One Night in Bangor

Another night in Collinsport finds Nicole Collins no closer to uncovering the whereabouts of the purported group of necromancers of whom she has been warned. The reports she has received from the mysterious Diogenes Club would have them gathering soon somewhere within the ancient environs of Collinsport, or perhaps even worse – somewhere upon the Collinwood Estate. But for all their considerable resources, neither they, nor Nicole have any appreciable idea of precisely why this alleged gathering has been arranged. Other, than their knowledge that Vera Endecott and the long presumed deceased artist of the macabre, Richard Upton Pickman, are somehow implicated in whatever these necromancers have in mind, everything remains as if obscured by wizardry. And so, on this night, Nicole finds herself frustrated by the fact she and those working with her at Collins Investigations have yet to solve the ongoing mystery of Vera Endecoot – who it now seems has taken possession of the mind, body, and soul of her hapless adult film star Natasha Snow. For at the moment, Nicole’s attention has been diverted from the Endecott and necromancer games-a-foot b the startling attempted abduction of her best friend, Esther Friedman. The only clue to the attack appears now to be in locating a young man, Noah Mankowski, an old friend of Esther’s, who had previously given her a cryptic note regarding his research into a sinister cult known as “The Church of the Starry Wisdom.

Opens to a back screen – music playing – it seems familiar but not quite . . .

One night in Bangor makes a hard man humble
Not much between despair and ecstasy

One night in Bangor and the tough guys tumble
Can’t be too careful with your company
I can feel the devil walking next to me

Act 1“Don’t you know when you play at this level there’s no ordinary venue”

“That crazy Collins girl! “Kendrick Braithwaite says, pushing back his glasses on the bridge of his nose, irritated, as his olive F150 manages to handle the curve as the sleek black Ferrari zooms past in the opposite lane, too fast, its tires crying out on the pavement, the headlights of his truck illuminating the diver for a passing second – everyone knows the car, knows she is dangerous behind the wheel, the back roads S-curved and hair-pinned. A menace to herself – certainly to others – only a matter of time before she flips the g*******d thing over.

‘”She’s from England,” Alma Braithwaite offers as she leans into the curve, “They’re used to driving on the wrong side of the road you know.”

Kendrick looks over at his wife of thirty-five years, “What? That ain’t got nothing to do with it – she’s just crazy. Just like that other d*****d Collins from England.”

‘The one with the cane, you mean.” Alma remembering as she looks out the window to the night-shrouded woodscape passing by.

“Yeah—him. Remember. Always walking everywhere – couldn’t drive. Half the time out wandering the middle of the night, always in and around the cemetery.”

“Well, you know why what was.” Alma says quietly.

“Yeah, well – them damn Collin’s.” Looking up in the rearview mirror at the disappearing red glow of the sport car’s taillights, “They can even cover-up s**t like that—“

She looks out into the night, sees her cold reflection in the glass of the truck’s window – so pale – so deathly pale – she was only 16 . . . and he stood out back of the house, waiting – his eyes. God, she can still remember his eyes. Found herself walking out to meet him – let him . . . she had never told anyone, her was her special secret. “All those rumors,” She whispers “That he was a vampire.”

“God, woman don’t be sayin’ it – we don’t need that bitch a’comin’ for us.” His eyes continue to drift from the road to the rearview mirror as he sits forward now, his hands renewing their grip on the wheel, and he drives on into the night, “G*******d Collins’.”

In the opposite direction, for which they give thanks, the black car races toward Collinsport.

Ten minutes later, the lights of the Nightingale Tea Room, situated just before you turn to enter into Collinsport proper, are visible as Nicole down-shifts the sports car and whirls into the parking lot. In one fluid motion she curls the automobile through the lot and into an open slot.

It’s 28 degrees on a cloudless night. She gets out of the car and looks up at the moon as she walks across the darken lot toward the front entrance. A couple opens the door and exits, the gentleman holding the door for her, as she nods a thank you.

The Nightingale seems to be rather busy tonight as Nikki enters. Inside the front lobby, she notices that the usual host is not at the Hostess Station, and yet, the “Please wait to be seated” sign still seems to be in effect.

Oliver, during one of his quick glances to check the door from the vantage point of his chair looks up to see her entering and rises from his seat to hurry over, “Good evening Miss Collins.”

“Good evening, Oliver, so good to see you.” Nikki smiles, “Is Rhyaad in tonight?”

“Oh, yes, he’s right over by the fireplace if you’d like to join us.”

Rhyaad hearing Nikki enter hastily straightens his hair with his fingers. The quick thought flashed through his mind, that it’s a good thing men don’t wear lipstick as he looks over to Nikki, seeing Oliver rushing to help her.

He stands to wave Nikki over towards the chairs set by the fire as he moves to the spot where he had glasses awaiting. He had called her earlier to leave her a message to stop by in order for them to discuss issues regarding Miss Brook, and so, not certain when, he had been expecting her.

Aware of the cutting glances from some of the male patrons, Nikki with her sultry saunter moves into the main room as she follows Oliver.

Rhyaad pours from a dark green bottle he seemed to all but magically make appear, which would seem to be a bottle of wine with a Romanian label— the thick, dark crimson fluid filling a pair of tall flute glasses.

“Good evening, Rhy. And how are you to night, ” Nikki says with a raised eyebrow as she takes note of his slightly unkempt shirt perhaps too hastily buttoned.

Oliver nods his head curiously at Rhyaad; to Nikki he asks graciously, “Can I take your coat?”

She smiles and looks quizzically at him as she hands over her overcoat, “And he says he can’t read minds—and yet, look, he has a wonderful drink all ready.”

“Good evening, Nikki.” Rhyaad says in hopes that she would not take note of his slightly disheveled state, or, at least if she did, the rich blood would soon make her forget it, “Do sit and join us. I have some of your favorite drink.”

“Oh thank you – kind sir.”

Oliver chuckles as he turns to hang up her coat, “I’m sure he can read minds, actually.”

“And . . .” His eyes following Oliver as he walked away, Rhyaad objects saying, “I don’t read minds. That’s Nikki’s department – if there is anyone here to do so. And so, I was wondering . . .” turning now to hand Nikki her glass, gather gallantly, “Actually, Esther and I were wondering—where you were last night?”

“Arkham,” She took the glass from him.

“Arkham?”

“I stopped by to see a rare book dealer, “ She takes a sip of the blood, pausing for a brief moment to savor the taste, before she continues, “I am still looking for a copy of Ibn Schacabao’s Reflections.”

“And you have one?”

“I have a lead on one—“ Nikki says, “Now, what is this about Sam and Esther?”

“Well, I am afraid she had some kind of an episode with Samantha. Esther got, as they say, drunk off her ass. I had to physically carry her home.”

“What—I thought you and Esther were going to Bangor to check on Noah?”

“I wanted to go to Bangor. But there was some sort of a fight at the Whale. I waited until it was over and then danced with a boy, while Esther got herself shitfaced. We never went anywhere.”

“A fight at the Whale, I hope Sam was not involved.”

“She was there . . . in her usual charming mode”, he said sarcastically. “She made a lot of snide comments about me dancing with a boy and then went to talk to Esther. She seemed to upset her. Esther left. Sam left. Then later Esther came back and got very drunk. It was an odd evening.”

Nikki sits back quietly sipping her drink – feeling the first full warm rush.

“Well, Sam . . . I may have to talk to you about that, “ She sighs.

He nods at Nikki, wondering how he could broach that subject.

The door to the Nightingale opens and it was so very strange for the strange, young man to be so quiet and unassuming; normally he was rather loud and ridiculous and dominated every conversation. But, of late, he’d been lying low, as if much of the universe some how thought him dead—all except for the few he knew were aware that he had survived. Of course, entering the Nightingale meant changing all that, at least in telling someone, Rhyaad, but, he still had no intention of letting the Marshal see him. Oliver looks over toward him as he very quietly, very softly, very unlike himself, walks through the lobby into the main room and took a seat, shaking his head preemptively toward Oliver, indicating that he didn’t need to be shown a seat.

He didn’t say a word.

Rhyaad clears his throat anxiously and takes a seat next to Nikki. “Yes, Nikki. We do need to talk about Samantha Brook.”

“I am sure you are aware of . . . a certain attraction regarding Miss Brook.”

He nodded. Good—she was going to broach the subject for him. “I noticed.” He looked up at her, his blue eyes now fixated on hers.

Where are they? God she hopes Nikki hasn’t doubled-back and is a the Old House, that’s another good hike, retracting her steps, Esther thinks as she walks hurriedly down the street toward the only place she had not yet searched tonight.

Oliver, having watched the quiet man enter and take a seat on his own, merely shrugged and followed behind him. He had gotten used to the strange clientele who would find themselves oddly mixed in among the locals. “Good evening, Welcome to the Nightingale, my name is Oliver, feel free to let me know if I can get you anything at all,” he said with a smile.

Rhyaad lowered his voice drastically. “You know that I bite Oliver, yes? You also should know that I have been doing such things for many centuries. I know how to control myself. Are you certain that you do?”

“Well—some Jammy Dodgers would be nice.” The mysterious man spoke, in a noticeable British accent. He glances over to see Rhyaad sitting now with a tall and very attractive young woman – they seemed to be engaged in some serious conversation and so he sat back aware that eventually Rhyaad would notice he was there, but he wasn’t going to interrupt him at the moment.

Rhyaad thought he detected a familiar British accent, but right now his attention was riveted on the particular Brit sitting in front of him.

Oliver nods, “Absolutely, would you also care for any of the tea blend choices or will you just be having the cookies?

“Tea? Earl gray, hot. Thank you.”

Nikki frowns, “Well, the only person whom I have – bitten – in that way . . . is Samantha Evans. She does allow me to nibble, and I an very careful.”

Esther suddenly bursts through the door.

Oliver nods once again, “Of course. I will be right back with your order.”

“Ah, so you have not actually bitten Samantha Brook, then?” He was prepared now to ask more questions but the doors suddenly opened quickly—

Oliver turns his head and sees the woman in the long overcoat and hat enter . . . Esther, yes, that was her name as he walked up to the apparently agitated young woman, “Yes—Good evening ma’am, feel free to have a seat anywhere, I’ll be right with you.”

If Esther was listening it did not seem to register as she storms down the corridor into the main room: “Rhy! Nik!”

Nikki turns to see the flushed and excited Esther entering the tearoom, “Esther?”

Rhyaad turning, as his back was to the door, sees her approaching, surprised to see her so excited. Something must have happened.

“We have to hurry! Come on! Lets go!” Esther demands breathlessly.

“Go?” Rhyaad asks, “Go where?”

“Where th’ F*** do you think! We have to save Noah!” She snaps.

Nikki takes a long, quick drink of her blood, draining the glass as she stands.

“So you DO know where he is then?” Rhyaad says.

Esther nods and motions with her hand toward the door, “I’ll explain on the way, now come on!”

Rhyaad swigs down the last of his blood, and stands also. “Let me get my jacket and gun.”

Nikki smiles, “Well—it would seem the games a foot, Rhyaad.”

Oliver having scurried over to the kitchen to prepare the tea, looks through the cabinets for the cookies. There were so many, We really need to alphabetize he thought to himself. He would by luck find them as the teapot finished brewing. So that he was entering the main room with a plateful of Jammy Dodgers, looking around for the man who seemed to have moved, finding him just as he took notice of Rhyaad ducking now behind the table to snatch up his leather jacket.

Oliver set the man’s order down in front of him, “Here you go sir.”

He moved away quickly so as to meet up with Rhyaad as he moved toward the lobby, “Everything alright love?”

Nikki looked for her coat.

“Yes, I have to go out for a bit, be back soon.”

Oliver sensing Nikki was looking for her coat removes it from the coat rack he had placed it upon, “Here you go, Miss Collins.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Esther rolls back and forth on her feet while watching impatiently as Oliver helps Nikki with her coat – of all the nights for Nik to start wearing a coat!

“Be careful, love.” Oliver says over Nikki’s shoulder to Rhyaad.

“Ready? Let’s go!” Esther says heading to the door.

Act 2 – “One town is very much like another”

Fifty miles to Bangor – less than an hour, even less if Rhyaad keeps the speed up.

“Yesterday, I took the bus out to see the rabbi about Noah. He said that he thought he had seen him, and asked the cantor,” Esther leans forward her arms on the back of the seat so as to be between Nikki and Rhyaad. “And the cantor said something strange. He said that Noah was dead, and had passed away several months ago,”

“What?” Nikki turns to look back at Esther – this was certainly news.

Esther looked at her, “Naturally I called Bulls***, as I had seen Noah talking with the cantor on Shabbat. But then he showed me pictures from what looked like his funeral That’s why I was so upset the other night . . . well before I talked with Sam that is. And that was even worse—” Esther let’s the sentence trail off not really wanting to go over that bit of news.

“Dead! For how long?”

Esther holds her finger up and smiles, ”Aha! But he isn’t see . . . I just got a text message from him saying that he is alive and well, and that he wants to meet in the city park.” And she brings out her phone, the glow of the screen bright in the dim light of the car to illuminate her face as she brings up the text message.

“I still have not heard how Sam upset you so.” Rhyaad says over his shoulder, “But, for the moment, yes, let’s get back to Noah. He can’t be dead. You saw him—and we are going to rescue him, yes?”

“Do you have any idea who was buried instead of Noah?” Nikki asks

“None.” She hands the phone over.

Nikki takes the phone from her and she looks at the message,

Unknown number
Esther, Meet me at the city park tonight. I have something for you about the Starry Wisdom Cult. It might help you with your own problems. Noah.

“Well if that message is from him, then yes, it certainly looks as if someone faked his funeral – or at least the photos of it.” Nikki says as Esther takes her phone back.

“It is.” Esther says her hands on the back of the seat as she leans forward to talk above the sound of the heavy black Chevy Impala, “I called it, and it was his voice on the voice mail. As for his death, I dun know what to think.”

“So,” Rhyaad looks over at Nikki, “You’re thinking he faked his own death?”

‘Which may have been a wise thing for him to do, with whomever is after him.” Nikki says, “I mean to attack Esther in the middle of the street in Collinsport – that was very risky and very desperate.”

“Yeah.” Esther agrees softly remembering trying to find as much cover, as the small dash of Nikki’s Ferrari would afford, seeing the crack of the windshield as the bullet careened off at some lucky angle.

“Then he must have faked his death to throw off the Starry Wisdom Cult, to escape from them. But perhaps he was not successful.” Rhyaad says swerving to miss something lying on the road.

“Well, let’s hope we can find him before it’s too late.” Nikki turns to look out the window into the passing night, the silent farmhouses, off across the dead winter fields, seemingly much too dark and distant from the road.

The heavy, low Impala hurls it’s way down the highway as they all settle back for the drive. Esther contemplates the radio – the silence deafening. Rhyaad hands on the wheel, eyes on the road; Nikki seemingly lost in though as she watched the night passing by. She had arrived at Collinsport – sent home to Collinwood by a letter from Dr, Hoffman – in hopes of finding clues as to the whereabouts of her missing parents – now she was involved in conspiracies, cults, and gunmen, in things only half-remembered by humans in their nightmares – humans. She had been one once – and now, as the lonely farmhouses raced by in the night – she had to deal with a seemingly too human problem. She was involved with one woman and becoming involved with another – she should feel bad, conflicted; only she feels desire. No, she wasn’t human anymore.

Nikki suddenly half turns in the seat to look at Rhyaad and then glances back at Esther, who, from Nikki’s look becomes aware that Nikki wishes to say something to them. She leans forward again, resting her arms atop the back of the front bench seat, “So—okay I think we need to talk about Sam Brook?”

Esther sighs, “I’m no good with people. She wanted to make things better, and I said something wrong. Diplomat, I ain’t.”

“I’m sorry Esther that I have put you in this position . . .”

Rhyaad suddenly steps on the brake, and swings the heavy car into a perilous turn, stomping on the accelerator again at just the point in the turn to let the increased friction of the tires barely prevent them sliding off the road. The car careens around the curve at insane speed, somehow, just barely, perhaps by it’s sheer weight, not to fly off of the pavement.

“HOLY S***!” Esther grips the back of the seat.

“Good driving.” Nikki comments on his ability to handle the turn, her hand bracing herself on the dash.

“We’re in a hurry, Esther!” He said, not taking his eyes from the road.

“I know I said Punch it, But I didn’t mean to pull stunts like that!”

“Esther, I meant what I said to you at the house—” Nikki claps her fingers together in what would look like pray, if Esther didn’t know that like her mother, Elizabeth, Nikki had given up that belief, or so she said, the day I died and awoke on a morgue gurney rolling down a antiseptic smelling corridor to the back of an awaiting car, as she looks back over the seat to Esther, “I will send everyone packing before they come between us.”

“Well it’s not like I could… Oh… Sorry.” Rhyaad comments.

Esther shakes her head, “Don’t worry about it, Nik. Just let Sam know that I will tolerate her, or try to.”

“Whatever it was with Sam, it must have been bad, Esther.” Rhyaad says as he keeps his eyes on the road, “Maybe we’ll talk about it later. But— I want to say; I do want her to be able to find a living for herself – her insane behavior being just a bit much for a private eye business. I hope she will go to that appointment Esther arranged for her.”

Nikki looks at them both— “Okay, but I do need to talk to you.”

Rhyaad looks over now with the sudden realization that she’s preparing once more to broach the subject, even as Esther adjusts her hat.

“I have made no secret that I am gay – you both know that.” Nikki begins, “And I am very much involved with Samantha Evans. And so—I, may have made a mistake, I mean, being able to read her feelings, knowing that Samantha Brook was attracted to me—and heaven . . . well if heaven would or could help me – I used that attraction.”

Rhyaad looks over to her, “I am well aware of your proclivities, Nikki, as you are of mine. But, your talk of it being a mistake, though . . . Was it a mistake to start something with her?”

“I don’t know – I mean I tried to use her sexual attraction to bring her out of whatever trauma has put her in the place that she finds herself trapped within. I don’t know if that was a right thing to try and do . . . I mean, Esther says we should leave this to professionals. And so, I worry, did I have the right to go into her mind? Even if was so I could pull her back to sanity.”

“Playing psychiatrist Nik?” Esther asks.

“Yes.” Nikki admits, her bright sapphire eyes looking to Esther, “I mean, this power I have – It’s a double edged sword in that I have an ability to . . . to go into a mind and try to help – but should I – did I have the right? Did I have the right to do it to Sam?”

“You mean…. you were using your hypnotic powers on her?” Rhyaad asks, “Well, I suppose that’s a good thing. If you were helping her. But, if you only used them to seduce her—well Esther and I discussed that, honestly. And I don’t care, it would be no worse than anything I’ve done. But you’re right. It is a double edged sword.”

“Yes,” Nikki looks reflective, “Did she seem different last night?”

“She seemed fine, but when I insisted that she see the doctor anyway, she got all upset.” Esther says, “Not that I don’t trust you Nik, but in all honesty, I’d let a trained professional mess with her psyche.”

“Is that why you had an argument with her, Esther? Over her refusal to see a professional?” Rhyaad asks, looking back at Esther in the rearview mirror.

“Mostly, yeah.”

“Forgive me, Nikki, but . . . are you—“

“Yes—I am. I am attracted to her . . . ” Nikki looked out through the windshield, “I have to admit that to the both of you.”

Esther reaches across the seat and points, ”We’re approaching the city.” The lights of Cleaves Mills suburb appearing ahead, “For gods sake Rhy, slow down.”

“All right, Esther” He begrudgingly slowed down to 70.

‘So—” Nikki sits back and combs her finger through her hair, “I may be attracted to a crazy woman.” She says softy almost to herself.

“Well then. Before you do anything . . . “ Esther blushes slightly at the thought, “I think you might have to talk with both Sam’s and work somthin’ out.”

“Well . . . Nikki, you got yourself into it . . . I do say it was for good intentions though.” Upon actually entering the city he slowed the large black Impala to the speed limit.

They travel through the outskirts of the suburb, past several stores, convenience markets, the Bangor Pine Hotel, and Rhyaad takes a turn taking them into downtown Bangor. “Okay, Esther—where am I going?”

Esther leans forward and points, “Here. Turn here.” They drive a bit further, and she points again, “And here left.”

“Geesh! You could have told me sooner.” He swerved around the turn and to the destination she had indicated.

Esther ignores him, “Right – and here, I think we are coming up on it . . . here, she points to another turn.”

Act 3 – “To be looking at the board, not looking at the city”

The city park is mostly deserted owing of course to the time and the temperature. As they walk from the walk into the commons, past the silent playground, swings only vaguely stirred by a breeze, the cold pipes of the monkey bars vacated, the set of slides looking like cold, sharp metal which would inflict pain rather than amusement. An old man with a weather baseball cap passes on the narrow concrete walkway that slitters through the grounds.

Esther suddenly moves quicker, stepping away from them. As she makes for a park bench, “Noah?”

Rhyaad’s watches Esther as she makes her way towards a park bench upon which a brown haired young man sat; his hand reached into this jacket for the comfort of his gun. He could feel Nikki beside him – she was for all her easy saunter tense – scanning the shadows for sudden assailants.

Together, slowly walking, his hand in his leather jacket, Nikki’s hands in the long overcoat, they looked some classic scene from some spy movie – they looked like assassins.

Noah Mankowsk, sitting on the bench, dressed in a down jacket with a thick wool scarf around his neck – to keep him warm, or to duck behind to hide himself? Esther approaches to see that his attention is taken up with the scroll he is reading. Something, a sound or sixth sense causes him to look up and nervously, having spotted her—hearing her voice calling out to him, he hurriedly rolls the scroll back up and tires to put it away. “Esther!?” His voice filled with surprise, “What are you doing here!?”

Rhyaad kicks at a pigeon that seems to have taken a liking to his boot.

Nikki, hands in her overcoat, continues her observation of the park. I perfect setting for an ambush.
Only one good street lamp and it near the bench the young man is sitting upon, bathing him in what could be a spotlight.

“What am I doing here?” Esther asks a bit startled at the odd look he gives her as she continues to approach, “I got your text message.”

“Text message?” Noah suddenly rises from the bench, his face a mix of anxious confusion and a trace of fear. “Esther, My phone was stolen when my apartment was ransacked last month!”

‘What!?’

Nikki stepping up slowly so as not to startle the young man looks at him, “You did not send the message?”

Noah looks at the two of them – Rhyad’s hand in his jacket. Armed and dangerous he thinks to himself. Did they force Esther to come here?

Rhyaad watched the man quietly, not coming too close, not wishing to spook him either. What he said was rather surprising though, and his eyebrow shot up. He immediately renewed his grip on his gun.

Nikki’s blue eyes go dark and she quickly starts looking around the park with interest.

Noah Mankowski, doesn’t say another word.

He just starts running east.

Esther starts to run after him, “Wait!”

“Noah, stop, we are here to help you!” Nikki calls out.

Rhyaad looked at Nikki for a moment, to see if he was going to respond to her, but when he didn’t, he then took off after the man.

Nikki moves quickly – this was all a set-up.

As they give chase it becomes apparent that Noah Mankowski runs like someone used to being on the run.

“Noah, I am a private detective, I am here to help, please, trust us.” Nikki calls out to him as she passes Esther and is on Noah’s heels.

She reaches out and pushes him, the only way she knows to stop him – and he falls, tumbling over and rolling off the concrete walkway into the cold grass.

Rhyaad effortlessly kept up with the man, while being careful not to get too close –hoping Nikki would talk some sense into the young man.

Only Noah, rolls and quickly comes back up on his feet and quickly clears some bushes and runs across a walkway bridge, clambers atop it and jumps to a culvert walkway below.

Rhyaad races down the embankment. He leaps over a wire trash receptacle. Keep Bangor Clean City Ordinance 12121586.

Nikki hurries over the bridge. One hand on the rough-hewed stone ledge and she vaults over. Her black overcoat fluttering like dark wings, she lands on the walkway below. Two bats hanging under the bridge flitter away.

Noah keeps running – who are these guys?

Nikki turns – Rhyaad is already under the bridge and racing along the footway. His now gun in hand.

She turns and sprints after.

Out of the park entrance, turning to look behind, Noah can’t believe they are right behind him. Who are these guys!

Behind him is the busy streets . . . in front are the two racing after him.

Aware of what they are after he steps off the curb into the street.

On coming cars blare their horns as the young man appears in the midst of the headlights. He looks back to see Nikki, her blue eyes, watching as she prepares to move out into the street with him.

Esther, cutting through some shrubbery just barely manages to keep up. She eyes widen in anxious suspense as she steps out in time to see Noah in the street as car swerves much too close. Missing him the car’s horn held down in a long blare as she sees Nikki’s not slowing down as she too is about to enter into the traffic.

Esther put her hands to her head.

Noah turns and continues to run.

Nikki running straight into the traffic strangely seems to dodge the automobiles as if they were not at all a hazard as she tries to keep sight of the running Noah Mankowski.

Rhyaad coming to the curb hesitates a moment seeing a break in the cars so that he can move behind the passing automobiles.

Another horn blare and Nikki’s trailing coat hem is slapped by the front fender of a Chevy Malibu. The driver in a tan sweater swerving erratically.

Noah ducks into an alleyway.

Nikki gaining the other side of the street looks around, turns to Esther across the street, “Esther where did he go?”

Esther points, “The Alley!”

Rhyaad comes up now beside Nikki and they both make their way slowly toward the darken entrance of the alleyway.

Act 4 “One night in Bangor and the tough guys tumble”

Noah Mankowsk gasping for air stands with one hand against the wall. His forehead beaded with sweat glinting like the ice crystals they should be – the cold air burning, stabbing needles in his lungs.

He sees, Nikki and Rhyaad entering the alley, slowly, wearily walking towards him. The man has his hand in his pocket – gun he thinks. The woman – she’s just as dangerous.

Esther follows them in and hurries toward him, putting her a comforting hand on his chest, “Noah? What’s going on?”

“Cultists!” He gasps. “They’re onto me, “gasping, white puffs of breath escaping in torn rasps. “Have a map—ahhh,” Stitch in his side, trying to catch his breath.

As Rhyaad moves closer he no longer bothers to disguise his manner of movement or the fact that he seemed to not tire or sweat. Still he kept a respectful distance from the man nearly collapsing against the brick wall as he gasped for breath – hoping Esther could talk some sense into the young man.

Esther asks, “A map?”

Nikki with her leisurely stride walks up, her hand removing from her overcoat pocket a flip wallet so that she can show him her Private Investigators license. “Mr. Mankowski, I am a Private Investigator from Maine. Esther and I work together. We are here to help you!”

Noah Mankowski looks at Nikki, detects the British accent. A moment of recognition crosses his face as she looks from Esther to Nikki, “So you must be Nik?” He says breathlessly, “It’s a pleasure . . . to meet you.”

Rhyaad nodded. “We’re here to help you, Mr. Mankowski.”

“Sorry it could not be under . . . “ still breathing hard, “Better circumstances.”

“Yes, it is very nice to meet you,” Nikki says as she puts her license away, “But you are well aware that is not safe for you right how.”

“Oh—I am very much aware of that.” He nods, “I had to fake . . . my own death . . . to throw them off . . . the scent.”

“Do you know what it is they are after?”

“Yes . . . Yes I do.” And he pulls out the scroll he had been reading in the park. “This!” He removes the scroll briefly and shows it to her.

“What is it, Noah?” Esther asks, “Is that the map?”

He nods, “Yes—it’s a map . . . to the location of the . . . Shining Trapezohedron.”

Nikki steps closer, slowly, “But I thought it had been thrown into a river, years ago?”

“Well, now,” Rhyaad said hearing what the map supposedly lead to, “That is interesting – but it was the sea, I thought.”

Noah Mankowski shook his head, “The bay . . . hardly a fitting place . . . to keep something . . . as powerful . . . as this.

“Yes.” Nikki nodded, “It certainly isn’t – if it can do what I think it can do.”

Noah begins to catch his breath, “It – it was taken out of the bay by a man . . . named . . . oh what was it? Mortimer Huckabee. That’s it. Doctor Huckabee took it to a location far from Rhode Island”

“Where is it now?” Nikki asks.

He shakes his head, “Well. I have the map. But I cannot read it. It’s all in codes and whatnot. I have been working with Mr. Shultz, the Cantor, to try and decipher it, but my continued pursuit is making such a thing difficult

Nikki nods, “Do you know a Nicholas Blair? Or have you heard of him?”

“Hebrew codes, I wonder?” Rhyaad said almost to himself as he returned his attention to the alley’s entrance, watching for any followers.

“Blair? I cannot say that I have. And yes, the code is something that is based in Talmudic text.” Noah says as he pushes away from the wall of the brick building, having regained his composure. “But the cantor is mystified, and I dare not ask the rabbi. He thinks I am dead, and would spoil the—“

He stops in mid-sentence, looking down the alley past Nikki, as he suddenly dives toward a door to his left as if seeking protection.

“Right—everyone freeze right where they are.” Came a voice that Nikki instantly knew to be the one from the dark street in Collinsport – the same voice of the man who had tried to abduct Esther. “Kid you are sure hard to find.”

But, Noah in trying the door finds it opens. He quickly runs in and up the stairs.

Esther turns slowly and draws her gun.

She sees the man who had taken a shot at her as he limped closer, his Glock large and menacing.

Only, Nikki moves in a blur, her right hand reaching out and grasping the gunsel by the throat. She effortlessly lifts him up, carrying him back to slam him up against the brick wall of the building.

Rhyaad reacts to move over to block the door as he draws his gun.

The gunman’s feet leave the alley pavement. Nikki’s eyes gone dark – her fangs extending.

The Gunsel tries to react, put his gun to her stomach, but she grabs his wrist with her free hand and snaps it, breaking it so that the gun falls uselessly clattering to the alley pavement.

“AGGGGGGGGGH! Damn you!!”

“Who are you?” Esther demands

Nikki looks over her shoulder to Rhyaad, “Get Noah out of here!”

Noah Mankowski is already halfway up the inside of the apartment building.

Rhyaad seeing that Nikki has thwarted the gunman in the alley, he turned and rushed up the stairs after Noah.

“You broke my f*****g wrist!”

Esther marches over and holds her gun to his head, “Who are you!?”

Nikki’s one hand wrapped about his throat squeezes, “She asked you a question? Who are you?”

“I’m nobody, Bitch!”

Nikki squeezed tighter.

“Who sent you? The Starry Wisdom?

“Aghhh,” The man gasps, “He will find it no matter how hard you try to stop him!”

“Who – who will find it?

Rhyaad ran up the stairs, looking for Noah….

Noah is on the roof, looking for the closest building to jump to.

“Esther, I have him, help Rhyaad – get him to the car!”

Nikki: “Who – who will find it?”

Esther lingers for a few seconds, her gun to his head. She pushes the barrel hard on his flesh and then turns to race after Rhyaad and Noah}

“You stupid Bitch, they are three steps ahead of you already – “ He gasps looking at her, “You have no f**king idea, do you?”

Rhyaad not finding him, he kept moving up and up, but there was no sign of the man in the empty building. He went all the way up to the roof, where it seemed the door had been forced open, and went out. He spies Noah contemplating jumping to another rooftop. “Noah! Wait!”, he called out.

Only Noah jumps to the next-door building’s roof just as Rhyaad steps out on the roof and calls to him.

Nikki’s eyes continue to darken, her lips reveal her fangs have extended.

Noah rising from his landing upon the opposite roof stops and turns around.

“What are you?” The gunsel asks, seeing her eyes darken, the sharpness of her eyeteeth.

Esther runs up the stairs in search of Rhyaad, searching each floor as she ascends.

“If you don’t want to find out, you better start talking.”

“Damn him!” Rhyaad mutters as he kept running and flashed with incredible speed, leaping into the air a foot short of the roof’s edge, and lands hard on the opposite roof with a grinding of boots on the gravelly surface.

The gunsel struggles, his wrist on fire, pain lancing up his arm from where she has broken it. “You—you must be the one they keep talking about.”

Noah runs over to Rhyaad, and hands him the scroll. “Take this. Decode it. I’ll keep running; make them think I still have it. Go!

Rhyaad taking the scroll surprised, nods. “But Noah… We could protect you!” Only, the young man does not seem to be listening.

Noah turns and runs off again, leaping over onto a fire escape, deftly swinging his way down.

“Who!” Nikki’s patience is wearing thin. She remembers he took a shot at Esther.

“It is not theirs!”

Rhyaad moves quickly to the top of the fire escape. “Wait!”

Nikki’s fingers grip harder ready to snap his neck as she is tried of asking, “Who does it belong to?”

Esther finally gets up to the roof, and sees Rhyaad on the other building. “Well f***.” She makes a running start.

“Iscariot Snow”

Noah is already well on his way to another street.

Nikki lifts him even higher up, his back scraping on the brick wall. ‘How do you know that name?”

Esther makes the leap and sticks the landing hard, limping over to Rhyaad. “What happened Rhy?”

The gunman, his hand slipping into his jacket pocket, slyly, says with a hiss. “Here’s your f**king answer, Bitch!” And he jerks free a pure silver knife looking into her eyes so he can see it when he sticks it in.

“I followed Noah, Esther. He gave me his scroll” Rhyaad stuffs it carefully into his inner pocket.

“Where is he?” She stands looking at the night-shrouded rooftops

Nikki gasps and her hand loosens around his throat.

The gunsel smiles.

“Got it Bitch!”

She grabs her abdomen, the blade still in deep.

He pulls free of her loosening grip.

He pushes it harder.

“Leave Starry Wisdom alone!”

She takes a step back.

“You got that! Bitch!”

The gunman scuffles off and runs out of the alley.

“I tried to get him to stay with us . . . tell him we could protect him . . . but he ran away like a monkey down the fire escape. He says to make them think he still has the scroll. Still, he should have stayed with us.”

“D***. Come on. Lets go question that f***er.” Esther turns and leads the way.

Nikki turns, bleeding badly, as she places her hands around the blade deep in her abdomen.

She reaches out a hand to catch herself against the wall – “Bloody f*****g hell.”

She nearly trips over one of the blue plastic crates stacked in the alley.

“Es-Esther.” She tries to say, her voice softly weakening.

She slips down the wall to sit on one of the crates –

Esther jumps over the gap and jogs down the inner stairs of the building.

Nikki looks down at the knife – he had put in all the way to the hilt.

Esther makes her way to the alley door and is shocked to see Nikki slumped against the wall.

“NIK!” She runs over to her.

Rhyaad follows Esther and jumps much faster than she, reaching the stairs and rapidly making his way down several at a time. He finally makes it all the way back to the alley, and gasps loudly at what he sees

Nikki places her right hand around the hilt of the knife and tries to move it — “AHHHHHHHHHH. Pure silver – God it hurts.”

Hold still,” Esther tells her as she kneels down to examine the knife wound closely.

Nikki looks up. “Did you . . . get . . . Noah!”

“Talk later. Save your strength.” Esther tells her as she looks at the knife – God it’s in deep.

“F**king careless— I should have . . . checked him for— ” Nikki says and her face a mask of pain, “S**t, do they always stab me in the same place?”

“F***. “ Esther looking at the wound, “I ain’t a doctor!”

“Sorry – Esther – I shouldn’t have let him get away.” Nikki says, her hands covered in blood.

Esther takes hold of the knife.

“Not now Nik,”

“Pull it out Esther, please.”

Rhyaad leapt over to her side and examined the situation with fear in his eyes, not answering any spoken words, just concentrating on the wound. Then suddenly, he grabbed the knife and pulled it out in one swift motion.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

Esther watches as Rhyaad pulls the knife out.

Nikki leans her head back on the wall, breathing hard.

“Right! Bandage . . . bandage . . . “ Esther takes her own knife and cuts the hem of her coat off.

Nikki looks up at Rhy, “Did you get Noah?”

“No. Now shut up Nikki. Put the cloth over the wound Esther.”

Esther lifts the hem of Nikki’s pull-over sweater and bandages the bloody slit in her abdomen.

Nikki smiles as she watches Esther working on her wound, “Esther – what would I ever do without you?”

Rhyaad kneeling beside Esther applies pressure on the bandage. “Your blood should heal it in time. Right now just keep still and don’t open the wound.”

Nikki nods, “It’s not like last time, I can feel it trying to heal.”

Esther shakes her head in distress, “I shoulda been there Nik. Here. Lets get you back.” She slowly tries to help Nik up on her feet.

Nikki stands and leans upon her, “Oh, please Esther, don’t get blood on your coat, it never comes out.”

“The coat is the least of my worries Nik. Let’s get you back to the car.”

“Yes, oh, pick up his gun please — it may have fingerprints.” Nikki says to Rhyaad.

Esther looks over to him, “Rhyaad. Gun. Gloves.”

“Wait here and I will get the car.” Ryhaad directs as he snatches up the gunman’s Glock, using a piece of cloth from his shirt to pick it up.

“I most likely rubbed them off the knife.”

“So did Rhy probably.” Esther adds.

“I am worried about Nikki not bleeding to death. Damn the fingerprints. Now wait here!” And Rhyaad flashes down the alley.

Esther supports Nik as she escorts her toward the entrance to the alley

“Just let me lean on you a bit Esther, I will try not to attract too much attention on the way to the car.”

By the time they reach the entrance to alley, the large black car pulls to a halt. Rhyaad jumps out, motor running, as he hurries around to help Esther get Nikki into the back seat.

“Oh, we’re here – good, sorry, did I black out there a for a moment?”

“The faster we can get her to your place, the quicker we can get her replenished” Esther tells Rhyaad as she helps Nikki and tires to help her get comfortable, “Now don’t worry. Just stay still.” She closes the door and hops into the front seat as Rhyaad gets in and closes his door.

“Drive carefully now Rhy. We don’t need to get pulled over by the cops.” Esther tells him as she huddles into her coat.

Rhyaad nodded. “Damn that Noah! He should have stayed to explain this.”

Act 5 “It’s a drag, it’s a bore, it’s really such a pity”

Nikki lies back, the wind whipping her hair about her face.

“D*** . . . I shoulda been there Nik. If I was there, this wouldn’ta happened.” Esther says turning to look back at Nikki to make certain she was comfortable – or as comfrotable as she could be . . . with a f**king slit in her stomach – the memory of the raw wound still haunting her, “And I missed out on Noah too.”

As Esther and Rhyaad are looking ahead; she lifts the hem of Esther’s coat so as to look to at the wound. It’s a small slit in her right side; if she were human she would have never gotten this far. It is not bleeding a profusely as before, but is still oozing crimson—God she needs a drink.

“Not your fault Esther – Mine. I should have checked him for weapons – I let the Vampire part of me get the best of me.” Nikki tells her, “Damn, I wished Noah had not ran away!”

Rhyaad nodded. “Always remember that we are not indestructible, Nikki. You may feel like you are, but you are not.” Rhyaad said his eyes on the road, wanting to hurry and yet aware he did not need to draw unnecessary attention. “And yes . . . my feelings exactly. Glad now that I did not chase him though.”

“It’s so easy, you just think you are –”

Esther turns to Rhyaad, “About him running away. You said he gave you the map did he?”

“Damn I hate silver!” Nikk lays her head back, eyes flickering as if she is sleepy. She looks out at the passing night, “Oh the weather out side is frightful . . . ”

Esther turns back in her seat, “You ok there Nik?”

“But the fire is so – Rhyaad, you will still have the fire at the Nightingale?” Nikki asks – feeling herself becoming drowsy as the regeneration process was beginning now in earnest. “Oh, I could really use – a bite to eat!”

She smiles.

“Yes, we do. But I was going to take you home . . . wait . . . I do have a large container of blood there—”

Esther looks over and says softly, “Take her to your place.”

“Oh, home is find, I have some blood and vodka in the kitchen.” Nikki waves a hand at him.

“Yes, Esther, I have the scroll. We will examine it once Nikki has a lot of warm blood in her.”

“Since there is no place left to go . . .” Nikki sings, her inflection very British. “So, how fast can this car go, Rhy?” She asks. “Let it snow – hey, when is it supposed to snow again? Anybody know?”

Esther looks back at Nikki and a sudden look of horror passes over Esther’s face – is she dying?

“About 130, Nikki. But you are wounded and delirious and regenerating. Just keep calm.”

Esther looks at him, “Lets not see how fast this car can go.” She looks back at Nik, “As for snow . . . I don’t know.” She turns on the radio looking for the weather station.

Rhyaad kept the speed down to a smooth 90 as they zoomed back to Collinsport.

“Got it Bitch. Got it Bitch.” Nikki says, “Iscariot Snow—you got that Bitch!”

“What?” Rhyaad asks.

Esther in the front seat, watching the road looks a little sick from the speed.

“Everything okay back there Nik?” Esther asks.

Silence.

“Nik?” She looks back. Nikki’s head lolls on the back of the car seat. Esther is startled, “Rhy she looks dead.”

“What it looks like when she’s slumbering during the day – she’s regenerating.”

“Oh, this is so f**ked up.”

As they finally they reached the outskirts of Collinsport, Rhyaad slowed down again to a more legal pace, still making deliberately for the Nightingale, thinking of his large container of blood in the basement

The car finally pulled up in front of the Nightingale.

Act 6 “Time flies—doesn’t seem a minute”

Tea, warm, sweet . . . the tea room has closed only moments ago. Only a few cars remain in the parking lot – which is great Rhyaad thinks as he pulls the car to a halt at the front entrance. Esther is out and opening the back door to help Nikki before he can get the large automobile into park.

Esther opens the doors of the Nightingale as if opening the emergency room doors and ordering a triage, “ Clear the way! We have wounded!”

Rhyaad rushes in carrying the body of Nikki Collins heading straight to one of the tables. He swept the cups onto the floor, then gently laying her down upon it.

Nikki’s eyes flickered and she looked up at him, “Oh, are we there?”

Esther looks tensely cross the table to Rhyaad, “Where’s your stash?”

“In the basement . . . you take care of her while I get it” Rhyaad tells her and quickly disappeared behind the divider. He had not even checked to see if there were any lingering patrons . . . his concern for Nikki was paramount. Had they not gone through this very same thing not too long ago – had Nikki not nearly left the ranks of the undead for the truly dead?

With a sudden memory, Esther rushes over toward where Rhy occasionally kept a secreted jar of blood. Yes, she was right – as she sees the jar and finding a cup dips it in.

Nikki lays back and grimaces, her hand holding the bloody bandage loosely. She tries to sit up, fighting with her coat to take it off.

Esther hurries over with the cup. Nikki senses the blood, smells it and lifts her head to sip from the cup as Esther pours the liquid into her friend’s mouth.

Nikki starts drinking very quickly . . . gulping.

She holds a hand to her mouth as she coughs, coking from trying to drink too fast.

Rhyaad arrives carrying a large jar, a Greek amphora, and places it on the table – taking note as he does that Esther had remembered the supply he kept at hand for his personal use.

The strange man who had arrived earlier, before Esther had arrived to enlist them in their mission, had remained in the hopes of seeing Rhyaad when he returned. He moves over, not sure what to do, so he did nothing, as they seemed to have it well in hand, thinking that interfering now would likely make it worse, and so for now he decided to just stand and observe.

Nikki began fighting with the coat, irritated that she could not get it off.

Rhyaad stepped over to calm her and help her out of the coat. He dropped it to the floor and then began to put pressure gently on the bandage, holding her, “It’s going to be all right now, Nikki. We’re back – we’re in the Nightingale.”

Nikki looks at him, her lips blood covered and she nods.

“Rhyaad . . . ” The Doctor finally decided to speak up stepped closer, looking at the woman on the table, “What can I do? And if at all possible, please save the confusion for a few moments sometime after the moment we currently occupy, would be helpful.”

Esther stands at Nikki’s side, “You a doctor?”

Nikki hands her cup over to Esther, “More please.”

Rhyaad was startled by the voice. “You?’ He turns quickly to look at the tall, slender man, “I thought you were supposed to be dead? What is—” He started to say but then remembered the Doctor’s words, and the pressing need. “So—are you actually a doctor, Doctor? Can you heal her?”

Esther hurriedly dips the cup back into the amphora and presses it to Nikki’s bloody lips.

“Oliver Twist asks for more.” She smiles.

“Just drink.” Ryhaad tells Nikki.

She looks up at him and drinks.

Esther watches Nikki’s everyone now with concern – they had almost lost her once before from a similar wound – and no one knew where the f**k Elizabeth Bathory was – and . . . it was she who saved Nikki then.

Esther mutters to herself, “If only I was there . . . ”

“Well . . . I’m a Doctor . . . but not a . . . vampire . . . doctor, well sort of, I am, and sort of I aren’t, depends on your angle, really, but the point is, what’s got her hurt?”

“She was stabbed with a silver knife, Doctor. Rather nasty. All the way to the hilt.” Rhyaad gives him the short version.

Nikki holding her cup of blood looks over at the Doctor, “Doctor, it hurts right here.” Nikki says and removes the bandage to reveal the wound from the pure silver knife.

“Nikki! I wish you’d keep that covered!” Rhyaad admonished her.

“Oh, but look.” Nikki says looking over the rim of her cup before she begins sipping again, “It’s not as big as it was.”

“Your own regenerative powers will heal you in time, Nikki. With lots of blood that is. Drink more.” He glanced at the Doctor. “Or perhaps the Doctor has some of his magic to perform?”

“Right,” The Doctor said stepping up to examine the situation, “And so, the charge of the silver is producing a molecular imbalance with toxic results, but just keep doing what your doing, it’ll reverse the enzyme decay and regenerate her cells. Nothing I can do, I’m afraid. Simple really my dear,” He says to Nikki and points to the cup, “Drink blood. Feel better.”

Nikki cannot resist taking a look beneath the bandage and find that the wound has now completely closed. “Oh, now—that is much better.”

Rhyaad sighs, “Ah it seems the ol’ vampiric nature is finally beginning to work on her . . . ”

“It still hurts,” She complains as she finishes up a third cup of blood.

“It will still hurt for days, Nikki. That’s normal. Of course if you were human, you’d be one foot in the grave by now.”

The Doctor nods and puts his hands behind his back in reflection, “Yes, with the knife cutting up into the big squashy oogly bits, you would have definitely been dead.” He then suddenly points at her, “Good thing you are a Vampire!”

Nikki lies back, “Ah, if it is okay with you – could I have one of your world famous Mary’s Bloody?”

“You are in no shape to weaken your system with alcohol. No – you may not have a Mary Bloody. Settle for pure blood, please.” Rhyaad tells her – he was well aware of the effects of regeneration had upon him – but for Nikki it seemed to take the form of intoxication.

Nikki holds her empty cup up to him, “Then more blood, please.”

He nodded and quickly filled another cup for her.

“Well—that’s lovely.” The Doctor says.

“What is, Doctor?” He helps Nikki now from the table and over to sit in one of the chairs by the fire – remembering that was where she wanted to be, “And now that the emergency is passed Doctor. How is it that you are alive? I thought you were shot, or something.”

Nikki sits back and sips her drink, placing the bandage in a bowl on the sidetable so as not to get blood on the floor.

Esther hurries back from the restroom , “I’m sorry, what’d I miss? Oh, God Nik, your up! Are you okay?”

“Yes, sore, and it hurts inside, but getting better.” Nikki says.

The Doctor stands before the fire looking at Rhyaad, “I was, but then I wasn’t, and then all of time exploded, and everything happened at the same time then didn’t happen, and then it did, then I was shot again . . . but it was a me suite-and so everything is fine.” He puts a finger to his lips, “But, shhhh, really, shhhh, don’t tell anyone I’m not shot.”

“Oh, I see. Just as simple as that.” Rhyaad said sarcastically.

“Well surely I must tell Gregory that reports of your demise have been greatly exaggerated, Doctor. He will be very happy to know you aren’t pushing up daisies.”

“Anyway, I just came because I’ve been following Meili a bit, making sure he was behaving himself, so I was in the neighborhood” The Doctor says, ‘But Marshal . . . ahhh . . . uhmmm . . . best not, I’m kind of…early.” He shuffled his shoes a bit. “It would change a fixed point, really…best not.”

“So,” Nikki looking at the Doctor not certain at all what he was talking about as she sat sipping from the cup of blood, “The map, you got the map?”

Esther too glances over uncertainly at the “doctor.” It was apparently Rhyaad knew him – might even know what he was talkin’ ‘bout.

“Not . . . Evil . . .” Rhyaad barely managed to contain himself. “Did you not see him slaughter almost an entire village and laugh about it? Did you not watch him use his manipulative powers to an evil end? How can you say that? And eating dinner with Gregory? I should be strangling him if I were there! What in the nine hells ever possessed Gregory to bring him into this… this… place?”

Rhyaad then looks over and nods to Nikki. “Yes. I have it.”

“Hold on, calm down, you missed a lot of things.” The Doctor says, and then pauses, to look at the ladies present, smiles, “We can’t talk right here in front of everyone, besides, I need more biscuits. We can not continue without biscuits, and, above all else, we can’t confuse everyone.”

Esther tosses up her hands, “That’s Ok. I dun know what the f*** you guys are talkin’ ’bout, but it must be important. So Rhy, ya got a safe place to put th’ map, let me know, and I’ll put it away.”

“Then we can talk later, if you insist. But if that wicked Romani comes to bring death on the people of Collinsport—If I even see him without The Marshal to contain him, then I will strike him down like a dog.” Rhyaad warns. “And, I shall hide the map in the basement, Esther. Safest place I’ve got.”

“Good,” She gets up from the table and goes to the fireplace, pulls out her pack of cigarettes and lights one up.

“Esther! Must you stink up my establishment?” He complains as soon as she began to puff.

Esther just ignores Rhyaad, deep in thought – nearly losing Nik, having lost Noah.

“And you’ll be killed to death, but hey, that’s fine, we’ll just be all violent with the shooting and acting just like the humans usually do, why not? It’s not like we’re older or enlightened or can behave better than that. It’s not like we don’t know better, do we?”

“Sorry about your coat Esther.” Nikki says and takes another sip from her cup.

The Doctor wriggled his nose a bit, turning to give a slight glare to Esther.

“You compare me to a human? I don’t make unwarranted use of violence. But with that person around, it’s not unwarranted.”

Esther looks over at Nik, ”Hmm? Oh, don’t worry about th’ coat. F*** th’ coat. What’s important is that you are ok.”

“I only wish you had been able to talk Noah into coming with us.” Nikki said sitting back, eyes now becoming lighter blue, “I am worried about him.”

“I’m worried about him too,’ She looks down at the ground and takes a long drag off her cigarette. “I couldn’t get to him in time, and I couldn’t get to you in time either—“

“You don’t understand, and yet you’ll kill just like that. And I . . . ” He stopped himself, shifting closer to Rhyaad as the other two occupants of the room were engaged in a conversation, “The lives that child’s taken are nothing, nothing, compared to what I’ve done, you don’t even know. Go ask Cyrus to explain it to you, but know this . . . ” He paused for a moment, staring at Rhyaad

“Well – his running away didn’t help – and do not blame yourself for what happened to me, it’s a lesson I needed to learn, “ Nikki says contemplative as she looks at the flames licking up the logs in the hearth, “I must allow my nature too take blind control like that – give in to that overwhelming sense of power, let it overcome my reason.”

“What would you have me do then, Doctor? Welcome the murderer with open arms? Say ‘Oh yes, I believe you. You are suddenly completely reformed. And for some reason you need Collins Investigations to locate your wicked Solomonari whatever…” He snapped back, but—he pauses for a moment to reflect upon the Doctor’s words, “You? You have taken lives?”

Esther looks at Nikki – and Nikki saw a brief something, for a moment in, Esther’s countenance, her shoulders—a deep concern for Noah, “I didn’t even get to talk to him. The whole meeting was a setup.”

“We will find him Esther.” Nikki said, “We found him once, we will find him again. I promise.”

“Perhaps— “ She exhales a long plume of smoke.

“And the next time, we will be certain it is on our terms” Nikki tells her.

“Ohh . . . too many.” He sighed. “Meili is not the monster you knew, even the worst of us can be redeemed, especially if an outside evil was to blame. Like I said, talk to Cyrus…but before you decide to kill or be generally barbaric,” He said, with another slight flourish of his hands, “You need to know something. “People have come to this world, outsiders, people from afar, like you, and have come here to do violence. This isn’t my world, but I’ve put a lot of work into it, and your not the first to have come here, I’m sure you know. And sometimes, they thought they were doing the right thing, they thought they were justified, they all had their reasons, really, people always did. But they came here and they tried to hurt and they tried to kill, take lives. You can time travel; you’ve been living here for a while, go find out what happened to them. Then, think about running Meili down or whatever idle threats you want to make. I’m the Doctor, and if you do, all I can tell you is to run.”

Esther sighs and takes one final draw off her cigarette before flinging it into the fireplace, “I think he ran off to give us a chance to decode that map while they ran after him. Lets try to live up to that expectation.”

“I hope we can make some sense of his map, but it would have been much better to have him and the map.” Nikki says thoughtfully, “Esther, he was brave to let himself be the one they would go after while letting us have the map.”

Esther looks up at her, “Yeah…”

“I will make sure we figure this out, Esther. He seemed like a very nice young man.”

Esther nods solemnly, “Well. Let me get some sleep and first thing tomorrow morning, while you’re restin’, I’m going to look at that map an’ translate the language for you.

“If I had just bitten the bastard in the alley at the first perhaps none of this would have happened.”

Esther looks at Nikki – she looks tired. “Let’s go Nik – you need to lie down, forget the sun, rest early tonight.”

“Right, I may need you to make sure I can drive to the Old House.”

“Are you well enough t’ drive?”

“I don’t know what you mean by those last bits, Doctor. Run? Why? Meilli is not a god. He is not indestructible. And I can take him down. I have never made idle threats. But you do remind me that violence is not the way of my code, unless there is no other choice. How it is not my place to judge, Meilli or anyone. As impossible as I think it is to believe, Meilli does claim to have redeemed himself, changed. So I shall grant him the benefit of the doubt for now. I will speak to Gregory about it. I have no desire to go back to that time, the time Cyrus comes from; but Gregory can explain what has happened and why he sees fit to allow Meilli access to this place and time. Yes, a lot of people enter this world from elsewhere. A lot of various people and creatures would enter this world and do harm. I’ve already done what I could to prevent that. If necessary I will again. But I don’t know what threat you speak of. You are too vague.”

“I will drive slow – if you just talk to me on the way – or, maybe find some music.”

“I’ll handled the radio, we’ll make it.”

“Rhyaad, seems you and the Doctor need to converse, catch up on some old times, it appears. Esther and I, are going to make our way home. I’m taking a cup for the road if you don’t mind. See you tomorrow.”

“Take as much as you want”, he told her. “And rest well. Tomorrow we will talk of how . . . peculiar this little set-up was.” He looks at Esther, “Watch her.”

“I meant you would need to run from me.” The Doctor says solemnly and then turns quickly to smile at the ladies.

Cue Music End of Episode