Disclaimer: Yes! We got one! The Cars characters belong to Pixar and Disney. Stone Knight is mine. No touchy! I also created Seth, Josephine McQueen, Henry McQueen, Jeff McQueen, Jordan McQueen, Dakoda Knight, Ripper Knight, Ebony Talon, Julia Carson and Sumara Knight. The NASCAR people are copyright of themselves, including references of Junior, Gordon, Jarrett, Burton, Martin, Wallace and a few others to name a few. I don't own them (Kinda wish I did) their real and very talented racers that I just love. Don't sue me! I have no money anyway!
Also if by some chance you like the character Stone, he has his very own story out there. Read more about our favorite grumpy old truck in "Let Freedom Ring" and the sequel "Already There". A work in progress that will eventually span a complete set of seven stories. Happy reading!
Notes: Yes I've become fond of these little notes. Makes things so personal. Anywho, the story is steadily getting darker I think. Thanks all for the reviews! And I have nothing else to say... So... Rock on!
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"You can hear me?" Lightning's shocked voice seemed to come from everywhere and no where at the same time to the Sheriff. He winced and forced a slight nod, attempting to drive back the pain this little chat was causing.
"Yes..."
"So you can see me to?"
"No. It's like listening to a radio playing in another room. Doesn't always come in clear. Not anymore at least..."
"But it did once."
Sheriff sighed and nodded once more. "Once upon a time."
"What happened?"
"Not important." He snapped, tilting a bit so he could hear Lightning better.
"How long have you been able to talk to the dead?" Lightning questioned, for a moment the awe that Sheriff could actually hear him overpowering the sence that he really had to get out of there...
"Was born with the gift." Sheriff offered with a shrug. "Had an imaginary friend when I was little... Found out years later it was an old truck that died in the house before we moved in. So had it all my life. Just don't use it anymore." He shrugged off Lightning's questioning look and sighed. "Look, I need to know... What's happening?"
"Well... Ever hear of Seth, or Death as he's more commonly called and... Hey I just got that..."
The Sheriff rolled his eyes, gaze cutting in the direction he felt Lightning was. Of course all he saw was nothing. "Yes, I know of him. Could say we're sort of old friends. You see him?" He questioned, concern creeping into his voice. If he had already met up with death that could possibly mean it was already to late.
"Great! So does that mean you can tell him to back off?" He questioned, sounding a little to hopeful for the Sheriff's tastes.
"Sorry boy. I'm afraid that one's a little out of my league. Now why don't ya start from the beginning..."
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Ebony silently crept around one of the many hospital corners attempting to stay in the light as much as she could. It was as if ice crept down the halls themselves putting a chill in the air that caused the breath of passing nurses to cloud and doctors to complain that something was wrong with the thermostat.
Under normal circumstances when Seth caught up to her she would be gone by now already... So why was she sticking around? She supposed she could chalk that up to the fact that she was flat out tired of running. Tired of trying to get away... Tired of everything...
"Why Ebony I'm hurt." She sighed and rolled her eyes, turning to face Seth. "Here I thought we where such good friends and here you are running from me. What has happened to our relationship?"
"Simple. We never had a relationship. Now isn't there other things you could be doing? Burning villages? Eating babies?"
"You're thinking of the abominable snow mobile I think." Seth mused and shrugged.
"I don't really care what I'm thinking of I-"
"I'm willing to cut a deal with you Ebony." Seth suddenly put in, cutting her off mid sentence.
Ebony blinked, that simple statement stunning her into silence. Since when did Death cut deals?
Seth smiled, that charming smile of his since he seemed to have caught her attention and idly wandered off down the hall. "You see Ebony I want that car. For reasons you well know." He mused, slight smirk given. Ebony narrowed her eyes, suspicion written across her features and followed.
"For some strange reason he seems to be either fond of you or for whatever reasons listens to you. You bring him to me and I'll call of the shadows." He offered, stepping in close to the walls so that the shadows poured over him, the heat they put out causing a hiss from Seth's ice cold hide.
Ebony swallowed hard and backed up a bit. That... Wasn't an option. But it did get her fender out of the fire...
"You'll see the reason. I know you will." Seth offered, smile crossing his grill. "After all. You're a smart girl." He mused, and just as quickly as he had come, Ebony was left alone again in the hallway.
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"So that's it Sheriff..."
Sheriff kept quiet for a long time after Lightning stopped talking, slight hum leaving him. "So... You're in a coma... And Death insists you're dead..."
"That's about the lot of it yeah. And there's this little viper that Death is after to and now I don't know where anybody is..."
"A Viper?" Sheriff questioned, cutting his gaze in the direction of Lightning's voice.
"Yeah, Ebony. Ebony Talon." He offered, getting up and pacing back and forth around the chapel. "She's straight to hell if Seth catches up to her apparently, which is why she's avoiding him..."
"Well yeah that would do it." Sheriff commented, and growled. "Settle down boy you're giving me one hell of a migraine wanderin' around like that."
Lightning winced and parked it, slight sigh muttered. "Sorry Sheriff."
"Alright... So if I can remember correctly-"
"Sheriff?"
The Sheriff winced and turned his attention to where Doc stood in the doorway, the older car giving his friend a somewhat concerned look. "Who are you talking to?"
"Myself actually." Sheriff commented, silently shifting into gear and pulling up alongside Doc. "Back to the waiting room then?"
Doc narrowed his eyes a bit and sighed. "I was gonna tell you that the doctor's are saying we can go see Lightning now... But maybe you need to go get some sleep."
"Eh, I'm alright Doc. Just a bit stressed maybe."
Doc nodded a bit, slight sigh given. "Know the feeling. Though still. After we see Lightning why don't you head back to the hotel... That's an order from your doctor Sheriff. Try and skip out on it and I can come up with a whole list of exams you've skipped out on over the years." He pointed out, silently making his way back to the waiting room a somewhat sheepish Sheriff tagging along behind.
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Seth smiled to himself as he silently stepped back through the tunnel system he tended to use to get around. That... was almost to perfect. It worked out well for him both ways.
"That was cold and you know it." He rolled his eyes as the argument hit him as soon as he stepped through the gates into the afterlife. Of course this also meant he got to hear it from the old man.
"Not now old man. Figured you would be happy with this development."
"Happy? You're screwing over my grandson and I'm suppose to be happy?" A jet black stock car stormed after him, as furious as he could possibly be. Henry McQueen... Father of Jeff McQueen and grandfather of Lightning McQueen.
"Hey, you'll be getting company soon."
"I have plenty of company. The only reason you want Lightning is because Jeff managed to get away from you, you sorry son of a-"
"Now, now Henry. That's quite a enough. Such a temper."
"Damn it Seth..."
"Really Henry. So vulgar." Seth commented flatly ignoring the old stock car as he wandered off. Henry narrowed his gaze at the retreating Mustang. Never had liked him. He briefly turned his attention back to the closing tunnel, his choice made within' moments. Tires spun as he charged forward shooting back through the passageway to the living world. If Seth even thought he was going to get away with this... He had another thing coming.
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Dallas Texas 1954
A still darkness had fallen over the house, as peaceful as these summer nights ever got in Dallas. Outside the open window a lone cricket chirped, causing Mark to smile a bit. His wife, Julia, slept soundly at his side oblivious to the nighttime visitor. If she had been awake she would have had him searching for the poor bug to kill it. She hated them... With a passion.
He listened quietly to the insect, soft chuckle muttered, the insect lulling him off to some form of sleep...
He recognized her... Her name was Hanna. Her picture had been on his desk for the past two weeks. A pretty little Thunder Bird Ford, baby blue in coloring with white working its way up her side and tail fins. She was missing... Disappeared from her home in the suburbs. Her disappearance was quietly whispered that it was connected to a string of deaths over the past few weeks. The word serial killer had been floating around but everyone was terrified to even utter it, as if saying it would make it true.
They had been searching for her, for two weeks... Now she was in his dreams... Her image floated through his mind, her screams echoing in his thoughts... It only took him a moment or two to realize he wasn't dreaming anymore. She was in a wear house. Where she had been for the past two weeks. Her killer enjoyed tormenting her...
Horrible scratches now marred her pretty features. Her tormentor a familiar face to her. Her own neighbor. Someone she had trusted. Had given her keys to when the family went on vacation so he could water the plants. Had left her children with. Now he laughed as she suffered... She begged for mercy. Begged for him to kill her... He had taken liberties that she wouldn't even hand to her own husband all that willingly. Now... she had lost the will to live.
He had taken joy in listening to her beg... But now... He had grown tired of her screams. Tired of her weeping. Tired of her pleas to end her life... He had killed her like an old dog that needed to be put down, and without a second thought dumped her body in the dessert.
That misery was what brought her here tonight. She stood in Mark's home... Weeping uncontrollably the sounds mute to Julia but deafening to Mark. He snatched awake, and sighed heavily, her form pacing back and forth in the room.
"Ma'am?" He questioned, the pretty little chevy snatching her attention to him.
"My name is Hanna..." She whispered softly, tears trailing across her hood.
Of course... Her name was Hanna. Mark silently got up, careful not to disturb Julia and headed into the kitchen. Duel purpose. So he could talk to Hanna without waking Julia, then make a phone call to help her... Then take a shot of something that would dull his senses. Vodka laced fuel was the only thing he had found to cause the voices to shut up...
Hanna appeared a bit lost... Then followed. "What's happening to me?" She whispered, as she silently wandered aimlessly around the house.
"You have unfinished business I would imagine... Or a need for vengeance. Have you seen anyone yet on that side?"
Hanna whimpered softly, a quick shake of her grill given, then paused. "Yes... He asked me to come with him. I told him no... Not yet. I felt a light..."
Mark nodded quietly. That made sense. Spirits of the other side where often drawn to mediums... Like a bright light. They often described him as feeling a light. Especially when there was something that needed to be said yet. If they needed to talk to him... They felt his presence and came to it.
"What happened Hanna?" He questioned softly, dealing with her as he would any victim that came in through the department. He found early on that it helped with the shock on both parties if he dealt with this as if she where a living and breathing person that had come into the department to report an assault.
It helped her, because it eased her into the thought that it was no big deal. That he saw ghosts in his home every day and that she shouldn't be afraid just because she was now dead. Everything would be alright... It helped him, frankly because even after all these years... Talking to ghosts freaked him out. If he put into his mind that she wasn't dead and that this was a case of one living and breathing woman who needed help... Who had been assaulted... He could look past the fact that he happened to be talking to a ghost and avoid that moment of panic until after she had left. Until she didn't need him to be strong and listen anymore.
"I can't remember to much anymore..." She started off, her voice a soft whisper. "I was gardening... That was two weeks ago I think... My neighbor came up to me and asked me to come with him and help him with something... He's always been such a good neighbor. When we go on vacation he waters our plants... I've even left my kids with him in an emergency before..." She gave off a choked sob and Mark, silently let her collect herself before she went on.
"I'm sorry... Well I'm not sure what happened then... I suppose he must have hit me... I woke up later in a warehouse..."
She couldn't go on from there. She let out a choked sob once more, leaving Mark to quietly comfort her.
"Hanna... Where did he take you? Do you know?"
"I was in a warehouse... On the other side of town I think, because we where close to the dessert. We crossed a bridge and a river... He buried me in the dessert."
"Do you think you could get there again?"
Hanna whimpered and gave a quick shake of her grill. After a moment she went on again. Her voice soft as death. "He had someone else... When he started getting tired of me... He picked up someone else... But someone heard me at the warehouse... I was almost found... So he had to take her to his basement. She's there..."
Mark gave a slight start and nodded. That... Changed everything. They could solve this. Wrap it up...
"I never knew..." She whispered quietly
"It'll be alright miss. Don't you worry." Mark offered in soothing tones and silently stood up. "Which neighbor?" He questioned as he picked up the phone.
"The right side of my house..."
He nodded as he dialed a number, the familiar voice of the investigator answering. "Hey, Ryan I need you to do something for me..." He offered, silently looking back to Hanna. She was gone...
"I need you to go to that Hanna girl's place. The neighbor on the right side of her house... Someone needs to check out her basement..."
"Any reasons why I'm checking out a basement?" He questioned, sounding more than a little puzzled.
"Call it a hunch... Make something up on the records..."
Ryan gave a soft grunt, one of the very few who knew about Mark's little talent. "Alright bud, but you owe me. The Sheriff is already looking at this department funny."
"Thanks Ryan." Mark offered with a light chuckle, silently hanging up before Ryan could complain about anything else.
"Well then." Julia's soft voice, caught him by surprise and caused him to jump. Hadn't expected that one.
"Talking to strange people in the middle of the night... Late night phone calls... Should I be worried?" She teased, nuzzling against him with a soft chuckle.
"Nah, to dead for me." He commented with a chuckle, silently offering a nuzzle and turning to poke around the kitchen a bit.
"Dear, come back to bed." She requested, quietly silently attempting to drive him away from that shot of Vodka that would settle every one down for the night. Mark gave a heavy sigh, though after a moment complied, silently following her out of the kitchen.
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"Sheriff are you alright?"
The Sheriff gave a slight start as Doc, nudged him from his memories and forced a slight smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just maybe a bit more tired than I thought." He offered, shrugging on his shocks.
Doc nodded a bit, a concerned look given then went back to listening to what the doctor was saying. They had all made their way in, one at a time to see Lightning as soon as the others made it back from the Hotel early that morning. They offered their thoughts and hopes for the best to turn out... But as expected Lightning hadn't stirred.
Now the doctor was going through the common procedures. He was going to have to take him back into surgery. He was also going through the worst case scenario. What needed to happen, and what might. He was preparing them for the worst.
After a while Stone had picked up drilling the doctor for questions, the massive truck seeming to be surprisingly use to asking questions when it concerned him waiting around for the report of well being of someone. Joe quietly hung back behind the group from Radiator Springs sorrowful whines given every now and again.
Ripper had decided to stay at the hotel after a fairly rough night with Dakoda. The little truck was apparently not having a good day... And it was taking everything Ripper had to keep him quiet and sedated.
After a few more questions, Stone finally let the doctor go. The car bid them a hasty fair well and retreated back to the safety of his office.
As soon as the doctor was out of sight, Doc turned on Sheriff, one eye narrowing at him. The Sheriff quickly ducked back, quick nod given. "I'm goin' I'm goin" He assured him, silently shifting into gear and hurrying out of the waiting room.
He pulled out into the early morning light, eyes narrowing a bit as he adjusted to the natural brightness of the sun in contrast to the bright, sterile white of the hospital itself. The storm from the night before had passed, leaving the world damp and muggy, the Florida heat almost oppressing. He silently attempted to shake off the damp air and shifted into gear, pulling on forward. One thing he had always liked about Texas and later finding himself in Nevada. The Dessert certainly didn't have days like these.
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"Doctor Horton I think the thermostat's out again."
Dr. Horton glanced up at the nurse in front of him and nodded a bit, slight sigh given. "As always. Get it checked out would you?"
She nodded, silently heading off to find maintenance, entirely oblivious as she drove right through thick mist forming as the veil between life and death was breached. Henry McQueen gave a startled jump back as she literally drove through him and kept right on going, to the nurse's station.
He sighed heavily, a quick shake of his grill given then hurried off down the hall. Seth would figure out what had happened somewhat quickly. He usually picked up on things like that and it didn't help that every single jump between the living world and death was recorded. Though he could always hope for another crash. He really had warned them not to put the entire hard drive on Windows...
He had a feeling with that upgrade a certain Bill Gates was in a heap of trouble when his number was up.
The temperature dropped several degrees, causing several nurses to go for their jackets or lab coats. Henry shrugged a bit and silently set off down the hall, attempting to get a feel for the living world again.
He made his way through the winding halls, slight frown crossing his grill. Had been a little to long since he had driven on Earth... After a few wrong turns he managed to find his way to intensive care, the pull he felt to his grandson easily followed. He found his body alright... Though no sign of Lightning himself. Another frown given and he set off in another direction, this time heading for the waiting room. He followed the winding halls, silently looking for a sign he could use...
"Great... Only a few minutes back in the land of the living and I'm already lost." Henry muttered to himself, as he paused at the nurse's station.
Though after a few moments he spotted an opportunity that presented itself a little to perfectly. A night shift nurse who's relief was running a little late, was parked at the desk, staring at it in that way that suggested she was fighting hard to stay awake.
He smiled to himself and came up behind her, waiting until she was just dozing off before whispering softly. "Excuse me ma'am can you tell me where the waiting room is?"
In her half asleep state she heard him and snatched awake, blinking the sleep from her eyes. "Down the hall and to the right." She offered without thinking, only after she was awake looking around to see who had spoken.
Henry smiled and set off, in that direction quickly moving down the hall. He pulled into the waiting room, slight roll of his eyes given at the sight of his son. Now he showed up? Figured.
He didn't even pause as he noted that Lightning wasn't there. He kept moving, frown crossing his grill as he reached out part of himself feeling for the tug of family.
It took a few tries but he finally tracked his somewhat elusive grandson down in the chapel. He smiled to himself and silently pulled up beside him, recognizing that far away look almost immediately. "A little over whelming isn't it?"
Lightning threw himself into gear so fast he almost fell over himself, drawing a chuckle from Henry. The stock car's wide eyed look gave way to the fact that his long dead grandfather obviously was the last person he had expected to see.
"Now, none of that. Come tell Grandpa what's got ya in such a tizzy."
Lightning gave a somewhat weary look... But it seemed that a friendly face was all he wanted to see. He quickly pulled back up beside his grandfather and nuzzled against him, a million questions and explanations suddenly firing his way...
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"Why did you leave?"
The question caught him off guard. Jeff glanced up to Joe with a soft sigh, that simple question catching the attention of everyone in the waiting room.
"I think I need some air." Mater commented, hurrying out of the waiting room, Sarge nodding his agreement and following suite. Fillmore only held out for a second longer before he followed.
"I had my reasons." He responded, meeting her gaze.
Luigi and Guido didn't even bother to give an excuse, the two simply taking that moment to retreat. Doc rolled his eyes, silently wondering if he should do the same. Though no... Stone already displayed the wish to put Jeff in the hospital instead of Lightning. If Joe and Jeff got into it there would be no one to keep the peace if Stone decided to get into it as well.
"Would dearly like to know what reasons where good enough to abandon your family." Joe countered, apparently not able to take the wondering anymore.
"Drop it Joe. It was a long time ago and if you think I wanted to abandon my kids your-"
"Oh ho! You're kids are they?" Joe questioned, that apparently all it took to entirely set her off. A mother after all could only take so much. "So their your kids? So tell me Dad, where were you?"
"Watching them because that truck of yours wouldn't let me close!" He snapped, getting to his tires.
"Oh, you could have come home if you really wanted to and you know it!"
Doc sighed heavily and got to his own tires. This argument had popped up out of the blue and he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to be apart of it.
"Like hell I could!"
"Well fine! So where were you if you cared so much? Where were you when Jordan broke his back axil? Where were you when we had to rush Lightning to the Emergency room at three in the morning with a high fever? Exactly where were you through anything?"
"Joe..." Doc offered softly, silently stepping between the feuding family members. "Maybe, now isn't the time for this. Tempers are a bit to thin and we might say things that will be regretted later." He reasoned, Joe at least seeming to see the knowledge in this. Jeff bristled for a moment longer, seeming to want to continue though settled quickly enough.
They where still tense from the slowly defusing argument when the nurse came in, her smile desolving quickly.
"Um, is there a problem here?"
"No, ma'am not any more." Doc offered, his full attention shifting to her.
"Alright then... There's someone here to see Lightning. We're sending them to you." She offered, slowly backing out of the waiting room again. It was a surprisingly familiar face that side stepped around her to pull himself into the waiting room. Lightning...
Doc blinked, shock driving him back to where he had parked. What the...
"Hey Mom," The stock car offered, drawing a soft smile from Joe. "Hey, Jordan. How was your trip?"
Doc let out a long breath, attempting to shake off the cold feeling that had crept up on him. Jordan... Of course. Not Lightning. Now that he looked at him he could see the differences... Besides the stickers that is. The solid red stock car was obviously not Lightning. Possibly just wishful thinking.
Jordan shot Doc a puzzled gaze, then turned his attention to Jeff, a wide eyed look given. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could a ten year old bundle of energy rocketed herself through the doors and towards Stone with a happy "Daddy!"
A small white pickup truck that obviously resembled the steel gray, adult. "Sumara!" Stone offered happily, the massive truck nuzzling at his daughter.
That was about the time Doc officially decided to leave family to family and headed off to see where the others had gotten off to.
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Henry McQueen sighed heavily as he idly wandered the halls with his grandson. After fifteen minutes of Lightning's pacing the old car had suggested they head down the halls. Lightning had agreed, still talking steadily about what had happened and what he was worried might happen if he didn't get his act together.
"Alright Lightning... first of all, Death is out to screw you over..."
"Yeah, Ebony already told me that."
"Which brings me to my next point. Don't trust Ebony. She's been offered a deal that she will be extremely hard pressed to turn down... By Seth."
"I thought she didn't like..."
"Oh she doesn't. But it's her soul that's at stake. Hell is a lot worse than you think it is. She would do anything to be free of it right about now." He offered with a shrug.
Lightning sighed and pressed on, thinking on that for a moment. "Alright... So don't trust Ebony. Don't like it, but got it. What else? And why is Seth after me so hard anywho?"
"Jeff."
Lightning paused in the middle of the hall, a flatly puzzled look given. "Alright, what's Dad got to do with it?"
Henry stopped in his tracks, turning in the hall. Nurses drove right through him though he didn't seem to notice. "Your Dad was in a car accident right before you where born. His number was up. It was time for him to go. But he managed to trick Seth out of taking him. Jumped back into his body and lived. Seth is still a little pissed off about it. To him, until Jeff himself crosses over, you're the next best thing. His superior is a little upset with him that he managed to let a perfectly good soul go on top of that so he's trying to keep his own fender out of the frier."
"So, I'm not even dead?" Lightning questioned, drawing a chuckle from Henry.
"This is one of your openings. I suppose you could say that you're going to have to make a choice. It's entirely up to you. Though Seth is trying to make you think otherwise."
Lightning gave a heavy sigh and closed his eyes for a moment, silently pulling off again. Henry guided him back to his room, the two settling down once more.
"Look Lightning, I'm not gonna sit here and tell ya that this isn't going to be hard. It is... But when all else fails... Remember Seth never could turn down a challenge. It's how your Dad got away. It's what you've got in your hand. Just you remember that." He offered, slight smile crossing his grill.
Lightning nodded a bit, a smile offered to his grandfather. "You know I missed you Gramps..."
Henry smiled, slight chuckle muttered in response. "Missed you to chief. And just want you to know... No matter what happens, I'm proud of ya."
Lightning chuckled, for the moment at least, somewhat at ease with his current situation. "Thanks Grandpa... I-"
Cold... That ice cold feeling was back. Both Henry and Lightning ducked down a bit as a the veil of the living and the dead, literally ripped in half with the force of the portal that was opened.
"Henry!" The booming voice that was Seth's shook the walls in a soft tremor even to the physical world, the power flickering and nurses glancing up at the lights with a puzzled expression.
Seth appeared in a cloud of hissing mist, a furious expression etched across his features.
"Go to hell Seth!" Henry snapped, stepping between Seth and his grandson, the old stock car not backing down for a moment.
"Already been there! Which is where you're going if you don't get your fender across the veil right now!"
"I don't wanna hear it Seth! You're taking out an old vengeance on this boy and you know it. You're superior would never stand for that!"
"You know what Henry? This may come as a surprise to you but I really don't care at this point." Seth hissed and turned his full wrath on Lightning. "Alright boy. I've been tolerant up to this point. I've been patient. I've even been understanding but enough is enough. You're dead. Accept that, live with it and be done with it!"
Lightning growled and pulled back, brief fear flickering across his features. But that wasn't nearly as powerful as the brief tug in the pit of his fuel tank.
Seth seemed to perk a bit, smile creeping across his grill. "Well what do you know... Feel that tug McQueen? Know what it is? You're dying..."
Lightning swallowed hard, the steady beep and alarms setting off around him, more than a little disturbing. Nurses began rushing in, as they attempted to shut off alarms, a code blue yelled out over the intercom system. He felt the physical pain as his systems began attempting to shut down, the nurses pushed in a crash cart, a doctor hurrying in right behind them and barking out orders.
Lightning had just crashed...
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Dallas Texas 1955
Ringing... Something was ringing. Mark opened his eyes to glare at the phone that was daring to ring and wake up from his peaceful slumber. A glance to the alarm clock told him that it was nine... Was he late for work? No... It was his day off. So why was the phone ringing. Beside him Julia gave an annoyed groan and settled down, further onto her tires so she could possibly ignore it.
Mark groaned softly and got up, going to the kitchen to pick up the phone, a yawn given before a rugged hello, was offered into the receive.
"Hey Mark, guess what?" Ryan's voice was on the other end, way to chipper for this early in the morning.
"What?"
"We've got the guy. We have a girl in the basement who's now at the hospital... The neighbor in custody and the DA is working to tag a bunch of other murders onto him. Looks like he's our killer. Someone also found Hanna's body early this morning. A couple of hikers."
Mark blinked, for a moment no idea what he was even talking about. Though slowly it sank in, a smile crossing his grill. "Thanks Ryan."
"Hey no problem bud." He responded, hastily getting off the phone soon after. He still had things he needed to wrap up and he wasn't getting any work done, talking to Mark. He was after all in a hurry to get home...
"Every thing alright?" Julia's concerned voice caused Mark to spin around, a grin shot in her direction as he nuzzled her.
"Case solved. Wanna go out for breakfast?"
Julia gave a slight blink and laughed, shrugging off her husband's odd behavior. So long as she got breakfast out of it, she was all for listening to him rattle on about police things.
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Ringing... Something was ringing. For a moment a bit of Deja-Vu swept through his mind before the Sheriff opened an eye and glanced at the clock. One in the afternoon. He had managed to get in four hours of sleep at least...
He groaned softly to himself and clicked the phone on, a growled out hello offered to whoever was on the other line.
A female voice floated across the air ways, so familiar it hurt...
"Mark?"
Sheriff snatched fully awake at the sound of his name being said. When he had first come to Radiator Springs he had introduced himself as Deputy Jason Carson. His middle name... No one bothered with his first name. When he was elected Sheriff his name had shifted from Deputy Carson to Sheriff. No one ever called him Mark anymore... In fact Doc was the only one who even knew his name was Mark... And that was only because he happened to have most of his medical charts.
"Who is this?" He demanded, but all that greeted him in answer was a dial tone. Whoever it was had hung up...
To Be Continued...
