Pawns
Masterson watched Peter from the second story window as he existed his car.
'No gun detective?' he thought. 'That was foolish. You won't live long enough to wish you had one.'
Masterson turned from the window and headed to the control booth. After coming back to the city, six months ago, he had discovered this place and its many different rooms to set up his plans. Several of the rooms he converted while others were perfect for his needs, two of which had become Caine's and Mrs. Blaisdells' prisons. They had been perfect. One room had been used to store the brewer's yeast while the other had been used to store the hops thad had been grown to brew the beer. At one time, the old brewery had been a thriving business until other methods of brewing had been developed. The owners tried to keep the business going, but soon ran into financial trouble until someone bailed them out. Unfortunately, for the owners, that someone had been involved in another form of business, one none too legal. The brewery had become a front for drug dealers. Masterson smiled at the irony of the situation. To think this very brewery was part of the reason for his downfall. 'Now it would be a place of victory,' he thought. It was time to spring his first trap.
Peter entered the first level of the old brewery. Somewhere in this maze of rooms was Masterson, his father's killer. All thought of his Shaolin training he abandononed for this one chance. Peter thought back on the day he thought Tan had murdered his father with the destruction of the temple. He had not been able to avenge his father's death then, but at the time, he did not know that he had been wrong, that his father still lived. During those dark times, Paul Blaisdell had been the one to show him another way out of that darkness, and for a time, he had forgotten the oath that he had made at the marker that was said to be his father's grave. Then 15 years later, oddly on the anniversary of that very night of destruction, a man with Shaolin brands walked out of a burning building carrying an older man in his arms. The image was too surreal to believe and reminded Peter of the terror of that time long past. He continued to watch and was drawn to the younger of the two men. Peter had to know who the man was and if he knew what had happened to his father, if he had seen him. Little did he know that life sometimes held surprises that would again turn his world upside down.
Peter's life changed after that and his feet were once again set upon a path that he believed had been lost to him forever. A long hope-filled dream had come true that night and now that dream had once again been shattered. His father was again lost to him, this time for real and for good. He would never forget the feel of his father's face when he reached into that coffin, the cold lifelessness that was in his body. Never again would he feel the slap against his cheek that pushed the lesson in, now remembered more like a comforting caress. Masterson would pay, then Peter would do one more thing. He would join his father. It would be his penance for the crime that he was about to commit. No Shaolin could live with that shame.
Suddenly, Peter sensed danger. He looked up to see a large heavy metal object coming at him in the darkness. Quickly he sprang to one side as the object sped past and crashed into the wall behind him. Peter stared at the object, not sure what he was looking at. It was a large brewers vat on casters. If he had not moved when he did, he would have been trapped in its path and crushed up against the wall. The vat was heavy enough that several bricks in the wall had deep cracks. More than likely, he would have been killed. Peter swallowed the lump in his throat and continued his search for Masterson.
****
"Peter!"
Kwai Chang Caine tried to rise from the platform but he was still too weak. Lo Si and Matthew had left to find Peter. He wasn't even sure if his father could even sense where Peter might be. He had to find them before it was too late. As Caine struggled to rise, Kermit came in looking for Matthew and Peter. He wanted to report to them that Annie was safe. He had taken her to stay with Carolyn, Peter's sister, and returned to help his friend.
"Caine!" Kermit was quickly at his side as Caine slipped to the floor. "You're all right. Peter found you."
"I must find Peter."
Woe, isn't he here?" Kermit queried.
Caine shook his head, "No. He believes that Masterson killed me. We must stop him. He intends to kill Masterson then himself."
"Where's Matthew? Isn't he here?"
"No, my father has gone with Lo Si. They are looking for Peter."
"They're going to have a hard time finding him," Kermit said. "Matthew doesn't even know the city."
"I think not." Caine pointed to a piece of paper lying on the workbench where Matthew knew his son was sure to see it.
Kermit picked it up and read its contents. "I know where they're headed. They may not have gone far. We'll pick them up along the way. How do you know Peter plans on killing himself?"
"The ceremonial knife, the one with the jade dragon hilt, is missing. It is always on that shelf. It is now gone."
*****
Two elderly men hobbled down the street, yet surprisingly they moved faster than those surrounding them. It was as if they were moving with the wind.
"Has my grandson always been this stubborn?" Matthew wondered.
"I believe it runs in the family," Lo SI commented as he and Matthew walked towards the brewery.
<<Beep, beep!!>>
They turned at the sound.
"Hop in guys, we don't have much time," Kermit called out as he pulled up next to the two men. Caine sat in the passenger seat.
"My son, you should not be here. You are not strong enough." Matthew helped Kwai Chang out of the kermitmobile so he and Lo Si could climb into the backseat.
"I must help Peter, Father. He is in great danger, not only from Masterson, but from what his actions will cause him to do. He is so filled with rage and grief. He will destroy this man and then himself. I can not allow that to happen."
Caine fell heavily back against the car seat. He concentrated on centering his chi. All attempts to contact his son had been in vain. He was still too weak and could not break through Peter's anger. Kermit doubled his efforts to get there in time.
End of Part 16
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.
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