Requiem II: Soul's Honor Lost
by Alisa Joaquin
Part 7: Margaret Meets Matthew
In a few short hours, Mary Margaret found herself on the Concorde in a first-class passenger seat next to Peter Caine. She was certain that their mutual ex-mercenary friend got them the tickets at no cost. Something about having to repay a debt, he had said. Mary Margaret was wondering what she was doing on this crazy flight to France and under such short notice.
It wasn't easy to convince Captain Simms she needed the time off right when they were in the middle of a major investigation involving the feds and a mobster turning states evidence against his boss. But when she told Simms that it involved Peter Caine, the Captain was more than willing to let her go. There really wasn't much more they could do. Their star witness was being kept on ice and only Jody Powell and Mary Margaret knew where that person was being held. If Mary Margaret went with Caine, there was a less likely chance that either one would be in danger from the mob at one time. Both women could take care of themselves, but just in case, if something were to happen to Powell, Mary Margaret was in the best hands possible to be sure that she stayed alive long enough to deliver their star witness to court next month.
Again, she questioned why she was here when it was obvious to her, that Peter was more equipped to deal with the kind of trouble that a Shaolin priest might find himself in; especially one specific Shaolin. The thought of Caine caused Mary Margaret to blush, and she bent her head to hide that fact.
"You may not be Shaolin," Peter said, suddenly. "But you might just help stop him from making a very drastic mistake."
"Huh? Are you reading my mind?"
"Nope, but you are broadcasting your thoughts a bit loudly," Peter said. "And you being this close, I can't help but pick up on what you're feeling right now."
"But why am I here?" Mary Margaret asked.
"It's kind of hard to explain. Where we're going there will be someone who can explain it better than I can."
"Why can't you just tell me?" she insisted. "Why the big mystery?"
"Well, you have to see him to believe him."
"Is this about your grandfather?" Mary Margaret asked.
"Who told you . . . of course, I should have known that my dad would have told you about my grandfather after we returned from France. What did my father tell you about that trip?"
"Only that it was quite enlightening and there were things about it that would be rather difficult to believe and had to be kept secret for everyone's sake," Mary Margaret said. 'But after what I saw during that Shambhala Master's ritual, if Kwai Chang would have told me that he found the holy grail, I'd believe him."
Peter smiled at her words. 'You don't know the half of it,' he thought.
Their plane touched down and Peter went to get the rental car while Mary Margaret fetched their luggage. It was then that she noticed that Peter had barely carried anything with him.
"I left a few things behind with my grandfather the last time I was here," he said.
It didn't take them long to get the car loaded when Peter met Mary Margaret at the curb, and they were off.
"Where're we going?"
"Here," Peter handed her a map that had been already marked with a highlighter. "We're heading to that small village that's highlighted in yellow. Let me know when I need to change course. I've only been here once before. I'm certain I could find it using "other" methods, but I probably should get used to driving in France anyway. I may be coming back here on a regular basis."
The drive from Paris was pleasant and harrowing at the same time. The local drivers knew the roads far better than Peter or Mary Margaret did and they sped through them like there was no tomorrow. Two hours later, white knuckled and almost ready to commit a crime from road rage, Mary Margaret gave a sigh of relief when Peter announced that they had finally arrived at his grandfather's cottage.
Peter walked to the door, knocked, and then started to enter when Mary Margaret grabbed his arm.
"Are you sure it's okay to just enter like that?"
"No Shaolin locks their doors. Besides, my grandfather already knows it's me."
Before Mary Margaret could ask how, Peter was entering the cottage. As she stepped across the threshold, a strangely familiar but older face gave her a broad smile and held out a hand for her to shake.
"Mary Margaret," Peter introduced. "I'd like you to meet my grandfather, Matthew Caine."
"It is an honor, my lady," the older Caine said. "My son has told me much about you. I feel as if we have already met."
Mary Margaret was at a loss for words. She could not believe what her eyes were telling her. It was as if she were looking at Caine sometime in the future, perhaps as much as 30 years. Suddenly, she felt a nudge at her left elbow.
"Huh, pleased to meet you," she said quietly. "Peter, you didn't tell me that he looked just like . . ."
"Didn't I? Well, surprise."
Mary Margaret just stared, non-plussed at her partner. This was going to be an interesting trip indeed.
Continues with Part 8
