Subject: xover: Living with the Differences (01/17) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 18:31:14 -0800 From: "David J. Duncan" To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU xover: Living with the Differences (01/17) By David J. Duncan October 2000 Note 1: Nick, Natalie, LaCroix, Tracy, Divia, Alyce, Janette, Grace, Vachon and Schanke are from "Forever Knight" which is owned by Sony Tri-Star. Xena, Gabrielle, Hope, and Alti are from "Xena Warrior Princess" which is owned by StudiosUSA and was created by Rob Tapert and John Schulian. All other characters are of my own creation. All names are fictitious. Note 2: The song by Hildegard von Bingen mentioned in the story is from Anonymous 4's compilation "11,000 Virgins: Chants for the Feast of St. Ursula (Harmonia Munda, 1997) Thanks to Emily and Jarvinia for their comments. Their input has greatly improved the story that you are about to read Chapter 1 It had been one heck of a class. For half of the fall semester, Jennifer Ramirez had prepped for her Nursing examination. She had spent days of teaching, and nights of intense studying sandwiched between shifts at the Circle K. The Practical Examination had been just terrifying for her. But, just as her professors had predicted, she had passed. To celebrate, she went to the McKale Center, and took her usual seat to watch the University of Arizona's basketball team. Tonight's game against UCLA promised to be a nail biter, and the first half lived up to its promise as the two teams were tied at 40 going into halftime. At that point, feeling run down and having obnoxious hunger pangs, Jennifer decided to get a hot dog and a Coke. As she got in line, she felt a tap on the shoulder. "Yes?" she asked. She turned to see Dr. Angela Dubois, University Medical Center's chief oncologist, standing there. "Oh, Dr. Dubois! I'm sorry! How are you?" "I'm fine," Angie smiled warmly. "I'm glad to see you enjoying yourself." "Well, I am a basketball nut," Jennifer shrugged nervously. "This is my outlet." "Yes, my husband is much the same way," Angie agreed. "I know what you're getting at. Believe me." "He's the librarian. Right? He's really great to talk to when I have a question," Jennifer complemented. "That's right," Angie nodded. "And he really does try. He thinks a lot of you. So, he tells me." "Wow," Jennifer sighed. "That's really nice. Well, the second half's about to start. I guess we should be getting back." "Yes, I guess so. Will you be needing a ride afterwards? My husband and I are heading that way," Angie offered. "Thanks, but...I live pretty close by. I'll be fine. Well, see you later," Jennifer closed, and walked away. Angie watched her walk down the hall, and felt a sense of foreboding. For some reason, she knew that something was going to happen. She just didn't know what. Jennifer cut down four side streets about an hour after the game. She could hear her mother's lecture about walking down dark streets alone at night. A brisk breeze made her shiver. She looked around, but nothing seemed much out of the ordinary. Then, she noticed two headlights about sixty feet behind her. They had tailed her from the U of A, and, despite all of her tricks and turns, the pair still shined on her back. "Now I wish that I had accepted Dr. Dubois's offer," she muttered to herself, and began to run. It was only another two blocks to her apartment. But the car matched her pace. Perhaps, the drivers guessed she finally was onto them. In any event, the vehicle sped up, passed her, and stopped right in front of her. The occupants got out. Although it was too dark to see clearly, Jennifer saw that they were hulking heavyset men with shaven heads. One brandished a thick linked chain. The other bruiser had a 34-magnum pistol. "What...What do you want?" Jennifer fearfully asked the two men. "Jennifer Ramirez, right?" Chain Man inquired. She nodded rapidly. "Too bad you don't listen too well.... Maybe if we talked in that lingo of yours, you would get it. But, you, or any other Mexican aren't fit to touch whites. Only whites can touch whites," Chain Man continued. Just then, Jennifer noticed the swastika painted on the side of the car in bright red. The same symbol was tattooed into Pistol Man's left forearm. "Skinheads," she realized. Then, she felt a flash of bravery. "And you think that you and your kind can tell me how to run my life? I have worked too hard to stop now. "You have no right," she protested. Pistol Man snarled maliciously. "Chica, keeping the White Race without impurities gives us the right. Too bad, you are really fine.... " He inspected her from head to toe. Then, he stroked her cheek. She scratched him, drawing blood. "Damn!" he cursed, rubbing the wound. After a moment's consideration over the possibilities, he shook his head, and pulled out the Magnum. "Say goodbye." She froze. "Please, don't…." "You had your chance," he groused and fired twice. Jennifer screamed and fell dead to the ground. Lights started snapping on in the houses surrounding them. "Pistol, let's go now!" the other nervously urged, and jumped into the passenger's seat. Pistol held a finger up. "Just a minute! Keep your shirt on!" he admonished. "I want people to know who did this!" The man revealed his pocketknife, and carved a swastika into her forehead. Then, he pinned a piece of paper to Jennifer's bloody blouse. Finally, he spat on the ground next to her. "Now we can go," he agreed, and climbed into the car. The vehicle sped away from the scene into the night, and left the carnage to be found by the neighborhood. Please send questions and comments to dante0220@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. http://auctions.yahoo.com/ Subject: xover: Living with the Differences (02/17) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 18:38:39 -0800 From: "David J. Duncan" To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU xover: Living with the Differences (02/17) By David J. Duncan October 2000 For notes, please see Part 1 Chapter 2 Police Headquarters was buzzing with calls concerning noise complaints and parties related to Arizona's overtime victory that evening. Captain Miguel Ramirez had seen such behavior before in his eighteen years as Captain of TPD's Ninth Precinct. Heck, as an ardent Wildcat fan, he understood the students' jubilant mood. However, that did not make his job any easier when he had to put uniforms on "party patrol" and still keep his precinct under control. "Ah, Kids...Why do you have to cause such a ruckus? Por que nos? Por que yo?" he wondered aloud and raised his hands and his eyes to the sky as if expecting a divine answer. "Because they like you?" Sergeant Chris Novak asked pleasantly from her desk. She and the captain had worked together since her transfer ten years ago. Every year, it was the same thing. And every year, she got to enjoy her little jabs. "Cute," Ramirez muttered and tried to scowl just to keep up his image. "I'm heading back to my office. If anything happens, let me know," he directed and strolled back into his office. The door slammed behind him as it always did. "Check," Novak nodded. As always, she took a look at the clock. "11 PM, the graveyard shift should be coming in any minute...." she noted. Across the room, Tracy Brown sat at her desk and fiddled with her paperwork. She had not felt well that evening as she had chills and a touch of fever. Still, she tried to smile and work her way through it. "Doesn't matter," she muttered to herself. "What doesn't matter?" a voice asked from behind Tracy recognized it as belonging to her partner, Nick Miles. "Hi, Nick. I guess that the cases don't get any easier, do they?" she asked. "I don't know," Nick shrugged. "Are they supposed to? You have been a detective now for two years. What do you think?" She ran her hands through her blonde hair. "I know you're right Nick. They never do, do they?" she admitted while managing a whimsical smile across her face. Even before they had left Toronto, Tracy and Nick, in their previous incarnations as Tracy Vetter and Nick Knight, had managed to learn how to work together. When they found each other here in Tucson and agreed to be partners again, Tracy had made Nick promise to be more open with her. He had kept his word and they shared responsibilities. A job made much easier because now she knew that he was a vampire. Nick sat down at his desk with a concerned look on his face. Tracy had been so out of it lately. Natalie had asked him to keep an eye on her. Despite his feelings, he managed a warm smile and sat down across from her post while reading the Johnson Report. Suddenly, Ramirez burst out of his office. "Miles! Brown! My office...now!" he ordered. Tracy sighed, "Now what?" "I guess we find out," Nick shrugged and they headed for the office. Tracy and Nick walked into the captain's office to see what he wanted. As with Joe Reese, their last captain, Ramirez was a nice guy but he had a firm sense of protocol and could lay down the law when he wanted to do so. "What's up, Captain?" Tracy asked. Ramirez looked at Nick. "Close the door please." When Nick had done so, he cleared his throat and looked at Tracy. "Are you okay, Detective?" Tracy's eyes bugged out. "Sure...Why do you ask?" she inquired nervously. "Maybe you haven't been here that long. But I know depression when I see it. Nick, what do you think?" Ramirez stated. "I think that she's just tired. It has been a long month," Nick offered in support of his partner. "Well, if you say so. Keep an eye on her. By the way, we got another one. Found her on the southeast side," Ramirez continued. "Just like the others? A swastika and note?" Tracy winced. She thought of the last three women. An African-American, a Native American, and an Asian. "We have a pattern: A killer who does not like women or minorities. In a city as diverse as this one.... Get that psycho off of my streets, and I'll feel better. Now, get to the crime scene and I'll expect some feedback when you return," Ramirez commented and shooed them out with a wave of his hand. As they left the station and crossed the parking lot, Tracy let out a big sigh of relief. "Feeling better?" Nick asked concernedly. She nodded. "Yes, thanks. Nick, thank you for sticking up for me with Ramirez." "No problem. That's what partners are for. I do think you need to take some time off at some point. Between the Johnson case, these murders and the Divia situation, you are exhausted," he explained as they drove out of the lot in the Caddy. "As soon as we get this case wrapped up," she promised. "I'll hold you to that," Nick replied firmly. **************** Dr. Natalie Le Beau leaned over the corpse looking for clues. Scraping here and brushing there, she left no stone unturned. Where did these killers get the attitude to do this? As with Angie Dubois, Natalie knew and liked Jennifer Ramirez. She was supposed to have started an internship next week. Interns with such a conscientious attitude and caring spirit didn't come along everyday. "Sometimes, things happen that don't make sense," she muttered to herself. Looking at the note, she bagged it for later. "Some people…." "You can say that again," Nick agreed. "Any new signs?" "Nothing at the moment. I'll have to get her back to the lab," Nat replied. "Are you okay?" Nick asked caringly. "I will be fine," Natalie protested, albeit a bit too stringently. "Just catch those creeps." "I'll stop by the lab and check in," Nick agreed. "Do that," Natalie nodded and walked away towards her car. Nick walked over to Eddie McDonald, Natalie's senior assistant, and stooped over to look at the scene. "Anything Eddie?" he asked. "Nada unfortunately. I hope that we can come up with something," McDonald shook his head disappointedly. Nick nodded. Using his vampire senses, he detected something in the street next to the victim's body. He took a closer look and saw a spot--too faint for human eyes to make out--but a spot. "Saliva?" he thought. He took out a towelette, dabbed up the incriminating liquid and dropped it in a plastic bag. "I hope that Nat can do something with this." Then, he heard Tracy call to him. "Hey Nick, I think I got something!" He walked over. "Did you find anything?" he asked. Tracy nodded solemnly. "I think so. I have a scrap of cloth from a pair of pants or a jacket, maybe. An officer found this paint can three blocks from here, not to mention a lot of the stuff all over the road," she reported. His mood picked up, "A quick paint job maybe... Perhaps we can get some perspiration off of the cloth." "Maybe," she shrugged. "We better get something fast. The city's teetering on the edge of a riot." With that comment, Nick's mind flashed back.... ************************************ (Chicago, 1976) It was the summer of 1976. The infamous Son of Sam was behind bars finally after his serial killing spree. Unfortunately, for law enforcement, copycat murderers were springing up everywhere including Chicago-where Nick, under the name of Nicholas Rogert, walked a beat on the South Side. Late one night, he had found a body. A young woman barely out of her teens lay in a pool of blood. Nick leaned over the body and tried to find a pulse. But, she was icy cold to the touch. All he could do was radio for backup.... ***************************** "Nick?....Yoo hoo...Earth to Nick? Are you in there?" Tracy stirred him. "Hmmm?" he asked startled. "Oh right, I think that we better get this stuff to forensics. Let's get going." "The sooner we get the lecture from Ramirez over with, the better," she surmised as they climbed into the Caddy and drove away. ***************** (to be continued) Please send questions and comments to dante0220@yahoo.com . __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. http://auctions.yahoo.com/ Subject: xover: Living with the Differences (03/17) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 18:40:41 -0800 From: "David J. Duncan" To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU xover: Living with the Differences (03/17) By David J. Duncan October 2000 For notes, please see Part 1 Chapter 2 (continued) About an hour later, Nick had dropped Tracy off at the precinct and went to the morgue in search of Natalie. She had Ramirez's body on a gurney in Examination Room 3B and was just setting up to start the autopsy. A sudden feeling of regret flooded across her consciousness. "Hey, Jenn," she sniffled. "You are going to be taken care of by the best. We will find who did this to you." She set her mouth in a firm line. "People like the animal who did this to you need to be stopped," she added while tracing the ugly scar on the forehead with her gloved finger. Once again, the sadness hit her hard. Jenny gave so much that it hurt. Between the extra hours at school, the volunteering with the United Way, her part time job, and preparing for the internship, the woman had very little time for herself. And when she did try to take time…. Then, the ME sensed that she was no longer alone. "Nick, you can come in. It's okay," she directed before composing herself. Nick walked in carefully. He sensed that Nat was on the edge right now. "Are you okay?" he asked. Nat blinked back the welling tears in her bloodshot eyes. "Do I look okay? Umm...Let's see, we have a mass murderer out there who now has three victims at least, Tucson's ready to explode in a race riot, and one of the best nursing students out of the U of A is lying here on my table. Damn it, Nick, I'm not okay! And before you suggest that I'm too close to this case, remember what happened the last time I stepped off of a case?" He did remember. Natalie's godchild, Cynthia Luce, had been murdered by Ronald Gault, a notorious pedophile. Judging her too close to the case, the Crown prosecutors in conjunction with Captain Cohen brought in Dr. Emily Reston to handle the case. Then, mysteriously, Gault's DNA work came back negative and he died from an apparent heart attack. Toronto, like Tucson now, was in the midst of a wave of vigilantism. Only Natalie's defiance of orders, double checking her substitute's work and exposing the latter's crimes provided the answers in the case. History was indeed repeating itself..... "You know that I'm here for you, Nat," he assured her and embraced her. "I know that, Nick. And I really do appreciate it both now...and at the crime scene. Sorry to be so short with you there. It has been really tough for me tonight," she thanked him. "Now, please tell me that you got some news." "Actually I may," Nick started. "We found some clues at the scene. A paint can a few blocks away, some cloth at the scene, and a saliva sample." "Sounds promising," she agreed. "Let me run an analysis on this stuff and hopefully, I will have something by tomorrow night. I also found chain burns along her arms and dug these out of her head and chest." She took the tweezers and picked up a bullet. He admired the projectile. "Nice...I'd say 34 magnum." "And I would say that you are correct. Just like the other victims," she yawned. "Wow...It's getting on for about 4:45. Shouldn't you be thinking about heading home before you turn into a pumpkin pie?" "I wanted to get this evidence to you. And to make sure that you were okay. Call me if you need to talk. Okay?" he replied. "Thanks, Nick. I may need it after talking to Angie Dubois later. Jennifer was one of her favorite students here on campus. She is going to take this hard," she sighed despondently. "Please call then. Meantime, I'll stop by the library tonight on my way in and talk to Dave. I haven't seen him in a month or so. Talk to you tomorrow night," he smiled warmly and gave her a peck on the cheek. Then, he turned and left for the parking lot. She watched the door for a few minutes after his departure. " Compassion and affection are very human traits," she noted. "You are definitely making progress, Nick...." With that thought, she resumed her work. Please send questions and comments to dante0220@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. http://auctions.yahoo.com/ Subject: xover: Living with the Differences (04/17) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 06:48:45 -0800 From: "David J. Duncan" To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU xover: Living with the Differences (04/17) By David J. Duncan October 2000 For notes, please see Part 1 (Additional note, I give permission for this story to be archived at the FTP site and other FK sites.) Chapter 3 The alarm went off at its usual brisk note. David Dubois squirmed about under the covers, hoping for a brief instant that the obnoxious sound would go away. It didn't...unfortunately, it was morning and time to get up for work. He looked over at his wife, Angie, lying beside him. He could never understand how she managed to ignore the alarm. "Oh well, no peace for her either," he smiled. "Hey, Princess....wake up." She rolled over under the covers. "Mmm...Dave...?...What time is it anyway?" she whispered dreamily. "6 AM. Time for all good little doctors and librarians to be going to work," he joked. "Yeah...Yeah...I know. I know. I guess that I can face one more day before the weekend," she stretched and yawned. "Goodness me! Wow, I still feel zonked." "Well, it's my turn for coffee duty," he informed her. "French Vanilla?" Angie scratched her chin. "Make it Irish Crème, and you have yourself a deal. Meantime, I'll make sure that the girls are set," she cheered and set off towards the nursery. He set about making breakfast for them. After chopping up some pineapple, orange sectors and the Macintosh Apples from New York, he ground and brewed the requested pot of Irish Crème coffee. Then, toast popped from the toaster. Finally, Deirdre's formula was heating up. Angie would check on that item in a few more minutes. "Okay!" Angie smiled pleasantly. "Why don't you take your shower? I'll finish with Deirdre's breakfast. Then, we'll swap..." "Gotcha," Dave agreed and stole a kiss off of her cheek on the way to the bathroom. "He's too much sometimes," she giggled to herself. "I would agree...." Xena's voice concurred. Angie turned to see her friend's spectral form appear in front of her. "Good morning, Angela." "Morning," Angie yawned again. "What brings you out so early? Not that I mind of course but..." Xena looked around, "I'm not sure, but something doesn't feel exactly right. Something is going to happen. I'm sure that Gabrielle's telling Francesca the same thing right now. Also, don't tell David just yet, but I believe that Lucius is in Tucson again," she reported. Angie's eyes bugged out, "Are you sure. Oh brother...with Dave's reaction to him...." she worried. "Keep your guard up. If he is here, I want to deal with Lucius myself," Xena growled. "Right," Angie noted. Just then a knock came from the door. "Go answer that. I'll be nearby if you need me," the Warrior Princess nodded and faded from view. Angie nodded and walked over to the door. "Yes?" she asked. "Angie, it's Nat...Can I come in? " Natalie announced. "Absolutely. Please. Dave and I were just getting ready to have breakfast. You're welcome to have something," Angie agreed and opened the door. Then, she saw her friend's bloodshot eyes and sad countenance. "Nat, what is it? What's wrong?" "Angie? Who is it?" Dave inquired from the bedroom. "It's Natalie Le Beau, the ME answered, "Dave, I know that you two are getting ready for work, but I needed to talk to you both immediately." He walked out in his work clothes and holding Deirdre. "Go and get your breakfast, Girls," he told their daughters, Karen and Lauren. Sensing the somber mood, they immediately rushed to their places and listened without a sound. "Of course, you can talk to us. Now...what's wrong?" he asked. "Is Nick okay?" "Yes," Natalie sighed. "Nick's okay." She took a sip from the coffee cup in front of her. "However, there was a murder last night." "And...?" Angie probed. "Go on please..." Natalie nervously looked around the room. "Angie...geez, this is harder than I thought...Angie, the young woman who was murdered....was...Jennifer Ramirez," she stammered. Angie didn't catch it at first. "Did you say that Jennifer was the victim? Are you certain?" she asked. Natalie nodded. "Oh yeah....I did the autopsy about three hours ago. No mistake. It was Jenny all right. Angie, I wanted you to know before you hit the hospital this morning." Angie started to shake and her eyes watered. "Well...how...how did she die?" she asked. "Two bullets fired at extremely close range. We think its part of the racial hate crimes," Natalie reported. "And did she have a swastika carved on her like the others?" he asked. Natalie nodded. "Angie, I'm so sorry. I know how you're feeling. She was supposed to have started with me as an intern next week....." "She...Why her?" Angie demanded. "Why her? She was a sweet, gentle and kind person who didn't hurt anyone." Tears flowed down her cheeks. Then realizing that the girls were there, she managed to compose herself. "I knew that I should have insisted...." Dave knew where this was going. "Kids, ummm....go to Francesca's apartment. Okay? I'll be there in a few minutes. Mom and Dad have grown-up stuff to talk about," he requested somberly. "Sure, Daddy," Lauren nodded. "Feel better, Auntie Nat," Karen added as she popped out the door after her twin sister. "I will. Thanks, Sweetie," Natalie managed a smile. Once the girls were gone, he gave Angie a hug. "It's going to be okay. Really, it's going to be okay," he tried to comfort her. "No, it's not going to be all right!" Angie protested. "Dave, she was the best nursing student that the U of A had! And now because of some ignorant animals, she's dead." She sighed and put her head down for a second. "I know...I know," he assured her while rubbing her shoulders. "She was a great student. You know that I liked her. She was a hard worker. But there was nothing that you could have done last night." "Last night?" Natalie asked. "What about last night?" "Angie ran into her in the concession line during the Arizona-UCLA game last night," he reported. "And I offered her a ride home. She turned me down. Now, this.... I knew that I should have insisted," Angie continued sadly. Natalie looked at Dave to question why he had not done anything. He shrugged and mouthed, "I can't" silently. Then she continued, "Angie, whatever happened last night. It is not your fault. You couldn't have forced Jenny to take a ride with you. Okay? Now, please...remember it is not your fault." "I know. I know. But it's still tough to swallow," Angie let out a big sigh. Natalie hugged her tightly, "We will get through this. Okay? I'm here, so are Nick and Tracy." She looked at Dave with concern. "That goes for you too, Mister." "Thanks. I really appreciate it. If he doesn't mind, I would like to give Nick a call later this afternoon," he accepted her kindness with gratitude. Just then, the phone rang. "I'll get it," he indicated and picked it up. "Hello?" "Hi, David. It's Caitlin Sommers. I just heard about Jennifer Ramirez," she started. "I know that she was one of your mentorees. I guess that I wanted to tell you that it's okay if you and Angie need an extra hour or two this morning. Everyone understands. Winnie's covered your reference shift from 8-10. " "I'll be in by 10," he agreed. "And please thank everyone. I really appreciate the help." "Consider it done. And, David, be careful. There's a lot of tension on campus already this morning. See you later," she closed. He hung the phone back on the hook and looked back at the ladies. "That was Caitlin Sommers. She sends her condolences about Jennifer." Angie was waiting for the other shoe to drop. "And what else?" "Nat, the tension is already spilling over the top after the other murders on campus. This incident may have sparked more uproar. And with that neo- Nazi rally.... all Hell's going to break loose. Nat, I hope that Ramirez is on it," he continued apprehensively. She nodded in agreement. The white supremacy groups were holding a rally on the U of A mall on that same night. "I heard the captain mention it to Nick and Tracy a few days ago. There will be uniforms there....especially after last night." "Do you want to stay for a while?" he asked Natalie. "Coffee's still hot." "Thanks. I think that I will," she accepted. "We all need the company." And they sat down to talk for a while longer. Please send questions and comments to dante0220@yahoo.com . __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. http://auctions.yahoo.com/ Subject: xover: Living with the Differences (05/17) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 06:49:07 -0800 From: "David J. Duncan" To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU xover: Living with the Differences (05/17) By David J. Duncan October 2000 For Notes, please see Part 1 Chapter 4 Nick reclined on his couch and held a wine bottle of blood up to the light. The words and events from the night before coursed through his mind. "How are the clues connected?" he mused carefully. In his mind's eye, he scrutinized the crime scene once again. The blood around the body. The cloth scrap. The paint can found a few blocks away. Obviously, someone wanted to conceal his or her act. But who? The clues formed a giant jigsaw puzzle of which they only had the first few clues..... ********************************* (Chicago, 1976) Nick had been with the other Chicago policemen when they brought the murder victim into the precinct following that latest serial murder. Everyone buzzed over this latest deed on the part of the serial copycat. "Any clues, Rogert?" the desk sergeant asked him. Nick shook his head. "None that we could find. Let's hope that the homicide guys can come up with something." Just then, Kelvin Mahoney, the burley captain, poked his head out of the office. "Rogert! Get yourself in here pronto!" he ordered dramatically. Nick shrugged to the desk sergeant who looked at him sympathetically. "Good luck, Kid," the sergeant told him. "You're gonna need it." "Thanks," Nick accepted and walked into Mahoney's office. The area seemed too compact. It was in actuality a very spacious office as far as police captains went, but especially with Mahoney and his infamous temper, Hagia Sophia would not have been a big enough place. "So," Mahoney glared at him. "Are you gonna sit down or what? You're makin' me nervous." Nick sighed despondently. Actually, he wanted to stand in case he wanted to make a break for it. Not that his boss was going to give him the chance. No way. When Mahoney told anyone to plant themselves in that old beat up and scratched oak chair of his, they stayed there. "You didn't do that badly tonight, y' know," the old captain started. "You got out to the crime scene pretty damn fast. You looked over the scene and kept all of the riffraff out of the important areas. Hell, you even got some evidence. " "I did find a few small items," Nick agreed. Mahoney chuckled, "What you found were the first pieces of the puzzle. The only pieces of the puzzle that we have so far. Do you know what we're missing, Rogert?" Nick tried to scramble on his mental feet. "Where was the captain going with this one?" he puzzled in his head. He had to come up with an answer. But what would he say? "A common link?" he guessed. "Damn right.", the other agreed with him. "I like your instincts, Nick. You better learn to like 'em too. Heck, you better learn to make 'em your best friends. They will help you with tough cases and they might even save your life one day." Nick smiled in spite of himself. How many times over the past 750 years had he used his wits to keep himself ahead of an angry mob? Too many times to count. "Have more confidence in yourself, Boy," Mahoney advised. "Now, get out there and find me my missing link. Remember, the truth is just waiting to be found somewhere on the scene." ************ Nick's mind came back to the present with Mahoney's words. "Find the common link. Find the common link," he thought. He looked at his watch: 12:30 PM. "Still four hours to go until sunset," he sighed. But he had the case files stacked on the table from this crime wave. He needed to link these incidents before the killers, and he was sure that there would be more than one criminal, struck again. He rose slowly from the couch and paced the room with an open file in one hand and the bottle in the other trying to find that crucial missing link which they so desperately needed. "Let's see...." he thought. "Late nights, swastika wounds in all of the cases. And the typed notes on all of the victims. But unlike the first two incidents, this one happened in the middle of the city." Then, he looked at the rest of the officer's report. "An old Chevy with a swastika tattoo on the side?" he pondered. Obviously, there was a witness since someone had to have seen the events of that night. Another bonus, the other residents had heard voices. Okay, not a big lead but it was something. At least, the wheels were turning somewhat. Nick picked up his receiver and dialed the precinct. When the desk sergeant picked up, he said, "Hi, Martin. This is Nick Miles. Can you get me ...." He looked at the name on the report, "Patrolman Henry Williams? I'm going to need to talk with him." Martin's voice agreed, "Sure thing, Nick. Hey, uh lousy case huh? Wasn't Williams the guy who filed the report on the Ramirez girl?" "He sure was," Nick nodded. "I need to check on some details from the neighbors' stories." "He's out on the beat right now. You want me to have him wait for you when he comes back?" Martin inquired. "I can make sure that he's here for your usual arrival time." "That would be great. I'll talk to him then. Thanks, Martin. You've been a great help," Nick closed. "Anytime, Nick. Anytime," Martin closed and hung up. Nick waited a minute. Then he called Tracy. "Brown," she answered. "Tracy, it's Nick. I may have something here. Meet me at the morgue. I want to check some things with the police report there," he told her. "Do you think you have something?" she asked. "I was thinking of going out and interviewing people tonight. Someone knows something but doesn't want to say what it is." Nick chuckled, "You guessed it. I'm going to check on some details first. Then, I want to talk with you and Nat. Okay?" "Sure. See you there!" she concluded and hung up. He set his receiver down on its cradle and stared at the clock. Only 3 hours to go..... Please send questions and comments to dante0220@yahoo.com . __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. http://auctions.yahoo.com/ Subject: xover: Living with the Differences (06/17) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 06:49:32 -0800 From: "David J. Duncan" To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU xover: Living with the Differences (06/17) By David J. Duncan October 2000 For notes, please see Part 1 Chapter 5 The U of A was a hotbed of tension and student protest. By 11 AM, the student association had organized a initial demonstration in front of the administration building, both to memorialize their fallen friend, and to protest the serial killing spree. At first, it was a peaceful protest with signs and banners. Then, after a half hour, the situation started to deteriorate and the group melted away into smaller packs. Many went back to their dorm rooms or to the restaurants in the Union to reflect on these events. However, as Dave knew from listening to student conversations in the library during his Reference desk duty and the police activity outside of the window, vigilantism would spread if the culprit or culprits were not caught soon. This tension, when added to his own mourning of Jennifer Ramirez's passing, almost drove him crazy. To combat this moodiness, he selected a Hildegard of Bingen CD and started to play it. "Geez....I hope it works," he thought as he plopped heavily into the cushioned office chair. He opened the bottle of St. John's Wart and took a pill. "Three in one day. Yup, this is definitely too much," he sighed to himself. Hildegard's soothing chant did its work, however. Her vocals sent him spinning on a cloud high above the problems outside of the window. "This must be how Dante felt in the 'Paradise'," he concluded with contentment. However, after 10 minutes, a knock came from the door disturbing his meditation. "Yes?" he asked. "Dave, its Annie. Can I come in?" Annie Castalaine inquired. "Certainly," he told her. "The door's open." "Thanks," she accepted with a pleasant smile and walked into his abode. She looked around to take in the office furniture and the books. "Are all of these yours?" she asked awestruck. "Yes," he nodded proudly. "Some of them came from right here in town. Others have traversed the country so many times that they could have flown for free by now." He opened the dorm fridge by his desk. "Iced tea? Diet Pepsi?" he offered. "Thanks...but I brought my coffee with me," she declined. She leaned over to take in the music. "Nice chant by the way....Hildegard's "Jesu corona virginium" perhaps?" "Very good," he admired. "Yes, that is Hildegard. She helps keep my temper under wraps." "She seems to do a good job of that. Caitlin's deliberating over borrowing one of your CDs for the sound system," she indicated. "Right. Hildegard with these students? That would be something to see," he doubted. Annie looked at him earnestly and sipped her coffee. "I'm serious. What would you recommend to sooth the savage beasts out there? Besides Hildegard I mean." He got up rather gingerly from the chair and looked at his CD collection. "Well," he started. "There's some Beethoven and Mozart violin sonatas and the Medieval and Renaissance stuff." She joined him at the case. "I have some Brahms. So, if you want to contribute, it would be appreciated. I think that Pete's chipping in some flute concertos, Adrienne's bringing her Latin music, and Maria Jariaya has her Hungarian folk music." He selected three CDs from his stash. "Let's see....Hildegard, some troubador music, and some Irish instrumental stuff. Guaranteed success," he indicated and handed them over to her. She took a second to examine the musical disks. "Thanks, Dave. Let's hope that this strategy works," she hoped earnestly. He nodded in silent agreement. The situation was definitely getting on everyone's nerves. She studied his mannerisms for a moment. "Are you okay? You seem to be teetering on the edge," she noted. "About the same as everyone else," he shrugged. "Why do you ask?" "Well, it's the way you have secluded yourself the past two days. Everyone is concerned about you, especially given the last time," she informed him. He shook his head and admitted, "To be honest, yes...given how sensitive I am to the turmoil out there, I figured that it would be best to stay in my little cloister here until things settle down as much as possible." "Are you going to be able to do your Reference shift tonight? I still owe you from last month," she offered. The prospect tempted him, but he realized that hiding from the situation would not help him. "Thanks but...I'll be okay. Really," he replied. "The show's gotta go on." She gave him a disconcerted look. "If you're sure...okay. But call me if you change your mind. Well, I have a meeting in 10 minutes, so I have to go. See you later." "Thanks for stopping in to check on me. I appreciate it," he thanked her. "No problem. If you have a problem, let us know," she replied knowingly. After she left, he turned back to the window and stared out onto the mall area for several minutes, wondering what indeed would happen next. ************************** Meantime, the students were really starting to lose patience out on the mall. They had been standing there en masse for almost an hour with no response. The UAPD, as was customary at rallies of this type, had officers ready for anything. The crowd's leader, a tall and slender Hispanic male, walked to the front of the group. "C'mon, Langley!" he yelled. "Isn't this important enough to talk to your students? Are you coming out, or do we have to go in?" Rumblings of agreement popped up throughout the crowd. With each passing moment, this surge grew stronger and stronger. Finally, the crowd started to push forward towards the doors of the administration building. "Let's force him to address us!" they cried in unison. The police contingent acted quickly and formed a human wall between the crowd and the building. Sergeant Al Morris was a 25-year veteran of the UAPD and well-liked by the students. Yet today, with the passions running so high, he was unsure if that good will would hold up. He also had to think about his personal welfare as well as the safety of his men. Morris put a bullhorn to his mouth. "C'mon, Kids. Settle down. Settle down...or we will have to force you to disperse," he informed the group. The Hispanic leader yelled back, "Officer! We need to talk to him about this! The president is still letting those animals have their rally here...despite what they have been doing to minorities here in Tucson! They were good people! That trash has to pay!" Morris sighed deeply, "So, this is the problem. Look, Folks, I'm sure that the president is discussing this issue with his people. But this is a delicate situation...." "Damn right! And they need to do something!" someone in the crowd interrupted. Morris waved his hand desperately to maintain order. "This is a delicate situation. And he needs to determine a strategy to protect everyone's civil rights." "Their civil rights? You want to protect their civil rights? After what they did?" the leader challenged. "That has not been proven yet, Son. Now, settle down," Morris debated. Behind him, one of the police wall clicked off his safety due to nerves. Morris turned quickly and stared at him. "I don't need any heroes today, Corporal," he stated. The young man turned the safety back on. "You see!" the crowd's leader bellowed. "Those cops are ready to fire on us! I say we go in!" Before Martin could respond, the mob surged forward. The sergeant had no choice. He turned to his men. "Ready the gas!" He stood for a full 10 seconds to let the mob realize his intent. However, they kept advancing. "Fire!" he ordered. At his signal, cans of tear gas exploded forcing coughs and discomfort among the students. Many protesters fled the scene, but the majority stood their ground. Martin spoke again, "That...was unfortunate. We are all angry over this but..." "Why are you angry about this? You're white! No whites have been killed! Just us poor minorities who don't matter!" a Native American woman yelled. Martin's face reddened with anger. "Young lady, with all due respect, I resent that statement. It does matter...and those people matter. I knew those students and respected them! And I mean that. Yes, I knew them..." His eyes watered. "I want the guilty caught and punished as badly as you all do! But there is a thing called due process! Now, Tucson Police Department's detectives are working on the matter. Please let them do their work! Now, you have made your statement and it has been noted. Believe me, your support for the victims is appreciated. Please either demonstrate peacefully or go home. Thank you." "If you really feel that way, then why aren't you with us?" the leader challenged. "Because I cannot in good conscience compromise one potential innocent man's life to make him a scapegoat," Martin replied as calmly as he could under the circumstances. Then, he looked over his shoulder at the TPD van parked behind him. "Once again, I give you the choice. Demonstrate peacefully or go home. If you continue like this, I will have to order the men in that truck to come out and arrest you for disturbing the peace. I don't want to do that. Please take the offer!" A murmur of rage wavered through the crowd. For a moment, the students hesitated on the brink of violence. Martin watched this inactivity with concern. Finally, the mob dissipated much to his relief. However, he knew that this was only the beginning if those homicide detectives couldn't solve the case...and solve it soon. "Johnson! Get me headquarters now!" he ordered. The young corporal dialed quickly and handed a cell phone to his superior. Martin began to relay the events to them and waited for further instructions.... Please send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com . __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. http://auctions.yahoo.com/ Subject: xover: Living with the Differences (07/17) Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 06:07:09 -0800 From: "David J. Duncan" To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU xover: Living with the Differences (07/17) By David J. Duncan October 2000 For notes, please see Chapter 1 Chapter 6 Natalie looked at the rusty paint can under the microscope with a practiced eye. Somewhere, somehow, there had to be something on it. Despite a long day's work, no fingerprints, no blood, not a smudge of evidence had revealed itself to her. She scratched her head in frustration. "There's got to be something here," she thought to herself. Just then Ann, her new lab assistant, wheeled a gurney back into the lab. "Here you go, Dr. Le Beau. The Ramirez victim, just as you requested," she reported. "Thanks, Ann," Natalie smiled. Then, she felt Nick coming down the hall. "Uh, Ann, you have that break coming up don't you?", she asked. "Yes, ma 'am. Can I take it?" Ann replied. "Certainly, you can have 45 minutes," Natalie agreed. Ann grinned and walked out of the lab. From the hall, Natalie heard her greet Nick and Tracy. "Nice kid," Natalie reflected. "Certainly not on Grace's level, but she'll get there." She did miss her former assistant from Toronto sometimes and the empathy that they had shared. Nick and Tracy entered the room seriously. He had a fat file folder under his arm. She carried her notepad and pen under her left arm. Their faces reflected a long night of interviewing neighbors and putting up with frustration. "So, anything?" Natalie asked, interested. Nick nodded, "Nothing new. But we did manage to collaborate some details from the police report." He opened the file and pulled out the typed report. "The swastika symbol, men's description, the notes, and events all match..." "At least we have definite leads now," Tracy added. "How about you?" Natalie shook her head. "Nothing yet," she sighed with disappointment. "I have been through most of the evidence and it's clean. Big fat goose eggs." She looked under the microscope again. "In fact I don't think....Whoa! Hey hold the phone...we might have something here...." She analyzed the handle of the paint can. Unlike every other part of the can, it was clear of rust. Better yet, it had fingerprints. "Hold on," she advised her friends and used the equipment's built in camera to snap a picture of the newly-discovered evidence. "Ah ha! We have fingerprints," Natalie exclaimed satisfied. "Great," he smiled. "I'll run these through Interpol and the FBI to see who they belong to." Then he reached in his pocket and produced a piece of asphalt. "Analyze this too, Nat. It has part of a blood trail moving away from where the victim's body was found." Natalie looked at the new clue. "Hopefully, this will collaborate your earlier saliva sample," she hoped. "Did you get a type from it?" he asked. "The lab boys in Phoenix should be receiving it within the hour," Natalie explained. "Hopefully, they will get us something soon." Tracy nudged him gently, "It would be nice to have your night vision just for one day. He certainly does cheat," she teased, looking back at the ME. "It certainly has its advantages," Natalie agreed looking at him. "However, having vampire powers comes at a price and we are dealing with that cost. Aren't we, Nick?" "We most certainly are, Nat. We most certainly are," he agreed somberly. Then, he shifted the subject back to the case. "By the way, how long on the DNA work up?" he inquired. Nat thought a second and checked the waiting list. "Not too many cases ahead of it. And Ramirez has made this case top priority. I'd say within twelve hours," she noted. "Great," Tracy noted. "Because the city's a time bomb and we don't have long to diffuse it." Natalie looked at Nick. "What happened?" she asked apprehensively. "I have been down here and out of touch all day." "There was a protest at the university this morning, and it turned ugly. The UAPD had to borrow our riot squad. We may have a race war on our hands if things continue to escalate." "I'll do what I can," Natalie agreed. "Meantime, I'm going to look Jenny over one more time to see if she left us any more clues." "You okay with this, Nat?" Nick inquired caringly. Nat looked up from her work. "Definitely. You do your job and I'll be fine doing mine. Thanks for keeping me appraised of events on the outside. Now, go check in with the captain before he puts out an APB on you two," she informed him. "Have fun." "Always," Tracy joked half-seriously and followed her partner upstairs. **************************** "Maybe we can get back out on the road before he sees us," Tracy wished as they entered the squad room. "Hopefully, he's so busy that...." Nick looked at his watch, "5...4...3...2...1...," he sighed. "Miles! Brown! My office!" Ramirez yelled. "You were saying?" Nick inquired half-mockingly to his partner. "This is going to be a real blast all right....," she winced. They entered the captain's office and sat down. Ramirez watched them enter and close the door behind him. He creaked himself into the chair which groaned under his weight. "Okay, tell me what you've got. And please, have something.", the captain requested. "I have the mayor's office on line 1, the university's president on line 2, and the networks on 3-6! Worse, I have a smoldering powder keg over at the U of A. You know that we had a near race riot there today? People, I need answers!..." Nick cracked a smile. Ramirez reminded him so much of Stonetree in these situations it was funny. Every time a political firestorm hit, his former captain would be--how did Nat put it?-- 'be ready to eat nails for breakfast'. He and Don Schanke had certainly seen their share of these messes and cleaned them up too. Now, he and Tracy would have to do the same before.... Tracy nudged him. "Hey," she hissed. "Pay attention." "Are you cooking up a theory, Detective?" Ramirez poked. Nick shook his head. "I don't think we're at that point yet, Captain, but we do have some clues." "And we are putting them together and coming up with your theory," Tracy jumped in quickly. No sense in getting the brass too ticked off.... Ramirez glared at them. "Okay then, quit beating around the bush and tell me...." "We have some clothing samples, blood and a paint can from the scene," Nick started. "We got some fingerprints from the can, which are going through Interpol and the FBI even as we speak. The blood samples are on their way to Phoenix for DNA work up and typing. Once we get these reports back, we can match them up and find a pattern." "We also found some witnesses who have collaborated the details from the police report," she added. Ramirez grinned. These two worked together in a rather strange fashion, but they did certainly click. It was almost as if they had been partners before. "Nah, that's crazy....," he dismissed. "Excuse me, Captain?" she asked. "Never mind," he waved it off and then continued. "The Skinheads have their gathering at the U of A tomorrow. If we don't have something by then, I could have a bloodbath on my hands. I will have the SWAT team out there not to mention the State Police, and I think that the FBI will be sending an agent down as well...." Just then, a rapping sounded at the door. "Yes? This had better be important!" he answered. "My apologies. Agent Steven Petersen from the FBI is here to see you." Novak announced. "Well, show him in, please!" Ramirez continued. "The meter's running!" Novak nodded and disappeared. About 30 seconds later, Agent Petersen walked into the office in his dark suit, starched white shirt, and short black haircut. "Captain. Pleased to see you again," Steve greeted and shook Ramirez's hand respectfully. "Likewise, Agent Petersen, likewise.", Ramirez agreed. "Please take a seat. You know my detectives on this case already I believe, Nick Miles and Tracy Brown?" "Yes, Sir, we have worked together before. They're top-notch, trust me," Steve complemented. Tracy looked over at Nick with a bemused look. He waved his hand at her to cut off her reply and to let him go on. The guy certainly knew how to handle people, and Nick wanted him to continue his magic with Ramirez. He had certainly done so before with that mess at the University library six months ago. And he was doing it again. "So, if you don't mind," Steve continued, "I would like to get us out on the street again." Ramirez nodded appreciatively. "Yes, by all means. We need this mess cleaned up ASAP." The phone rang. "Ramirez," he answered and listened. "Captain, it's Natalie LeBeau downstairs. I wouldn't normally interrupt you, but I have a new clue for the serial case, and I need to talk with Nick and Tracy." "Not a problem, Doctor," Ramirez chuckled. "I will definitely send them right down along with the FBI agent assigned to the case. Expect them momentarily. Thank you for letting me know about your progress." He hung up. "Does Natalie have something?" Steve asked. Another look from Tracy. Nick shook his head ever so slightly. "Could be," Nick guessed. "She wouldn't call otherwise. Well, it's been fun, but shall we?" Ramirez looked at them seriously. "People, I want the suspect or suspects in custody. Comprende'?" Nick, Steve, and Tracy all nodded earnestly. No sense in getting the brass too stirred up... (to be continued) ********************************* Please send questions and comments to dante0220@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. http://auctions.yahoo.com/ Subject: xover: Living with the Differences (08/17) Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 06:07:23 -0800 From: "David J. Duncan" To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU xover: Living with the Differences (08/17) By David J. Duncan October 2000 For notes, please see Part 1 Chapter 6 (continued) "FBI agent assigned to the case?" Natalie worried. "Great, as if Nick had enough stuff to worry about... Oh well, he's worked around this type of situation before." She shrugged and set up the "exhibit" for everyone. Then, she looked back at her deceased friend. "You always were insightful, Jenny. Now you may have given us the clue to your killer," she smiled wistfully. Just then, Nick, Tracy, and Steve entered the room. Upon seeing the group, Natalie breathed a huge sigh of relief. Since he knew their secrets, If there had to be a FBI agent around, she was glad that it was Steve "Something wrong, Natalie?" Steve inquired curiously. "You look as if someone has lifted the Rock of Gibraltar from your shoulders." "No...No. I'm fine. It's just when Ramirez mentioned the phrase 'FBI agent assigned to the case'...well, I wasn't sure that...." the ME started to explain. Steve smiled and waved his hand. "I know. Well, this is a very special case that needs to be wrapped up quickly. To do so, everyone has to use their full talents." He looked at Nick with a smile. "And I mean everyone." "So, how did you get picked for this assignment? I mean, I thought that FBI agents don't work the same place too many times," Tracy queried. "I insisted. Perk of being a Level 3 operative," Steve shrugged. "And a little help from the Community didn't hurt," Nick added. He turned to Steve. "Yes, they know that you know about us. They also know about your vow of secrecy. Thirdly, they consider you a friend after the way that you helped to deal with the library incident." "Dave Dubois is a friend of mine and after the way you helped him, secrecy is the least that I could offer you. Secondly, you are also a friend. Besides, I couldn't let the lovely coroner here stay locked up with the Gloom Squad, now could I?" Steve acknowledged graciously. Natalie cracked a smile, "Yeah, that was a great time, let me tell you....," she shivered. "Especially those sessions with Alti. What an ice queen." Tracy rubbed her temple at the thought of the shamaness. "Umm, Nat, do we have any evidence?" she asked. "Sorry, but the thought of that harpy gives me the heebie-jeebies." Natalie took the hint and went into her presentation mode. "Yes…well, Jenny has just given us another clue," she announced and held up a slide. "Tah dah...skin sample. Apparently, Jenny scratched the murderer before she died. I got just enough from under her finger nails to prepare the work up." "When will that sample go to the lab?" Steve asked. "Within the hour," Nat replied anxiously. "Believe me, I'm just as eager for the results as you all are." "Nick," Steve asked and looked around to make sure nobody was within earshot. "Have you scoped out the crime scene yet?" Then, he remembered that Tracy was there. "Relax, I know all about Nick and his 'finer qualities'. Yes, we have been back over the crime scene," Tracy chuckled. "And yes, I have 'scoped' the scene and found more clues. Blood and materials," Nick added. "Which are being analyzed even as we speak up in Phoenix," Natalie jumped in. "Results should be back in about 5-6 hours." Steve nodded satisfied. "Now, I know why you folks are the best -- because you work well together. And I like being on your team, even if I only get to bat on a few occasions." "We like having you around, Steve," Nick agreed. "Less secrets to keep. More efficiency. Now, let's hit the streets. I want to backtrack through the last few crime scenes." "By the way, when's that skinhead rally? HQ is really uptight about that affair," Steve inquired. "Two days from now," Tracy explained. "And we better have something more definite by then. Otherwise, we could be looking at worse damage than we already have now." "You better go, Guys," Natalie agreed. "Check back around 3. Hopefully, I'll have the results by then." "Thanks, Nat. You're a wonder," Nick thanked her. She beamed at his praise. "No problem. As Steve stated, it's all in being a good team member. But thanks, I do appreciate the verbal support." Nick nodded and with a quick caring look towards his friend, followed his partner and the agent up the stairs. Working with friends did always make a job easier.... Please send questions and comments to dante0220@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. http://auctions.yahoo.com/ Subject: xover: Living with the Differences (09/17) Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 06:07:36 -0800 From: "David J. Duncan" To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU xover: Living with the Differences (09/17) By David J. Duncan October 2000 For notes, please see Part 1 Chapter 7 The tension was mounting on the campus. It hung in the air so heavily that you could have cut it with a knife. All day, Dave had avoided contact with people and cloistered himself in the office. However, the peace and bliss couldn't last forever. At 6PM, he had to go on the Reference desk and deal with the public directly. About three hours into the shift, a young man sprinted into the library. The Circulation staff tried to intercept him, but he bolted like a panicky deer. Even before he got into his area, Dave could sense his pain and distress. A closer examination confirmed his suspicions. The victim had been worked over pretty hard. His right eye was swollen, his jaw broken, he held his foreleg with his left hand but blood oozed out of a gash and he was exhausted. Worse yet, he was Sam Dunscritz, a known white supremacist. Dave knew that he didn't agree with his views, but that didn't matter now. This was still America and Dunscritz had a right to those opinions. Granted, he sometimes overstepped those bounds, but he still had those rights. Dave rushed forward to help him. "Here, sit down. You have to sit down," he told Dunscritz and helped him to a chair. "No...can't...can't sit. They're after me, Man! They're after me! I'll get killed!" the refugee protested weakly, but collapsed. Just then, the mob of students started to stream into the foyer. Dave recognized many of the group from the morning rally. They were not going to listen now. They wanted blood for blood. Vengeance would be theirs. They rushed towards Dunscritz in a blood frenzy. He intercepted them. "Not you too, Mr. D," the leader, Carlos Alvarez, protested. "Give us this trash." Dave shook his head purposefully. "No way, Amigo. I can't do that." Carlos sighed despondently, "I know that those pigs in the administration would protect his kind. But you? I thought that you were cool! I thought that you respected diversity!" He nodded, "I do. And that's why I can't let you touch him now. He has a right to his opinion too. I don't agree with it. But he has a right to it." "His type murdered our friends!" someone yelled. "Give us the SOB now!" Dave took a deep breath. The situation was already taking its toll. He could feel his blood pressure starting to rise and the anger starting to take hold. The red haze was dropping across his vision. "Not now!" he thought desperately and gripped a nearby reference carrel forcefully. He couldn't…he wouldn't change in the middle of that powder keg. "Look, Guys," he directed with great effort. "You...have to...leave now, or I'll call the police…." The mob lost it and rushed him again. Somebody, Dave didn't see who, swung his or her fist and knocked him down. They tried to drag their quarry away, but he scrambled to his feet quickly yet painfully, and grabbed Dunscritz's arm. "No...," he growled menacingly. "Means no! Now, leave!" At that moment, reinforcements arrived to back up Dunscritz and the besieged librarian. Caitlin and Pete Mitchell ran onto the scene. A group of Dunscritz's buddies came in as well. It was a standoff. "Everyone in these groups leaves now!" Caitlin directed. "Go! This is a library, not a gladiatorial arena!" "Says who, lady?" the minority mob challenged. Pete hung up the Reference phone. "As Dean of the Library, that is her right. In addition, I have just placed a call to the Tucson Police Department. They and UAPD will be here shortly. You have already committed battery on one of the staff and disturbed the peace of this facility," he explained while forcing himself to remain calm. The supremacists thought this was amusing. "And we're supposed to leave our friend to the wolves on the word of a propped up black man?" he sniggered. Dave tensed and started to rise. "I'll teach that punk some manners...." he hissed low. Pete grasped the injured librarian's shoulder firmly. "The thought is appreciated, but not now," he whispered. Then, he looked the man in the eye. "Young man, I am African-American and proud of it. I have as much right to be here as you do. However, I do need to ask you to leave. "Yeah, yeah...stupid asshole," the supremacist scoffed. "By the way, your dog barks really nice there. Too bad his bite ain't as bad." Caitlin glared, "I would ask you to refrain from calling any member of my staff such names." She shivered as she felt the waves of rage coming off of her fallen employee. "Believe me, you do not want to provoke him. Now go!" Then, sirens wailed to a stop outside on the mall. Police in padded suits surrounded the library. Nick, Tracy, and Steve rushed into the area with their badges raised. "Tucson PD!" Nick yelled. "This is your last warning!" "FBI!" Steve added forcefully. "Do as he says, or we will place you all under arrest!" "What if we don't leave, Mr. Pretty Cop? Then what?" Carlos hissed. "Just try it," Steve warned him. "and I'll fire." "Carlos...," Dave muttered. "Don't...don't be a dead idiot. You've got more sense than that." "Shut up!" Carlos accused him. "I can't believe that I thought that you were cool!" Nick grasped Carlos by the arms and dragged him off into the corner. "Look at me!" he commanded. When Carlos did so, he started his hypnosis. "You will leave the library...you will leave now," he started. Carlos nodded slowly, "Yes...I...will leave now." "You will take your friends with you and not return until you have cooled off...." Nick continued. "Not return...not return...until cooled off. Take my friends....with me. We will leave," Carlos agreed. With that, Nick released him. "Wha?...What was I thinking?" Carlos muttered and turned towards the mob. "We have to leave, Guys. Now." The other berserkers weren't as ready to see reason. Fortunately, the police stormed the library, arrested them and hauled them downtown in a commandeered bus for the purpose. Nick looked at Dave. "Are you okay?" he asked. The librarian rubbed his left cheek, which throbbed incessantly. "My face hurts. I have the usual headache after my fit, and my leg is bothering me again. Other than that, I'm ready to pitch nine innings," he grinned. "Hey, Petersen, nice entrance. Missed all of the fun as usual, huh?" Steve smiled, "Nice to see that he still has his sense of humor. He must be regaining it, he noted to himself. Then he stated, "I figured that you would hog all of the opening act. I arrived in time to clean up after you as usual," he cracked good-naturedly. "Hey, let's get you upstairs and then, we can call your wife." "Oh I don't think that will be necessary," Dave winced knowingly. As if on cue. Angie rushed into the area. "My word!" she exclaimed. "Is he all right?" "You know your husband, Angie. Always rushing in to save the day," Steve smiled and rubbed his injured friend's shoulder. "Good to see you too, by the way." She gave him a wry look and examined her husband's leg. "Nothing broken...." she concluded and glanced at him. "this time...." She turned to Caitlin. "Can somebody else do reference now? I got to get him upstairs." "Angie...." he shook his head. "I'll be fine." "Listen to your wife," Pete advised him. "I'll finish the shift and then stop by your office to see you." Dave rolled his eyes. There he had it...Straight from the top and with Caitlin backing him...there would be no appeal. "Okay," he conceded. "Let's go. Everyone, my office now. Conference time." (to be continued…) Please send questions and comments to dante0220@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. http://auctions.yahoo.com/ Subject: xover: Living with the Differences (10/17) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2001 06:25:31 -0800 From: "David J. Duncan" To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU xover: Living with the Differences (10/17) By David J. Duncan October 2000 For notes, please see Part 1 Chapter 7 (continued) Steve, Tracy, and Angie followed Nick and Dave upstairs to the office. The latter started to unlock the door, but something did not feel right. "Nick?" Dave asked. "Is it my imagination or...?" He winced. "With everything...I can't believe that I didn't sense his presence..." Angie leaned in towards Dave and asked, "Who?" >From inside her head, Xena revealed, "Lucius." Nick opened the door and entered the darkened office. The CD player played Mozart's violin concertos. The chair was turned towards the window and away from them. However, Dave could sense the person reclining in its comfort. "Do come in and sit down," LaCroix bade. "It is rather cosy....My compliments...." "Yes, I like it," he coughed. "But then again, guests just don't simply invite themselves in, do they?" LaCroix snickered incredulously. "My dear Mr. Dubois....It seems that the beating that you endured downstairs had done nothing to improve your manners. And here I was about to complement your music collection. It seems that you do have some redeeming qualities after all." Dave coughed incredulously at the uninvited guest. "Well, thank you for that at least." Then, he turned to Nick, "He doesn't get it. Does he?" He limped over to the desk painfully. "Do you want me to welcome you to the city of Tucson with open arms?" he baited. "It would be the civilized thing to do," the elder vampire sighed. "Really, Nicholas, such a breach of protocol." Nick shook his head, "You did intrude into his sanctum. What are you doing here, LaCroix?" The elder vampire shrugged. "I have just moved here from Toronto. The good station manager at KRAN is a fan of the Nightcrawler and would like to host the show. So, naturally when the invitation was given...." "You couldn't decline. Could you?" Nick sighed despondently. "And besides that, to return to my original point...." their new companion continued and stared at the injured librarian leaning on his bookcase across the room. "Concerning manners, My Friend, I did welcome you and your wife to Toronto and the Raven. Did I not?" "Some welcome...." Angie muttered. "We were assaulted by you and Janette." "That is one perspective....I did find Xena's challenge amusing to say the least," LaCroix stated calmly. "I await her appearance... Do let her know that. Would you?" Angie eyed LaCroix intensely. Of course, he must have sensed her connection to the Warrior Princess. "Sure....The next time that I see her," she agreed. He smiled, "Splendid. Yes, well....the mayhem level is at a high around the city is it not? If you would excuse me, I need to secure my new premises. Nice city by the way. A little warm and bright in the daytime but the nights are wonderful. A revoir, mes ami!" With that, he opened the window and soared away on the night wind. Nick watched his former master fly away. He shook his head. "Just when I think that I am rid of him...." Tracy cleared her throat. "Nick, why didn't you tell me that LaCroix was a vampire? I guessed as much after Wabash, but you could have let me know!" "Sorry..." he apologized. "He was my master. I felt the need to protect him from further police involvement at the time." Tracy threw her hands up. "Wonderful!" she shook her head and turned to head down the stairs. "I'll go with her," Steve assured him. "See you tomorrow, Dave. Do try and take it easy...." He patted his friend's shoulder and walked out the door. Dave turned to Nick who was leaning against the window where LaCroix had just exited moments before. "It's not your fault y'know.", he advised his friend. "I know....But...will I ever be rid of him?" Nick moaned. Dave pondered the thought for a few minutes. Then, a response came to him. "Look, Nick, bad fathers are something to be borne." Angie shook her head ever so slightly. "This isn't the time, Dave," she admonished. "The man who doesn't talk to his father tells me this...." Nick started. "The relationship between my father and myself isn't much different than yours with LaCroix. My father may be a mortal jerk and a royal pain in the ass...." he continued. "That's...putting it mildly," Angie cut in. "But the principle's the same. Obviously, LaCroix's not to going to be denied being close to you, but you can keep him at a distance," Dave advised. Angie grimly agreed, "I think Xena might have something to say about that." Nick sighed again. "Thanks....both of you. Really. But I got to find Tracy and Steve before things get anymore out of hand." With that, he walked out of the office and downstairs leaving Angie and her husband in the darkened office by ourselves and wondering if things really could get better or just worse.... Please send questions and comments to dante0220@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ Subject: xover: Living with the Differences (11/17) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2001 06:25:45 -0800 From: "David J. Duncan" To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU xover: Living with the Differences (11/17) By David J. Duncan October 2000 For notes, please see Part 1 Chapter 8 Nick ran down the stairs and outside of the library foyer. His furious partner had already marched down to the Caddy and slumped into the passenger side. Steve was already stationed in the back. His frustrated facial expression revealed his futile attempts to calm Tracy down. As he got in, Nick looked over at her. "Tracy....?" he asked. She put her left hand up. "Damn it, Nick! Can't you play it straight with me?" she accused. He sighed deeply. "How many mortal friends have said that to me?" he thought saddened and shook his head. Then he turned back to his partner. "Didn't Vachon tell you about the Community's rules?" She nodded, "Yes...but I already knew of his existence! You all could have trusted me." Then, she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry...that was before our understanding. Just give me some time to cool down. Okay?" "Sounds good," he agreed and revved up the Caddy. "Shall we see if Nat's found something?" "Lead on," Steve urged, relieved that the spat between his friends was over, at least for now. *********************************** "That...was a really stupid thing to do!" Angie lectured her husband. "He was toying with you. You know that he could have attacked you or worse....tried to bring you across." "He would be a fool to do so," Dave retorted while flexing his leg. "Given my Problem. Then it would become his Problem as well." Angie's features softened somewhat as her temper cooled down. "Back in New York, you mentioned a 'Barber'. Who?" "Jack the Ripper," he reported. "Jack the...?" she gaped. "Oh wow...And LaCroix brought him across? How do you know this?" "Nick told me about it sometime ago," he continued. Before Angie could continue, a knock came from the door. "Yes?" she answered. "David, Angela...Pete Mitchell here. May I come in?" Pete inquired. "Yes, please do," Dave beaconed. The door opened slowly and Pete entered the office. "As much as I hate to ask...." he started and glanced at the fridge. "Iced tea?", the other librarian finished his thought. "Sorry, I'm fresh out..." "You? Out of iced tea? This has to be a first. Should we call a reporter from the 'Wildcat'?" Pete teased. "I do have some lemonade if you would like some," Dave smiled and started to get out of his chair. "Uh...uh...," Angie ordered and set her hand firmly on his shoulder. "Allow me...." She opened the fridge and poured the drink. "For you," she nodded while handing him the glass. "Most kind of you. Thanks," Pete grinned and sipped the lemonade. "Ahh...that does hit the spot. David, you are truly a man of unique tastes and interests..." Dave snickered in spite of himself. Angie elbowed him in the ribs. "Thank you," he wheezed. "If only he really knew," she mused somberly. "How is your patient, Doctor?" he probed concernedly. "He'll recover. The leg was aggravated again. And that hard head of his wasn't cracked too badly." She flashed her patient a playful smile, ruffled his hair and then continued her diagnosis. "But I will want him at home tomorrow to rest." "Agreed," Pete consented. "Caitlin will be here momentarily. In fact, here she is now. With your leave, I shall check things out downstairs." He finished his glass and set it by the chair. "Marvelous concoction. Do take care." "Thanks for stopping by," Dave told him. "My pleasure," he closed and with a wave of his hand, departed. Caitlin walked into the office and settled into the visitors' chair. "Can you close the door? Some of this will be private," she requested. "If you get my meaning." Dave nodded knowingly. With a wave of his hand, the door suddenly eased itself closed and the lock clicked into place. "Done." "Thank you," she accepted. Then, she sighed deeply...the type of sigh that she had before one of her lectures. He winced in anticipation. Judging from the look, he thought that he was really going to get it. As it turned out, Caitlin threw him a curve. "First of all...thank you for heading off that mess downstairs. You did your job. Secondly, thanks for doing so in a normal fashion. Using your talents would not have been wise there," she started. "I would have started a real race war. Cries of 'freak, freak, freak, I can do without, thank you very much. And it isn't just the library scene tonight, Tucson is gripped with vigilante fervor," he accessed. "But you can't single-handedly head it off," Caitlin continued in protest. "Next time, call for help." "Hopefully, I will have more time, if and when it occurs again," he debated. "Listen to her, Dave," Angie begged. "And then what? A potentially innocent person gets torn apart by a lynch mob? Not on my shift," he affirmed. "You were really close to releasing your pet demon tonight. I know that look that you gave everyone tonight after you got back up. Your temper is infamous, you know. Yes, being here in the desert does help you somewhat. But faced with a grave crisis...and this is the second time. David, I do agree with your view on this matter, but I don't want an incident on my hands. Caitlin argued. "Well, in this case, I think that it's more important to preserve a single life," Dave added dryly while rising gingerly from the padded chair and walking over to the window where a view of the Santa Ritas and the lights of the city grabbed his attention. "Life is all around us, and everything counts for something." "Including your own," Caitlin cut in. "We can debate this all night, but all that I'm asking is for you to think about it." He nodded. "I can live with that." "That's a start. Well, stay home tomorrow and rest. See you soon," she closed and walked out of the office. He grunted while turning back towards the desk and placing his paper in his satchel. "Okay, I think that I have everything. Shall we?" "Yes. I know three little girls that need tucking in," she smiled and helped him towards the door. Please send questions and comments to dante0220@yahoo.com . __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ Subject: xover: Living with the Differences (12/17) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2001 06:26:00 -0800 From: "David J. Duncan" To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU xover: Living with the Differences (12/17) By David J. Duncan October 2000 For notes, please see Part 1 Chapter 9 Nat opened a package that the courier had delivered only seconds before. She hoped the latest batch of blood samples would point the way to the killer, or killers, before he, she, or they could strike again. The report brought a bright smile to her face: they had a match! All of the samples came back A negative. Now, the fingerprints off of the spray can needed to come back from downtown. Then, she half sensed Nick's approach towards the lab. "I got to have Nick explain this to me," she groused to herself. Okay, collect yourself." She took a deep breath. "Much better." Nick, Steve, and Tracy walked into the lab looking seriously dejected. Something had happened. That was painfully obvious. "Hi, Guys," she cheered. "I have some good news. We have a match." "That's the first good news that I have heard all day," Steve sighed and sat down on a stool. Nat crossed her arms. "Okay, guys. Nick, Tracy, I haven't seen you this depressed since Reese turned down Nick's last vacation request. What's going on?" "Ask him," Tracy motioned with her head towards her partner. "If he'll tell you." Nick shot her a sarcastic glance, and sighed deeply. "Nat, he's back." "Who?" she poked, and then, through their remaining link, she felt the answer, "No...that's impossible! He is still in Toronto." "Correction...was in Toronto," Tracy cut in. "How long has LaCroix been in the picture?" Nick straightened himself out. "LaCroix brought me across almost 800 years ago. Wherever I go, he follows." "And he's followed us to Tucson," Natalie realized. "Why am I not surprised? I knew that our bliss couldn't last." "Now, that showdown between him and Xena is inevitable," Steve stated. Tracy was taken aback...again. "Excuse me, but hello! Does somebody want to let me in on this? Any of this?" Nick cleared his throat. "Before LaCroix was brought across, he was Lucius of Pompeii, the Roman general. Well, in the last fight of his mortal career, Lucius ordered the massacre of the Gauls. The Gallic army was crushed, the men were crucified, their women raped, children killed, and villages burned to ashes." Tracy's eyes bulged. "He...is Lucius? I remember him from my Classics course at U of T, but why the grudge?" "Because Xena was a close ally of the Gauls," Nick continued. "She swore revenge against him, and will thwart him at every turn." "Including with you," the ME shivered. "I still remember the challenges, which she threw at him in Wabash and in New Mexico." She turned to Tracy. "There is a serious blood feud between those two." "We will have to be careful," Steve agreed. "But, she won't hurt any of us." He looked knowingly at Nick who nodded back to him. "That's nice," Tracy sighed obviously wanting to change the subject. "Meantime, let's get back to the case. Nat, you said that you had something?" "Yes, I do," Natalie indicated. "The blood work just came back, and it's all A negative. I'm waiting on the fingerprints from downtown." Just then, a rap at the door. "Excuse me, Dr. LeBeau?" the courier asked. "Yes?" she answered. "Yes, Ma' am," he nodded. "I have these results for you. Top Priority." He held out an envelope and a clipboard. "Thank you," Natalie accepted and signed the form with her black pen. Then, she took the envelope. "Thanks. G'night...folks," the courier concluded and walked out of the lab. Natalie tore open the envelope, and read the report. "Folks, we're on a hot streak! Does the name Samuel Harassowitz mean anything to you?" she announced. Nick and Tracy shrugged. Steve, on the other hand, grinned widely. "Okay, spill it," Natalie demanded. "Who is he?" "Oh...just one of the top ten worst bigots in the country. The bureau's been on his case for about 5 years now. He is a leading suspect in about 10 other race-motivated murders across the US. We want him badly. If he's here, the bureau could commandeer the investigation. But, if we keep working together, I can forestall that. Provided, of course, that I'm in on the collar. Got it?" Steve explained. "I like the way he thinks," Tracy smiled. "What do you think Nick?" He nodded. "Sounds like a great deal to me. C'mon, I know where some informants are on this matter. Let's go." The others took off towards the Caddy. Nick turned to the ME. "Thanks, Nat..." "You're welcome. Just catch this creep," she agreed. ***************************** Jolene Michaels tidied up the conquistador exhibit in the lower foyer of the Art museum. Many hours of work had been spent straightening up the miscellaneous armor pieces and banners. In the midst of this activity, her wrist alarm went off signifying 10 PM. "Oh, man. I'm almost done," she protested. "Don't worry," a female voice informed her. "I'll finish. It's getting late. Go on." "Are you sure, Dr. Harris? Jolene inquired. "I could be done in another 20 minutes." Dr. Alyce Harris walked into the light. An amused smile crossed her slender face. "Yes, I'm sure. I can call security personnel if you like." "I can do it. Honest," Jolene protested. "I'm wide awake." Alyce scanned her student assistant carefully. Her enhanced vampire senses detected the growing weariness in the energetic employee. She chuckled, and allowed her eyes to sparkle. "Really? You're dragging your feet. Go on...." Jolene yawned, "Okay...guilty. I'll go home. But, I don't need anyone...honestly, my apartment's two blocks off campus." She grabbed her coat, and with a wave of her hand, bid her boss adieu. Alyce scratched her head concernedly. There had been too many problems lately. Jolene was a bright African-American female, and if those lunatics were still on the loose…. (to be continued) ********* Please send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ Subject: xover: Living with the Differences (13/17) Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 06:39:11 -0800 From: "David J. Duncan" To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU xover: Living with the Differences (13/17) By David J. Duncan October 2000 For notes, please see Part 1 Chapter 9 (continued) Harassowitz sat in the cherry-red car with Chain Man about a block outside of the University gate on Park Avenue. They had to lay low due to the heat from the cops, but the killer was getting itchy. Nobody was going to tell him that "cleansing of the blood" wasn't the way to go. He looked at his watch. 10:10 PM. That black coed ought to be coming along pretty quickly. Jolene walked by their position about five minutes later, looking like she didn't have a care in the world. Harassowitz turned to his associate. "Let's go!" he urged. The car took off after its prey. She turned back to see the car trailing her. Panicking, she took off, and tried to make it to her apartment. The killer snickered in the passenger seat. He so enjoyed the hunt and pursuit. Chain Man accelerated their vehicle and cut off Jolene's escape route. Trying to break left suddenly, she slipped and fell on the rain-soaked pavement. A sudden flash of pain told her that her ankle was sprained. Her two assailants advanced on her position menacingly, their weapons glinting in the silvery moonlight. "Too bad for you...taking opportunities that real white-blooded Americans should have," Chain Man snickered. Harassowitz stayed back in the shadows, allowing his ally this pleasure. Jolene screamed. "Please don't hurt me," she moaned. "Damn right it won't hurt...much," Chain Man snickered and readied the chain. "Only takes a second..." "That's right," a menacing female voice mocked him. The killer turned to see Alyce standing behind him. Before he could swing his chain, she grabbed his arm in a vice-like grip, and twisted it behind him. "How do you like it?" she hissed. Standing behind him, her eyes took on a golden glint and her fangs had lowered. "No, too easy," she fought the instinct, and turned him around to face her. Chain Man stared at his assailant fearfully. "Who...what are you?" he managed to stammer. "Someone who is different than you," she snarled, and stared deep into his eyes. Her hypnotic gaze seized his consciousness. "Sleep now...When you wake up, you will only recall that a woman tackled you. Understand?" she instructed. "Y...Yes...," he agreed in an increasing stupor. She let him go, and with a thud, he hit the grass. Alyce turned to check on Jolene. Fortunately, her young assistant had fainted with this goon's initial approach. "One down, one to go," she thought. But, the other killer was no longer in the area. Her vampire senses read no trace of Harassowitz. "Damn!" she cursed. At that moment, Jolene stirred. "Uh...Dr. Harris? Is that you?" she managed to ask. Alyce let her eyes return to normal. "Yes...Jolene. It's me. Are you okay?" Her young companion tried to rise, but winced. "Ah....my ankle." Alyce thought quickly. "Okay, my car is parked around the corner. You're going to get that ankle looked at...after we take this creep to the police." "Okay....Doc...Whatever you say," Jolene agreed as Alyce helped her to the parking lot on the next block. Securing her charge in the front seat, the curator drove her Nissan over to the crime scene, picked up the criminal and dumped him unceremoniously in the backseat. Then, she took off towards the precinct. ************************************************* Nick parked the Caddy alongside a curb on Stone Avenue, just north of Speedway. Here in the red light district, one found an occasional character with contacts. Nick knew of one such person...a frequent vagrant by the name of Manny Montana. While he was involved in everything from petty larceny to drugs, Montana had contacts all over the city. One problem...when it came to the police, Nick especially, he was extremely reluctant to share what he knew. After 15 minutes of waiting, Tracy looked at him. "Are you sure that he'll show?" she doubted. Nick nodded reassuringly, and looked at his watch. 9:55 PM. "Almost time," he explained. Just then, Montana exited the Bonita Camina bar across the street. As with his namesake, he stood six and a half feet tall, and was very muscular. Steve looked at Nick as he loaded his revolver. "Him. Right?" "Right," Nick agreed. "Let's go." They left the Caddy and approached Montana as carefully as possible. Finally, after five minutes of this pursuit, the quarry turned to face his pursuers. "What do you want?" he snickered. "I'm busy." "Buena tardes, Manny. We want to ask you a few questions," Nick announced while flashing his badge. "Not you again. I'm going to get the mayor on your ass, Miles, if you don't stop harassing me. Leave me alone!" Montana threatened and bolted down the alley. Nick looked at Tracy, and she nodded. With that, he rose into the air towards the other end of the escape route. She turned to Steve. "He always gets the fun," she commented dejectedly. The FBI agent appraised the situation. "Must be interesting." "Always," she had to admit. "C'mon, let's see what Nick's pulled in." Meanwhile, Montana emerged from the alley sure that he had lost Nick in the darkness. He smiled, satisfied in his triumph. He sauntered around the corner of the next building smugly...right into Nick's waiting arms. "You?…how?" Montana gasped surprised. Nick grinned. "That's my secret. You're going to tell me a story tonight, Hot Shot. About Sam Harassowitz. Is he in town?" "No, he ain't here!" the other denied. Nick's vampire senses worked like a polygraph to indicate that Montana was lying. "C'mon, Manny, lying to a police officer is serious stuff.... I could get what I need here, and let you go, or we could go downtown where everyone knows your rap sheet. It doesn't matter to me," he explained. "Your call." Tracy and Steve had caught up to the two men. "I would listen to him, Manny," she urged with a knowing smile. "One never knows what we might charge you with at the precinct...." Montana looked at Steve. "You look like FBI," he supposed. "I am," Steve agreed. "Aren't you going to get these two cops to lay off of me. They're violating my rights," Montana accused. Steve chuckled, "How do you figure that? They want some answers...you fled...we gave chase...." "You gotta help me. This guy Miles is a nut case," Montana pleaded. Nick gave Steve a smile. The latter approached Montana. "Y'know, I was inclined to help you...until that last little slip of the tongue. Y'see, Detective Miles is a friend of mine. I don't like it when potential suspects insult my friends. Got it? So, are you going to cooperate or not? I don't have all night…." the FBI agent verbally pushed the snitch. Nick and Tracy exchanged amused looks. Steve did have a way with people. He was going to get some answers, and from the way Montana was cracking, they would come in a deluge. **************************************** About 15 minutes later, Montana walked away from the scene concerned, but none the worse for wear. He would go home, and sleep off his questioning by the officers. Around the block, Nick, Steve, and Tracy were comparing notes when Nick's cell phone went off. "Miles," he answered. "Nick. It's Nat," Nat indicated. "Get down here." "Nat? What's going on?" Nick inquired with concern. "Alyce is here...with her intern and apparently Harassowitz's buddy. Ramirez has the uniforms dusting the crime scene even as we speak," Nat explained. "We'll be right there," he closed and signed off. "Well?" Tracy jumped on him. "What did Natalie have to say?" "Harassowitz tried to attack another victim tonight, but she got away. We bagged his sidekick though. C'mon, Nat needs us at the precinct," Nick explained as he got into the Caddy. "Lead on, MacDuff," Steve urged, following him. Nick gave him a curious glance, and then shook his head as they pulled away. Sometimes Steve knew too much for his good…. Please send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ Subject: xover: Living with the Differences (14/17) Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 06:39:22 -0800 From: "David J. Duncan" To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU xover: Living with the Differences (14/17) By David J. Duncan October 2000 For notes, please see Part 1 Chapter 10 Ramirez was getting excited. According to Natalie, the clues were adding up to positive leads. In addition, they had a possible suspect in custody. Now, if his detectives had some clues.... When he saw them enter the precinct, the captain flagged them down with a wave of his right index finger. "What do you have on Harassowitz? Anything new?" he inquired curiously. Nick nodded. "We know that he's holed up down on Valencia. If you want, we can go after him." Ramirez shook his head. "Not yet. The U of A's curator apparently stopped another murder." Nick looked at him. "Is she okay?" he asked. He nodded, "Her? Sure, she's fine. However, he was knocked out cold. Harassowitz got away on foot, unfortunately. I have Smith and Jenkins up at the scene right now." "Did they find anything?" Tracy probed anxiously. "We have the car. The paint, especially the stuff on the left door matches your paint can sample. Fingerprints don't match, but we got lucky. There was bloody residue on the chain which we're hoping matches Ramirez's type. You going out to the scene?" the captain explained. Tracy agreed, "We're on our way." And they headed for the door. Just out of the captain's line of vision, Nick stopped his comrades. "Take the Caddy," he advised. "I'll be there shortly. I want to check in with Nat and Alyce." She shot him a "why-am-I-not-surprised?" glance and held out her hand. Nick flipped her the keys and descended the front stairs to the lab on the ground floor. Steve smiled with amusement. "Like I asked before, is it always like this?" She nodded, "Yes....unfortunately. But, he is a good partner...all things considered. C'mon, let's check out that crime scene." *********************************** Alyce sat nervously behind Natalie's desk and stared at the clock. Thirty minutes had passed since she talked to the desk sergeant. "Where is he?" she wondered aloud. Natalie peered over at her from where she worked on bandaging Jolene's ankle. "He'll be here shortly. I heard him upstairs," she explained. Alyce looked over at Natalie sheepishly. "Sorry, Natalie. I know that I should be more patient. But with everything going on...." Nat nodded sympathetically. "Sure thing. Well, look on the bright side..." Jolene winced, "And that is...?" "I finally get to talk to you. I did meet you during the dinner at the Duboises and then, during that scene at the airport, but, well...things got a bit hairy," Nat surmised. Alyce agreed. "Yes indeed," she concurred. "That is an understatement." "I'll say...", Jolene added with a shiver. "It would have been a nice display though, Dr. Harris....It was a heckuva publicity stunt both here and at O' Hare. It sure impressed a lot of people." Alyce and Natalie stared at each other nervously. Then the former cleared her throat. "Yes...that took months of planning," she lied. "Many nights went into that project." The ME tensed at the thought of Hope and Divia together. Nick had mentioned how much effort it had taken to defeat them in Wabash. It had been a very close win...with a little misfortune, it could have been a bad defeat. "Many nights," she echoed. Just then, both doctors felt Nick's presence through their respective connections. Not wanting to alarm Jolene, they waited for him to walk through the door. "Hi Nat, Alyce....Sorry that I took so long. I was detained by Ramirez upstairs," he explained and looked at Jolene. "That looks like a sore sprain." "It sure is, Detective. But, Dr. Le Beau has me all patched up. For a coroner, she's a great medic," she complemented. Nick grinned mischievously at Natalie. "That she is...that she is," he nodded complementarily. Alyce tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse us, Natalie and Jolene, but I believe that I need to give this good man my statement," she excused herself. Nat agreed, "Sure, I'll finish wrapping up Jolene's ankle here in the meantime." With that, the two vampires walked up a flight of stairs to the nearby briefing room. They sat across the oak table from each other. Nick pulled out his notepad and started writing. Alyce spent much of the next 15 minutes filling Nick in on what happened between Jolene's departure to the art museum until her apprehension of Chain Man. He scribbled down every detail. "It's fortunate that you're here," he surmised. "If not, Jolene would probably be lying on Natalie's table right now instead of sitting on it." Alyce nodded nervously. "Thanks...I tried to keep myself in check. I kept to the shadows as much as possible. But that man's comments enraged me. I almost...." She trembled fearfully. "I managed to stop myself before I started feeding." Nick smiled. She was learning self-control at a faster pace than he had done. LaCroix would have disapproved of such an act, but he praised her. "That's great." "Nick, sorry... I'm not like you. I do drink blood-wine. However, I only kill in an emergency. I do wonder....how can you stand cow?" she stated truthfully. "It does have a bad taste. But, Natalie and I are looking for a cure for me. So, I keep trying as I have done for the past 200 years," he explained. "I suppose....I suppose," she shrugged. "Someday I will understand." A knock sounded from the door. "Yes?" Nick answered. "Nick? It's Captain Ramirez. I need you with me to question the suspect. In terms of Dr. Harris, Jolene is waiting here for her. Is that okay?" he replied. The two friends got up from their seats and exited the room. Alyce helped Jolene to her car and drove her home. Nick, on the other hand, joined Ramirez in the Interrogation Area. There, Chain Man, or more appropriately, Paul Rabenschultz, sat awaiting their presence. The prisoner smiled arrogantly as he thought that the cops would get nothing on him. Nick and the captain entered the room and sat down facing Rabenschultz. Ramirez had a thick manila folder in his left hand. Nick flipped on the tape and faced the suspect. "So, what do you know about the murders?" Ramirez shot the first question. Rabenschultz shrugged. "I don't have to say anything until my lawyer gets here." Nick nodded. "True. But, why don't you just sit back and listen. Okay?" Rabenschultz agreed. "Go ahead. It's your nickel. You don't have any fingerprints." "There is the matter of your chain...." Nick continued and let the thought hang heavily in the air. Rabenschultz started to sweat. "My chain..." "Forget to wash it?" Ramirez baited. "We have a blood sample from it," Nick added. "So?" Rabenschultz protested, his face starting to flush bright red. Ramirez stared him right in the face. "We have the blood from the chain and Jennifer Ramirez's blood," he repeated his earlier statement. Then, he held up the chain and revealed a bloody fingerprint. "Surprise. We do have a fingerprint...which matched your parole record in the computer." "I'm still waiting for my lawyer," Rabenschultz stubbornly insisted. "Suit yourself...By the way, any chance that these were related to the rally tomorrow?" Nick inquired. Rabenschultz chuckled, "I can tell you that....no, those wimps like to protest and carry on. But defend the white man's right to supremacy? Get real." Ramirez had heard enough. He summoned another officer. When the young man arrived, he looked at Rabenschultz. "Put him in holding to wait for his lawyer." The officer nodded and walked Rabenschultz out of the area. Ramirez turned to Nick. "That is one sick hombre. I'm glad that I have never seen anyone that bad before...." he stated. Nick, however, had. Once again, his mind flashed back.... ******************* Please send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com . __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ Subject: xover: Living with the Differences (15/17) Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 06:39:46 -0800 From: "David J. Duncan" To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU xover: Living with the Differences (15/17) By David J. Duncan October 2000 For notes, please see Part 1 Chapter 10 (continued) ************************* (Chicago 1976) Nick and two other detectives hauled three klansmen into the interrogation room of the old Chicago Central District and slammed the door. It was a furious three-hour marathon session full of threats and counter threats. The information did finally come forth. The leader, a twenty year old man from Alabama, glared at him. "You're a traitor to the white race!" he accused. Nick fought the urge to use his vampire-enhanced strength to toss the prisoner against the granite wall. He returned the other man's stare with an icy glance of his own. "I'm not a member of your race," he snarled. "I am different and proud of it." Mahoney looked at him nervously. "Detective?" he asked. Nick took a deep breath. "Take him away.... I've seen enough of him...." As he was being led away, the klansman cursed him repeatedly. Finally, as he was pushed through the cell door at the end of the long hallway, a last response echoed. "Who's the monster? Me, for stating my views and acting on them, or you for barring me from doing so? Who's the monster now? Tell me who!" he demanded, his voice echoing off of the stones.... **************************** "Hey, Nick. Are you okay?" Ramirez shook him. "Huh...Oh yeah. Rabenschultz reminded me of another case is all. Don't worry. I'm fine," Nick assured him. "Well, okay. In that case, go join your partner and Agent Petersen out at the crime scene," Ramirez directed. "Will do, Captain," Nick agreed and walked out of the precinct building. Ducking down the alley, he ascertained that the coast was clear and took off into the Sonoran night sky. *********************************** Meanwhile, Tracy and Steve hunted for clues around the crime scene. Detectives Smith and Jenkins had pretty much picked the place apart by themselves. Steve took a sample of the car's skid marks. Tracy collaborated the story with their comrades. After about 45 minutes, Nick emerged from the shadows. "Got anything more?" he asked. "The skid marks from the tires. Did you have an informative discussion with our friend back at the precinct?" Tracy inquired. "It was a blast. The usual excitement. Trust me, you didn't miss much. He is still waiting for his lawyer. But we did learn that the murders are not related to the supremacy rally," Nick dead panned. Steve walked over, his hands in his pockets. "So, they say. I would still feel better with Harassovitz off of the streets," he doubted. "I think that we're done here." Nick started to nod when his vampire senses picked up on dried blood. He followed the odor trail to an overhang within ten feet of their position. There, concealed in the shadows, a trash can's jagged edge had blood on it. He was ready to bet his badge that it was from Harassowitz. Removing a handkerchief from his pocket, Nick broke off the jagged edge from the can and dropped it into a plastic evidence bag. Then, he stood up and walked back to the others. "So, what did you find now?" Steve inquired curiously. "Let me guess," Tracy cracked. "You spotted our man's ID card." "Close," Nick shrugged and held up the evidence bag. "Another blood sample. And based on both the statements from Jolene Martin and Alyce, I'd say that he was in about that location. I think that it will be his." Steve beamed. "Believe me, if you're right and we nail him, that will make my superiors ecstatic. Let's go." Please send questions and comments to dante0220@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ Subject: xover: Living with the Differences (16/17) Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2001 08:51:44 -0800 From: "David J. Duncan" To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU xover: Living with the Differences (16/17) By David J. Duncan October 2000 For notes, please see Part 1 Chapter 11 Harassowitz hurriedly packed his bags. That stupid taxi driver had puttered his way through the south central side of town. The lid of the suitcase fell shut easily. With a great deal of effort, the killer threw his luggage into the side containers on his motorcycle. After taking a quick look around, he started the vehicle and took off into the night. ***************** Nick drove the Caddy towards the hideout at a rapid rate. Fortunately, the siren warned traffic to avoid the swerving and speeding vehicle as it wound its way towards the extreme southern side of town. Fifteen minutes later, he slammed on the brakes in front of Harassowitz's residence. Tracy and Steve flanked the door. Nick dropped his shoulder and rammed his way into the house's entryway. Although the area was pitch dark, his night vision took in the entire area. Scattered clothes, empty dresser drawers by the bed and no vital signs...save for Tracy's and Steve's outside....all told him that their quarry had fled the premises. "He's gone," Nick sighed. "Ramirez is going to be ticked," Tracy concurred. Just then, Steve noticed something glinting in the starlight on the dirt road. He walked over and took a pinch in his fingers. "Oil," he realized. Then, using his flashlight, Steve saw that the liquid formed a trail heading down the road. "Gotcha," he smiled. "Hey, Nick, Tracy...look at this," he indicated. "What is it?" Tracy inquired, still annoyed that the killer had apparently slipped away. "Oil," Nick concurred with Steve's assessment. "There's a trail of it, all right." He smiled. "Get after him, Nick," Tracy advised. "We'll follow in the Caddy." Nick nodded and took off in pursuit of Harassowitz. Not surprisingly, given the oil leak, the killer had not made it that far. Nick overtook him rather easily, landing in front of the dying bike. "Give it up, Mr. Harassowitz! This is the Tucson PD. You are under arrest," Nick informed him. Harassowitz shook his head and drew his gun. "I don't think so!" he snarled. Nick shook his head and kept his gun pointed straight at the oncoming thug. The bike suddenly backfired and stalled. Harassowitz aimed again, but Nick was nowhere to be seen. "Now, where the hell...?" he cursed. Suddenly, the gun hand was yanked behind him. Nick wrestled the gun away from the fugitive, locked his arms behind him, and slapped the cuffs on them. "It's all over," Nick told him. "You're under arrest for murder." Just then, the Caddy pulled up beside him. Steve climbed out of the passenger side and looked down at Harassowitz who was kneeling on the ground. "You don't know how long we have been looking for you. You're going to jail for a long, long time...." he savored and yanked him to his feet. "Detective Brown, read him his rights. No loopholes for this creep. We've got him and we're keeping him." ****************** The whole precinct applauded when they saw Nick, Steve, and Tracy lead Harassowitz into the booking area for processing. The racial tension could now begin to subside and the healing could start for everyone. Tracy plopped herself into the oak chair behind her desk with a satisfied grin. One more racist was off the streets. Granted, others would take his place but that was a battle for tomorrow. Tonight, she and Nick could file the paperwork and process Harassowitz and Rabenschultz to the Pima County Jail. "Penny for your thoughts," Nick asked her. "Oh....I was thinking about how nice it is that we have these creeps behind bars. Now the victims will have some justice," she revealed. He nodded and sighed deeply. "Now, I am going to offer you your penny back," she stated. He eased into his chair and scratched his head. "I was thinking about the cycles of hate throughout history. It never seems to change. Some day....some day...." She agreed, "That's true....but that's why they pay us. Right?" He smiled. Leave it to Tracy to bring him back to the present. "Absolutely," he concurred. Nat walked over to the threesome. "Hey, Guys. I wanted to say thanks for doing a great job in nailing those killers. Now, Jenny and the other victims can rest easier," she expressed. Steve rubbed her shoulder. "Without you, we don't have our evidence...or the glue to hold our pieces together. Give yourself a little credit, Natalie. Something else, I saw a lot of vigilantism tonight at the University Library. People resorted to violence to force a solution. You, on the other hand, worked within the system and played a crucial role." "The thought had crossed my mind," the coroner admitted. "As I'm sure that it did in David Dubois's mind tonight as well," Nick started. Natalie looked puzzled. "What happened? I heard a little something but well...." Nick jumped in. "There was an uprising at the library. Dave was on duty tonight. A mob chased a supremacist into the building. But he stood up to them and saved the young man's life in the process...." "Wow. I know that he's not one to shy away from trouble but the way that he's been feeling lately......," Natalie sighed. "I'm not surprised," Steve disagreed. "He has always stood up for what he believes in, no matter what. And with his parents...especially his father...Dave has fought a lot of battles in his time. I'll tell you what I was impressed with. I admired the way he reined in his temper. He teetered on the edge, both with the mob and in LaCroix's presence. But, he kept his composure. And after I leave here, I am going to tell him that." He looked at Nick. "Nick, I know that he hasn't had an 800-year war with his old man like you have had. But, he knows what it's like to be reviled by family for personal beliefs. In almost 20 years, I have never seen him flinch." Nick nodded. "He tried to make that point earlier tonight, and I was terse with him." Steve shrugged, "Given the circumstances, I'm sure that he understands your reasoning. Don't worry about it." Just then, Ramirez walked over to the desk area. "Congratulations on a job well done, People. You don't know how relieved I am. Now, we can just ride out the rally tomorrow and let things settle down. City Hall sends its appreciation as well. Agent Petersen, a letter of commendation was faxed to your superiors about 10 minutes ago. As always, your help is appreciated." Steve smiled, "Just doing my job, Captain. Your people here make it easy, trust me. They're the best." "Nice of you to say that. I agree," Ramirez concurred. "They may deviate from the Book at times but they certainly get results." He shook Steve's hand. "Gotta run. Vaya con Dios, Agent Petersen. I hope to work with you again at some point." "Likewise," Steve accepted. After Ramirez left, Steve stood up. "Well, my flight leaves in three hours. So, I have just enough time to see Dave and Angie if I leave now. Ladies, it's always a pleasure..." Nat nodded, "It's always great to see you." "Likewise," Tracy smiled. "Thanks," Steve grinned. "Nick, it's always interesting working with you. Take care and I will be in touch. I want to know when you find your cure. Believe me, Dave and I will have a gigantic party in your honor." Natalie silently wiped a tear from her eye. "Thanks. Brother Tony said the same thing back in Wabash," Nick thanked him. Steve clasped his shoulder. "Curse or not, you are a heckuva person, Nick. And Dave always talks highly of you. As for the good Brother, believe me, he will want to be here when that day comes." He scratched his head. "There are two sayings that I want you to remember, Nick. First, a man's quality is judged by the character of his friends. Secondly, to have good friends, you have to be a good friend yourself. Don't be too hard on yourself, my friend...." He offered his hand. "Until we meet again...." Nick shook his hand. "Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate your words. There aren't many like you, Steve." Steve shrugged, "You flatter me. Like I said before, you are a good person. As for knowing, I, along with Frank Landers and Karen Montoya, stood by Dave during the struggles with his family and his moods. Believe me, I wouldn't wish those conflicts on anyone. If you need to talk, here's my card. Email or phone if you need to talk...anytime." He put on his overcoat and with a wave of his hand, walked out the door. Tracy looked at Nick. "Wow," she gasped. Nick nodded. "You can say that again." The ME hugged his shoulders. "He's only speaking the truth, Nick. There is a cure out there, and we will find it," she affirmed. He chuckled knowingly. "I hope so. In the meantime, it is nice to have friends like you all." Tracy chuckled, "Well, I am enjoying this conversation but if we don't get this report on Ramirez's desk shortly...." Natalie agreed, "Ah, yes. I believe that's my cue. Nick, I'll see you later. Take care." "I'll stop by after this paperwork's finished. Thanks," he promised. It had been a happy ending after all.... Please send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com . __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ Subject: xover: Living with the Differences (17/17) Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2001 08:51:53 -0800 From: "David J. Duncan" To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU xover: Living with the Differences (17/17) By David J. Duncan October 2000 For notes, please see Part 1 Conclusion With Harassowitz and his associate safely behind bars, things settled down in Tucson. The white supremacy rally came and went. While the Tucson PD assigned a contingent to the session, all potential troublemakers stayed away from the U of A mall. The rally ended about 9PM, and the participants dispersed as well. Given the climate still lingering in the Old Pueblo, discretion apparently was the better part of valor. ************** Nick was relieved to hear about the lack of trouble. He reclined on his leather couch, and sipped a glass of cow blood. Things were changing for him, Nat, Tracy, Alyce, and the Dubois family as well. LaCroix's presence would prove troublesome. What would his effect be? Despite his misgivings, he felt drawn to the radio. Playing with the tuner, a familiar speaker could be heard in the room. "Good evening. I want to introduce myself to everyone. I am the Nightcrawler. Tonight's theme is reuniting families. Family belongs together. While children can drift from the home, parents should endeavor to remain close. They must always guide, shape, and nurture their children. As such, I have moved here for my son. Nicholas, as during the past years, I am here for you now," LaCroix stated before allowing a momentary pause for effect. Then he continued. "I am here for all of you...for you are all my children, and I love you all...For I am the Nightcrawler. Ah, I see the phone lighting up...." Nick reached over and snapped off the radio. His relationship with LaCroix had always been a fascinating, and yet, a difficult one. What would happen now? The questions continued to cascade through his mind throughout the night, and into the upcoming dawn. Yes, another chapter was beginning in his life, and he would face it as he always had...moving straight ahead with his friends, and Natalie to help him. LaCroix was right about one thing. It would be now as it had been in years past. Nick vowed again to keep struggling for a cure. It was the only thing that he could do. Having reached that decision, he clicked on a remote, and lowered the shutters over the windows just as the sun began to rise. The night would come soon enough, and with it, another adventure. THE END I hope that you enjoyed this story! Look for the next installment, "Enforcement Matters" coming soon! Please send comments to dante0220@yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/