Deafening silence. Laura could not believe her ears. How could he deny her? Why wouldn’t he understand? One solitary tear escaped down her cheek as she gazed upon her rebellious child.
“Andre, Carter, get in here now,” she rasped, never once taking her eyes off Peter.
The two men entered and moved to stand on either side of their ‘guest’. One motion from Laura and Carter roughly plunged a needle into Peter’s upper arm. He groaned in pain as the drug, whatever it was, swiftly entered his blood stream. Laura once again laid her hand on his cheek, all signs of motherly tenderness abandoned. Her fingers curled slightly, allowing her fingernails to dig into his flesh.
“Your father will be destroyed, Peter. If you do not love me enough to help me complete the task then you will watch as I complete it myself.”
Her gaze moved to Andre, ”Take him to the front room and chain him there. Caine should be arriving any minute and I want our child to have a ringside seat for the festivities.” Once again, mania burned brightly in her eyes as she released her son.
******
Caine was almost dropped to his knees under the waves of pain emanating from his son. Their link began to fade and Caine sensed that Peter had been drugged once again.
“No, Laura. Why?” He did not realize that his words were spoken aloud until he felt a touch on his arm.
“What is it, my friend. What is happening to young Peter?”
“She has drugged him again. The link we share is fading but I can still sense his turmoil. He does not understand how his mother could do this to him. We must hurry.”
They stopped the Kermit-mobile about a mile from the cabin and walked the remainder of the distance. Kermit and LoSi moved to circle around to the back of the cabin, being careful not to be seen. Caine, however, walked straight up to the front door and knocked. The door was answered by a burly man who ushered him into a large room to the right of the door. Caine barely restrained a gasp as his gaze immediately fell on his son. Peter was clearly in some kind of drug-induced haze and was chained to the radiator on the far wall. Small rivulets of blood oozed from four tiny cuts on his cheek.
“Peter,” Caine moved to his child’s side and knelt before him, “my son, I am here.”
As he reached out to brush a wisp of hair from Peter’s face, he heard a voice from his dreams coming from the doorway.
“How touching. A boy and his father.” Laura snickered nastily. “Do enjoy this moment while you can, my love.”
Caine stood and turned to face his wife. His eyes widened as he took in her appearance. She had aged much more rapidly than normal and her face bore the scars of severe burns. He longed to reach out to her, his one-time angel, and wrap her in his arms. Then he noted to look in her eye. Evil had over taken her spirit, as he had feared. Hazel eyes that at one time had contained soft gentleness now glowed fiercely with fiery hatred.
“Laura.”
“Laura? LAURA? Is that all you have to say to me after all these years? You have not changed, Kwai Chang Caine, not one iota.”
Her eyes softened and he caught a momentary glimpse of the woman he had once loved.
“I fell in love with you, Caine. That was my downfall.” She indicated the scars on her face. “Braeden hated you so much. I was to be the instrument of revenge but instead you made me love you.”
The anger returned.
“You made me love you, made me betray Braeden. I can never forgive you for that Kwai Chang Caine. I have waited all these years to repay that debt. I have already killed Braeden for using me, and now it is your turn. I had hoped that Peter would wish to help me, but you have obviously poisoned him against me. That is another reason you will die - you have made my child hate me.”
“Peter does not hate you, Laura. He loves you. He is merely confused by your actions toward him. Please, unchain him and let us go back to the city. Let me help you, let us help you.”
“I do not need your help,” she sneered. “Braeden’s ancestors once relied on your great grandfather for help but all they received was death. I will not allow that to happen to me, or to my son. Peter will be mine, just as soon as you are dead. He will understand. I will make him understand.”
The young man of topic had roused slightly at his father’s voice and heard the argument as if from a far distance. He tried to clear his mind but was unable to get a firm grasp on reality. He was aware enough, however, to catch a glimpse of the large knife his mother had pulled. She licked the tip very slowly, drawing her own blood onto the blade. Insanity played in her eyes as she began to move toward Caine.
“Do not fight me, my love. I do not wish to prolong your death. Do keep in mind that one order from me will bring my associated running, and they will slit Peter’s throat without a thought.”
Just then sounds of fighting filled the hall. Kermit and LoSi had arrived.
“I do not think so.”
Furious, Laura moved in for the kill. Caine blocked the knife but Laura avoided his counterstrike. Caine knew that Laura was ill and had no desire to hurt her. Unfortunately, she seemed to have no intention of surrendering. Her skills had grown immensely since he had known her and she was able to match him blow for blow, kick for kick. There seemed to be no way to end the deadlock until a low moan from the wall penetrated their consciousness. Peter, still under the effects of the drugs and feeling rather ill, called out for the one person who had always seemed to make it better.
“Mom…Annie…”
Laura’s head snapped around to stare in horror at her son. Had he just called another woman “Mom”? NO! That was her honor!
Caine took advantage of Laura’s momentary distraction to overpower her. He landed a final blow and she crumpled at his feet, unconscious. Kermit and LoSi entered seconds later. Kermit went immediately to Peter and used the keys he had filched from one of the thugs to unchain his partner. LoSi moved to Caine and watched, silently, as his old friend cradled a fragile-looking woman in his arms. Caine gently lowered his wife’s still body back to the floor and made his way once more to his son’s side. Peter stirred and moaned again as Caine gathered him into his arms and held him tightly against his chest. The young man calmed as the faint, steady thump of his father’s heart reached through the darkness to embrace his soul.
While they waited for the ambulance to arrive, Kermit and LoSi handcuffed Laura and the two thugs while Caine gently rubbed his hand up and down Peter’s back in an age-old gesture of parental comfort. Whispering soothing words and subtly strengthening his son’s chi allowed Caine to temporarily avoid thinking about Laura. The memory of the woman he had known intertwined with the visions of what she had become and he found the result too painful to deal with for the time being. For now all he needed to know was that his son was safe once more.
Finis
