O/T Story Time Options

[Sportsknight2]

The Horse was charging the man, but he couldn't move it was like he had been glued in place. The horse was a majestic beast all white with fire in his eyes. He whinnied as if he was telling the man something, something the man just couldn't understand. Just before the horse reached the man it disappeared in a cloud of smoke. One second the horse was alive and charging the next he was just gone. A tear started to fall down the man's cheek, and a sense of loss over came over him, a sadness that had no source. The man closed his eyes and tried to focus but something was wrong, he could feel it.

Then the dark clouds rolled in and swallowed the bright sun, it was dark, very dark. The winds began to pick up and the rain began to fall, biting hard as each drop touched the man's skin. The man swore there was laughter in the wind, a wild and spooky sound that was somehow familiar. Then out of the darkness came marching an army of Ogres, Trolls and Clones followed by gnarly, disfigured gnomes. They were coming for him, they were seeking vengeance and they would feast upon his flesh.

A huge hand came out of the darkness and grabbed the man up and a familiar but evil voice shouted, "There is no Horse to save you this time puny human!" The hand picked him up like a toy solider and tossed him to the Ogres, they fought to grab him and held a tug a war and just as he was about to be torn into bits…..

Michael awoke from the dream, his sheet soaked in sweat, tears flowing from his eyes, then a wet tong liked him and he saw Corey was next to him he reached up and pulled the dog to him and held her tight. He could feel her presents and she understood how much he missed the guardian known as Horse. She also realized that he had just had a terrifying dream and that dream had a message but where was the message from and who was trying to tell him something.

Michael finally let Corey go and got out of his bed. Corey followed him into the bathroom where Michael got a glass of cold water and drank it down. He got a second glass and drank more slowly this time. He gazed down at the golden retriever who went by the name Corey. "I'm sorry girl did you want a drink too?" Like it had been with horse he could almost here her polite reply in his head. He walked into the kitchen and noted her water bowl was empty, he picked it up, rinsed it carefully and the filled it with fresh water. He placed the dish down and Corey lapped it up eagerly. He watched her for a few moments while he finished his own glass.

He scratched Corey between the ears, "It has been almost a year, I thought I would have moved on by now, I mean you are here and Horse is home so why am I having such a bad time with all this." Corey looked up at Michael with an almost human understanding in her eyes. Corey couldn't really talk to Michael but she could exchange ideas by putting images in his mind. Michael was very intuitive and his mind would put those images into words, in reality he was talking to himself but the ideas were coming from Corey.

"You think there was some kind of message Horse was trying to send us and someone or something was hacking in?" Cory wolfed quietly using her best indoor bark to show agreement. Michael smiled and laughed, I will never get over how you guardians work." He was silent for a moment and then said, "You don't think Scomwellion has found a way back into this world already do you?" Again Corey gave a wolf of disagreement but she was thinking more of the human kind of evil, but the dream had been distorted and changed to lead them in that direction. "So you think that was why Horse just went poof and then the monsters began to march." Corey was now wagging her tail in an affirmative response. Michael wondered what kind of evil could be worst then Scomwellion, but then he had never met a man named Jason Charles Hess. Unfortunately for one of them, they would meet and one of them would not walk away alive. Corey closed her eyes for a moment; it wasn't yet time to let Michael in on this information. She had to let the events play out, she would be there for support but could not intervene directly. Horse had tried but was going to say too much and he had been cut off by the other guardians, but how had Jason been able to break into Michael's dream, that was something she would have to find out.

Michael headed back to the bedroom; he checked his radio clock it was just after three in the morning. The sheets were still wet so he did a quick bedding change and then crawled back into the warm confines of his bed. He did not think he was going to be able to sleep as the images from his dream kept running through his head. But soon his eye lids got heavy and he closed them within seconds Michael was asleep again. Cory watched him till she knew he had fallen asleep then she went to the foot of the bed circled clock wise four times and laid down. She entered Michaels mind and calmed him, once she was satisfied he would sleep through the night she shut her own eyes. Just before falling off to sleep she thought that man can be so good but they can be so much more evil then even the demons from their Hell.

This post has been edited by Sportsknight2: Apr 27 2009, 01:57 PM

[Bonnie2]

Oh boy! A new Michael story!! Happy Feet Dance!



I went to NBC board to refresh my memory of how last year's ended but it seems to be gone.... it is funny - I always envisioned horse as black but if he is ghostly now I guess he would be white.

[Sportsknight2]

The sun was high in the blue clear sky; the air was warm and filled with the shouts and laughter of a dozen or so children who were playing in Oxbow park. The mothers sat on benches and quietly chatted with one another, every so often sneaking a look at their child to make sure they were not up to some mischief. Just off the play ground, in a small stand of trees, a man stood watching the children more closely then the mothers. This was no ordinary man, he was a merchant, but not the normal kind that sells knick knacks or household goods, this man was a dream fulfiller. He made wishes of his clients come true. Today he was looking for a specific dream, but no one on the play ground fit the bill. That was alright he thought to himself, it was a beautiful day and there were plenty of other parks to visit.

The man slowly walked away, drawing no attention, it was as if he was invisible. He had no such powers but through years of experience he had learned how to blend into the back ground until that crucial moment when he made his acquisition. To days order was for a 2-4 year old with red hair and green eyes, freckles were optional. The preferred sex was male though a female would be acceptable at a slightly reduced fee. The walked about three blocks south and two east of the park till he came upon a non descript green mini van. He opened the door and climbed inside. He started the engine and carefully pulled into traffic. He could make no mistakes, no clues to link him to the park. The man then headed for the next park on his list. He had a good feeling that he would find the right one today, maybe not right away but by days end he would have found the perfect match.



Michael walked into the federal building on Grant and 5^th in down town New Haven. This was his third assignment since that fiasco in Nashville. Michael became known as the troubled, trouble shooter. He was sent to the hardest cases because he got results. Some of his collogues were a bit dubious about his methods, after all he had been seen talking to a Horse and as of late a golden retriever. But Michael got the job done so his sometimes odd behavior was over looked.

Michael’s present assignment was to look into a rash of child mappings. The problem was that they had taken place all over the country and the two things that hooked them all together were the ages of the children 0-5 years old and there had been no ransom demands. They all disappeared from playgrounds or shortly after visiting a playground. The evidence was non existent, no one ever saw anything.

No one had connected these disappearances because of the spread out nature of the crime but Michael had been called in on two recent kidnappings, so he looked into similar cases of missing children. So far he had found almost 100 cases throughout the United States that fit the profile. How many were connected? There was no way to be positive but Michael had a feeling and when he got that feeling he was usually right.

Michael was also convinced that these children were not dead; he wasn’t sure why he felt that way but was convinced that Corey had something to do with it. Like Horse before her, Corey had a way of making Michael see things that he may never have seen on his own. Though Corey always insisted that she couldn’t directly interfere, Michael was sure that she was doing it indirectly.

Michael entered his temporary office and turned on his computer. He logged in and ran a search for any new cases matching the MO. It took about five minutes to complete the search just to find no new case. He relaxed, it was a mixed blessing, while he never wanted a child to be taken, he needed the information to try and find a pattern. So far no obvious pattern had emerged. There were cases in big cities, little cities, towns and provinces. Michael stared at his screen, it was there, the clue he needed but he just couldn’t see it.

[Bonnie2]

....2-4 year old with red hair and green eyes, freckles were optional...

That kind of describes an adult female we know of....

[Sportsknight2]

Jennifer McNeal sat on the bench in Sunset Park and watched her rambunctious three year old play in the sand box with a couple of other toddlers. Jennifer always kept a careful eye on her child because he was all that she had. If it had not been for her son Kevin, she might not have made it through those dark days after her husband died. It was almost four years ago, Jason McNeal had just gotten back from a tour in Iraq and they had been celebrating. One night they went out on the town, had dinner and went dancing and then went for a walk along the river front.

The two young lovers were in a world all of their own, there was no war, there was just the two of them and they were about to start a whole new chapter in their lives. Jason was trained well, he saw danger coming but there was nothing he could do about it. A small gang of kids seemingly came out of no where and surrounded the happy couple. Jason swore to himself, he had let his guard down and now they were in danger. The kids made a big show and Jason thought about taking them on, but the odds were not at all good. The leader stepped up and demanded his wallet and her purse. Jason handed the requested items over, but the gang leader was not satisfied with what was in the wallet and he demanded their jewelry. When Jennifer did not move fast enough for the leader he ripped the pearl necklace from around her throat. That was a mistake, Jason grabbed the leader and snapped his arm, but the others jumped Jason and stabbed him several times. As Jason lay on the ground bleeding from his multiple stab wounds the leader got up and kicked him three times in the ribs. Jennifer screamed and a voice shouted from out of the dark. With one word the gang of kids faded into the night.

Jennifer tried to apply pressure to the wounds to stop the bleeding but there were just too many and he died in her arms just as the police and EMT crew arrived. Jennifer never forgot the faces of those kids nor the final words her husband whispered in her ear, “I love you and I will be waiting for but please don’t hurry you have so much life yet to live.”

In the next few weeks she had serious thoughts of joining her husband but they never got past thoughts something or someone was watching over her whispering in her ear that she could make it and that she was strong. She always believed that it was Jason telling her he wanted her to live. Shortly after that Jennifer found out she was pregnant with Jason’s son and she knew she had to be strong and move on. But she would never be caught unaware again; she would always pay close attention to her surroundings.

Two months after Jason’s death three of the gang died in a shoot out with police the remaining two went on trial for the death of her husband and attempted murder of a police officer. Both were found guilty and both got life without possibility of parole. One of them later committed suicide in prison and the other died when he was stabbed multiple times in the shower. Rumor was it was a hit by a rival gang. Jennifer did not care she just hoped they both joined their buddies in hell.

So Jennifer was much more watchful then the other mothers. So it was no surprise that she spotted a man watching the children, he was well hidden in the tree line but there was no mistake he was watching the children. Yes it could have been a father watching his child at play but something told Jennifer that was not the case here, she had a shiver go up her spine like something pure evil was present, she could not see the man clearly but he was about six foot one or two, a hundred and ninety five pounds with green or khaki colored clothing like a park employee might wear. The man watched for a few more minutes and then pulled out a pad of some sort and wrote some notes as he walked away.

Jennifer nudged her friend Candice, who had been talk with a couple of other mothers. Candice turned and Jennifer whispered, “Did you see that man over there in the trees, he was watching the kids.” Candice looked at where the man had been, but there was no one there now. “No I didn’t what did he look like?” Candice inquired. Jennifer told her and Candice relaxed, “Sounds like a park employee to me.” Jennifer looked deep into her friends eyes and said, “Maybe, maybe, but I think he was something else, just pass the word along to the others to keep their eyes open, I got a real bad feeling about this one.” Candice knew better than to argue with her friend, especially since she was right more times than she was wrong. Candice also knew that look that Jennifer had in her eyes; it was not a good omen.

[WalnutValleyGal]

YIPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! Another SK story !!!!

[Bonnie2]

YIPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! Another SK story !!!!

With Michael

[Sportsknight2]

Two days later a child disappeared from Sunset Park, an amber alert went out immediately. The mother, Sara Parsons, had just turned her back a few minutes and her Jimmy just vanished. Jimmy was three years old, with fiery red hair fair skin green eyes.

He had been wearing a navy blue jumper, with a Tigger T-shirt, white socks and Pooh Bear shoes, though the shoes and socks had been found near the sand box (Jimmy always went barefoot in the sand box).



The little boy slept soundly in the back of the mini van as the man pulled into the large warehouse in the industrial area of Mystic Bay. What luck he had, the child was in the park, the mother was yapping away with her friends and the nosey woman he had seen two days before was no where to be seen. He did not like that woman she had been to observant, he knew she had spotted him but was sure she would dismiss him as a maintenance worker for the Parks department. At least that is what he told himself at the time, but his gut was telling him she could end up causing him trouble.

He had no more time to think about the woman who had watched him so diligently, he had to prep the product for delivery. He opened the back door and carefully picked up the sleeping child. Yes the sleep was drug induced but you never could be too careful. He walked over to a freight elevator and ascended two floors. The doors opened up on what looked to be a lab out of a sci-fi movie. While the lab was high tech it was far from fictional. All those years he had spent with the government working on mind control techniques had paid off. He had done his research and led the feds down a path, when it turned out the process did not work the feds closed it down. But the man knew the process worked but he kept the real details to himself.

This was just the first experiment, and the experiment had to be self funding, so he chose to take small children, plant events in their little heads, and then sell them to people who wanted children but couldn’t have them. Yes the process worked with young impressionable children very well. So well in fact that the child would never remember his real parents and would bond quickly with the new family.

This was supposed to be stage one but it turned out to be a highly profitable stage one. Manny couples from all over the world were paying him good money to get their dream child. Most of the time he did not even use, “The Process” on his targets because, the child was so young they had not yet formed permanent attachments in memory. The problem was new born children were very difficult to come by, hospitals had increased security making it very risky so he preferred toddlers not older than 4. He was able to convince most of his clients that it was easier to find a slightly older child than it was to find a new born.

He placed the child in the specially designed table and strapped him in. He started an intravenous saline drip which he then added his special chemical mix to. The man then placed a special helmet on the child that had sensors that would send the proper information to the brain. He waited for 30 minutes to let the drugs do their work and then he went to a keyboard and started his program that would feed the child his new memories. In this case the child was given a vague memory of a car accident, with just enough information that it could be verified. All the child knew was that mommy and daddy were gone and he was now living with a distant relative. See the couple who wanted to adopt this child had to believe that the child was from a distant cousin who had actually died in a car accident but the child had also died. The tricky part was breaking into the computer systems and changing records to show the child had survived and was being adopted by the distant relatives.

Again his previous work for the government made this process much easier. Heck he even had a legitimist business that covered all his activities. He had all the paper work and properly signed documents showing where the child came from, If authorities dug into the adoption they would find nothing amiss except for a lack of live people to verify, but computer records galore. Hell he even paid his taxes income or at least most of it. He was not going to be caught like others had been by not paying taxes. The program was now in process and the information was being downloaded. This would take several hours, but he had always been a patient man and he was not going to start rushing things now.

He began to think about moving on to the next step in this process, how to use it on adults. He thought he would start with seeing if he could make people do things, like rob a bank. Oh they would get caught but he had a back up plan for that. Eventually he hoped he could program people to do what ever he wanted, when he wanted, and they would never remember doing it. Oh it was easy with small children, but the adult brain was more complex and he would take longer than a couple of hours, at least at first.

The man’s mind started to drift back to the park two day s ago and the woman on the bench that seemed to have spotted him and watched him. She could be trouble, he did not like loose ends but he really did not like the idea of killing, he had avoid any blood shed so far, but if he had to take out a threat it would have to be done just right so there was no way to trace it back to him. Maybe it was time for a teenager, yes start slow and work your way up. Some street kid whom could be manipulated and it would look like a botch robbery or home invasion. Now that idea had some merit.

[Sportsknight2]

Jennifer relaxed after a long day of work, little Kevin was asleep after an exciting excursion to Papa’s Pizza. He loved playing in the big room with all those plastic balls and the hamster like tunnel system. She opened up a Diet Pepsi and turned on the local news. The first story she saw was a bout a little boy who had disappeared from Sunset Park. Jennifer thought about the man she saw there two days before. Like most people she really did not want to get involved, but this was a missing child. She knew that the chances the two events were connected were slim, but her conscious would not let it go. If it was her son she would want people to come forward. The news anchor said there was an amber alert out and gave a number to call if anyone had any information.

Jennifer wrote the number down and then reached for her phone, just as it rang. Jennifer answered “Hello” The excited voice of her friend Sam Collins started right in. “You have to turn on the news a child was taken from the park today and I remembered you talking about seeing a strange man in the park a few days ago, my God, you may have seen the kidnapper!” Sam was the kind of woman who got wound up easily and then just took off. “Jennifer you have to call the hot line and tell them what you saw, this could be huge, and you may be able to save that little boy!” “Sam, Sam, thanks for calling but I just saw it on the news and I was about to call the number. What I saw may just have been a maintenance worker or maybe something else but I know I need to call the authorities.” Sam continued on like Jennifer hadn’t spoken a word. “You could be come famous” and she went on and on. Jennifer finally broke through and said, “Sam, Sam, I have to call that number so I have to hang up.” Sam finally realized she had been going on and on so she said a quick good bye and hung up.

Jennifer picked up the phone once again and began dialing the number she had written down. The phone began to ring after the fourth ring a deep gruff male voice answered “Lane County Sheriffs Department, tip hot line, Deputy Cotter, how may I help you?” Hello I think I have some information about a man that was hanging around Sunset Park.” “Yes mama, could you tell me about it?” Jennifer took a deep breath and began to explain everything she had seen on that day. The deputy sounded less enthused when he realized this had taken place several days before the child went missing, but he knew from experience to never discount anything off hand. The officer asked if it was needed if they could send out some detectives to speak with her. Jennifer said it would be alright and gave deputy Cotter her contact information.

Michael walked into his office and once more ran his search. He grabbed his morning coffee and passed on the pastries. He sat back down and went over his notes; he just couldn’t figure this guy for a serial killer. None of the children had ever been found alive or dead and that was unusual. This many missing kids and no one had ever found a trace of any of them. His computer chimed at him, telling him there was a match. He pulled up to his twenty-two inch wide screen and began reading the file. A 3 year old boy had disappeared from the Sunset Park in Lane County; no one had reported seeing anything so far. The county sheriffs department had an amber alert and a hot line.

Michael picked up the phone and called Lane County, he identified himself as Special Agent Michael Knight with the FBI Interstate Crimes Division. He gave the deputy his ID number and a phone number where he could be reached. He asked the officer to have the person in charge of the Jimmy Parson’s investigation give him a call; he told the deputy that there might be a link to the cases he was working on. He hung up and then called the airport to get a flight from Sacramento to Eugene Oregon. He would need a rental car to take him to Mystic Bay, he thought it must be on the coast but when he googled the town and found it was a small industrial section in the Eugene Springfield area. Mystic Bay in the middle of the valley, he wondered where some of these names came from.

The name actually came from an old Indian tribe that had lived in the area thousands of years before. The name of the area had really been mystic waters, there were several hot and mineral springs in the area, but the person who had translated missed something and the name became Mystic Bay. The locals liked the name and decided to keep it so the incorporated area was now known as Mystic Bay. Michael laughed because he knew all about things mystical, like Horse, Corey and even Peanut.

Michael’s phone rang, brining him out of the mists of the mystics. “Interstate Crimes, this is special agent Knight.” A deep voiced answered him back in a professional but friendly way. “Agent knight this is Detective Kristopher Younger, I am in charge of the Parson’s case, you wanted to talk to me?” Michael paused a moment why did that name sound familiar, he shook it off and dove into business. “Detective Younger, I am looking into a case that involves missing children and this parson’s case seems to fit the profile. I would like to come and take a look at what you have and of course I would be willing to share what I have so far which isn’t much but it may help establish a patter.”

Detective Younger paused for a moment, he did not play well with the feds, and they were always running rough shod over his cases. But Younger had checked up on Knight and had a gut feeling that this man could be trusted. “You really think these cases could be connected?” Michael answered truthfully, it may or may not be, my gut is telling me yes but this is the first case in Oregon, but the circumstances match our profile, young children taken from parks, school playgrounds and some of them even from hospitals, though we are less sure about the hospitals.”

Kris thought for a moment and then said, “OK, but this is my case if we can help each other that’s find but my main concern is to find the child.” Michael smiled, “Then we agree, this is your case and I am just there to help, but should it turn out to be connected I hope we will be able to work together.” Kris was silent for a moment and then said, “I guess we will find out soon enough. Oh buy the way, we may have a witness, a woman spotted a man hanging around the park a couple of days before the child went missing, it may be nothing but then again it may be the break we have been looking for.” Michael replied, “I’ll see you in tomorrow.”

Michael hung up the phone, he had a good feeling about Detective Younger and he thought that this just might be the beginning of the end, he hoped so, he really hated people who took children.

Kris hung up the phone, he wondered to himself why he had told the FBI guy about a possible witness but it had just come out. However Kris also had a good feeling about special agent Knight, he wasn’t sure why but he had a good feeling about him.

Outside the precinct across the street sat a small black rabbit, no one seemed to even notice the rabbit, he was hidden in some bushes and if anyone had noticed him they would have wondered about the way he seemed to be staring at the building across the street. A slim woman with red hair and green eyes spotted the rabbit and carefully sneaked up behind him. She grabbed him quickly and playfully, “There you are Peanut, what are you doing over here?” Peanut looked up into Megan’s eyes. She smiled as the answer to her question just seemed to pop into her head, “What do you mean helping Michael?” Then she shook her head, “You guardians, I swear, how does Michael put up with you? Now come on we have to go to Portland for the concert.” Peanut smiled to himself, as Megan slipped him into his carrying bag, he never questioned why he had to do something he just knew he had to. So why did this humans have to question everything.

[Sportsknight2]

The flight into Eugene was uneventful, Michael picked up a green Toyota Corolla at the Hertz counter and headed Southeast on Hwy 99 till he reached the Beltline and then he swung east driving towards Springfield.

The Eugene-Springfield area is in the central Willamette Valley just off of Interstate 5. Eugene is the home of the University of Oregon and is one of the three largest cities in Oregon. The others being Portland and the state capital of Salem. All of these cities have something in common, the Willamette River. Eugene is also a gateway to central and Eastern Oregon. Mystic Bay was located on the eastern fringe of Lane County on the way towards The McKenzie Pass just off the McKenzie Hwy.

Michael arrived at the Sheriffs station around ten-thirty; he walked in and spoke with the sergeant at the desk. He picked up the phone and rang the bull pen. He spoke to someone and then asked Michael to take a seat a detective would be out in a moment. Michael sat in uncomfortable plastic chair and waited. As it turned out he did not have to wait long.

A woman about five foot six came out the door, she was dressed in dark slacks, light blue blouse and a blue blazer, a gold detectives shield hung at her slim waist. Michael looked into the woman’s eyes, he stopped breathing, just for a moment, and he couldn’t quite believe it but this woman look almost exactly like another woman he had known almost a life time ago. The woman had reddish brown hair with green eyes. The detective noticed his odd behavior but decided to let it pass.

“Hello I’m detective Sandra Hicks”, again the feeling of déjà vu almost overwhelmed Michael. Michael took the detectives extended hand, it was a warm hand with a good grip, not to tight and not too loose. This woman was sure of her self and did not feel the need to impress the special agent form the FBI. Michael held on a little too long, but finally released detective Hicks hand. Embarrassment started to show on Michaels face, he pulled himself together and stammered, “I’m sorry but you look so much like a woman I once knew many years ago, the likeness is uncanny.” Detective Hicks smiled putting Michael at ease, “I don’t get that line very often, though family members say I have a striking resemblance to a distant cousin, I think she lives in Tennessee, the Nashville area, ever been there?” Michael couldn’t believe his ears, but he nodded in the affirmative. “Yes I had a case or two that took me in that direction, maybe that is where I thought I knew you from.”

Detective Hicks smiled once more and she said “Well I suppose you would like to talk to Kris, come on back we will get you some credentials and then we can have a look at the case file.” Michael couldn’t stop thinking of that case that seemed so long ago when he first meet Horse and of course the talented Jennifer Hicks, now what was her stage name, he couldn’t remember but he did know was she was now with Bluefield band with Rick Farrell. The song Butterfly started to play in his head.

Sandra led him down a long corridor, turned left and went through a set of double doors. They entered a room about fifteen feet square. There were four sets of desks; partners were seated across from each other. They approached a desk where a large man sat engrossed in a file he was reading. The man looked to be about six foot three or four solid build with boyish good looks. He was wearing blue jeans and a stylish Nike polo shirt. He stood as we approached and Sandra introduced me.

“Kris, this is Special Agent Michael Knight, Michael detective Kristopher Younger.” Kris offered one big hand and I took it, like his partner he had a firm but polite grip, there was a quiet confidence about this young detective. I knew he had to be about 30 but he looked like he was in his early twenties. “Good to meet you special agent Knight” he said with a warm smile, “Let’s do without the formalities shall we just call me Michael.”

There was a little chit chat; you know back ground stuff and the niceties of getting to know someone quickly. After about fifteen minutes Kris said, “But you did come here to chew the fat, you want to get a look at the file.” It was a statement not a question and Michael had a feeling they were going to get along just fine. He handed Michael a file and Michael opened his briefcase and pulled out a file of his own. “Here is what I have put together, this is just a summery the case file was too big to hall around in paper form. If we decide these cases are connected then I give you an electronic copy of the case file.” Kris and Sandra both smiled they too were thinking that they would all get along just fine.



Hess removed the probes from the child’s head. The kid was still sedated and it was time for a few cosmetic changes, he put a temporary dye in his hair then cut it short. He did some make up work on the kid’s face a just like that you had a very different looking boy. Oh it would not withstand a close inspection but it would get him through the security and on the train, then they would board a plane to Florida where the new parents were waiting.

He had been thinking, when he got back from Florida he should look into fixing his little problem. He already had a couple of young thugs picked out, and it wouldn’t be that much of a stretch to get either of them to kill, they had already come close beating a homeless man almost to death. Yes they would make good first subjects to try out his new formulas on and it just might eliminate his problem with that possible witness. He did not have to get his hands dirty he could have it done for him, maybe this will open new doors. Business opportunities and maybe it would lead to the big break through. The problem had always been that the treatment never lasted on people older than 8 or 9, he could control them temporarily but the mind would always find a way to overcome the implanted memories. The very few success stories he had were with those who had good reason to want to forget their past and did not mind becoming someone else.

He brought himself back to the present and the task at hand, he had to get the kid out of Eugene without being caught and then on to a train to Sacramento and then on a plane to Florida. He checked the child and knew he would be out cold for another two hours so he went to pack the things he would need. Two hours later Hess and the kid were on Interstate five heading south to Medford where they would board an Amtrak train to Sacramento.

[Sportsknight2]

It was well after noon when Michael finished the file folder on the parson’s missing child. He had no hard evidence but, his gut was telling him this was the guy. The snatch had just been too clean, no one saw anything out of the ordinary, and the child simply vanished. Michael knew someone had seen something, but it was so ordinary that they paid it no heed. This guy blends in with his surroundings like a chameleon.

He wondered about the woman who called the tip line, what was her name, McNeal? Was she believable, could she have spotted something that no one else had? He would have to talk to her and soon, but first he wanted to talk to the Parson’s woman and see if he could get anything out of her that the locals had not.

He looked up at the two detectives diligently pouring over the folder he had provided. They both seemed very competent. All the same it was worth a try besides he wanted to see the crime scene for himself, he wanted to get the feel of the area look it over and see if he could start getting into the head of the man who was behind all this. Funny, he thought to himself, I have decided it must be a man behind all of these crimes I wonder when I drew that conclusion?

Kris looked up from the report and rubbed his eyes, “Well, I can see where you might think this case is related, but mostly it seems like the lack of evidence, all the crimes are so clean, no evidence left behind by the un-sub only evidence of the child”. Sandra shook her head, “That many cases and no real leads, this un-sub is very cold and calculating.”

Michael nodded in agreement, “I think so, if I were to guess, this is not about a sexual predator, if it was I think we would have found more evidence and probably a few bodies along the way.” There was an awkward silence for a moment then Kris asked, “Why do you think these kids are being taken?” Michael looked into Kris’s eyes “I wish I knew but our un-sub is taking these kids for a specific reason and if I could figure out what that was it just might get us closer to finding this guy and hopefully the missing kids.”

There was another moment of silence that was rudely broken up when Kris’s stomach started to complain rather loudly that it had not been fed since early morning. Sandra broke out in a hearty laugh, “Guess that means it is lunch time.” She looked at Michael with soulful eyes, “believe me you don’t want to be around Kris when he is hungry and he can’t stop to eat.” Kris added his own deep laugh, agreeing with his partner, “And if you don’t believe me just ask my mother or better yet Captain Cowell.

Michael laughed to and realized that he had not eaten at all. “Ok guys lunch is on the Fed, but only if the food is good.” Kris looked at Sandra and suggested a place called McMenamins, they have great burgers and micro brews?” Sandra was in agreement, “So McMenanins it is, I could use a good burger and a taste of Oregon micro brews might just hit the spot.”

[Bonnie2]

Just got caught up on the last three installments. The two with the larger-size print were great on the eyes, SK

Nice tie-in with Nashville Star2 having the detective being Jennifer Hicks' cousin. I didn't understand the term 'un-sub' though - can you explain that to me??? Thanks....

This post has been edited by Bonnie2: May 30 2009, 03:20 PM

[Sportsknight2]

Un-sub from TV,s Criminal Minds Unknown Subject, Suspect, or Person, a suspect that has not been identified. By the way Sandra is not the only one, just remember the names have been changed (sometimes) to protect the famous and well liked.

[Sportsknight2]

The Toyota Tundra extended cab pulled into the parking lot at Sunset Park. It was late afternoon, having spent a bit longer at lunch then they had planned. Kris and Michael got out and headed for the play area as Sandra went to park her baby at the empty section of the lot. She was very protective of her truck and always parked away from the crowds, even if it meant an extra long walk.

The park was busy at this time of day as people were out walking their dogs and letting the kids burn off energy before heading home for dinner and hopefully a quiet evening. Children were on the jungle gym, crossing the monkey bars and cursing through the large pirate ship that was the center piece of the playground.

Michael noticed that there were access points on both sides of the structure, the North side being opposite of where most parents sat and chatted while their kids wore themselves out. Kris immediately saw what Michael had observed. The north side could be approached and no one sitting at the tables would notice. The rest rooms were just twenty yards behind the ship, not the best set up to keep an eye on a rambunctious child who might want to wander. It also made a good place for someone to lay in wait.

The tree line where the McNeal woman reported seeing the man was another twenty to third yards beyond that. However there was a good line of sight to the forested area as it was east of the ship and the parking lot that was just beyond the restroom structure. The rest rooms could be entered from either the parking lot or the playground side, another strange setup.

"OK , our un-sub could have entered the rest rooms from the parking lot side and then left on the ship side without being noticed, what is worst he could have escaped the same way" Kris nodded in agreement as Sandra finally re-joined the group "That is what we thought too, we checked the restrooms but there was nothing outside of the ordinary.

Just then a Lane county maintenance truck pulled into the parking lot. The detectives watched as a man dressed in a green maintenance uniform began to pick up the trash from the receptacles around the parking lot. Michael walked across the grass to where the maintenance worker was tossing the full bags into his truck.

"Excused me sir I am Special Agent Michael knight with the FBI could I speak to you for a moment?" The man was taken aback as he stared at Michaels credentials. The man was about five foot eight or nine with dark short cropped hair. His features were sharp and hawk like. A moustache covered his lower lip and it was apparent he did not like cops.

"What you guys want now I already told those cops I was out sick when that kid disappeared. Kenny can vouch for me and so can my girl friend." Michael took a careful tact, "No I just want to know about your schedule, do you maintain a routine, are you at the same parks about the same time each day?" The man who' name was John according to his ID tag, seemed to relax a bit. "Yea, I've got several parks to get to around the county so I have to stick to a schedule, this park I usually hit between 2:30 and 3;30 each day." Michael nodded, "Would there be any reason to be here earlier like 12:30?" No I am across the county at Alton Baker near the university." Michael kept thinking, "So you said Kenny worked for you on that day." John Nodded but said little, "Is there any reason Kenny would have been here around 12:30 that day?" John gave Michael a weary look and thought about his answer, "No he would stick to the schedule, besides they already checked our log books and Kenny was where he was suppose to be on that day."

Michael thanked John and returned to Kris and Sandra. Sandra spoke first, "We took a good look at Mr. John Prich, he has a few minor misdemeanor complaints mostly involving alcohol and a few bar brawls but nothing to make him look good for this and his story checked out." Kris added "we also checked on his pal Kenny but he was where he was supposed to have been."

"So who ever the man was that was seen hanging out in those trees was not a county worker but someone dressed to look like a county worker and blend in." Kris nodded and said "that is what we think." Michael did not think it was a coincidence that a man in a maintenance uniform was seen several days before the kidnapping when no worker was due for a few hours.

"Think we have time to go talk to the Parson's woman before we call it a day?" Michael asked. Sandra checked her watch and then stepped away to make a call. Kris watched as his partner walked a few feet away. "We will have an answer for you in a minute or two Sandra is calling to see if we can drop by." Michael watched Sandra as she made the call and thought back to those days when he met Jennifer and the crazy case of the two Sheila's. He wondered what Marty and George were up to, probably kicking butt and taking names. He wondered about the decision he made and the, what ifs came back to haunt him. Deep down he knew he made the right move, it would never have worked out and Jennifer was doing well and seemed truly happy.

While Michael watched Sandra, Kris watched Michael and wondered what was going through the Fed's head. "Michael, I hope you aren't getting any notions about my partner." Kris said with a smile. "What, oh no I was just thinking of someone else, who I knew a long time ago." Michael paused and looked into Kris' eyes, they were full of a playful mischief. Michael smiled back, "no my friend she just reminds me of the other person so much, it really is amazing." Kris grinned again, "Yes she is amazing but so you know her boyfriend is a linebacker with the Seattle Seahawks and he is the jealous kind."

Michael smiled back just as Sandra rejoined them. "You boys talking about me again, I can always tell and everything he told you is probably true." She looked at Kris and back to Michael, he seemed caught off guard a little and was that a blush she detected? "



This post has been edited by Sportsknight2: May 31 2009, 02:49 PM

[Bonnie2]

LMAO at 'John Prich' and Kenny - I am thinking that Prich is spoken like the 'ch' are a 'k'?? hahaha...

[Sportsknight2]

......."Kris gave his partner a look, she knew that look and said "Sara said we could come over but she did not know what else she could tell us,"

Sandra when to get the truck and left the two men alone to continue the guy conversation she had seemingly interrupted. "So this other person she really looked like Sandra?" Michael thought about it and then said, "So much so they could be sisters, maybe even twins. Sandra told me she had a cousin that was supposed to have looked like her; maybe I am just remembering things the way I want to." Kris was quiet for a moment and then said, "You really cared for this other Sandra didn't you?"

Michael wasn't sure why he felt like he could talk to Kris about personal things, but Kris just seemed to have that effect, probably one of the reasons he was a good detective too. "Yes, yes I did but she had a musical career to chase and I had a world of criminals to catch." The Tundra pulled up and Kris and Michael climbed inside.

There was a song playing on the radio as they climbed into the cab it was very familiar to Michael as he heard a voice from the past singing, Sandra turned it up, "This is my cousin, never met her but I know this is one of her songs, I like it it's called "Ready to Love you Now." They haven't hit the big time and it is like pulling teeth to get a station to play their music but once in a while I get lucky."

Michael smiled, for he knew Jennifer was doing what she loved to do and he was doing what he loved to do he just wished there was room in his life for something more.

The interview with Sara went as expected, she did not remember anything that wasn't in the report, but not remembering something was a clue, as no one had seen a Lane County maintenance truck till later in the day. Michael tried some relaxation techniques on Sara that seemed to help her focus and at one point she thought she saw someone in green come out of the rest rooms but she just wasn't sure that she was remembering what she saw or what she thought the detectives wanted to hear.

In the end Sara was feeling calmer but there was no definitive answer on what she thought she had seen. So the crew jumped into Sandra's truck and head back to the office. The all kicked around what they had learned or not learned and decided they had not made any progress. They were all tired and hungry so they called it a day.

Michael got into his Corolla and headed for the Back towards Springfield and the Shilo Inn. He stopped off at A Togo's Sub shop and bought dinner, a hot pastrami sandwich, chips and a diet Pepsi. He ate in his room and watched a little TV trying to relax. He turned off the TV and began to review his notes and there he fell fast asleep.



This post has been edited by Sportsknight2: Jun 6 2009, 12:23 PM

[Sportsknight2]

The fog was thick; Michael couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of him. There was an eerie silence and no odors, he expected something with a fog this thick but there was nothing. Then he heard a sound off in the distance, he couldn’t be sure. It was just a hint of a sound floating air. The sound was getting closer, it almost sounded like hooves striking cobble stone, then there was another faint sound but it couldn’t quite make it out. He concentrated and the sounds continued to get louder, then he was finally able to identify the second sound, it was a dog barking. How strange he thought the only two sounds he could here were the clip clop of hooves and a dog barking. Then a light went on, but it wasn’t a real light but the light of understanding. He was dreaming and he had a good idea as to who was on the other side.



Soon a big black stallion appeared out of the fog, with a golden retriever at his side and a small black rabbit on his back. Horse pulled up to Michael and skidded to a halt. The look on Michaels face must have been precious because the three visitors were all laughing away inside his head. Corey barked in greeting and Horse stopped laughing long enough top let out a whiney. Peanut just twitched her nose in way of greeting. Michael stared at Horse, “Hey, weren’t you white the last time I saw you?” Horse laughed again, “Yes I was” came the reply, I am the Horse of different colors you may have heard of me.” Corey rolled her eyes and said, “That’s a horse of a different color.” Horse whinnied and said “that too”.



Michael just shook his head, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “So why am I being honored with such a unique visit from three of my favorite guardians?” Corey piped in, “well you left me behind and it was decided that you were going to need my help. There is going to be a moment when the future hinges on me being at the right place.” Michael thought that sounded cryptic then said, “But this is just a dream you aren’t really here.” “That is only partly true, Horse stammered. “Peanut piped in, “You see Horse here is one of only a few guardians who can travel in this manner. We were going to try doing it like Horse did several years back where he got on a train in Canada, but Horse pointed out that Sean Patrick helped out in the end and we have no Sean Patrick this time.” Michael looked at Horse through the thinning fog. I thought you were supposed to be on a sabbatical or something. “Or something” Horse whispered. Michael I am not here and my cover is fading so I have to get back before I am missed, just keep Corey close because you will need her to help free the missing children.



With that Horse turned and galloped away, he had changed colors again and was now a chestnut color as he and Peanut faded into the fog.

[Sportsknight2]

Horse returned to his home and as far as he could tell no one had noticed the trip. Horse knew better of course, someone had noticed they had just decided that it was in humanities best interest to look the other way. Even Horse knew it was next to impossible to pull the wool over the watchers eyes unless they wanted to have their vision clouded. He knew he was pushing the line but this was important, little Jimmy was important and so was Melissa, the next victim. Horse could not tell Michael about their importance to humanity, but if things did not change soon these two kids would fall off their paths and the cures to Cancer and Parkinson’s disease would be lost for another 200 years. It was important that both children remain with the birth families or their futures would be changed and though life for each would be easier they would never be pushed in the right direction.



Horse also understood that these two young children were not the real players but the children of these two would be, if they got the chance. Horse knew they had banished the evil ones but he could almost feel the influence of the evil ones. They had somehow influenced someone and were protecting his or her identity. “Free Will, whose idea was that any way?” But without free will, he knew, people would just be robots and they would never have had the chance to develop into the beings that they might one day become. It wasn’t just the cures that would be lost, but everything else that would come from those cures. They were a cornerstone to the next level of human development where humans would either learn to live peacefully or they would start the beginning of the end. Horse shivered at the thought, he hoped he had done enough to help but the future was still unclear and for Michael, if he wasn’t very careful, he may not have much of a future to look forward to.



Michael was awakened by a cold nose, a wet tong and a soft “wolf, wolf”. He opened his eyes to see a Corey standing over him licking his face. Michael was stunned, how the hell did Corey get here, then the memory of last nights dream came flooding back. Now how the heck had they managed to travel in a dream he wondered, but the realized how fruitless it would be to ponder that question.



It was still dark in the room so he glanced at his clock; it was almost seven in the morning. He realized that he had shut the heavy curtains the night before so the sun coming up wouldn’t awake him as it had the day before. He had not worried about a hungry pooch waking him up since he had left her with friends. He took a look at Corey and as the thoughts ran through his head the answers came with it. The Dailey’s would never even remember having taken Corey in while Michael flew to Eugene so they will never miss her.



Michael shook his head and thought he really shouldn’t be surprised anymore about the strange things that seem to happen when a guardian was in the area. He scratched Corey playfully between the ears and started thinking about breakfast. Visions of eggs, bacon and sausage began to play in his head, Michael gave Corey a stern look, then he laughed “Well since we don’t have any of our special blend I guess it would be alright to pig out this morning, but you have to stay quiet, I am sure there is a no pet policy, Corey growled and Michael laughed, “of course you aren’t a pet but they don’t know that.”



Hess sat in first class, he always went first class on return trips, and after all he could afford it. The flight attendant offered him a drink; he accepted some red wine and sat back to contemplate his next move. Should he tie up any loose ends or should he just forget it. There was only one more kid to snatch in Oregon before he would pack up shop and move. He couldn’t afford to stay in one place too long. Still, a witness was not the kind of loose end he wanted to leave behind.

He sipped some more of the excellent burgundy, as his thoughts started to take shape. Yes he would have to deal with the witness; perhaps he could kill two birds with one stone. Yes he would try his new serum on an older boy, make it look like a robbery gone bad and while the kid dealt with the witness he would make his last snatch and be on his way. The Parsons kid was suppose to be the last snatch but he had spotted a young girl that was to perfect to pass up. She fit the profile perfectly and her mom or nanny always let her play in the park while she chatted with the other adults.

Yes he would have it all planned out by the time he landed in LA. He took his final sip of the exquisite wine and then sat back to take a quick nap.

[Sportsknight2]

[/size]The sun was a ball of fire in the eastern sky as it rose over the Cascade Mountains. The air was warm and clean, Michael could see the Three Sisters from the balcony of his hotel room. He had stepped out to take in the view and think about his dream. The fact that Corey was here meant that the out come of this case could affect all of man kind. "Just what had I stepped into this time", he thought. Horse had taken a big chance to bring Corey here and he knew that nothing escaped the vigilant eyes of the watchers. Why would one kid be so important to the future that even the guardian's watchers were willing to bend the rules?

Michael knew that one of these kids must be very important to the future of the human race but just how important eluded him.



Michael stepped back into his room and found Corey sitting patiently with her lease in her mouth. Michael laughed out loud at the image, Corey hated the leash but knew she had to ware it or it could cause trouble. Corey snarled at Michael and the image that Michael seemed to translate to "laugh it up fuzz ball!" Corey always was a Star Wars fan.



Michael and Corey left the room and headed for the stairs, he wanted to go out the side of the building where it was much less likely he would be seen, at least until he got Corey registered, he just hoped he could keep him in the room, he would hate to put her up in a kennel.



Michael and Corey reached his rental car with out any incidents they jumped in and headed over to meet up with the detectives. He hoped to be able to speak with the McNeal woman today but there were never any guarantee in life.



Sandra and Kris were already in the office when Michael arrived. Michael couldn't leave Corey in the car so he brought her into the station. Corey went right to the detectives in a room full of people and let out a low "wolf" in greeting. "Now who do we have here?" asked Sandra. Michael had been scouring his brain for a logical explanation and went with the truth, well almost. This is Corey, she is an special FBI dog with skills at sniffing out drugs and explosives, that is when you can get her to work. She had been used on another case in the area and the team was called away, they couldn't take the dog so the office told them to leave her with me. They kind of appeared out of no where last night but Corey and I have worked together several times so I got drafted.

Sandra scratched Corey between the ears and her tail wagging increased ten fold. Kris laughed at the twitching tail and asked, "How is she at finding people, assuming we get a chance." "She is very good at that though she doesn't like it when she knows the victim has passed."



Sandra got a bowl and put some water in it for Corey and placed the dish on the floor under the desk, where Corey would be out of the way. Kris looked at the Corey with an odd expression on his face, "It is a beautiful dog but there is something strange about her, maybe different is a better word I just get this funny vibe almost like," Kris was stumped for words to explain the feeling he was getting and then the feeling was gone, "No it is nothing, what ever it was it is gone." Michael gave the evil eye to Corey and he could almost hear her laughter echoing inside his head.



[size="4"]"Were you able to contact the McNeal woman, I would really like to talk to her." Kris nodded, yes but we won't be able to talk to her till tomorrow she is out of town visiting her mother.

This post has been edited by Sportsknight2: Jun 27 2009, 11:04 AM

[Bonnie2]

Oh wow! I need to get caught up!!!