Chapter Five
"What do you mean she's here?" Wyms said. "How the hell would you know that?"
Amy looked over at Kate. "She's knows I'm here Kate. We have to play this my way now."
"Where's Lucy?" Mrs. Sutter demanded.
Kate nodded as Amy turned and started towards the back of the house. Dutch moved to grab her by the arm. Amy broke his grip without even breaking stride. Dutch stumbled forward. "What the hell?"
Kate started to follow Amy. "Not a good idea to get in her way detective."
"Claudette, get Danny and Julien in here," Dutch said as he followed the two women. Mrs. Sutter and her son were close behind. Wyms went to the front door and motioned for Sofer and Lowe to come into the house.
Dutch followed Amy through the house and out the back door in the kitchen. Amy came to a stop a few feet outside. She was staring up at the big tree outside. Dutch followed her gaze. It was an old tree. He saw the platform nestled in among the branches about 25 or so feet up. He didn't see any sign of Lucy or a way up to the platform.
The others came out the door.
"Girl there is no way she could get up there," Terrance said. "I cut the ladder during the summer. We don't use that thing anymore."
But Amy wasn't paying attention to the other people. She just concentrated on the platform.
"Lucy!" she said. "Nobody wants to hurt you! I just want to talk!"
Dutch's eyes went wide when he saw a head pop up. He could see that Lucy had been crying. She looked drawn out and ragged. Her attention seemed to be focused entirely on Amy.
"Lucy honey!" Mrs. Sutter shouted when she saw her daughter. "Honey, are you ok!"
Lucy blinked. Her attention shifted. "Momma I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I didn't want to hurt anyone. I didn't mean it. I just had to get out. The walls."
Claudette came out the door followed by Julien and Danny. Dutch turned. "We need to find a ladder. We have to get her down from there."
"Is there a rope ladder attached to that thing?" Danny asked.
"Like I told the others," Terrance said. "I cut it off. I don't know how she got up there."
"Lucy!" Dutch shouted. "We're with the police. My name's Dutch. We're here to help …" he stopped when he realized the girl wasn't paying attention to him anymore. She was staring at Amy. "What the hell?" he whispered.
"I could feel you coming!" Lucy said.
"I know!" Amy shouted back. "You'll get used to it."
"What the hell are you talkin' about," Terrance said. "How do you know my sister?"
"Never met her before today," Amy answered. "Lucy, is it alright if I come up!"
"Ms Abbott," Wyms said. "This is a police matter."
Amy just ignored her. "Lucy?"
Dutch watched and a mix of emotions crossed the girls face. "Ok!"
Amy nodded.
Wyms moved forward followed closely by Julien. "You're not going up there. When we find a ladder you're staying down here."
"Who said anything about a ladder," Amy said with a smile.
Wyms jaw dropped when Amy bolted forward. Julien tried to stop her but she was too fast. Amy jumped up and caught the lower branches of the tree. Had to be at least ten feet, Wyms thought. Amy then used her momentum to somehow get up to the platform. She grabbed the edge and pulled herself up.
"Shit!" Dutch shouted. He turned to face Kate, "How the hell did she do that!"
Kate shrugged. "Amy used to be a champion tree climber? I only met her a couple of weeks ago."
"I don't give a shit if you were on the force," Dutch said. "What the hell is going on?"
"What happened to my Lucy?" Mrs. Sutter asked
Kate was trapped. If it was just the family she could explain a little bit of what was really going on. Amy had explained the Council usually let the Slayer herself decide just how much her family would get to know. But there were cops here. No way in hell she could let the term Slayer pop up in an official police report.
"I knew I shouldn't have taken this job," Kate muttered. She focused back on the detective in front on her. "Everything's going to be fine. Amy can handle this."
"And just how will she do that?" Wyms asked.
Kate shrugged.
Amy could hear the conversation going on below. She shrugged it off. Kate was on her own. She focused her attention on the girl in front of her. She could feel the Slayer just below the surface. Something had drawn it out.
"Lucy," Amy began. "Tell me what happened this morning."
"I don't know," Lucy responded. "Why can I feel you? You're different. But you're like me."
Amy nodded. This was more like what she was used to with the new Slayers. The sense of a common bond. "I know what it's like." Amy said. "You felt a rush. Power flowing through you. The world became sharper. You felt things you didn't feel before. What happened then?"
Lucy continued to stare at Amy. "I don't know. The walls. I had to get out. I was trapped. I didn't see … I didn't see Tim. I just wanted to get out. The others … Oh God, I hit Leticia. I just couldn't stop. This thing inside me … It wouldn't stop," she stared to cry again.
Amy reached out and hugged the girl. She wrapped her arms around her and began speaking softly. "It's going to be ok. It wasn't your fault. You didn't know what was happening."
"Ms Abbott!" Amy heard her name being called. "You're going to have to come down from there. We can charge you with obstruction!"
"I don't want to go," Lucy whispered. "It's safe here."
Lucy nodded and took a deep breath.
"Let it out slowly," Amy said. "You can feel it right?"
Again Lucy nodded.
"Ok," Amy said. "I want to focus on me. Can you do that?"
Lucy nodded and focused on the woman in front of her.
Amy focused on the girl. "Ok take another breath and let it out slowly. Just relax."
Lucy started to calm down. "It's still there," she whispered.
Amy nodded. "It's always going to be there," Amy said. "It's a part of you. But you're in control."
"Ms. Abbott!" Wyms called up. "What's going on up there!"
Amy grimaced. There wasn't time to do this properly. It wouldn't take the cops long to find a way up here. So didn't have time to explain everything to Lucy.
"Lucy," Amy said. "Listen to me very carefully. You and I are special. We're sisters. I know how you feel. Like there is this part of you that wants to lash out."
Lucy nodded, "I can feel it. I couldn't stop it … I'm … I'm sorry."
"It's ok," Amy said. "Just remember. You're in control. If you start to feel it coming back, focus on me and take a deep breath. Understand?"
Lucy nodded, "Yes."
"Ms Abbott!" the voice called again.
"Good. We have to go," Amy said. "Don't worry. I'll be with you. Just stay focused. Can you do that?"
The girl nodded.
"I'll be here to protect you," Amy said. "Just stay focused. Your mom and brother are down there too. They'll take care of you. There's nothing to be scared of."
Wyms turned back to the other woman. She had Sofer riding herd on Lockley. She doubted an obstruction charge would fly. But it kept her out of the way.
"We're coming down!" Wyms turned back at the sound of Amy's voice.
"Officer Lowe is getting a ladder from a neighbor across the street!" she shouted back. "He'll be back in a couple of minutes!"
"Again with the ladder!" came the retort.
Wyms just about panicked when she saw Amy jump down from the platform. She hit the ground and stood back up in one graceful motion. Wyms just blinked. If she hadn't seen it she wouldn't have believed it. Amy looked back up. "Lucy," she said in a normal voice.
"My girl can't do that!" Mrs. Sutter shouted. "Lucy honey just …." Before she could finish she watched in horror as Lucy also jumped down from the platform.
Her landing didn't have the sheer grace that Amy's had, but it was damn close.
"Lucy!" Mrs. Sutter rushed up to hug her daughter. "Lucy, honey, what happened?"
"I'm ok now momma," Lucy replied hugging her mother. "I don't know what happened."
"What the hell?" Julien just stared at the two girls while still holding the now useless ladder.
"Officer Lowe," Wyms said. "Keep an eye on Ms Abbott here."
Dutch began to move towards Mrs. Sutter and Lucy. "Mrs. Sutter, I'm afraid we're going to have to take Lucy into custody."
Lucy broke away from her mother and began to back towards the tree. Dutch saw the beginnings of panic in her eyes. "We're not going to hurt you Lucy. We just want to help," he reached out to take her arm. She jumped back before he could reach her.
"Don't fight them honey," Mrs. Sutter said.
Lucy shook her head.
"Lucy," Amy said. "Take a breath. Just relax. I'm still here."
Lucy turned her attention to Amy, took a breath and relaxed.
"Girl, what the hell are you doing to my sister," Terrance said.
"Just helping her relax," Amy said.
Dutch took Lucy by the arm and started leading her towards the front of the house. He was having a hard time believing this slip of a girl put four people in the hospital.
"Don't hurt my baby," Mrs. Sutter said.
"Nobody is going to hurt her," Wyms said.
The group made there way around the side of the house. Dutch and Wyms had Lucy between them. They were followed by Danny and Julien who were sticking close to Kate and Amy. Mrs. Sutter and her son came up the rear.
Amy kept her attention focused on Lucy. She still didn't know what had set the girl off. She was in control up in the tree and she seemed to able to control it after she got down. The kind of violent reaction that happened at the school just didn't make sense. As they approached the detective's car she saw Lucy start to get fidgety. She felt the Slayer.
"Lucy," Amy said. "Take a breath and relax. Everything's going to the ok."
Dutch glimpsed at the young woman behind him. He couldn't figure it out. People on drugs don't react the way Lucy was reacting. Of course people on drugs don't go up and down trees faster than Spiderman either. He glimpsed back at Kate Lockley. He had heard a lot of the 'Detective Scully' scuttlebutt at his old precinct. How for the couple of years it seemed like any case she got near turned weird and unexplainable. She shows up here and a simple case of a girl on drugs turns into an episode of the Twilight Zone.
Lucy began to pull back as they got near the car. She started shaking her head. "No, no, no," She said. "Leave me alone."
Dutch had to strengthen his grip on her arm while Wyms moved to open the door.
Amy could feel Lucy losing control again. Something was triggering the Slayer to come forward. These cops may have the best intentions, but they didn't know what they were dealing with. She looked up at the tall African-American officer gripping her arm. He had no chance of stopping her if she decided to get involved. But she really didn't think beating up a cop would win her any brownie points. Time to go with a different tact.
"Let me talk to her," she said.
"I can't let you get involved," Julien replied.
"You guys make her nervous," Amy pointed out. "She's calm when she talks to me. Think through the logic."
Julien looked down and the young woman he was holding. She was totally calm and sounded sincere. He felt a little something from her. Something in the back of his head, something primal that told him she didn't need to ask permission. He remembered her dropping out of the tree. This girl was different. He let her go.
Amy started to move up to Lucy just as Dutch was maneuvering her towards the now open door of the car. Before Amy could take another step Lucy let out something that sound like a primal scream and just exploded.
Dutch went flying away from her. Her foot lashed out knocking Wyms to the ground.
"Shit!" Amy shouted. "Lucy no!"
Amy moved forward. She couldn't go full out Slayer with cops nearby. But Lucy was out of control. The girl whirled around. Any sense of recognition was gone. She swung on Amy. Amy just took the hit. She didn't want to cut lose on the girl. She wasn't here to hurt her.
Amy could hear the Sutters behind her trying to calm Lucy. Kate and the female patrol officer were trying to keep them back.
To Julien Lucy Sutter looked like a girl possessed. There was something animal in her eyes. She was spinning around in a blur. The other woman, Amy, seemed to be holding her own. They both moving incredibly fast.
He heard Danny requesting assistance over her radio and saw Dutch start to pull himself off the ground. Julien moved up to try and tackle Lucy to the ground.
Amy saw the tall African American officer coming towards them out of the corner of her eye. "Don't," she started to say. But Julien wasn't listening. He tried to come at Lucy from the side. Lucy picked up on him coming and struck out with her foot. Amy spun in and knocked the officer out of the way. Unfortunately keeping the officer from taking a blow that probably would have fractured his ribs left Amy wide open. Lucy got in a solid hit that sent Amy flying back a good ten feet.
Lucy looked around in a panic and then vaulted over the detective's car and bolted into the neighbor's back yard faster than anyone could follow.
Amy recovered quickly and rolled back onto her feet. Before she could take off after Lucy she heard a shout.
"DON'T MOVE!"
Amy saw the female detective leveling her gun at her. She couldn't feel Lucy anymore.
"Damn it," she whispered. She knew she could get away easily enough. But that would leave Kate in the lurch and they were already in enough trouble. Taking out a couple of cops would not look good. She stood up and raised her hands.
"What the hell was that?" Wyms demanded.
"Dutch?" Danny said. "You ok?"
"I'm fine," Dutch replied. "Just had the wind knocked out of me. You called for backup?"
"On the way," Danny replied.
"Cuff these two," Dutch said.
"On what charge," Kate said. "Don't forget I know the rules."
"Your friend hit a police officer," Dutch said. "We'll start with that. I think obstruction will work with you. Danny."
Kate knew the charges wouldn't fly. But fighting it now wouldn't help anything. She nodded at Amy. They allowed themselves to be cuffed.