WEDNESDAY, January 27, 1988
I-80
Cross Pennsylvania toward Ohio
David Rogers and Steve Roberts are on their way to Cleveland on a missing person’s case. David hasn’t told Steve too much about the case or even who has hired them to drive all the way to Ohio to find a missing person. Steve can’t help but to wonder as he sits in the passenger seat why David is being so cagey. Since his return from Christmas in Florida David has been treating Steve very differently. But the thing still foremost in his thoughts is the discovery that all of the things that were taken from the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire Medieval Exhibition that were somehow replaced with fakes. When his mother went back to get the Mountain Ash Trap box to capture the dragon she saw that Medea had stolen two other things from the exhibit. But when he snuck back later to pick up his car everything was intact even the Mountain Ash Trap box that his mother took to the Mystic Museum for safe keeping had been replaced.
The thing next on Steve’s mind is the chastisement he got from his mother for letting Madame Maria lick his feet. She once again impressed upon him how witches and other magic users are drawn to amazons! Especially him! Steve tried to defend himself by saying he thought it was just some kind of kink and that the woman had no real magic power. He wouldn’t dare to make that mistake again. Other than that this road trip has been going smoothly as they take turns driving.
Trying to get his head off his own problems Steve turns to David. “Before I left Paddy told that I.A.D. had clear him of any wrongdoing in the warehouse case,” Steve explains. “You catching High-Fi is what sealed the deal.” “It took a while but he confessed to stealing Paddy’s car and then said the plan was all his idea.”
“What about Russo and DeScalo?” David asks.
“There was no proof that they were ever there,” Steve reveals. “I.A.D. thinks the kid was controlling them too, like he did you guys at the apartment building.”
“So do you think we will be seeing Master Warrior in Cleveland?” David asks out of the blue.
“The guy does get around, but I very much doubt it,” Steve replies remembering Paddy’s warning that David might be suspicious of his double identity.
Thankfully David changes the subject catching Steve off guard. “I’ve been meaning to ask, what was this deal you made with Nicholas DeScalo?” David questions.
Another touchy subject to say the least. “How did you hear about that?” Steve asks, surprised to hear something he thought would never be spoken of again is now coming to light.
“Atlas DeScalo mentioned it in passing,” David reveals what he overheard at the warehouse a few months ago at last.
Taking a deep breath Steve knows he must choose his words wisely. “When I was still a beat cop, Paddy and I screwed up some of Nicholas DeScalo’s plans to retake his father’s mob,” Steve begins. “We uncovered DeScalo’s connection to Commissioner Stanley, got the Commissioner arrested.” “It put a target on our backs.” “So I cut a deal with him, if he left us alone, we would leave him alone.” It sounded like a reasonable twist of events in Steve’s head, until he said it out loud.
“So as a cop you made a deal to not investigate a known criminal?” David replies not sounding too proud of his employee.
“Alleged criminal.” “Besides I’m not a cop anymore am I?” Steve says trying to cover his tracks not wanting to tell the truth about what DeScalo held over his head. “All deals are off now in my mind.” “Nicholas DeScalo is open game for the whole rest of the department.” Wanting to get off this subject as well Steve asks, “So what is this case all about?” “You really didn’t tell me much this morning before you picked me up.”
David reaches into the console between them to dig out a handwritten letter and gives it to Steve. He begins to read it silently.
I know it seems odd, me writing you a letter, but I feel as if I tried to tell you these things any other way I might not be able to. It all started about two months ago at this bar that I had been frequenting, The Ole Mule. It is just off the Northwest Freeway outside of the city. That was where I first met him, the man with black eyes. I know it sounds weird but it was true. His eyes were all black, even the whites of his eyes. I had seen the man several times on different nights at the bar, he usually wore sunglasses. I thought it odd but really felt as though I had no right to judge him. Once I became a regular hanging out at the bar several nights a week he approached me. It was a Friday night after work. I had seen him there maybe about a dozen of times, he never said a word to me until that night. It was the last call when he finally showed me his eyes! When I saw his eyes, I have to admit I was in shock. It was more than a little scary.
Before that night I had asked several girls that worked in the bar about him, all of them were completely creeped out by him, and uncomfortable. But I wasn’t, I was the opposite. I was drawn to him. He was a very strange man, and we had some out of this world conversations. He wasn’t good looking at all either. He walked hunched with a cane that had a large crystal at the top of the handle, like an old door knob.
As Steve reads the letter the handwriting seems strangely familiar to him. “Who wrote this letter?” he asks David.
“Just keep reading,” David replies, hitting the edge of the paper with his fingers. Steve looks back to the hand written letter and begins reading again.
We would meet up once a week or so after that first time he showed me his eyes. The things we talked about were weird, and it’s like when you figure out the meaning of life, like everything suddenly makes sense. We had this strange talk the last night I saw him. It was like he knew something I didn’t. He talked about the feeling of betrayal, how it could fester inside a person. It made me think of Steve and how he betrayed me. How that anger grew to become hate.
As Steve reads the sentences he recognizes the handwriting at last. “Gary wrote this, didn’t he?” Steve says to a nod of David’s head. As the letter continues it becomes more confusing.
I’m sorry this is long and probably all over the place! But there’s so much I have to this story. Bits and pieces come back as I write this! When I think about how I feel about that betrayal I have an overwhelming sense of dread. I’ve decided that I need to find him. I need to learn how to fix this feeling deep down inside of me.
I don’t know what finding him will mean. I don’t know if I can fix myself or if he even knows how to fix me, but I have to try. I just need to have one person know what I am doing. Just in case something goes wrong.
That is the end of the letter. Steve looks to the driver. “I swear I have no idea what he thinks I did to betray him,” Steve says sincerely.
“That doesn’t matter now,” David says, pulling the letter’s envelope from the console handing it to Steve. “He mailed this two weeks ago, I called him as soon as I got it.” “I called for days he never returned my calls.” “So I called his job, he has been MIA for two weeks.” “Something is very wrong.” “We need to find him and the two of you need to work this out once and for all.”
Steve rereads the part of the letter about the guy with the black eyes. It clearly sounds like the guy might be a Zeni-human. Steve wonders if that is why David asked if they would be seeing Master Warrior in Cleveland. At any rate if David is suspicious of his double identity it gives him a very good reason for there to be no Master Warrior in Cleveland at all costs.
Philadelphia Elite Squad
1st Precinct
Philadelphia, Pa
Detective Paddy Berger’s first day back on the job begins in Commander Olpere’s office. He sits uncomfortably in the vinyl and metal office chair, expecting the reaming of his life. He is surprised at the fact that is not what he gets. Olpere sits behind her immaculately kept desks. There are two file folders at the center of the blotter. “During your suspension I have been going over your personnel file and every case file you have filed in your twenty-some years of service to the department,” Olpere begins. “Your service has been unmatched.” “But in this squad you seem to have not found your nitch.” “I also believe that recent events have pulled down your spotless record.” Olpere judges Berger’s face for his reaction to her words. He tries not to give any sign of a response as he is sure he knows what comes next. “I think I have found your nitch.” “During your career you have trained nearly thirty-five officers, most of them becoming successful cops.” “With what happened when I teamed you with Grimes I realize that it is important that you be in charge, not the insubordinate.”
Olpere motions to the young man sitting on a chair outside her office that Paddy passed on his way in. The naive looking young man enters the office. He is tall, strongly built and has a farm boy innocence to him. Not unlike Steve Roberts on their first meeting. “Detective Patrick Berger, this is Officer Craig Maguire he is going to be your new trainee to the Elite Squad.” Olpere introduces the men “He had some of the highest scores at the academy since your previous partner Officer Roberts.”
“Good to meet you,” Paddy says reaching out to shake the young man’s hand relieved that he will not be on desk duty for the rest of his career.
“Thank you Detective Berger, I hope I can live up to your expectations,” Maguire says, shaking Paddy’s hand.
“Just Paddy will be fine,” Berger tells the young man.
“Maguire is fresh out of the academy, in my opinion it was the uniform work that soiled Roberts for this squad,” Olpere reveals. “We need fresh eyes on this team and I believe you are the man to train them, Detective Berger.” Olpere then takes the two files from on her desk to hand one to each of the men. “Your first case,” she instructs. “Now get to work!”
The Ole Mule
Northwest Freeway
Cleveland, OH
Stopping for lunch at the bar Gary mentioned in his letter, Steve and David both agree that it is exactly the kind of place Gary would hangout. The two men take a seat at a table that gives them a full view of the place. They each take a menu from behind the napkin holder. “So where do we begin?” David says scanning the bar over the top of the laminated card for a man wearing sunglasses.
“Gary mentioned asking girls that work here about the man with black eyes,” Steve reminds. “If I still know anything about Gary, that would be pillow talk conversation.” As the large busted waitress with a thin, low cut top and bleached blonde hair walks toward their table Steve whispers, “And I would say this waitress is just his type.”
“Well hello boys, I’m Helen, can I get you lunch or just a beer or two?” the over made up and underdressed waitress asks with a smile.
“Why don’t you get us both, beautiful,” David says turning on his charm that Steve hasn’t seen him use since that summer at the beach. “What is the best thing on the menu?”
“From the look of you boys, I would bet it would be the Porterhouse steak,” the busty waitress says, leaning over David to point out the most expensive thing on the menu.
“That sounds good to me,” David says, “How about you Steve-o?”
“Make it two and I’ll have a mug of Coors light,” Steve says smiling at the woman trying not to feel too uncomfortable.
“Give me a Michelob bottle,” David says, putting the menu back behind the napkin holder.
Once the waitress leaves to go to the bar Steve comments, “There he is, the old Slick Davy, I remember from the shore.” “Charming the panties off all the girlies.”
“Please, I haven’t been that guy in years, I just know what gets the ladies to talk,” David replies. “College broke me of the whole Slick Davy.” The broad smile swiftly returns to David’s face as the waitress returns with their beers. “Say beautiful, we’re headed to Cleveland to visit my cousin Gary Rogers, he recommended this place.” “He never told me about you, are you new here?” David asks.
“Gary,” Helen smiles. “I haven’t seen him in weeks.” “I knew you looked familiar handsome.”
“What about a guy with a cane in sunglasses?” Steve adds. “Do you know him?”
“Yeah that weirdo, I told Gary to stay away from him,” she says. “But like most good looking guys he was too stubborn to listen to me.” “Come to think of it the lame guy hasn’t been in recently either.” “He actually started coming here about a week before Gary did.” “Almost like he was waiting for him.”
“Did you ever wait on the lame guy?” David asks. “Did you get his name or anything?”
“No, you’ll want to talk to Lizzie, she was the only one brave enough to take his order,” the waitress tells them.
“Is Lizzie here now?” Steve asks.
“No, but I think she might be working later,” the bleached blonde says. “You guys ask a lot of questions for just wanting a beer and lunch.”
“I would guess that two high price orders in this place at twelve fifteen might give us some harmless curiosity,” David smiles with a wink.
“I’ll check the schedule to see when Lizzie is in,” Helen says smiling back as she turns to leave. Steve couldn’t help to notice David watching him closely as she walked away.
“So no Slick Davy anymore?” Steve comments as his boss turns back to face him.
“Give me a break, I don’t need to bang her to admire that she has a nice ass,” David replies defending his manhood.
Philadelphia Elite Squad
1st Precinct
The gym
Philadelphia, Pa
In the locker room Paddy eyes up the new kid as he changes clothes. Craig is in good shape like most new cops his age, a little doughy around the middle but nothing to imply he is anything other than normal. “I don’t understand why we need to work out first,” Craig says as he pulls on his Police Academy issue sweats.
“I simply want to see what you’ve got, the first rule in being a good team is to have each other’s backs on the street,” Paddy tells his new trainee as he pulls on a tank top to show off his hard earned guns.
The two men go to the private Elite squad gym to find Mark Zadlo at the bench press. “Mark, Paddy calls to the man as he rests the barbell on the rack. “This is my new trainee, Officer Craig Maguire.” “This is Officer Zadlo, he is also on the squad.”
Mark wipes his hands on a towel as he gets up from the bench. “So, he’s going to ‘break you in’ right off the bat?” Mark comments shaking the young man’s hand. “It is just Mark, although I did get my Detective shield while Paddy was on leave.”
“Congratulations, Mark you deserve it!” Paddy says taking his turn at shaking the man’s hand. “Now if you don’t mind, unlike you, we haven’t been here since six.” “We have a case to get to work on today.” Paddy leads the new trainee to the wrestling mats to position them ten feet apart. “Okay, come at me!”
Craig is confused by the command. “You want me to attack you?”
“Think of this as a training exercise like Captain Smith put you through at the Academy,” Paddy tells the questioning young man. Smith is one of the hardest drill instructors at the Academy, but Paddy has the tricks that Steve taught him on his side as the trainee half his age charges him. Paddy dodges a right cross and then a left return that he uses to grab the younger man’s arm to send him to the mat. “That was good, just not good enough,” Paddy tells the kid at his feet. To think five years ago he would never have even thought to test this kid this way. Looking back on it he is glad he didn’t test his last trainee like this in the gym.
Craig is on his feet and taking several more jabs at Paddy. The trainer can tell that his new charge is becoming frustrated at the one sided fight. “You need to calm down kid,” Paddy tells him as he helps him up from the mat for the fourth time. “You can’t get flustered like this on the street or we both end up dead!”
The Ole Mule
Northwest Freeway
Cleveland, OH
David and Steve finish up their lunch as Helen returns to the table with their check and another young blonde girl. “This is David, Gary’s cousin and his friend Steve,” Helen tells the girl. “Guys this is Lizzie the girl I was telling you about.”
“All I can say about Gary is he can go screw himself!” the angry waitress exclaims. “I haven’t heard from that dick in two weeks!”
“Actually neither have I,” David says explaining, “I believe he has gone missing, that is why we are here.” “We could use your help in finding him if you know anything about this man with black eyes.”
Lizzie’s demeanor changes slightly at the idea that Gary might be missing and it has something to do with that weirdo. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told him, that guy is evil!” “His mother was a witch!”
“Slow down what do you mean a witch,” Steve asks, more than a little concerned about the girl’s use of the word after his recent run-in with Medea.
“She’s talking about a local legend, Martha Wise,” Helen adds. “Martha Wise was born a cripple over in Hardscrabble in the last century.” “She grew up angry and was accused of poisoning many members of her family.” “Eventually she went to jail and died in prison in the early 70’s when she was about 90 or something.”
“So why do you think she was a witch?” Steve asks Lizzie seriously.
“Because she was a witch,” Lizzie replies, sliding in next to Steve on the booth bench. “She screwed a demon and had a son, that son is the man with the black eyes!” Lizzie whispers to them.
“That isn’t true,” Helen says. “She had two sons that are both dead now and neither was born of a demon!”
“She had three!” “He is her son, he told me himself!” Lizzie insists.
“So did he tell you where he lives?” David asks, realizing they are not going to convince this daft girl that the story she is telling is not true.
“No, but I’ve heard stories of his being at his mother’s grave in Oakdale Cemetery over in Marysville at dusk,” Lizzie whispers. “I told Gary the same thing.”
“I’m sorry about this,” Helen chimes, pulling Lizzie by the arm from the seat. “She is telling you nonsense, local old wives tales.”
“No, it’s true!” Lizzie insists. “Gary believed me and now he has probably been eaten by that son of a demon!”
“Thanks for your help, just the same,” David tells the waitresses as he gets out his wallet to give them both a fifty dollar tip.
After returning from the Men’s room David and Steve head out to the car in the parking lot. “Where to now?” Steve asks knowing full well what David is going to say.
“We drive to Marysville to stake out Oakdale Cemetery for the son of a demon,” David replies.
“So you believe that girl’s story?” Steve asks as they drive out of the lot.
“I don’t know what to believe,” David tells Steve. “But, I am sure that Gary wanted to find that guy with black eyes and if that is the only place he knew to look, that is where he went!” Steve can’t help but to feel ambivalent about this whole adventure. The two of them alone in a Cemetery is going to make it very hard to hide Master Warrior from David if the occasion arises. “Not scared of spending the night in a graveyard are you, big man?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, witches and demons in Ohio?” Steve scuffs. “Everyone knows that is Salem.” The men laugh as the car gets back on the I-71 headed south for Oakdale Cemetery in
Marysville, Ohio.
The men are quiet for a few minutes before David asks point blank, “So are you going to tell me how you betrayed Gary, because he refuses to tell me.”
“Honest to God David, I have no idea what he is talking about,” Steve replies in despair. “All I know is apparently it happened our last year at camp.” “It was after our Graduation that he let it slip that he saw what I did with Dan.” “Which told me nothing, I have no memory of ever knowing or hanging out with anyone named Dan at camp!” “I felt like I had no choice but to let it go and he would come around eventually.”
The car is silent again as David thinks over what Steve has told him. The thought crossed his mind and he couldn’t help but to ask the question, “You guys were just friends back then, right?”
“What?” Steve asks, confused by the question. “We were best friends.”
David glances over at his partner to timidly ask, “I mean the two of you never did anything with each other or to each other, did you?” “Gary told me about that time you gave him CPR.”
“That is completely gross!” Steve replies realizing what David is asking him. “Gary and I never, ever did anything sexual if that is what you want to know!” The silence returns giving Steve some time to think over what happened after that CPR event. Those times when Gary seemed to be stronger. Steve never really knew if it was from what Warren did to him. The weirdest thing was that Gary was only ever stronger when fighting him and no one else. Steve thought for a time that maybe Gary wasn’t stronger that he was making him weaker. Either way that had no bearing on what was happening now. Best friend or not Gary was missing.
Philadelphia Elite Squad
1st Precinct
The gym
Philadelphia, Pa
After a quick shower and change of clothes, Paddy takes Craig back to the office to go through the case files Olpere gave them. It is clear to Paddy why the Commander gave them this case the moment he reads the name Atlas Marko DeScalo in the write up. There was no way that Olpere could know anything about that deal he and Steve made with Nicholas DeScalo, but she could know about how Commissioner Stanley was in the mobster’s pocket, even though that was never proven.
“I’ve heard of this guy, he is the younger brother of Nicholas DeScalo, my older brother went to boarding school with Nicholas,” Maguire reveals to Paddy’s surprise.
“Your brother went to Georgetown Prep?” Paddy announces in shock. “That is one of the most elite schools in the country.”
“Half-brother actually, different mother,” Maguire clarifies. “His mother is shall we say connected to the DeScalo family at a distance.” “I spent a weekend at the DeScalo estate when I was fourteen.” “The old man Giorgio was a scary dude.” “But Marko kept to himself most of the time.”
“Indeed,” Paddy replies. “Any chance Nicholas will remember you?”
“Not likely it was over ten years ago,” Maguire relates. “Paul and Nicholas looked at me as the tag along kid brother.” “Not at all surprising that all of these women would come forward now accusing Marko of rape.” “With the old man dead there is not one to pay them off.” “Marko had some self control issues even back then, I can imagine that only got worse as he became an adult.”
Paddy thinks about what Maguire has said and his recent run-in with Marko and Russo. Looking back at it Russo could have very easily been the brains behind the operation, only letting Marko think he was in charge. “So what do you think Nick would say if we took these allegations to him?”
“Probably wouldn’t even care,” Maguire says without question. “Nicholas hated his brother because of all the attention he got from the old man.” “If he cared he would be protecting the little pervert from these charges like his father did.”
“You make it sound like Nick might be the type to throw his little brother under the bus.” Paddy suggests. “What say we have a talk with Nicholas Descalo and see what he has to say about his brother’s control issues.”
Oakdale Cemetery
1290 E. 5th Street
Marysville, Ohio
David and Steve arrive at the Cemetery just before sunset to search out the grave of Martha Hasel Wise. They haven’t spoken much for most of the car ride, both of them feeling somewhat strange about their last conversation. “Lot of Civil War Monuments, kinda surprising,” Steve comments as he walks through the winter grass.
“Weird shaped ones too,” David says pointing. “That one looks like a tree stump.”
It takes them about a half an hour to find a section of the cemetery used for prison burials. Martha’s grave has a rather unimpressive marker like you would expect for a woman who died in prison. The Cemetery is very flat with few places for them to hide to observe the grave without being seen.
David gets a strange look on his face before asking Steve, “So if this guy with black eyes really is a demon are we prepared for that?”
Steve can tell that is not the question his boss really wants to ask. So he gives an answer he knows David doesn’t want to hear. “If you honestly believe we are tracking a demon, maybe we should just leave, find a different lead to follow.” “I personally put no faith in the witch/demon story told to us by a waitress at a dive bar.”
The men decide to return to the car to sit outside the gate to wait. As the sunsets Steve asks, “Why did you hire me?” David looks to Steve surprised and confused by the question. “It has been nearly a year and a half since you offered me this job.” “I think it is a fair question at this point.”
David doesn’t respond at first then he takes a deep breath to respond. It is then that a fog grows up from the cold ground. It takes the two men by surprise interrupting their personal conversion. Steve’s danger sense flares are he turns to spot an odd looking man approaching them from behind. “Roll up the window!” Steve exclaims as he begins turning the window crank. But it is too late as they succumbed to the toxins of the fog cloud that fills the car.
DeScalo Estate
Ridley Park
South Philadelphia, Pa
Detective Paddy Berger and Craig Maguire arrive at the estate unannounced. To Craig’s surprise they are directed into Nicholas’ private office to wait for him. “I can’t believe they even let us through the door,” Maguire says looking around the room. “Maybe he does remember me.” “This was the old man’s office.” “Looks like Nicholas has done some redecorating.”
Paddy doesn’t have the heart to tell the kid it is his name that got them in as he thinks about the damage Steve caused to the bunker fitted safe room. Nicholas really had no choice but to redecorate after when Steve was here last. Nevertheless that is something that he doesn’t want to tell his new trainee about. The two policemen wait for nearly a half an hour before Nicholas Descalo arrives flanked by two very imposing looking men. Paddy is not surprised to see that Ambrose Russo is neither of the ganger’s bodyguards.
“Ahhh, Officer Berger, how nice to see you again,” DeScalo says with a sarcastic grin. Maguire is taken by surprise at the greeting his new training officer receives from the known mobster. “I see you’ve brought along a new little friend, what can he do?”
“It is Detective Berger now!” Paddy says holding up his badge. “We are here about your brother Marko.”
“What has that piece of shit done now!” DeScalo announces sitting down at his desk with one of his goons standing at each side of him against the wall.
“Officer Maguire,” Craig pipes up, showing the man his badge too. “I suppose you don’t remember me, you were friends with my brother Paul at Georgetown Prep.” “I remember that you were not fond of your brother.” “He has been accused of rape by several victims.”
“No surprise there,” DeScalo scoffs. “He was never smooth with the ladies, gets that from dear ole Dad, I suppose.” “How is your brother Paul by the way?”
“Dead, killed trying to rob a convenience store about two years ago,” Maguire replies. “He was not as smooth as you either.”
“I should be so lucky,” DeScalo says coldly. “If you expect me to give you some alibi for my brother, you can move along.” “Unlike my father I do not intend on spending my life cleaning up his messes.”
“Is that what he has Ambrose Russo for?” Paddy inquires.
DeScalo glares at the detective. “Russo is no longer in the family’s employ.” “He disagreed with my management techniques.” “Furthermore my brother is no longer financially tied to this family.” “When my father’s estate was settled Marko gained access to a trust fund set up by our father that pays him 50 thousand a month to support himself.” “How he spends that money and how he lives is no concern of mine!”
“What would happen to that monthly payment if Marko was to go to prison or have an untimely death?” Detective Berger asks.
“I have no idea, nor do I care, I have no need for that money,” Nicholas answers coldly. “My father spent Marko’s life protecting and coddling him.” “He was well aware I would not do the same.”
“How long ago did he start getting his monthly payments? Detective Berger inquires wondering if it coincides with his team up with Russo.
“Back in October,” DeScalo admits. “Now if you have nothing else Officers, you can be on your way!”
“One more thing, when did Russo leave your employ?” Paddy interjects as the two large men move around the desk toward them at the gesture of their boss.
“August, September,” Nicholas says, trying to give the impression of uncaring. “Tell Master Warrior I said Hello!” DeScalo calls after them as they avoid the two large bodyguards to leave.
“What did he mean by telling Master Warrior, Hello?” Craig asks as they walk through the front hall.
Great the kid’s first day and he is already asking questions about Master Warrior, Paddy thinks. At least there is no longer any question about what Nicholas DeScalo suspects about the arrival of the new hero in town. “He is just trying to throw us off balance,” Paddy tells the trainee. “Make us believe he knows something, he doesn’t.” The two Elite Squad officers head back to their car surprisingly still parked out front untouched by vandals. “Was that stuff you said about your brother Paul true?” Paddy asks as they get back into the car to drive toward the estate’s front gates.
“No, he lives in Utah with his wife and two kids,” Maguire replies with a grin. “I wanted to throw him off balance, maybe get some sincerity out of him.”
“Nice move Rookie that might have been just what we needed,” Paddy congratulates.
“Where to now?” Craig asks.
“I’ve got an idea, you will see,” Paddy replies. “One of the victims mentioned she was attacked in Ritz Autopark over on S. Front St.” “I know of a guy that does a lot of meetings there, Tom Vizard.”
Wisner Road
Kirtland, OH
Steve’s eyes struggled to open as he peered around the dim lit room. It is not the first time he has been taken down by gas and he hates that he has let it happen again! It is completely dark when he opens his eyes. This is one of those times when he wishes he had a power to see in the dark. He can feel that his wrists are handcuffed, most likely with the ones David carries with him. Breaking the cuffs off would be an easy task for him but difficult to explain to David.
It isn’t long before David awakes next to him on the same full sized bed. “What’s going on?” he asks. “Where are we?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Steve replies. “I’m hoping that you were only carrying one set of cuffs and they are on me.”
Steve can hear the sound of the chains jingle as David lifts his arms in the darkness. “After that time with the bikers I started carrying two pairs,” David replies. “Can’t you get loose?”
“How do you propose I do that?” Steve replies suspicious of the line of questioning.
“I’ve got the key in my coat pocket,” David says as he rolls onto his side to face away from the other man. “Can you get it?”
Steve rolls over to reach out his cuffed hands for his friend’s coat pocket to find only the waistband of his pants. “You’re not wearing your coat,” Steve says in David’s ear. “If you were wearing a belt that is gone too.” Steve rolls onto his back still blind in the darkness. He wiggles his toes realizing, “They took our shoes too.”
“Fuck, that was my favorite coat!” David says sitting up in the dark. “We need to find a light, get out of here.”
Steve can feel the danger around them although he has no idea what it is. “We have no idea where this bed is located, you could step off this bed to fall fifty or a hundred feet to the ground,” Steve tells his boss. “We need to find a light first.”
“How do we do that genius?” David chides, “Reach over to the night stand?”
“Darkness is a common fear that people rarely like to admit they have past childhood,” An unknown voice says in the darkness.
“Who said that!” David shouts startled to learn they are not alone.
“Whoever it is clearly had some involvement in putting us here!” Steve concludes. “Is that the best you can do?” Steve shouts. “Handcuff us in the dark?” “What kind of game are you playing?”
“Where is Gary Roberts?” David shouts. “Did you do this to him too?”
“My tests are different each time,” the voice replies. “I tailor them to the subject.” “You two appear to me to be men without fear, I would like to prove that appearance untrue.”
“So your goal is to scare us?” David quires. “Seems you spoiled the surprise now.”
“Don’t taunt him, it will only make it worse,” Steve says, finally deciding he has no choice but to break the handcuffs. “Hold still,” Steve whispers. “I’ve found the key it was laying on the bed.” He snaps David’s cuffs just as he did his. Then Steve tosses one set of hand cuffs over each side of the bed. The speed at which the sound of the metal cuffs hitting the floor reveals that they are only in a normal height bed. “There is a floor but we need to stick together,” Steve says, feeling around the darkness to take David’s hand.
“I am so kicking this guy’s ass when we find him!” David says as the two men move to step off the same side of the bed holding hands.
“Just take it slow, slide your feet to make sure the floor continues,” Steve instructs, still feeling the close proximity of danger. “There must be walls and a door.”
“You are both brave men, but are you brave enough for this?” the voice says as suddenly the room is flooded with light blinding both of the men with the sudden change of light.
“Holy Shit, it’s like the surface of the sun in here now!” David shouts his hands reaching to cover his eyes.
Though blinded Steve knows that whoever is doing this can still see them. Changing to Master Warrior will do nothing to restore his sight, only give whoever this is the heads up on his double identity. “Who are you?” Steve shouts, his eyes squeezed shut tightly. “Why are you testing us?” There is no reply as he tries to concentrate on the split second that the light changed. He caught a glimpse of something, it was their reflection! That can only mean that the walls are mirrors to intensify both the darkness and the light. “David, the bed frame, we can use it to break the lights!” Steve shouts to his fellow blind man. Keeping their eyes closed they grasp hands again to count their steps back to the bed.
Taking hold of the mattress David counts, “One, Two, Three,” and the two men flip it over onto the floor. Unseen by David, Steve makes quick work of the metal frame breaking loose the connections to give them both a piece as a weapon. “Shoulder to shoulder,” David says as they stand to take the position.
The walk steadily forward to the wall. “Go straight along to the left and I will do the same to the right, meet in the middle,” Steve instructs.
“Deal!” David agrees as the men blindly start swinging their piece of bedframe at the wall. The sounds of breaking glass and thump of holes being smashed into drywall fill the room for several minutes.
Finally as the men’s shoulders touch again Steve says, “Think that should be good, open your eyes slowly.” The two men open their eyes to the dancing of spots. It takes David’s eyes longer to adjust, so Steve is the first to see the devastation they have caused in the makeshift prison.
“Very clever Gentleman,” the voice compliments them. “You have earned the right to know my name, it is Dr. Crow.”
“Is that meant to frighten us too?” David asks as they begin to swing their pieces of the bed frame at a single broken spot on the drywall. As the wall is torn away the voice falls silent again. What the men find on the other side of the stud and drywall is not at all what they expected. “What the hell?” David announces at the sight of the dank dim cave on the other side.
David steps through the wall to look up at the stalactites hanging from the stony ceiling. Steve follows as they discover that the room they were in was nothing more than a box built on the cave floor. There is only one entrance or exit to the subterranean cavern. “Are you up for some spelunking?” David asks pointing to the string of electrical light bulbs that lead out of the enclosed cavern room.
Ritz Autopark
114 S Front St
Philadelphia, PA
Paddy drives the unmarked police car to the top of the parking garage where Master Warrior assisted in the arrest of Tom Vizard a few months back. Tom Vizard is something of a well known go between in the city. If you need information about a less than reputable target Vizard is the one to see. But if he does not trust your motives things can turn bad for you quickly as Donna Stockton learned that day in October.
“Vizard is out on bail,” Paddy tells his new partner as he pulls the car into a space at the center of the top parking level. The car sits in the center of a circle of skid marks left on the concrete pavement. “From what a source at the D.A. has told me, it is going to be a hard case to get a conviction on.”
“How do you know he will be here?” Maguire asks curiously.
“Vizard was something of a ghost until he was caught a few months back,” Detective Berger explains. “When he was taken into custody he was given a Zeni-human marker test that is now standard procedure.” “It came back positive.” “No one really knew how Vizard got his information or who he could trust.” “But the fact that he is a Zeni-human lifts some of the mystery now.”
“What makes you think that he will trust us?” Maguire asks timidly.
“Because we have nothing to hide,” Berger replies. “We are cops that are not interested in him, only Atlas Marko DeScalo.” “He shows up, he gives us what we need and we are on our way.” The Elite Squad officers do not wait for very long when a late model Buick arrives to park at the far end of the lot.
Tom Vizard steps out of the passenger side dressed in his characteristic tweed pants and a leather jacket. He stands at the side of the car eyeing the cops for a few minutes. Then he walks to the space between the two cars, common ground. Stopping he gives a motion to the men in the other car with his hand.
“Let’s go,” Paddy says to Craig.
“How safe is getting out of the car, he … seems like he is suspicious of us,” Craig replied nervously.
“Of course he is, we just have to prove ourselves first, let’s go,” Paddy insists as he opens his door to step out. Craig follows slowing much more apprehensive than his seasoned partner. The two Elite Squad members walk toward where Vizard stands until he holds up his hand to stop them at about six feet away.
“You guys are cops, what do you want?” Vizard asks point blank.
“Yes, we are, I’m Detective Patrick Berger and this is Officer Craig Maguire,” Paddy introduces them. “We are not interested in you, only information we hope you can provide.”
“Why would I help cops?” Vizard asks. “What is in it for me and my problems with the law?”
“We are not at liberty to help you with your legal problems, but we both know you are Teflon when it comes to those charges.”
Vizard is silent as he glares at Craig Maguire. Then he steps around to the side of the young Officer looking at him in profile to spot the beads of sweat on his forehead on this chilly late January day. Officer Maguire is noticeably nervous at the man’s inspection of him. “Do you have anything to say kid or are you just muscle for the old guy?”
“I can tell you distrust me,” Officer Maguire says softly.
“Why would that be?” Vizard questions stepping closer to the young man giving him a whiff of his aftershave.
“Because I am hiding something from you,” Maguire says nervously. “It really isn’t that important.” “It is of no threat to you.”
“I will be the judge of that, spill or I spill your partner’s brains,” Vizard announces pulling a gun from under his jacket to point it at Paddy’s head.
“Look Vizard, all we need is information on Atlas DeScalo,” Paddy says, trying to calm the situation.
“With my problems, I can’t leave any witnesses either,” Vizard says, drawing a second gun from the other side of his jacket to put it under Craig’s chin.
“I’m an Empathy!” Craig shouts. “I can sense other people’s emotions, that is all.” Vizard digs the barrel of the gun deeper under the young cop’s jaw. Craig can feel that the man is still suspicious of him. “I can feel that you have every intention of killing us if I lie to you, so why would I?”
“That is true, I would not blink an eye at killing you both,” Vizard says, lowering his guns to stow them back under his jacket. “A year ago I’d have been crazy to give you any information about the DeScalo family, but Atlas has fallen out of grace with his brother,” Vizard reveals something they already knew. “I think Nicholas might almost be pleased if his brother ended up in prison.” Vizard takes out a pack of cigarettes and lights one as he asks, “What is it you want to know?”
“First off, what is his relationship with Ambrose Russo?” Paddy questions.
“Huh, Russo that muscle head?” Vizard scoff exhaling smoke to blow rings in the air. “Marko thinks Russo is his bought and paid for bodyguard, but Russo is holding more cards in his hand than the young DeScalo knows.”
The statement may be vague but it confirms what Paddy already suspected. “We’re following up on several women claiming to be raped by Marko, you know anything about that?”
“I know Marko as been raping women since he was thirteen,” Vizard answers as he finished his cigarette to toss it to the concrete. “There is a long list of girls that his Daddy paid to keep their mouths shut, from maids in Center City to showgirls in Atlantic City.” “Doesn’t surprise me that with Daddy dead they would start coming out of the woodwork.”
“Any idea where Marko has been hiding?” Craig asks finally getting up the nerve to speak as Vizard’s emotions calm.
“This is your last question pretty boy,” Vizard says. Both cops are on guard as Vizard takes a business sized card from inside his leather jacket. “He inherited a piece of property across the river in Camden, check there.” Turning to walk away back to his car Vizard shouts, “From a guy named Charles Simpson.”
The two cops get back in their car and sit to watch Vizard do the same. “You didn’t seem surprised by my confession,” Craig says.
“I had already figured it out,” Paddy reveals. “I’ve been on the Elite Squad since the beginning.” “I didn’t have to guess why Olpere would pull a young kid like you from the rookie rolls.” “I know the Commissioner Aspen has had every new enrollee at the Academy tested for the Zeni-human markers.” They watch as Vizard’s car leaves the rooftop lot before Paddy starts their car. “What did you think that workout was about?” “I wanted to figure out what your deal was before we got on the street.” “No offense but I could tell in the first five minutes that you were nothing special in the physical department.” “Once you calmed down and let your power kick in, I could tell you were reading me.”
“That was when I got the upper hand,” Craig smiles to himself as their car moves down the exit ramp. “Then I got confused for some reason, thrown off by something.”
“Once I realized you were reading my emotions, I changed them, faked what I was feeling,” Paddy reveals. “You are going to have to work on that, not letting someone fake you out like that.”
“How did you do it, fake your emotions?” Officer Maguire asks, confused by what his instructor has told him.
“I just thought about other fights I had been in, how they made me feel,” Paddy says having not thought it was that clever of an idea.
“Is that your power?” Maguire asks. “Calling up memories that are so vivid they change the way you feel inside?”
Paddy is struck by the trainee’s question. “Power, no, I’m not a Zeni-human.”
“Weren’t you tested to join this team?” Craig’s question rings in Paddy’s head. Some of the other guys were tested, even Steve. But Steve came back negative for the Zeni-human markers, proving the test to be reliable.
Deep underground
Far off Wisner Road
Kirtland, OH
“I wish I knew what time it was, it feels like hours have passed,” David Rogers says taking a break from the hike to sit down along the cavern wall.
“I’ve been thinking about it, the only caverns I know of are almost three hours from Cleveland,” Steve tells his boss. “Clearly this Dr. Crow is the black eyed man and he is more thought out than we believed.” “The construction of that room took more than three hours, it has been here for a while.”
“Actually I did some research before we left about the black eyed man,” David confesses. “I learned most of the stuff those girls told us before we left Camden.” “I hadn’t read anything about the black eyed man being connected to Martha Wise though.” “The stories of the black eyed man and murderer Martha Wise were two separate local legends.” “Dr Crow is a third local legend.” “He ran an orphanage in Kirkland around the turn of the twentieth century.” “He experimented on children creating something the locals called Melonheads.” The connection between these three legends doesn’t make any sense.”
“Do you think someone is faking all of this?” Steve asks.
“It would appear that way but hiding us away in a cave is not in any of the stories I read,” David explains. He looks down the tunnel that is illuminated by a string of lights. “Clearly someone wants us to keep going.” David stands up and the men begin to walk again following the trail of lights.
They have been walking for what would seem like several miles to Steve with no signs of anyone or anything to explain what the intentions of all of this is meant to be. It has been a gradual incline telling them that they are headed back to the surface, however far that is away. Then Steve’s sharp ears pick up the sounds of something in the cavern ahead of them. “Wait,” Steve instructs grabbing David’s arm to stop him from taking another step. “There is movement up ahead.” “I can’t tell what it is but we need to be cautious,” Steve says relying on his danger sense to warn him. Almost instinctively Steve takes the lead now with no argument from David, even though he hears nothing.
A little farther ahead the tunnel splits off in two directions. They stand at the walkways that both have a string of lights running along the walls. Steve stands at each of the two passages trying to decide which one is the safe direction. “It’s coming from this way,” Steve says pointing to the right. Now even David can hear the commotion. “So we go to the left.”
“If you have forgotten we are still looking for my cousin Gary,” David mentions. “If there is something going on down there we should check it out.” The two men appear to be a stalemate, one wanting to avoid danger the other wanting to dive in. “Look if it works better for you we can split up,” David suggests. “I’ll go right, you go left.”
In his head Steve knows splitting up would be a good idea if he wanted to change to Master Warrior but that is not in the cards for this out of state trip. Suspicious of his partner’s intentions Steve knows, “Look we can’t split up, we need to say together.” “If there is enough danger down that tunnel for him to sense, he can not let David go alone.
They begin down the tunnel, David leading the way. This tunnel is no longer on the incline that would take them to safety and the surface. It is narrower and twists more than the main tunnel they were on, but as they draw closer the sounds become clearer with less echo. “What is that thunder?” David asks.
“No, how could there be thunder if we are going farther underground,” Steve replies. “Unless we have walked all the way to China and are coming out on the other side of the Earth,” he suggests.
“Very funny smart guy,” David replies as they spot flashes of light in the tunnel ahead. David raises his arm to push Steve back against the wall as they reach the end of the narrow space. Peeking around the corner David sees something amazing. There is an underground lagoon that is fed by water dripping down from the walls and ceiling of the pod-like cavern. In the pool a body floats unmoving. “Holy Shit!” he exclaims as bolts of lightning strike down from a stalactite in the corner of the cavern at the lagoon.
Steve pushes past his surprised companion to see what is happening ahead of them. He focuses on the shirtless body in the pool that quivers with each strike of the lightning. “Is that Gary?” Steve questions not recognizing his old friend who looks much larger than he remembered.
“That is him,” David replies, almost wanting to cry. “How the hell did he get down there?”
“I think he is still breathing somehow,” Steve says, scanning the rest of the cavern. “Whatever that lightning is doing to him it hasn’t killed him, not yet.” “We need to get him out of there!”
“How do you propose we do that?” David asks moving to crouch in the cavern opening next to Steve to inspect the scene closer.
“The lightning strikes are coming in timed intervals, this is no natural occurrence,” Steve explains. “How fast of a swimmer are you?” “If I can get to the origin of the lightning to deflect or stop it.” “You can get Gary out of the water.”
“Holler when you are ready,” David says as he starts to climb down from the ledge to the lagoon.
“What no second guessing me?” Steve replies watching David carefully find his footing going down the side of the cavern. David has never followed his suggestions so willingly before this.
“There is no way I can get up to that stalagmite, I can’t fly!” David calls back to Steve.
Good point, Steve thinks, Neither can he without changing to Master Warrior. As David makes his way to the lagoon Steve begins the climb up the inside of the rock cavern. It isn’t as slippery as that time on Themyscira, but he still needs to dig his fingers into the rock to create gripping spots. He can only hope that David can not hear the crush of the stone in his hands or see the crumbling chips as he climbs. The continuing thunder of the bolts of artificial lightning seem to cover the sound he is making. It is mostly upper body strength that carries Steve across the ceiling of the cave, swinging from a stalactite to stalactite toward his target. He glances down to David who is undressing at the side of the lagoon to keep his clothing dry for after his swim.
About two feet from the stalactite sending out the blasts Steve wedges his fingers under an overlapped slab of stone in the ceiling to swing his legs back and out. He strikes the lightning bolt firing stalactite with both feet. Even David hears the crack of the stone far below by the water as the device is damaged by Steve’s kick. But it continues to fire hitting the edge of the lagoon with enough energy to still electrify the water. Steve swings back a second time to strike the hanging stone pillar again. This time the stone exterior breaks away completely, crumbing to the floor of the cavern to reveal the device underneath. He was right there is nothing natural about this set up. A third kick completely breaks the device free of the ceiling to cause it to dangle by several wires. It now fires down into the stone wall. “Move now!” Steve shouts down to David to hear the man jump into the water.
David swims through the bluish-green, mineral filled water to his cousin who floats on his back motionless. Reaching him he grabs for the man’s throat to check for a pulse. Steve was right, Gary is alive. Years on the Jersey beach have made David a strong swimmer and good life saver as he quickly moves to drag his cousin from the water.
Overhead, Steve makes his way back across the ceiling after completely knocking the lightning device down by breaking the wires. The climb is one he usually wouldn’t make if he was alone. Dropping straight down to the cavern floor would be much quicker. But he must do what he can to keep his true nature hidden. Making his way down to where David sits on the cold stone floor in his wet underpants, Gary propped up on his lap.
“Gary, can you hear me?” he shouts, shaking his cousin trying to rouse him. “Gary!” Usually David is very cool in these situations but Steve can tell that he is genuinely concerned about his younger cousin. Another thing that Steve can’t help but to notice is how cut Gary’s upper torso is for a guy from whose letter sounds like he spends his free time hanging out in a bar.
“Did you try CPR?” Steve asks not wanting to offer to do it himself after the last time.
“He is breathing fine, he just won’t wake up,” David replies to Steve who is standing over him. Then suddenly Gary gasps for air, opening his eyes to stare blankly at the two men over him. There is a look of confusion on his face that makes him appear as if he doesn’t recognize either of the men. “Thank God!” David exclaims helping Gary to sit up. “Can you tell us how you got here?” he asks as Gary looks around the cavern in confusion and then back to them.
“No, can you tell me who you guys are?” Gary responds.
“Gary, it’s me, your cousin David and Steve, you remember us don’t you?” David says in surprise.
Gary looks to Steve’s leg, his pants are burnt revealing a patch of his skin where the hair is burnt off. “His leg,” Gary says pointing in confusion.
David turns to look at Steve’s leg that is next to him. His pants are clearly burned but only his leg appears fine other than the missing hair. “One of the bolts must have grazed me is all, I’m fine,” Steve tells them.
The Property formerly owned by Charles Simpson
704 Cherry St.
Camden, NJ
Paddy has spent most of the ride thinking about what Maguire said about him being a Zeni-human. In his head he has gone back over every detail of every medical exam and test he has had his entire life to find nothing out of the ordinary. It never dawns on him that most people can not remember every second of their lives. “Did you know you had your power before the test?” Paddy asks, breaking his silence.
“No, not really,” Craig replies. “I could always tune in on what people were feeling but never really thought of it as a super-power.” “Even with my brother and Nicholas I knew they wanted to be rid of me.” “It was after the test at the Academy that I really started focusing in on what it was I could do if I put my mind to it.” “It really isn’t very impressive.”
“It is to me, look how you manipulated Nicholas DeScalo,” Paddy suggests. “I would have never thought to lie like that to gain his sympathy.” “What was that address again?” Paddy asks, pulling over to the curb.”
“704 Cherry St,” Maguire reads from the business card stuck in the sun visor given to them by Tom Vizard.
“Well this has to be it,” Paddy says looking out the window. “It is a vacant lot!”
“So Atlas inherited a vacant lot from his father’s estate?” “There is no way he is living here.” “So where does that leave us?” Craig asks. “Did Vizard give us false information?”
“I don’t think so, there must be more to it than that,” Paddy suggests. “This place is familiar to me.” Paddy turns off the engine and sits staring at the vacant lot for a few minutes searching his memory for an answer. “I’ve been here before, accept there was a house on this lot,” the detective says getting out of the car. “I was just a kid.” Craig gets out of the car to follow his training officer into the center of the lot. “The house was right here,” he says. “You probably weren’t even born when I was here last.” Paddy points to the back of the lot were a large tree stands, much bigger than he remembers it to have been.” “And over there was an old shed we used as kind of a clubhouse.” “This was my best friend Barry Simpson’s house.”
“You grew up in Jersey?” Craig asks.
“Only until I was 8 years old,” Paddy answers. “Then we moved to Jenkintown in Pennsylvania.” “I almost forgot about this place.” Paddy walks back to the center of the lot. “I can remember every room in this house, right down to the carpet stain that Barry said was where his dog went into heat.” “It was right here.” Paddy points to a patch of grass that covers the spot in the dirt.
“I don’t think having memories like that from being eight is normal,” Craig suggests.
“I was seven at the time and I had no idea what Barry was talking about,” Paddy replies as he remembers something else.
“I mean normal people do not remember so much detail from their childhood,” Craig says. “I know I don’t.”
Paddy glares at his new partner with a blank look on his face as more images run through his mind. “There was a gun,” he blurts out. “Barry had stolen it from his Dad, said he had to hide it.” Paddy crosses the lot back to the old tree to kneel down at the base where he starts to dig.
“A gun?” Craig repeats feeling the raw emotion coming from his partner as he stands over him. “Do you think that is why Vizard sent us here?”
“What do you think?” Paddy says turning around to hold up an old rusted revolver with the initials G.D.S. engraved on it.
“Giorgio DeScalo?” Craig puts the initials together.
“What would Barry Simpson’s father be doing with Giorgio’s gun over thirty years ago?” Paddy queries. “Clearly I’m the only one who remembers it was even here.” “My guess is I need to connect with my only friend Barry and get some answers.”
The Hartman Place
Fairfield Co, Ohio
Steve Roberts, David and Gary Rogers have found their way back into the upward leading cavern. Gary hasn’t said anything else since leaving the lagoon. “You know that was pretty amazing what you did back there,” David comments, putting his arm around Steve’s shoulders.
“What did he do?” Gary asks, speaking for the first time.
“This guy swung like a freaking monkey across the ceiling to kick the shit out of that lightning machine!” David explains. “It wasn’t at all what I expected from you.”
“What is it you expected?” Steve asks hoping he is wrong in his assumptions.
“Something more spectacular?” Gary speaks up. Steve and David turn to look at the man who has not spoken a coherent word since leaving the cavern. “I wish I had seen it.” Steve dare not respond to Gary’s strange words in fear of giving either of them other ideas.
“Look,” Steve announces pointing ahead to the end of the string of bulbs that leads their way. “Is that a stone wall?” The men hurry to the wall that is built in their path from field stones and mortar. “I think it’s a door, help me push.”
The three men shove their shoulders into the stone wall that resists their force. Steve wants to give it his all, but knowing that would give him away so he resists. Steve stands back away from the door for a moment. “Perhaps a running start?” Steve suggests to the other men still pushing on the stones. Then as if on cue Gary tumbles forward pushing through the stone wall to fall to the floor on the other side.
“Shit you did it!” David exclaims as he steps through the broken stone wall to offer his hand to his cousin to help him up.
Steve steps though the hole to see the room on the other side. The room is only lit by the light cast from the cavern. “It looks like a basement,” Steve comments.
“People died here,” Gary mumbles, looking up from the floor pointing to a corner of the basement where five rope nooses hang from the rafters.
“Great, now we are in a haunted house story!” David exclaims, looking to the display.
“No, no, no!” Gary shouts pulling away from David to run for the old wooden stairs taking them two and three at a time to flee.
“Shit, Gary wait!” Steve shouted, running after him up the stairs followed close behind by David. The old rickety steps barely survive the weight of the three men bounding up them. Gary leads them on a chase through the old Second Empire Style Mansion that ends at the front door.
Emerging outside onto the small front porch behind Gary and Steve, David recognized the place instantly. “How the hell did we get here?” David exclaims, “This location is much farther than the last place in my research!” “This is Mudhouse Mansion!”
The shirtless Gary still seems confused by everything that has happened to him as he stumbles from the porch onto the ground. Steve can tell that Gary doesn’t even react to the cold of the January night. “We need to get Gary to a hospital,” Steve says, jumping down from the porch to tend to his old friend. “I’m sure he must be in shock with all that has happened.”
proofed
“How are we going to do that?” David asks looking up to the starry sky. “We are miles from anywhere.” “This old abandoned house is another Urban legend.”
“Then maybe we should go back inside and see if we can find Gary something to wear,” Steve suggests helping Gary to stand up from the ground. The sweat on his skin is cold to the touch. “Try to at least get him warmed up.”
Gary pulls away from Steve to glare at him as if he is seeing him for the first time in years. “Do you think you are my friend?” he asks as anger builds behind his eye. Then at long last Gary confronts Steve. “Friend?” he shouts. “Where were you when my father came home drunk after another break up?” “Where were you when he beat me, when he….” Gary turns away almost in tears. “Fuck you asshole!” he shouts back a Steve as he storms off into the night. Gary stumbles to the ground a few feet away from the porch.
It is then that the men hear the sounds of sirens and spot the flashing lights coming down the long driveway toward the house raising a cloud of dust behind them. Four Fairfield County Sheriff Department cars come to a halt in front of the house. Several officers step out of the cars confronting the men at the front of the house.
“Officers, we need your help to get our friend to the hospital,” Steve speaks up stepping forward. “He was in something of an accident.”
“What exactly are you men doing here?” the Sergeant asks them.
“Better question is what are four squad cars doing all the way out here?” David pipes up trying to corral Gary who seems to slipped back out of coherency.
“Reports of vandals at the Hartman place,” One of the other cops chime in.
“Please gentleman if one of you could just take my friends to the hospital I’ll stay and explain everything,” Steve volunteers.
THURSDAY, January 28, 1988
Philadelphia International Airport
8000 Essington Ave
Philadelphia, PA
Detective Berger and Officer Maguire have located Barry Simpson. He has been working at the Airport as a Maintenance man for the past three years after serving a ten year sentence in Graterford for armed robbery. With a copy of his security pass photo the two cops have come to the Airport in search of him for questioning. Checking with the Maintenance Office first they are sent into the terminal to look for Barry when he does not answer his radio call.
It takes about an hour to find Barry cleaning a ladies room on the south side of the airport. “Barry Simpson,” Paddy asks, entering the blocked off restroom. It is sad for Paddy to see his childhood friend now an adult and see the hard life he has led, complete with prison tattoos on both his arms.
“Who wants to know?” the Maintenance man replies gruffly.
Paddy motions for Craig to hang back outside the restroom as he approaches the man inside the Ladies room. Paddy finds Barry kneeling in one of the stalls, hunched over the toilet vomiting. “This looks like a bad time to ask this but, My name is Patrick Berger and when I was eight I knew a boy named Barry Simpson in Camden, is that you?”
The sick man sits up on his feet for a minute taking a hand full of toilet paper to wipe his mouth and then another to do the same to his face. He struggles slightly to stand up still not facing Paddy. “What do you want Paddy?” he asks.
“So it is you,” the Detective replies, still not identifying himself as such. “The gun you hid thirty years ago, it had the initials G.P.S. on it.”
“I don’t remember anything about any gun!” the maintenance man grumbles as he turns to exit the stall avoiding Paddy’s gaze. He stumbles to the sink where he hunches over turning on the water to wash his face.
“Sure you do, this gun,” Paddy says holding up the weapon in the police evidence bag. “Where did your father get it from?”
“You’re a cop?” Barry grumbles still not looking at Paddy only viewing the baggie in the mirror.
“The initials G.D.S. stand for Giorgio DeScalo, don’t they?” Paddy presses. “I need to know where this gun came from before the ballistics report comes back.” The maintenance man vomits again into the sink, this time Paddy can clearly see it is blood that he is throwing up. “It looks to me like you need some medical attention Barry.” “I just need to know what your father’s relationship with Giorgio DeScalo was.”
“What does it matter, they are both dead,” Barry replies, wiping his bloody mouth on his sleeve. He turns to face the detective for the first time and Paddy can see that the man’s eyes are as red as the blood in the sink.
“It matters because his sons are still alive and breaking the law,” Paddy replies motioning to Craig to come into the restroom. “Just tell me about the gun and we can get you to a hospital.”
Craig takes one look at the scene and reaches for his radio to call for an ambulance. “Dispatch this is shield 3952, we need a bus to the PIA, Ladies Room in the TWA terminal.”
“No more cops!” Barry shouts. “DeScalo did this to me, experimented on me!” “He got me this job, I needed the money!” “I won’t betray him!” With that scream Barry lets out a huge belch, it carries with it a projectile flood of acid that the cops dodge. It is over five gallons of fluid that splashes against the wall instantly beginning to dissolve the tile floor and wall.
“HOLT SHIT!” Maguire exclaims drawing his gun to aim it at the sick Maintenance man.
“No, wait,” Paddy says, taking Craig’s hand to lower his gun. “You said DeScalo did experiments on you, was it Atlas that did this to you?”
“No, it was Giorgio, but you can never tell anyone or Nicholas will have me put down like the others!” Barry cries as his gut churns up another blast.
“Move, get the hell out of here!” Paddy shouts at Craig. The two men run from the narrow restroom door knocking over the closed for cleaning sign that is struck by a flood of acid.
Not far away the passengers on a plane from Ohio disembark. A luggage-less Steve Roberts being one of them. Walking into the terminal Steve’s only thought is to get home and call back to Cleveland to see how Gary is doing. After what happened in Ohio the sheriffs gave him the bum’s rush onto a plane back home. He does wonder what Commander Olpere said to the officials to get him off the hook after they put him on a psych hold.
He hears the screams even before the stench reaches his nose. Scanning the concourse he spots people fleeing from the TWA terminal. Focusing his attention toward the area he can hear a familiar voice giving instructions to the panicked crown. “Paddy?” he whispers under his breath as he spots a Men’s Room on the opposite wall. If all of this stuff with David has taught him one thing it is that he has to be more cautious about keeping his secret identity a secret. It doesn’t seem to be as easy in the real world as in the comics. Sprinting for the restroom Steve hurries into a stall past several men at the urinals. Hoping none turned to see his face, once inside the locked stall he touches the stud on his earlobe. His clothing is transformed and he unlatches the door to leave at a much faster speed.
Arriving in the TWA terminal, Master Warrior spots Paddy trying to calm the situation. There is a second man with a badge on his belt, Master Warrior has not seen before doing the same as Paddy. Looks like his old partner has gotten another new one.
In the center of the waiting area a man dressed in an Airport Maintenance uniform stands, his shirt drenched in blood? The Maintenance man stands retching like he is going to vomit. The large space is filled with the smell of bile. Something is definitely not right here Master Warrior concludes as he takes flight in the high ceiling waiting area toward the sick man. Master Warrior’s sudden appearance draws Barry Simpson’s attention away from his old friend as he vomits forth something different this time. A bolt of ruby red energy blasts from his mouth cutting through everything in its path, including the roof of the terminal.
Master Warrior swoops to dodge the beam only to be caught by the collapsing ceiling. Pinned by the steel girders Master Warrior quickly shoves them aside making his way back into the action. Luckily most of the bystanders had been cleared from the room by the time the ceiling came down. Master Warrior wastes no time to send part of the steel trusses Simpson’s way.
The crazed Maintenance man strikes out again vomiting up another bolt of energy that turns the metal beams molten and to the floor. The hot metal ignites the polyester carpeting causing flames to erupt. Paddy and Craig run for fire extinguishers mounted on the wall, giving Master Warrior the opening he needs as Simpson turns his attention back to them.
Coming down behind the vomiting man Master Warrior gets a full nelson hold on the man. Just as he suspected the man was on fire with fever. He must cool that fever to rayne in this man’s rage. Master Warrior can’t lift much when he is flying but this man weighs little enough for him to carry across the terminal. “I need fire crash foam out on the runway, now!” he shouts to Paddy. Aiming the man’s next blast at the panes of glass along the concourse they are melted giving them free passengers out onto the tarmac.
Master Warrior carries the sick man over around the airport trying to keep the man’s blast aimed skyward. It is not a quick flight as the hero heads toward the plane hangers. He remembers this place from his short stint as the Turtleman of Philadelphia. He sees nothing happening as he holds the man tightly in the nelson circling the building. Master Warrior loses his grip once on his second trip around the hangers allowing a blast to strike a luggage cart. Then he sees that Paddy has managed to get what he wants as Fire trucks race from the garage. It takes another lap around the area for the firemen to spread a thick layer of the foam he requested on the tarmac. Master Warrior hopes that the cooling nature of the foam will calm the man and his fever that has turned this violence.
Swooping down into the four foot high wall of fire foam, Master Warrior holds his breath as he turns to slide across the blacktop on his back dragging the man through the foam to a stop. Holding onto the squirming man in his grip becomes harder now that they are lubricated by the foam. Master Warrior wraps his legs around the man’s waist trying to calm his struggle as he feels the man’s body temperature lower.
As Barry Simpson’s body goes limp Master Warrior can at last release him from the hold. Sitting up in the cloud foam he lifts the man up in his arms leaping up. Master Warrior comes down near an EMT crew to lower the man onto an ambulance gurney. “He is alive but you need to keep his temperature down.” Master Warrior tells them. “Unconscious as well for everyone’s safety.”
A wet and foamy Master Warrior walks across the tarmac as Paddy and Craig run out from the terminal. Master Warrior turns to nod to them as he takes three steps to take flight headed north.
Steve Roberts & Patrick Berger’s apartment
1701 Tulip St
The Fishtown section
Philadelphia, Pa
Back at home Steve tells Paddy of his adventure in Ohio and how when he took the cops back to the basement the hole leading to the cave was gone. “So, they slapped the cuffs on me and took me back to the Sheriff’s station.” “I figured they were going to charge me but after an hour or so I was released and put on a plane back to Philadelphia.” “Turns out when they ran a check on me they called Commander Olpere.” “Believe it or not she vouched for me and got me sent home.”
“What about David and Gary?” Paddy asks.
“They’re fine, apparently whatever Olpere said got them off the hook too,” Steve answers. “David is going to stay and spend some time with Gary, get him back on his feet.”
“What do you really think happened to Gary?” the Detective inquires.
“Whatever it was, I have a feeling that whoever Dr. Crow was and what he did to Gary, it wasn’t good,” Steve says with remorse. “But David insisted that the doctors at the Hospital gave him the all clear.”
Then Paddy drops the bomb, “Well on a high note, I think I might be a Zeni-human after all.” “Something to do with my memory.”