In Plain Sight: A Cade Foster Mystery 5

[Otis McNutt 395]

Chapter Five: Checkmate, Cadence Foster

"Sergeant, get this park cleared now!" Mallone ordered a uniformed cop. "I play chess over here." Foster said pointing to a row of concrete chess boards. "There's something on the bench." Rhodes said walking over. "It's a backpack." Mallone said.

As Foster moved closer he got a strange feeling, he could see himself almost as if he were being watched from afar. "Stop!" he whispered. "Why?" Rhodes asked. "He's watching us." Foster said, placing his hand over his mouth. "Act naturally!" Mallone whispered as they continued to the backpack. "The next clue in there?" Mallone asked. "Yeah I don't think so." Foster said. As he looked through the Pipers eyes he saw a small device in his hand. "Hold on a minute." Rhodes said, she reached into her pocket and checked her cell phone. "Foster stop!" she shouted as Cade opened the backpack.

As the dust settled Mallone and Rhodes went to check on Foster. "Get an ambulance NOW!" Mallone shouted. Rhodes bent over foster and tried to recessitate him. After a few minutes she shook her head and stopped, then placing her head in her lap she cried.

A short time later the Ambulance showed up, after taking a pulse the paramedic shook his head, put Foster on the guersey and covered him with a sheet.

"While investigating the kidnapping of a young Cascade boy Police Detective Cadence Foster was killed in the line of duty. Foster leaves behind a wife and an unborn child. Police Chief Mike Mallone will be making a statement shortly, Stay with Channel Three for all updates as they come available."

Foster turned off the TV and smiled. "That was incredibly stupid Foster!" Rhodes said. "Play along!" Rhodes added holding up her cellphone. "Texting while your phone's in your pocket is very challenging Amanda." he said sitting up. "Careful, you have four cracked ribs!" Rhodes said. "Will someone like to explain to me why the media is reporting that one of the cities most highly decorated cops is dead?" Police Commissioner Phelps asked storming in. "Yes sir." Mallone said. "Detective Foster had a vision that the Pied Piper was watching us, and that he had a detenator on him that would trigger a bomb he had placed in a backpack in the park."

"But why the ruse?" Phelps asked. "He's stalking me sir, for some unknown reason. If he thinks i'm dead he's likely to slip up." Foster said. "I think he already has." Rhodes said. "A security camera from across the park caught someone placing the backpack on the bench."

[Otis McNutt 395]

Chapter Six: Pied Piper Revealed?

Foster sighed as he hung up the phone. "How's April?" Rhodes asked. "Pissed, but happy." he said. "Maybe we should have told her sooner?" Mallone asked. "No there's always a chance he was watching and her reaction needed to be genuine." Foster said.

"Tapes here." Mallone said. "Put it in!" Foster said. "No popcorn?" Rhodes asked. "The bomb went off about 5 P.M. so start from there and go back." Rhodes said.

The clear black and white footage ran backwards. Cars, bikes, people on foot moving backwards in time. "Stop!" Rhodes shouted. Reacting to her shout Foster pushed pause. "That's the backpack!" she said pointing to the screen. "Keep going...we need a face." Mallone said. Foster tracked back a little further as the man's face came into focus. "There he is!" Mallone said. "Our suspect is a white male, about 21 years of age approximately six feet five inches tall with dark brown or black hair with a beard and..." he looked closely at the image. "A three inch scar under his left eye."

"Twenty One, that's not right!" Rhodes said. "It can't be the Piper." she added. "Look at his eyes, no fear like someone off camera is holding a gun on him he's determined to place the bomb that him." Mallone said.

Foster sat at his desk, mulling over the description Mallone gave the APB officer. "Twenty one... brown or black hair... scar under left eye?" he frantically grabbed for his files and poured over them. "I know who it is!" he said shooting out of his seat.

Foster walked over and dropped a file on Rhodes desk. "Percy Hart, the first Pied Piper victim?" she asked. "That's impossible they found his body." Mallone said. "They found A body, it was to badly decomposed and DNA was in it's infancy back then." Foster said. "But how can you be sure it's Percy Hart?" Mallone asked. "He was six at the time of his kidnapping putting him in the correct age range, he had dark brown hair and..." "A scar under his left eye from being hit by a hockey stick!" Rhodes said reading the file. "Good we know who he is, but that doesn't help us find him." Mallone said.

"Detectives...come quick!" Desk Sergeant O'Dell shouted. "911 just got a hang up." she said. "The call originated from 65 Hawthorne Street." she said. "That was and still is the Hart residence!" Foster said. "Call SWAT, all off duty cops hell even the god damn metermaids I want everyone to 65 Hawthorne steeet, this freak isn't getting away again!" Mallone shouted.

[Otis McNutt 395]

Chapter Seven: It's Over

Cade's car pulled up to the home of Victor and Natalie Hart. Without even stopping he jumped from the car, gun drawn. "What're we doing?" he asked Mallone. "The Hostage Negotiator calling in but Percy isn't picking up the phone."

"We have video." a SWAT officer announced. "They slipped a slim-Cam in the central air vent." Rhodes said. They walked over to the SWAT van and looked at the monitors.

The Pied Piper know known to be Percy Hart stood facing his parents, gun pointed at them. "Look at that kid." Mallone said. "He's close to snapping." Foster said. "I can feel it even out here." Foster took off his vest and gun and dropped them on a nearby table. "Where are you going?" Mallone asked. "Look at him Mike, the Hostage Negotiator isn't gonna make it." "And what you're gonna talk him down?" Mallone asked. "I have too he's angry, confused and scared." Foster said. "Be careful." Rhodes said.

Foster creeped slowly up to the house, and gently knocked on the door. "Go away or they die!" Percy shouted. "I can't do that." Fostervssid walking in. "No I saw you die!" Percy shouted. "No I saw you watching me, I knew there was a bomb and acted accordingly." Foster said. "But why?" Percy asked. "I knew the game would end with my death, that would cause your end game, this very situation."

"Percy, that your name isn't it? Percy Hart." "Stop calling me that!" Percy shouted. "My name is the Pied Piper!" He added. "No you were kidnapped by the Pied Piper, he snatched you right out of bed and took you from these fine people, your parents Victor and Natalie." "He loved me!" Percy shouted. "No Percy he didn't." Foster said. "How do you know, you weren't there!" Percy shouted. "I'm psychic remember, and your mind is shouting."

He was going to kill you, but something happened. He used fear and abuse to change you. When he kidnapped the other kids he made you watch as he did terrible things to them, in time you saw him as your father and yes he saw you as his son.

"Years past and everything was good, but something happened. What happened Percy?"

Percy sat down and sighed. "He died, and as I was cleaning up his house I found an album..full of..." "Newspaper clippings, of his victims?" Foster asked. "And all the supressed memories came flooding back?" Foster asked. "Yes, in that instant I remembered who I was." "Percy Hart?" Foster asked. "No the Pied Piper!" he said roostering the gun.

"Stop!" Foster shouted. "You are not him, he took you and was going to kill you. He's the one you should blame not them." he said pointing at the cowering couple. "They stopped looking for me!" Percy shouted. "No that's not true." Natalie said. "To the police the case was closed when they found the body, but we knew it wasn't you Percy."

"You're lying!" Percy shouted. "No their not, see." Foster held up a flyer. "I got this from the center for Missing and Exploited Children." Foster said. "It's you, Percy Hart Missing Since 1993 and an age enhanced photo." Foster walked over and held the flyer so Percy could see it. "It's over Percy." Fosted said. "Give me the gun."

Percy handed Foster the gun and dropped to his knees, as he poured over the paper he began to cry. "Percy!" Natalie shouted running over. "You're home!" she said hugging him.

As Percy was lead away in handcuffs he looked back and Foster and his parents. "Will be be alright?" Victor asked. "The Piper did terrible things to him, unspeakible things. I'm sure with therapy he'll eventually make sense of everything that happened to him." "What about the boy he kidnapped?" Natalie asked. "He let the boy go before he came here, he's at the station with his parents right now." Foster looked at Mallone and Rhodes. "I have to talk with my colleagues." he said. "Wait Detective, why target you?" Victor Hart asked. "He was taught by the Piper, his MO was a taunting game with police and seeing that I'm the departments Psychic he chose me." Foster said.

"But how did he know the personal details of you?" Mrs. Hart asked. "I sa in his mind, he broke into my home a number of times and copied my photo albums." Foster placed his]hand on Natalie's sholder. "You want a ride to the station?" he asked. "No, we'll drive." Victor said. "We lost him once, never again."

"So looks like you're a hero again." Mallone said. "What's gonna happen to Percy?" Foster asked. "The DA isn't gonna press charges, he's being admitted to Mercy Mental Hospital." Rhodes said. "Good maybe there he'll get the help he needs." Foster said. "Hold on." Foster grabbed his iPhone, which was ringing. "Hey Amanda, I'm fin...what?" he said loudly. "It's Amanda, she's in labor!"

Chapter Eight: Visions of a bright future

The entire off duty force sat in the waiting room. Mallone sat, his leg fidgiting on the floor. "Hey are you alright?" Amanda Rhodes asked him. "It's not even my kid and I'm nervous." Mallone said. "How long is thus gonna take?" He addes. "Labor can take hours Mike, relax." Amanda said.

Foster came out from a nearby corridor, clad in green scrubs and a paper hat. "It's a girl." he said smiling. The usually composed cops broke out into cheers. "Congratulations daddy!" Rhodes said. "Her ya go pop." Mallone said handing him a cigar. You guys wanna meet her?" Foster asked.

Foster lead them into April's room, they saw her in bed, a baby on her chest. "Hey April." Amanda said walking over. "She's beautiful." Mallone said smiling. "Yeah she is." Foster said. "So what are you gonna name her?" Rhodes asked. "Well..." Foster said looking at April, who smiled and nodded. "We talked and decided on Amanda Michelle Foster." He said kissing his wife's hand. "You're kidding?" Rhodes asked. "Thank you." she added. "

Mallone turned around. "Mike are you alright?" Rhodes asked. "I'm fine, it's really dusty in here." he said wiping his eyes clean. "Hey since your both psychic, does that mean that she...?" "It doesn't always happen, but yeah probably." Foster said. "You don't need to be Psychic to see the bright future ahead for her." Rhodes said smiling.

Cade Foster will return in "Sleeper Cell: A Cade Foster Mystery"

When a Terrorist Cell attacks Cascade, Police Psychic Cade Foster must team up with Carmen Mayer, the FBI psychic (with whom he has history) and track down the Terrorists before they enact a disastorious plot that will kill millions.