When his knocks went unanswered after several tries, Kermit became concerned and took out his pick to let himself in. Since Caine's departure and Peter's subsequent move into his place, the young priest had added a few new items, including locks to keep out unwanted intruders. It wasn't very Shaolin, since Shaolin were not known for locking their doors, but Kermit knew that Peter was still reacting with the instincts of a cop. That life was still part of Peter and always would be, even if he had become a priest.

As Kermit entered, he drew out his gun and slowly made his way through the apartment. The place was unusually dark for this time of day. Many of the rooms did not have much light to begin with and there was even less light now. Kermit checked the rooms closest to the front door, but found no sign of his friend. He noticed a soft glow coming from the back of the apartment leading to Caine's main living area. As Kermit cautiously entered the space, he spotted Peter's TV and couch in one corner of the large room. Though the room was normally filled with light from the large French doors that lead out to Caine's terrace garden, today it was dimly lit. Kermit noticed the light filtering through the drawn drapes, yet another of Peter's additions. He noticed that candles had been placed around the perimeter of the room. A smaller circle of candles sat on the raised platform, in the middle of which he found Peter.

"Ahem, Peter?" Kermit hated to see his friend like this.

"Kermit?" He whispered as he slowly came out of meditation.

"Hi, kid. When you didn't show up at the precinct I started wondering what happened to you. You haven't been by in a week. You usually come by every other day to see how things are going."

"My father's disappeared on his way home from France. I've been trying to find him for the past 36 hours. Plus, I'd been trying to work with Lo Si in the community as an apothecary. Kermit I don't know where my father is. I-I don't know if he's even still alive."

Peter stood up and put out the candles with a wave of his left arm, letting the darkness speak for the blackness that he felt in his soul. Then he walked over and heavily fell onto the couch. Kermit opened the drapes, letting in the light that allowed him to get a better look at Peter's condition. The young priest was very pale and had dark circles under his eyes, as if he had not slept for days.

"Peter, when was the last time you had anything to eat?" Kermit asked as he sat down next to Peter and pulled off his sunglasses.

"I can't eat Kermit. I have to know who took my father and what's happened to him." He got up and started pacing. Kermit routed him back to the couch.

"Kid, you aren't going to do your father much good if you starve yourself. I'm in the mood for a pizza, you want anchovies?"

Peter made a face of disgust at him.

"I'll take that as a no," Kermit laughed as he pulled out his cell phone and called a local pizza parlor. A phone was the one thing that Peter still had not added to the apartment. His father might be able to put up with the locks, but a phone would have been out of the question. This was still Caine's place, after all, and Peter was merely acting as caretaker.

***

"A pizza was ordered? Perfect."

Peterson hung up the phone. Miller wanted him to deliver the video into Peter Caine's hands no matter how long it took. He would have preferred that it be delivered in private with no witnesses, but that had been impossible. Too many people had come and gone from the apartment above the warehouse. First a young woman, then an ancient looking guy, then what looked like several people from the Chinatown community. Now a man with sunglasses had entered, someone that Peterson had not expected to see. He would have to inform Miller of this little development. Peterson would have preferred that Caine had been alone, but after he had returned from the park, there had not been an opportunity. It would seem, this was the best available time.

Peterson watched the delivery boy drive up and approached him. A fifty dollar bill talked the boy into making an extra delivery to go with the pizza.

***

"I didn't know you were still into meditation. Paul used to tell me that you'd try to hide it by pretending you had fallen asleep while sitting like that. You know you couldn't fool him."

"Yeah, I know, it's just that they wouldn't allow me to be Shaolin at the orphanage. They tried to change me, thought I was a heathen. The headmaster told me if I wanted to keep my foster parents happy I had better forget my former life. Paul and Annie never made me feel ashamed of what I was. When they found out I was Buddhist they actually sat down and talked it over with me. They didn't want me to forget who I was, or forget my father. I was never very big on meditation at the temple, but it felt right some how that I should continue it in some way. I thought my father would be proud of me if I did."

Peter's voice had dropped to a whisper when he mentioned his father. The sound of knocking broke the moment. Kermit answered the door, paid the delivery boy, and put the box down on the large workbench. It was then that he noticed a bag on top of the pizza box. He turned as a third voice distracted him for the moment and quickly replaced his trademark glasses.

"Is that food I smell?" An old man with a cane wandered into the large room.

Kermit's eyes widened behind his shields as the face of the old man came into view. He had not noticed that anyone else was in the apartment when he had first entered.

"Oh, sorry. Kermit, meet my grandfather, Matthew Caine. Grandfather, this is my good friend, Kermit Griffin."

"Your life has been filled with much adversity. Those sunglasses may hide your pain, but one day, if you seek to be free and whole once again, you must face your worst demons."

Kermit blinked several times at the strange comment. "Yeah, right."

Though he was accepting of Peter and Kwai Chang Caine's abilities, he found having those abilities applied to him rather unnerving. And now, to discover yet another Caine with those same abilities ... He shook off the old man's comment and went back to the pizza

"Looks like they sent us something extra."

Peter had retrieved a beer for both himself and Kermit, and a cup of tea for his grandfather. Kermit passed them each a slice of pizza and they ate in silence. When Peter opened up the bag, his mouth dropped open.

"What is it kid?"

"A video tape." He stood up, popped it into the VCR, took a seat near the TV, and hit the play button on the remote control.

The screen was dark for a few minutes, though a distorted voice could be heard narrating the tape.

"Hello, Peter Caine. I thought you'd like to see your father. Let's pay him a visit, shall we?"

An unfocused picture flashed onto the screen. As it cleared, Peter was horrified to see his father on the floor leaning up against a wall in a room with little more than a soiled mat. The older priest slowly made his way to his feet but was very unsteady, as if he couldn't get his balance.

"My, my, looks a little wobbly doesn't he? Kind of like a drunken old fool." Peter watched his father take a few steps before falling hard to the floor. He appeared to be fighting something that had been done to him. Peter gasped as he moved to the edge of the couch.

"Hardly looks like a man who has anyone who cares about him. He's half dead anyway," the voice laughed. "He doesn't have much time left." The camera panned in for a close-up shot. Peter could see his father was in pain. He had a cut across his forehead and and dark bruises on his face. As the camera moved down to his branded arms where his sleeves had been rolled up, Peter could see evidence of needle marks. Then the screen went black.

"I hope you remember that face, Peter, because it's the last time you're going to see it." The voice laughed again and then the tape ended.

"That bastard!" Peter stood up and threw the glass of beer across the room, staring blankly as it shattered on the far wall. He sat back down on the couch with his hands covering his face, feeling helpless and alone.

"Easy, kid, that is what that S.O.B. wants you to do, lose your temper. You've gotta calm down so we can think this thing through. We'll get that tape analyzed, and then we'll get that bastard. I've got a bullet with his name on it."

"Your friend is right, my grandson." Mathew had moved in front to face his grandson, blocking Peter's view of the set. "You must remain calm for the sake of your father." Matthew turned back to the TV. No one saw the rage kindled deep within the older man's eyes.

"He drugged him, Kermit. We've gotta find him before this psycho kills him."

"We'll find him. Look, why don't you and your grandfather take some time and go see Annie. You probably haven't seen her in a week either. I'll take the tape down to the lab at the precinct and see if I can get a voice match, though that may be difficult. It sounded as if he used some pretty sophisticated equipment. We'll get him Peter, I promise."

End of Part 6 To be continued . . . .


Alisa Joaquin & Linda Schwartz Copyright@2000.
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.