Chapter 8

Life and Death

Bulding was angry, very angry. He ran along following his daughter’s trail, Emergon followed behind feeling very lucky to not have been ripped to pieces. He was worried about his future with the Trapron, Bulding was that angry. Bulding stopped short, he had reached the spot where they had found Tresna.

“Blood.” He turned to look at Emergon. Emergon opened his mouth to say it wasn’t Perrcia’s but Budling continued, “It’s Jhsu•kn. You need to get the Captain.” Emergon turned and ran. Budling continued following Perrcia’s trail, there were now more smells to follow, he could smell Perrcia and he could smell the blood and fear, but the strongest smell made him afraid. He lengthened his stride and practically flew over the ground.

“Perrcia” He growled, she ran to him sobbing uncontrollably.

“Pappi, Pappi, it’s Jhsu•kn, she’s dead!”

Bulding lifted his daughter up and carried her as he walked further into the clearing. Laey•ti was still holding Jhsu•kn who was covered in blood. Reesori was lying on the ground unconscious, a deep gash in his forehead. Finister appeared from the other side of the clearing, an angry expression on his face.

“I lost his trail. It just vanished.”

“Who?”

Finister flinched, Budling’s voice was sharp, his anger was growing.

“Vendall, it was Vendall.” Laey•ti choked the words out, fear made her voice tremble. “And he most likely has a vehicle, something big and mechanized.”

Perrcia lifted her head from her father’s shoulder, “Riders coming Pappi.” Budling set Perrcia on her feet,

“That’ll be the Captain.” Perrcia wiped the tears from her face and saluted the Captain as he rode in. With him were a half dozen Trapron, including Emergon who was pulling a sled behind his tarnick.

The Captain dismounted and went straight to Laey•ti, he kneeled before her and put his hand on Jhsu•kn’s head gently. “She saved my life.” Laey•ti whispered. “MiLady Jhsu•kn never lacked for bravery.” He replied, gently he gathered Jhsu•kn in his arms and carried her to the sled.

“Capü!” He shouted, Emergon jumped down and snapped to attention. “Take the body to Lieutenant Bulding’s house, Perrcia, you will accompany the body. Then you are relieved of duty.”

“Captain?”

“The princess was abducted on your watch, you are relieved of duty.” He drew Perrcia close to talk directly in her ear, “Your massair will need you, and you need time to grieve.” Pushing her away he raised his voice. “When we return we will review your conduct.”

“Do you have orders for me sir?” Emergon waited anxiously.

“You are to attend the body. MiLady Jhsu•kn deserves a royal escort and guard.” Emergon saluted and mounted his tarnick. He turned the animal around, Perrcia rode on the sled next to Jhsu•kn as they made their way back to the city. Another Trapron followed them. Then the Captain turned his attention to Reesori. He was conscious and being attended to by a medic. “Is he well enough to travel?” The medic nodded. “Good, Budling, call for transport for this man and arrange for him to be sent back to his ship.”

Reesori protested, “Sir! Don’t send me back, I can help you. I can help you find Vendall. I know him.” It was a lie, a desperate attempt by Reesori to somehow make amends. The Captain turned to face him, “We have someone to help us who knows him better than you I think.” The Captain looked at Laey•ti, she nodded.

Reesori opened his mouth, then shut it, he was done. “What will happen to me?”

“That decision is up to your commanding officer. I wish you well, but I want you gone. I see you again, I will find some way to hold you responsible for MiLady Jhsu•kn’s death.”

Chapter 7

Perrcia ran all the way to the corral, as she feared, Tresna was gone, checking the stables she noticed all the riding equipment was still there. She sniffed around the corral and caught Laey•ti’s scent. She growled and flexed her fingers, her nails shot out.

“Steal from me will you?” Perrcia listened for Emergon, what could be keeping him? While she waited she climbed the outside wall to her room to change. No sense disturbing Pappi and Masi she reasoned. When she returned Emergon and Finister were there.

“You needed me to track someone, here I am.” His mood was surly, having been deprived of his evening fun. “Show me the prints.”

Perrcia showed Finister the small boot prints leading away from the corral, they were replaced by Tresna’s prints after a few feet, Finister tracked them. He was the best tracker Perrcia knew, apart from her Pappir. Under the circumstances she didn’t want to involve him. As they followed Finister, Perrcia’s talk tab buzzed again, this time it was Laey•ti, Perrcia answered it, Laey•ti was terrified and whispering and Perrcia couldn’t understand a single word.

“Laey•ti! Calm down and talk to me.” Perrcia could hear Laey•ti gasping for breath. Before she could say anything Emergon called out, “Tresna! Here girl, come here girl.” Perrcia looked up in time to see Tresna shy away from Emergon, he went after her and she kicked him. Perrcia smelled blood on Tresna, Ronen blood.

Laey•ti started speaking again, “He’s here, he’s here. Oh Perrcia come quick it’s horrible.” The talk tab made a noise and went silent.

By this time Finister had caught Tresna and was soothing her, Perrcia glanced at Emergon, he wasn’t hurt and she went to her Pailkit. Finister looked up from examining her.

“Laey•ti’s smell is on her, the blood is Ronen but not Laey•ti’s, but it is familiar, I know this scent.” Finister stopped talking as Emergon approached.

“I’ll take her back to the corral, then come back to meet you, let me know where.” Emergon led a now calm Tresna away. Finister and Perrcia continued following the tracks with a renewed sense of urgency. Perrcia could only think of one person that would get that response from Laey•ti, but he was in prison on an island far away. Wasn’t he?

Finister stopped, “Hear that? Someone is crying. It sounds like Laey•ti.” The two quickened their pace, soon they came upon Laey•ti, it was horrible like she had said. Laey•ti was sittng on the ground, she was holding a Ronen female covered in blood. Perrcia ran forward with a cry.

“Jhsu•kn!”

Who is Laci?

This is fiction, please do not steal it

The two women went back and forth, each asserting they were right, finally Gerri collapsed on the couch in tears. Elsbeth looked at her and held her breath to keep from crying herself. She picked up her phone to make a phone call, a phone call she had hoped to never have to make. Then she woke Gerri up.

Gerri sniffed, “I have to leave don’t I? It was the agreement we made. I’ll go pack.”

“I want to ask you a question, how do you know it was Laci?”

“I was there the day he was killed.”

“The day who was killed?”

“Lee! I went over to make him pay for what he did.”

“What did he do?”

“He broke my heart!” By this time Gerri was crying so hard she could hardly speak, Elsbeth wrapped her arms around her and held tight. “I loved him and he cheated on me. So I went over, I dressed all in black and I was going to break in and scare him. Tell him I had found out, but when I got there he was dead, she had killed him. I found paint balls, yellow paint balls.”

“What about Bob?”

“He was investigating, he probably found out Lee and I were involved and so Laci killed him too.” Elsbeth had stood up and was pacing the floor. Gerri watched her, Lavender followed her around sensing something was wrong. “Elsbeth, did you call ….”

Elsbeth stopped and turned to Gerri, “Yes, I called Mom, she’s expecting us. Go pack.” Elsbeth picked up Lavender and stroked her smooth coat. She looked out her front window and surveyed the street. The black clad figure that had been watching the apartment from a doorway across the street was gone, she looked down the block until she saw a familiar car. “Hello Damon, keeping watch are you?” She kissed the top of Lavender’s head and went to pack her own suitcase.

While Damon watched Elsbeth’s apartment, across town someone was waiting in his apartment. Someone who wanted to make Damon the serial killer’s third victim, as the night sky lightened, the black clad figure left frustrated and angry, carefully laid plans gone to waste. When Damon got home in the morning, he noticed things out of place and the hair on the back of his neck prickled. A quick check revealed nothing missing, so what did the intruder want? Someone broke in here to kill me, the thought popped into Damon’s head. I need to get a dog, was his next thought.

Damon got in to the station early, his first act was to call a friend who had a couple of Rottweilers and ask if he could borrow one for a few days. As the day wore on he kept looking over at Gerri’s desk, when he asked the Lieutenant if had heard from her, “Family emergency” was the terse reply. At lunch time he wandered over to see if Elsbeth wanted to join him.

“She not in, family emergency.” he was told.

“Huh, Detective Essex had a family emergency too.” he mused aloud, Elsbeth’s partner looked at him in surprise, “Didn’t you use to be her partner?” Damon nodded. “You don’t know Elsbeth and Gerri are sisters?” Gregg laughed. “That girl can keep a secret.”

The ringing of his cell phone pulled Damon away, after he got off duty he swung by Elsbeth’s apartment. He had a key and let himself in, his cover story was he was making sure the place was secure while she was gone. He had with him Bruce, a sturdy Rottie with mahogany markings. Damon knew there was a keepsake box in Elsbeth’s bedroom, while Bruce thoroughly inspected the living room with his nose, Damon rifled through the box. He calmed his conscience by saying it was part of a homicide investigation. It was filled with Yankee ticket stubs, a ring, and old pictures of a pre-teenage Elsbeth and other people he didn’t recognize; it was these pictures that Damon took out and examined closely. He slid one of the pictures in his pocket and left with Bruce. As he left the apartment he noticed a person ducking out of site across the street. He made a mental note to ask Elsbeth about it when she got back, from wherever she had gone.

Elsbeth was back a few days later, Gerri had requested an indefinite leave of absence. Damon knocked on the door determined to get answers. He briefly considered bringing Bruce, but wasn’t sure how Lavender would react. He knocked on the door and kept knocking until Elsbeth opened the door.

“Damon I’m tired.”

“I need to talk to you, it can’t wait.” Elsbeth let him in.

Damon immediately noticed something different. “Where’s Lavender?”

“I left her with Gerri, so she wouldn’t be all alone.”

“Speaking of Gerri, why did you never tell me she is your sister? And while we’re on the subject, who’s Laci?” The look on Elsbeth’s face reminded Damon of that day in the alley, his blood seemed to chill but he plowed on, he held out one of the pictures, it was Elsbeth, Gerri and a third girl who looked almost identical to Gerri. On the back someone had scrawled, “Elli ~ Gerri ~ Laci”. Elsbeth took the picture, a tear slid down her check. In all the years he had known her, he had never seen her cry, the tears shocked him and made him more than a little uncomfortable. Any other woman he would have sat down and put his arm around her shoulders. But Elsbeth was different, Elsbeth never cried.

“You shouldn’t have gone through my stuff Damon.” Elsbeth wiped the tears away.

“I had to find out the truth, those are paint ball guns, paint balls were found at the scene of both murders, yellow paint balls. You and Gerri have yellow paint on you, that makes me think Laci used yellow, I need to know where Laci is.”

“Why do you even think she’s involved?”

“Gerri and Lee Wheel were engaged to be married. I found this clipping in the file. I also found evidence that Lee was involved with another woman, so I thought, maybe Laci went after him. If the two girls were close. We know a woman was in the house the day he died.”

“OK, Laci always used yellow, but she’s dead, she couldn’t be the killer.”

“What about Gerri? Could she have done it?”

“NO! But, Gerri says Laci did it. That’s why I took her away, left her someplace safe. I have to protect her.”

“Are you sure Laci’s dead?”

“Yes, Gerri and I were both there, we both saw her die. Gerri blames herself and so she insists it never happened.”

“Was it Gerri’s fault?”

“It was an accident. An accident that was Gerri’s fault. And I let it happen.”

Damon and Elsbeth

My story continues, please don’t steal it.

Damon hated Elsbeth on sight. She was fresh out of the academy, a skinny little short thing, looking like a strong wind would take her out. It was no surprise they were assigned to work together. He grumbled to his buddies about having to ‘babysit’ the ‘little girl rookie’.

“Why couldn’t I have gotten that tall leggy blonde? Then at least I would have had something to look at.”

After their shift ended, Elsbeth went home to the apartment she shared with Gerri. Damon went to the bar to hang out with his fellow officers and report.

“She cold as ice, never smiles. I think maybe she said 5 words to me today. And she’s obsessively neat. She cleaned the squad car, my shotgun, it’s spotless. When I said something, she said, ‘It was dirty.'”

Three weeks later a dirtbag got the jump on Damon in an alley, Elsbeth appeared with her shotgun, planted her feet and leveled the shotgun at his chest. The dirtbag took one look at her face and decided to put his gun down. After Damon cuffed him, he noticed that Elsbeth was actually pouting.

“Oh cheer up little girl, you’ll get a chance to shoot somebody.” That evening he showed up at her apartment with a bottle of bourbon and an 8-week old female pug. He had tied a purple ribbon around the pup’s neck. It was the start of a friendship.

Elsbeth named the pug Lavender, they shared the bottle of bourbon. Time passed and Damon was promoted to Detective and assigned to Homicide. Elsbeth became a sharpshooter in the Special Weapons and Tactical Response Unit. She still cleaned Damon’s weapons and most evenings were spent with his files spread out on her bed. He reviewed witness statements and crime scene photos while she hung out on the fire escape smoking cigarettes and shooting the stray cats with paint balls.

Tonight was different though, they had been to the funeral of a fellow officer. Detective Sargent Drakko had been murdered at his home. After the funeral Damon stopped to pick up a file before driving Elsbeth home. He set the file down in her kitchen while he poured both of them a drink.

Elsbeth opened the file, she started to organize it, she was obsessively neat.

“Is this Drakko’s case?”

“No it was a case he was working on when he got murdered. But he was killed the same way as this guy, we think the same person committed both crimes.”

“Holy shit.” Elsbeth’s voice sounded strange.

Damon turned to look at her, “You know something I don’t, I would appreciate you telling me.”

“The other night Gerri was staring at a crime scene photo, this crime scene. A photo that I don’t see here.”

At that moment Gerri walked in, Elsbeth quickly closed the file and slid it under the newspaper. She turned her face away from Gerri. “Hello Damon, fancy meeting you here.” Gerri really didn’t like Damon, and tonight of all nights she didn’t want him around.

“Hey Gerri, sorry about Bob. Who’s working on his case?”

“Don’t know, I gotta take a shower.”

As soon as she was out of the room Elsbeth grabbed the file and Damon by the elbow, she dragged him to the door.

“You have to leave, NOW.”

“You should come with me, it’s not safe here with her.”

“I’ll be fine, you’re the one whose in danger. Watch your back, be very careful.” Elsbeth shoved Damon out the door. She slid to the floor her back against the door. She thought back over the time she had known Gerri and realized that as bad as things had been before, they were about to get much worse. She was still sitting on the floor when Gerri came out of the shower.

“Gerri, we have to talk.”

“It’s Laci, she’s back.”

“No Gerri, it’s not Laci, tell me what you did.”

“I didn’t do anything, I told you Laci is back. I didn’t want to tell you before because I knew you would be mad she was here. After all we agreed that if I lived here Laci had to stay away, but she’s my sister.”

“Gerri, stop it, tell me the truth”

“I am, it’s Laci, I didn’t do anything.”

“It can’t be Laci, Gerri.” Elsbeth took a deep breath and faced Gerri, “Laci is dead, you know she’s dead, now tell me what you did.”

Chapter 1: Gerri and Laci

This is fiction, please do not steal it

Bob was a smart guy, always at the top of his class. He was now a detective, working in homicide with the best solve rate the department. He looked across the room at Gerri. Gerri’s rate was 2nd best, only because she got the toughest cases. Bob was smart, Gerri was brilliant. They were the only detectives working without a regular partner. Bob because his partner had just retired, Gerri because she was the only female and none of the male detectives could be in a car with her and not look at her legs and comment on them. That usually led to Gerri punching them in the face. Gerri was fidgeting at her desk, she kept glancing at the Lieutenant’s office, the Captain and he were having a long conference. Gerri wanted to be a fly on the wall in that office. She always had to know everything.

Crime scene photos were on Bob’s desk, a man named Lee Wheel had been murdered after the superbowl. Talk about injury and insult. The guy was a Steelers fan. First his team loses, then he gets attacked. The pictures seem to indicate robbery gone bad, but something doesn’t seem right. Bob gathered the pictures up and headed to Gerri’s desk.

Gerri looked up at him, “What’s up Boss?” Gerri had long dark lashes and delicate features. Perfectly applied make-up, manicured nails, heels and miniskirt was her usual look. A perp once laughed at her when she badged him. After she cuffed him and threw him in the back of a squad car, he stopped laughing.

“Take a look at this crime scene for me? Tell me what you think.” It wasn’t unusual for Bob and Gerri to confer with each other about their cases. Bob handed her the case file and Gerri scanned the photos quickly, “Looks like a pro job to me.” Bob noticed that Gerri paused at one photo, “Got the autopsy report?”

“Not yet,” Bob replied, watching Gerri study the photograph, it was of the bedroom window. It seemed to fascinate her. “A killer for hire? Are you sure? Someone you know?” Gerri jerked and looked at Bob, her mouth gaped, flustered she shoved the picture under the stack.

“No! Of course not! The Captain’s leaving, I gotta talk to Lou.” Gerri handed the file back to Bob and headed to the Lieutenant’s office. It was only later he realized that Gerri had kept the photo.

~~~~~~

Gerri sat in her apartment with the picture on the table in front of her. Part of her wanted to destroy the picture, another part of her wouldn’t let her tamper with evidence. Besides, it was a digital image, the department could always print more.

She had dialed her sister’s phone number a dozen times since she had got home with no answer. She had left a dozen voice mails. All asking Laci to call. Growing more frantic with each message.

She knows what had happened, she knows who, what she doesn’t know is why, why had her sister killed Lee Wheel? As far as she knew Laci didn’t know about Lee. What had happened?

by: Creepy principessa Assassin

Story for Lee: Introduction

I wrote this for my friend Lee, he is a Steelers fan and was driving me crazy. This was my way of getting back at him. Then he liked it, so I had to continue the story. Unfortunately, the Steelers lost and now I have to rewrite this part.

She dresses very carefully to go out. Black tights underneath black leggings, black silk long sleeved underwear top covered with a cotton ribbed black sweater. Leather gloves and rubber soled shoes, also black. She straps on her utility belt, expandable baton, flexicuffs (duct tape was too bulky), taser and gravity knife, all in perfect condition.

She pulls out her phone and looks again at the address of her target, the man who rejected her and broke her heart. She’s never taken rejection well, tonight she gets her revenge.

The sweat jacket she has chosen is large enough to cover her utility belt but not too big, the hood covers her shining blond hair and hides her face from the casual observer. She has chosen her gear well. She zips it up and climbs out the window, mainly to avoid her nosy downstairs neighbor and so she can claim later, she was home all night as no one saw her leave.

Landing softly on the grass she slips away, her rubber soled shoes making no sound on the sidewalk as she runs toward his address. She has also chosen her night well. The superbowl was today, the Steelers won, he’ll be celebrating. She smiles, he’ll never know what hit him.

“I’m coming for you Lee.” she whispers.

by: Creepy principessa Assassin

Jealousy

What do you do
when you are consumed by jealousy
so consumed
you can’t be happy for others
not even your best friend

Others fortune make you angry
makes you cry
makes you wish
you could die

When you are consumed by jealousy
and call yourself names

but you don’t feel any better,
deep inside
where it hurts
when you see how others are loved

and no one loves you.
Bella
3/1/2011

I want to know

I want to know, where you go
When life is too much
And trouble is too close to touch
I want know, where you go
When rain is everywhere
And all around you is despair
I want to know, where you go
When your head fills with screams
And the night has dark dreams

I want to know, this place that you go
Is it a house, with warm cozy rooms
When lightning flashes and thunder booms

Or is it a forest awash in sunlight
Birds all around sing songs of delight

I want you to know; wherever you go
I hope you are safe
But more than that,

I hope you come back.

Dragonfly

Where are you going Dragonfly?
I heard a buzz as you flew by
You flew so fast away from me
There was someplace you had to be
The flight plan was a straight line
I hope that you made it on time
Translucent wings shone in the sun,
In your shadow they looked like one.
In a flash you were gone
My lunchtime reverie was done.
Then a butterfly floated by
The orange on his wing caught my eye
He flits from here to there
As he drifts away into the air.

Bella
21 September 2007

Despair

I have fallen into a deep pit of dark despair

I have fallen and there is no way out.
It is too deep, I cannot see light.
I have fallen into a pit
I try to climb out, but the walls are crumbling down
Falling down on me, burying me

So I stand here in this pit of deepest, darkest despair,
And do not move
For I am afraid of the dark and
I am afraid of the walls crumbling down
And I have lost all hope of rescue.

Bella
16 July 2001