Distant Cousins
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Shambhala
The rest of his breakfast forgotten, Kwai Chang Caine demanded, "What happened. Where is my son and cousin?"
Lo Si drew in a deep sigh. "Three days ago when you disappeared, Peter became worried, especially because he could not sense your presence and the fact that you were in danger, so he meditated to see if he could find the answer, but he could not. Your cousin went to the precinct to speak to Captain Simms and to Kermit about Bon Bon Hai. He stayed quite late going over police files about the Tiger. Everyone assumed he went back to his hotel room where he was staying. The next day, he did not show up to report in. Captain Simms even asked Peter if he had seen Henry Raphael McLean-Caine . . .
Captain Simms entered the Caine abode. She headed to the apothecary room and found Lo Si making tea.
"Good morning, Lo Si. Is Peter here?"
"He is meditating in his room. I will take you to him." . . .
"I lead Captain Simms to Peter. When we entered he had just risen from the floor. Their conversation was quite disturbing . . .
"Captain, may help you?" Peter asked.
"I'm looking for someone. I understand he's your cousin?" Captain Simms stated her voice a quiet whisper and yet, there was a hint of worry in her tone.
"Henry, yeah. He's really a distant cousin, but a cousin just the same."
"Is he here perchance . . ."
"No," Peter stated, his eyes narrowing as he observed the worried look on his former Captain's face increase. "Captain, has something happened?"
"Your cousin came into the precinct yesterday to check in. He stayed pretty late going over Bon Bon Hai's files. This morning I was expecting him to come in, but he hasn't showed. I was wondering if you might have seen him."
"Not this morning," Peter replied, then a cold lump formed in the pit of his stomach. "You think something's happened to him."
"I don't want to worry, but if he's anything like you, he could be in serious trouble. Then again, he might be just checking out some leads this morning and didn't report in yet."
"Would you like me to check into things before you send out the cavalry?"
"I hate to put you out over nothing Detective," Captain Simms stated, using her former employee's title.
Peter gave her a quirky side grin at the pet name. She still saw him as one of her detectives, even though Peter has been a priest for two years. "I'll look into it. And if I find anything, I'll let you know."
"Thank you Peter. You put my mind at ease."
"Don't thank me yet. If something is going on and it involves Bon Bon Hai, Henry could be in over his head."
"Then I'll have you to back him up." . . .
"Peter would help," Caine stated, interrupting Lo Si's narrative.
"Please Kwai Chang Caine, I must tell you everything that has happened."
"Go on my friend. I apologize for interrupting."
"Thank you," Lo Si was about to return to his story when he suddenly lashed out causing the cup that Caine was bringing to his lips to smash and its contents to spill all over the floor. Surprisingly, no drop had landed on either of the two Shaolin.
"Master, why . . ." Caine was about to question the Ancient why he would do such a thing when the old priest pointed to the floor.
The look on his face was enough and Kwai Chang Caine turned his head to see that the floor was smoking where the tea had spilled.
"The tea was poisoned? How?"
"Who gave you your breakfast this morning?"
"Brother William," Caine replied.
"That was not Brother William."
Caine's eyes narrowed. He had experienced such deception before by the Dark Warrior. It would seem Bon Bon Hai's powers had indeed grown and had included that little trick.
"Bon Bon Hai must have found a way to enter Shambhala without either the medallion or the book."
Caine reached into his shirt to find the crystal medallion still hanging around his neck.
"I must warn the brothers," Lo Si stated. "You must find your son and cousin."
"You must finish your tale, my friend. Without that knowledge I will not be able to help them."
"Very well."
Continues with Part 20
Alisa Joaquin Copyright@2003.
This story cannot be reprinted or sold in any other form without strict permission from
the author. It is being distributed here solely for your enjoyment.
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