April 18
"Are you sure you can't stay?" Carol asked. "It feels like you just got here."
"We cannot," Caine said, with an indulgent smile. "I will return when I can."
"Thank you for your help. Trish would be here to see you off but, well…"
"I understand," Peter said. "It's not easy to be… disillusioned. Not showing up beats shooting the messenger."
"I for one am grateful." Carol said and handed over a bag "It's travel rations for the day."
They both thanked her and let her hug them goodbye. Peter said nothing until they were an hour out of town. "We can't do this again." He said quietly. "We can't go anywhere that they know either one of us. It's too dangerous."
Caine tilted his head slightly "Is that what is troubling you?" he asked.
"Yes and no." He said "I ahm… dreamed of Nag last night. It was the first time since you got me out of there."
"Ah." Caine said. "Do you think they know where you are?"
"I don't know." He said. "But Paul said that the cult had infiltrated the River City police force and that it was possible that they were in the Bayview police as well. All it would take is the Sheriff calling Bayview to check if I'm a cop, and I can't blame him for not taking my word for it. I wouldn't just blindly accept some stranger's word either."
Caine nodded thoughtfully. "And you believe this alerted them to your location."
"And I know this is going to sound insane, but I think Nag was warning me."
Caine's brow furrowed. "Why would he warn you to flee?"
Peter shook his head "I don't know, Pop." He said and sighed. "He said he liked me. I don't know maybe he's tired of being enslaved too."
Caine tilted his head quizzically.
"The head of the cult is possessed by Nagaina. Currently, that is Miranda Gray. The man possessed by Nag is her bodyguard and consort, for lack of a better word. As if THAT woman needs a bodyguard." He grumbled, remembering the beatings he had taken in the name of training. "He doesn't have a choice. Not the avatar and not the snake."
"And he told you this?"
Peter nodded. "Yeah." He said quietly. "He's either imprisoned in the artifact or he's imprisoned in me and doing what he's told. Eventually, he's going to get tired of being in that thing and he won't give me a warning. He didn't tell me that part but it only makes sense. No one can stand being trapped in the dark forever. Not even a snake god."
The highlight of Jordan's week was baseball practice. It wasn't as much fun as it had been in Bayview the year before. The personalities were far more serious. Then again they didn't have Peter Caine's smart mouth playing off of Kermit Griffin's acerbic wit. It made her a little homesick for Bayview and the 101st.
Still, it was baseball and she was loving it. There was a camaraderie on the field that she didn't see or feel at work. It was as if she were seeing different people with different personalities. The part that bothered her was that those who were part of the cult seemed to band together against those that weren't. Except for her. They were grooming her. Her last communication with Captain Blaisdell said to go with it as long as she didn't feel that she was in danger.
"You ready to enjoy some barbecue?" Captain Ryan asked.
"Absolutely," Jordan said with a smile. "I just need to go home and clean up and grab the cobbler that I baked."
He smiled. "You didn't have to do that."
"One thing my mother always told me was never to go to a party without taking something with you. It was either dessert or beer. Since I don't know what people drink yet, peach cobbler it is."
"Your mother sounds like a smart lady."
"She is. She's Chief of D's over in Portland."
"Your mom's on the job?" He asked. "I didn't realize you were second generation."
" Third actually. On both sides. My grandfather was L.T. in the 39th precinct here in River City. He passed a few years back. Gran says that retirement was what killed him."
"Well, I look forward to tasting this cobbler of yours and hearing stories about your family. There are quite a few of us that have policing in our DNA. You're going to fit in just fine, Jordan."
"I'll see you there." She said.
Peter sighed. "I'm trying, Pop." They had stopped and set up camp in the woods several hour's walk from Carol's home.
"I know," Caine said. "I understand these things are difficult for you. That it brings unpleasant memories."
"The only unpleasant memories I have from the temple is when it was destroyed. I don't remember much about it at all if I'm honest. I remember the priests, sort of. I mean I didn't even recognize Lo Si as Ping Hai. It just kind of blurs together and I have to dig to remember much of anything." He shrugged. "So it's not that. It's just…" He shook his head.
"Do you think that Nag is preventing deep meditation?"
"I don't know. It's possible. But… Look… When I went into the orphanage I was pretty much a freak compared to the other kids. Bald head didn't eat meat, not even going to get into the whole Buddhism vs 100 versions of Christianity thing. Meditation was pretty much the last straw. The first fight I got into was because one of the many bullies and his pals snuck up on me while I was meditating and tried to hand me my head. Needless to say, I won that round because they weren't expecting me to know how to fight. But I was the one that got into trouble instead of them because I knew how to fight and I was asking for trouble by being so different. I wasn't conforming so it was all my fault that they attacked me." He looked down at his hands. "Every time they attacked me it was all on me."
"It was not," Caine said gently.
"So I stopped meditating. I started eating meat. I let my hair grow. I let it all go. I did everything I could to forget. Not because I had terrible memories from the temple. But because they were the best memories and I was sure I would never have anything that good again. Sometimes remembering the good times hurts worse than not having had any at all." He gave a shuddering breath, "The funny thing is, Pine Ridge probably did more to prepare me to survive those months in the tower than the temple did."
Caine pulled his son into a tight hug. There were no words to express the sorrow he felt for the child that Peter had been. He knew that people, especially children could be cruel, but for his son to be trapped in that horrible place with no escape and no one he could turn to for help was heartbreaking, and horrifying. He had always been grateful for Paul and Annie stepping in to take care of his son, he felt more so now, knowing what they had rescued the boy from.
Peter held tightly to his father. "I'm okay, Pop. I promise, I'm okay. It was a long time ago." He eased back "But I think that is why I have a hard time getting into deep meditation. I'll get past it. It's just gonna take time."
Jordan was enjoying herself. It was a shame these guys were all wearing their evil cult decoder rings. Even the people his wife had invited over were wearing the symbol of the harbingers. Jordan was careful not to comment on the jewelry or stare at it.
The cops were eventually separated from the herd because they all started sharing war stories. She made certain not to share stories that involved Peter or Blaisdell other than in passing. The Captain ordered this, or there was this guy, a real hot shot, seat-of-the-pants cowboy type that had accidentally stumbled into her bust sort of comments.
Devon Riley was laughing at one of Richard Cavenaugh's stories.
"I keep thinking I've heard your name before." Jordan said to Cavenaugh."
"You've probably heard my cousin's name. He was the deputy mayor over in Bayview." He said. "He was murdered. Didn't take them long to catch his killer over there. Not sure who headed up the investigation though. What precinct were you in before you came here?"
"101st," she said. "But I worked vice not homicide. All I can tell you about the homicide detectives is how they play baseball."
"Well, it was good work. They got the guy within 24 hours. Believe It or not, it was the mayor."
"Conlin? Wow. I figured him for a crook but not a murderer." She said, "Guess you never can tell."
"Apparently, it was done in a drunken stupor when that building was bombed," Cavenaugh said. "My cousin and I weren't close."
"My sister is running to replace him. She says they're having an emergency election … wow I guess that's today. I thought it was tomorrow but no it was today. I should call her later and see how she did. She was a late entry." Michael Gray said.
Jordan frowned thoughtfully. She knew exactly who his sister was. She was the bitch that had ordered Peter kidnapped and tortured. "Gray…. Not Gray industries, Gray."
"One in the same." He said with a grin.
"Man, what are you doing on the job? You should be over there living in the lap of luxury."
He laughed. "Nah, that was Miranda's gig. She's earned it. I had nothing to do with it. So I make my own way. She does send the best Christmas presents though."
"She does that to anyone she likes," Matthews said. "You'll see come to the precinct Christmas party. She likes to show up to make sure her baby brother is taken care of, ain't that right, Mike."
Gray laughed "Yeah, I guess that's right."
Jordan laughed "I'm usually glad to be away from my little brothers. Of course, they're still in high school."
"Ever have to bail one of them out?" He asked.
"Nah, they're good kids. They're just loud and think they're funny when they're not. They also don't live in Bayview. My folks live in Portland."
"Jordan's mother is the Chief of detectives in Portland." Captain Ryan said. "She's third generation cop."
"Some things are just hardwired in the DNA." Michael Gray said. "You think you'll ever join them up in Maine?"
Jordan shook her head. "I have no desire to live in Stephen King Land. It's beautiful up there but I don't want to work for my mother. She's great but she's still my mother."
Matthews laughed "She's the chief of detectives, that makes her mom to every detective in her precinct. Don't forget your galoshes and be sure to wear your vest."
"Yes, Dad," Cavenaugh said in a deadpan tone.
"Come on, let's head to the den. It's where I keep the good booze." Ryan said.
The remaining police detectives followed their captain into the house and on into his den. It was all dark wood and leather like something out of an old movie. Jordan thought it was beautiful and not for the first time since she'd arrived, she wondered if the Captain had married into money, or if he was on the take. Because she was convinced no cop could afford a place like this.
"What's your poison, Jordan? Scotch or Bourbon?" Ryan asked.
"Normally I'm a Tequila girl, but Bourbon is a close second." She said as she walked around looking at the art work on the walls. She stopped to look in the vivarium at the snake there It didn't look like any snake she had ever seen before. It was a glossy, iridescent black, and the edges of the scales shifted between dark purple and dark blue as it moved. She was sure that it was a trick of the light. "He's beautiful." She said honestly.
"You like snakes?" Ryan asked, handing her a high-ball glass with two fingers of bourbon in it."
"Thank you." She said as she took the glass. "And yeah I guess. I'd never given it much thought, to be honest. I had a boyfriend when I was in school that had a reticulated python. He'd let me hold it sometimes. Although I think the snake thought he was holding me." She said with a laugh.
"It was mutual. Snakes are like that. They're not domesticated." He said "People like to think they are. But they aren't. They tolerate humans because they have no choice. As long as you're gentle and respectful, they return the favor. Unless they think you're food."
"Yeah, he got bit a couple of times because he didn't get his hand out of the way fast enough when he put the rat in the tank."
"They don't have the world's best vision." He said. "They see more clearly through scent. And they smell with their tongues. Well, they pick up the chemicals that scent is made of with their tongues."
"Guess that means they can smell fear." She said.
"I suppose they can. Are you afraid Jordan? Does he frighten you?"
"Not at all." She said. She had spent the last few years walking around in next to nothing, pretending to be the meal of choice for serial killers and other violent types. Not every guy that picked up a hooker just wanted to talk or have sex after all. Flashing her badge and telling him he was under arrest wouldn't have slowed predators down at all. There was very little Jordan was afraid of truth to be told.
"You wanna hold him?" He suggested.
"Sure." She said and smiled. "What kind of snake is he? I've never seen a snake like that. Not that I'm an expert or anything."
"To be honest I don't remember." He said as he lifted the lid and lowered his hand into the vivarium. The snake moved toward his hand and slowly twined its way around his arm. "Just remember, gentle, and respectful." He said.
Jordan set aside her glass of bourbon. "Alright." She said. She moved her arm close to the Captain and instead of touching the snake to bring it over to her, she let the animal have the option of coming to see her or not. Ryan nodded approvingly. The snake agreed and was soon twining its way around Jordan's arm.
She didn't pet the snake. Not because she was afraid but because she remembered that her high school boyfriend had told her that they don't appreciate it. She let the snake move from one arm to the other, making sure to be gentle. She'd also been told that they were easily hurt. Not something you tend to think of with snakes. "What's his name?"
"Cadmus." He said, holding his arm over for the snake to return to him. "He likes you. Snakes don't generally like people. They tolerate us for the most part because we feed them. But I think he likes you." He added as Cadmus took his time returning to his owner's arm. He took the snake back to the vivarium he lowered his arm into the wood and glass structure and Cadmus eased off of his arm and back into the warmth of its home. "Yes, I think you're going to fit in nicely."
Paul Blaisdell strode into Miranda Gray's campaign headquarters. For someone who had only decided to join the mayoral race at the last minute, she had pulled her campaign together as though it had been planned for months if not years. Just like her humanitarian efforts at the bombing and the multi-cultural festival. He was certain that she'd been planning to take over Bayview from the moment she moved into town. The mayor's office was the first step. But the mayor wasn't the only power in town. She'd start to make her moves on them too, he was certain.
Miranda smiled. "Captain Blaisdell, what a pleasant surprise." She walked over to him. "I would have thought you were going to support one of my competitors."
" I like to back the winning horse." While it was plain that Miranda was going to win the election, that was evident from the polls, she was not going to win the war. He had every faith that his son and Kwai Chang Caine were going to eventually win the war.
"I hope that we'll be able to work together." She said. She didn't know how to deal with Blaisdell. There was an air about him that screamed that he was dangerous despite his polite and gentle demeanor. The most bothersome point about the man was that she couldn't get a complete history on him. Patches were missing. Electronic and paper trails were expertly removed. She had to find some way to control him or at the very least neutralize him. She would have him eliminated, but she was going to need that threat to hold over Peter once she found him again And she would find him again.
"Oh, I'm sure we will." Paul said. "This is quite the set up." He said watching as people milled about.
"I had intended to run for Mayor. Just not this soon and certainly not under these circumstances. It's still hard to believe that Conlin could actually kill someone."
"I couldn't agree with you more." Paul said. He didn't believe it for a minute but there was nothing he could do about it any more than he could prevent Miranda Gray from becoming mayor of Bayview.
"Miss Gray?" Victoria said as she came closer "I'm sorry to interrupt. But we've just received word. You've won."
"As if there could have been any doubt." Paul said, and it wasn't the compliment that it appeared to be on the surface.
"The press will be arriving shortly. We need to get you ready." Victoria said.
"Will you join us, Captain?" Miranda asked.
"No, I have plans for the evening. But, Congratulations, Ms Gray." He said with a smile that he didn't actually feel.