Chapter 5. – A Stranger In The Mall

Benny's Report, Day 63
Benny sat under the Halliwell Mansion, in the sewer that he and his team called "Headquarter". He was reading one of his agent's reports with great interest.

After a month of the same kind of reports, Benny was starting to get bored. Things were moving slowly. Despite several serious attempts from various demons and warlocks, working for The Ripper Demons, no one had been successful in kidnapping the little boys. The sisters had efficiently beaten down every attack in spite of their differences.

Benny was disappointed at the slow progress and at the same time impressed. No wonder the girls was so feared in The Underworld. Even when the Halliwell Sisters were falling apart they had an uncanny ability to focus and work together under siege.

As soon as Benny finished the report he smiled. This was the kind of news he had been waiting for.

Piper lived a double life – to her new friends in the park she was this normal, working mom who ran a club. To her family she was a tough and demanding leader who tried to protect her sons as best she could.

In Piper's regime the mansion was becoming a fortress - full of traps and secret doors. She was even working on installing a magic panic room. Piper was also drilling her two younger sisters in defense tactics, spell workshops and potion making, with a military discipline that would make the drill sergeant in "Full Metal Jacket" proud. It was totally exhausting.

Paige returned home after Piper's dreadful comment during the fight with Phoebe. Paige was just gone a couple of hours until Leo convinced her to come home. Things had been strained between the sisters ever since that night. Paige was still the dutiful sister though – making new effective potions, figuring out protection spells and helping as much as she could. Piper tried apologizing once but Paige had waved it away saying everything was ok. Of course everything wasn't ok.

Phoebe on the other hand avoided everything and everyone. She blamed her work but Piper knew Phoebe just wanted to get a far away from her sisters and magic as much as she could. Piper saw more of Phoebe in the gossip columns than she did in real life.

Piper sighed, it had been an awful week – they had been attacked by different demons three days in a row. Thankfully she and Paige had been able to fight off their attackers. But every time the demons became more effective and more brutal. It was wearing them down. They really needed Phoebe's help. They needed The Power of Three.

That morning she, Paige and the boys had gone to the mall for Christmas shopping. Piper had to buy Christmas gifts for all her employees at the club. Paige went along to help taking care of Wyatt and Chris while Piper was looking for the ultimate gifts to buy. She finally settled for nice and expensive kitchen utilities and kitchen knives (you can never have enough good kitchen stuff according to Piper) together with some exotic food. She was discussing the discount with the store manager when she heard someone calling her sister's name over and over outside the store.

Piper quickly finished her business with the manager and hurried out. When she came out of the store she saw a drunken man following Paige and the boys around in the mall. He was screaming all kinds of obscenities at her little sister. Paige tried to get away from him as best she could. Just as the man was one step away from Paige two guards suddenly appeared and wrestled the drunken man down. He was still screaming as he lay on the floor.

"Paige! Paige! Come back here! Paige you fucking whore, you come back to me and speak to me!"

Paige was almost outside the mall with Chris and Wyatt, when Piper caught up with them.

"Paige?"

Paige didn't say anything she just continued to the car in a very fast pace. Piper had to run to keep up with her. Finally they stopped by their car.

"Paige? What was that all about?"

"He came out of nowhere and started screaming… " Paige was packing the groceries in the car with shaking hands.

"About what?"

"He… he made no sense at all. Let's just get out of here, ok?"

Paige didn't say anything more about the man during their way home but Piper could see that her sister was very upset by the incident. When they arrived at the house Piper tried to bring the incident up again.

"Look Piper, I don't know what happened in the mall today, or why. Really." Paige was already on her way up to her room.

"Well, he obviously knew you… "

Paige stopped in the middle of the stairs and turned towards her and said with an irritated voice; "I met a lot of people in my life… as a social worker and as a witch. Maybe it was someone that didn't agree with some decision that I made in the past… "

"If you know him you better tell us. Because… you seem pretty shook up. What if he is dangerous and… "

"He is NO ONE! OK!" Piper looked shocked after her sister who stormed off. Paige had never screamed at her like that before.

Piper unpacked the groceries while she grumbled to herself - as if she didn't have enough to worry about!

Then the phone rang. It was Esmeralda. She sounded very upset, like she had been crying.

As soon as Paige was alone, away from Piper's prying eyes, she went straight to the toilet and threw up.

Afterwards she sat on the bathroom floor with her arms around her knees, shaking like a leaf. Paige felt bad for lying to Piper. She knew very well who that man was. For several years she had been able to push the memories of him away, into the darkest corner of her mind. Now he was back and the thought of him chilled Paige to the bone. Piper had been right about one thing - he was dangerous.

After the first wave of panic had receded she pushed herself off the bathroom floor and rushed to the phone in her room. She phoned the only one who could help her.

"Darryl Morris."

"Hi, Darryl it's Paige. I was wondering if you could… "

"Help you?" Darryl voice had an unfriendly and sarcastic tone; "You want me to risk my career and life to help you girls with another magic adventure? No thanks. I don't think so!"

"Darryl, I'm only asking you… "

"Maybe you want my soul again or some other crazy ass magic… only this time you wanted to be nice and ask first? Well I got news for you: That shit is over!"

"Please Darryl, it's nothing magical this time!"

"Find another doormat. Goodbye!"

Paige heard the other line disconnect. She didn't know anyone else to turn to. Go to her "sisters" with her problem was never an option – Phoebe was never around and Piper couldn't handle it right now, she had enough on her shoulders. Besides they all had drifted apart so much it felt wrong to confide something so personal as this to Phoebe or Piper. Paige had in fact never talked with anyone about this part of her past. It just hurt too damn much.

Benny looked up from Annifrid's report when Annifrid herself showed up in their Headquarter.

"Very good report Annifrid! Very solid."

"Thank you. I have something here that I think you want to see. Something that will shed some light on the incident at the mall." Annifrid gave Benny a couple of papers. "I just got these from The Social Services."

"Let me see." Benny read the papers Annifrid had given him. "So… our stranger in the mall isn't really a stranger after all. This gets better and better." Benny smiled at his young agent who smiled back.

Benny looked at the information about Paige. These were the papers that Mr. Ledin had told Benny was of great interest. Paige Matthews had indeed a very colorful past. This could prove to be very helpful when tearing the sisters further apart. The only thing that worried Benny was that he failed to see the connection to his client. Maybe would Mr. Ledin be able to tell him the next time they met.

To be continued in "Chapter 6. - New Magic Friends "...