The tower : A New start

Trapping a Rat

It'd been a month since they had to move to the cottage. Sapphire was beginning to wonder what was taking so long. The 4th of July was in a few days. Independence day. If only It was her independence day. Freedom from The Butcher, that'd be amazing. She sat in the living room putting the finishing touches to an article, Alex's sketches sitting next to her on the little desk she was using. The first week at the cottage, Alex had two portable desks delivered to the house so they could work. They weren't fancy just fold down wood desks for easy transport.

She heard the murmur of voices outside the house. Alex was talking to the foreman in charge of the repairs to the house trying to get a straight answer as to what was taking so long to repair the house. She was disturbed by the raising voices outside and half turned towards the door.

“You told me a few weeks when you first looked at the damage. Two weeks passed and you told me you'd need a little longer. When I asked you said a week. It's been two weeks now and you are back here telling me you need more time again. What the H*** is going on up there?” Alex snapped as Sapphire opened the door and stepped out of the cottage.

The foreman swept a hand through his hair in frustration before answering, “Vandalism and theft is the reason we haven't finished yet. It's gotten so bad that we've had to lock our tools up and leave someone to watch the house each evening just to avoid further set backs. It started out as broken windows. Then there was the small fire on the porch that I found and extinguished when I returned one night to double check the locks and equipment. It has now progressed to vehicles being damaged so they don't work properly which means getting new equipment before we can continue work. Last night someone took a sledge hammer to the porch, the outer walls of the house, and the windows. We've been reporting this to the police and now they're having someone watch the house to see if they can catch these guys.” The foreman's gazed never left Alex's as he explained what they've been dealing with, “I didn't want to worry the two of you over this because at first we thought it was kids. Now we aren't so sure.”

He pulled out his phone and found the pictures he'd taken of the damage each time it occurred. He handed the phone to Alex. Alex flipped through the series of pictures a scowl darkening his face. Sapphire had joined him in looking at the pictures. Suddenly, she caught her breath as Alex stopped on a picture and zoomed in on a section. A small butcher knife had been painted on the wall. It had been painted in such a way one might not have noticed it at first since it looked from a distance to be part of the damage to the wall.

“Did you notice this when you took the picture?” Alex asked as he turned the phone so the workman could see what they were looking at.

The foreman studied the picture, “No, not at first. Chief Irish was the one who noticed it and showed me. That is the reason he decided to post some men at the house. That and he said it's just getting too dangerous. Several of my men were almost killed in the malfunctions of the equipment. Luckily, we were able to get the equipment shut down fast enough no one got hurt. He thinks someone is trying to keep you two from going back to the house. I aim to get this job done one way or another.” He answered.

Sapphire sighed their trouble maker hadn't been as quiet as she first thought. He was angry and taking it out on the work men. She should never had come here. She'd put Alex, the workmen, the Marshals, and anyone else she came in contact with in danger. She was going to have to do something before someone got hurt or worse killed.

Alex's gazed met hers, “I know what you're thinking. It's not happening.” He sent over their mental connection, “We'll figure this out. You running scared is exactly what he wants.”

“I know. I just don't know what I'm going to do. All I know it this has to stop. Someone is going to get hurt.” She Responded through their connection.

“You're right about that. I have an idea that might help us catch our trouble maker.” He reassured her.

Alex studied the picture once more then looked at the foreman, “I've got an idea to catch this guy. If you and your men wouldn't mind lending a hand tonight. I'm calling Sheriff Irish to get him involved as well.”

“What's your plan?” The foreman asked with interest.

“I need you and your men to get a hold of as many spotlights as possible. The ones with remote controls please. Set them up all around the house. Also lay out various boards and other items as though you've been working hard. Make sure that there is only one way to walk around the house with out tripping or knocking things over.” Alex instructed him.

The foreman shook his head, “That's deliberately creating hazards.” He observed. Alex nodded.

“Of course, We want our trouble maker to have some difficulty getting around. The more careful you have to be the slower you have to go unless you want to get hurt.” He explained as understanding dawned on the foreman.

“I get it. We will do as you ask and then make it look like we are leaving for the day. We will park at the hotel where we are staying and then after dark make our way back up here on foot. The more people we have covering the area the better chance we have at grabbing this guy.” The foreman said.

Alex nodded, “But don't jump the gun. For this to work our timing needs to be precise. I'm calling the Sheriff to discuss this with him so we can get his cooperation to catch this guy. If it turns out he is armed the police will be the ones to deal with him. Not us. We don't want anyone else to get hurt.” He then pulled out his phone and called the sheriff. They spoke for a few minutes then Alex hung up.

Five minutes later, Sheriff Irish arrived and Alex laid out his plan. “The construction crew will go set up the spotlights around the house as if they planned to work extra shifts after dark to complete the work. They are also going to lay out equipment and materials so that there wll; be only one safe route through the area. Then the crew will leave like they are going to get supper. When it gets dark they are going to work their way back up the bluff on foot to help form a net in case the person responsible decides to run. Sheriff Irish and his men are going to set up in various hidden places on the bluff as part of the net after dark. Sapphire and I are going to take cover on a bench behind the wall with the remotes. As soon as we hear movement we will turn on the spotlights as if they were set to turn on for the workmen to return. This will startle the person responsible and hopefully if all goes well he or she will run into our trap when attempting to escape.”

The Sheriff nodded in approval, “It should work if everyone plays their part.”

The Marshals arrived and were appraised of the plan and agreed to help out. Every one involved met at three that afternoon for a review of the plan. They set up the spotlights and materials as planned. Alex and Sapphire tested the remotes to make certain they would be able to turn the spotlights on from behind the wall. The lights didn't turn on when they pressed the buttons while behind the wall. Only when they were out front where the lights were. Since the lights were a large part of the plan they had to work fast to come up with a solution. They tried various positions to no avail. You had to be standing in the front yard in the middle of them to turn them on with the remotes.

It was Sapphire who decided to climb up in to the tower to try using the remote from the window. She pointed the remote out the window, pressed the button and the lights sprang to life with brilliant light. It worked. Alex joined her and pressed the button and the rest of the light came on. They turned them off and returned back down stairs to the yard.

“Do you think it's safe enough for us to be up there tonight to activate the lights?” Alex asked the foreman nervously. He didn't want Sapphire in danger.

“It should be we've got the walls repaired so they will hold the weight and we have the porch roof jacked up to prevent any stress on the walls. As long as you don't get too wild, jumping around and the like, it should be safe.” The foreman assured him. Alex sighed relieved he wouldn't have to worry about that. Sheriff Irish handed out walkie talkies to everyone.

“Everyone needs to check in every hour during tonight. We will be in groups of two for safety. You all know what to do. If you see anyone approach who isn't supposed to be here say in bound over the walkie. Do not forget to give your location. Keep your voice to a whisper when using the walkie. We don't want to give ourselves away. Above all do not approach the person you're watching, cornered people can be very dangerous especially if they are up to no good. Are we clear?” Sheriff Irish said briskly. Everyone nodded. “Good, Report to your positions as soon as it is dark. Check in once you are in position. As soon as everyone is checked in we go radio silent. No sound unless checking in or reporting in bounds. Pray for luck.”

After the meeting, everyone parted ways. The Sheriff and his men doing a walk through as if making sure everything was secure. The workmen heading out for supper and supplies. Alex and Sapphire heading back to the cottage to eat and work. She scanned the sketches that Alex made and submitted them with the article while Alex traded stock and solved the problems that arose in his other businesses.

He was still busy when Sapphire went to make supper. She started coffee and popped two meatloaf TV dinners into the oven. Then she unfolded the card table in the living room and set it. She placed two cups of coffee on the table and checked the food. When she returned Alex was sipping his coffee, the phone sitting on the table.

“Thanks for the coffee.” He said and sipped appreciatively.

“You're welcome. You nervous about tonight?” She asked as she twisted her fingers revealing her own case of nerves.

“A little. But I'm more worried about you getting hurt than anything else.” He admitted meeting her gaze.

“I'll be with you. Besides I'm stronger than I look and as you repeatedly told me since we developed our mental connection I'm a fighter and fight I will. I'm not ready to meet my maker just yet. I've just started living life.” She said with more courage than she was feeling. She was worried about something going wrong and people getting hurt.

Alex could see Sapphire was worried, he was too. But, he also believed this was the best chance to stop the person responsible for everything before someone got hurt or killed. He tamped down his worry and focused on what lay ahead.

Sapphire studied Alex. The determination in those beautiful eyes and the stubborn set of his jaw. He was worried, yet he was shoving it away so he could do the job he'd been given. She realized she needed to do the same and forced the worry out of her mind. She projected positive thoughts where the worry once was. Envisioning their plan succeeding. Everyone safe and the person responsible in custody.

They both changed into all black clothes to help hide them in the dark. Then they entered the kitchen, it was almost ten and starting to get dark. Sapphire closed the shutters and pulled the blinds on all the windows. Soon the kitchen was shrouded in darkness. Alex quietly moved the table and rug. Then he opened the trap door to the root cellar.

They climbed down into the cellar. Sapphire glance up and focused for a minute. The cellar door closed. They then heard the rug and table slide back into place. She glanced at Alex nervously. He smiled pride lighting his eyes and then indicated his head lamp. She reached up to turn her head lamp on and then followed him to the secret tunnel. They had waited to use the head lamps until they were in the cellar to keep from giving themselves away.

Sapphire and Alex quickly worked their way through the tunnel. They stepped into the Bomb shelter and the through secret door into the basement. From there they walked over to another basement wall and passed through into Alex's emergency shelter. They climbed the stairs and stepped into the tower via the hidden door. They started up the stairs to the second floor. By the time they reached the second floor it was dark. The only light they had was the moon itself. Sapphire and Alex dropped to the floor and crawled to the window they had chosen. Their only problem getting up high enough to use the remotes to turn on the lights without being seen. The moon was full and it lit up the night like a beacon making it harder to keep from being seen.

“Position 1 in place.” Alex said into the walkie. Another group checked in and Another until all eleven teams of two had checked in. Then all was silent and the game began. As each hour passed with nothing happening the tension built. Sapphire could hear it each time they checked in. She began to wonder if the culprit decided not to show tonight for some reason when they heard “Incoming position 11 heading toward the house.” over the walkie. It was Mace speaking.

“This is position 10. We see him.”

“Same here, Position nine”

Alex peeked up then dropped back down, “Position one has a visual. Preparring for phase two.” He briskly reported. Sapphire peeked up then sat again and nodded. “ Beginning phase two.” He said into the walkie and then they pushed the buttons on the remote from their sitting positions. Nothing.

Alex murmured something unintelligable and they both raised up abit and tried again. Nothing. They could hear the man below trashing something. They couldn't get up any higher without giving themselves away. Sapphire focused all her energy on the remotes. “What are you two doing? Get those lights on.” The Sheriff snapped over the walkie. The remotes raised up to the center of the window. The power buttons depressed as if someone had pressed them and suddenly the entire house was flooded with light. Raising up to peer out the window they saw the man dart across the lawn towards the woods and right into Sheriff Irish and his men. Sapphire gasped as they turned him to cuff and search him for weapons.

Alex pulled Sapphire to her feet and they hurried down the stairs and out the door. They carefully crossed the porch with the help of the workmen. They stepped off the porch into the front yard as everyone else gathered into the yard. “He's the one who crashed the car into the house.” Sapphire informed the Sheriff.

“She's right.” Alex said when the Sheriff glaced at him.

The man didn't flinch when he heard their accusation. He just stood there stone faced. It wasn't until the Marshals came out of the woods and he saw Deacon that he reacted.

The moment Deacon came into view the prisoner lunged forward startling the two police officers who had to latch on to keep him from charging forward.

“You lousy son of a *****! You set me up, Deacon! You set me up! You'll rue the day you turned on me! I”ll F***** ruin your life. You're one...” His rant was cut off as the police officers shoved him into a police cruiser that had just arrived and shut the door.

Everyone stared at Deacon, who stood there staring at the man in the car who was still shouting even though no one could really hear him. Deacon glanced around a look of puzzlement on his face. He met Sapphire's gaze, “I didn't have anything to do with this. I swear. I have no idea what he's talking about. I'd never do something like this. Mace...” He started as he turned to face his bewildered partner. Mace shook his head sadly.

“Deacon, I think you should join us at the station. We need to talk. This isn't the first time your name came up involving recent incidents.” Sheriff Irish said.

“What are you talking about?” Deacon asked now upset, “And why did no one tell me that I'm being looked at?” He faced the Sheriff standing tall shoulders squared. Anger and confusion rolled off him in waves.

Sheriff Irish took a breath and glanced at the workmen slowly dispersing at the urging of the Sheriff's deputies. “It would be best if we discussed this somewhere more private. Then we can hopefully get to the bottom of things.” He glanced at Alex and Sapphire apologetically and continued, “I know neither of you likes to leave your home, but I need your statements reguarding what you told us tonight. Also I'd like you be present when we chat with our friend Deacon here.”

Alex and Sapphire nodded. She wasn't happy about having to leave the safety of the house and yard, but she would if this could bring an end to everything. Alex pulled her close wrapping his arm around her protectively. “We will follow in my car.” He said quietly.

Deacon was ushered into the remaining police car with Sheriff Irish while Mace hurried to get the car he and Deacon drove. Alex pulled his SUV out of the garage behind the house and Sapphire climbed in. Neither one spoke on the way to the police station each lost in thought. Sapphire didn't even notice the amazing architecture of the homes and businesses they passed.

Alex parked in front of the police station and opened Sapphire's door to help her out. They mounted the stairs together and entered. They spent the next two hours giving their statements and confirming their identification of the man who'd crashed into the house.

Then they settled into a confrence room with Mace, Deacon, Sheriff Irish, and two deputies. “We are talking this way instead of interrogating you out of respect for you.” Sheriff Irish began, “We didn't inform you of certain things because we couldn't confirm some of the details.”

“What details?” Deacon asked glancing around the room. The sheriff nodded at Sapphire.

“A few weeks ago I received a strange phone call. The caller claimed to be you and stated he'd been kidn*pped and that you were not the real Deacon. There was a struggle and what appeared to be a gun shot before we were disconnected.” She explained.

“We called Sheriff Irish imediately. We had no idea if the call was real or not. As far as we knew some was killed while we listened. We didn't know anything.” Alex took over the story.

“Sapphire managed to record the phone call so we've been analysing the recording and even tried to have the call traced. Unfortunately, they were unable to trace the call. Nor have we found anything in the recording to give us further information. Right now we are analysing the voices to see if we can get anything that way. I'd like to get a recording of your voice so we can rule you out as a particpant in the call.” The sheriff finished the story.

Deacon was quiet for a while. “I'd like to hear it if you don't mind. Then I'll let you record my voice for compairison.” He said quietly. The sheriff played the recording for him. As it progressed through to the end. Deacon's face lost color. He cringed at the gunshot and stared for a moment at the recorder as if it had grown horns. He was so pale he was white like a sheet of paper. “Just so you know my voice may match what you heard. I have a brother who looks a great deal like me. He can even talk the way I do. He's good at mimmicking others voices. He did it for fun when we were kids. I haven't seen him in years. The first man on the recording could be him.” He said quietly just stating facts, “I can see how bad this looks and I have no real explaination for the recording or the things that man said when you picked him up, Sheriff. It might be best if I stepped down from this case and let someone else help Mace.”

“That won't solve anything, Deacon. There's no proof of wrong doing on your part. All we have to go on is that recording and what Mr. Gregory Farmston has told us. We will have to continue looking into everything. It will be better for you to keep doing your job. I have a feeling you may be just as much of a target as Sapphire and Alex.” Sheriff Irish said all buisness, “I spoke with your boss just before we had our little chat and he agree's with me. Changing things up will only show the person behind all of this that we're on to him and he'll go to ground. Then we will have lost our chance at him until he decides to resurface which could be too late.”

“I'm sorry we didn't say anything, but we didn't want to accuse you without good reason. You've never given us a reason to doubt you. It wouldn't have been right.” Sapphire said softly.

Deacon nodded sadly, “It's alright. We will figure this out. Call the Sheriff if you get anymore of those calls or if anything else happens. Your safety is paramount right now.”

Sapphire nodded and squeezed Alex's hand under the table.

“Alex, you and Sapphire can go. I'd like to chat with Deacon for a few more minutes. I have acouple of officers waiting to see you both safely home.” Sheriff Irish informed them as he saw them out the door.

True to his word two officers were waiting for them. They walked them to Alex's SUV and then followed them back to the cottage. Once Alex and Sapphire were safe inside the door, the officers drove back down the driveway to where they were stationed.

Once Alex locked the doors and employed his preferred security system. He turned to face Sapphire.

“You OK?” he asked looking worried.

She smiled, “I'm good. We got the sabboture. The police have a lead on the recording even if it is small and everyone is safe.”

Alex smiled himself, “I just glad you're safe. You were fabulous tonight. I wouldn't have thought to use my ablilties to get those remotes high enough to turn those spotlights on.” He pulled her into his arms for a celebratory hug, which turned into a celebratory kiss. Alex deepened the kiss, as he felt her seemingly melt into him. They clung to each other lost in the kiss and the passion that rose between them. Their hands roamed down backs, up over shoulders, down chests, whereever they could reach. Sapphire pulled his shirt loose to run her hands up underneath it wanting to touch skin. Suddenly, Alex broke the kiss, breathing hard he rested his head against hers and looked into her eyes. “You're so beautiful. I just couldn't help myself. Forgive me if I overstepped my bounds.” He appologized.

“It's alright. I quite enjoyed the kiss. You have an amazing mouth.” she smiled then inexplicably her eyes were drawn to the window. Had they turned off the lights before they left? She didn't remember turning off the spotlights when they left.They should see some light from them shouldn't they? Unless the workmen turned them off. The smile faded from her lips and eyes as she stared out the window at the pitch black that was all she could see. “Alex, did we turn off the spotlights?” She asked suddenly nervous.

Alex followed her gaze to the window. He switched off the light and pulled her to the floor. Where they lay quietly while he called Sheriff Irish. She was right they hadn't shut off the spotlights before they left. Now they're off. Something was wrong.