Copycat (PG-13) chapter 9

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francis
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Copycat (PG-13) chapter 9

Post by francis »

Here is the chapter you have probably already been waiting for.
Disclaimers still apply.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Like a tiger at the zoo restlessly roamed its cage, Mick paced nervously in Josef’s study. Beth sat on the couch working on her laptop, focusing on task but Josef glanced up from his newspaper and frowned. Mick‘s obvious agitation was starting to annoy him.

“We got the police to back off. They’re no longer a threat and they didn’t even find your freezer, so why are you treading a crease into my carpet?”

“Norman is still out there. We don’t know what he will do next! I have been wracking my brain for some way to end this.”

Josef stood and walked to his sideboard, pouring himself a scotch. He opened his mouth to say something about the need for patience while things played out but he never got a chance to voice his thoughts. A butler knocked softly and announced the Lead Cleaner.

She nodded to Josef.

“What do you have, Claudia?“

“Mick St. John is no longer under suspicion by the police. The alibi for the last murder clearly shows that he could not possibly have committed the crime. There is sufficient evidence pointing to Norman Caruthers to convict him of being the vigilante slasher, if only to us. In spite of the deodorizer being used inside his apartment, we could smell that he had been on his balcony. Apparently, he didn‘t expect us to be there before the wind dissipated his scent. One factor continues to puzzle me--we think that he gained entrance to and egress from the penthouse apartment by the balcony, so why break the lock on the front door? It‘s a loose end and I don‘t like loose ends.”

Beth looked relieved, as did Josef and he thanked the Cleaner team for their assistance.

Mick, on the other hand, seethed with barely restrained anger. “This needs to end now. The bastard broke into my home, killed a woman who resembled Beth and Candace--and I take that as a threat against Beth now. He has killed numerous people in an attempt to frame me and almost got me arrested. If it wasn’t for Beth removing the necklace from the scene of Reginald Leesome’s murder and Josef giving me an alibi for the latest killing, I would be in a holding cell now.”

“So what will you do?” Josef asked.

“Find him and end him. He’s out of control and needs to be put down.”

Claudia nodded. “Well, it’s about time: I’m glad you’re finally seeing reason. Norman Caruthers has endangered our security with these very public murders and further put it at risk by attempting to implicate you. You should let us handle this from here. It is what we do.”

“I’m coming with you.” Mick said.

“So will I,” said Beth.

“No, Beth. If he gets his hands on you, he could use you as a hostage or you could be hurt. Please, stay with Josef.”

She nodded. “Okay, you have a point. I’m the human liability. But I’d prefer to just go back to my apartment and get some sleep. No offense, Josef, but I‘m beat.”

“Of course,” said Mick. “I‘ve kept you up far too long as it is.”

“You can keep me up all you like, but there are more fun ways to spend the night than worrying about a vampire serial killer.”

Mick smiled at her.

After Beth left, Mick collected weaponry and went with the Cleaners looking for Norman. Mick suggested that they start at an old house where Norman had lived for a time after Mick threw him out.

No one had lived there for some time, but Norman left a handwritten message on a table. “Still not enough of the chase? Meet me in Marina del Rey.”

Mick crumbled the note in his fist. “He’s at Beth’s and I sent her right into his hands!”

They headed to their cars in grim silence.

xxxxxxxxxxx

When they arrived at Beth’s apartment, the sunlight was far less strong. It had already sent fingers of vivid colors across the sky that were fading rapidly, but it was not yet dark.

Remembering Claudia’s words about how Norm gaining entrance to his apartment, Mick looked closely at Beth’s small balcony, There, in the gathering shadows stood a man dressed in a long black duster with dark curly hair and Beth. Apparently, Norm wanted to be seen and recognized as Mick St. John. Without a word to Claudia, he jumped directly onto Beth’s balcony and it paid off.

Norman whipped around, surprised by Mick’s sudden appearance. He had Beth in his grasp, one arm holding her tightly against his chest while the other held a serrated knife to her throat.

“Don’t come any closer, Mick!” he warned, then smiled as something occurred to him, “Or do. Give me an excuse to add your friend here to the vigilante slasher’s body count.” he inhaled deeply, his nose in her hair. “She smells really, really good.”

Beth’s eyes pleaded with Mick. He gave her a reassuring nod.

“I’m here now, Norm. You can let her go.”

Norman considered. “No, I don’t think so. So this is the little girl you rescued--all grown up. Are you still pretending to be her protector? What about me? You promised to help me learn to control my appetites, to teach me to function in vampire society but you threw me out. Do you have any idea how it feels to be abandoned, time after time. But then again, you don’t really care. You were very clear on that point. You left me alone with Candace when I needed your help. But…hey, I will give you another chance. I’ll bite Beth here and maybe this time you will find the time to help me stop…or you‘ll try.“

Mick flashed his fangs. “You won’t touch her. If you think you were in control back then, why did you kill Candace? Why didn’t you wait for me?”

Norm didn‘t answer that question, but he answered another question that weighed heavily on Mick‘s mind.

“I finally understood the reason I had so much trouble controlling myself. I don’t want to! I don’t want to be like you! I thought I did back then, but not now. This is what I am and I like it. I remember how you used to talk about wishing you could be human again. Not me. I wouldn’t want go back to what I was. You need to pay for the pain you caused me and for the years I tried to be something I didn’t want to be. It’s only fair.”

Distracted by Mick, Norman never noticed Claudia and the other Cleaners positioning themselves on edges of the balcony where he could not see them and on the other side of the apartment‘s front door. The door burst open and Cleaners entered from both directions. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Mick lunged for the knife and pushed Beth out of the way.

When Mick turned to see if Beth was okay, Norman jumped him. A fight between Mick and Norman should not have been as even as it was, but Norman knew Mick’s fighting style and was used it against him at every opportunity. Mick crashed Norman into the sliding door and they fell into the living room in a mess of shattered glass and wood fragments. Norman, getting out from under Mick, punched him in the face then searched for a wood fragment that was long and pointed for use as a stake.

One of the Cleaners grabbed Norman from behind, trying to shackle his arms, but he twisted out of her grasp and jumped across the room. Mick got to his feet and they grappled again. It occurred to Mick that the Cleaners were hanging back, letting Mick take the lead in the fight, then he realized that he needed to. They realized it, as well.

Mick thought briefly about the time Norman had been a friend, but he resolutely pushed those thoughts away. This was not the time to consider that. An instant of hesitation could get him killed. It could get Beth killed.

The fight wore on. Norman got a mouthful of Mick’s shoulder and started to drain him. Claudia started to step in with a silver tipped stake in her gloved hand but Mick insisted she hang back. Weakened by the loss of blood, Mick couldn’t get the leverage he sought to throw Norman off, Sensing victory was close, Norman contemptuously threw the weakened vampire against the wall and turned his attention back to Beth. Once they had a clear shot, several of the Cleaners fired silver darts into Norman. He stumbled and fell.

Claudia was fastening silver shackles on Norman before Mick could blink and several of the Cleaners led him away.

Mick shook his head to clear it and accepted a bag of blood Claudia handed him.

He didn’t accompany the Cleaners. There was no need. He knew what was coming next and didn’t particularly want to witness it.

Pulling Beth into his arms, he hugged her until her trembling began to subside. “Are you going to be okay?”

“I am now -- are you all right?”

He nodded and she drew a shaky breath and looked around at her apartment. “Not that I’m complaining, but this place looks like a war zone.”

There were a number of the Cleaner’s silver tipped darts in the walls, the sliding door was smashed, drapes lay on the floor, several pieces of furniture had been destroyed and the lock on the front door was broken, the solid door itself had been cracked.

“We’ll take care of the damage,” said a Cleaner, and Mick nodded.

“About that – why don’t you pack up a few things and stay with me. I have some plans to expand my apartment. The Cleaners will fix your apartment up so well you’ll probably get your deposit back.”

She looked up and grinned. “I love your plans, but if you are going to be remodeling, too, where will we live while all this is going on?”

“We’ll figure something out.” Mick said smiling down at her.
Last edited by francis on Wed May 18, 2011 6:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Copycat (PG-13) chapter 9

Post by maggatha3 »

Ok, now that was completely unexpected...Mick left Beth go home unescorted...right into the wolf's mouth, how could he not think what we all had already? That Beth was next? Everything pointed to that...he should have known better than to leave her alone, thank god it all turned out fine..

Was Norm asking for this? It feels kind of strange, he should have known the tribe would be against him and the Cleaners would get to the bottom of it...Maybe he got tired of the uncontrolled beast he had become and wanted to put an end to it... :chin:

PS What a great way of asking Beth to move in...so Micklike...

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Re: Copycat (PG-13) chapter 9

Post by MickLifeCrisis »

I was yelling at my monitor - "Don't go home, Beth!!" Geez, we could all see that coming from a mile away! Why didn't any of them?? :snicker:

I think deep down Norman wanted Mick to come and finish him off. I was hoping Mick could shake off the shoulder wound and stake him, but if it took the Cleaners to protect Mick and Beth and take down Norman, I'm okay with that! :swords:

There's more, right?? :fingerscrossed:
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Re: Copycat (PG-13) chapter 9

Post by allegrita »

Wow. What a denouement!! I could hear every reader yelling, "No, Beth, don't go home!!" But when do Moonlight characters listen to us readers?! :snicker: Oh man, though...the fight is so gripping, and the stakes (sorry for the pun) are so high. Mick needs to fight for the woman he loves, but when it comes right down to it, he knows that he can depend on the Cleaners to back him up when he needs their help.

And Beth? Well, Beth knows she can depend on Mick. :heart: :hug:
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Re: Copycat (PG-13) chapter 9

Post by darkstarrising »

I'm with the others....letting Beth go home alone wasn't the brightest move on Mick's part. But I loved how he handled having her move in with him.....and just where are they going to live while the renovations are underway?

Having Norm confess that he didn't want to be like Mick, that he enjoyed killing helped Mick let go of some of the guilt he's carried about Norm. Norm's behavior wasn't his fault at all....it's just who Norm is.

Waiting for more!!
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Re: Copycat (PG-13) chapter 9

Post by redwinter101 »

MLC, :giggle: I'm glad it wasn't just me!!!

This all happened really fast! In the blink of an eye, Norman's toast. Metaphorically, and probably literally.

And all's right with the world. :biggrin:

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Re: Copycat (PG-13) chapter 9

Post by cassysj »

I was with everyone else scraming NO BETH NO!!! I do really like the move in though
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Re: Copycat (PG-13) chapter 9

Post by nutmegger911 »

Wow! What an action packed chapter! Thank goodness Norm was subdued in the end. The broken door in Mick's place still bothers me, though.
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Re: Copycat (PG-13) chapter 9

Post by jen »

Just when we were all expecting Norman to make another run at Mick, he goes after Beth!

Well, that is indirectly striking at something precious to Mick,

At least that is one threat that they don't have to worry about.
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Re: Copycat (PG-13) chapter 9

Post by jen »

Whew!

You know, Josef definitely comes in handy from time to time. He understands how to untie a knotty problem and has the resources to do it.

Those Cleaners were a real asset, too!

Thank you!

Jenna

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Re: Copycat (PG-13) chapter 9

Post by allegrita »

I love that fight scene. You wrote it so well! :yahoo: And I kinda like that the Cleaners stepped in and nabbed Norm when Mick was too weak. Especially knowing what's going to happen to him, I think it's just as well for Mick and Beth that Mick wasn't the one who captured Norm.

I wonder how Guillermo feels about Norman's nasty vendetta against Mick...? :chin:

I love the way Mick took advantage of Beth's apartment being a mess to suggest she just go ahead and move in with him. :heart: :happysigh: I can't wait to read the final chapter, so off I go! :woohoo:
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