Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Power Rangers…this is for entertainment only!
Who has been living in the clock tower? Wes and Eric are about to find out!
Chapter three! Enjoy!
Strange Happenings
"The coils are still warm." Wes said in astonishment. "Strange, no ones lived here for years."
"Think it's our killer?" Eric questioned.
"No, I think its someone else." Wes said. He walked around the room more. Papers were scattered on the old picnic table in the middle of the room. "DNA report?" He handed Eric the paper. "Check it out."
"Elizabeth Reynolds." Eric said. "She was one of the women that were killed."
Wes picked up the other four sheets. "Michelle Gayla, Stephanie Couglin, Yelena Hearts, and Ashley Winslow."
"The other victims." Eric stated. "Strange isn't the word." He whistled. "Whoever this person is, they've got a lot of shit on these women. Everything from their number of hairs on their legs to their DNA structure. Think we should take these with us?"
"No, because if they realize something is missing…" Wes trailed off. Eric sighed.
"Let's get back to headquarters and figure this out." Wes said. They walked down the stairs and out to the jeep.
But they didn't notice a dark figure standing in a corner.
"You've interfered with my mission for the last time, Commander." It whispered dangerously. "Now, you will pay."
Back at Headquarters
"Commander Collins!" Carla yelled desperately. "She was just here! And she left this for you."
"DAMN IT!" Eric yelled angrily.
Wes took the note and opened it.
I have given you your last chance, Red Ranger. Now you leave me no choice but to leave you. You have discovered something that you shouldn't have. My mission is jeopardized. You will have to capture this monster on your own.
"Nice going, Wes." Eric slapped his shoulder. "Now we don't have our cloaked friend."
But Wes didn't listen. He ran up to his office where the two other notes were. He read the first note over.
This time it isn't your fight. Keep away from the stairs and you won't fall. The master can see you with its large face and slow hands. If you interfere, the consequences will be fatal. This is not a threat, it's a warning. If you interfere, there will be death, while the clock ticks.
Eric watched him intensely as he read the second note.
This is your second warning. Abandon all research for this killer. Time is running out for these women, stay away from the bodies. This is not your fight. Call no one else if and when this killer strikes again. This is your last warning, Commanders. The Master does not like to be winded. If you interfere anymore, death will come to all, while the clock ticks.
"Why didn't I realize this before? Our friend has been a step ahead of us the whole time!" Wes said. "The master can see you with its large face and slow hands…what has a large face and slow hands?" He asked Eric.
"Mutant with Downs Syndrome?" Eric shrugged.
Wes snorted. "A large face…like a clock face. Slow hands…a clock tells time with hands. Our friend has been living in the…"
"Clock Tower!" Eric jumped up. "Stay away from the stairs and you won't fall…the stairs of that damn tower are so friggen' steep!"
Eric hovered over Wes's shoulder. "Second note is pretty self explanatory. But, look at the last line. Death while the clock ticks. A bomb, maybe?"
"I don't think so. If the killer wanted us dead, she would have blew it up when we were there." Wes said. "The master doesn't like to be winded, they're saying don't go near the clock tower. Well, we missed that one."
"But why would she want us to stay away from the bodies?" Eric asked.
Wes got up and headed for his closet. "I don't know. But I'm determined to find out just who our masked friend is. I'm going back to the Clock Tower to find out." He changed quickly. "I'll contact you if I find something."
"Just stay outta sight, Wes. We don't need a dead ranger on our hands." Eric said. "Good luck."
Wes nodded as he headed out, the snow grew heavier.
At the Clock Tower
He settled into the closet with a book, a small light and a few canisters of coffee. It was indeed going to be a long night.
But Wes had an idea about who this mysterious figure was that kept leaving the notes at his office.
He smiled to himself as he thought of Jen's reaction. Should he pop out and surprise her?
"No," he said to himself. "I'd probably end up in a neck brace and in the emergency room."
What about making a nice dinner and surprising her?
"Na, Jen would probably yell at me and say what the hell are you doing here?" Wes shook his head. He wanted to see Jen so badly, but not end up fighting for his life just the same.
He spent most of the night wondering what Jen's reaction to seeing him would be, and why she was here. But he mostly just wanted to hold her again. His watch beeped 12am. Wes decided to close his eyes for a bit.
Then…footsteps.
Wes quickly sat near the edge of the door and peered out through the little crack in the door. No lights were turned on as the figure approached the table. They muttered something that Wes couldn't here. But the voice was indeed female.
Then, this figure cloaked in black walked towards him. Their footsteps increasing, as well as Wes's heart rate.
'No, don't open the door, Jen! Don't!' His mind screamed. But they stopped, as if they heard his plea, and turned around.
More voices were heard. Two of them being male. 'What the hell's going on here?' Wes thought. The three people talked low, and Wes couldn't here them. Sirens were heard in the distance as the three dashed out of the clock tower and down the stairs.
Once no more steps could be heard the Red Ranger dashed out from his hiding spot and down the stairs. Once down in the odd job shop, he stopped. It was empty. Nothing was touched; even the dust from the previous years lay dormant.
"Wes," his morpher beeped.
"Go ahead, Eric." He said.
"There's been another murder."
Later at Headquarters
Eric shook his head. Him and Wes had seen enough blood and guts to last them a lifetime. Another young woman murdered.
"We have to find him, Wes. They're no telling what this guy'll do next." Eric said.
Wes let out a snore on the couch.
Eric rolled his eyes and threw a ball at Wes. "Wake up!"
Wes jolted awake as Eric yelled. "Wha—I'm awake! I'm awake!"
"Right." Eric snorted. "Did you find out anything at the clock tower?"
Wes rubbed his eyes and looked at the clock. 1:23am. "Yea, I did actually."
Eric gave him a look. "And?"
"Turns out we have three mysterious friends." Wes stated.
Eric was dumbstruck. "So we have three more people trampling around our city. Great."
Wes just laughed. "Come on, lets get some dinner. I'm starved. There's an all night diner down the street."
The Quantum Ranger rose from his chair. "Sounds good to me. I'm craving a hamburger now anyway."
The two Rangers walked out of Headquarters and down the street.
At the diner
"So," Eric took a large bite of his burger. "What else did you find at that clock tower of yours?"
Wes also took a bite. "Like I told you before, we have three new friends."
"Think it could be Trip, Lucas and Katie?" Eric asked as he swallowed.
"It's possible, but then where would Jen—"
"Need any refills, officers?" a voice said.
Wes's heart nearly stopped. "Jen?" Wes asked aloud.
This young woman looked exactly like Jen, almost identical. But this young woman smiled. "Jessica, but close enough." Wes still stared at her, and she laughed as she filled Eric's cup with coffee. "H-have we met before?"
Eric kicked Wes and gave him a look. "Sorry for my friend's reaction. He hasn't gotten out lately."
Jessica laughed and gave Wes a weird look. "I can tell."
But Wes felt like he knew her. He glanced at her left wrist, but all that was there was a silver watch. He looked in her hazel eyes again and saw something that he knew. He saw fatigue, worry, and love.
"We'll have the check, please." Eric said. Jessica nodded and walked away. "Jesus, Wes. What the hell got into you?"
"Did you see how much she looked like Jen?" Wes said. He watched Jessica smile to a few of her friends and looked at Wes. The other women around her gave her a push and said something that made them all laugh.
Eric sighed. "Yea, I did. But she isn't Jen. Besides. Jen didn't have red and blonde highlights, remember?" Jessica walked back towards them. "Just ask for her fricken number, Wes."
"Here we go, boys." She placed the check down on the table and collected the money. "Have a nice evening, Commanders." She turned around and walked towards her friends again who gave her a look.
Once they finished, Wes and Eric left. But Wes's mind was still on Jessica, and how much she looked like Jen.
'Note to self,' he thought. 'Get her number the next time we come here.'
The next day
"Wes, we've got the autopsy back. It's our same friend again, the guy who is doing this." Eric said.
Wes yawned. He has spent half the night comparing a picture of Jen to Jessica. There were some differences. Jessica wore make-up. He knew that how much Jen always looked presentable, she never wore make-up.
"Anything new?"
Eric shook his head. "Nope. Nothing. Damn, I can't believe that we can't do anything."
"Commanders, there are several people to see you, sirs." The receptionist's voice said over the phone.
The Rangers gave each other a strange look and headed down.
Once downstairs, Wes jumped. "Katie! Trip! Lucas!" He ran towards them. "I thought I'd never see you again!"
Katie laughed as she hugged Wes. "Neither did we."
He moved to where Trip stood. "Trip! Trip, Trip, Trip. I'm so happy to see you!"
Lucas smiled as he gave Wes a hug. "Well, I see you've been busy."
The three rangers from the future smiled and nodded to Eric. "Welcome back, guys." The Quantum Ranger smiled.
Wes banged his head. "So that was you three up in the clock tower last night! Trip, were you going to open the closet door on me?"
Trip laughed. "Yes, I was. But I heard you say not to open it, so I didn't."
"So, how much progress have you two made with this murderer?" Katie asked.
Eric snorted. "Nothing. I'm hoping you two have some info that can help us."
Trip smiled. "Actually we do."
"Could we go somewhere private?" Lucas asked.
Wes smiled at the three cloaked figures. They stood there in those familiar white uniforms. "Of course. To the conference room we go!"
One hour later
They had been avoiding something, Eric could tell. The way they looked at Wes, it was like they had something to hide.
"So the guy's name is Devin Coleman. He's from the future, and he's got a problem." Wes summed it all up.
Trip nodded. "Yup. He's psychotic, and he kills for the fun of it."
"How does he pick his victims, maybe we can stop him." Eric asked.
"We don't know. All we know is his name, and why he kills young women. We don't know his plans. There was an officer assigned to…" Lucas cut off. "We don't know anything else, only that he was a Rogue Time Force officer."
Wes threw his hands up. "Why didn't anyone contact us if he was from Time Force?"
"Because Captain Logan was being stubborn about any contact with the past." said Katie. "He was just under some pressure, that's all. Umm, mind of Trip, Lucas and me get something to drink? I'm parched."
Wes and Eric went into the kitchen and returned with some water bottles, but stopped outside the door.
"We have to tell, him." Lucas's voice said. "He's going to find out eventually."
"No! He'll be devastated if he finds out." Katie said.
"Katie, we need to tell him." Trip said. Wes and Eric opened the door.
"Tell me what?" Wes asked. Just then Eric noticed their faces. All three were pale at the sight of him. But Wes realized something.
Jen was nowhere in sight and telling him to mind his own business.
"Guys, where's Jen?" Wes asked. Lucas looked at Trip, who looked at Katie. "Guys, where is she?" Wes's voice shrunk and filled with worry.
"Wes," Katie said. Tears developing behind her eyes. "She's gone."
Wes dropped the water. "What do you mean gone?"
Katie turned to Trip and cried in his shoulder. Lucas looked at Wes and bowed his head.
"She's gone, Wes… Jen's dead."