This is my first piece of fanfic so please be honest but kind. Send all comments to JudithF955@aol.com Blind Man's Bluff Forever Knight Story by Judith Freudenthal A shadowy figure keeps watch over Homicide Detective Nick Knight's loft from across the street. Careful to remain hidden in the shadows. It is late, late at night. Nick is cruising down the streets of Toronto in his '62 Caddy with his partner Don Schanke. The radio is playing. LaCroix's nightly radio show. Schanke can't believe what he's hearing. This from a man who considers polka music good. "How can you listen to that?" Schanke asks. "The same way you can listen to on air shrinks." "How about stopping for a bite?" Asks Schanke. Nick represses a grin. If Schanke only knew. "I'm not hungry." "I could go for a souvlake and fries." Schanke and Nick are at Schanke's favorite Souvlake stand waiting for Schanke's order. Schanke decides to engage in a little friendly partner teasing. "Say Nick, you know I've never seen you eat anything. Does this weird diet allow you to eat? What do you eat?" "I eat mostly health food. Nothing you'd like. I eat before I come to work. Then again when I get home." "I've seen your place. There's nothing but cow's blood there." Nick quickly says, "each day I pick up what I want. I never know what I'll feel like til then. I had whipped bean curd for dinner." Nick hopes Schanke won't make the connection and realize the blood is his food. Shivers go up Schanke's spine. "Yuck. Does it taste as bad as it sounds?" "No. It's actually quite delicious. You should try it sometime." "No thanks. Do you ever eat anything that's bad for you?" "Once in a while. I try not to." "Yeah, right. Prove it." "How?" "Eat some of my fries." "If it will make you happy." Nick says not as completely repulsed by the thought as he would've been two years ago. Schanke's order is finished. Schanke hands the fry container to Nick. "Do you mind if I use ketchup?" Nick asks. "Be my guest." Nick takes the ketchup container and heavily douses several fries. Nick takes a fry and reluctantly eats it trying to look as normal/casual as possible. Nick takes a second. It is harder to act normal with both the second and third fries. His body tells him not to eat anymore or risk losing them. "Satisfied?" Nick asks. Nick hopes Scanke can't tell that he's a little naseous. "For now. I'm determined to see to it that you learn to appreciate the finer aspects of eating." Out of sight, hiding in the shadows is the mysterious figure. Watching. Being careful to stay out of sight. Nick enters the coroners office and sees Dr. Natalie Lambert hard at work. A partially disected body is on the table in front of her. She is poking around inside him looking for clues. Nick decides to sneak up on her. Nick silently walks up beside her. He's looking over her shoulder. "Hello." Natalie jumps. "I hate it when you do that." Nick grins. "You look good tonight." Natalie says pleasantly surprized. It quickly turns to a curious suspicion. "What's going on?" "Schanke was getting suspicious because I never eat or have food at my place. He wants to introduce me to the finer aspects of eating. Starting with french fries." Nick says with a grin. "You ate fries? That's terrific. How many?" Natalie says quite surprised and very pleased. "Three. Heavily covered with ketchup. I felt sick after the third. I don't think Schanke noticed. The first one wasn't bad after I got over the thought of eating food." "I'm very pleased. Did that satisfy him?" "For now." Schanke sticks his head in the door. "I thought I'd find you here." "Any news on the Thompson case?" Nick asks both for the job and as a cover. "I'm still looking for the cause. I'm pretty sure it wasn't natural or suicide. Who ever did it was very clever. I'll know more when I finish." "Then it was most likely murder. That's some help. I'll see you later." Nick and Schanke are at their desks at the precinct. Nick sees an envelope addressed to him with no other markings. Nick opens the envelope and is concerned by the contents. The letter says - I know what you are. Nick tries to keep the concern off his face. He doesn't want to have to answer Schanke's questions. "I'll be back shortly. I have to attend to an urgent errand." "But...." Schanke hates it when Nick takes off like that. At least he's getting better about telling me before he leaves, Schanke thinks. Nick is talking with Janette at the Raven. She's once again trying to seduce him. "What's wrong, Nichola? Can I get you something to drink?" "Has anything odd been happening around here lately?" "Why do you ask? Is something wrong?" "I got a crank letter earlier. Just checking to make sure." "I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary lately. Should I be concerned?" "No. Let me know if anything odd happens." "You know I, will Nichola." Nick leaves. Nick is about to get into his car when he sees an envelope on the passenger seat. Just like the other one. Nick opens it and reads the message. Nick's concern grows. The message reads - I know what you are. Your kind must die. Nick's unsure if the sender knows or if he's just a nut out to kill cops. It rattles Nick a little. The mysterious figure watches Nick from the shadows. Always careful to stay out of the light. Nick is back at work. Schanke notices that Nick seems a tiny bit distracted. "While you were out running around I had to listen to the Captain threaten to chain us to our desks until we finish the Martinson report." They work on finishing the report. "Is anything wrong?" Schanke asks. He knows Nick's distrcted concerned look by now. "No. I'm fine." Nick and Schanke's shift ends. They head for the door. "I'd love to go shopping with you some time. See what kind of rabbit food you eat. I have to drive Jenny to school today." Nick is grateful. He doesn't know how he'll pull it off when the time comes. Nick walks by the desk officer who calls out to him. "Knight. I've got a letter for you." Nick walks over and collects the letter. "Thanks." Upon seeing that it is the same as the last two Nick asks "you didn't happen to see who dropped this off?" "Sorry. I wasn't in yet." "Nick, is something wrong?" Schanke asks. "No. Just curious." Nick says as he opens the letter. Nick's quite a bit more concerned by the change in the letter. This one says - Demon of the Night you and your kind must die along with mortal Night Demon lovers. Nick quickly yet causually sticks the letter in his pocket. Nick checks his watch and sees that he has just enough time to get to the Raven and back home before sunrise. "Nick..." Schanke starts as Nick rushes out of the station. Nick's back at the Raven. Janette's pleased to see him again so soon but worried. "What's wrong, Nichola? Don't lie to me." Nick pulls out the letter and shows it to her. "It's the third one. The others sounded like a crackpot out to get cops. They were very general." Janette is upset and concerned by the letter. "You didn't think this was important enough to share it with me before now?" She says a bit angrily. "The first one said - I know what you are. The second one added your kind must die. I was hoping it was refering to my being a cop. Be careful. I've got to run." Nick leaves the Raven and gets into his car. Nick doesn't notice the mysterious figure watching from the shadows as Nick pulls away from the curb. About halfway home Nick's mind begins to bug him. He gets the feeling that he's being watched. He doesn 't likethe idea. The next night Nick and Schanke are responding to a call. A dead body has been reported. Nick and Schanke are examining the scene. Nick is still a little rattled from the note he received upon arriving at work. This one said - surprize! Nick is a little jumpy. Natalie arrives on the scene and heads for Nick. "What's the story?" Asks Natalie. Nick responds, "there's a John Doe over there. We haven't disturbed the body." Natalie notices Nick's jumpyness and decides to question him later. Natalie moves off to examine the corpse. She does a cursury examination and comes up with a preliminary cause of death. Nick and Schanke are examining the area for any clues. Nick hears someone moving around. He tries to locate the person. Natalie is about to approach the detectives with her report when the mysterious figure throws a specially modified extremely bright flash grenade that lands perfectly on target, right in front of Nick. Lighting up the sky like daytime. Blinding Nick. Nick's deep dark secret is about to be revealed to the mystery figure. Nick panics, his eyes turn reddish-orange and his fangs drop. Natalie sees the light and heads for Nick. Schanke's on the other side of the area with his back to Nick. Schanke sees the light change and turns around to investigate. He heads for Nick. "I'm blind!" Nick screams in rage. Natalie reaches Nick's side. "I'm blind!" "Nick. Let me see." Natalie says trying to examine Nick. "Go away!" Nick growls in rage, "Leave me alone," Nick growls in anger. "No! You need help." Natalie says partially for Nick and partially for Schanke's benefit. Natalie knows that she must get Nick under control before Schanke or anyone else comes over and discovers his deep dark secret. She's not ready to lose him. Nick's rage scares her a little but she refuses to give in to it or to let it show. Schanke is surprized by his partner's rage. He's never heard Nick that angry before. It scares him. Natalie sees Schanke closing in fast. She leans over as if examining Nick closely and whispers in his ear "Your fangs are showing. Schanke's almost here." Nick musters his concentration and withdraws his fangs. His eyes are still reddish-orange. "Nick, your eyes." Natalie says concerned. "I can't do anything about that." Nick growls. Natalie examines Nick being careful not to let Schanke close enough to see Nick's eyes. Natalie takes a couple of gauze pads and some adhesive tape out of her bag and uses them to cover Nick's eyes. Nick grabs her hands. "I don't need that." Nick says testily. "Do you want to explain your eyes to Schanke?" Natalie whispers as a reminder. Nick lets her finish, just as Schanke approaches Nick's back. Schanke sees the remnants of the flash grenade scattered on the ground in front of Nick. "What happened?" Nick stands up and turns to face Schanke. Schanke's jaw drops when he sees his partner. Seeing Nick like that makes Schanke quite uncomfortable. "Someone stepped out of the shadows and tossed an extremely bright flash grenade at me." Nick says forcing himself to sound calmer. "Natalie, how is he?" Schanke asks concerned. "Other than a case of flashburn he's fine." "Is his sight going to be affected?" "I don't think so. I've bandaged his eyes to prevent infection while the swelling goes down. He should be fine in a week." "Schank, you'll take care of the paperwork?" Nick asks. "Sure. Just get well." Schanke says trying to hide his uneasyness. Nick and Natalie notice and don't say anything. Nick and Natalie leave before Schanke can ask anymore questions. Ones that they may not want to or be able to answer. Natalie takes Nick home. "How long do I have to leave these on? I don't need them." "At least until your eyes change back to normal. Then only when Schanke or others are around for three or four days. Can't have you healing too fast." ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Feb 1995 18:20:58 -0500 Reply-To: JudithF955@AOL.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Judith Freudenthal Subject: Blind Man's Bluff (5/6) Blind Man's Bluff by Judith Freudenthal This is my first fanfic. Comments welcome to JudithF955@aol.com "Nat, how is she?" "She's been shot with three garlic darts. They need to come out. She's stable for now." "The sooner you take your seat the sooner the festivities can begin. And the less your friend will suffer." Nick reluctantly takes his seat. He realizes that he has no choice but to play along. Natalie is the one most at risk. Nick thinks, I could just rush over there and have him out of the way before he could hurt them. But what if I'm wrong? "What would it take for you to bring someone over?" "Never!" Nick growls, just barely able to keep the vampire part under control. The Slayer goes to the cage and grabs Natalie. Nick is tempted to rip his throat out here and now. "Would you do it to save her life?" Natalie is terrified. Some of her fear shows, especially in her eyes. The Slayer picks up a scalpel and holds it up to Natalie's throat. "You mean you'd let her die. You could save her and you'd let her die." "It wouldn't be saving her. I'd be condeming her to a life of eternal darkness. I'd rather see her die." The Slayer angrily throws Natalie back into the cage. "I'll deal with you later." He grabs Janette. Janette angrily hisses at him. "What would you do to save her? I wonder how much garlic it takes to kill a vampire. Maybe I'll use her to find out." Nick fights the impulse to react. Nick refuses to let The Slayer get to him. "Maybe I'll just have to get your partner. I wonder how he'll react to the news?" "What news?" Nick says bluffing. "That his partner is a blood sucking demon. That there are vampires all over Toronto. That the Raven is a haven for vampires." "I don't think it would bother him much. I suspect he already knows." Nick says bluffing. "How could he not." Natalie says joining Nick's game. "Nice try. You see I know for a fact that he doesn't know. He might have a slight suspicion that he won't admit to." The Slayer taunts Nick. "Or better yet I could have you watch as Janette brings Natalie over. I know she could easily be convinced to do so." "How do you know I am a vampire? Or Janette for that matter? How can you be sure that Natalie isn't?" Nick asks trying to rattle the Slayer. "Do you have any proof?" Natalie asks. "I saw Janette change when I shot her. She would've loved to rip out my throat. I saw you change when I blinded you. As for the doctor, maybe I should do an experiment and see. Should I slit her throat, shoot her, stab her, what do you suggest." "The flash grenade was very bright. How do you know that it wasn't some trick of the light?" "Simple. I was too close and I had on sunglasses to protect me. I could shoot you with garlic, shoot you etc. I don't think I will. I have other plans for the evening." The Slayer grabs Natalie, drags Natalie to one of the stone slabs. The Slayer keeps the scalpel at Natalie's throat to prevent Nick from trying anything. The Slayer forces Natalie to lay on the slab. "I had hoped to dress them more appropriately but I guess this will have to do. The Slayer ties Natalie so that movement is impossible. "Sit tight." The Slayer says as he pats her cheek. The Slayer goes back to the cage and grabs Janette. The Slayer forces Janette to the other slab. This time the Slayer positions a wooden stake over Janette's heart until she's securely tied to the slab. Nick has no choice but to wait for his chance. "You may choose who dies first and how they die. You have three minutes to decide. If you choose to bring the good doctor over I will release her." "NEVER!" Nick growls. He can't contain his vampire side any longer. "Here's the proof you wanted." Nick says as his eyes turn reddish-orange and his fangs drop. Nick tries to hypnotize the Slayer. "You will release them. You will not harm them." The Slayer is momentarily taken in but quickly shrugs it off. "Nice try. Try that again and the doc dies most painfully. Janette will be the next to die a most agonizing death. Time's almost up." Nick can't chose. How does he choose one friend over the other. How can he choose the method. "Don't do it Nick." Natalie says. "No choice? I guess I'll have to choose. I think I'll take it slowly with the doctor. But first I need a safety net." The Slayer brings some rope over to Nick and ties his arms down. He also ties Nick's feet to the chair legs. Nick notices that the rope burns his arms. His legs are protected by his socks. Nick struggles trying to break the rope. The garlic is interfering with his efforts. "I soaked the ropes in garlic. Just a little something to keep you busy while I make the preparations." "Nick, don't do anything you'll regret." Natalie says. The Slayer checks to make sure that his Smith and Wesson .38 is filled. He also checks the sharpness of his hunting knife and his scalpel. The Slayer moves to the other side of the slab to insure Nick a good look at what he plans to do to Natalie. Nick growls. "Hurt her and die." The Slayer just smiles. He looks over his choices. He picks up the rather large hunting knife. The Slayer stabs Natalie in the left shoulder. Natalie screams in pain. Nick totally loses it. He breaks free of the rope like it was a spider web. The most horrifyingly fierce growl escapes Nick's mouth. Nothing can stop Nick now. The Slayer starts a gash on Natalie's forehead above her right eye. In the blink of an eye Nick is knocking the Slayer away from Natalie. The Slayer stabs Nick in the shoulder, missing Nick's heart by a good two inches. This just further pisses Nick off. Nick grabs hold of the Slayer. Spins him around. Nick is a millimeter away from sinking his teeth into the man. Nick pulls back. Nick tosses the man across the room like a rag doll. The Slayer lands unconscious in a heap. Nick rushes to help Natalie. "Nat, how are you?" "I'll be fine." She says weakly and in great pain. Nick hears a sound behind him and sees Janette sink her teeth into the Slayer Nick rips the straps off, freeing Natalie. Nick examines Natalie's shoulder. The wound is serious but not life threatening if he can stop the bleeding. He turns his attention to the gash over her eye. The blood has run down the side of her face making it look much worse than it is. He sees that it will require stitches. "Forgive me, Nat." Nick rips the sleeve off Nat's shirt and uses it to apply pressure to the shoulder wound. Natalie grimaces in pain. He hates to cause her pain. Janette is happily snacking on the Slayer. She drops the body when finished. She's got a few drops on her lower lip. A satisfied with vengence smile crosses Janette's lips. "I told you I'd drain the life out of you." She says to the nearly bloodless remains of the Slayer. "Janette are you okay?" "I'm a little better." Nick has a problem. How does he get Natalie help, the garlic out of Janette and himself home by dawn and without being seen. "Janette, is there anyone at the Raven who can remove the garlic? If not I can try." "I would rather you do it. I don't want anyone else to know." "Nat, can you talk me through it?" Nick asks a little uncertain if this is the correct choice. "Yes. Help me sit up." Natalie is hit by a wave of dizziness and naseau as soon as she sits up. Nick notices. "You okay?" Natalie nods. "First you need to make an incision over the garlic. If you can find some tweezers it will prevent you from coming in contact with the garlic yourself." Nick has Natalie apply pressure to her shoulder. Nick looks for a pair of tweezers but doesn't find any. He has Janette sit down on the slab next to Natalie. "You want to make an incision the length of the garlic. You want to gently pull back the skin til you can see the garlic. You may be able to use the scalpel to help remove it." Nick is a little hesitant. He doesn't want to but knows he must. Nick locates the three entry points and picks the shoulder one to start on. He makes the incision. Once that is done he locates the garlic. Janette pulls a piece of fabric off her dress. "Use this, Nichola." Nick takes it, reaches in and removes the garlic piece. He moves on to one of the stomach ones. Once the first stomach one is out he removes the second one. Natalie has Nick show her the wounds once the garlic is removed. "Janette, they look much better. How do you feel?" "Better. It still burns, but it is fading. Thank you, both." Janette says. "You're looking better." Natalie says trying to ignore the pain. "Now what?" Janette asks. "Nat, you need a cover story. How about a car crash? The windshield broke and that's how you were injured. Or you tripped and went through a glass window." "Nichola, neither is perfect. Both would require more injuries. How about a mugging, attempted rape or something like that. What about him?" Janette says pointing to her snack. "Make him disappear. Nat, you chose the cover." Nick says. "I like the mugging. It will work quite well. Nick you and Janette had better get home." "Nichola, go home. I'll see she gets help." "Thanks. I'll check on both of you later." Nick scoops Natalie into his arms and carries her out to the Slayer's car. He gently sets her down in the passenger seat. Nick takes off. Janette gets into the driver's side and starts the car. Natalie pulls down the mirror on the back of the visor and sees the gash and the blood that has run down the side of her face. "Oh my God." Natalie is worried. "Please don't use that word." Janette says repulsed and a little naseated. "Sorry." Janette helps Natalie into the hospital. The desk nurse takes one look at Natalie and grabs the nearest wheelchair. "Take her into room five. Someone will be right in." Says the desk nurse. Once inside the room Natalie says to Janette, "you'd better leave. I'll be fine." Janette smiles and leaves. The doctor enters. "Doctor Lambert, what happened?" "I was mugged. I was stabbed with a hunting knife." Schanke buzzes Nick. Nick answers. "Hello." "Nick, its me. Where have you been all night?" Schanke says a little concerned. "Just a minute." Nick lets Schanke up in the elevator. Nick has just finished changing clothes. There would be too many questions if Schanke saw Natalie's blood on Nick's shirt. Nick reluctantly puts the bandages back in place. He knows Natalie would want it this way. The door opens and Schanke enters. "I tried calling all night." "I was having trouble sleeping and took a sleeping pill. Natalie had given them to me after the accident." "You sleep in your clothes?" "I didn't feel like changing. I slept on the couch. Is something wrong? Nick detects the sound of concern in Schanke's voice. "Natalie's in the hospital. She's been stabbed." "How is she? Who did it?" Nick asks concerned. "I'm going there now. I'd offer to take you but I know you can't take the sun. I'll keep you informed." "Thanks, Schank." Schanke arrives at the Nurses desk. He flashes his badge. "I'm here to question Doctor Lambert." "She's in the O.R. You'll have to have a seat." Schanke is worried. He likes Natalie. He didn't think it was that serious. An hour later the doctor comes out to talk to Schanke. "Are you the detective?" The doctor asks. "Yes. How is she?" Schanke asks concerned. "She'll be fine in two - three weeks. It was a clean entry. She's in recovery now. You'll be able to talk to her this afternoon." "Any chance I can talk to her sooner?" "I don't think so." The doctor says before he leaves. Schanke enters Nick's place. Nick's eyes are still bandaged. "Can you take me to see Nat?" Nick asks anxiously. "I was on my way there and thought you might like to come along." "Thanks, Schank." "How do I do this?" Schanke asks uncertain how to help Nick. He is still uncomfortable seeing Nick like this. It shows in his body language. "How much longer you are you going to be out?" "Another two or three days. I hold onto your arm just above your elbow. You walk normally, letting me know when there is something I might hit or trip over like a curb, stairs or a door." Nick says knowing that Natalie has to clear him or it will look suspicious. Schanke takes Nicks hand and puts it on his arm. Nick takes hold and they leave. "Steps." Schanke says as they approach the steps. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Feb 1995 18:22:57 -0500 Reply-To: JudithF955@AOL.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Judith Freudenthal Subject: Blind Man's Bluff (6/6) Blind Man's Bluff by Judith Freudenthal This is my first piece of fanfic. Comments welcome to JudithF955@aol.com They arrive outside Natalie's door. Nick knocks on her door. "Come in." Natalie says sounding pretty good. Nick and Schanke enter. Nick is holding a bouquet of flowers. Schanke has a box of chocolates. Schanke helps Nick over to the bed. Nick hands the flowers in Natalie's direction. She takes the flowers from Nick and the chocolates Schanke hands her. "They're beautiful. Thank you." Natalie says. She smells them. "Thanks for the chocolate, Schank. The first edible thing I've seen today." "Natalie, I need to ask you a few questions. Do you feel up to it?" Schanke says. "Sure. Nick, how are you doing?" "Okay. How about you?" "Better." Schanke has the idea that he came into the middle of a conversation. "Am I missing something?" Schanke asks confused. "No." Nick says with a little amusement coming through in his voice. "Natalie, did you see who attacked you?" "No. He grabbed me from behind. He was about Nick's height and build. He held a hunting knife to my throat. I gave him my money. He stabbed me and ran. The edge of the blade caught my forehead on the way up. I'm sorry I can't be of more help." "Can I talk to her alone for a few minutes." "I'll try to find something to put the flowers in." "Thanks, Schank." Natalie says. Schanke leaves. Nick and Natalie keep their voices low so that they won't accidentally be overheard. "How much longer do I have to keep this up?" Natalie knows how much it is bugging him. "How long has it been?" "Four days." "You can take the bandages off tomorrow.--" Nick cuts Natalie off knowing what she's about to say. "I know." Nick takes the bandages off to take a quick look at Natalie. "You look much better." "Nick." Natalie scolds him. Nick puts the bandages back on. "Sorry. I had to see that you were okay." "They gave me some painkillers. I'll be out for two or three weeks. How's Janette?" "Schanke came by before I could leave. She called earlier to tell me that she's fine. The burns have all healed." "I'm glad. I'll clear you for work in two days. Did you mean what you said about me dying rather than bringing me over?" "It would depend on the situation. I wish I could be sure either way. But I can't." Neither Nick or Natalie have forgotten the disaster with Richard. "How bad is it?" Nick asks concerned. "They had to repair the deltoid muscle. They expect me to make a complete recovery. The surgeon is a friend of mine. He had a reconstructive surgeon close the gash above my eye. There shouldn't be a scar." "That's great. How long are they keeping you?" "Two days. They want to make sure that there aren't any problems." Natalie lowers her voice, "thank you for saving my life." "You're welcome." Nick says in the same low tones. "You took care of me. Now it is my turn. Is there anything I can bring you?" "Yes, dinner. I wouldn't make you eat this food." "That bad, huh." Nick says with a wicked grin on his face. Natalie smiles. Schanke knocks on the door. "Come in." Natalie says. Nick kisses Natalie on the cheek. "Bye, Nat." "Bye, Nick." Schanke sets the glass of water on her night table. He puts the flowers into the glass. "Sorry, it was the best I could do." Schanke says. "Bye, Natalie. Let me know if you remember anything else." "Bye, Schank." In the corridor Nick and Schanke walk and talk. Nick's hand is around Schanke's arm. "Could you drop me off at the Raven on your way back to the station?" "Sure. Cabin fever." "Yea." Nick lies. "How is Natalie?" Schanke asks concerned. "They expect her to make a complete recovery." Nick says pleased. "I'm glad." Schanke escorts Nick into the Raven. Janette is at the bar surveying the crowd and indulging in a little wine as usual. "Hi, Janette." Nick says. "Hi, Nick." "Would you see to it that he gets home." Schanke requests. "Sure." Janette says playing along. Schanke leaves. "How much longer do you have to go on with this charade?" Janette asks. "Until tomorrow. I can't wait." "How's Natalie?" "She's fine. No permanent damage. She asked how you were." "I'm glad she's okay. I like her. What brings you here?" "I just wanted to make sure you're all right." "You can't tell I was ever hit. Since you're off duty...." Janette kisses Nick very passionately. Nick responds. She does have a point. He is off duty and all his friends are safe. Janette leads Nick to her office. She locks her door once they are inside. She removes the bandages from Nick's eyes. She drops them on the desk behind her. "It's been a long time, Nichola." "I know." Janette kisses Nick very passionately. Nick hungrily/passionately gives in. They start nibbling on each other. Janette's fangs come out. She sinks her teeth into Nick's neck. Nick's fangs drop. He sinks his teeth into her neck. The two old friends are in vampire heaven. Nick picks Natalie up at the hospital when she's discharged. She has a small bandage above her eye and a sling cradling her injured shoulder. Nick helps her into the car and gives her a lift home. "I want to pick up a few files from work." Natalie says. "No. You are to take it easy for the next week. NO work. Read, watch tv, sleep, anything BUT work." Nick says. He enjoys repeating her orders back to her. "That sounds familiar. By the way here's your note clearing you for work starting tomorrow." "Thanks. What do you say I stop by later and fix dinner." "Sounds wonderful." Nick escorts Natalie to her apartment. Once he sees that she's safely home he leaves. Nick goes to the precinct. Schanke is pleased to see his partner recovered. "You back?" Schanke asks. "Not until tomorrow. It's still a little blurry when I get overtired. Natalie says that will go away in a day or two." The Captain sees Nick and approaches. "You ready to come back to work? Before you do I need a medical clearance form." Nick pulls it from his jacket pocket and hands it to Cohen. She looks it over. "Natalie gave it to me the morning she was mugged. She wanted me to wait a day or two before returning." "I need to know if there are any problems." "None, Captain." "Then I'll expect you to report to work on time tomorrow." "Yes, Captain." Nick fixes a gourmet meal for Natalie. He puts some on a plate for himself. He looks at it but doesn't touch it. Natalie tries it and is pleasantly surprized. Nick notices. "I may not eat, but I've picked up a few recipes from master chefs here and there over the last 800 years." "This is delicious. I should let you do the cooking more often." Natalie says with a smile. Nick smiles. "You look good. I don't mind cooking. Once I get over the smell of food." "I think you'll make it, maybe sooner than we think." They watch a good movie after dinner. Natalie leans back against Nick. Two good friends watching a movie together. Nick is on time for work the next night. "It's good to have you back." "It's good to be back, Schank." "How's the sight?" "Fine. The blurryness is gone. I'm good as new." "How's, Natalie?" "She's doing fine." THE END I hope you liked it. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Feb 1995 18:20:15 -0500 Reply-To: JudithF955@AOL.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Judith Freudenthal Subject: Blind Man's Bluff (2/6) Blind Man's Bluff by Judith Freudenthal This is my first fanfic story. Comments are welcome to JudithF955@aol.com Once back at the loft, Natalie helps Nick inside. Once inside she helps him to the couch. They stopped off at the drugstore on the way home. She removes the gauze pads and sees that his eyes are still reddish-orange. "Are they supposed to be reddish- orange?" Natalie asks concerned. She's only seen his eyes change two or three time and they were yellow then. "Yes." "How long does it take for them to change back?" Natalie asks a little concerned. Nick detects this. "It only happened once before. It was an hour or two. Remember, I was protecting the little girl." Natalie thinks back and remembers. "Yes. You've changed a little since then. Can you see anything?" "No. I hate it." Nick says growing frustrated and angry. "I should've been able to locate my assailant. I never should've been hurt." Natalie rebandages Nick's eyes. The eye pads are held on by x's of adhesive tape. "Stay away from the blood unless you absolutely must." "I will, I promise. Unless there is no change by morning." "Will you be all right?" Natalie asks concerned. "I'll be fine. Go back to work. Let me know what you find out." Nick says. "Get some rest," Natalie tells him. "I will. Would you shut the blinds on the way out, please." "Sure." Natalie picks up the remote control and shuts the blinds. Natalie leaves. "I'll check in on you later." Nick lies on his couch for awhile thinking. It just serves to depress him. Nick has no idea what time it is. He heads for his piano. Nick is very frustrated when he walks into things. Nick works hard to resist the temptation to toss aside whatever is in his way. Nick knows that it won't look good if he trashes his apartment over a temporary problem. Nick uses his vampire powers to locate objects before he hits them. Nick finds the piano and starts to play. He starts thinking how much he'd like a drink. He remembers his promise. He continues playing. The music is dark, full of the negative emotions. Nicks anger, frustration and depression is clearly heard in the music. After a while Nick takes a break. He tries to get around without his powers. He works his way over to the stairs. Nick bumps into several things on his way to the staircase. It frustrates him greatly. It also angers him. He decides that he might as well get some sleep because he can't do much else at the moment. Several hours later Nick is again playing the piano when Schanke buzzes. Nick uses his vampire powers to find his way to the door. "Who is it?" "Schanke." Nick pushes the button to let Schanke up and goes back to the piano. When the elevator door opens, Nick is playing another dark, angry, frustrated, and depressing piece. Schanke notices as he enters and heads for the piano. "Who died?" Schanke cracks. Nick ignores Schanke's wisecrack. "Did they catch him?" "Without a description? You and Natalie took off before I could get one. You feel up to giving me one?" "I didn't get a good look. He was a couple of inches taller than me. About my build, nothing distinguishing about his clothes. I only had a split second. He knew what he was doing. He stayed in the shadows." Nick knows that he can't give too many details or Schanke might get suspicious. Nick knows exactly what the figure looks like. "Is someone hunting cops? Is someone after you?" Schanke quickly dismisses the latter. "Is someone after cops?" "I don't know. No one is after me." "I'll look into the possibility that some sicko out there doesn't like us." Schanke says less than pleased. The phone rings. Nick's instincts are to use his vampire powers to locate the phone. Nick has to fight them and do it the mortal way. Nick heads for the phone hitting several object in his path. "Damn." Nick works to control his temper. The last thing Nick needs is to vamp out in front of Schanke. Schanke is uncomfortable watching Nick stumble around the place. It shows. Schanke fidgits. The answering machine picks up the call. "This is Nick Knight. I'm either out or asleep. Please leave your name, number and message at the beep and I'll get back to you." The machine beeps. There is a click on the other end. Nick's annoyed. He feels his way to the sofa. "I've got to get to home. Is there anything I can get for you?" Schanke says trying to hide his nervousness. "No. I'll be fine. What time is it?" Schanke looks at this watch. "About seven-thirty in the morning. I'll see you later." Nick notices Schanke's nervousness. "I'll be here." Nick says lightly. Schanke leaves. The phone rings. Nick manages to get it this time. "Nick Knight." "Night Demon. Next time I won't just blind you." There is a click as the person on the other end hangs up. Nick's nervous. Natalie shows up. Nick jumps when the door opens. "It's me. Why so jumpy?" Natalie says. Nick relaxes when he hears her voice. "Someone knows what I am." "Who?" Natalie asks concerned. "I don't know. I will find out." "Ready for your checkup?" Natalie helps Nick to the couch. "Keep your eyes closed." She removes the bandages. "I saw who did this." "No going after them yet." Natalie says somewhat sternly. "Your eyes look better. Can you see anything?" Nick opens his eyes and looks around. He can see again. He lets out a hugh sigh of relief. "I'm fine. I nearly destroyed this place. I kept bumping into things. It was so frustrating. Especially when Schanke was here." "Be glad you only had to use these for a few hours instead of for several days. I'll leave this one here for you. I'll leave some supplies so that you're not caught unprepared. Remember everyone has to believe it so you need to use the bandages whenever anyone's here for the next four or five days. You will need to have your vision be a little blurry for a day afterwards. You can return to work the day after that. I'll write you a note saying you're cleared to return to work." "What do I do until then?" Nick asks a little antsy. "Paint, sleep, watch tv, whatever you want that is NOT policework. You need to stay here. How will it look if you're out alone?" "I see your point." Nick says reluctantly. Natalie's beeper goes off. Natalie calls the office. Nick can tell that the report is rather gruesome by her expression. "I'll be right there." Natalie hangs up. "Sorry, Nick. I have to run. There's been a rather gruesome murder. I'll keep you informed." Natalie arrives at the scene of the crime. She takes one look at the body and almost loses her lunch. She's never seen anything this disgusting before. The person looks like they died fighting for life. Most of the body is literally burned to a crisp. There is an not quite so toasted spot. Natalie examines it and sees what could be fresh fang marks. She's not sure what to make of it. It disturbs her. "Do you have any idea how long the victim's been dead?" asks Schanke. He's a little pale himself. "Not more than two or three hours. I'll know for sure after the autopsy. What are you doing here?" "I was called in. I've never seen you so pale before." Schanke says avoiding eye contact with the corpse. "I've never seen anything this bad before. You look a little pale yourself." "Did you get a look at who injured Nick? "No." "How's Nick doing?" Schanke asks concerned. "He's a little frustrated. He'll be good as new in a few days." Natalie says lying. "I'm glad." A cop walks up to Natalie and hands her a sealed envelope with her name on it. "A guy asked me to give this to you." Natalie takes the envelope and opens it. She pulls out the paper inside. On it is a short note. It says - I know what your friend is. I know you're his lover." Natalie is concerned but tries to hide it from Schanke. "I've got to get back to the office. Work to do." She leaves before Schanke can question her. It's night. Nick and Natalie are talking in the morgue. Nick's eyes are still bandaged. He hates it. "I have something I want you to see. I'll stand guard while you examine the victim's throat." Nick removes the bandages and takes a look at the victim's throat. He sees the fang marks. He carefully examines the body. Nick has a very mild negative reaction to the body. "What do you think?" Natalie asks. "I wanted you to see it before I started work." "It looks like the work of one of us. None of us here would be that stupid. There wouldn't be anything left if it was one of us. Maybe someone was in the process of bringing the victim over. The poor soul didn't have a chance." "I haven't had a chance to see if the body's been drained. It will be next to impossible to tell." "I know. Do your best. I need to know if it was one of us." Nick says. Nick hears someone coming and fixes the bandages with Natalie's help. Schanke enters. He's surprized to see Nick. "Couldn't stay away could you. Have you remembered anything else?" "I missed you Schank." Nick teases him. "I missed the smell of formaldehide." "You're sick." Schanke replies with small grin which comes through in his voice. Nick lets a hint of a grin out. Natalie stiffles a grin. "I haven't had a chance to start on this one yet. I'll let you know what I find." Natalie says. "I'll stop by later." Schanke says as he leaves. He is curious why Nick's there. Natalie finishes typing up her preliminary workup. She turns to Nick. "I can't tell if the victim was drained. Sorry. The damage was just too extreme. It looks like the person was caught in a very hot house fire." Natalie says a little disappointed that she couldn't learn more. "Thanks for trying." "Nick, if it was someone coming across would it look like this?" "I've never seen it happen myself. I would think so. Can I take another look at the body?" "Make it quick." Natalie stands watch while Nick removes the bandages and reexamines the body. Nick doesn't find anything. Natalie helps him get the bandages back in place. "I didn't see anything helpful." Natalie and Nick deliver the report to Schanke. Nick has his hand linked through Natalie's arm. Schanke is seated at his desk working on the paperwork for the other nights case. He sees Natalie and Nick approaching. Nick draws a few stares from his co-workers. One of the cops approaches. "How's it going?" says the cop. "Pretty good. I should be back to work in a few days." "That's terrific." The cop leaves. Natalie gives Schanke the folder with the preliminary report. "I'll give you the final report sometime tomorrow. Would you please take him home." "Sure." Schanke says. The Captain comes out of her office and sees Nick. Cohen is surprized and heads for Nick. Natalie guides Nick to his chair. Nick finds his chair and has a seat. Natalie leaves. "What are you doing here, Knight? I thought you were on sick leave." "I was in the area and had some new info for Schanke." "What's the latest word?" Cohen asks. "I'll be fine in a few days. There was no permanent damage." "That's good. Go home and stay there until you're ready to report back to work." "I will, Captain." The Captain leaves. "Well, what is it?" Schanke asks. "When the flash came I remember seeing light hair. Either light brown or blonde. Then it all went dark. You wanted anything." "I did say that, didn't I. Every bit helps." Schanke says. "Let me finish this report then I'll take you home." "No problem." Natalie is examining another corpse. She's looking for any clues she can find. Natalie turns around and sees an envelope addressed to her on her desk. She takes off her gloves and reads the message. It says - Demon Lover, I am going to get both of you. All of their kind must die. All their "lovers" must die also. Natalie is a little shaken. She shrugs it off and returns to her exam. Her mind keeps thinking of the letter. Natalie stops by Nick's on her way home. Nick sees that something is bothering her. "What's wrong?" Date: Sat, Feb 4, 1995 7:19 PM EDT From: JudithF955 Subj: Blind Man's Bluff (3/6) To: fkfic-l@psuvm.psu.edu Blind Man's Bluff by Judith Freudenthal This is my first piece of fanfic. Comments welcome to JudithF955@aol.com "Have you received anything unusual in the mail recently?" Natalie says trying to get information from Nick without telling him about her letters yet. "Why?" Nick asks concerned. Natalie takes the letter out of her pocket. "This is the second one." Nick takes it and reads it. He is disturbed by it. "I won't let anything happen to you." "I know." "Mine warned that they would kill me, all of my kind and their lovers. At first I hoped it was a cop hater." "But." "But I don't think a cop hater would call me a demon of the night or night demon. I have to warn Janette." "You can't afford to be seen out running around like all is fine." "What if I flew there and snuck in the back. I could hide in Janette's office or the back room." "Too many people could see you in the back room. Does anyone ever go into Janette's office." "Not without her permission if they want to see tomorrow." "Take some supplies with you in case you are caught off guard. I'm not thrilled with the idea but she does need to be warned." "If I get caught I'll just tell them that Janette thought I needed a night out. Besides, what better place for a blind man to be than a dark club." "Just be careful." Natalie says knowing she can't change Nick's mind. "I will. You be careful." "I will. I have to get home before Sidney has my whole apartment shredded due to lack of attention and dinner. What if Schanke should call or drop by." "He doesn't have a key. I'll tell him I was in the bathroom or asleep. How much longer do I have to keep this up?" "Let's see this is the second day. At the very least two more, preferably three. Then-" "I know a day where my vision is a little blurry." Nick flies over the city, looking down on all the buildings. He sees all the traffic and people moving about unaware that they're being watched from above. He lands behind the Raven. He slips in through the back door and heads straight for Janette's office at vampire speed. Her office is windowless and decorated in her own unique style. Janette is having a drink at the bar while she's observing the night's crowd. Not a bad crowd for a thursday night. Janette senses Nick's presence. She scans the bar and finds no sign of him. She heads for the back room. Again no sign of him. She heads for her office. Success. "What's wrong Nichola? And don't tell me nothing." "Remember what we were talking about the other night?" "Yes. There's more to it, isn't there." "Yes. Someone's hunting us and Natalie." "By *us* do you mean you and me, Nichola? Or vampires?" "All vampires and any mortals who know about us. He's serious too. He blinded me the other night with a very bright flash grenade." "Does this mean you have to move on?" Janette says a mixture of teasing and seriousness. "No. Nat told them that it was only temporary and I would be fine in a few days." "My poor Nichola." "I'm fine." "Is that why you're hiding in here?" Nick nods. "I'm supposed to be at home recovering." Janette lets out an angry little growl. "Do you have any idea who is doing this?" "I got a quick glimpse of the face before everything went dark. I will find him." Both of them are nervous. They haven't survived this long to be killed by some wacko. "What am I supposed to do?" Janette growls. "Close the club and run? Hide? I won't do either." "I'm not asking you to. Just be careful. Pass the word. I've got to run. I'll check back here in a day or two." Nick gives Janette a quick kiss on the lips. She's a little surprized. And pleased. Nick gets home and finds a note for him. He reads it. It says - TICK, TICK, TICK. Time's almost up for you and your friends, Night Demon. Nick's angered that the psycho knows where he lives and works. Angry that he and his friends are being hunted. Nick goes in and calls Natalie. Natalie's not home or at work. She's not out at any calls. Nick is beginning to panic. He can't call the station and ask if they've heard from her recently because he's supposed to be home recovering. The phone rings. Nick answers it. "Hello." "Did you get my note?" "Yes." "Time's just about up. So many to choose from. Where oh where do I start?" Nick hears a click on the other end before he can respond. He looks at his watch and sees that he can't do anything because the sun should be rising. Nick grabs a glass and a bottle from the fridge. He pours himself dinner. He puts the bottle back into the fridge and paces the room. After a while Nick stops because it is only driving him crazy and it won't get him anywhere. Several hours before sunset Nick is playing the piano when he hears the buzzer. On the piano is a glass of cow blood. Nick quickly gulps the glasses content and stashes the glass in a thick bushy potted plant near the piano. Nick doesn't notice the tiny bit of blood that has dripped down the corner of his mouth. Nick walks over to the intercom. "Who is it?" "Schanke." Nick lets him up. Nick quickly fixes the bandages and returns to the piano. The music isn't so dark and negative. There is some anger, frustration, and a little fear in the music. "I see we are in a little better mood today." Schanke teases as he enters. Nick ignores it as he turns to face his partner. "Do you have any idea how much we take our sight for granted. What do you want?" "Sociable aren't we." Schanke says. "You're bleeding." Nick fights the impulse to panic. "Where?" Nick wonders how much blood he dribbled. "The corner of your lip. It's not much." Nick has to resist the impulse to lick it off. He uses his hand and wipes it off. "I must've bit my lip. Is it gone?" "Yes. I just stopped by to see if you needed anything. I know you haven't been able to shop lately. I brought you some fries." "Put them on the counter. I'll eat them later." "They're best warm. They tend to get kinda gross when they're cold." "Nat's been bringing me food when she stops by to check on me." "How's it going?" "Pretty good. The bandages come off in two or three days. I should be back to work two days later." Schanke detects nervousness from Nick. "Are you sure everything's all right?" "Yea, why?" "I don't know. You seem a little nervous." "You try living without your sight for a week and tell me if that doesn't make you a little jumpy. Especially when the the person responsible for it is still out there." Nick hopes Schanke buys the excuse. "I guess you're right. I know how stressed and panicky Myra and Jenny get when the lights go out." "And you don't?" It's Nick's turn to engage in a little partner teasing. "It doesn't bother me most of the time. I've got to run. Cohen wants everyone in early. There was another brutal murder last night. A couple of joggers found it. It is the worst thing I've ever seen. Be glad you weren't there, pardner." Schanke's on his way out. The phone rings. Nick uses his vampire powers to miss 97% of the stuff. He reasons that by now he should be able to do so out of sheer repetition. "Schank, keep me informed on this wacko." "I will." Schanke says as he enters the elevator. Nick answers the phone. "Hello." "Time's up. I've got to run. Busy night ahead." He hangs up before Nick can say anything. Nick hangs up and rips the bandages off. Nick checks his watch. "Damn!" Nick sees that it is at least two hours before sunset. He dials Natalie's home number. No answer. "Damn." He tries her at work and finds that she's out on a call. Nick takes a bottle of blood out of the fridge and doesn't bother with the glass. He has to feed so that he has the strength for whatever happens tonight. He's determined not to let the wacko destroy his friends. At the Raven there is a nervous tension under the calm surface. The vampires are all on the alert. The mortals are blissfully unaware of everything going on around them. Miklos is keeping a closer eye on Janette. Janette is indulging in a bit more "wine" than usual. She too wants to be well fed and ready for anything. Janette has to keep things from boiling over. Trouble between vampires or trouble between vampires and mortal club patrons is the last thing she needs tonight. The night is young. Janette watches the arrivals trying to sense if any of them are trouble. Natalie is up to her elbows in the latest victim's chest. Schanke enters. "Anything to report?" "Not yet. So far it is the same as the others. Do you have any suspects yet?" "No one sees anything. Even Nick can't ID his attacker. Is anything wrong? You seem nervous." "No. The horrificness of the crime is enough to make anyone a little nervous. What's to prevent you from becoming the next victim." Natatlie says as a cover. Then it hits her - what if this is the work of the letter writer? She goes pale. "Natalie, you okay?" Schanke asks concerned. Natalie recovers. "Huh?" "For a second there I thought you might pass out." "I'm fine." She lies hoping Schanke buys it. "How's Nick doing?" Schanke asks concerned. "Fine. He should be back to work good as new by the end of the week." "Good. Then he can help me with some of the paperwork." "I miss him too." "Let me know what you find." "I will." As soon as it is dark Nick takes to the skies. His first stop is the Raven. He enters through the back like last time. Janette senses his presence and heads for her office. Miklos is concerned. "I'll be fine." Miklos goes back to drying the glasses. He keeps an eye on her until she disappears around the corner. He keeps his ears open for any trouble. Janette knows the look of bad news. It is written all over Nick's face. "It's started, hasn't it." Janette says. A shiver runs down her spine. Nick nods. "I just stopped by to see how you were and to let you know." "Thanks, Nichola." Janette says. "I'll be careful." "I've gotta run." "Be careful, mon cherie." They detect a voice that signals trouble. "What's he doing here? He can't see me like this." Nick says in a slight panic. "I'll stall him and you slip out the back." There is a knock on the door. "Janette, you in there?" Janette makes her way to the door before Schanke can open it and see Nick. Janette positions herself so she blocks Schanke's view of Nick. Nick fixes the bandages over his eyes before he turns around. Janette tries to slip out the door without Schanke seeing Nick. No such luck. Schanke sees Nick's back. "For a guy who can't see you sure get around." "I thought he could use a change of scenery." Janette says. She sees Schanke start to say something and cuts him off. "Different sounds. A change of atmosphere. What can I do for you detective Schanke?" Janette says politely. "I was wondering if you've seen anyone strange or unusual around lately. Have any of your employees or regulars?" "Why are you asking me? Are you saying that strange and unusual people hang around here?" Janette asks seriously with a hint of mockery thrown in. Nick catches it. Nick represses a grin. It goes right over Schanke's head. "This place is ....unique. It attracts an *interesting* clientele." Schanke says as tactfully as he can. "I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary. Why do you ask?" Schanke doesn't want to get Janette mad at him. He remembers the little he saw of her temper from when he was hiding here. "I'm investigating a series of gruesome homicides. Something about them suggested that it could the type who.... help me, Nick." Schanke begs, knowing he's dug himself into a hole. "Hang out here?" Nick finishes the sentence with a hint of a grin in his voice as well as on his face. "The body is found after sunrise burned to a crisp. There seem to be a pair of puncture wounds on the neck." Nick wishes he could see the look on Janette and Schanke's faces. Especially the nasty glare Schanke gave him after he completed the sentence. ========================================================================= Date: Sun, 5 Feb 1995 20:58:28 -0500 Reply-To: JudithF955@AOL.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Judith Freudenthal Subject: Blind Man's Bluff (4/6) I sent this with the others but somehow it got lost. So here it is again. Date: Sat, Feb 4, 1995 7:20 PM EDT From: JudithF955 Subj: Blind Man's Bluff (4/6) To: fkfic-l@psuvm.psu.edu Blind Man's Bluff by Judith Freudenthal This is my first piece of fanfic. Comments welcome to JudithF955@aol.com Janette is surprized by the wounds. She is careful not to let Schanke detect her surprize. A shiver goes up her spine. Her body udders an involuntary shudder. Schanke notices. "My feelings exactly." Schanke says. "How....." Schanke manages to mumble to Nick. "Natalie told me. She wanted to see if I could add anything." "I don't know of anyone that fits your description, detective." Janette says straining to be polite. "I haven't heard anything. I'll let you know if I see or hear anything." "Do you mind if I ask around?" Schanke asks. "Do you want people to know there is a serial killer out there?" Nick asks Schanke. Nick is trying to avoid panciking mortals or vampires. "No. Nick, do you need a lift home?" "No. I think I'll stay here a while. Janette will drop me off later. Thanks anyways." "See what you can find out." Schanke says. "I will." Schanke leaves. "He's gone. You can take those off now." "In a moment." "You don't think it was one of us do you? Killing then leaving the victim to die?" Janette growls. "It goes against every rule." "I don't know what to think." "No one in this community would be so stupid. It puts us all at risk. Is it connected to the hunter?" "I don't know. Watch your back. I've got to run." "Watch yours." Janette says. Natalie's finishing up the autopsy on the latest victim. Natalie turns around to put down her clipboard and finds an envelope with her name on it. She opens it dreading the contents. The letter says - One Night Demon lover down, many, many Night Demons to go. Natalie puts the letter back into the envelope and hides it in her pocket. She picks up the phone and calls Nick. She's not a happy camper when the answering machine picks up. "Nick, I'm the first target. Call me asap!" Grace enters. A doctor enters. "Dr. Lambert, I have something you might be interested in." The doctor gives Natalie a glimpse of the gun. "Grace, I'll be back soon, I hope. If he calls tell him I went out for a bite." Grace nods. Natalie and the doctor leave. Once outside the hospital the doctor's demeanor changes. "Night Demon lover your time has come to an end. I have prepared a special place for you. Get in." He opens the passenger's side door and shoves her in. "Scoot over and drive. Try anything and you'll die. He won't be able to save you." Natalie does as instructed. She's not about to get herself killed needlessly. Nick's at home. The bandages are off. He calls Natalie at work. Grace answers. "Coroner's Office, Grace." "Grace, it's Nick. Where's Nat?" Nick says worried. "She went out to eat with some doctor I've never seen before. Why? Is something wrong?" Nick doesn't like the sound of the message. "I'll explain when I get there." Nick remembers that he has to stay in character. "Meet me inside the front door." "Sure. When?" "In about ten minutes." Natalie and the Mysterious figure arrive at an old abandoned wharehouse. "Stop the car and get out. We are going into the building." Natalie does as told. They enter the building. Once inside Natalie is shocked by the religious-like decorations. It looks like the sacrificial decorations of several cultures all mixed together. There is an altar with a giant stuffed demon sculpture hanging on a stand behind it. There are two stone tables with straps. Presumably where the victims are laid to be sacrificed. There is an ornately carved large higbacked heavy/thick wooden chair positioned so that the occupant can see the whole proceedings. Lit candles are everywhere providing the atmosphere. Over in one corner is a cage large enough to hold several people. The figure pushes her towards the cage. He opens the door and shoves her inside. Shutting and locking the door behind her. "If you'll excuse me I have some business to tend to. Don't worry, your demon friends will be joining you shortly." The mysterious figure leaves. Natalie doesn't like the sound of it. Natalie is worried about Nick and to some extent Janette. Natalie is quite scared but refuses to let the nutball see it. "Gotta stay calm. Look for a way out." Natalie carefully examines the cage. She tries the door. No luck. Once again Nick is soaring above the city. He lands out of sight and fixes the bandages in place. He walks out into the parking lot. Mark, from the coroners office sees Nick and approaches. "Nick, do you need help? What are you doing here?" "Can you help me to the front door? Grace is waiting for me there. My friend must be having trouble parking." "Sure. Take my arm." Mark says. Nick wraps his hand around Mark's arm, just above the elbow. "Thanks." Nick gets to the door. Grace opens it and takes over from there. "What was so important that you had to come all the way down here?" "I need to know exactly what Nat said. Also what did the doctor look like." "What's wrong?" "I'm not sure anything is yet. That's why I need your help." "Nat said that that she would be back soon, she hoped. And that if he called to tell him that she went out for a bite." "Did she say who the he was?" Nick asks suspecting the he is himself. Grace shakes her head. "I think she meant you. Now that I think about it, it seems like she didn't want the doctor to know who she was talking about." "What did he look like?" "He was tall, blonde, had on a white doctor's smock. An average looking man. About your build. Now that I think back, I don't think she really wanted to go with him. Her voice and face had that expression. You know the one I mean." "Thanks, Grace. You've been a lot of help. Don't tell anyone about this." "If you say so. Need help back to the door?" "Yes, please." Nick hates having to act so helpless. Grace escorts him to the door. "I'll be fine. My friend should be by any minute." "You sure?" "I'm sure." Grace leaves and goes back inside. Nick feels his way along the outside wall until he gets to the corner. He turns the corner and removes the bandages. He hears people coming and ducks behind a bush. He looks out from behind the bush and sees that all is clear. Nick takes off to the skies again. Nick's pissed that he doesn't have a clue as to where the nutball took Natalie. Nick recognizes the description as the same nutball that blinded him. Nick heads home. He finds two messages on his machine. He listens to them. Natalie's message is the first one. "Nick, I'm the first target. Call me asap!" Nick hears the fear in her voice. The second one is the psychotic hunting them. "If you want to say goodbye to your friends meet me at the abandoned warehouse by the marina at 1:30. Come alone. They will die along with you, after I've exposed you for the demon you are." Nick's eyes turn blood red and his fangs drop. He lets out one hell of a growl. He heads for his fridge and chows down to prepare for the fight. Meanwhile outside the Raven the mystery figure is waiting for Janette in the parking lot. Inside the Raven Janette sees a note for her. She reads it and is suspicious. She knows that she has to go outside and face the person or she will always be looking over her shoulder. Janette exits the Raven. As soon as the door closes she is shot in the left shoulder with a garlic dart by the mysterious stranger. She vamps out. It stings like a dozen scorpion bites. She is shot again. This time in the stomach area. Janette growls in pain and anger. She tries to lunge for the attacker but is shot with a third dart. It just misses the chest and gets Janette in the stomach again. She drops to the ground clutching her stomach in extreme agony. Janette is quite ill. The mysterious figure securely gags her being careful not to underestimate her. He ties her hands behind her back. He scoops her up and dumps her in the trunk of his car. The psychopath soon arrives at the warehouse. He takes Janette out of the trunk and carries her inside like a sack of potatoes. He dumps her in the cage. "Janette, what's wrong?" Natalie gets a whiff of the garlic and knows. She unties and ungags Janette. Natalie examines Janette and sees that the garlic is too deeply imbeded for her to to remove without tools. "So we finally meet the hunter." Janette growls looking out from the bars. She is determined not to let him win despite the severe pain and naseau. "I'm sorry I can't help. They're too deeply imbeded." Natalie says. "I will get my hands around his neck and slowly drain the life out of him." Janette angrily growls. "Make all the threats you want. As soon as the third member of the party arrives we can get started." Janette tries to bend or break the bars. She's weakened by the garlic. Janette is greatly frustrated by this. She lets out a growl of frustration. Natalie tries her best to make Janette comfortable. Natalie knows how to deal with a cranky vampire. She's learned when to back off. Natalie is a little scared being locked in a cage with a wounded, cranky, angry and frustrated vampire. Natalie refuses to let it show. Nick is about to leave when his phone rings. He answers it. It is Miklos. "Nick, I'm worried. Janette's missing. She went into the back to check on something and never returned. I've checked the whole club. No sign of her." "Stay there. Don't tell any of this to Detective Schanke. I'll take care of it." Nick takes off. He flies through the city looking for any clues. He uses his vampiric senses to their fullest to help his search. Nick looks at his watch and sees that he has some time before his appointment. Nick makes a sweep over the city before it is time to meet the psycho. Nick lands in front of the abandoned warehouse by the marina. "Punctual, that's good. Welcome to the party." "We meet again." Nick growls, "where are my friends?" "In due time. They're safe for the moment. Although I will admit that one is feeling a little under the weather." This works as designed. Nick is further angered by not knowing who he has and who is sick. "If you'll follow me, the party can begin." "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me where my friends are." Nick growls angrily. He's working hard to keep the vampire part under control and out of sight. "This way. I warn you not to try anything. I don't want to have to kill the mortal one ahead of schedule. I have plans for her." Nick reluctantly follows the nutcase into the warehouse. Nick now knows that Natalie is the mortal hostage. He's pretty sure Janette is the other. "Can I at least have your name." Nick asks. "Call me The Slayer. Or just Slayer if you prefer." Nick sees that Natalie seems to be fine. He can tell that Janette is not well. "What have you done to Janette?" Nick asks trying to keep his temper in check. "Just a little garlic to keep her under control." Meanwhile back at the precinct Schanke calls Nick. Schanke isn't the only one concerned when Natalie can't be located. Schanke is concerned when Nick doesn't answer. "Come on, Nick, pick up the phone. Grace is worried because Natalie is hours overdue from lunch. Is she there with you?" Schanke hangs up. "Where would you be?" Schanke says out loud to himself. Schanke looks on Nick's desk for anything with the Raven's phone number on it. He opens the drawer doesn't find anything. Schanke dials directory assistance. "I'd like the number for The Raven." Schanke writes it down. He hangs up and dials the number. Miklos answers the phone, "the Raven." "This is Detective Schanke. I need to speak to Nick Knight." "I'm sorry but he isn't here. He doesn't come here that often." "Yeah right." Schanke says knowing Miklos is lying. "Thanks for your help." Schanke attempts to be polite. He hangs up. "Night Demon, I have prepared a special chair for you. You have a front row seat for the evening's festivities." -----------------------------------------------------------------think this next piece is repeat ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Feb 1995 18:25:24 -0500 Reply-To: JudithF955@AOL.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Judith Freudenthal Subject: Blind Man's Bluff (3/6) Blind Man's Bluff by Judith Freudenthal This is my first piece of fanfic. Comments welcome to JudithF955@aol.com "Have you received anything unusual in the mail recently?" Natalie says trying to get information from Nick without telling him about her letters yet. "Why?" Nick asks concerned. Natalie takes the letter out of her pocket. "This is the second one." Nick takes it and reads it. He is disturbed by it. "I won't let anything happen to you." "I know." "Mine warned that they would kill me, all of my kind and their lovers. At first I hoped it was a cop hater." "But." "But I don't think a cop hater would call me a demon of the night or night demon. I have to warn Janette." "You can't afford to be seen out running around like all is fine." "What if I flew there and snuck in the back. I could hide in Janette's office or the back room." "Too many people could see you in the back room. Does anyone ever go into Janette's office." "Not without her permission if they want to see tomorrow." "Take some supplies with you in case you are caught off guard. I'm not thrilled with the idea but she does need to be warned." "If I get caught I'll just tell them that Janette thought I needed a night out. Besides, what better place for a blind man to be than a dark club." "Just be careful." Natalie says knowing she can't change Nick's mind. "I will. You be careful." "I will. I have to get home before Sidney has my whole apartment shredded due to lack of attention and dinner. What if Schanke should call or drop by." "He doesn't have a key. I'll tell him I was in the bathroom or asleep. How much longer do I have to keep this up?" "Let's see this is the second day. At the very least two more, preferably three. Then-" "I know a day where my vision is a little blurry." Nick flies over the city, looking down on all the buildings. He sees all the traffic and people moving about unaware that they're being watched from above. He lands behind the Raven. He slips in through the back door and heads straight for Janette's office at vampire speed. Her office is windowless and decorated in her own unique style. Janette is having a drink at the bar while she's observing the night's crowd. Not a bad crowd for a thursday night. Janette senses Nick's presence. She scans the bar and finds no sign of him. She heads for the back room. Again no sign of him. She heads for her office. Success. "What's wrong Nichola? And don't tell me nothing." "Remember what we were talking about the other night?" "Yes. There's more to it, isn't there." "Yes. Someone's hunting us and Natalie." "By *us* do you mean you and me, Nichola? Or vampires?" "All vampires and any mortals who know about us. He's serious too. He blinded me the other night with a very bright flash grenade." "Does this mean you have to move on?" Janette says a mixture of teasing and seriousness. "No. Nat told them that it was only temporary and I would be fine in a few days." "My poor Nichola." "I'm fine." "Is that why you're hiding in here?" Nick nods. "I'm supposed to be at home recovering." Janette lets out an angry little growl. "Do you have any idea who is doing this?" "I got a quick glimpse of the face before everything went dark. I will find him." Both of them are nervous. They haven't survived this long to be killed by some wacko. "What am I supposed to do?" Janette growls. "Close the club and run? Hide? I won't do either." "I'm not asking you to. Just be careful. Pass the word. I've got to run. I'll check back here in a day or two." Nick gives Janette a quick kiss on the lips. She's a little surprized. And pleased. Nick gets home and finds a note for him. He reads it. It says - TICK, TICK, TICK. Time's almost up for you and your friends, Night Demon. Nick's angered that the psycho knows where he lives and works. Angry that he and his friends are being hunted. Nick goes in and calls Natalie. Natalie's not home or at work. She's not out at any calls. Nick is beginning to panic. He can't call the station and ask if they've heard from her recently because he's supposed to be home recovering. The phone rings. Nick answers it. "Hello." "Did you get my note?" "Yes." "Time's just about up. So many to choose from. Where oh where do I start?" Nick hears a click on the other end before he can respond. He looks at his watch and sees that he can't do anything because the sun should be rising. Nick grabs a glass and a bottle from the fridge. He pours himself dinner. He puts the bottle back into the fridge and paces the room. After a while Nick stops because it is only driving him crazy and it won't get him anywhere. Several hours before sunset Nick is playing the piano when he hears the buzzer. On the piano is a glass of cow blood. Nick quickly gulps the glasses content and stashes the glass in a thick bushy potted plant near the piano. Nick doesn't notice the tiny bit of blood that has dripped down the corner of his mouth. Nick walks over to the intercom. "Who is it?" "Schanke." Nick lets him up. Nick quickly fixes the bandages and returns to the piano. The music isn't so dark and negative. There is some anger, frustration, and a little fear in the music. "I see we are in a little better mood today." Schanke teases as he enters. Nick ignores it as he turns to face his partner. "Do you have any idea how much we take our sight for granted. What do you want?" "Sociable aren't we." Schanke says. "You're bleeding." Nick fights the impulse to panic. "Where?" Nick wonders how much blood he dribbled. "The corner of your lip. It's not much." Nick has to resist the impulse to lick it off. He uses his hand and wipes it off. "I must've bit my lip. Is it gone?" "Yes. I just stopped by to see if you needed anything. I know you haven't been able to shop lately. I brought you some fries." "Put them on the counter. I'll eat them later." "They're best warm. They tend to get kinda gross when they're cold." "Nat's been bringing me food when she stops by to check on me." "How's it going?" "Pretty good. The bandages come off in two or three days. I should be back to work two days later." Schanke detects nervousness from Nick. "Are you sure everything's all right?" "Yea, why?" "I don't know. You seem a little nervous." "You try living without your sight for a week and tell me if that doesn't make you a little jumpy. Especially when the the person responsible for it is still out there." Nick hopes Schanke buys the excuse. "I guess you're right. I know how stressed and panicky Myra and Jenny get when the lights go out." "And you don't?" It's Nick's turn to engage in a little partner teasing. "It doesn't bother me most of the time. I've got to run. Cohen wants everyone in early. There was another brutal murder last night. A couple of joggers found it. It is the worst thing I've ever seen. Be glad you weren't there, pardner." Schanke's on his way out. The phone rings. Nick uses his vampire powers to miss 97% of the stuff. He reasons that by now he should be able to do so out of sheer repetition. "Schank, keep me informed on this wacko." "I will." Schanke says as he enters the elevator. Nick answers the phone. "Hello." "Time's up. I've got to run. Busy night ahead." He hangs up before Nick can say anything. Nick hangs up and rips the bandages off. Nick checks his watch. "Damn!" Nick sees that it is at least two hours before sunset. He dials Natalie's home number. No answer. "Damn." He tries her at work and finds that she's out on a call. Nick takes a bottle of blood out of the fridge and doesn't bother with the glass. He has to feed so that he has the strength for whatever happens tonight. He's determined not to let the wacko destroy his friends. At the Raven there is a nervous tension under the calm surface. The vampires are all on the alert. The mortals are blissfully unaware of everything going on around them. Miklos is keeping a closer eye on Janette. Janette is indulging in a bit more "wine" than usual. She too wants to be well fed and ready for anything. Janette has to keep things from boiling over. Trouble between vampires or trouble between vampires and mortal club patrons is the last thing she needs tonight. The night is young. Janette watches the arrivals trying to sense if any of them are trouble. Natalie is up to her elbows in the latest victim's chest. Schanke enters. "Anything to report?" "Not yet. So far it is the same as the others. Do you have any suspects yet?" "No one sees anything. Even Nick can't ID his attacker. Is anything wrong? You seem nervous." "No. The horrificness of the crime is enough to make anyone a little nervous. What's to prevent you from becoming the next victim." Natatlie says as a cover. Then it hits her - what if this is the work of the letter writer? She goes pale. "Natalie, you okay?" Schanke asks concerned. Natalie recovers. "Huh?" "For a second there I thought you might pass out." "I'm fine." She lies hoping Schanke buys it. "How's Nick doing?" Schanke asks concerned. "Fine. He should be back to work good as new by the end of the week." "Good. Then he can help me with some of the paperwork." "I miss him too." "Let me know what you find." "I will." As soon as it is dark Nick takes to the skies. His first stop is the Raven. He enters through the back like last time. Janette senses his presence and heads for her office. Miklos is concerned. "I'll be fine." Miklos goes back to drying the glasses. He keeps an eye on her until she disappears around the corner. He keeps his ears open for any trouble. Janette knows the look of bad news. It is written all over Nick's face. "It's started, hasn't it." Janette says. A shiver runs down her spine. Nick nods. "I just stopped by to see how you were and to let you know." "Thanks, Nichola." Janette says. "I'll be careful." "I've gotta run." "Be careful, mon cherie." They detect a voice that signals trouble. "What's he doing here? He can't see me like this." Nick says in a slight panic. "I'll stall him and you slip out the back." There is a knock on the door. "Janette, you in there?" Janette makes her way to the door before Schanke can open it and see Nick. Janette positions herself so she blocks Schanke's view of Nick. Nick fixes the bandages over his eyes before he turns around. Janette tries to slip out the door without Schanke seeing Nick. No such luck. Schanke sees Nick's back. "For a guy who can't see you sure get around." "I thought he could use a change of scenery." Janette says. She sees Schanke start to say something and cuts him off. "Different sounds. A change of atmosphere. What can I do for you detective Schanke?" Janette says politely. "I was wondering if you've seen anyone strange or unusual around lately. Have any of your employees or regulars?" "Why are you asking me? Are you saying that strange and unusual people hang around here?" Janette asks seriously with a hint of mockery thrown in. Nick catches it. Nick represses a grin. It goes right over Schanke's head. "This place is ....unique. It attracts an *interesting* clientele." Schanke says as tactfully as he can. "I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary. Why do you ask?" Schanke doesn't want to get Janette mad at him. He remembers the little he saw of her temper from when he was hiding here. "I'm investigating a series of gruesome homicides. Something about them suggested that it could the type who.... help me, Nick." Schanke begs, knowing he's dug himself into a hole. "Hang out here?" Nick finishes the sentence with a hint of a grin in his voice as well as on his face. "The body is found after sunrise burned to a crisp. There seem to be a pair of puncture wounds on the neck." Nick wishes he could see the look on Janette and Schanke's faces. Especially the nasty glare Schanke gave him after he completed the sentence. ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 4 Feb 1995 18:25:35 -0500 Reply-To: JudithF955@AOL.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: Judith Freudenthal Subject: Blind Man's Bluff (4/6) Blind Man's Bluff by Judith Freudenthal This is my first piece of fanfic. Comments welcome to JudithF955@aol.com Janette is surprized by the wounds. She is careful not to let Schanke detect her surprize. A shiver goes up her spine. Her body udders an involuntary shudder. Schanke notices. "My feelings exactly." Schanke says. "How....." Schanke manages to mumble to Nick. "Natalie told me. She wanted to see if I could add anything." "I don't know of anyone that fits your description, detective." Janette says straining to be polite. "I haven't heard anything. I'll let you know if I see or hear anything." "Do you mind if I ask around?" Schanke asks. "Do you want people to know there is a serial killer out there?" Nick asks Schanke. Nick is trying to avoid panciking mortals or vampires. "No. Nick, do you need a lift home?" "No. I think I'll stay here a while. Janette will drop me off later. Thanks anyways." "See what you can find out." Schanke says. "I will." Schanke leaves. "He's gone. You can take those off now." "In a moment." "You don't think it was one of us do you? Killing then leaving the victim to die?" Janette growls. "It goes against every rule." "I don't know what to think." "No one in this community would be so stupid. It puts us all at risk. Is it connected to the hunter?" "I don't know. Watch your back. I've got to run." "Watch yours." Janette says. Natalie's finishing up the autopsy on the latest victim. Natalie turns around to put down her clipboard and finds an envelope with her name on it. She opens it dreading the contents. The letter says - One Night Demon lover down, many, many Night Demons to go. Natalie puts the letter back into the envelope and hides it in her pocket. She picks up the phone and calls Nick. She's not a happy camper when the answering machine picks up. "Nick, I'm the first target. Call me asap!" Grace enters. A doctor enters. "Dr. Lambert, I have something you might be interested in." The doctor gives Natalie a glimpse of the gun. "Grace, I'll be back soon, I hope. If he calls tell him I went out for a bite." Grace nods. Natalie and the doctor leave. Once outside the hospital the doctor's demeanor changes. "Night Demon lover your time has come to an end. I have prepared a special place for you. Get in." He opens the passenger's side door and shoves her in. "Scoot over and drive. Try anything and you'll die. He won't be able to save you." Natalie does as instructed. She's not about to get herself killed needlessly. Nick's at home. The bandages are off. He calls Natalie at work. Grace answers. "Coroner's Office, Grace." "Grace, it's Nick. Where's Nat?" Nick says worried. "She went out to eat with some doctor I've never seen before. Why? Is something wrong?" Nick doesn't like the sound of the message. "I'll explain when I get there." Nick remembers that he has to stay in character. "Meet me inside the front door." "Sure. When?" "In about ten minutes." Natalie and the Mysterious figure arrive at an old abandoned wharehouse. "Stop the car and get out. We are going into the building." Natalie does as told. They enter the building. Once inside Natalie is shocked by the religious-like decorations. It looks like the sacrificial decorations of several cultures all mixed together. There is an altar with a giant stuffed demon sculpture hanging on a stand behind it. There are two stone tables with straps. Presumably where the victims are laid to be sacrificed. There is an ornately carved large higbacked heavy/thick wooden chair positioned so that the occupant can see the whole proceedings. Lit candles are everywhere providing the atmosphere. Over in one corner is a cage large enough to hold several people. The figure pushes her towards the cage. He opens the door and shoves her inside. Shutting and locking the door behind her. "If you'll excuse me I have some business to tend to. Don't worry, your demon friends will be joining you shortly." The mysterious figure leaves. Natalie doesn't like the sound of it. Natalie is worried about Nick and to some extent Janette. Natalie is quite scared but refuses to let the nutball see it. "Gotta stay calm. Look for a way out." Natalie carefully examines the cage. She tries the door. No luck. Once again Nick is soaring above the city. He lands out of sight and fixes the bandages in place. He walks out into the parking lot. Mark, from the coroners office sees Nick and approaches. "Nick, do you need help? What are you doing here?" "Can you help me to the front door? Grace is waiting for me there. My friend must be having trouble parking." "Sure. Take my arm." Mark says. Nick wraps his hand around Mark's arm, just above the elbow. "Thanks." Nick gets to the door. Grace opens it and takes over from there. "What was so important that you had to come all the way down here?" "I need to know exactly what Nat said. Also what did the doctor look like." "What's wrong?" "I'm not sure anything is yet. That's why I need your help." "Nat said that that she would be back soon, she hoped. And that if he called to tell him that she went out for a bite." "Did she say who the he was?" Nick asks suspecting the he is himself. Grace shakes her head. "I think she meant you. Now that I think about it, it seems like she didn't want the doctor to know who she was talking about." "What did he look like?" "He was tall, blonde, had on a white doctor's smock. An average looking man. About your build. Now that I think back, I don't think she really wanted to go with him. Her voice and face had that expression. You know the one I mean." "Thanks, Grace. You've been a lot of help. Don't tell anyone about this." "If you say so. Need help back to the door?" "Yes, please." Nick hates having to act so helpless. Grace escorts him to the door. "I'll be fine. My friend should be by any minute." "You sure?" "I'm sure." Grace leaves and goes back inside. Nick feels his way along the outside wall until he gets to the corner. He turns the corner and removes the bandages. He hears people coming and ducks behind a bush. He looks out from behind the bush and sees that all is clear. Nick takes off to the skies again. Nick's pissed that he doesn't have a clue as to where the nutball took Natalie. Nick recognizes the description as the same nutball that blinded him. Nick heads home. He finds two messages on his machine. He listens to them. Natalie's message is the first one. "Nick, I'm the first target. Call me asap!" Nick hears the fear in her voice. The second one is the psychotic hunting them. "If you want to say goodbye to your friends meet me at the abandoned warehouse by the marina at 1:30. Come alone. They will die along with you, after I've exposed you for the demon you are." Nick's eyes turn blood red and his fangs drop. He lets out one hell of a growl. He heads for his fridge and chows down to prepare for the fight. Meanwhile outside the Raven the mystery figure is waiting for Janette in the parking lot. Inside the Raven Janette sees a note for her. She reads it and is suspicious. She knows that she has to go outside and face the person or she will always be looking over her shoulder. Janette exits the Raven. As soon as the door closes she is shot in the left shoulder with a garlic dart by the mysterious stranger. She vamps out. It stings like a dozen scorpion bites. She is shot again. This time in the stomach area. Janette growls in pain and anger. She tries to lunge for the attacker but is shot with a third dart. It just misses the chest and gets Janette in the stomach again. She drops to the ground clutching her stomach in extreme agony. Janette is quite ill. The mysterious figure securely gags her being careful not to underestimate her. He ties her hands behind her back. He scoops her up and dumps her in the trunk of his car. The psychopath soon arrives at the warehouse. He takes Janette out of the trunk and carries her inside like a sack of potatoes. He dumps her in the cage. "Janette, what's wrong?" Natalie gets a whiff of the garlic and knows. She unties and ungags Janette. Natalie examines Janette and sees that the garlic is too deeply imbeded for her to to remove without tools. "So we finally meet the hunter." Janette growls looking out from the bars. She is determined not to let him win despite the severe pain and naseau. "I'm sorry I can't help. They're too deeply imbeded." Natalie says. "I will get my hands around his neck and slowly drain the life out of him." Janette angrily growls. "Make all the threats you want. As soon as the third member of the party arrives we can get started." Janette tries to bend or break the bars. She's weakened by the garlic. Janette is greatly frustrated by this. She lets out a growl of frustration. Natalie tries her best to make Janette comfortable. Natalie knows how to deal with a cranky vampire. She's learned when to back off. Natalie is a little scared being locked in a cage with a wounded, cranky, angry and frustrated vampire. Natalie refuses to let it show. Nick is about to leave when his phone rings. He answers it. It is Miklos. "Nick, I'm worried. Janette's missing. She went into the back to check on something and never returned. I've checked the whole club. No sign of her." "Stay there. Don't tell any of this to Detective Schanke. I'll take care of it." Nick takes off. He flies through the city looking for any clues. He uses his vampiric senses to their fullest to help his search. Nick looks at his watch and sees that he has some time before his appointment. Nick makes a sweep over the city before it is time to meet the psycho. Nick lands in front of the abandoned warehouse by the marina. "Punctual, that's good. Welcome to the party." "We meet again." Nick growls, "where are my friends?" "In due time. They're safe for the moment. Although I will admit that one is feeling a little under the weather." This works as designed. Nick is further angered by not knowing who he has and who is sick. "If you'll follow me, the party can begin." "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me where my friends are." Nick growls angrily. He's working hard to keep the vampire part under control and out of sight. "This way. I warn you not to try anything. I don't want to have to kill the mortal one ahead of schedule. I have plans for her." Nick reluctantly follows the nutcase into the warehouse. Nick now knows that Natalie is the mortal hostage. He's pretty sure Janette is the other. "Can I at least have your name." Nick asks. "Call me The Slayer. Or just Slayer if you prefer." Nick sees that Natalie seems to be fine. He can tell that Janette is not well. "What have you done to Janette?" Nick asks trying to keep his temper in check. "Just a little garlic to keep her under control." Meanwhile back at the precinct Schanke calls Nick. Schanke isn't the only one concerned when Natalie can't be located. Schanke is concerned when Nick doesn't answer. "Come on, Nick, pick up the phone. Grace is worried because Natalie is hours overdue from lunch. Is she there with you?" Schanke hangs up. "Where would you be?" Schanke says out loud to himself. Schanke looks on Nick's desk for anything with the Raven's phone number on it. He opens the drawer doesn't find anything. Schanke dials directory assistance. "I'd like the number for The Raven." Schanke writes it down. He hangs up and dials the number. Miklos answers the phone, "the Raven." "This is Detective Schanke. I need to speak to Nick Knight." "I'm sorry but he isn't here. He doesn't come here that often." "Yeah right." Schanke says knowing Miklos is lying. "Thanks for your help." Schanke attempts to be polite. He hangs up. "Night Demon, I have prepared a special chair for you. You have a front row seat for the evening's festivities." ÿ