Requiem III: The Search for The Truth

By Bonnie Eagan & Alisa Joaquin

Part 13: The Master Calls

As Xia arrived back at her boat, Dragon Lady, the phone next to her father's photograph rang.

"Hello?"

"Has your task been accomplished?"

"No, the old bird proved tougher than I expected. Plus, there was another man with him. He looked like Caine but much older."

"That is Caine's father. He is to be kept alive."

"Why?" Xia questioned.

"I have my reasons. If he is harmed in any way, you will pay for his injuries in kind."

Xia swallowed the lump in her throat. The man's words had come out with a sinister cadence that chilled even her. Even though she had trained her own voice to sound just as threatening, her manipulations did not compare with this man's voice. Wisely, Xia chose not to reveal of the elder Caine's injury for her own sake.

"Why were you not able to succeed in your mission?"

"I would have succeeded, but I was rudely interrupted. Someone came from behind and surprised me."

"Who?" the voice asked on the other end of the line.

"I don't know. I never saw the man before."

"The Ancient must die. There will be another opportunity. But until then, you must separate the Caines from each other. Only then will you succeed."

"How do I manage to do that? Caine is protective of Peter and now Caine's father may also interfere."

"You will find a way," the Master stated. Then the phone went silent.

Xia stared at the receiver as the connection was terminated. Separate the Caine's, how was she going to do that? Xia replaced the receiver in its cradle and began pacing her small cabin. There must be a way. Xia thought back on the day that she met Peter Caine. There had been a powerful attraction, one in which she seemed to have no resistance toward. It was as if her own hormones were reacting to a most powerful need. She knew in some way that she was being pulled toward him, along with everyone in the Ambrosia Club. Then a memory of a lesson her father had taught her came to mind; a lesson that Caine had also taught the students at the temple. She remembered her father had described what had happened that day. Master Dao had intended on confronting Caine alone but found him in the garden courtyard surrounded by children. It sounded like he was telling a story, but it was another useless lesson. At least that is how Dao saw it. He stayed in the shadows and watched as Caine called Peter to his side. He took a small vial from his robes and poured something in Peter's hand, but there appeared to be nothing there. The next thing Dao had seen was a small finch coming to rest on Peter's hand. What had the priest placed in Peter's hand to have that bird light there? It had to have been something quite powerful to attract the bird, but what? The answer was just out of Xia's reach, and it frustrated her. There had to be an answer. Something in that story had to be the key to separate the Caines.

Xia walked over to her altar; the place where she kept her potions. She pulled out an old worn book that had been given to her by her father. He had discovered it while doing some research in the temple library. He had given it to her for safe keeping, believing it held secrets that would aid him to increase his powers so one day he could become master of the temple. But Tan did not get the chance to go through the volume. His humiliation and defeat by Caine had left him bitter and filled with hate. The volume had been forgotten as Tan planned his revenge over those months before the destruction of the temple. Xia flipped through the volume and soon came across an entry that held the answer to her question. She read through it and realized that what was needed would take time to prepare. It was going to be necessary if she was going to succeed in defeating and even killing Caine. Xia placed the volume down; open to the necessary page and began preparing the next step in her plans.

Caine held his friend at arm's length and stared. Li Pei? Married to Marlene, Laura's sister? He could not believe it, even though he had seen it with his own eyes in one of the photographs on his workbench. He then turned to his son and saw that there was no surprise registered there. Once again Peter seemed to know something that he did not. The first time had been at the castle where Caine's brother Damon had been. Peter had come to find him and had brought a man that felt somehow familiar, but he did not know. He learned from his son that the man was another son of Matthew Caine, Martin Bradshaw. That had been a reason to celebrate. And here was another one standing before him, but Caine could not conceive of celebrating at that time. Marlene was a prisoner somewhere in the city and now his father was hurt, perhaps dying.

Kwai Chang Caine turned back to his father, then faced Li Pei, "I am sorry my old friend. I must attend my father. We can talk more later."

"Perhaps I can help," Li Pei offered.

Caine let in a deep sigh. "I do not know if you can. My father is dying of a mysterious illness."

"Tell me my friend."

"I know nothing other than that," Kwai Chang confessed.

Matthew Caine interceded and explained to Li Pei the nature of the illness.

"I have heard of such a powder and its effects. It is indeed a powerful poison. It takes weeks for it to take effect. Your father is lucky that the worst of the symptoms have not occurred yet, but depending on its potency, the harsher symptoms can come on rapidly. The herbs needed to cure it, though, are very rare. It is said that the only place to find them is in Shambhala, but Shambhala is only a myth. The herbs must exist elsewhere. It may be his only hope."

Kwai Chang Caine turned to the Ancient and nodded.

"I will retrieve the book," Lo Si stated and quickly left.

"My friend, I do not know how to thank you. You may have just saved my father's life."

Continues with Part 14