D&C 2.16: Am I who I was

Am I who I was or would I ever be myself.

I heard of rape; it was handed by the other department where mine was homicide but this was clearly madness. The guy claimed he was rape and yet he recalled nothing. Here was the guy over six feet and weigh like hunk, good looking for his age, well packed with wads of money from his father's inheritance; now claimed that he did not make love to the woman but she had raped him. That made good headlines; which was why I got involved in the case as a concerned citizen. I have both their statements with me, courtesy of the Rape and Abuse Section.

Richard Marten

Height: 6' 3"

Weight: 240 lbs

Regular on the socialite pages, with arms around some beauty or sometimes someone's mother. He was charming that even the elderly would loved him.

'I did not rape her.' Denial opening statement. "Yes, we never had sex before, but there was some petting. She was not my type. But on that night, I can't recall. I knew I was in the Dynic Club with Sam... My current date, Samantha Glades, and we danced till early morning. Then Tara came over to say hello to me. I introduced her to Sam, and then she asked me to walked her to the car. I obliged as a gentleman, and that was all I could recalled. Next I knew I was on bed, and with her next to me in that distressed state. She accused me of rape and called the Police. I did not stopped her as I was unable to move or even remember my name then. Detective I was drugged.'

Tox report came back with high level of alcohol but would not be considered as over board given his age and experience with the drink. He had no signs of drugs abuse, and was cleared of any other medications.

I turned to the victim report.

Tara Roberts

Height: 5' 3"

Weight: 110lbs

'I met Rick at the Dynic Club. I was there alone as it was ladies night. I arrived late as the shooting for my magazine spread was overdue. I took some drinks, met some friends, and then saw Rick. He was with another lady but I thought I said hello. We were introduced and spoke. Sam asked to be excused and left me alone with Rick. He was all gentlemen with his manners; asked about my works and how I was doing. I replied as we used to date for a few times, but no, we never slept with each other. I am a good girl who loves modeling but I drew the line on casual sex. I was waiting for the right guy.' I saw her expression; she looked emotional on the clip.

'The bastard rape me....' That came out real strong. The detective asked her to go back to the club scene.

"Yeah, he asked if I drove or needed a cab. I said I would be taking a cab. He offered me a drive; my place was nearby. I asked about Sam and he said she would be fine. He took me out and drove me back. He walked me to my door and then he helped me open the door. When I was walking in, he pushed me in. He then closed the door and locked it. He was bigger than myself. He hit me with his fist and then dragged me to the bedroom. He raped me not once but several times. He was a monster."

The tox report said no drugs, but high alcohol content. She could drunk more than she claimed. The rape report was bad; she was confirmed rape. There was tears on the wall lining in the vagina, and top end of the canal where force was applied in the case of rape. The cervix wall was also lined with some markings. There was bleeding marks on the bed spread and on both her orifice. They also found traces of the rapist semen inside her on both ends.

It looked like a case solved and firm conviction with twenty years for Rick, but why are we holding back. I got my answer soon that day,

"Jimmy, I want you to assist Detective Rose and Frances on this." The Commissioner had the two female detectives in tow. "They needed a fresh perspective to the case."

I wondered why me. I had never dealt with rape before, I only read the details; unless they died in the process. Nevertheless, I had the ladies to brief me on their views. It came out with more venom than the cobra had to offered.

"The Commissioner had his ass chewed by the Governor as Rick's father is his biggest contributor. So we are laid to examined by you for any discrepancies in our approach.." Detective Frances, ten years in the force with five in that section, had seen more rape cases than I ever read. I interrupt on her words.

"You mean like did you went bias on the male offender?" I asked back.

"Yeah, but we did stopped at shoving the truncheon up his ass." Detective Rose; my peer and had served in both Homicide and Rape plus Evidence Room. She was a 'FCP'; Female Corned Perpetrator. She did once tried to shaft the rubber hose up a suspect for multiple rapes but that was in the younger days. Not only the criminals feared her but we all did. I recalled having a tough time facing her at the Evidence Room when she was sent there for a year.

"Did you get any other evidence? Like cameras or witnesses who may heard her cries for help." I asked while trying to avoid their stares.

"Jimmy, I been doing this as long as you. So cut the crap and tell me something I may missed." Rose was holding up my pencil case and that was intimidation. I told them to come back later when I think of something. I ran off to Di Angelo, my favorite Hot Dog and Coffee man.

"Jimmy, if you have Rose for a partner, then get yourself an adult diaper." I hate it when Di Angelo gets one step ahead of me. He was good at Chess although he lost to me at Darts. He can't make out the bull eye for the bull's arse.

"Di Angelo, I need more info. Move your informants out. Get me ideas." I told him and then drove off to Club Dynic. I met the Assistant Manager, Micheal Leary. He knew more than the Manager who was half drunk and screening the ladies coming in. It was the job's benefit.

"I knew Rick. He's one of our regular. He comes in with his girls and leaves with them. But he was never into them." Micheal winked at me. "He would go off to his lover for the release."

"Lover? He had one?" I asked like a High School nerd asking if the girl would date him instead of the football hunk.

"Yeah, he does. The name is Erin or Erica. I can't remember." I knew that tone. He needed to see Thomas Jefferson to revived his memory cells. But I ran out of Thomas Jefferson, I only had one of George Washington. I gave that to him with the wad of tissues. He knew my meaning fast.

I went over to Rick's apartment, flashed my badge and walked in. It was a young man's pad; a rich man son's pad. He had the gym in the corner, the bedroom in the other section, with the jacuzzi in there, plus a sitting area enough to accommodate an extended family. He had expensive units for the TV, computers and hifi sets that I could only drooled outside the window glass. I saw his photographs with his pals from the Uni and the drinking pubs. Then I sat at his computer. It was turned on and there was the emails that he had not replied. I did intrude there but only on a few which I was curious.

Next I went over to Tara's place. As it was a crime scene, they sealed it off but my badge was the pass to go in. I saw the reality of a rape scene. It was ugly like that of homicide but this one left me a vivid image. I knocked on the neighbors doors and got the usual 'I don't know' reply. I went back to the apartment and checked the fridge. I was hungry, and there was some leftover cold meat. I searched for the bread and found she made her own; organic stuff. Then I saw the utensils. Interesting stuff these ladies used. They improvised when they cannot afford.

I drove back to the Precinct and asked Rose to assist me. I asked if she had taken any laptop or tablet. With the latest fad, we checked that for emails. She passed me the tablet and I send the unit to Forensic. Then I perused their spending habits.

Later I called in Rick for a session of knowledge sharing. I left out Rose and brought out Frances.

"Who is Erin or Erica?" I asked.

"I don't them." He looked concerned. "Why do you asked?"

It was then Rose came in. She showed me the printout.

"Do you know Jack Holmes?" I pushed the print out over. "He was your Uni mates. He was also you friend on the Erin' mails. That was the name he used."

Rick turned pale. He looked up to me.

"You must not tell my family. I would lose everything." He blurted out.

"Then tell me." I looked to Frances. "And to her. I know you did not rape Tara."

Rick nodded. He told us all he knew. It was a new one for me. Later I called in Tara. I had a new set of reports.

"You cooked, Tara?" She nodded.

"Bread, pasta; you loved to do cooking with dough. Do you mixed them yourselves?" She nodded. Then I pushed the pictures over.

"Yours?" She looked at it and then nodded.

"It should be. Your prints was on it. So was your blood. And his semen." I looked at her. "Tell us the truth now, Tara. Or it would harder when you get into the Penitentiary. There are brutes inside."

Tara spoke up. She told us the event that night.

"I left him on the couch. We were petting and kissing but he stopped at the sex part. He won't let me slipped out of my panty. He said it was not the same. I got up and shuffled toward the bathroom. On leaving there, I caught a glimpse of his tablet. He carries it with him every night. He was very private like he wanted to protect it. The tablet was flashing so I peruse it. It displayed the last twenty documents. Clicking open one at random I read them all." Tears rolled down Tara' cheek.

"One read like this. 'Erin, This has been a hard week for me. I haven't felt this empty in a long time. I can be the center of attention in a room of a thousand people and be alone. I have many people that I would consider friends or acquaintances but there is no one that truly knows me like the way you do. There are a couple of people in my life that would consider themselves close to me but none of them know where I was five years ago or even last year. I just wish I knew where you were. I miss you. Rick'. There were more, lots more but I felt I needed to know more. There were more. All labeled simply Erin followed by a date."

Tara looked up with the expression of the a woman scorned.

"I finally knew his secret. I too had a secret. It was something I told him and he accepted it. He was sleeping; he always do after he had his selfish release. That was him; all about him. And never me. I walked to the kitchen, and picked up the ropes. I also picked up the packet I took to give me a sense of euphoria while they take advantage of my female body. It mattered not as long as I knew then I was the female. I have the body that even other females would envy." I believed I swallowed more air than saliva then.

"I drugged him. He were never know. I needed to as he was big. Very big and I can't fight him, But with him drugged, he can't resist me. I slipped off my panty and snuggled into him. I pulled him out and got him aroused. It was all I needed. He moaned but he won't know what was coming." Tara smiled at me. "It was different with the others. I had lubricants applied before I start. But with him, I wanted it raw. I wanted it to hurt. I wanted him to know how I felt inside. I wanted him to rape me. For all the things I told him, the hours I waited for him. The agony of knowing you had the vagina and he loathed it. I wished I could had turned the clock back and be Terry. I had then a penis that he could looked forward to. It was the only missing thing he needed to make me feel complete with him. And I thought I was complete when I became Tara. I was mistaken. Terry would had felt more complete then."

 “I love you Rick.” Tara ended her statement.

The new test we did on Rick and Tara found scopolamine in his nose. He was drugged by her, when we found the remaining drugs in the kitchen. We never searched the kitchen as the rape occurred in the bedroom. Tara did dragged Rick into the bedroom for her extra sessions. She did everything and when he could not; she did it herself. Sometimes the stick can have multiple uses. We also found that Tara was Terry Riobart before she was transformed.

Erin was never revealed. Rick went back to his family.

Tara Roberts was sentenced to five years in the Women. She wrote to me a note on her conviction.

My life is not even my own anymore

Nor were they inspired by my new life
To them, I am merely the vessel
Selfish for theirs to take on. 

The Tempest; Act 1, Scene 2 Part 2.1

Act 1, Scene 2 Part 2

Last night Paul Miller was to unveil the incident once more. He told her everything, his life as a mobster, and why her mother died. Miranda fled to her room and locked the door. She was not to see him but the thunder shook her. She had come running and then he told her that he was waiting for someone.

"Father, do I know that person?" Miranda asked her father. She may be a woman then, but in the last ten years she had only her father for company.

"Yes, they are the Nates." Paul told her.

When Miranda heard the names, she tightened her hold on her father. She heard of the Nates. They are the cause of her blindness. She does not want to meet the ones who destroyed her childhood.

"Why did you invite them here?" Miranda asked. It was only the day before the storm when she was told of his previous life. Paul Miller was a gangster, murderer and leader of a gang he called them his family. He was to shield it all from his wife then, Bernice and later Miranda. It was his own partner who attacked them that night and killed his wife.

He laid it out for her on her eighteenth birthday last night.

"Why now, Father? Why tell me now?"Miranda asked. "I asked you many times why was Mother killed. You always said; not yet my child. Not till you older. I am older now, and at the age when I am no more a child. Does that make you free to tell me now?"

She hated them for damaging her sight.

They took her mother from her. They shot her mother.

Because of them, she carried a gun.

One that was given to her by her father.

"Shoot to kill, Miranda." She was told. She did it once but she did not kill.

She hated all of it, including them.

She hated her father from calling them here.

"I do not want to see them, Father." Miranda pulled away from her father. "I would be in my room until they are gone."

"No, Miranda. You would be with me." Paul held onto his daughter's arms. "You would witnessed their downfall with me. They would pay for everything cursed on us for the last ten years."

"I had them brought here." Paul told his daughter. "They are to play chess with me."

"How so, father? Chess?" Miranda asked back. "You were always playing alone the game. Why now to invite them?"

"My child, the game I may had played alone, but I compete myself with myself. I was playing the game from my own moves, countering them as I moved the parts from the previous moves. But now, these invited guests would be chess pieces. They would play to safeguard their King which I am to take on."

"Father, how did you invite those guests? You were here and never once you left this place." Miranda told him. "The furthest you been was the estate grounds. Those were also rare and more often of late."

"Yes, Miranda. I had partake in the walks on the estate ground. I had the pleasure of meeting older acquaintances which were obliging." Paul looked to his daughter.

"It was Christopher with Gonzales. They came to me for apologies. I denied them all but in the end after several visits, I relented. I asked of them a favor. Bring me the person named Alan Nates. And all shall be forgiven." Paul declared. "Let no harm comes to him, but only mine would do his death. He must not know of the plan."

"We discussed the plans whenever I took the was to meet them. After several attempts, it was Gonzales who came up with the perfect plan. We planned the road closure and the diversion, and with Christopher' daughter wedding. We intentionally not send the invitation and knew Alan would bite on it." Paul laughed. "I was always the planner in the group. Alan was the fighter."

"Was the rain part of your plans too?" Miranda asked.

"No, that was God's gift. It could had been your mother's doing. She was close to God."

"So was myself. And we do not believe in vengeance. She weeps for you." Miranda pulled at the father's hands and walked to the doorway. She stopped there and then looked back.

"Father, on my mother's soul, you said you would protect me. You brought the ones who murdered my mother to this house. They may kill me this time." Miranda told him. "If that would to happen, then I prefer not to be your daughter anymore lest you renounce your pledge to mother on protecting me."

Miranda took to the doorway, but she found it closed on her by someone else from outside. She stopped there on the sound of the lock being applied on the door.

"Father, why am I locked here with you?" She listened hard to his breathing and then his movement. She knew that he was in the back of her. She also felt the movement of his body and asked of his intentions.

Samurai in the Time Rift 5.2

5.2

The place was named Tito Palace; a series of four large caverns with their individual entrances, but the four caverns are now interlinked while a strong wall lined outside the entrances to protect the inhabitants of the caverns. In the tradition of their forefathers, they discovered more caverns elsewhere with underground compartments to stored their eggs guarded by the serpents. There are five of such caverns with one already destroyed by the 'slave raiding' party.

"Make way!" Tut had jumped aside for the calvary formation of twenty dragons riders on their mounts. The dragon riders are the elite warriors of Crema.. He envied them as they were given a lot of privileges and led by the Lord's youngest, Senior Leader Micten; an arrogant creature that was as mad as the father.

"Senior Leader Tut, we need to confer." Senior Leader Tut turned to looked at the one who called him. He smiled and walked into dark shadow of the cavern.

"Tell me what you know of the new 'raiders'. Follow me close. " Tut followed the one in the dark shadow.

On the river, Tairi may had sailed far and wide on the open seas, but never had he ever sailed on a river with strong undercurrents. The current pulled the raft down river as they tried to control the crude boat but they were no match for the river.

"Hold off from the rocks!" Tairi shouted as the raft was dragged further down the river. The land lubbers are all huddled close in the middle with their face drawn white by the event. They do not know what they can do in this event except to pray for safety. During the turbulent journey, the men saw many unseen before creatures.

Long elongated creatures with flippers for their feet but these are large sized ones; ten times the size of theirs. Then they saw the scaled leather backs creatures with a long tails and a head with long sprout for its jaws filled with jagged teeth. These creatures are found on the lying on the river banks; basking in the sunlight.

"There is a wide river bank over there." Tairi told the others and worked hard on pushing the raft towards it. He was afraid if they go on, they may crashed on one of the river's obstacles. The raft was managed and beached on the wide river bank. The land lubbers did not wait for the raft to be dragged up but they ran up to the river bank and prayed for their safety.

"Aargh!" Iza jumped up with a small serpent with four legs on its belly that bit into his left hand. He flung the hand several times but the serpent was relentless on holding to the hand it bit. It was Edo who came to his aid with the swing of the naginata that killed the serpent. Iza pulled at the serpent head off his left hand but the wound was bleeding blood. Its scent caught the other river dwellers and was headed to the wide river bank.

"Move inland!" Taisa gave the command and the men all grabbed the supplies to move off the river. Gunso held off the predators as the men all went inland. Gunso caught up with them at the clearing some distance from the river. He joined the rest there but noticed Iza was holding his left hand which had turned purple and swollen in size.

"Edo, the serpent had poison. Kill me as the pain is unbearable." Iza screamed out as the pain spread to his body. Edo approached and consoled his friend. It was Gunso and Taisa who did the needed work on Iza. Taisa held out the left arm and Gunso used his katana to severed it at the elbow. Iza screamed out and then fell into a state of unconsciousness.

"Why did you do that? You could had asked me first?" Edo confronted the samurai but Taisa had ignored the farmer while he tended to the wounded man. Gunso pulled Edo back.

"We done it many times in battle. Let him be." Gunso held the man back. Edo turned away in shame that he could not helped his friend. Meanwhile Taisa had a fire lighted up and burned some woods over it. Then he applied a pressure bandage on the wound. He also prepared some potion in his personal supplies but most of it was made up of using any plants he can lay his hand. When the fire place was ready, he took up the burning wood and applied it on the wound. The unconscious man came back with a scream before slipping back into unconsciousness. Taisa took to apply the herbs when he was kicked over. He looked up and saw an older man was there to attend to Iza but he was unknown to them.

"Who are you?" Taisa Mori asked but the older man was not alone. He had two others with him; strangers wrapped in rags and wielding the katana and yari. The strangers turned out to be ladies, with one of them holding a yari as the older man took out some potion after cleaning the wound of the unconscious farmer.

"Held them back. These idiots are killing their friend." The older man shouted out. Taisa Mori got up and reached for his katana, but Edo stopped him.

"Let the man try. I can see that he is doing a better task than you." Edo motioned to the older man who was putting a stop to the still bleeding ends. "More to it, these warriors are not men, but ladies. They could be Shinobi."

At the mention of Shinobi, the rest of the group had taken extra care but laughed when told that they are ladies. Shinobi are covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan who specialized in unorthodox warfare. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, and open combat in certain situations. Their covert methods of waging war contrasted them with the samurai, who observed strict rules about honor and combat. Shinobi are also known as Ninja.

"Yai! Shinobi are assassins." Gunso Mita spat out the name like it was a distaste in his mouth. "I killed some in my days, and anytime is a good time to kill one."

"Hold back, my friend. We would see what their master do for Iza first?" Taisa Mori cautioned back the Gunso. He was intrigued by the ladies as there were tales of them being one with the Shinobi like the ladies of the court are also trained as samurai. The one on the left with the yari looked older and more confident in her stance, but the other one with the katana was unsure on her feet although she was prettier.

The older man stood up and turned to looked at Taisa Mori.

"Samurai! You are all fools." The older man shouted out. "Your method would had killed the man. Those herbs you pounded are dangerous to an open wound. If not for me, he would had been dead."

"Are you the leader?" The older man asked of Taisa from his dressing. Taisa Mori nodded.

"I thought so. I remembered your face well. Taisa Juno Mori. You were there to fetch me at the beach. I am Lord Tano Noriake, who once visited your Lord on the island."

Taisa Mori then recalled the entourage that came to see the Lord when he was just posted to the island. He remembered standing by the jetty watching the three boats approaching it. Lord Tano Noriake was sent by the Shogun to oversee the development of the island. The Lord came with a hundred and fifty samurais, a hundred over slaves and with his personal family including his two daughters Kimi-ko and Ayu-se Noriake. He recalled the girls were just over twelve and ten winters, and were giggling most times. It was four winters ago when he saw them back for Edo but there was reports that they did not arrived by boat. They were thought to had died in sea by either the winds or pirates.

Taisa Mori went on his knees and prostrated before the Lord. Gunso and the rest of the men followed suit.

"Forgive me, Lord Noriake as since we came here, I have not expected to see you here." Taisa Mori kept his head down as he await the orders from the elder samurai.

"There is much to explain but this is not the place. You need to seek shelter and above all, safety in the trees." Lord Noriake led the way with the group following. 

The Tempest; Act 1, Prologue 3

Prologue 3

Paul walked into the emptied lobby of the place. Three months ago, this place was teeming with people; the sane and insane while they go about their daily lives. But all of that was to change when his Attorney served them the order of closure. The management argued to the Board of Trustees; a front he created with some notable associates who answered solely to him and replied to what they had to say to others.

"Its was a failing business. With the Great Depression, no one would pay for this place anymore. And we cannot afford to only housed the poor and infirmed. We would shut the doors and await better days." The prepared text was given to the Chairman who reluctantly read the speech notes.

Three months was too short to move so many hundreds but the schedule worked. It was a beehive of activities with no one having the time to think or grumble on the move. The staff were finally paid and only a handful retained. They were there the day Paul Miller walked in.

"Mr Miller, these are the staffs retained." Gonzales introduced them. "Steven, Timothy, Marge and Alice."

"Who is he?" Paul asked of Gonzales of the young boy standing behind at the pillar.

"He is an inmate with no place or relatives to go." Timothy spoke out. "He was born here...."

Paul stopped the nurse from continuing on. Marge was to speak but Steven stopped her.

"The little nitwit I was told that joined us something back. He had grown much." Paul recalled the kid they adopted. "Well he had to go. Find him an orphanage or something."

It was then the little boy rushed up. He stood there and clasped his hands together like in a prayer.

"I begged you, Sir. Please let me stay. I would be your servant till you released me or let death claimed me." The boy looked to the older man. "I give you my words, Sir."

Paul looked down to the short boy.

"And how would you know if your words meant anything?" Paul asked. "Many people have sworn to me their words, but I had found them of no value to my use. I had them removed instead. I kept my words to them."

"Aye, Sir. I am Ariel. No last name. But I would served you well." Ariel looked to the man. "Those are words to you but to me, its a solemn promise."

"Where did you learned to speak like that?" Paul asked him.

"I learned from the others. I am a fast learner." Ariel replied with a smile. It was his smile that swooned the older man that day.

Paul agreed.

"But as my personal servant." Paul told the short boy. Then from the back of the older man, a child was brought in on a roller bed. She was Miranda.

"You two would attend to her." Paul told the lady nurses, and then to the men. "You would be assigned to the West Block and you to the East Block. Keep it clean as I would come over."

It was the last time the four ever see each other. 

D&C 2.15: Prostitute or Courtesan; we care

Prostitute or courtesan; we care

Prostitution is one of the branches of the sex industry, with various legal status from different countries. Depending where you solicit, it may lead to a punishable crime or a mode of income. Estimates place the annual revenue generated from the global prostitution industry to be over $100 billion. Not bad for the "the world's oldest profession". But killing outranked it in terms of death; be it legal or illegal. I got the call that a lady was murdered in a lavish expensive penthouse in downtown; the end where the rich lived with their own peers, and watched the three quarters starve or worked hard.

I once knew a classmate in my high school, he told us he was there temporary until his parents decided on his 'princely' school. He left us after one week, and bought us all fried chicken for lunch. We took it compared to our school lunch which was less appetizing. His parting words was 'see ya, scoundrels and laid back'. We threw the chicken bones at him.

"We found a name in her bag." The uniformed handed the name card. "Honey Tiffany. Call me at 3XX 2XX 3XX."

I asked for the bag and was handed an expensive reptile skin one. I bought one for Jenny, and it was a wallet that cost half my pay check. I checked the contents, and discovered the driving license.

Jennifer Lilian Tobias.

Later I ran some checks on her and found out the apartment was in her name although she used to work as administrator in the law office of Riordan and Noys. But back at the crime scene, Dan arrived and inspected the body. He stood up and told his apprentice to bagged it.

"No initial assessment on the victim?" I asked Dan.

"Looked like overdose but I can't be sure until I run the tox test." Dan walked off. He was in a foul mood. Then I recalled; he hated the filthy rich. He was from the rags to moderate background. I had the place searched for drugs and found half a dozen from amphetamine to Viagra but no hard drugs like heroin. I went down to the security office and asked them statements. Those guys there worked like the crime lords; we ain't talking until we see our lawyers. I dragged all five of them to the Precinct with the day's recording on the camera. It was cameras; the place had more cameras than my old High School bathrooms.

After a three hours of checking, I got two visitors in my section. They were with the Commissioner.

"This is Edison Thames, personal aide of Mr Jameson Munch. Thomas Mathew, Attorney at Law. Riordan and Noys" That last name ran deep into my nerves; the man own some high income buildings, including the tower which Jennifer was laid to rest. Mr Thames was a former army officer in the Rangers, and a tougher one at that. He stepped forth to state his reason to come into the section. It was not our decor; it was his boss decor.

"Mr Munch wants this case solved fast and low profile." With that the personal aide left us. I got the usual grilling from the Commissioner. He was a nicer person before he become Commissioner. I went back to my evidence contents and found like who's who had the need to have the name on the society page. At that time of Jennifer death, three person was at her level, and only one was seen going in the suite next door. And then he left.

Clarence Thames, the son of Edison Thames.

We picked him up.

"I don't know any Jennifer Tobias." I shoved the photo to him. Then the one when she died. He puked on the flooring.

"Her name Mary Anne." Clarence spoke the truth soon after. I was to asked more when the lawyer barged in. Thomas Mathew, the attorney with one thousand an hour was paid by the father's employer. They marched me out and soon the son was out on lack of reason to hold him. So I went over to see Di Angelo.

"Do you remember Archie Matheson?" Di Angelo was digging deep into his memory for that name. I fished that guy out of the bathtub when one of his mistresses dunked him there after he got number seventh for the week. Archie insisted all his ladies are called courtesans. In the words of Archie, they are paid to service only myself.

"Well, I found out that old man Munch had a mistress named Tiffany." Di Angelo was better than most Federal servers but how could I questioned a man which only the Secret Service approached. If I could not approached the victim' direct parties, I went for the dealers who supplied the drugs. I looked to the drugs seized, and found the druggist that sold the drugs.

"Mr.Marcel, I could get the warrant to check your records and probably digged up more dirt than one customer of yours." The druggist was compliant to reveal the records of Jennifer Tobias aka Tiffany. She do sometimes have some one picked it up. We got the name.

"Mr.Thames, do you also work for Jennifer Tobias or you were her client too?" I looked hard at the older Thames. He was unfazed by my glare. All he said was he would wait for his lawyer. I opened the door to tell the uniformed to hold young Thames.

"Detective, you let my son of this or I would had you flayed alive." Older Thames was in rage. He gripped the table edge hard with his strong grip. I stepped back in and smiled.

"Okay, it was not me. Sometimes Clarence picked it up. Mr Munch sent him. I never agreed but who was to argue with him. He was the Boss." Elder Thames spilled it out. "The old man could not get it up or last the pace. He needed the 'pacesetter'."

Pacesetter? I think I needed more than that. Then Dan called me up. "Jimmy, she was held down from the marks we got from the arms. We are getting prints checked."

Damned! The case was more than an overdose and now murder. The prints came when I was driving to the penthouse. I changed the direction at the corner. I hate those overcharging professionals.

"You found my print on Ms. Jennifer Tobias and blamed me for killing her. I did meet her, or more than that. I was in her bed the night before. She would take on anyone who would satisfy her." Mr.Mathew made his statement. "I work for the old man only he pays my bills. I am no charitable attorney."

I looked at the Attorney. He smiled.

"I pays I work. I don't pay to get the lady to the bed. They pay me with satisfaction for my millions." With that the Attorney walked out. 

As usual we were screwed. Or more like she was screwing.

I went back to the evidence then next day. I checked the cameras. I traced back to the three previous days. I saw the Attorney arriving. He went into the unit. There were some visitors but there was one whom I could not recognised. He went into the next unit which Clarence was in. He left after Clarence did on that day. I send them for photo recognition.

I picked up my jacket and re-visited the neighboring unit. The unit was bare of furniture but it had a two way mirror on the wall. There was a tripod mark on the flooring before the mirror. There was also a hidden door to the other unit.

I called in the Forensics.

At near supper, I had a new warrant. I knocked on the door of the Munch family. Older Thames answered the door. He tried to block us but we moved in regardless. I asked for the man himself.

"I am Jameson Munch. Say what you want and leave. I would get my lawyers to reply to you."

"Mr Jameson, we found your prints at the neighboring unit, and we have a warrant to search your house." I told the man. He went up in rage. He refused us and we had the Attorney there citing personal rights and million dollar suits. It was then I saw Clarence driving out. I shouted to the Uniformed to stop him. He did not stopped but raced out. I got the car chased by two patrol cars. They chased him over three streets before he crashed into the street lights. We found in his back seat the camera and tripod with a portable hard disk.

We ran the tests on the hard disk and found more conclusive evidence. Clarence was questioned in the morning.

"I was paid to filmed the others. It was Jameson' request." Damned the man needed more than drugs to move his fire engine.

"Who was in the unit besides you?" I asked Clarence. It was then Thomas walked in. I was actually waiting for him too as he was on one of the clips. So maybe he had a motive.

"Did you know about the recording?" I confronted the Attorney. He denied it all until I said we would had the clips released to the networks to find the participants. That was when he confessed.

"Yes, I went berserk. I confronted her but she denied it all. Then after a few hard push and reminding her of her previous attachment. She was sleeping with the clients for us until the old man discovered her unique talents. He paid for her to be his personal courtesan but she wanted more. She came back to me. We did when he was not around."

"I did not kill her. I may had hurt her but I did not kill her." Thomas declared his innocence.

So it boiled down to the unknown man who met Clarence. I called for Clarence but he had left with his old man. I set up a BOLO for him and the old man. They found the duo on the hills. I raced there with Di Angelo hot dogs. I found the old man sitting with his son at the edge of the forest. The man was armed with a gun but the uniformed officers held back. So was the SWAT team. I walked up to the father and son. I saw the gun was aimed at the son. There was more; the father had some C4 tied to his son.

"When I knew of the filming, I went to check. I went to look for Clarence. He confessed to me that he was doing it for the old man. I went in rage,and chased him out. I then saw the door and went in. She was half dazed. I grabbed her and lowered her to the bed. She was screaming me for the drugs and I fed her. I just kept on feeding her. I was in rage and did not care."

I knew that look. I told him.

"Don't..." But he was past listening. He was too proud to let it go. I turned and ran but at my age, it was easier with the downhill slope. The explosion was directed upwards, with both of them blown up.

"I represent Mr Munch. He wants the hard disk which was taken by your forensic." The one thousand dollar Attorney came in representing Mr.Munch.

"We had them returned by general mails. You know, budget cuts." I replied. He would know later when the networks run it.

Samurai in the Time Rift 5.1

Part 5

The New Land

5.1

In the last three days, the race to the river was an intense one, with the dragons outpacing the group of men. Their orders was to secured the river crossing and patrol the rive river banks, while those on foot are spread out in a line to searched the ground. Their pace may be slower but they are thorough in their attention to every cracks and cover.

The samurai are used to the fast pace set but the ones who complained the most are the Ainu. Their prowess was in the handling of boats and rappeling across boats but now running with loads on their back. That was not their only concern as there were predators on the land outside here. In the cavern, they have seen some creatures; the Hibagon, the small catlike ones, the serpents and there were the smaller ones which they have squashed under their feet. But out here, the predators differ in threat and ferocity. More to that, as they approached the river, the landscape changed with more vegetation and less rocky terrain.

Bento saw the creature in their path; he halted the group from moving forward. Taisa caught up and checked the situation. He saw the creature with the back to them looking at a hole Without any warning, Taisa rushed forth while drawing his katana. He slashed the creature in the back of the knees and kicked at the monstrous creature down the hole. The creature fell down with a scream.

Taisa proposed the group to run fast past while he kept watch. Once the last one had passed, he took one more peek into the hole. He saw the creature lying there not moving. That was his cue to catch up with the group. As he was to take off, he felt someone on his back. The creature grabbed him by the lapel of his coat but Taisa reflex was to down a rear thrust with the katana still held in his hands. The blade caused the creature to screamed out in pain, and that caused the Taisa to panic. If the shout brought on more creatures, he would be trapped and dead soon. He struggled to pull the blade when the creature hit the side of his head with the hand. He lost his hold on the blade and fell forward.

Taisa tried to get up but his body was not responding. He looked up and saw the creature having drew on the hammer to hit him, but the hammer did not come down as expected. Taisa saw the creature dropped the hammer when the arrow struck its elbow. It was not one but two successive arrow at the same time. Then he saw the blur movement of a blade that slashed at the creature midriff. It was all he remembered.

"Gunso, the neck!" Edo called on the Gunso when his blade cut the creature. He pulled out the blade, and thrust it back into the creature chest and then twisted the blade to widen the wound. Meanwhile Gunso had thrusted his yari into the creature neck, stifling the scream from it.

The creature fell down dead and Edo had the body thrown down the hole. He then told Gunso to carried the Taisa with the others. He looked back and saw there were no more creatures coming there.

Bento pulled the bow to his back and assisted in carrying the Taisa while Sun, the other archer was keeping vigilant on the flank. As he was carrying the Taisa, his mind was on the archery skill by Sun. The other was always lagging behind but then in the last few days he had improved. He heard that among the Mongols was one archery master who coached Sun. He envied his friend on the pace of improvement. He was thankful, the Mongols have all perished in the last battle so that mean Sun have lost a master. He would now improved on his own and best out Sun once more.

Sun who caught up from the flank was smiling to himself. He was thinking of the shot he made with Bento. He thought of the short training by the Mongol master, Timun who told him some tricks to get the shot accurate on moving targets. He still have much to improved on the static target. He looked at Bento who was in front carrying the Taisa' legs.

'Bento, my friend and rival. One day I would be better than you.' Sun thought to himself. It was then he saw what may had been a shadow of the creature. He signaled Edo on his action as he crouched down to await the creature. It was a creature on a dragon as mentioned by the Ainu before. Now he was to see the close up of the dragon. The dragon was a hideous creature with its tongue lashing out. Sun heard of the creature's venom in its bite. An idea came to him; if he can injured the creature, he may delayed the creature.

Sun notched the arrow onto the bow and aimed at the dragon. He timed the arrow to hit the eye of the dragon. He wants to blind the creature. His first shot found its target; the right eye causing the dragon great pain. It reared up on its legs and toppled the rider. In its rage, the dragon lashed out at anything near it. It saw its rider but in its anger, it attacked the creature. That achieved Sun' intention as it ran up to the fleeing group.

Taisa woke up with the head swatted with some big leaves coated with herbs. He tried to sit up but Gunso Mita had held him down.

"Taisa, we are by the river but we can't cross." Gunso sighed.

What Gunso Mita did not tell Taisa was that the river was infested with flesh seeking river predators; creatures which resembled the serpent but these one are with a single head and flippers on their body to swim in the water. But their deadly bites were to be feared; a man sized frame of flesh could be removed within seconds. They are named Caribes; the deadly one. As mentioned by Tairi, the Ainu knew that as they had arrived the first time near the river. They tried to find their life there but it did not work out. So they left for inland and met the Gaijin Captain.

Edo and Tairi have been planning on the crossing while the rest kept vigil on the creatures. It was their fourth day at the river banks. The creatures have been searching; of late have reduced in their patrols.

"Edo-san, if we build a larger raft then we may made it across. We can reinforced the raft with more padding of woods." Tairi explained his theory. "My men can built it but we need materials."

They planned it; they would build during the night when the sun is down, and only assembled it on the day of sailing. It was agreed and they proceeded to get the work done. It took them two weeks to gather the materials as wood was available but the means to cut and shaped it was difficult. It helped as the creature patrols are few now; with more time for the group of men to do their work.

"We will assembled tomorrow." Tairi told the Gunso. It was all planned and they tied the parts to make the large raft. It was an easy task except that the creatures have planned an ambush on that day. They came charging; seven of them attacking the group of men.

"Ambush!" Gunso Mita shouted out.

The first casualties were the wa'kuo men; four went down with blows when they retreated in haste. The creatures were all armed with serrated blades on wooden hilt, except one was with a long handled hammer. That last one was Satui. He was now confronting Gunso Mita, who was fallen by the hammer blow. Gunso Mita defended himself with his yari while trying to figure out how to get out the trap.

Edo saw the uneasy position of Gunso and rushed in with his naginata on the creature. He evaded a blowing move by another creature with the serrated blade, and reached the rear of the one carrying the hammer. He swung his naginata on the back of the knees of the creature. That caused the creature to fall down, and he swung his naginata hard on the neck but missed it by cutting onto the right shoulder.

Satui felt the pain on its knees and then its shoulder. If it had not moved, then it would had been its neck severed from the shoulder. It jumped to avoid the next blow and landed on the far side.

Gunso Mita saved from imminent death, pushed himself up and charged at the creature who was wounded, but the call by Bento for assistance could not be denied. Gunso looked to the situation and rolled over with his body like a barrel form before he reached the creature side. It was a move he taught himself as that way the creature taller frame found it difficult to reached a lower target but the shorter opponent was there with his yari thrusting at the creature lower torso from the rear side. The yari tore the lower torso vulnerable flesh causing the creature to cried out

Bento still on the ground; saw the opportunity to draw his katana to thrust into the left thigh of the creature causing it to fall deeper into the yari blade. He then got up and jumped up high to slash the blade on the right side of the neck. His katana did not made full cut on the neck but slashed just on the front side with a wound that cut from the right to the left side. The wound removed the main arteries that flow its essential fluid to the head. The creature fell forward on the cut, causing Bento to jumped aside.

Edo saw Gunso Mita was out of danger, then he focused on the creature he had wounded but that creature was gone. He spied on another which had just killed another wa'kuo. He rushed over and jumped up high with his overhead swing of the naginata.

"Hachiman ( Japanese God of War ) guide my strength..." Edo twisted his body to the side in the jump to placed his naginata against the side of the creature's neck. The naginata cut into the side of the right jaw into creature skull; killing it with that blow.

"To the river!' Taisa shouted as his opponent fell down clutching the left knee and screaming out. That was the last of the fighting creatures; only two ran away from the trap set by them. The men heard his command and hand carried their wounded to the river bank. The scent of blood have driven the Caribes to the river banks, but the raft was almost completed' fifty feet length by forty feet wide to cross the river. It had been reinforced by one feet thickness of wood and vines. They had constructed three long staff to act as steers for the raft.

"Get on the raft. We would cross then." Taisa commanded.

The ones who rode the raft were five samurai, three farmers, two slaves with three Taira sailors. Thirteen men unknowingly were crossing the boundary of one nation to another. The others did not make it for the crossing.

Satui with his hand over his shoulder wound looked at the departing men. He told himself that he would report to Tut this.

Unknown to him, Tut had reported to their Lord; the Mighty Lord Zethre, mightiest of the creatures in his stronghold on the rock mountain of Crema. The Lord resides in the large caverns inside the mountain with his few thousand creatures warriors and the two hundred slaves that he had captured when they come through the skies or rocks into his land. They are kept as slaves and on their expiration, they are sent to the caverns for the Guardians. There are some who are troubled, would be sent immediately.

"Senior Leader Tut, what you are telling me sounds like a raiding party from across the river?" Lord Zethre looked to his warrior with the keen eyes that was his namesake; they said that nothing evades his eyes.

"They are not raiding parties but slaves, my Lord. They came from the rocks like that one." Tut pointed to the serving slave. "They speak the same words like that. They are not ...."

"Silence, you fool. I am the Lord. My words are king in this land. If I said they are raiders from the opposite land, they are whom I denounced. If you displeased with my words, then leave my land." Lord Zethre was an old creature with many years of conflicts with those from across the river. They are not the same as these creatures as they are smaller in frame but equally ferocious. More to that, they are better equipped to fight than Lord Zethre' warriors but the disparity in size gave Lord Zethre the added leverage. With his impatience and arrogance his other namesake was whispered as the Mad One.

"We had a truce for over seven hundred sunrise but that ....incompetent leader there need to be taught a lesson." Lord Zethre spoke and then called on a war council be formed. It was then the Leader of the Senior, the one eyed Hibagon walked in.

"Intai, your presences are late. How come...." Lord Zethre wanted the update on the fight at the cavern.

"I was pre-occupied, my Lord." Intai glared over at the Senior Leader Tut. "The rebel slaves took time to handle. I heard too of a group that crossed the river. Perhaps it would be wise to discuss among the Councils."

"Senior Leader Tut, your presence is not required anymore. Please attend to your own matters." Leader of the Senior dismissed the Senior Leader. Senior Leader Tut excused himself as he was a warring warrior; not a strategist warrior like those in the council.

Tut walked out of the cavern into the open courtyard. He turned his look towards the stronghold of the creatures of Crema. The forefathers build this land when they were chased by the more intelligent but smaller cousins of theirs and banished to here. Their forefathers fought the predators and built this stronghold. They breed and grew their numbers in the cavern and have their pets, the serpents to safeguard their young ones. The gestation of the eggs needed at least one hundred sunrise to hatched and with thir once mating in every four hundred sunrise cycle, their numbers are small but growing.

In the pursuit of lengthening and widening the caverns to make it bigger, they found the God given gift in the inner cavern. They took a long time to break down the solid wall of rocks and stumbled on the eight limbed rare rocks that resembled a sharp cone on eight limbs. It was an accidental move by one of the early forefathers who called on the God to whirl it cone head. It then would vibrate in periodic cycles with spate of time when it remained dormant. Most time when it vibrate, there would be new slaves to be collected on the land. It was discovered by the forefathers much later into its spin offering.

The discoverer was named Tito, and so the God was named Tito Father by the forefathers.