Soulmates Beyond Time
Kermit tried to be as inconspicuous as he could. It had been a long time since he did this kind of work. He hoped he still remembered how. It wasn't easy getting clearance to take his weapon with him. He was glad that he still had contacts in the French government. It would not look good if he had been stopped going through customs and they found his special piece. Kermit remembered the explanation he had told Peter when he first saw the high powered pistol. He needed something to protect his disks. Kermit looked at the photo again that Peter had given him.
The Eiffel Tower showed in the distance and the small cafe that had been pictured was across from where he sat. The woman in the photo Peter said may be his mother. Peter had pulled out a locket from his shirt and showed Kermit the photo inside. The resemblance had been remarkable. The woman in the more recent photo looked exactly like the woman in Peter's locket. Kermit had not said anything, but alarm bells were going off. If the woman in the photo was Peter's mother, why had she not aged? Suddenly a hand clamped down on Kermit's shoulder and Kermit reacted instantly and found himself facing Kwai Chang Caine.
"What are you doing here? Why are you not with my son?" There was anger in his voice.
Kermit was a little shaken. He had not heard the man approach.
"Peter sent me to find you."
"Has something happened?" Worry replaced the anger that was apparent in the older man's face.
"You could say that. Look, is there a more private place we can talk?"
Caine waved for Kermit to follow him. They walked in silence for a while and they soon were in an area with high walls with hidden homes. It was in one of these that Caine entered. Behind the wall that they entered a garden opened before them. Herbs and plants of all descriptions could be found growing within. Kermit was also surprised to see monks in saffron robes. It would seem, even in France, that the Shaolin could be found. Caine entered the Temple and found a quiet corner. He gestured for Kermit to sit, but remained standing.
"You were suppose to protect my son. Why are you here?" Anger could still be heard in the priest's voice.
"As I said before, Peter sent me to find you."
"Why?"
"I thought you would know, since your Chi and Peter's are suppose to be connected."
"Yes, that is true but I have not been able to feel him of late. It is as if he is blocked from me. I have also been rather busy."
"Looking for your wife, Peter's mother?"
"Yes."
"Have you found any trace?"
"No. I do not understand. I have asked my father for help but he has not been able to help me find any trace."
"There's one possibility." Kermit took out the photo. "Peter lent it to me so I could try to track you down. Do you have a magnifier?"
Caine shook his head to indicate he did not.
"Never mind. I think I might have one." Kermit pulled out what looked like a very packed Swiss army knife. He pulled on one of the blades and a small rectangular glass came out. He held the glass up to his eye and looked at the photo. "Just as I thought."
"What is it?"
"This photo is a fake."
"How is that possible?"
"You can do some really sophisticated things with a computer now days. Even touch up photographs. They're nearly perfect but when you look at them close up, you can see the small pixels that reveal the truth. To hide that fact, this was printed on high-grade photo quality paper. Even the weight of the paper feels like a photo."
Caine was astonished. Who would go to so much trouble as to fake a photograph? It was apparent the photo had been taken at the cafe near the Eiffel Tower but the image of Laura must have been added later. The photo was then given to Ping Hai.
Kermit pulled from his pocket Peter's locket. "Peter let me borrow this too. Look at the locket then look at the photo."
Caine did as Kermit suggested and soon discovered the truth. The images of Laura were the same. If the later photo had been real, there would have been some evidence in Laura's face by the age difference. There was none. Suddenly in a fit of anger, Kwai Chang Caine threw the photo and the locket to the ground.
"Why!" The hope that he had vanished. "Who would do this? How could I have been so blind?"
"The question should be who would go to so much trouble to get you out of the way?"
"What would they gain?"
"Your son for one."
"Kermit, why did my son want you to find me?"
"First hand, to warn you. Jordan's gunning for you."
"I do not understand. Jordan is a cop, like my son was."
"I really don't know. Peter told me he needed you to help her. She's being controlled in some way."
Caine's eyes narrowed. The photo forgotten for now, Caine concentrated on what Kermit told him and his own feelings at not being able to sense his son. It was as if he had been cut off from him. Placed in some isolated room surrounded by darkness.
"Did my son say anything else?"
"Yeah, he said to tell you that Wei Ch'i is back and he also has the Emperor's soul."
No! Kwai Chang's eyes shut tightly and he shook his head. This could not be happening. He had defeated Wei Ch'i but some how the Game Master regained his power and was now testing Peter by using those close to him, including himself. Why Kermit wasn't affected puzzled Caine. Maybe because of his past as a mercenary, Kermit was able to shield that part of himself with a layer of darkness that helped to protect the light within.
"Peter hopes you can help Jordan in some way."
"I do not know if I can. We may need to play out whatever Game Wei Ch'i has set."
"Jordan intends to kill you."
"She will have to find me first."
"You don't understand. She will use all her power as a detective to locate you. I was lucky to even get ahead of her. I had to take the Concord to do at least that much."
"Kermit, I am aware that she will be looking for me but I cannot help her. In order for the influence to end, the spell must be broken. Wei Ch'i must have waited for his powers to be renewed enough so that even I would have trouble locating him. Does Peter know where to locate the board?"
"He said it was being played somewhere in China. He thought that someone may be playing the game in the Emperor's safe house."
Kwai Chang understood what was going on. Wei Ch'i was creating a duel purpose. The stakes were two souls. Maybe more.
"Isn't there anything you can do?"
"No, Peter is the master here. Wei Ch'i has challenged him and isolated me. Peter must find those who will help him in this fight. When Jordan comes, the only thing we can do is tried to keep her from hurting herself and others. She must be stopped but not harmed. Peter must defeat Wei Ch'i by entering his world."
"Can Peter do that?"
"He is Shaolin. He will do what is necessary. I trust my son."
"I just hope it isn't too late."
End of Part 7
Alisa Joaquin 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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