Chapter 2

part 8

The alarm clock on Ray's night stand woke him from the first truly peaceful nights sleep in weeks. He lazily opened one eye and looked at the clock which read 10:30 PM, and for a moment wished that he had a large hammer to smash it into silence. After turning off the offending alarm he seriously considered rolling over and going back to sleep because he had no classes that morning, but then remembered why he had set the alarm and hurried to shower and change. He had just enough time to grab a piece of toast and some milk before heading out the door, he was meeting his friends at Maggie's house to plan for tomorrow nights coming home party for his uncle Dave. As he was heading out of the driveway he thought he heard his telephone ringing, but figured that who ever was calling would leave a message for him.

At the hospital David Grant let the phone ring a few more times before hanging it up.

"Any luck in reaching your Nephew Mr. Grant?", a nurse asked.

Turning around he smiled at her. "Nope, he's a pretty deep sleeper. Gets it from my side of the family I guess. He doesn't have classes today, so I'll just take a cab and surprise him at home!"

"In that case I'll call you a cab, then wheel you down to the lobby to wait." She moved to fetch a wheelchair nearby.

"I think I can make it to the lobby on my own. I'm not that old that I need one of those things yet!", he joked.

"Sorry, but it's hospital policy Mr. Grant. Besides If you had an accident on the way down, I'd get into trouble."

David sighed and sat down in the proffered chair. "Alright then. I wouldn't want you to get into any trouble on my account. And besides I never could say no to a pretty girl!", He then winked at her.

She giggled, and pushed him towards the elevator.

Outside, in the hospital parking lot, a small group of people watched as David grant was wheeled out to a waiting taxi.

"Hey Daryl, I thought you said the old man was gonna be picked up by the punk? Why's he taking a cab?"

"Shut up!", Daryl snarled. "The old dude should have called for him to come get him. Maybe he had car trouble or someth'n. Anyway, he'll be at the house when we get there."

"I hope you're right man. Check out the nurse push'n the old guy! Man I'd like a hot piece of ass like that giv'n me some intensive care!"

"I said shut up! Now get ready, the old guy gett'n in the cab." He then started the motor of the Bronco and began to back out of the parking space.

The nurse helped David Grant into the Taxi and stood outside a few moments to wave good-bye to him. He was a nice man, and she had liked him. As she watched the taxi move out of the hospital parking area she took no notice of the blue Ford Bronco that followed at a distance.

When the taxi reached the house David Grant paid the driver after he had helped him get him things from the trunk, then unlocked the front door and headed inside.

"Ray!", he shouted. "Suprise, they let me home early!" Getting no response he went upstairs to Ray's room. "Get up lazy bones, can't sleep the whole day away!" He opened the door and found the room empty. Going back down the hallway he heard the front door close. "Ray, that you? I tried to call but I guess you were out." He started down the stairs. "Well, I'm home early... tada!" He felt a sudden blow to the back of his neck and fell to the hard wood floor. He tried to get up but felt a foot on his chest, through a haze of pain he saw four gang punks standing over him.

"Well, I guess the surprise is on you old dude!", crowed Daryl. "Now it's payback time for what you did to my bro's at you store!" He pulled out a large sharp knife, then motioned to one of the others. "Tie him to a chair, and gag him. We don't want to bother the neighbors with his scream'n. The rest of you go up stairs and find the college boy!"

A few moments later the others came back down stairs.

"He's not here man! We checked out the whole place, he ain't here!"

Daryl walked over and waved his knife in front of Dave's face. "Where is he old dude? You tell me or I'll cut you good!" He then slipped the gag out of Dave's mouth, and held the blade to his neck.

David Grant knew at that moment that he was going to die, so he spat in the young punk's face. "Go to Hell you rotten little bastard!", he hissed.

"Old man, you gonna be a long time dying!" And as he put the gag back in Dave's mouth he drew a long, deep cut into the side of his face. The first of many such cuts to come!

As all of this was going on, Ray was at Maggie's house with the others planning the party.

"I tell ya, every party has gotta have a theme!", Vince suggested. "We all dress up like doctors, and nurses then surprise him when he comes in the door!"

"At this point I think he's gonna be kinda tired of anything to do with hospitals Vince", Mark said while sipping a Dr Pepper.

"At least it was better than his first suggestion of a Toga Party", Scott sighed.

"And what's wrong with that?", Vince asked indignantly.

"Do you want the short, or long list?", Maggie quipped. "I think we're much better off with the traditional surprise party thing. You know... with balloons, streamers, some cool noise makers, and a nice cake!"

After a few minutes of haggling the others agreed with Maggie.

"Where's Ray?", asked Scott.

"He's checking for messages on the phone right now", she said.

"Well no messages... I guess whoever called when I was leaving didn't leave one." Ray then reached for a soft drink. "We'll have we come to a decision yet?"

"Yes, the traditional surprise party has been voted on and approved!", Maggie informed him.

"With one abstention for a Toga Party", Marked grinned.

"Gee, I wonder who could have suggested that?", Ray looked at Vince and winked. Vince feigned ignorance. "Well then, I think we should all pile in the car and head over to Party Inc. for the stuff we'll need then go set up the house while Maggie's mom starts in on the cake."

"I get shotgun!", cried out Vince.

"You do not!", Maggie retorted. "I ride up front!"

"OK then Ray, who do you want to ride shotgun?", Vince asked.

Ray looked from one to the other. "Gee what a tough choice. I can have Vince Harris sit next to me, or I can have my sexy girlfriend sit next to me. What a tough decision!"

"All right, all right I get the idea", Vince opened the car door, and got into the back seat. "But a least I get a window seat!" The others piled in after him.

Back at ray's house the gang punks have finished making a quick check of the house, and have a small pile of items at the front door.

"C.J's not gonna be happy that the college boy wasn't here man", said one of them while hefting the VCR. "You finished yet Daryl?"

"Yea, I'm done he stopped mov'n a few minutes after the phone rang anyway", he said while wiping the blood stains off of his knife."What's all this stuff for anyway?"

"C.J. said to make it look like a robbery, so this is the stuff we're taken. Didn't forget you though man." He held out a brand new notebook computer, and handed it to Daryl.

"Thanks... I always wanted me one of these!", he laughed. Now finished, they left the house and piled in the Bronco with their loot and started off down the street once more.

A few hours later Ray's car pulled into the driveway, and they begin to unload the part favors from the trunk.

"Toss me the keys love", Maggie said. "I'll go in and clear off the dinning room table for all this stuff."

Ray lobbed the keys her way, and with a one handed catch she headed to the door and inside the house. Ten seconds later her blood chilling scream made the others drop their boxes and run into the house. They found Maggie leaning against the dinning room archway, her eyes closed, and sobbing. Upon entering the dinning room the found a body tied to a chair sitting in a pool of blood. Scott threw up on the spot, Vince and Mark looked as if they too were on the verge of loosing their lunches also. Ray stared at the body, moaned a little, and fell to his knees. It had to be his uncle, it couldn't be anyone else because he was wearing the shirt Ray had given him for his last birthday. The reason why he couldn't say if it was him or not was the fact that the face of the person tied to the chair was missing, as if someone had carved it off with a knife. He moaned once more, in the background he heard Maggie dailing 911.

Part 9

It wasn't until many hours later, after the police and medical personnel had left, that the full realization of what had happened began to sink in to Ray's head. He sat in a chair in the kitchen as the police fingerprint unit finished, then moved on to another part of the house. Maggie had been very shaken up, and had to be taken home by Ray's friends after they all had given their statements. He put his head in his hands and felt empty, completely drained of all life. His uncle was dead, killed in one of the most horrible ways he could every imagine right in this house, and now he was alone. Feeling a hand on his shoulder Ray looked up, and was surprised to see the face of Detective Trent Carlson with a look of genuine concern and sympathy on it.

"I was a few blocks away when the call went out for an investigative team. It wasn't until I saw the name on the coroner's preliminary report that I recognize who it was. I'm sorry kid, I liked Dave... so did a lot of others on the force." The detective handed Ray a cup of coffee. "You look like you could really use this right now."

Ray took the cup, and sipped slowly. "Thanks", he said numbly.

Sitting down next to him at the kitchen table, detective Carlson continued on. "We've talked to the neighbors that were at home during the day. None of them saw anything though, but we'll keep on questioning more people in the area."

"I should have been here", Ray said softly. "If only I had known he was coming home today I would have gone to get him."

"We sent someone to the hospital, they questioned the staff that was on duty when your uncle left. One of the nurses said he called here but didn't get any answer, so he took a cab home."

Ray groaned, and buried his face in his hands once more. He knew that it must have been his uncle calling from the hospital when he was going out the door that morning. "If only I'd stopped to pick up the phone!"

"Look kid... Ray I said look at me!" Ray raised his eyes and met the gaze of detective Carlson. "There was nothing you could have done, even if you had been here. From foot prints and scuff marks in the entry hall we figure that there must have been three or four of them. They must have thought the house was empty, and figured to make a quick score."

Having gone thru the house with the police earlier on, he had found several items missing. A small T.V., VCR, his laptop computer, and other small but costly items were gone.

"They were probably high at the time, when your uncle startled them they must have freaked out and killed him. But why they did it that way I have no idea." He reached into his coat pocket, fished out a a cigarette and lit it. "Mark my words though, every effort will be made to find them!"

"Thanks, I needed to hear that from someone. Are you guys going to be much longer?"

"The fingerprint team is just packing up. You got some place to go tonight? Any relatives you could go to?", Trent asked.

I could go to my Mom's mother... Grandma Allen for a few days. She lives in Barstow, so it's not too far."

"Fine", detective Carlson said as he got up. "Just give the phone number to one of the officers outside before they leave. And once again, I'm sorry about this kid." The two of them shook hands, and the detective got ready to leave with the rest of the officers.

Moving to a nearby cupboard, Ray fished out an address book and copied down the phone number and address of his Grandma Allen and gave it to one of the officers. He waited until they had all left, then went upstairs to pack a few things to take with him. Once downstairs he checked the house once more to make sure everything was locked up. He found himself in the dinning room, looking down at the blood stained floor, the spot where his uncle had died. A white hot rage began to build within him. He felt like striking out at something, or someone. His arm moved as if to strike out at some unseen enemy, he was shocked when he felt it impact something that shouldn't be there. He tried to turn but found that he couldn't move, as if he were being held by some force. His panic began to rise, he tried to call out for help when a blow to his head sent him into unconsciousness. But just before blacking out he wondered why he could smell the scent of insencse in the air.

C.J had just finished backhanding Daryl against the wall for the forth time, after hearing that they had only killed the old man and had missed the nephew.

"I told you Daryl... not to screw up!" C.J. punctuated every other word with another backhanded blow.

Daryl slumped to the floor, his face was cut and swollen."It's not my fault man! The punk didn't pick up the old dude and he wasn't at the house when we got there!" He saw C.J. raise his foot as if to kick him, and moved his hands down to ward off the blow but wasn't successful.

After kicking Daryl a few more times C.J. turned and went into his "office" and closed the door to think. He had to find the kid, but had no idea where to start looking for him. He looked towards the phone on the desk, and considered calling his supplier for advice but remembered he was out of town. What would "He" do in a situation like this, he thought. After a couple of hours, and more that a few lines of coke, he came up with an idea. He called the bloody, and now bandaged, Daryl into the room.

"You ready to make things right now Daryl?", C.J asked.

The young gang member nodded, but didn't speak because his mouth was too sore to talk.

"I want you to take a few of the G's out and "invite" the collage boy's friends here tomorrow night. Well have us a good time, and then they can tell us where he's at. Then we'll have us a real party!"

Daryl smiled at the thought of getting his hands on that fine look'n bitch the punk had for a girlfriend. He knew that C.J. would have first try at her, then some of the OG's would go next but he could wait, he wasn't that choosey.

part 10

The sound of bells brought Ray suddenly awake. He quickly looked around to take stock of himself, and his new found surroundings. He found that he was in a small, sparsely furnished room and was laying on what looked to be a futon mat spread out on the floor. He rubed the back of his head hoping that it would ease the dull ache that has formed there. He remembered beging at home, and of packing to leave to Grandma Allen's in Barstow when he must have been attacked by someone but he couldn't recall seeing who it was that must have brought him here. Taking a deep breath he caught the faint aroma of insense, the same kind as last night just before blacking out. Ray got up slowly and began a quick survey of the room to see if there is any other way out. Having no windows, and only one door that was locked, he sat back down on the futon and waited. A few minutes later he heard a noise outside of the door. Ray leapt off of the mat and went into a defensive posture, determinded to to put up more of a fight this time. As the door swung open he began to rush towards it as if to take his captor by surprise but stopped in mid stride, for there in the doorway stood the small and smiling figure of Lysom Goyap, the monk who had given the lecture at Ray's college.

"Ah I see that you are awake at last my young friend! Please sit, and I will pour some tea." The small monk motioned Ray to the futon and began to fix the tea from a tray he was carrying.

Ray sat back down in confusion. Not knowing what else to do he waited for Lysom to finish pouring and accepted the glass of tea with no small amount of hesitation.

As if in answer to his misgivings Lysom poured himself a cup also. "You need not fear that the tea is poisoned my friend, I am a monk of the Charr-Lum and have sworn to do no harm to any living being... I am what you in the West would call a doctor.

"If you're a doctor, I wish you could do something about my head. It's really killing." Ray rubbed the back of his skull to drive his point home.

Lysom got up with a genuine look of concern on his face and began to examine Ray's head with slow but deliberate movements. "I am sorry for any pain that Nygrol and Choyla have caused you in bringing you here, you will have a bruise for a few days but the Fa leaf tea will help with the pain. If it still bothers you later, I will administer a Domo pill for you to swallow."