From v4s@FKFANFIC.COMMon May 26 14:37:09 1997 Date: Sat, 24 May 1997 02:04:23 -0400 From: Virtual Fourth Season To: FKFIC-L@psuvm.psu.edu Subject: V4S: Adam's Apple (16/22) Episode Number: Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season - Episode #12 Episode Title: "Adam's Apple" "Air" Date: May 18, 1997 Author: Beth A. Washington Part 16 of 22 This story is based on characters and situations created by James Parriott and Barney Cohen and owned by Sony/TriStar. No infringement is intended. Copyright 1997 Beth Washington -------------------------- ADAM'S APPLE Adam made his way to the Fees Department, humming the theme from "Mission: Impossible" the whole way. One minute he was a master of disguise, the next he was a cop hot on the trail of incriminating evidence. Now it was time for the cop to come through, and he had gotten the warrant he needed from the judge this morning. He entered the building and was relieved that no one was there except the secretary behind the desk. He walked up to the counter and waited for the woman to look at him. The secretary finished writing something, then looked up with a cheery smile and asked, "Can I help you?" The morning sun caught her silver hair and brightened the colors on her simple floral-print dress. Adam smiled back and answered as he pulled out his badge and the warrant. "I'm Detective Adam Sakai, and I need access to some of your records for an investigation." He passed her the warrant and his badge so she could inspect them. She got up from her chair, took a closer look at the badge, then a closer look at Adam's college attire and his young face. "How do I know this is real?" she asked, sounding skeptical. The detective sighed heavily. He didn't need this further criticism of his looks, especially from a perfect stranger He answered her question anyway, since he needed the information. "I am working with Principal Whittier's approval in an effort to try and find out who murdered Sidney Corso a few nights ago." Adam noticed the woman's wide-eyed reaction at the mention of the murder. "You can ask the Principal if you like, or call my captain; it doesn't really matter to me. All that does matter is that I get a chance to look at some of the students' records. The warrant here should be enough." Adam thought about Nick and how he probably could have gotten the information without any explanation, or even a warrant. Even Jim Phelps, or any member of his I.M. force would have been able to get the information they needed with little or no effort. What was it that they had that Adam didn't have? The woman moved toward her phone, then took another look at Adam's badge and a closer look at the warrant. "No, that's OK. No need to call," she said quickly. "Whose records do you need to see?" Adam was relieved. "I need the records for Sidney Corso, Remington Alexander, Rebecca Dixon, and Theodore Montgomery." Adam watched as the woman scribbled the names down on a sheet of paper. "So Sidney was the boy who was killed?" she asked, then clicking her tongue, she added, "It's a shame. His life was only starting." "Uh-huh," mumbled Adam in agreement as he watched her return to her desk and one by one type in the names and print out the records. Minutes later she returned to the counter with the printouts. "Here you are...Alexander, Corso, Dixon, and Montgomery," she said as she set down each printout. "Thanks," replied Adam as he scanned the first sheet. "Do you need anything else?" she asked, watching the detective as he read the records. "No, this will do for now," he answered without looking up. The secretary took the hint and moved away to attend to her normal business. Adam read each record carefully, looking for anything unusual. Remi's file looked normal, and he was on a regular payment schedule for his tuition. Sid's showed that he was behind on his payments and was on the verge of being kicked out. Becca's file indicated that her tuition was covered by a scholarship. Tudor's was interesting reading. Slowly he placed the printouts into his knapsack and exited the building. Once outside, he found a fairly isolated pay phone and dialed the precinct. The front desk answered. "Ninty-sixth precinct. Sergeant Russo speaking." "Is Captain Reese still around?" he asked. "No," answered the desk sergeant. "Can I ask who's calling?" "This is Detective Sakai. I need to leave a message for the captain, and I need some research done," he explained, a little annoyed that the captain wasn't there. For once he had been looking forward to the Captain's particular knack for pulling background information out of a hat. "Shoot," replied the Russo's voice. "I need a financial background check done on one of the students at the University of Toronto, as well as on his parents." Adam waited for a response from the other end. **** The desk sergeant, with the phone pressed to his ear, urgently scribbled a name. "Got it. Anything else, Detective Sakai?" "Just tell the captain that I have a solid lead, and that I'm following it. I'll fill him in later. That's it," Adam answered. Sergeant Russo heard the click as the detective hung up. "Did I hear right? Was that Detective Sakai?" came the captain's voice from behind. Russo finished writing the message and handed it to Reese. "Yeah. That was him just now. He left you a message and a request for a background check. He asked for you, but you weren't in yet." "I just got here. Thought I'd get an early start." Reese read the message that the desk sergeant had handed him, then read it again. "Thanks," he said almost absently as he walked away towards his office. **** Evening rolled around as Adam continued to wait, unable to find Remi. The passing time had allowed him to plan a course of action, exactly what he was going to say, in order to get the answers he knew he could get from his roommate. He gave up waiting and decided to drive up to the cabin to fill in Nick and see if he found out anything from Tudor. He flipped the car lights on as the orange in the sky deepened to a navy blue smudged with russet. It looked as if a giant brush with watered-down paint had been dragged across the sunset sky. The first bright stars gleamed in the darkened sky, winking at Adam as he drove in silence up to the cabin. It was almost completely dark when he finally arrived. The smell from the bags of food sitting next to him were driving his hunger insane. He hoped that Nick would be his usual self and not take one, leaving more for himself. Officer Meredith was outside walking the grounds around the house, and the front door opened as Adam stepped out of the car. He could tell that the dark silhouette in the warm light of the doorway was Nick, and he motioned for his partner to come join him. "Hey, what's up?" he asked as Nick came closer. "Not much," answered Nick. "Not unless you have dreams of being a prison guard," he added sarcastically. Adam smiled. "Well I found something today that lit a fire under my butt and will probably point us in the right direction so we can solve this murder once and for all," explained the younger detective. "I hope so," Nick uttered, "You may be having fun playing student, but I feel as much like a prisoner as I am sure our guest does." Adam chuckled with a half smile. "You know, I enjoy being on campus again, though I wish it brought back better memories." He looked down at the ground and fell silent. "What kind of memories?" asked Nick in a low, concerned voice. "Memories of when I was a student there," Adam answered in a saddened tone. "Memories of my roommate." "Did something happen?" prodded Nick. Adam looked up at his partner, and the expression he saw was sincere. He nodded. "His name was Billy Humphrey. We used to study together. He always seemed to have to work harder than I did to get good grades, and I always tried to help him. But the pressures were too much." Adam stopped a moment and took a deep breath. "He started taking drugs so he could stay awake and spend more time studying...so he could keep up with me." A tear formed in his eye, though he fought to keep it back. "He died from massive heart failure caused by taking too much Speed." Adam looked away and knew that Nick was watching him closely. "You all right?" came his partner's voice. The young detective took a deep breath, "Yeah...it's probably why this case is so important to me." Nick just stood there silent for a moment. Adam appreciated his partner's silent support and used it to regain control his emotions. "Well anyway, it seems that our murder victim was having financial problems. Hadn't paid his tuition yet for the semester," Adam started to explain what he had found out at the Fees Department. "That would explain why Aragopoulos was breathing down his neck for payment," Nick theorized. "He was involved in some drug deal as a gopher, but it seems he double-crossed both of them. Someone gave him money to pick up some drugs from Aragopoulos, but he picked up the drugs without paying Aragopoulos, and he never delivered the drugs." "Sounds like he was desperate for money," commented Nick. "Yes, but he couldn't have hoped to get away with it," speculated Adam. "Any idea who he was buying the drugs for?" "No," answered Adam. He paused, and an expression of realization crossed his face. "But Becca seemed to know who he was, but was afraid to tell me." "Becca?" "Rebecca Dixon...." "The same girl I met at the crime scene?" "The very same. She just showed up at my room, and then later I stopped a guy from harassing her. We went for coffee, and she told me about the drug deal Corso was involved in," explained the young detective. "Interesting," said Nick. "And that's not all," Adam said with emphasis. "Our good friend Theodore Montgomery is rolling in dough. He's all paid up for this semester and the next. I checked the instant teller transactions, and they were all done with cash." Nick glanced back at the cabin, then back at Adam. "I already checked to see if he was listening," responded Adam after he noticed his partner's looks. "He could come from a wealthy family," suggested Nick, "That would explain the prepayment." "True, but even a wealthy family would probably pay a tuition bill with a check or by a funds transfer at a bank," debated Adam. "Anyway, I left a message for the captain to check into Tudor's financial history as well as his parents' to see if that's a possibility." "Good," Nick replied. "Hopefully he'll be able to find something tonight, because I don't think our guest is going to willingly stay put for much longer." "Been bad?" asked Adam, raising an eyebrow. "Let's just say that he has been jumping at every teeny tiny sound there is. A tree brushed the house, and I thought I was going to have to peel him off the ceiling with a paint scraper." Nick's eyes rolled with exasperation. "Geesh," replied Adam as he reached into the car and pulled out five bags, still warm and smelling like he could eat the bag. "Here, take a couple of these," he said as he handed two of the bags to Nick. He put the remaining three bags in his other hand, grabbed his jacket, and pushed the car door closed with his rear end. "Right now, though, all I want is to eat and get some sleep. I'm pooped," announced Adam as he headed for the cabin door. "This burning the candle at both ends is for the birds." Nick chuckled and followed his partner into the cabin. (to be continued ...) -------------------------------------------- For more information or to participate in the Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season, write to V4S@fkfanfic.com. From v4s@FKFANFIC.COMMon May 26 14:37:16 1997 Date: Sat, 24 May 1997 02:04:29 -0400 From: Virtual Fourth Season To: FKFIC-L@psuvm.psu.edu Subject: V4S: Adam's Apple (17/22) Episode Number: Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season - Episode #12 Episode Title: "Adam's Apple" "Air" Date: May 18, 1997 Author: Beth A. Washington Part 17 of 22 This story is based on characters and situations created by James Parriott and Barney Cohen and owned by Sony/TriStar. No infringement is intended. Copyright 1997 Beth Washington -------------------------- ADAM'S APPLE Adam put the key into the lock of his residence room door and found it unlocked. He slowly opened the door, aware of where his gun was hidden in his knapsack. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness in the room, he saw a figure fumbling through his desk drawer. "Adam?" came Becca's familiar voice reaching nervously in the dark. "Hai. Becca?" he replied, turning to flip on the overhead light with the switch on the wall next to the door. They both blinked as the harsh fluorescent light filled the room. The detective took in the sight of Becca in her jeans, white sweater and jean jacket. Her hair was disheveled, and she wore no make-up. She appeared as if she had just gotten out of bed and thrown on her clothes. The look in her large brown eyes was one of a terrified rabbit running from a cunning fox. "How did..." he started to ask. Becca cut him off by holding up a key. "Sid made a copy for me and I never got around to turning it in." She pulled her hand out of the desk drawer and explained, "I was just looking for a piece of paper and pen so I could leave you a note." "Ah," was all Adam said in response. "You OK?" he asked, moving to sit down on the bed. "We have to talk," she said, grabbing his arm. "But not here." She pulled Adam toward the door and dragged him out of the room. "Where we going?" Adam asked, barely remembering to use his accent. Becca looked nervously around the area surrounding the buildings before pulling him away from the shadows. "Someplace we can talk privately." Adam willingly followed her, feeling that something had frightened her so much that she was willing to confide in someone who was, for all intents and purposes, a stranger. She eased her grip on his arm, but still led the way around the campus until she got to one of the buildings containing several classrooms. She checked for passers-by, and when she saw none, ducked them in a side door. Once inside the building, she pulled Adam into one of the dark, windowless classrooms. She closed the door behind them, leaving the room dark. She took them to the far wall, opposite the door, and crouched down on the floor behind some desks, hauling Adam down with her. If she wasn't so frightened of something, Adam could think of other things, passionate things, that could happen in such a dark, secluded spot during the wee hours of the morning. Adam dashed the thoughts from his mind, a little embarrassed. He was glad it was dark so Becca couldn't see his blushing cheeks. She took a deep breath. "Adam, I'm scared. That guy you saved me from last night...," she started, and Adam nodded that he remembered. "Well he came back." "He hurt you?" Adam asked, truly concerned. "No, at least not badly." Becca rubbed her arm a little. "He wanted to know where Sid hid the drugs, and I told him I didn't know. He called me a liar and said he wanted his money back. I gave him all the money I had on me just to get rid of him. It wasn't enough, and he said he would be back for the rest tomorrow." She stopped and took in a ragged breath. "Oh Adam, I'm scared. Really scared." "I here now," Adam reassured her, "No one hurt you now." He took her hand in his and held it tight. "He started asking me questions, things I didn't know, and he got mad when I didn't answer him. Said I was lying," she said, the words pouring out of her mouth. Adam jumped on the opportunity presenting itself. "What kind question?" he asked, completely irritated with the accent at this point. Becca seemed more than willing to answer his questions, in hopes that he could help her. "He said the Big Man wants to know who else has been selling drugs in his territory. He says there is another drug dealer stealing his customers and trying to take over his territory." "Remi?" Adam asked, remembering the drawer full of drugs next to his roommate's bed, and the very bottle he himself had purchased from him. "No," came Becca's quick answer, "but I think he's referring to Remi's supplier." "You know who supplier?" "No, but he didn't believe me," she answered, her hand cold and clammy in Adam's. She was trembling and on the verge of tears. She continued, "I'm afraid he might come after you for the information because you are Remi's roommate." She hesitated before adding, "I don't want you to get hurt." Adam could see her eyes looking at him in the darkness; what little light there was sparkled in the depths of her eyes. True worry and something else were in her expression. She touched him with her concern for him and her disregard for her own safety by telling him all, in hopes of keeping him from harm. If he didn't know better, he would think this girl was.... He dashed the thought from his head. He was an engaged man, and he hadn't done anything to lead her on...or had he? Maybe he had played his part a little too well. He sure hoped he was wrong, for he did not want to break her heart after all of the pain it had already been through. Still holding her hand, he patted the top of it and said with all sincerity, "You go police. Tell police what you know. Police keep you safe." Her eyes widened, "No! I can't do that. He'll see me!" "I take you. Keep you safe," the detective persuaded. "What happens if they don't catch him?" she asked. "I won't be able to return to school here and get my degree. He'll find me. He'll take my...." She stopped. "No. They catch him. Keep you safe," Adam further insisted. "You not safe now. Man come back for more money." He hesitated then added, "You got more money?" Becca lowered her eyes. "No, not really." "Not really?" Adam wondered. "No," she answered, looking Adam straight in the eyes. "I don't have any more money." Her look returned to the floor. "What happen when he come back and you no have money?" Adam asked, one eyebrow raised. "You not safe," he repeated. Becca slowly looked up at Adam, confusion and terror warring for control in her eyes. A tear slid down her cheek, but she did not cry. "You will take me there?" she asked. "Hai. Keep you safe," he said with a reassuring smile. "Promise?" she smiled a little at his Japanese answer. He smiled a little wider and repeated himself. "Hai!" (to be continued ...) -------------------------------------------- For more information or to participate in the Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season, write to V4S@fkfanfic.com. From v4s@FKFANFIC.COMMon May 26 14:37:32 1997 Date: Sat, 24 May 1997 02:04:35 -0400 From: Virtual Fourth Season To: FKFIC-L@psuvm.psu.edu Subject: V4S: Adam's Apple (18/22) Episode Number: Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season - Episode #12 Episode Title: "Adam's Apple" "Air" Date: May 18, 1997 Author: Beth A. Washington Part 18 of 22 This story is based on characters and situations created by James Parriott and Barney Cohen and owned by Sony/TriStar. No infringement is intended. Copyright 1997 Beth Washington -------------------------- ADAM'S APPLE Nick listened in on the bedroom where Tudor was and confirmed that the student was sleeping, his breathing slow and regular with an occasional snore thrown in for good measure. Nick had tried to listen to Tudor's heart but had found it increasingly harder to hear it, so he had relied on his other, normal senses. Sheridan was sitting outside the front door as the detective exited the cabin. He turned to look at Nick and smiled a little, knowingly. "Going for a walk, detective?" the officer asked. "You know me pretty well by now," Nick joked. "I bet you're as eager as I am to get back to normal police work." Sheridan chuckled in agreement. "Tudor is asleep in the one of the bedrooms. He shouldn't be a problem for a while," explained Nick. "I shouldn't be too long. Just need to stretch my legs and get some fresh air to clear my head." Nick felt a little foggy and thought to himself that a little flight might help as well. Sheridan nodded his understanding as the detective moved off into the trees and snow of the surrounding area. Nick walked a ways into the woods like he always did. When he felt he had gone far enough and that no one would see, he launched himself into the sky. He was a little surprised at the effort required to actually become airborne and finally recognized the symptoms of blood starvation. Instead of taking the time to enjoy a few moments of peace in the welcoming night sky, he concentrated on reaching his destination before he fell out of the sky from exhaustion. Less than a half hour later he was walking into the coroner's building and Natalie's laboratory. His senses welcomed the familiar scent of disinfectant and formaldehyde, mixed with Natalie's perfume. Natalie looked up from her cup of tea and paperwork on her desk when she heard the door open. A look of mild surprise crossed her face, switching to a look of welcome, then concern. Nick could tell from the pathologist's expression that he looked like death warmed over...warmed over a few more times than he normally looked. He certainly felt that way. The flight had taken every bit of his strength, and he was feeling lightheaded and disoriented. "Nick, you look terrible," Natalie exclaimed, getting up from her desk to go over and help him. She placed her arm under his and helped support his weight until he reached a stool he could sit on. She released him and stepped back to take another long look at him. "You know you don't have to go to such drastic measures to get my attention," she joked, then sobered quickly when she saw that Nick did not find her comment the least bit amusing. "I came by to find out if you have any new conclusions on the Corso case," the detective stated as a matter of fact. "That can wait until we figure out what's wrong with you," Natalie said, obviously concerned with Nick's state of health. Nick smiled weakly, "It's nothing. I'm fine." He could smell her sweet blood. It called to him and his fangs itched, fighting to descend, fighting against the strength of his weakening will. "Baloney!" Natalie objected strongly. "I know you better than that, and I don't know what makes you think you can lie to me like that." Nick looked hurt by her words. She added in a softer tone, "Tell me how you feel." "I feel lightheaded and drained," he answered meekly. "It took everything I had to get here, and my other...um...senses are weak as well." "Your vampire senses?" Natalie asked, looking at him as if he had pulled a practical joke that wasn't funny. Nick squirmed under Nat's scrutinizing glare. He didn't answer her question, knowing that she knew the answer. "Hmmmm," the doctor said, her hand rubbing her chin. "If I didn't know better, and I do know better, I would say you are starving. Have you anything?" The vampire nodded. "I had one of your protein shakes last night." "Last night?" She seemed astounded. "Did you drink the whole thing?" Natalie smiled when Nick nodded with a slight grimace on his face. "You haven't had anything else?" Nick shook his head, then remembered the food Adam had brought to the cabin, and added with pride, "And I managed to choke down a French fry." Natalie's face lit up. "A whole French fry. I'm impressed." Her expression became more serious as she further inquired, "How long has it been since you've had blood?" At the mention of the word, the smell of Natalie's blood almost overwhelmed him. His head swam with dizziness as he fought off the urge to feed on the good doctor. He looked away quickly as the vampire won and took over for a brief moment. With all of his remaining strength, he subdued the beast inside once more. "I don't know. Four, maybe five days," he answered, trying to keep the strain from his words. Natalie walked away from Nick, then back. "You haven't had any blood? You quit cold turkey?" Nick nodded ever so slightly. "I made a promise," he said as if that explained it all. Natalie looked even more impressed, and then her brow furrowed as she began to think out loud. "What is actually happening to your body after being starved of blood for so long, with only my shakes... a French fry...to nourish you?" Nick just sat there and looked at Natalie. Part of him admired how her mind worked, and another part just wanted her to come over and help him, support him, hold him. He hadn't seen her in almost a week, and who knew if Dr. Westwood was taking advantage of the situation, of Nick's absence. All that didn't matter right now. At the moment, he was here, commanding Natalie's full attention, even if it was only in the interest of curing a vampire of his immortality. "How long were you able to go before without drinking any blood, before you felt this way?" she asked, almost sounding as if she were cross-examining him. "Two, maybe three days...sometimes four," he answered, not really sure. Natalie considered his answer. "Well it seems that the protein shakes help, but it also seems that you can't go cold turkey, no blood." She walked over to one of the refrigeration units and pulled out a bag of blood, hesitating a moment before handing it to Nick. He looked bewildered. "I thought...," he started to protest. "Yeah, I know," she interrupted. "It seems I was wrong. We will have to wean you off the blood a little at a time and increase the protein shakes at the same time." She stopped and smiled. "Sort of like weaning a baby off of formula." Nick winced, then opened the tube in the blood bag and drank deep. It was cold, but it was human blood. He drained it within a minute, and he could feel it restoring his strength. "Human blood," Natalie sighed. "It seems I am getting in the habit of helping you fall off the wagon. We'll never find a cure at this rate." Nick nodded slightly. "It's all I have in here," Natalie continued. "We don't usually have many calls for bovine transfusions. For that matter, we don't have a lot of calls for human ones, either." The pathologist watched as the vampire's appearance improved. "Feeling better?" Natalie asked with a knowing tone. "Yes," breathed Nick, savoring the last drop as it lingered on his tongue. "Good." Natalie leaned back against the counter and bit her bottom lip. "You know, I remember the last time you drank a bag of blood in this lab as if it were yesterday." Nick remembered that day. He blessed it for bringing her into his life, and cursed it for bringing him into hers. If he had never met her, she would never have been put into the many dangerous, almost fatal situations that she had been in because she knew him. Before Nick could say anything, Natalie turned away and moved towards her desk. She picked up an open folder sitting there. Turning, she approached the detective and traded the folder for the empty blood bag. Nick took a moment to look over the files in the folder and read the conclusions she had written after thoroughly examining Sidney Corso. As he stood there reading the results of all of Natalie's work, it only reminded him of how little he had actually done to solve this case. He let out an audible sigh of frustration. Natalie took a sidelong glance at him. "What is it?" Nick flipped to the second page in the folder and without looking at Natalie, replied, "Nothing." "Nick," the pathologist said as if she were reprimanding a ten-year-old child. The detective looked a little sheepish. "Sorry." He hesitated before continuing. "It's just that I feel so helpless on this case. My hands are tied, and the only thing I've been doing is playing baby-sitter to some supposed eyewitness who's got an overactive imagination and is completely stressed out." Natalie walked over to her desk, picked up her teacup, and took a sip while listening to Nick. The detective got up from the stool and started walking around the lab. "And it's not just the fact that I'm not doing any real detective work here, but also the fact that Adam is practically a rookie, and he's undercover investigating a drug-related murder. He's dealing with some pretty heavy hitters. It seems his roommate at the university is a small-time dealer too." Nick paced the room, clearly agitated. He paused and Natalie commented, "You're concerned about Adam." Nick looked at her as if she had stated the blatantly obvious. "Of course I am. He's my partner and a fellow police officer." "No," Natalie corrected. "You aren't concerned only because he is your partner and another human being." A look of mild denial crept into Nick's expression. "Don't look at me like that," Natalie retorted. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. You have come to care for Adam, and dare I say, like him." Nick was about to start listing all of Adam's faults when Natalie cut him off. "I know he's no Tracy, and certainly no Schanke, but Adam is his own person, and I think you've come to realize that he's not such a bad guy after all," Natalie reasoned. Nick looked away, his body language giving away his denial of everything she said, but something deep in his mind knew she was right. What irked him even more was that she knew she was right. How well she knew him. Natalie sighed and changed the subject. "I had the video room at the precinct make frame-by-frame printouts of the shooting from the video, and I compared them with the physical evidence on Corso." The pathologist moved over next to the detective, pulled a couple of the video printouts from the back of the folder, and pointed to the two figures in the middle. "From this, we can tell that there are only a few options for how Aragopoulos could be holding the gun, and none of those options matches up with the angle of the bullet entry," she explained in a professional and detached manner. Nick was grateful for the change of subject and was ready to do some detective work. He followed Natalie's every word with enthusiasm. "So that, coupled with the fact that you didn't find any powder burns on the body that would indicate a point-blank shot, proves that Aragopoulos did not pull the trigger," he concluded. "Correct," she affirmed. "I also noticed you did a tox screen on Corso and that you found evidence of drugs," Nick stated, pulling out the report from the folder. "Uh, yeah," Natalie replied. "He had large amounts of cocaine and a small trace of speed in his bloodstream. I also found that he had a small defect in his heart. With the levels of drugs in his system, it was only a matter of time." Nick shook his head. "If someone hadn't shot him, he would have been dead soon anyway, by his own hand." "Yeah." Natalie sighed heavily, and Nick could tell that she was just as disturbed about the whole thing as he was. "I wonder if he knew," Nick mumbled, not really expecting an answer. Natalie looked deep into her teacup. "We'll never know." (to be continued ...) -------------------------------------------- For more information or to participate in the Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season, write to V4S@fkfanfic.com. From v4s@FKFANFIC.COMMon May 26 14:37:38 1997 Date: Sat, 24 May 1997 02:04:42 -0400 From: Virtual Fourth Season To: FKFIC-L@psuvm.psu.edu Subject: V4S: Adam's Apple (19/22) Episode Number: Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season - Episode #12 Episode Title: "Adam's Apple" "Air" Date: May 18, 1997 Author: Beth A. Washington Part 19 of 22 This story is based on characters and situations created by James Parriott and Barney Cohen and owned by Sony/TriStar. No infringement is intended. Copyright 1997 Beth Washington -------------------------- ADAM'S APPLE The sun peeked over the horizon, scaring the darkness to its daily hiding places. The air was crisp, and the morning dew was frozen to each blade of grass on the campus. Adam walked slowly from his car to the student residences, his breath fogging the air in front of him, and the glasses cold against his nose. He wrapped his hands around the large cup of coffee he had purchased at the all-night cafe, drawing the warmth into his freezing palms. His building loomed in front of him, and he took a moment to contemplate what Becca had told him. If Remi was tied into the whole mess, then he was in a considerable amount of danger to be even associating with him. His thoughts drifted Billy. He remembered coming back to his college room to find EMTs trying to shock his heart into working again, but after several tries, the flat line on the monitor didn't change, and they pulled the sheet over his head. Adam shifted the knapsack on his shoulder and felt the tape from the wire he was wearing pull on his skin. Stupid wire. If he got caught wearing a wire by one of these drug-dealing killers, he was a dead man. He wasn't sure how he was going to deal with Remi yet. Every plan he came up with, he threw out. He shook his head and decided to wing it. The detective entered the building and made his way to the door of his room. His room. He chuckled. It wasn't his room. It was part of his investigation, just like the stupid Japanese accent. He swore to himself that he would never make the mistake of choosing it again as part of an undercover disguise. Before he opened the door and went in, he saw Remi disappearing around a corner, towel and shampoo in hand, obviously heading for the showers. Once inside his room, he dropped his knapsack down on his desk and opened it carefully to reveal the small bottle with the one red pill left inside. He then shuffled about the room and managed to find his duffel bag and pull out a clean towel and some clean clothes He then sat down and flipped on the television to wait for Remi to return. He flipped the channels and found a rerun of "Mission: Impossible" on. "I didn't know this was on," he mumbled to himself. "Now this brings back memories." He settled back on his bed and watched contentedly. A few minutes later, the door opened, and Remi returned with a towel wrapped around the important parts. His dark hair was wet and wild, and he dripped all over the room. "Hey roomy," greeted Remi cheerfully. "Out all night! What was her name?" Adam shifted a little, uncomfortable with just how close Remi had come to the truth. "No time for dating. Study all night." "Right...Sure...," Remi said, winking, then laughing. "Wild man Ishikawa!" he joked as he moved about looking for some clean underwear. "Take shower," Adam stated as he picked up his towel and clothes and left for the showers. He eyed the bottle sitting just inside the opening to his knapsack and wondered if Remi would see it. He closed the door behind him. The shower facilities were steamy and warm, with the windows and mirrors completely fogged. It smelled of deodorant soap and shampoo, and just about every surface was wet. Adam shook his head in disgust as he carefully found a spot to put his clean towel and clothes. He checked to see if he had any company, and once satisfied that he was alone, he slowly undressed. As his shirt came off, the wire taped to his chest was revealed, along with the microphone near the hollow in his neck and the cord that led to a small battery-powered transmitter that was tucked into his pants. He slowly removed it all, peeling the tape off ever so gingerly to avoid peeling his skin off as well. After it was all off, he stared at it for a few minutes, weighing the dangers that little device represented. If he didn't wear it, the captain would yell at him and probably demote him to traffic officer or crossing guard. If he did wear it, and one of the drug dealers caught him with it, he was dead. A crossing guard who is alive, or a detective who is dead. No contest. He wrapped the wire around the transmitter and bundled it up in his dirty clothes. Remi heard the door click and listened as Adam's footsteps faded down the hall. He smiled when he saw what Adam had been watching on the television. He watched it for about a minute, then switched the channel to MTV. He bopped around the room, moving to the music, searching for a clean shirt. As he moved past Adam's desk, he caught a glimpse of the small bottle he had sold Adam the day before. He glanced at the door, then turned his attention back to the knapsack. He carefully reached in and removed the bottle. He opened it and saw the one remaining pill inside. Amazing. This Adam Ishikawa had the worst problem he had ever seen. He had given him what he thought was enough to last Adam two days, at least, yet it had been less that twenty-four hours, and only one remained. He closed the bottle and placed it back in Adam's knapsack, making sure to put it back as he had found it. Adam opened the door and entered the room. He toweled his hair dry with one hand and carried his dirty clothes, carefully rolled, in the other. He stuffed the dirty clothes and the towel into a duffel bag where he kept his laundry. Realizing that his roommate was watching him, Adam reached for the coffee he had brought back with him and the bottle in his knapsack. He noticed that it had been moved, even though Remi had taken great pains to return it the way he had found it. With his back to Remi, Adam smiled with satisfaction, opened the bottle, and dumped the last pill into his hand. He brought his hand to his mouth, pretending to take the little red dose, then opened the coffee and chugged it down without taking a breath. "Wow," Remi barely breathed. Adam turned to look at his roommate, while his hand moved slowly into his pocket where he deposited the Speed. There it would stay until he could add it to the evidence bag at the precinct. "What?" asked Adam, sounding like he really didn't know what Remi was amazed at. "What? You!" blurted Remi, his eyes wide. "I'm surprised you're still walking and not in some hospital bed somewhere." "Why you say that?" Adam asked, hiding his amusement from his roommate. He sure had Remi fooled, which was exactly what he had planned. Remi laughed, "Why?" He waved his hand in a gesture that suggested it was futile to try to explain to someone addicted to drugs that it was bad for their health. He just turned away, still laughing. (to be continued ...) -------------------------------------------- For more information or to participate in the Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season, write to V4S@fkfanfic.com. From v4s@FKFANFIC.COMMon May 26 14:37:44 1997 Date: Sat, 24 May 1997 02:04:47 -0400 From: Virtual Fourth Season To: FKFIC-L@psuvm.psu.edu Subject: V4S: Adam's Apple (20/22) Episode Number: Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season - Episode #12 Episode Title: "Adam's Apple" "Air" Date: May 18, 1997 Author: Beth A. Washington Part 20 of 22 This story is based on characters and situations created by James Parriott and Barney Cohen and owned by Sony/TriStar. No infringement is intended. Copyright 1997 Beth Washington -------------------------- ADAM'S APPLE Nick's eyes fluttered open as a groggy Tudor stumbled into the living room after sleeping all night. His mind readily snapped to attention, especially after a good feeding and a few hours of dreamless sleep. The sun streamed in the room on a slant, the sheer curtains glowing from the light as if by some angelic presence. Nick reached for his sunglasses on the mantel and noticed that the fire was nothing more than a few red embers. The student wandered into the kitchen and grabbed a package of English muffins, removing one and eating it without splitting it open and toasting it. He then took a bottle of orange juice from the refrigerator and gulped the entire thing. The detective watched as the student slowly walked back into the living room and planted his rear end in the chair next to the windows in the full morning sun. Tudor's head fell back, and he closed his eyes, seemingly enjoying the warmth of the sun. A few minutes of silence passed before either of them spoke. "Anything exciting happen while I was in la-la land?" asked Tudor. Nick studied his morning companion and found him calmer than the night before, not nearly as jumpy, and of a more agreeable disposition. "No," he answered, "I caught some Zs myself." Tudor did not open his eyes or lift his head, but continued to sit there for a few minutes in silence. Then, without moving, he tentatively inquired, "Detective...can I ask you a question?" "You just did," Nick wisecracked. Tudor opened his eyes and gave the detective a dirty look. "May I ask another after this, a personal question?" Playing with the student, Nick responded, "That depends." "On what?" Tudor sounded slightly agitated. "What is it?" Nick gave in. "How well do you know your partner, Detective Sakai?" Nick's brows lowered at the question. "Well enough. Why do you ask?" Tudor frowned a little as if from confusion. "Well, it seems to me that you are the older and more experienced detective, and it just seemed rather odd to me that you are sitting here...um...protecting me...when you could probably be out there finding answers faster than your partner. It must be frustrating for you." Nick looked out the window, then glanced at the door, trying to avoid looking directly at Tudor. Sitting there playing guard dog instead of investigating was frustrating, more than he was going to let this student know. "It's part of my job to protect you," Nick simply stated. Tudor shook his head. "That's not what I asked you. How long have we been here, and what has your partner found out? It doesn't seem like he's gotten anywhere. I bet you would have had the killer signed, sealed, and delivered to some courtroom judge by this point." Nick sighed as Tudor's words brought back memories. >>>----------> Nicholas nervously looked at the French soldiers dressed in Allied uniforms and wondered if anyone except him was going to live through the night. Marcus had been gone for almost a half hour, and he hadn't seen the farmer since he sent him out to help with the soldiers' horses. He hoped that Marcus had been able to get away and was now on his way back with a small detachment of Allied soldiers. He carefully cleaned a wound in a soldier's upper arm. He put down the wet bandages he had used to clean it with and reached for a needle and some thread to sew it up. As he started to stitch up the wound, he could feel the leader's eyes watching him unblinkingly as he worked. He hated the fact that he was forced to help these men, soldiers of the man responsible for splitting up his beloved Brabant. Napoleon. He thought of how easily he could take out these men, but not without risking the lives of the Allied soldiers that were also in the house recovering from various battle wounds. "There, all done," Nicholas said to the soldier he was tending. "Now for a dressing and a bandage, and in a few days you will be like new." The soldier nodded his understanding. As Nicholas got up to get some fresh bandages, he said to the leader, "Marcus should be back anytime now with the help we need to take care of that nasty head wound." He indicated the unconscious soldier on the bed. As if on cue, the soldier started to convulse, and both Nicholas and the leader rushed over to his bedside. "Hold him down!" commanded Nicholas. The leader dropped his gun, grabbed each of the man's arms, and pushed them down on the bed, restricting his thrashing. Nicholas grabbed the man's head and forced his mouth open. His tongue was enlarged and blocking his airway. Nicholas reached in with two of his fingers and tried to push the man's tongue aside so he could breathe. "What's wrong?" asked the leader. "He can't breathe. His tongue is swollen," explained Nicholas as he used as much strength as he dared to try and make an opening for the man to breathe. "I'm trying to open an airway, but it's not working." "Help him!" the leader demanded. "I am!" Nicholas barked back. He continued to try and force an opening, but he could tell that his efforts were useless. The soldier's heartbeat slowed, as did his convulsions. "You did it!" exclaimed the leader with a smile. "No, I didn't. He's dying," said Nicholas. "I can't help him." The leader stood up, pulled his saber from its sheath, and held it to Nicholas' throat. "I will make it impossible for you to breathe if you don't save this man." Then with a couple of hand signals from the leader, two of the other French soldiers had their sabers ready to strike and kill two of the patients where they lay in their beds. Nicholas stood up slowly as he reached for the leader's heartbeat and grabbed on. Their eyes locked as Nicholas held the man's mind with the vampire's iron grip. He knew he had an audience, but at least three of them would be dead soon and wouldn't be able to tell a soul. The others he would worry about later. "You know there is nothing I could have done to save him. You will drop your weapon and take your men and leave this place," Nick suggested. The man resisted. "What kind of fool do you take me for?" the man asked. "You are in no position to tell me what to do. You will finish tending my men, starting with this one, or I will have them kill all of your patients." He indicated the unconscious soldier. "He's dead," Nicholas stated flatly. "Then one of your patients shall die," the leader said. Before the leader could give the order to one of the other soldiers, Nicholas was behind him and had him by the neck. His eyes were golden and his fangs had descended. He pulled the man's head to the side and sank his fangs into his waiting neck. The other soldiers stood watching, frozen with terror. Within seconds Nicholas had finished with the leader and engaged the other two soldiers. The soldiers snapped out of their momentary terror in time to defend themselves. As the vampire moved to attack one, the other buried his sword into the creature's back. The vampire hissed and turned, moving so quickly that the soldier lost his grip on the sword. Nicholas managed to pull the sword out and throw it aside. With a burst of speed, he was on top of the soldier and broke his neck with a snap. The remaining soldier cried out a name and bolted for the door. Nicholas caught him by the throat, just under the chin, and raised him a foot off of the floor. The front door opened and Nicholas recognized the soldier that was supposed to have gone with Marcus to the Mont-St.-Jean farm. He had a gun in his hand, and after a moment of hesitation, fired it. The bullet hit Nicholas square in the chest, forcing the vampire back a couple of steps. He dropped the soldier he was holding. As he recovered from the impact, he felt another disturbance in the air, and the next thing he saw was LaCroix sinking his teeth into the soldier with the gun. Nicholas easily grabbed the other soldier and snapped his neck. LaCroix unceremoniously dumped his victim on the floor. Nicholas stared at his master for a second through golden eyes as he wiped the blood from his face. "I see you have discovered the benefits of war, Nicholas," said LaCroix coolly. "And I thought you were ignoring my invitation because you were trying to save the lives of some puny mortals." A rustling sound came from the room behind Nicholas, and he remembered the Allied soldiers still alive in the beds. He hid the vampire away and turned to look at the wide, terrified eyes looking back at him. He turned back to LaCroix. "Outside." He walked past the ancient vampire and out the front door. In a swish of black, LaCroix followed his son. "It's a pity that you chose to kill the French soldiers." LaCroix strolled in the darkness around Nicholas. The younger vampire fumed. "They deserved to die. They have ruined my home." LaCroix raised his left eyebrow. "Your home? Your home no longer exists, my dear Nicholas. It hasn't for centuries." "Brabant will always be my home," stated Nicholas flatly. "Be that as it may, Nicholas, you always do seem to leave quite a mess, even for war." Nicholas' brows furrowed. "What do you mean?" LaCroix looked surprised. "The barn smells of death, and now the house will as well. Really Nicholas. I thought I taught you better than this." "The barn?" Nicholas asked, then bolted for the barn. Nicholas ripped the barn door off its hinges and dashed inside. The smell of death slammed into him as if it were made of bricks. He staggered for a moment as he searched for the source of the smell. The horses were stamping about, and when Nicholas looked into the stall, and there, trampled into the straw on the floor, was the farmer. He continued to search, and a heartbeat, weak and faint, entered his head. He focused on it and followed it to behind the barn. There, sitting with his back against the barn wall, was the doctor. "Marcus...," Nicholas barely breathed his name and rushed over to his side. The doctor lifted his head and looked at Nicholas. His eyes were glazed, and he was covered in blood. He started to speak, but coughed instead. "Don't try to talk. I will take care of you." Nicholas ripped open the blood-soaked shirt and discovered a severe knife wound to the doctor's abdomen. "Looks mortal to me," came LaCroix's smooth voice from behind. "Silence!" snapped Nicholas. "He's right," whispered Marcus. "I am going to die soon." He coughed again, blood rising up into his mouth. "Don't talk like that," soothed Nicholas. "The French soldiers have been dispatched. I can take you into the house and bandage you up." "No," Marcus wheezed. "Die here...with you...so cold." He coughed again, his body spasming with each hoarse cough. "Finish reading...that...play...to the patients." He could save him. He could bring him across. It was his fault his friend was sitting here dying, and he was responsible for his life. Then the doctor would know Nicholas' dark secret, and together they could search for a cure. Then Nicholas remembered the doctor he had brought across during the time of the plague, and it occurred to him that the same change might happen in Marcus. He would be forced to kill him anyway. He could not force his fate of darkness on the doctor, and he could not risk the deadly changes that the doctor might embrace. Nicholas held Marcus' head to his chest. He heard the doctor's heartbeat flutter and stop, and his last breath escaped from his lips. "I'm sorry, Marcus," whispered Nicholas. "It's hardly your fault, Nicholas," stated LaCroix. "Yes. It is. If I had not made him leave, he could have saved the wounded Frenchman and still be alive." Nicholas looked down at his dead friend, a red tear forming in his eye. "I should have trusted your ability to handle the French soldiers." "You need only trust your ability. And your kind," said LaCroix. "His life has ended as all mortal lives must end. Does it really matter how or when?" Nicholas ignored his master's words and thought about Marcus' last request. He remembered the play and Macbeth's words; "Tis done! the scene of life will quickly close. Ambition's vain delusive dreams are fled, And now I wake to darkness, guilt, and horror; I cannot bear it! let me shake it off -- It will not be; my soul is clog'd with blood -- I cannot rise! I dare not ask for mercy -- It is too late, hell drags me down; I sink, I sink, -- my soul is lost for ever! <----------<<< "Hey, if you don't want to answer my question, detective, that's OK." Tudor's voice barged into Nick's memories. "But I can't help but wonder how you can trust a job as important as finding a murdering drug lord to someone who has less experience than you." Nick looked Tudor dead in the eyes, his glare unwavering and unforgiving. "Adam has excellent experience, and he is a good detective," Nick snapped. "He knows what he's doing, and he will find the killer." He paused, then added with emphasis, "No matter who it is." A bead of sweat formed on Tudor's forehead, and Nick smirked. The student was trying to squeeze out some information about the investigation and had changed tactics to do it. Very sneaky. But Nick was on to him. This boy was clever, just not clever enough. (to be continued ...) -------------------------------------------- For more information or to participate in the Forever Knight Virtual 4th Season, write to V4S@fkfanfic.com.