCGirl.
~~~~~~~~~~
PC: 2010
Alison looked upwards as she grabbed the door, "Please be here, Jamal," she said as she turned the knob and walked into the bike shop. "Hey Jamal—you around?" she called out.
"Jamal!" yelled Rafe as they heard a door shut in the back. "Stay here," he said as he ran through the door and then bounded into Jack's old apartment—the door to the outside was open and Rafe looked outside he saw a black Mustang go flying away from the scene. "Agh!" he said as he slammed his fist into the door frame.
"Is he here?" asked Alison as she came in the room.
"No, but whoever has him just sped off in a black Mustang," said Rafe as he closed and locked the door. "We're going to get him," he said as he pulled Alison in for a hug.
-----------
"Are you ok, Imani?" asked Alison as she sat in the back room of the Trinity with her.
"Yeah, I mean this is going to be like all the rest right—he'll be missing for a few days and then will finally show up," she said as she tried to smile.
"This guy knows we're onto him—he knows he screwed up by leaving that journal of Joshua's in Kevin's office."
"But that means Jamal might be in more danger—this guy might just give up whatever crazy quest he's on and just end up killing someone."
"No, he's not going to do that—he's probably more than likely going to screw up again," said Caleb as he walked in with Rafe and Lucy.
"Let's think about this—this guy, he's going after us at our places of work. Lucy thinks she saw him coming off the elevator when Kevin disappeared—he obviously went into the Bike Shop as a customer. Did Jamal say he had any new customer's recently?" asked Rafe.
"I don't think so—he did have someone ask about renting out that back room—Jack's old place," she said as Jack came in also.
"You need help out there?" asked Alison.
"Nah—Frank and the other waitress have got things covered."
"Oh my gosh. Why didn't I remember that before?" said Alison.
"What?"
"The day Jack disappeared—Livvie and I met for lunch. Did she tell you about that guy we saw with the kids?" asked Alison to Caleb.
"No, what guy," he shook his head in confusion.
"Livvie went to the bathroom with Alex—this guy he came up and was looking at Lizzie, said she was a beautiful little girl. Anyways, he came out and gave this laugh and smile—it was so familiar to us both—actually gave us a shiver. His name was JT Church, or so he said. What's another word for church?"
"Monastery?" said Caleb.
"Temple—another word for church is Temple," said Rafe under his breath. "And I bet you anything that the late, not-so-great, Joshua Temple's middle name is Thomas—or some other T. name."
"You think this is Joshua's son?" asked Jack.
Caleb spoke up, his arms crossed at his chest, "Joshua never talked to me about have a family before the Experience, but that doesn't mean he didn't have one."
"For the sins of the father shall be passed down to the children," spoke Rafe louder than before and everyone became quiet. "He probably feels like he's finally seeking justice for his father's death—has been trying to get us to each individually--thinking one of us has a guilty conscience over Joshua's death."
"Too bad he doesn't know that nobody in this town missed him once he was gone—and nobody is going to miss JT either," remarked Caleb.
-----------
"I'm home," said Jack as he walked in and could hear Leslie screaming from her room. "Hey—did someone have a bad day?" he chuckled as he came in and saw Jasmine sitting against the wall, her head between her knees. "Jazz? What's wrong—hey—look at me," he said as he kneeled down next to her and she looked up at him her eyes bloodshot and swollen from crying.
"I'm useless Jack."
"No—no you aren't. Why would you say that?"
"Because I can't see anything—I used to be able to help anyone out and now, with this madman I'm useless."
"It's not you—he's like his father, very tricky and sneaky. He's probably somewhere that has a force field around it. Now let's get Leslie calmed down and then we're meeting over at everyone at Lucy's," he said getting up and picking up Leslie—her green eyes about as red and puffy as her mom's, "Hey sweetheart—Daddy's here," he said as he kissed her and calmed her down.
~~~~~~~~~
PC: 2020
"So JT was Joshua's son? This whole time I'd been thinking he'd been raised from the dead," spoke Ian.
"Well, for a bit I think we did too—but this young man that myself, Livvie, and Alison saw was too young—and as far as we knew if a person came back from the dead they were the same age as when they left. That's how it worked for Paige—remember, she had been dead for more than 20 years when she came back."
"True," he shrugged.
"Well, I will tell you a small bit more, but then I must be going—I have a meeting at the hospital in twenty minutes."
"Well, then why don't we talk as we walk to our cars?" asked Ian as Lucy got up and led the way as she began to talk.
~~~~~~~~~
PC: 2010
"Are we the first ones here?" asked Alison as she came in holding a squirming Lizzie in her arms and her hand holding tightly onto Eddie's while Rafe held Kate.
"Yes. Lucy's on the phone with her accountant with KayCee's," he whispered.
"Oh. Ugh. Eww," said Alison as she let go of Eddie's hand and put Lizzie down. Eddie and Kate were off running towards Christina's playroom before they could say anything."
"Well, thank you—I'll have to look into that name," said Lucy as she hung up the phone and looked at Rafe and Alison standing there, with Lizzie running around both of their legs.
"Anything good?" asked Rafe.
"Well, it seems that a person has been withdrawing $5,000 every two weeks for the past six months—the checks are being written out to one Elizabeth Tripp."
"Wait—did you just say Tripp?" asked Alison.
"Yes, do you know who that is?"
"It's my mom's maiden name," she said looking at Rafe.
~~~~~~~~
PC: 2020
"That's all you are giving me?" laughed Ian.
"I'm sorry, but I have to go."
"First tell me who to talk to next."
"Well, if you want to hear about what happened with JT I guess ask Rafe and then go to Jamal and then to Caleb. As for Elizabeth and Jasmine—well both Alison and Chris can be of some assistance there."
"Is this like one of those books where you choose your ending and you somehow always end up in the bottom of a pit with a very hungry tiger?"
"Yeah, something like that," she laughed.
~~~~~~~~~~
PC: 2010
Alison looked upwards as she grabbed the door, "Please be here, Jamal," she said as she turned the knob and walked into the bike shop. "Hey Jamal—you around?" she called out.
"Jamal!" yelled Rafe as they heard a door shut in the back. "Stay here," he said as he ran through the door and then bounded into Jack's old apartment—the door to the outside was open and Rafe looked outside he saw a black Mustang go flying away from the scene. "Agh!" he said as he slammed his fist into the door frame.
"Is he here?" asked Alison as she came in the room.
"No, but whoever has him just sped off in a black Mustang," said Rafe as he closed and locked the door. "We're going to get him," he said as he pulled Alison in for a hug.
-----------
"Are you ok, Imani?" asked Alison as she sat in the back room of the Trinity with her.
"Yeah, I mean this is going to be like all the rest right—he'll be missing for a few days and then will finally show up," she said as she tried to smile.
"This guy knows we're onto him—he knows he screwed up by leaving that journal of Joshua's in Kevin's office."
"But that means Jamal might be in more danger—this guy might just give up whatever crazy quest he's on and just end up killing someone."
"No, he's not going to do that—he's probably more than likely going to screw up again," said Caleb as he walked in with Rafe and Lucy.
"Let's think about this—this guy, he's going after us at our places of work. Lucy thinks she saw him coming off the elevator when Kevin disappeared—he obviously went into the Bike Shop as a customer. Did Jamal say he had any new customer's recently?" asked Rafe.
"I don't think so—he did have someone ask about renting out that back room—Jack's old place," she said as Jack came in also.
"You need help out there?" asked Alison.
"Nah—Frank and the other waitress have got things covered."
"Oh my gosh. Why didn't I remember that before?" said Alison.
"What?"
"The day Jack disappeared—Livvie and I met for lunch. Did she tell you about that guy we saw with the kids?" asked Alison to Caleb.
"No, what guy," he shook his head in confusion.
"Livvie went to the bathroom with Alex—this guy he came up and was looking at Lizzie, said she was a beautiful little girl. Anyways, he came out and gave this laugh and smile—it was so familiar to us both—actually gave us a shiver. His name was JT Church, or so he said. What's another word for church?"
"Monastery?" said Caleb.
"Temple—another word for church is Temple," said Rafe under his breath. "And I bet you anything that the late, not-so-great, Joshua Temple's middle name is Thomas—or some other T. name."
"You think this is Joshua's son?" asked Jack.
Caleb spoke up, his arms crossed at his chest, "Joshua never talked to me about have a family before the Experience, but that doesn't mean he didn't have one."
"For the sins of the father shall be passed down to the children," spoke Rafe louder than before and everyone became quiet. "He probably feels like he's finally seeking justice for his father's death—has been trying to get us to each individually--thinking one of us has a guilty conscience over Joshua's death."
"Too bad he doesn't know that nobody in this town missed him once he was gone—and nobody is going to miss JT either," remarked Caleb.
-----------
"I'm home," said Jack as he walked in and could hear Leslie screaming from her room. "Hey—did someone have a bad day?" he chuckled as he came in and saw Jasmine sitting against the wall, her head between her knees. "Jazz? What's wrong—hey—look at me," he said as he kneeled down next to her and she looked up at him her eyes bloodshot and swollen from crying.
"I'm useless Jack."
"No—no you aren't. Why would you say that?"
"Because I can't see anything—I used to be able to help anyone out and now, with this madman I'm useless."
"It's not you—he's like his father, very tricky and sneaky. He's probably somewhere that has a force field around it. Now let's get Leslie calmed down and then we're meeting over at everyone at Lucy's," he said getting up and picking up Leslie—her green eyes about as red and puffy as her mom's, "Hey sweetheart—Daddy's here," he said as he kissed her and calmed her down.
~~~~~~~~~
PC: 2020
"So JT was Joshua's son? This whole time I'd been thinking he'd been raised from the dead," spoke Ian.
"Well, for a bit I think we did too—but this young man that myself, Livvie, and Alison saw was too young—and as far as we knew if a person came back from the dead they were the same age as when they left. That's how it worked for Paige—remember, she had been dead for more than 20 years when she came back."
"True," he shrugged.
"Well, I will tell you a small bit more, but then I must be going—I have a meeting at the hospital in twenty minutes."
"Well, then why don't we talk as we walk to our cars?" asked Ian as Lucy got up and led the way as she began to talk.
~~~~~~~~~
PC: 2010
"Are we the first ones here?" asked Alison as she came in holding a squirming Lizzie in her arms and her hand holding tightly onto Eddie's while Rafe held Kate.
"Yes. Lucy's on the phone with her accountant with KayCee's," he whispered.
"Oh. Ugh. Eww," said Alison as she let go of Eddie's hand and put Lizzie down. Eddie and Kate were off running towards Christina's playroom before they could say anything."
"Well, thank you—I'll have to look into that name," said Lucy as she hung up the phone and looked at Rafe and Alison standing there, with Lizzie running around both of their legs.
"Anything good?" asked Rafe.
"Well, it seems that a person has been withdrawing $5,000 every two weeks for the past six months—the checks are being written out to one Elizabeth Tripp."
"Wait—did you just say Tripp?" asked Alison.
"Yes, do you know who that is?"
"It's my mom's maiden name," she said looking at Rafe.
~~~~~~~~
PC: 2020
"That's all you are giving me?" laughed Ian.
"I'm sorry, but I have to go."
"First tell me who to talk to next."
"Well, if you want to hear about what happened with JT I guess ask Rafe and then go to Jamal and then to Caleb. As for Elizabeth and Jasmine—well both Alison and Chris can be of some assistance there."
"Is this like one of those books where you choose your ending and you somehow always end up in the bottom of a pit with a very hungry tiger?"
"Yeah, something like that," she laughed.