Part 7 Scene 26
Kermit had decided to stay with Donny just in case extra security was needed. Lo Si left the ex-mercenary in the living room with the injured man, who was asleep on the couch.
The oldest Shaolin moved to the meditation room, in desperate need of calming. He settled his old bones onto the mat and brought his body into a half-lotus position. He was not sure that he had ever felt as weary as he felt at this very moment.
The Ancient had seen a lot over the years. He had lived through great joy and great tragedy. Peter's anger today, however, made the happy times seem like distant memories. Tragedy was the only thing that was fresh in his mind. Tragedy which began twenty years before, memories which should have been long forgotten, were given new life.
He closed his eyes and a tear squeezed out the corner. "I am sorry. I did what had to be done. What was required."
"I know." Caine's voice penetrated his thoughts.
"Ah, my friend, you are here."
"I felt your pain."
"I have told Peter."
"I know. I have felt his pain, as well." Caine was silent for a moment. Then he continued. "He is angry. He feels he has been betrayed."
Lo Si's heart sank. "He has."
"There was a lie, but never a betrayal," Caine corrected. "Betrayal implies treachery and disloyalty. What you did you did out of loyalty, out of love. There was," Caine paused and then corrected the thought, "-- is no better reason. You have never stepped off the path of light with your actions."
Lo Si shook his head. "Peter does not agree."
"Peter will understand, in time. He needs to see that sometimes one has to make unfavorable decisions in order to protect the greater good."
"Did you understand?" Lo Si asked his fellow Shambhala master.
Caine was silent. The Ancient began to think that the connection had been broken. Then Caine's voice played in his mind. "The father in me was angry. Years with my son were taken away from me that could never be replaced. But I did. . .I do understand." There was another period of silence. "I am thankful that I have never had to face the decision that you were forced to make."
"Your son is now faced with the same decision."
Caine was perplexed. "What has happened?"
"Your son must perpetuate a lie which will cause an extraordinary amount of pain to those he loves."
"The choice that I have never had to make is now faced by him?"
"Yes, my friend." Lo Si shook his head. "And I am afraid that the timing of my revelation will make his decision more difficult to live with."
==========================
Part 7 Scene 27
Kermit watched the elderly man leave the room. It was clear that the Ancient was disturbed and not just by the events involving Donny. What ever was bothering him involved Peter, and if it involved Peter, it involved Kermit as well. It was only one short week ago that he had promised Caine that he would watch Peter's back.
Kermit listened for sounds coming from the other room, but there were none. The flicker of candlelight reflecting on the wall was the only indication that Lo Si was meditating. The ex-mercenary pulled out his cell phone and called into the precinct. He glanced at his watch. It was almost 11:00. Taking a chance that she would still be in the office, he asked for Karen's extension. The phone was answered on the second ring.
"Simms."
"Captain, you're working late."
"I was just getting ready to call you."
"What's up?"
"I have a name to go with the sketch of the cop. Rocky Bradford. He's a patrolman with the 89th. His Captain is out of town but I left word to have him call me in the morning. I want to know all about our Officer Bradford."
"Does anyone know where he is?"
"No. And I don't want to do anything to alert him that we know his identity."
"We need to. . ." Kermit began, but was cut off when Simms suddenly interrupted him.
"Hang on." She put him on hold without further explanation. After a few seconds of silence, Karen finally returned to the line. "We may have a problem."
"What?"
"Nicky Elder just called. One of his staff had an Officer Bradford come in to view Donny's body."
"What?" Kermit exclaimed.
"Apparently there was confusion about Nicky's instructions. He had told his staff that no one was allowed to view the body. The officer came in and said that he needed to see the body as part of the investigation. They didn't let him near it."
"So what's the problem?" Kermit asked, suspicious about what Karen was not saying.
"He asked to see the personal belongings. . .clothes, jewelry. . ."
"And?"
"And what little was left they let him see."
"What was left?"
"A Rolex watch, a diamond ring, Armani shoes and a few scraps of clothing."
"Enough that if our cop knows Donny he would know the body wasn't Donny's,"
Kermit commented flatly.
"Exactly." Karen sighed. "You'd better find Lula and bring her in. They'll go after her first."
===========================
Part 7 Scene 28
Peter turned away from Lula, knowing that he didn't stand a chance of telling a convincing lie, especially one of this magnitude if he had to face the woman.
"I. . .I found Donny at my father's place. He was trying to escape from the men who were chasing him." Lula walked around Peter as he was talking so as to face him again. Peter attempted to avoid her gaze by turning around again. Lula wouldn't let him. She held him in place with a firm hand on his arm.
"What did they do?" The tears were streaming down her face, her pain evident in her words.
"They threw grenades at us. . .there was an explosion." Peter paused, taking a deep breath, steadying himself for the lie. He closed his eyes in a last desperate attempt to avoid her piercing gaze. "He was killed." The words were a forced whisper.
"I wanna see him," the woman insisted.
"See him?"
"Yeah. He's my husband. I have a right to see him," Lula straightened her posture, putting on a brave front.
"No, Lula. That's not a good idea."
"Look, either you take me there to see him or I'm goin' on my own. Either way, I wanna see my Donny."
Peter's eyes grew wide. "No. He's. . .No."
Lula stared into Peter's hazel eyes. For a long time she said nothing. Then she shook her head. "You ain't tellin' me everything. I can see it in your face. You got that same look that Donny gets when he's scammin' me."
Peter tried to turn away, but the woman's hands moved to his face holding it in place. "Tell me the truth. I want to know what's goin' on and I want to know now." The woman's hands flew to his shirt, grasping it tightly, her voice rising to a scream. The intensity of her actions took Peter by surprise and he stepped back, but she didn't let go. "Tell me!"
"Lula, there's nothing more to say. Donny's dead. . ." Peter started to lie once again. Then his voice caught in his throat. Without realizing it, Lo Si's words entered into his mind. "In life there are choices which must be made, choices between life and death. . .choices between the future and the past. . .choices between hope and despair."
Lula watched the man standing before her. She saw pain fill his eyes. He then muttered, "The end justifies the means."
"What?" Lula frowned.
Peter shook his head. "No. It doesn't. There are boundaries."
Lula, who still held tightly to the shirt, shook the man. "What are you mumblin' about?"
Peter, still lost in thought, murmured, "It can't happen again. I won't let it happen again."
Lula saw the flash of anger in the hazel eyes. "Peter, what are you sayin'?"
Peter said nothing. Lula's eyes narrowed and then widened. "He's al. . ." she started to exclaim, but Peter's hand flew over her mouth. With the other he held his finger to his lips, motioning for silence.
"Okay. . .we need to get out of here."
"Where we goin'?" Lula said loudly.
"Some place we can talk," Peter whispered.
"We're talkin' here." Lula argued impatiently. Peter cringed. The woman continued to rant. "You'd better not be scammin' me."
"I'm not. Come on. Let's get out of here." Peter grabbed his jacket and helped Lula on with hers, and then pulled her to the door.
He raised a finger to his lips, once again. "Shush." He then led her into the hallway and shut her apartment door behind them. "This place is being watched. It's probably bugged as well," Peter whispered in her ear.
"What?!?" Lula exclaimed with a shout. "They bugged my apartment? They could hear what Donny and me were doin' in there?"
"They probably didn't bug it until they visited you yesterday."
"That's a relief," the woman sighed. "Some things are private."
Peter smiled at Lula's concern. He led the woman down to the street and to the parking lot where her beat up Chevy was sitting. He yanked the car keys from her hand and held the passenger door open for the woman. She gave him a disapproving look. "Hey, this is my car. I'll drive."
"Not this time."
Miffed, the woman slid into the passenger side of the vehicle and crossed her arms in front of her in defiance. Peter slammed the door shut and looked out into the night, trying to determine whether Lula was still under surveillance. His mind brushed against something dark and foreboding but he could not determine what or who it was. He could only assume the worst: Donny's wife was still being watched.
=============================
Part 7 Scene 29
"Damn it," Kermit ranted as he hung up the phone. The news provided by Karen Simms was infuriating. This plan to save Donny and Lula was all they had. If the assassins had reason to believe that Donny was alive, the variables of the case would change dramatically. In all likelihood, their assassination plans would be altered and they would strike somewhere else. Donny would still be a target, as would his wife.
"Something is wrong?" Lo Si said as he entered the living room.
"The men after Donny may know that he's alive."
"What?" Donny exclaimed from his position on the couch.
Kermit turned to the snitch. "The cop that you identified went to the M.E.'s office and asked to see your personal belongings. He probably knows enough about you to know that you don't wear Armani shoes."
"Whose shoes?" Donny tilted his head in curiosity.
"Never mind," Kermit responded flatly.
"They know he is alive, but they do not know where he is," Lo Si concluded.
Kermit agreed with the old man. "No, they don't. But that brings up another problem."
Donny stood suddenly, ignoring the pain and slight dizziness. "Lula?"
"Oh yeah."
Kermit cleared the number on his cell phone and dialed Peter's phone. On the first ring Peter answered, "Caine."
"It's me. We have problems."
"What?"
"The cop's name is Bradford, Rocky Bradford. You know him?"
"Uh, yeah. He's. . .he's an officer out of the 89th. I've seen him at the range a couple of times."
"Well, he's our man. No time to go into details, but it's possible that our plan has gone up in smoke."
"He knows about Donny?"
"Probably. There's no way of knowing for sure. You need to get to Lula, just in case."
Peter smiled. "Already done."
"Then get out of the apartment. They'll go after her first if they suspect she can lead them to Donny."
"Already done," Peter repeated.
This time it was Kermit's turn to smile. "What are you up to?"
Peter was silent. He couldn't tell Kermit that he had lost the heart to maintain the lie. "I'm taking Lula somewhere safe, just like you talked about."
Kermit's suspicions were aroused. "Why? What's happened?"
Peter ignored the man. "I've gotta go, Kermit."
"Peter, what's going on?" The question was met with silence. "Where are you going?"
"To my Dad's place."
"Not a smart move, kid. They've been there once. They'll look there again."
"I. . .I need to go there. It's personal, Kermit." He couldn't tell his friend that he really needed his father and being at the loft was the closest thing he had.
The older man sighed. "In an operation, nothing's personal, Peter. You know that."
"This is different, Kermit. I've gotta go," Peter repeated, disconnecting the call.
Kermit stared at the useless phone. "Damn, kid. I hope you know what you're doing."
================================
Part 7 Scene 30
Peter disconnected the phone. He checked the battery power and sighed. As if on cue, the phone beeped at him, indicating the power was depleted. He grimaced and slammed it shut, pushing it into his pocket. He glanced in the rearview mirror, but found no sign that the car was being tailed.
"What was that all about?" Lula demanded.
"I'll tell you later."
"You'll tell me now."
"Lula, please. When we get to my Dad's place, we can talk about this."
"Peter Caine, I want the truth and I want it now or I'm openin' up this car door and gettin' out of this car right now."
"Lula. . ." Peter tried to stall and then the woman opened the passenger door. "Don't!"
"I'm leavin' now!" Lula screamed.
"Donny's alive!" Peter yelled.
The door was closed without hesitation. "What?" the woman responded, stunned. "You were lyin'?"
Peter pulled the car over to the side of the road. "Yes. I had to, Lula. There was a reason."
The woman's face turned red and she reached across the seat and grabbed the man by the jacket lapels and roughly shook him. "You bastard! You lied to me!"
Peter tried to pull her hands down. "I'm sorry, Lula."
"You're sorry? You tell me my Donny's dead and then you tell me you're sorry?" She released him and exited the car, slamming the door behind her.
Peter climbed out from the driver's side, following her. "There was a reason."
She spun on him. "What?"
"We did it because we thought it would be a way to save Donny and you."
"How in hell could you think this was the right thing to do?"
"I. . .I. . ." Peter stuttered. He swallowed deeply. "We thought that the men after Donny would try to use you to get to him. If you thought he was dead. . .if we acted as if he were dead, they would have no reason to come after either of you."
"And my Donny agreed to this. . .I'll kill the little weasel!"
"No. . .he didn't. He didn't want to do this at all. He knew how much it would hurt you."
Lula straightened up, crossing her arms in front of her, seeming to be satisfied with that revelation. She then narrowed her gaze. "Then whose idea was it?"
Peter looked down. "Mine."
"Do you know what you put me through? Do you?" She leaned forward and hit the man on the arm. The contact jarred his right wrist, shooting pain through his fingers, but it didn't matter. The emotional conflict within superseded all physical discomfort.
"Yes," he whispered.
"What?" She couldn't believe what she heard.
"Yes, I do know. I know it all too well." Peter turned away so that she couldn't see the tears in his eyes. "I know the pain. The agony that you went through today. . .I lived it for half my life."
Lula took a step toward the man and then turned him toward her. "What are you saying?"
"I was lied to. I had my father taken away from me because of a damn lie. . .because someone thought he was protecting me from a greater harm." Peter brought his hands to his face, his fingers pressed into his closed eyelids. "He made a decision about my future that changed my whole life. And then he had the gall. . .the damned gall to continue the lie. Even after I found out what he had done in the past, he still lied. He made a fool of me." He turned away from the woman again.
Lula could see the man's shoulders shaking. He was crying. She didn't know what to do. She hated to see men cry. It just wasn't right. She put a hesitant hand on his arm. "I wanna see him."
"Lula. . .that's not a good idea." Peter pulled his hands from his eyes.
"Oh, I think it's a wonderful idea," a baritone voice said from behind the two. Lula's eyes grew wide and Peter spun around. He was so caught up in his own emotions he never felt the presence of another. Standing ten feet behind him, guns drawn and aimed at the ex-cop and the distraught woman, were Officer Rocky Bradford and three men in dark clothes.
==================================
Part 7 Scene 31
Kermit entered Caine's empty loft. It was dark; no candles were lit. Peter and Lula should have been there by now. He had spoken with Peter over twenty minutes ago. If Peter had been telling the truth, the two should have been here before him.
He pulled out the car phone and dialed Peter's number for a second time. Only this time the phone continued to ring. No one answered.
=================================
Part 7 Scene 32
"Officer Bradford, you're a little outside of your jurisdiction, aren't you?" Peter asked flatly as the uniformed man pulled out his handcuffs and fastened them on Peter's wrists roughly, causing pain to shoot up the ex-detective's arm. He brutally flung the Shaolin around and against the hood of Lula's car. Peter landed against it, his bruised ribs colliding with the hood. He couldn't suppress a groan.
Bradford laughed cruelly. "Yep. Heard you're a priest now, Caine. Guess that means I don't have much to worry about."
Peter flung his booted foot backward in a reverse kick and connected with the cop's sternum, knocking the air out of the man. Bradford collapsed onto the ground.
"I don't think so!" one of his cohorts shouted. Peter spun around and saw Lula being held in his grasp, gun to her side.
Peter held back. Bradford climbed to his feet and straightened up, breathing deeply and rubbing at his bruised chest. "Gee. . .is that any way for a priest to act?" The man pulled out his nightstick and swung it around. It connected against Peter's already sore ribs, dropping him to his knees. His vision was clouded with the pain.
"Pete!" Lula screamed. She tried to run forward but was held fast by the man holding her at his side. "Let go of me!" she yelled as she struggled in the grip.
Bradford kneeled down next to Peter, grabbed the Shaolin by the hair and lifted his head. "Where's Donny?"
Peter said nothing. With the pain mounting in his side, he wasn't sure he could have answered the question, even if he so wanted. Bradford shook his head in disappointment. He lifted the nightstick again and pressed the end into the handcuffed man's already bruised neck. "We know he's alive. I wasn't sure before, but now. . ." The man paused and shook his head, "You blew it, Caine. You really should make sure you aren't being monitored before telling your secrets."
Peter said nothing, but frowned. The cop smiled. "How did we know? Parabolic microphone. . .a tracker on the car. It doesn't take much. Now. . ." The man walked behind Peter, bringing the nightstick horizontally under Peter's chin, grabbing the other end and pulling up, choking the handcuffed man. Peter wanted to defend himself, take some action against the dirty cop, but with Lula being held prisoner any action would be deadly. Peter gasped for air and tried to raise his body to relieve the pressure against his throat and take a needed breath, but the cop kept pulling upwards as well. "Where is Donny?"
"Stop!" Lula screamed. "I'll. . .I'll take you to him."
Bradford didn't let up the pressure. Instead, he laughed at the woman. "Nice try. You are as dumb as you look. Apparently you don't understand English. We heard you earlier. You don't know where Donny is. Only he does. And he's going to take us to him." The cop nodded to the man guarding Donny's wife and the gun aimed at her was cocked. The muzzle was then raised to the woman's temple.
"Okay. . .that's enough," Peter gasped out, the nightstick still pressed against his Adam's apple. "I'll take you to him."
"Harrison, Nelson, put her in the van," Bradford said to the men as he removed the nightstick from Peter's neck. "He'll come with me." He pulled Peter to his feet by his fastened arms. "If you try anything, Caine, my friend will make sure that Donny becomes a widower."
Lula was dragged away from Peter towards a black van at the corner. "Get your hands off me, you bastard," she yelled. The man kept his gun pushed into her side, ignoring her remarks.
"Don't hurt her," Peter muttered to the cop.
"Then take us to her husband." The man pushed Peter to the third man. "Weathers, put him in the backseat and keep him company." The handcuffed man was pushed roughly into the squad car, Weathers sliding in beside him. "Where to, Caine?"
"He's at a friend's house in Chinatown," Peter responded, defeated. He leaned back in the car seat, ignoring the pressure on his manacled hands, the pain shooting up his injured wrist. Closing his eyes, he concentrated all of his efforts on contacting the one person who would be able to hear his thoughts. "Pop?" Nothing. "Pop, please, I need you." There was no response to his plea. His father was not there.
Peter felt a cloud of defeat settle over him. He had failed. He had promised to protect Donny and Lula and his incompetence would now result in disaster.
"Peter?" the voice interrupted his thoughts. At first Peter assumed it was his father but then he realized that the presence in his mind was not the familiar chi of his parent. It was another.
"Lo Si?" his mind whispered.
"I am here. You need my help?"
Peter's first instinct was to lash out at the elderly man. Then he realized that Lo Si was correct. He did need the Ancient's help if he was going to save Donny and Lula.
"Yes. The men after Donny know the truth."
"I am prepared. Do not worry, young Peter." Lo Si's soft words spread warmth over Peter's body. Then the connection was broken.
"Lo Si?" Peter's thoughts shouted. "Lo Si?" he repeated after receiving no answer.
There was nothing. Suddenly pain exploded in his right cheek as Weather's gun connected with his cheekbone, opening a deep gash in the skin and causing blood to stream down the side of his face. The force of the blow caused Peter's head to bounce off the window of the door. Startled, Peter gasped out in pain and turned to the source of the assault.
The man sitting next to him gave him an evil smirk. "Next time we're talkin' to ya, pay attention."
"Where do I go?" Bradford asked from the driver's seat.
"You can go to. . ." Peter started to respond sarcastically, but the gun's muzzle was pressed into his temple, stopping the words. He wanted desperately to use his newly learned Shaolin powers and escape. It would be so easy, but with Lula held captive in the van, it would also result in her death.
"Turn left on Magnolia. At 121st , turn right, go two blocks. I'll tell you where to stop," Peter muttered, settling back into the seat once again.
Within minutes Peter had told Bradford where to park the van. Peter glanced up at the windows of the Ancient's apartment and could see the lights of the living room. It looked warm and inviting. Peter fought a surge of panic when he realized that he could have imagined Lo Si's communication and that the elderly Shambhala master might not be prepared for the impending assault.
The black van pulled in behind the patrol car. Bradford stepped out of the patrol car and walked back to the driver's side of the van. Peter concluded that he must have told his cohorts to stay with Lula because when the man sitting next to Peter opened the backseat door and climbed out, he dragged Peter out by the collar of his jacket. There was no movement from the van, however.
Peter, still handcuffed, looked back at the van. He strained to see some sign that Lula was all right, but he could see nothing. He closed his eyes and reached out to her but before he could concentrate on making contact, he was jerked around cruelly by the arm. "Take us to Donny."
Peter stifled the gasp of pain as knives shot up his wrist. "Okay. He's inside."
"How many are with him?"
"Just an elderly friend of mine," Peter revealed. He didn't know if Kermit was still with the Ancient, but there was no use in letting the men know of the mercenary's presence.
"Okay. We go up to the door. You do whatever you need to so that we can get inside and then we get Donny and leave. No one else has to get hurt," Bradford growled.
"Yeah, right. I'm supposed to buy that."
Bradford shrugged his shoulders and chuckled but said nothing as he pushed the Shaolin to the steps of the house. Weathers followed, gun trained on Peter's back.
They made their way to the Ancient's apartment. To Peter's surprise, the door was open. He could hear movement in the room, a shuffling sound. The three men moved inside and came face to face with Lo Si, who was moving from the buffet to the coffee table with a pot of tea.
"Good evening, Peter. Would you and your companions care for some tea?" the man asked innocently.
Peter was taken aback by Lo Si's actions. He had been expecting a sneak attack by the master, not some social gathering. Bradford frowned at Peter and Lo Si, "Where is he?"
Weathers pushed past the old man and searched the adjoining rooms. He returned to the living room, shaking his head.
"Where is he?" Bradford repeated with more force.
"Who?" Lo Si tilted his head.
"Donny Double D," Bradford shouted.
"Oh." Lo Si responded, but did not provide an answer.
Bradford, losing his patience, approached Peter, gun raised and pointed to a spot between the ex-cop's eyes. "Where is he?"
Peter shook his head, truly bewildered. "I don't know."
"He is here," Lo Si said from his position against the wall. Bradford turned to see Donny standing next to Lo Si, hands folded in front of him, a calm look on his face. Bradford raised the gun at Donny. Before he could say anything, Lo Si raised his hands and then whispered, "And he is here." A second form of Donny appeared on the opposite side of the room. Bradford and his men spun around in surprise. This time, Bradford aimed his gun and fired at Donny. But the bullet impacted with the wall, plaster bits falling to the floor.
"And he is here." Lo Si smiled and a third form of Donny appeared on the other side of the room, causing Bradford and his man to spin once again. Another bullet left Bradford's gun. It made contact with nothing but wall. Weathers fired, but his bullets also did nothing more than scatter chunks of white plaster and dust.
Bradford turned back to Lo Si and raised the gun at the old man. "What's going on?!" he shouted. Peter, realizing that Lo Si had things well under control, decided it was time to take matters into his own hands. Concentrating on the weapon, he sent his chi energy into the gun's butt, causing the handle to glow red with heat. Within moments, Bradford cried out in pain and dropped the gun. In the same moment, Peter kicked out at Weathers, knocking his weapon away. The man spun on Peter and aimed a round house kick to the handcuffed man's side, but Peter blocked the kick with his right leg, then spun around and connected a side kick to the man's chest, knocking him backwards. The man hit the wall, the wind knocked out of him, and then he collapsed on the floor.
Peter spun on Bradford, but found that Lo Si had the dirty cop well under control. He had his index finger pressed against a bone in the man's chest, and the man was lying on the floor, paralyzed in pain.
"Lula!" Peter shouted, realizing that the woman was still in trouble.
"Don't bother, kid. Already took care of that little problem." Kermit Griffin stepped into the room, Desert Eagle drawn.
"Get outta my way, you weasel!" Lula yelled at Kermit from behind as she pushed past the ex-mercenary and into the room.
"Where's my Donny?" she shouted at Peter and Lo Si.
"Lula!" came the familiar voice of Donny Double D from in the back room of the house. He ran into the living room, his eyes catching sight of the two bodies lying on the floor, and then he was tackled by his wife as she grabbed him in her arms and lifted him off the floor in her exuberance.
"Oh Donny! You're alive!" Lula shouted.
Peter smiled at the happy reunion and then realized that he was still trussed up. Closing his eyes he concentrated on the handcuffs securing his wrists. He focused every thought on the lock, knowing that if he could send just the right amount of chi energy to the device he would be able to free himself.
Suddenly, the cuffs fell off his wrists. Surprised, Peter spun around. He was just about to yell out, "I did it!," when he saw Kermit standing behind him, cuffs in one hand, key in the other.
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