This story is a sequel to my story "That Old Black Magic," it's also the
2nd fic in my alternate 3rd season!  (Yes, I'm finally getting back to
that ;-)  Anyway, the idea behind these stories is that the 3rd season
was shaped by one terrible event, the plane explosion that killed Schanke
and Cohen, stopped Vachon from leaving Toronto, and made Tracy and Nick
permanent partners... so what if it hadn't happen?
 
- For those who want to read the first ssstory in this series, it can be
found at http://www.geocities.com/cousin_mary1228/fic/blackmagic.txt
 
            - Reminder: For those who have read "That Old Black Magic"
but need a refresher: In that story Schanke and Cohen go to Alberta but
come back just fine.  Tracy's partnership with Nick stays just temporary.
And since Vachon was well out of town before she showed up, Tracy got to
deal with the Inca, Screed and Urs without him.
 
Disclaimers: Forever Knight is the property of James Parriott and
Sony/Tristar, no copyright infringement is intended.
 
Archive: Permission to archive granted to Mel, Anita and any DP, all
others please ask first.
 
 
 
Loose Cannon:
An Alternate 3rd Season Story
Part 1/7
By: Cousin Mary
Jan. 2002
 
 
               "Man oh man!"  Schanke walked into cavernous room behind
Nick.  "Would you look at this joint?"
 
               Nick nodded.  The scene of their latest case was a
warehouse turned private "club," and was the favorite stomping grounds of
some big-time, as well as up and coming, drug dealers.  There were sheets
and drapes hanging everywhere, separating the huge space into smaller,
more dangerous rooms.  Even with the cops swarming the place, the music
was still blaring from unseen speakers, and in the distance Nick could
hear strung out ravers still dancing, oblivious to what was going on and
undetected by the police in the maze-like jungle of stained sheets and
tables.
 
               "Hey guys," Natalie rounded a sheet corner and waved them
over.  "Well, here you go.  The body du jour."
 
               Nick looked down at the body of the young woman, she'd
been pretty once, but now her throat was slashed viciously and her body
had grown cold.  "There's not a lot of blood."
 
               Nat handed Schanke an evidence bag with the girl's shirt
in it.  She made a clicking sound with her cheek, it was a small thing
she did whenever she was about to launch into something unpleasant, "No,
most of it was in her blouse.  It was wadded up in the wound."
 
                "Nice to have friends looking out for you," Scanke
cracked, commenting on her companions failed attempt to stop the
bleeding.  He looked down at the body and grimaced, he was pretty sure
her "friends" hadn't all been as caring.  "She was raped?"
 
               "Yup," Nat nodded, "Got a positive on the phosphate test,
and there are abrasions."
 
               "Bruising around the mouth."  Nick pointed, "His hand?"
 
               "Well, we couldn't have her crying out and attracting a
lot of attention, now could we?"  Nat said flippantly, though anyone
could tell she was seething underneath.
 
               "We get an I.D. yet?"  Schanke asked, tossing the evidence
bag to one of Nat's assistants.
 
               "No.  Apparently she was here with friends and her name is
Cass."  Nat shrugged, sorry she didn't have more for them.
 
               "The weapon looks to be a sharp knife."  Nick continued to
stare at the wound, trying not to look too eager, "Single cut.  No
hesitation."
 
               "Headin' back to the lab now," Nat gave Nick a look that
was half worried, half disapproving.  She knew what was on his mind.  She
looked to Schanke, "I'll work on getting you a blood type."
 
               Nick watched her walk of, shoulders slightly slumped.  He
jumped when Schanke dropped an arm on his shoulder, "Come on partner,
let's see if our witnesses saw anything other than the colors of the
music."
 
               Nick nodded, looking around at the uniformed officers
finishing up taking statements.
 
               "Hey?  Isn't that-?"  Schanke trailed off as he crossed
the room.  He grabbed one of the witnesses and dragged him aside.  Nick
followed, confused by his partner's determination.
 
               "Don't touch me, ya friggin'—"  The man struggled a little
against Schanke, but not seriously enough to actually break away.
 
               "You got a problem?  C'mon!  Let's go ya little punk,"
Schanke huffed with exertion, his voice carrying more annoyance then
anything else.
 
               Once out of sight of the other witnesses, Nick was
surprised to see the man immediately stop struggling and Schanke drop his
hold.
 
               "Okay, ease up," The man stepped back and straightened his
jacket.
 
               "I take it you're still our little 'secret agent man?'"
Schanke eyed him.  "Or are you just a junkie now and I missed the memo?"
 
               "Excuse me?"  Nick interrupted, confused.  "Schank, you
know him?"
 
               "Bruce Spencer.  Special affairs."  He smiled at Nick
before turning to the older detective, "Thanks for not blowing my cover.
Schanke, right?"
 
               "Yeah, and this is Detective Knight."  He gestured at his
partner, "So what're you working on Spencer?"
 
               "Drug dealers.  Tweakers.  Cocaine.  Heroin.  Ah, those
are the principals out there.  They bring it in, mix it down, deal it to
the kids."  Bruce rattled off, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
 
               Schanke frowned, wondering if this maverick girl guide had
been sampling the cookies as it were.  "What can you tell us about the
murdered girl?"
 
               "Well, she's one of them."  Bruce nodded,  "Look, I've
been tracking them for seven months.  Their supply route, their
dealers--you guys know the routine."
 
               "What about the murder?"  Schanke sighed, trying to get
him back on track.  He'd never liked this kid.
 
               "Um... I know who did it."  Bruce licked his lips and
nodded again.
 
               "You do?"  Nick pressed in.  It was obvious Schanke knew
this guy, it was also pretty clear he didn't think much of him.  He
couldn't wait to get his partner away to find out the story on this guy.
 
               "Ah, J.T.  J.T. Gary.  Look, Cass was no angel but she
wouldn't give him the time of day, you know, and he kept after her.  He
wouldn't leave her alone."  Again with the nodding.  Bruce was fidgeting
more and more as they talked.  He kept looking over the detectives, back
into the club.
 
               "How do you know he killed her?"  Nick asked.
 
               "Look, it's obvious."  Bruce focused his eyes on Nick,
"She kept shutting him down, and, uh, he went after what she wasn't
giving him."
 
               "Now, Bruce, are you sure it was him?"  Schanke rubbed his
eyes.
 
               "Yeah!"  Bruce nodded angrily.
 
               "Okay, just asking."  Schanke held up his hands, "No need
to go all Bruce Banner on us."
 
               "Banner-?"  He looked confused.
 
               "The Incredible Hulk," Schanke grimaced, "Sheesh, kids
today don't know anything."
 
 
               "How about some evidence?"  Nick asked Bruce, "Do you have
any evidence to back this up at all."
 
               "Evidence?"  Bruce looked annoyed and impatient,  "Look,
you just take him down to the station, lean on him, he'll fold like a
towel."
 
               His attitude was really starting to get to Nick, that and
smell of blood still thick in the air, "Why don't you just humor me, and
give me something that'll hold up in court."
 
               "Look, what part of this don't you understand?"  Bruce
looked at him like he was a first year cadet.
 
               "None of it."  Nick answered shortly.  He could feel
Schanke moving closer to him, to restrain him if necessary he supposed.
 
               "None of it?"  Bruce tsked, "Understand this--you take him
down, you slap him around a bit.  What?  It'd take me thirty seconds.
It'll take you, what?  An hour?  Smart guy like you.  I've been on this
for seven months, and I get a text book from who?"
 
               "Text book.  Now, look, I'm talking about –law- here.  Law
book."  Nick snorted, "Ever hear of it?"
 
               "Hey, hey--give it a rest" Schanke put a hand on his
partner's arm, pulling him back from folding Bruce like a towel.  "You
guys wanna keep it down?  Pretty soon Spencer ain't gonna have a job.
Anyway kid, this is our investigation now.  You've got a different job to
do."
 
               "Fantastic," Bruce shrugged, then stalked his way back
out.
 
 
>>>>>>>>

Loose Cannon:
An Alternate 3rd Season Story
Part 2/7
By: Cousin Mary
 
 
            Back at the precinct, Schanke and Nick sank into their desks.
The ride back had been silent and tense, they'd both needed time to cool
off.  After a few more minutes of strained silence, Nick cleared his
throat.
 
            "So?"
 
            "So what?"  Schanke raise a brow, then sighed,  "Look
partner, we've just slammed smack dab into politics."
 
            "Huh?"
 
            He drew a breath in through his nose, "Bruce Spencer is the
Police Commission's darling.  The little bastard can do no wrong."
 
"That right?"
 
Schanke snorted, showing what he thought of all this.  He continued,
"Hand picked by Commissioner Vetter himself."
 
"Commissioner Vetter?"  Nick sat up straighter in surprise,  "Tracy's
father?"
 
Hearing her name, Tracy looked up.  She'd been given the unenviable job
of desk jockey until such time as her new captain could find her a new
partner.  She was –not- enjoying her time shackled to the furniture.
Butting in on her co-workers' conversation seemed a lot more interesting
than more forms, plus… she'd heard her name.  "What's going on?"
 
The detective's watched in resignation as Tracy pulled up a chair and sat
down, not sure whether to continue or not.  Ultimately, Schanke drew a
deep breath and caught the newest 96th family member up on recent events.
 
 
"Victim's name is Cass Purcell.  Twenty-three.  She was raped, probably
while he was killing her."  Schanke handed her the report to look over,
"She ran with a heavy-duty crowd.  Drug dealers.  Big time.  They had an
undercover cop with them."
 
Tracy opened the file eagerly, thrilled to have a case in her hand, even
if it wasn't her own.  "Yeah?"
 
"There's more," Schanke went on to tell her about Spencer's involvement,
knowing she most likely was well acquainted with the man.
 
Tracy listened patiently then said slowly, "He's a good cop.  I've known
him for more than eighteen years.  He does things that no other cop could
do, and he does them undercover.  Every day he has to live his life
knowing that anyone finds out who he is, they'll kill him."
 
Nick just stared at her.
 
"I'm sorry." She started, the went on, her voice tinged with pride and
awe,  "I grew up with him.  Bruce's first case, right out of the Academy.
He was undercover in vice.  Busting hookers.  Got a tip from a girl,
followed it, and in one night his team took down a white slavery ring.
Just like Police Gazette.  Bruce made it all happen.  My dad prosecuted
the case--just blew them away."
 
"Can see how it would," Schanke nodded, the cast a glance at Nick,
"Pretty impressive, hey partner?"
 
Sarcastically, Nick nodded, "Yep.  Well, she knows him better than we
do."
 
Schanke watched him get up and walk towards the Captain's office.  He
looked back at Tracy with a sympathetic smile, "Don't let him get to you.
Nick's a good cop, but wound a little tight."
 
"Yeah," Tracy nodded, "I noticed that when we were paired up too."
 
Schanke nodded.  He liked Tracy, ever since he'd met her when he'd gotten
back from Alberta.  The kid had chops.  But he wasn't certain she could
see beyond her hero worship of Spencer to what everyone else could see.
He decided to change the subject.  "How they doing at finding you a
partner, Vetter?"
 
Tracy snorted, "I've realphabetized my rolodex three times.  That sound
like they're in much of a hurry?"
 
The older detective laughed, "Don't worry kiddo, they're just looking for
that perfect match.  You know, they put a lot of thought into who they
pair up."
 
"Well, right now I'd be happy with a geriatric metermaid, anybody, just
so long as they'd let me out on an actual case."  She wrinkled her nose.
 
"Don't worry," Schanke patted her knee before getting up to follow his
partner, "They can't drag their feet too much longer."
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
            Schanke caught up to Nick outside the Captain's office.  The
door was closed and inside they could both hear Cohen yelling at someone
over the phone.  "Come on," Schanke pulled his partner away towards the
now empty break room.
 
            Once inside, Nick turned to him, "Come clean Schank, you
can't believe Spencer is a good cop."
 
            Schanke shook his head slowly,  "Politics are a bitch
partner."  He sighed, "You saw Vetter, there's some real loyalty there.
And that's gonna go all the way up."
 
            "But why?"
 
            "Bruce Spencer has a great arrest record."  Schanke ceded.
 
            "Oh, yeah? Well, things aren't always as they appear."  Nick
challenged.
 
            "From what I hear, that's truer in this case then most,"
Schanke went on, "Spencer has also been charged with half the book too.
'Course, they've all been conveniently dropped.  Almost like someone's
cleaning up after the little loose cannon."
 
            "Commissioner Vetter," Nick guessed.
 
"Commissioner Vetter has been helping Spencer since he was a rookie,"
Schanke shook his head,  "We should all get such help."
 
>>>>>>>>>>>
 
            Tracy was just about to launch into her fourth go at the
rolodex, when she heard her name being called.  She looked up to see the
Captain motioning her from her office.  "Tracy, can you come here?"
 
            Tracy sighed, dropping the wheel of names and numbers.
Hopefully this was about a partner and a case, otherwise she going to
start climbing the walls.
 
            "Tracy, take a seat," Cohen motioned to the one open seat in
front of her desk.  The other was being occupied by a red headed man,
probably in his mid-twenties.  He was in a gray suit and looked nervous.
He stood as Tracy approached, and held out his hand.
 
Tracy shook it, looking to Cohen questioningly.
 
"Tracy, meet your new partner, Parker Bram, from the 14th."  Cohen
announced with a smile, but her eyes were watching Tracy closely, waiting
for a reaction.
 
"It's an honor," Parker's freckled face beamed at her, "I read all about
the Vudu case, and what can I say?  Wow!"
 
Tracy had to fight from snatching her hand back.  Parker couldn't be much
older than her, and if anything he looked even greener than she was!
They didn't pair up rookies.   Tracy swallowed her protest and sat down,
waiting for the Captain to continue.  Already, Tracy had knew Amanda
Cohen was a shrewd and intelligent woman, if she was partnering them, she
had a reason.
 
"Very good," Cohen nodded,  "This is unusual, as I'm sure both of you are
aware.  Tracy here's only been on one case-"
 
"But what a case!"  Parker interrupted, only to be silenced by a sharp
glance from Cohen.
 
"And Parker has been getting his feet wet in Arson for the last two
years," Cohen tilted her head, as if dismissing that, "But I think you
two will be good together.  You both have a lot of energy and I expect
big things."
 
Tracy was finding it difficult not to just stare at her captain.  She was
being partnered with another rookie?!  This couldn't be happening.  The
rest of the bullpen was going to eat them alive.  She glanced at Parker,
he was still smiling hugely.
 
"And here's your first case," She handed Tracy the folder,  "Dead banker,
fished out of the lake this morning."
 
"Great!"  Parker looked file over Tracy's shoulder, then, realizing how
that sounded, added, "I mean, that we have a case, not that he's dead
or-"
 
"That's alright Parker," Cohen nodded with a smile,  "Okay people,
clock's ticking."
 
Tracy stood, slightly unnerved at how close Parker followed her out of
the office.
 
"This my desk?  Great!"  Parker ran ahead of her and sat down in the desk
across from hers, plopping down into the chair and spinning around once
before putting his feet up.
 
Tracy watched in horror as Parker's scuffed black shoes swung right into
her rolodex, knocking it on the floor and spilling the cards everywhere.
 
"Oh!  Sorry!"  He was down on the floor a second later, scooping up the
cards and jamming them back, completely out of order.
 
"That's okay," Tracy said a little too brightly, before sitting down.
She watched Parker work a moment longer, before biting her lip and
starting to read the report.  This was going to be interesting.
 
 
>>>>>>>>

Loose Cannon:
An Alternate 3rd Season Story
Part 3/7
By: Cousin Mary
 
 
 
            In the morgue, Nat looked up as Schanke and Nick walked in.
"Cass Purcell was pregnant.  Ten weeks."  She announced.
 
"Oh, lovely," Schanke grimaced.
 
"Oh, yeah."  Nat nodded,  "And she had a prescription from a
gynecologist, so I called her.  Apparently Cass told her who the father
was."
 
"Patient privilege?" Nick frowned.
 
"Not when your patient is murdered, and you give a damn."  Nat dug around
her desk, pulling out a notebook, "Either of you guys run across someone
named J.T. Gary?"
 
Nick and Schanke exchanged a confused glance.
 
"Yeah, 'cept according to our witness, J.T. wasn't getting any."  Schanke
frowned.
 
"Well," Nat put the notebook wrong, "Guess your witness didn't witness
everything."
 
Schanke looked to Nick, "What say we go pay the daddy a visit huh?"
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
            Twenty minutes later, the Caddy pulled up in front of J.T.'s
apartment building.  Almost immediately Nick's attention was drawn to the
roof, someone was up there.
 
 
"Why did you kill Cass?"
 
"I don't have to tell you squat! I'm gonna sue your ass for police
brutality."
 
 
The first had definitely been Bruce Spencer's voice.   The second was
probably J.T.  Nick thought.
 
            Schanke looked at his partner, then realized he was listening
to something he couldn't hear.  "What?"
 
"He's on the roof."  Nick said simply.  "Take the elevator.  I'll take
the fire escape."
 
"Whoa!  W-Who?  Who is on the roof?"
 
"J.T. " Nick said before heading off to the alley.
 
Schanke pulled his gun and headed into the building, grumbling under his
breath.  "And the Lone Ranger rides off again."
 
            Meanwhile, Nick flew quickly up to the roof, arriving just in
time to see Bruce shoving J.T. over the side.
 
            Seconds later, Schanke ran out onto the tar roof.  He
recognized his company and put his gun away.  "Spencer."
 
            "Detective Scanke?"  Bruce blinked, the started to kick the
ground and point.  "Dammit!  Why couldn't you have been here two minutes
ago?"
 
            "What happened?"  Schanke asked, approaching the edge and
looking over.  "Geez, ouch."
 
"Look, I cuff him and he runs. I cuff him, and he..." Bruce trailed off
and pointed.
 
"Swan dive huh?  Happens."  Scahnke shrugged, then looked back at
Spencer, "Come on, we're gonna have to head back to the precinct."
 
Spencer nodded and followed without saying a word.
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
            Back at the 96th Bruce was giving his statement to an officer
as Nick and Schanke watched from behind the glass.  They looked up as
Tracy and another man slipped into the dark room behind them.  Nick
raised and eyebrow, but said nothing.
 
"I went to J.T.'s place to talk to him.  I figured I could get some
information and pass it to Det. Schanke.  But when I got there, he was
ready to split.  I guess he figured he was going to get nailed for the
rape and murder.  So I had to break cover.  I arrested him.  Cuffed him.
And, uh, as I was
reading him his rights, he bolted.  Up the stairs.  I gave chase.  Up
onto the roof.... Um... I tried to save him.... I called out to him.  One
second he was there... then he was gone.  There was nothing I could do."
Bruce explained as the officer scribbled notes.
 
Nick snorted and left the room, it's clear he didn't believe him.
Schanke followed his partner as Tracy and Parker trailed behind.
 
            "How did he let a handcuffed suspect get away from him?  And
why would J.T. go up to the roof?"  Nick directed the angry questions at
Schanke, but was well aware Tracy was listening too.  He gave up the
pretense and faced her.  "Sounds a little fishy don't you think?"
 
"I don't know.  I wasn't there."  Tracy frowned,  "And neither were you.
He's not lying, Nick."
 
Nick crossed his arms and glared at her, annoyed and belligerent.  "And
besides he's your big brother."
 
"He's your brother?"  Parker broke in.
 
            Nick frowned and turned his glare on the new comer.
 
"Uh, hi."  He held out his hand, "I'm Parker, Detective Bram.  I- I'm
Tracy's new partner?"
 
Nick ignored the hand, "Lucky you, to have such a clear thinking
partner."
 
Schanke jumped in and shook Parker's hand vigorously.   Gesturing at his
partner's back as Nick stalked away.  "Never mind him, low blood sugar.
I'm Don Schanke.  You're coming from the 14th huh?  Know Bill Stevenson?"
 
"Uh, yeah," Parker frowned, then smiled, "I mean, yes.  Stevenson, good
man."
 
"Ahem," Captain Cohen stepped out into the hall, "Glad to see you three
getting along."  She smiled at them all, before turning to Schanke,
"Natalie wants to see you and your partner down at the morgue."
 
"Righto," Schanke took off after Nick.
 
She next turned to Tracy and Parker and raised a brow, "As for you two,
how's your case coming along?"
 
            "Uh," Tracy looked at Parker, who's eyes widened.  "We're
working on it Captain."
 
            "I see that."  Cohen looked at both of them measuringly.  "I
assume you've talked to his co-workers and family already."
 
            "Coworkers, yes," Parker piped up, "We're, uh, just on our
way talk to Mrs. Peters."
 
            "Very good," Cohen nodded and headed back into her office.
She paused and added, "I'll expect a report first thing tomorrow."
 
            "Yes ma'am," Tracy nodded, watching Cohen close the door.
She looked at Parker and sighed, "Let's go."
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
            In the morgue, Nat led Nick and Schanke into the cooler
behind the lab.
 
"Mr. John Thomas Gary.  Purported father of the baby that Cass Purcell
was carrying."  Nat pointed at J.T.'s body, which was laid out on a sheet
covered gurney.
 
"And was he?"  Schanke asked.
 
Nat nodded, "Blood type is right."
 
"Is that it?"  Nick sounded annoyed, "Your big news?"
 
"We got the blood typing results back on the sperm sample." Nat went on,
tightly,  "Mr. John Thomas Gary may have been the father.  He may even
have been the killer--that's your department, Detective.  However, he
definitely was not the rapist."
 
"The blood types didn't match?"  Schanke asked.
 
"The rapist is AB-neg. John Thomas was B-positive.  Not even close."  Nat
shook her head as she watched Nick leave the cooler.  She stopped
Schanke, "What's up with him?"
 
"I'm not sure," Schanke frowned and followed after Nick, leaving Nat to
close up the cooler.
 
"This should prove to Tracy that Bruce isn't the hero she thinks he is."
Nick told Schanke as he walked up.
 
"Knight, what's going on here?  The killer's a bad guy, and maybe Spencer
is too," Schanke grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stand still, "But
why are you acting like Vetter is?"
 
Nick stared back angrily for a moment, then broke down and looked away.
His shoulder's slumped.  "You're right.  Tracy's not- I mean, I'm not mad
at Tracy, not really."
 
"Then what is it?"  Schanke pressed, "You get anymore hostile towards her
and the U.N. is going to intervene."
 
"I guess I'm just," Nick shrugged, "Scared for her.  If she can't pick up
that Spencer is a loose cannon, how's she going to make it as a cop?"
 
"She's young Nick, she'll learn," Schanke paused, "We all have someone we
looked up to, and if and when you have to give that up… it can be hard."
 
Nick snorted.
 
"She's not your partner anymore," Schanke pointed out, "Let her work her
own cases and we'll work ours."
 
Nick looked about to say something, but then Nat walked up and he turned
to her, "Anything else?"
 
"Cass had a single cut to the throat, severing the trachea, and the right
carotid and jugular.  Cause of death was exsanguination--blood loss.  And
like you said, the murder weapon is very sharp.  Maybe something like a
filleting knife."  Nat read off her notes.
 
"Or a scalpel or a straight razor."
 
"Could be.  Killer is likely left-handed. And the bruising around her
mouth indicates that he was holding her like this."  She walked over to
Nick and began to demonstrate, catching Nick under the chin and tilting
his head back.  "Right hand over the mouth. Thumb under the chin. And as
we all know, people almost never hold a knife in their weak-sided hand,
which means he's..."
 
"Left-handed."  Schanke finished.
 
"And the deepest part of the cut was on the right-hand side of the
throat. "  Nat added.
 
"Whsss!"  She hissed as she pretended to make the slash.  "Nice guy.
Probably got off as much on the murder as he did on the sex.  And I
wouldn't be surprised if he'd done something like this before."
 
"And is likely to do it again."  Nick said, getting loose from Nat and
taking a few extra steps back.
 
"I hope you guys have a plan to bring him down.  Fast."  Nat said, before
turning on her heels and heading back to work.
 
Nick looked at Schanke, who raised an eyebrow.
 
"I'd get a better attitude around Nat, Nicky.  Otherwise, next time I
think she'll do it for real."  He laughed.
 
Nick just nodded and headed for the Caddy.
 
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
Loose Cannon:
An Alternate 3rd Season Story
Part 4/7
By: Cousin Mary
 
 
            "I think I'm being punished," Tracy threw herself back onto
the old, stained couch and coughed through the cloud of dust that rose,
"I mean, why else would they give me guy, who's practically a rookie
himself, as a partner?"
 
            Urs looked up from her Cosmo and nodded sympathetically.
"You wanted an old partner."
 
            "Yes!  No.  Not exactly," Tracy groaned and huffed further
into the couch.  Urs didn't understand what she was talking about, and
there was a good chance she didn't even care.  But Tracy'd gotten into
the habit over the last couple weeks, of just dropping by the old,
abandoned church she'd met Urs and the rest at, just to talk, or, like in
this case, vent.  "I just wanted a, you know, respectable partnership.
There's probably nothing at all wrong with Parker, but just the fact that
he's barely older than me is going to cause all sorts of problems."
 
            "Like what?"  Urs' cherubic face pulled into a frown, "You
mean," She spoke slowly as she tried to figure out what her new mortal
companion was talking about, "Since your partner and you are young,
people might not listen to you?"
 
            "Exactly!"  Tracy cried.  She stood up and walked to the
cooler, ignoring the red bottles, she grabbed a diet soda.  It was
amazing how quickly she'd grown used to the idea of vampires.  Well, at
least to the idea of Urs.  Urs didn't kill people, as she put it, she
occasionally "nibbled" on them, but never to the point of death.  It was
still a foreign, and gruesome, concept to Tracy, but Urs was such a sweet
person in every other respect, it was easy to forget she could sprout
fangs and suck blood.  Screed was another story entirely.  Tracy still
wasn't at all comfortable around the carouche.  But he too didn't kill
people, instead getting his blood from rodents, especially rats.
 
            Urs looked back down at her magazine, still frowning.  It had
been a long time since she had a female friend, especially one that was
mortal, and she'd never had one like the blonde cop still fuming as she
paced around the room.  She wasn't sure how to deal with her.  Amuru, the
Inca, had told Screed and her to watch out for the mortal.  To keep her
out of trouble from the Community and, if need be, anything else.  Urs
sighed, she'd never seen Amuru lose it over a woman before, and it was
just odd to have him ask –her- a favor.
 
            "I mean, he's got red hair and freckles!"  Tracy went on,
pacing the room.  "He's even got a dimple!  A dimple!  Can you believe
that?"
 
            "Sounds cute," Urs grinned.
 
            "Oh, he is." Tracy nodded, "Cute as can be.  Bright, cute
eyes, cute smile.  We're just drowning in cute over there."
 
            Urs giggled, then stopped, "Oh!  That's probably a bad thing,
since you want respect and all."
 
            Tracy took a gulp of soda, then sighed, "Yeah."
 
            Then all of the sudden there was a creaking as the church
door opened, "Hello?"  A voice called out, "Tracy?"
 
            Urs watched as the cop groaned, "Who is that?"  She
whispered.
 
            "Speak of the Devil," Tracy set her soda down, then glanced
around the church.  Well, nothing looked –too- suspicious.  She looked at
Urs and then up at the vaulted ceiling, as if asking for strength, "It's
Parker."
 
            Slowly Parker made his way into the candle lit church.  He
paused when he saw Tracy and Urs just standing there, looking at him.
But then squared his shoulders and approached them,  "Uh, Tracy?  I saw
your car parked outside this- abandoned building.  Thought maybe you
needed help or something?"
 
            "No Parker, I'm fine," Tracy gritted her teeth a moment,
realizing with sudden clarity that this was –exactly- like something she
would do.  No wonder people called her over eager.  She sighed, "Parker,
this is Urs.  Urs, this is my partner Parker Bram."
 
            "Hi," Urs smiled at the red head.  He –was- cute!  Probably
six feet tall and, even with the suit, she could tell he had a lean,
muscular body.  Urs prided herself on being able to pick out a hunk.  Urs
looked back at Tracy and her smile widened, her friend was not happy
their 'secret club house' had been discovered.
 
            "Uh, hi," Parker swallowed loudly.  He'd thought his new
partner was attractive, but wow, nothing compared to her friend!  Blonde
curls topped an angelic face and the tight cloths revealed just about the
curviest little body he'd ever seen.  "I'm Parker."
 
            Urs giggled, "Tracy just said that."
 
            "Oh," Parker was horrified when he felt himself start to
blush, knowing from experience that his pale skin was going to instantly
show it.  He turned his attention to Tracy, since he suspected his prayer
for the ground to swallow him up wasn't going to be answered.  "So, uh,
what is this place?  And what are you two doing here?"
 
            "Um," Tracy racked her brain, trying to come up with a
legitimate reason for them to be meeting in an abandoned building.
"She's an informant."  She said suddenly.
 
            "Oh?"  Parker looked back at Urs, "For our case?"
 
            "Uh, no," Tracy cursed herself, that hadn't been a good idea.
Now he was more curious than ever!  "I mean-"
 
            "It's okay," Urs stepped forward, catching Parker's eyes
fully, "We're just talking."
 
            "Just talking," Parker repeated, sounding somewhat confused.
 
            Tracy frowned and looked closer.  Parker suddenly seemed kind
of out of it.
 
            Urs kept talking, "You should go back to your car and drive
away, forget you came here."
 
            "Forget," Parker nodded, then turned and walked slowly out of
the church.
 
            After he'd gone Tracy turned to Urs, "What'd you do?!"
 
            "I whammied him," Urs shrugged and went back to her magazine.
 
            "You what-ed him?"  Tracy pointed at the door he'd exited,
"Does he even know where he's going?"
 
            Urs sighed and put down her magazine again.  "Don't worry.
He's not hurt.  Isn't that what you wanted?  For him not to know about
this place?  About me?"
 
            "Yeah…" Tracy said slowly, "But, what'd you do?"
 
            "It's kind of like hypnotism.  Don't you remember?  Amuru
tried to do it to you, but you're a resister so he couldn't," She
shrugged.  "It's no big deal."
 
            "No big deal?"  Tracy shrieked, "How can you say that?  You
erased his mind!"
 
             "Don't worry, no one can do it to you."  Urs tsked, before
turning resolutely back to her article about sling back heels.
 
            Tracy just stared at her and shook her head.  She was going
to have to rethink her whole sweet, harmless Urs theory.
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
            Back at the precinct, Schanke and Nick were digging through
case files looking for a possible match to Cass's murder.
 
            "Here's a possible.  Leather fetish and razor blades, Glen
Davis."  Schanke read, "Oh, wait, he's been inside since '91."
 
            "Keep looking," Nick told him, standing up as he heard the
Captain approaching.
 
            Cohen met him just out of earshot of the frustrated Schanke,
"Any luck?"
 
"None so far," Nick frowned.
 
"What's bothering you Knight?"  She asked perceptively.
 
"It's this J.T. Gary thing.  I don't like it."  Nick said slowly.
 
"What don't you like about it?"  Cohen asked, trying to get her detective
to pin point the problem clearly gnawing away at him.
 
"Spencer busts a guy for rape and murder.  Suspect escapes, runs up to a
roof, and Spencer can't stop the guy from falling?  I mean, why does J.T.
go up to the roof?  He knew he wasn't the rapist."  Nick splayed his
hands, looking at Cohen to figure it out.
 
"So what are you saying, Detective?"
 
"I'm saying I don't think we should take everything that Spencer says as
chapter and verse."  Nick stated matter-of-factly.
 
"I don't know Knight," Cohen looked unsure, "Schanke's statement backs
him up."
 
"I know."  Nick grumbled.
 
"And he was first on the scene."
 
"I know that too."
 
"You see something from down there on the street that would make you
believe Spencer is lying?"  Cohen pressed.
 
"No." There wasn't anything else he could say.
 
"Then what do we think we should do about it?"  Cohen asked simply.
 
Nick sighed, "I don't know.  We can't arrest him.  All we have is a
suspicion."
 
"I talked to Commissioner Vetter.  Spencer's hip-deep in a huge drug
case.  We'd lose that."  She hoped Nick wasn't going to get them all into
trouble over this.  The last thing she needed was the Commission's wrath.
 
"If he did kill J.T. we have to prove it.  We have to find who killed
Cass."
 
"Is he a suspect in that, too?"  Cohen asked, slightly exasperated.
 
"The statements from the club didn't clear anybody.  He lied about her,
he lied about J.T.  Maybe there's something there."
 
"Well," Cohen said slowly, "What does Schanke think?"
 
"He's withholding judgment."  Nick answered sarcastically, obviously
mimicking his partner's own words.  "And Tracy thinks he walks with
angels."
 
            "Well, this isn't Tracy's case."  Cohen pointed out, "But it
is –yours-, so solve it."
 
Schanke stood and joined them, his collar was open and he had ink on his
forehead.  "Hey, I've been through the similar crime files going back
eight years.  Rape and blades.  Nothing shows.  The doers are either
dead, or in prison.  We got zippo."
 
Just then Spencer entered the bull pen and head straight towards them.
"Captain Cohen?"
 
"Yes, Detective."  The Captain leveled her cool gaze on him.
 
"I'm done with my statement.  Checked with my Captain."  Spencer fidgeted
under her inspection, " Do you need anything else before I go back out?"
 
"No," She answered, "You're free to go."
 
"Uh, I'd better get going then.  Living the fast life's a dirty job, but
someone's got to do it."  He nodded, "Ciao."
 
 
Loose Cannon:
An Alternate 3rd Season Story
Part 5/7
By: Cousin Mary
 
 
            Tracy yawned and stretched as she waited for Nat to finish
filling out her notes.  Parker and her case wasn't proving too
complicated, just time consuming.  They were pretty certain the wife and
brother-in-law were behind Mick Peters' death, it was just a matter of
pulling all the evidence together at this point.  She snuck a glance at
Parker, it was amazing, he didn't remember anything from the church at
all!
 
            "Well guys," Nat stood from behind her desk and walked over
to Peters' slab.  "There's water in his lungs from the lake, but that's
not what killed him.  See this?"  She pointed to a dark spot slightly
behind his left temple, "Sharp blow to the head, more than enough to kill
him."
 
            "Any idea what the weapon was?"  Tracy asked as Parker leaned
in to get a closer look at the wound.
 
            "Well, I found fragments of white, lead based paint imbedded
in the wound," Nat looked at Tracy with a shrug, "So whatever it was, it
was probably painted white and was a few decades old."
 
            "Aha!"  Parker stood up.
 
            "What?  Do you see something?"  Nat frowned, looking down
again to see if she'd missed something so obvious the rookie would notice
it.
 
            "What?  Oh, no," Parker shook his head, "I mean, what you
said.  The white paint, like a bowling pin.  Peters' brother-in-law owns
a bowling alley."
 
            "Okay," Nat looked at Tracy and arched a brow, "Looks like
you two have this one figured out.  Just find the weapon and you've got
him."
 
            "To the bowling alley!"  Parker mock shouted and marched out
the door.
 
            Nat looked at Tracy, "Well, he's sure enthusiastic."
 
            "He sure is," Tracy nodded, before giving Nat a beseeching
look, "You think he'll calm down soon?"
 
             "We can only hope."  Nat laughed,  "Now, off to the bowling
alley with you!"
 
            Tracy groaned and trudged after her partner.
 
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
            After their group dispersed, Nick slipped out the door after
Spencer.  He found him minutes later in a phone booth.
 
"Hi, Stu... Yeah, it's me.  Yeah, I was there... Yeah, they hauled my ass
in for questioning... Yeah, I told them everything--nah, I didn't tell
them squat."  Spencer laughed into the receiver,  "Look, don't worry.
You know.  Everything's going on the way it was.  Business as usual.  We
just stay in the pipeline with J.T.'s people.  Look, don't sweat it."
 
Spencer hung up the phone.  And, hearing a noise behind him, grabbed his
gun and whirled around.  "Whoa Knight!"  He calmed slightly and  put away
his gun, "You startled me.  I was just reassuring my people.  They tend
to get a bit nervous."
 
"Yeah, there's a lot of that going around."  Nick stepped closer, "People
with a guilty conscience. They tend to get nervous."
 
"Yeah." Spencer stepped out of the phone booth and pulled out a hip
flask.  He took a drink before silently offering Nick one.  The detective
didn't respond at all. Bruce went on, uncomfortable now,  "Look, I'm
just, uh, tying up this, uh, drug case.  This bust.  I was thinking, I
might need some back up.  Maybe Schanke and you want to get in on it?"
 
Nick snorted and walked away.
 
"Hell, it's gonna be a good arrest.  Plenty of credit to go around.
Commendations." Spencer called after him.
 
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
            Early the next morning, Tracy was headed out of the precinct
and straight to her car.  It'd been a long night, but a good one.  They'd
found the weapon, made the arrest.  Now it was all up to the courts.
Tracy smiled, Cohen had even said she was proud of them.
 
            Tracy yawned as she slipped behind the wheel, then tensed.
Someone was in the backseat.  She went for her gun.
 
            "Hey, hey, hey--just me."  Spencer put a hand on her arm.
 
"What the hell are you doing?"  Tracy yelled, not quite over her fright.
 
"I didn't want anybody to see us together.  Look, Button, I need your
help."
 
"Don't call me that... "  Tracy growled at the childhood nickname, then
softened,  "What kind of help?"
 
"I want you to get Knight off me.  He's in your department, even used to
be your partner, right?"  He waited for her to nod.  "He's trying to set
me up for something."
 
"No, he's not."  Tracy shook her head, sure he wasn't.
 
"Look, he might be some kind of hero to you, but to me he's putting my
life in jeopardy."  Bruce told her.
 
"He's investigating a murder case.  That's all."
 
"That has nothing to do with me.  I'm this close to bringing down a whole
drug cartel."  Bruce leaned in, giving her his best 'lost little boy'
look, "Look, you get him off me, and I'll write you into the report.
Your dad would like that. "
 
That was the wrong thing to say, "If I impress my father, it'll be
because of something I've done, thank you."
 
"But you will talk to Knight?"
 
"Yeah."  She said, resigned.
 
"Thanks, Button.  Nice to have friends."  He smiled, waiting for her to
answer.  She didn't even look at him and, after a moment, he slipped out
of the car.
 
Tracy watched him leave, a thoughtful expression on her face.
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
            The next night Tracy didn't have to find Nick, he found her.
 
 
            "Look... About your friend, Bruce."  Nick led her into an
empty interrogation room.
 
"Nick, I'm sorry."  She began, "He's just been such a big part of my life
for so long, ya know?  And the cases he's cracked…  My dad love him like
a son."
 
"But your dad's been covering for him since the beginning,"
 
"What covering?"  Tracy began to get angry, "You never let up, do you?
Just because he was wrong about the J.T. thing.  About him being the
rapist doesn't mean you question everything that he does.  Everybody
makes mistakes.  Even you."
 
"When you were assigned as my partner, I didn't like it.  I didn't want
another partner while Schanke was gone.  But I was wrong."  He tried to
sooth her, "Now, listen.  Just listen.  You're a good cop.  You've got
good instincts.  All I'm asking you to do is to step back.  Your friend,
Bruce--look at him, not like a friend, but like a good cop."
 
"I have.  I am."  Tracy looked unsure, "About... What you said about my
dad covering for him.  Covering what?"
 
"There have been reports of excessive force." Nick sighed.
 
Tracy shook her head, "He's not like that. I've heard him and my dad
talking late at night about their... I thought they were comparing
notes... Criminals... Cases.... I hate this.  You don't know what it's
like to doubt someone you've trusted all your life!"
 
"I could be wrong," Nick put a hand on her shoulder, "But I don't think
so."
 
Tracy frowned.
 
"Look, trust your own judgment, " Nick told her, "Just make sure your
eyes are open enough to make the call."
 
Tracy watched him walk off, thinking.  Well, she didn't have a new case
yet…  She pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number, "Midge in
dispatch, please," She waited while she was connected, "Midget, Trace,
listen, I need a favor…"
 
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
            Across town Spencer picked a lock and entered an apartment,
he quickly drew his gun.   A woman came out of the bedroom, and as she
walked past, Bruce grabbed her by the hair.  "Shh.  Shut up.  Shut up.
Or I'll splatter your ass all over that fancy couch."
 
He flung her down on the leather couch.  She tried to scramble away, but
froze as he wove his revolver in her face.
 
"Your name is Vicki, right?  Well, Vicki, you and I are going to have a
little talk.  Confirm a few things.  There's a container ship coming up
from Quebec City.  Laptop computers. The guts are ripped out, and inside
are little white packages. Does that sound about right?"
 
"I don't know anything about any shipment." Vicki stammered.
 
"Wrong answer, Vicki."  He drew his hand back to backhand her across the
face, then froze as a pistol barrel was pressed to the back of his neck.
 
"Don't even think about it."  Tracy ground out slowly.  She'd taken
Nick's words to heart and decided to find out for herself if what they
said about Bruce was true.  Calling in a few favors, she'd found out
where he was headed.  She watched him turn and look at her, "Hi Bruce."
 
Minutes later, Bruce had retreated to a corner of the room as Tracy
talked to Vicki.  "You can press charges against him."
 
Vicki shook her head quickly.
 
"I didn't hurt her."  Bruce called out impatiently.
 
"Shut up, Bruce."  She turned back to Vicki, who was still shaking her
head,  "Are you sure?"
 
"Just get him out of here."  Vicki begged.
 
" All right."  Tracy stood and handed Vicki a business card,  "Give me a
call if you change your mind."  She turned to Bruce, "Let's go."
 
Bruce followed Tracy's rigid form down the stairs and onto the street,
"Look, she's connected to the importer I was after.  I was just going to
scare her."
 
"Everything they said about you is true." Tracy was furious, with Bruce
as well as with herself.  How could she not have seen it?
 
"Wow, Knight's been working over time turning you against me."  Bruce
accused.
 
"Nick has nothing to do with this."  Tracy growled.
 
"Oh, yeah? Then why were you following me?"
 
Tracy stopped walking and whirled to confront him.  "Because I wanted to
prove to myself that you weren't what they said you were. That everything
people were saying about you was a lie."
 
"What?  That I've got the best arrest in the department?  That I've taken
down more bad guys than anyone else."
 
"No."  Tracy swallowed, "The part about the violence." And with that, she
turned her back on him and continued walking.
 
"Look, you work on the street.  You know what it is."  Bruce followed
after her.
 
"Yeah, I do.  And it's not what you say it is."
 
"Is this the part where I'm supposed to confess that I've slapped around
some street trash?  That I've been a bad boy?  Look, you've got to be
tough.  That's what the trash knows.  It's what they respect."  Bruce
told her.
 
"No, it's not. It's what they get."  She said softly.
 
"Look, I... "  Bruce started, then gave up and walked off in another
direction.
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
Loose Cannon:
An Alternate 3rd Season Story
Part 6/7
By: Cousin Mary
 
 
            At the morgue, Nat looked at something under the microscope
while she talked to Nick.  "We ran a full tox screen on that semen sample
from Cass Purcell's body.  Your rapist is a sick man."
 
"For that I need a lab report?"  Nick raised a brow.
 
"I don't mean just mentally."  Nat moved the slide, "He's physically ill.
The screen turned up strychnine in substantial amounts."
 
"Strychnine?"  Nick frowned, leaving Nat to her work and heading back to
the precinct.  In the precinct parking lot he found an obviously troubled
Tracy just sitting in her car.    "You okay?"
 
"Yeah, I guess," She shrugged, looking up as he climbed into her
passenger seat, "You wanna go somewhere or something?  What about
Schanke?"
 
"Well, Natalie found strychnine in the samples from Cass Purcell. "  Nick
fastened his seatbelt, "And Schanke called in tonight."
 
"Strychnine's a poison."  Tracy frowned, confused.
 
"Some heavy users cut their drugs with it."  He explained, "Makes their
heart rate race.  Gives them a bigger, faster rush.  Sounds like our
rapist did tweakers cut with strychnine while he was having sex."
 
"Okay, so he's got a history of drug abuse, as well as violence during
sex."  Tracy started her car and waited for Nick to tell her where they
were going.
 
"Which means he sees a special kind of girl."  Nick then rattled off
directions to a part of town Tracy had rarely seen.  Minutes later she
eased her Taurus down a street populated by the sleaziest looking hookers
she'd ever seen.
 
"Pull over here," Nick pointed, having Tracy pull up next to a hooker
clad in a purple leather minidress and thigh-high boots.
 
"I didn't say a word."  The hooker sneered at them.
 
"Nobody said you did."  Nick nodded.
 
"You can't bust me if I didn't say anything."
 
"You're right."  Nick smiled pleasantly.
 
"Hey, are you looking for something, cop?"  She slipped down her
sunglasses, then let her voice turn sultry, "Or you just... looking?"
 
"You come across anyone who's into sharps?"  He asked her.
 
"Well, if they like leather, they tend to like sharps."  She gestured at
her dress.
 
"Well, that's why we're talking." Nick said, ignoring the way Tracy
openly stared at them both from behind the wheel.
 
"I thought you loved me for myself."  The hooker grinned.
 
"Let's take it one step further. "  Nick smiled back.
 
"Oooh, an adventurer."  The hooker straightened her dress, she looked
past Nick at Tracy, "Your girlfriend too?  Or she just gonna watch?"
 
"Not for us, not tonight," He almost laughed at Tracy's sharp breath,
then turned his attention back to the hooker, "The guy were looking for
is also into strychnine."
 
"Oh, he likes to up the kinks, huh?"
 
"Sound familiar?"  Nick pressed.
 
"Hey, do I look nuts, honey?"  She asked.
 
"No, but maybe some of your associates aren't so cautious."
 
"Yeah, yeah, there are a couple girls into the heavy stuff."  She nodded.
"Anne.  And Lisa."
 
"Where can we find them?" Nick asked.
 
The hooker rattled off some addresses in the Paine Towers.  Nick thanked
her and slipped her some money.  After they pulled away, that same hooker
was approached on foot by someone.
 
"Hey baby."
 
She rolled her eyes, "What do you want Bruce?"
 
"Whatever those guys wanted to know, I wanna know."
 
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
            At the precinct, Parker sat behind his desk, alphabetizing
Tracy's rolodex.
 
            "Hey kid," Schanke walked in, blowing his nose loudly into a
red handkerchief.  "What ya up to?"
 
            "Detective," Parker looked up, "I thought you called in."
 
            "Did," The red nosed lawman waved the file in his other hand,
"Just dropping this baby off, then it's back to bed soup and chicken
rest."
 
            "Yeah, well, I'm-" Parker gestured at his empty desk, then at
his partner's empty chair, "Not doing much myself."
 
            "Tracy call in too?"  Schanke asked, "Geez, hope I didn't get
her sick."
 
            "Uh, no," Parker looked back at the rolodex, flipping it
absently, "She phoned a bit ago, she's following a lead…"
 
            "And lemme guess," Schanke sat down across from the 96th's
newest, "She didn't bother to tell you what it's about, or to bring you
along."  He laughed humorlessly, "Gotta say, ol' Nicky boy rubbed off on
her quick."
 
            "Detective Knight does that a lot?"  Parker asked.  "Doesn't
it, you know, make you mad?"
 
            "Eh," Schanke shrugged, "What ya gonna do?"
 
            "Doesn't seem right," Parker frowned.  "I mean, what if she
gets into trouble or something?"
 
            "Ha!"  Schanke snorted, "If she's anything like Nick, she'll
get in trouble –a lot-."  He leaned forward, "Next time you see her, let
her know what you think.  I say lay down the law kid!  Don't let her
become another Nick Knight, God knows this place can't stand more than
one."
 
            Parker nodded, "Yeah, I think I will!"
 
            "Good man!"  Schanke grinned and climbed to feet.  He clapped
the younger detective on the back as he walked past him to the file room.
"You'll see," He called out over his shoulder, "It'll make you better
partners."  He continued walking, muttering to himself, "Same here.  Next
time I see Nick he'll be getting a piece of the mind o' Schanke!"
 
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
Loose Cannon:
An Alternate 3rd Season Story
Part 7/7
By: Cousin Mary
 
 
            Across town, in apartment 1605.  A blonde all decked out in
dominatrix gear, lounged on a fur-covered couch, talking on the phone.
 
            "You've been a bad little boy... Umhm... And you know what
mummy has to do to bad little boys, huh?... That's right--you have been a
bad little boy.... "  She cooed into the phone.  She heard the latch lift
on her door and turned to watch Spencer enter.  She sighed,  "Mummy's got
to hang up now...  Look, if you don't hang up, Mummy's never gonna spank
you again."
 
Bruce grabbed the phone away from her and hung it up.  "Office hours are
eight to four."
 
"Get the hell out of here, Spencer.  You just crashed my best customer."
She was clearly annoyed.
 
"What?"  He sneered, "Twenty bucks a minute?  What do you care, Anne?"
He grabbed her, pinning her to the couch with an arm around her
throat.
 
"Hey—" She started to protest, then gave up with a shrug.
 
"Where is he?"  He demanded.
 
"I don't know."
 
"You don't know?"  His eyebrow rose.
 
"Uh uh."
 
"You don't know?" He asked again.
 
"Uh uh."  Anne seemed more amused than frightened.
 
"Don't play games."  He warned.
 
"Honey, you couldn't afford my games."  She grinned, "You got a warrant?"
 
"Yeah."  He showed her his revolver.  "Now, where is he?"
 
"I told you, I don't know."  She said insolently, "What are you gonna do?
Beat it out of me?"
 
The irony of the comment struck both of them, and they grinned in mutual
understanding.   Suddenly, they were interrupted by a man walking out of
the bedroom, only partially dressed.  Bruce jumped up and turned his gun
on him.  "Stu, son of a bitch."
 
Stu turned to Anne,  "You know this guy?"
 
"Yeah," Anne shrugged, "he's a cop."
 
"Man!"  Stu let loose a string of curses.
 
"You killed Cass," Bruce took aim, "And now you're gonna die."
 
Stu was clearly jittery and tense.  "Hey wait, wait.  Hold on.  It was an
accident, man.  Okay?  She started to fight with me.  I didn't know what
the hell else I was gonna do.  I couldn't help it."
 
Seeing an opportunity to get out of there, Anne headed for the door.
Bruce glanced at her over his shoulder, and Stu used that second to grab
a near by vase and smash it over the cop's head.
 
"You're getting soft, Bruce.  Bad news for an undercover cop."  Stu said
triumphantly as he watched him slump to the floor.  He then drew out a
straight razor and edged closer.  "At least he used to be."
 
"What the hell are you gonna do to him?" Anne's eyes went wide.
 
"Just what he deserves."  Stu answered.
 
Anne grabbed his arm, trying to stop him, but he turned on her, shoving
her back against the wall.  He held the razor up to her throat.
 
"Stu!  Stu, wait.  Don't do this!"  Anne started to blubber as he moved
the blade across her face.  He wasn't cutting her, but she could feel the
cold metal.  "Stu, for God's sake, don't kill me.  Stu!  Stu, please!
Don't!"
 
 
 
            In the hall outside, Tracy and Nick could hear the commotion
coming from the apartment.  They hurried towards it.  Tracy reached the
door first and kicked it open, lunging in with her gun ready.
 
            Unfortunately, Stu was behind the door and leapt at her.
Before she could blink, he had the razor up to her neck.  "Drop the gun!
Drop it!"
 
Nick burst into the room, gun drawn too, but found Stu had Tracy
positioned as a human shield.  There was no way to take him out without
hitting Tracy.
 
"All right, you want me to give blondie here a little happy face?"  Stu
sneered at Nick, "You keep coming, cowboy.  Come on."
 
Nick backed off and put his gun away.  "No.  No one's going to die here."
 
"Yeah?" Stu looked at Tracy speculatively, pressing the blade just a
little harder.
 
"Just put the knife away."  Nick held his hands up to show he wasn't
planning anything.
 
With Stu momentarily distracted by Nick, Tracy twisted, freeing herself
and grabbing Stu's wrist, knocking away the blade and smacking him into
the wall.  Nick dove forward and punched him.  By the time Stu hit the
floor, Nick already had the cuffs half on him.  Nick finished up, then
went over to Tracy, who was rubbing the paper cut deep slice on her
collarbone,  "You okay?"
 
While the detectives were distracted with each other, Bruce snuck over to
Stu, who was still sprawled on the floor.  He pointed his revolver at
Stu's forehead, his hand is trembling.
 
"Don't shoot."  Stu panicked, then screamed at Nick and Tracy, "You just
gonna let him shoot me?  You gonna do something?"
 
"Bruce!"  Tracy yelled, then her voice softened as she tried to calm him,
"Bruce, don't do it.  We'll take it from here."
 
Bruce looked at her, there was blood running down his face from where Stu
had hit him.  He seemed uncertain and on the edge of pulling the trigger.
After a long moment though, he relaxed his grip on the trigger and
straightened up.  He looked back down at Stu, "Get up.  You're under
arrest for the murder of Cass Purcell."
 
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
Later that night, Nick stood before Cohen in her office.  The Captain was
reading a report while Nick fidgeted by the door.  Finally, after what
seemed like forever, she looked up, "Good work Detective.  Looks like you
were right about Spenser."
 
"Yeah."  Nick nodded, knowing there was more coming.  And that he
wouldn't like the 'more.'
 
"Now," Cohen began, "About Tracy-"
 
"Listen Captain," Nick jumped in, "I knew I shouldn't have brought her
along, it wasn't her case and-"
 
Cohen held up a hand, "Spare me Knight.  Look, I know you were trying to
help Tracy by showing her she was wrong about Bruce, but you have to
remember there are boundaries.  It was wrong to take Tracy along since it
wasn't her case, but it was also wrong for Schanke and Parker.  Did you
think about that?"
 
At Nick's confused look she continued, "Schanke is your partner and
Parker is Tracy's.  Remember that.  It just hurts both your partnerships
to go running off with someone else."
 
"Captain, I-"
 
"Let me finish Knight."  Cohen closed the file on her desk, "I know you
see yourself in Tracy, and you should, you two are a lot alike.  And
that's exactly why you are not partnered together. "  She looked at him
speculatively, "Unless… do you want to put in for a change?"
 
Nick's eyes widened, "No!  I mean, no, Captain.  I understand, I wasn't
trying to-"
 
"Yes, yes," She nodded, "That's all right detective.  Just keep that in
mind and we won't have to have this conversation again.  You can go."
 
Nick nodded and quickly slipped out the door.  He spotted Tracy by the
water cooler and went to her.  She looked grim and tired.
 
"I'm sorry about this."  Nick poured her a cup of water and handed it to
her.
 
"For the water?  You shouldn't be."  She looked momentarily confused,
then smiled to show she was only joking.  She sighed, "So am I."
 
"But it's the only way it can work."
 
"Yeah."  Tracy nodded, sipping her water as Nick went back to his desk to
fill out some paperwork.
 
She tossed her empty paper cup in the trash and headed downstairs to the
lock up.  She walked down the long corridor until she came to Bruce's
holding cell.  Peeking in the window, she cringed to see her childhood
hero dressed in an orange jumpsuit, looking beaten and broken.
 
"Hi."  He didn't even look at her as she walked in.
 
Tracy pasted on a determined, cheerful grin, "Your importer's girlfriend,
Vicki, gave us the final piece of the puzzle. The raid was perfect. Took
everybody down.  All the way to the top."
 
"Good."
 
She waited a minute to see if he'd say anything else, but when he didn't,
she sighed and let the fa?ade drop, "They're going to charge you with the
murder of J.T. Gary."
 
"I figured that."
 
"I'm sorry."  She muttered, getting a little closer.
 
Bruce still didn't look at her, "Me, too. "
 
After a moment, Tracy gave up and turned for the door.
 
"You were wrong."  Bruce said.
 
"What?"  She turned back as Bruce finally stood up to face her.
 
"You were wrong.  I should've killed Stu when I had the chance.
Sometimes you have to dance heavy.  Use a little force. "  He sighed,
"Instead I played it your way.  You almost got killed."
 
"Nick was there."  She pointed out.
 
"Yeah, but he won't always be."  His mouth hardened.  "Look, the bad guys
won tonight.  I'm in here. They're still out there. "
 
She turned to leave again, but his next words stopped her.
 
"You and Nick play by the rules, you get eaten up.  Maybe what I do is
outside the law, but-" He broke off and laughed, "it's justice."
 
"No, it's murder."  And with that, she left.
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I live for feedback, tell me what you think.  Should I continue the
series? anteros@juno.com