Chapter 8; 10:45pm Gwen's Apartment Building
The rain continued to pelt the city. The storm raged; it was like the heavens themselves where angry and wanted to wash the city clean. As Detective Stone approached Gwen's apartment building, he noticed three people standing outside in the rain. Two men and a woman. He instantly knew who they were. The Moirai family. Scott, Dale, and Jane all stood before him. The Moirais was one of the few remaining families that were not in hiding. One of the few families Detective Stone could not bust. However, Detective Stone's arrival had forced them into a different line of work if they wanted to remain a free family.
"Good Morning Scott, Dale, Jane. To what do I own the pleasure?"
Scott, clearly the oldest of the three was also the tallest. His hair white with age, he was thin, not in a sickly way, built more like a runner.
Dale stood at least 6 inches shorter than Scott; he was the middle sibling. Dale was round; he clearly enjoyed all the flavors of life and disliked any form of exercise. His raven colored hair greased back; he was sucking on a toothpick.
Jane was their baby sister, her hair dyed purple and pulled back into a bun.
It was easy to tell the relation despite their differences, they looked like family.
They still had on their work uniforms, stained with grease, tomato sauce, and sweat. Except for Jane's, she was wearing a baby blue blouse, black slacks, sneakers with her apron over it all.
"Detective Stone, these events have left us troubled. This wasn't supposed to happen." Scott's calm demeanor could match Stone's.
"Can we talk inside the building out of the rain please?" The rain had soaked Stone to his very core; while the Moirais where still dry, it was as if the rain could not or would not touch them. Scott just looked at him and walked away.
"We are leaving, but you need to know, this isn't the path that was set forward, someone is breaking the rules." Dale replied flicking his toothpick at Stone as he passed.
"Everything could come undone with this. The families, the city, all will suffer." Jane words were ominous.
[3 out of the 5 free families with connection to Gwen. She has some powerful friends]
Detective Stone stepped off the elevator, there was a couple of Uniforms just a few feet from Gwen's Apartment. Stone pulled his badge on chain from his pocket and put it around his neck.
The two officers where rookies, he could tell. The city had recently gone through a hiring craze, part of the City's new tougher on crime approach. They quickly adjusted their posture once they noticed his golden badge. Stone reputation preceded him yet again. The Rookies knew Stone played by the rules, he expected you to do your best, and he had no patience for slackers. He was known to be a good cop. What he lacked in bedside manner he more than made up for with efficiency, deductive reasoning, and one of the highest closing rates the city had ever seen.
"Detective Stone." The officers moved the yellow crime scene tape and allowed him to pass. Inside Gwen's apartment was the same two CSI techs from the alley. James was taking pictures; Oscar was collecting the broken pieces of the Vase scattered across the floor like a jigsaw puzzle. "Detective Stone, pleasure to meet you." The closest CSI stopped picking up the pieces of the vase.
"Hello again Oscar." Detective Stone greeting took Oscar by surprise.
"Detective Stone, how are you? I'm surprised you remember my name. So few do." Oscar was pleasant but not so pleasant that it made his seem indifferent to the reason they are there.
"What can you tell me so far?" Stone asked has he crouch down to look at the bloodstained floor.
"Well it's the damnest thing, no prints, not even scuff makes on the floor. Whoever did this was a professional." Oscar seemed genuine complexed. Detective Stone knew they would not find anything; he was here more to get some insight to Gwen then information on her attacker.
"I'm going to have a look around and see what I can find. Getting a déjà vu feeling yet? " Stone replied while putting on a pair of latex gloves.
Oscar just nodded and pulled a pair of shoe socks from his bag and tossed them to Detective Stone.
"Thank you, I will be adding these to my kit." after taking a moment to slip the socks over his loafers Stone was free to move about Gwen's apartment. Stone took his time moving through the tiny apartment, there were pictures everywhere. So many happy memories, frozen in time. Stone needed this glimpse into her life, to see what kind of person she is, you can learn a lot by just touring someone's living space, especially under these kinds of circumstances, the kind when you were not expecting company. Prime example how neat and tidy Gwen's apartment was. Everything had its place and everything was in its place.
[Everything is in its place; the attacker was her waiting, not looking] The kitchen was clean; but clean in a way that screamed never used. Her bedroom was clearly her primary living space, two laundry baskets were just inside the room, one with neatly folded clothes, and the other with them heaped in a pile. The bed was not made, at the far side of the room was a small bathroom, it had a standing shower, a sink and the toilet. A couple of towels sprawled across the bathroom floor. The curtains in her bedroom dances wildly with the storm outside, the window left open; rain was freely spilling into the room. Detective Stone moved to the window, upon inspection he found a small trace of ash on the glass, the outside of the glass, that confirmed his suspicions. He reached under the window and using his glove, he wiped away the ash, and then closed it.
[Time for the real work, if I cannot contain this, chaos surely will follow. However, why her? Why now, after all these years?]
11:30pm Saint James hospital
The hospital was eerily quiet, the gentle humming and deeps of medical equipment echoed throughout the hallways, Bai had fallen asleep on a couch by the nurses' station. William was just a few feet away looking at the storm through a large window, lighting dance across the sky. The uniform office was sitting in a chair reading a paper, he may have looked like he wasn't paying attention to the untrained eye, but William knew better, he knew this officer had every one of his senses keyed into the hospital environment. William knew when he arrived that Detective Stone made good on his promise to send a proper officer. When the officer arrived, the staff instantly noticed, little hairs on the backs of their necks stood on end; while they did not understand why, William and Bai did. So while William watch the officer in the windows reflection, reading the paper, trying to look unassuming he felt confident that Gwen is safe. While he had zero doubts that Bai and he could handle just about any threats that may have come looking for her, he was not ready for Gwen to see that side of him.
With a loud boom and a blind bright flash, the storm moved closer. Bai was up and next to William, They looked at each other, another exchange without words, they knew Gwen's attacker was near. They turned to look at the officer; he had folded the newspaper and was now standing. He knew too. A male nurse passed by and mumbled about how the heat must have gone out, he was mistaking the chill down his spine for cold, not for the possible danger lurking near-by.
"Ms. Brollachan is still nearby as well." Bai reassured
William nodded; between the four of them, Gwen was safe. The question was not would he try again, but when. William closed his eyes.
: Where are you?: William thought to himself while concentrating on the night air.
The windows rattled from the force of the last crack of thunder, William opened his eyes just at the flash of lighting to catch a brief glimpse of a shadow on top of the bus stop shelter, but in a blink, it was gone. In that same blink, William was standing in the rain.
:Faster than I thought: William grumbled to himself.
Now he was getting soaked for no bloody good reason. Bai watched from the window, the officer stood near Bai now, neither seem to give any reaction to how William just disappeared from the hospital and reappeared across the street. The officer let out a huff; he was a tall, dark-skinned man, bulky too. Like a body builder who enjoyed beer and pizza. His blue shirt neatly pressed and matched is pants. His posture was tense, his hands by his side; his right by his firearm, his left by his baton. Bai took a deep sniff of the air; he could tell the officer did not need either to overcome a threat. The officer's nameplate read Cain.
Without warning, a lighting stuck a tree in the park just behind the bus stop. William had reappeared back by the window,
"You are wet." Bai said never taking his eyes away from the window,
"Yup"
The officer huffed again and went back to his seat and paper. For now the danger had passed. William tipped their hand, the attacker knew they were here, however now he knew more about them, and he knew William could move between locations with just a thought, but William had learned about the attacker too, he was fast. While William blinks from one place to another, the attacker had to rely on speed to elude William.
"Did you get a look at it?"
William just shook his head no.
"Damn, risk exposure for nothing?"
"Not for nothing, for her." William replied with a tender look towards Gwen who was still unconscious in her hospital bed. Marci was still sleeping next to her;
:Two sisters, not of blood, but family never the less:
William looked to his old friend Bai, maybe he did not have a wife, or children, but he did have family. He smiled at Bai and then back at Gwen
:Yes, I definitely have family: and with that thought, he no longer felt so alone in the world.
12am Sunday Morning Gwen's Apartment
Detective Stone stepped out of Gwen's apartment to answer his cellphone.
"Detective Stone, really? At the hospital? Thank you Cain, yes Ms. Brollachan is still there. CSI just cleared out; I will send you a relief in the morning. No, it will be a rookie. I'm sure during the day we won't need your breed of officer." Detective Stone looked down to his glove, the black ash smear staring back at him.
[I know what you are, I will find you, and I will stop you]
Gwen sat in darkness. She could not hear anything, she could not see anything; or she saw a black so dark it fooled the mind. She felt no pain, she was not afraid either. It was like being in a deep empty thought. Self-aware. She could not remember how she got here. Matter of fact she could not remember anything after walking in the door at her apartment. However, this wasn't her apartment that much she knew.
{Should I be afraid? I should be afraid. Why aren't I afraid?} The only sound was her own thoughts.
"Marci? MARCI! William! Bai! Anyone?" not so much has an echo. Just the vast empty darkness.
Gwen took a deep breath in; she closed her eyes, focused hard
"MARCI!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
5:30am Saint James Hospital
Marci jumped in her sleep, startling herself awake. The sudden motion from her had Officer Cain in the room so quickly she almost thought he moved with super human speed, but she knew her perception still warped from waking up. William and Bai where at the door as well.
"Sorry Officer, I just startled myself." Marci reassured him,
"It's good to see you two." Marci said with a smile. Bai handed her a Styrofoam container.
Marci opened the container to find scramble eggs, bacon, and toast all piping hot.
"We just came up from the cafeteria." Bai said seemly answering her thoughts
"It's good to see you are okay Marci." William answered while handing her a cup of coffee.
Marci did her best to manage a smile; she had received two stitches to close the hole in her lip after all. It was in this very moment Marci realized that she had more family then just Gwen, and together they would be here for her sister.
8:30am Sunday 10th Precinct
Detective Stone was sitting in his chair watching the sun rise; in all of his life these where the moments he enjoyed the most. The birth of a new day.
*knock, knock*
"Come in."
Officer Cain entered the office, Cain was a good officer. Stone valued him, which is why Stone had him transferred to the 10th to join him; even if he didn't have his unique skill set Stone would have Insisted he join the 10th.
"Good Morning Sir." Crain's voice was very deep, the kind of deep that made people wonder if it was fake.
"Shouldn't you be off and resting?"
"Sir, is she who I think she is?" Cain's amber colored eyes focused on Stone.
"She is. How did you figure it out? "It was the only answer Stone could give him.
Cain just tapped his noise. Stone should have figured.
"Sir, I am grateful for everything you have done for me over the years, and in all that time I have never asked for anything." Cain paused,
[You are right, you never asked for anything, until now] Stone's inner voice already knew a favor was going to be asked of him.
"I respectfully ask you keep me on her protection detail." The request shocked Stone; Cain had to know the risk involved.
"Do you realize what you are risking?" Stone had to make sure he understood.
"This could put everything you have earned in these last few years at risk."
"Sir, if it wasn't for you; I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have this purpose. I owe you, let me do this please."
"Officer Cain, Jacob you are a far better friend then I deserve." Stone stood and shook Jacob's hand.
"Go home and get some rest, if she wakes before tonight you will be the first one I call."
"Thank you Sir." Cain felt a sense of pride; Detective Stone took a huge chance on Cain years ago. He had lost his way. His life in chaos; he was on the verge of being homeless, he was hustling on the streets, breaking knees, arms, enforcement was all he knew. One family used him has their own private attack dog and when that is your life in this city, your life is usually brief. One day Cain received the task of killing a member of the Moirai Family. While Cain had broken some bones for his employer, murder was still new to him. He went in over-confident; and it almost cost him his life. He was just a young pup and Detective Stone was still a Beat Cop back then. Jane Moirai had viciously and ferociously beat him within an inch of his life. When he heard her call Officer Stone that day, he for sure thought she was going to kill him. However, she hadn't placed an official call, it was a personal call. Stone arrived, paid his hospital bills, got him in rehab, and got his record cleaned. Stone even backed Cain's application to the Police Academy. He gave Jacob a new lease on life. Therefore, this was the best he could do to repay him.
End Chapter 8