CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR - It Happened One Morning

On a clear, cloudless summer's day, our heroes are out on a bit of personal business, but danger awaits as a vehicle across the way is holding a stake-out. We know they're going to fall into some foul hands, but of what sort?

One of the thugs behind the wheel is peering through a pair of binoculars and spots the duo's car.

"Oooh yeah, just what I've always wanted. The dashin' dick-mobile right there in front of our eyes."

An over-eager henchman is wringing his hands and practically salivating in anticipation. "Ya gonna wipe 'em out, boss, huh?"

An evil grin grows across the boss's face. "No. Not yet, anyway. I just wanna get my hands on the two of 'em, bring 'em both to their knees and do whatever the hell I want to them. No jury would convict me - 'cuz they're never gonna know."

As he keeps peering through the bino's, Eddie pops out.

"One down - one to go."

But then Eddie's by himself. No trace of Mike. This, of course, disturbs their enemies.

"Oh, God, what the hell - the kid's all by himself?!?"

"Oh, this is much better - wiping Batz out is only the icing on the cake. Get the kid by himself and Batz's torment would be endless. Come on, let's go grab 'im."

No sooner than Eddie unlocks the door and is about to get in, he hears gun barrels being cocked and one is thrust right in his chest and the other is at the back of his head.

"Get your hands up! HANDS UP! HANDS UP!"

Eddie realized he's trapped by the gun-weilding gang and puts his hands up. They're thrust behind his back and tied down, but he manages to hoist himself up enough to kick one of the thugs in the face. He then breaks loose, ripping the ropes off his hands. He takes a couple of swings, knocking one thug over, but little does he realize another thug smashes the backs of his knees with a billy-club, sending him straight down. The poor boy is recaptured, his hands are re-tied and his feet are bound - the bad guys even angrier and out to hurt him even more. One of the thugs aims a gun and is about to shoot when he's held off. "Not yet, not yet - we'll kill him later - I just wanna fuck with the two of them for a while. Come on, let's toss him in."

"Gotcha boss"

The back of a van is opened and Eddie is dragged to the opening and screams "no" repeatedly as he's hoisted up and thrown inside.

A police officer, on routine patrol, sees the melee and attempts to subdue the bad guys with gunfire. Bullets are exchanged and the poor officer is shot in the upper left chest.

Meanwhile, a civilian witnesses the whole thing. After the officer is wounded, the thugs open fire on the street, discouraging any would-be witnesses. As gunfire erupts, the civilian not only calls Mike to report Eddie's fate, but also calls 9-11 to report "officer down - officer down". The thugs are alerted to the presence of the boy witness and he is trapped behind a tree behind which he is taking cover from the barrage of bullets. He is so pumped with adrenaline that he doesn't even feel it when he's shot in the leg. He miraculously escapes death as the thugs drive away with their prize and with a shaken civilian and a wounded police officer in their wake. The young witness sees the coast is clear to get from behind the tree and tends to the fallen cop.

"I saw the whole thing - how bad are you hit?"

The officer grunts and holds his left shoulder, "up in here - shouldn't be too bad - it just knocked the wind outta me. You, too, it looks like."

"I don't getcha."

"You got hit, too. Look at your leg."

The kid looks down and sees blood trickling down his calf. "Holy cow - I didn't even feel anything - I just ran right over here."

"Natural enough - it's adrenaline."

"Wow - help should arrive soon - I called them when I saw you get shot."

"I called them, too - but since you got hit, too, maybe we can each take one. I think we oughta call the kid's partner."

"I already did."

Mike drives up in a fury - "okay, who called about my kid? You better not have been screwin' with me."

The cop confirms it, "nah, it's true, Detective. Some thugs nabbed your partner and drove off with him and we both got shot when we intervened."

"WHAT?"

The adrenaline wears off and the wounded witness now feels the pain of the bullet and sits on the ground. He recalls, "I saw the whole thing - they grabbed him with guns. I tried to take cover when they started shooting."

"Where'd they get ya?"

"In the leg. Startin' to hurt - I didn't even know at first - but I should be okay."

"Can ya tell me anything like the make of the car - anything?"

"I wrote the plate number down - it was a blue chevy. They were parked in front of my place for the longest time. I was gonna call the cops thinking they were loitering, and that's when they grabbed your boy. They did a u-turn and sped off. I got the number written down inside - by the phone."

"Good job. Come on, let's getcha both some help."

"They're on the way", says the cop.

Two ambulances arrive, tending to both the samaritan witness and the cop. The kid hands over his camera to Mike with the crime photos. Both victims are rushed off to the hospital to treat their wounds - leaving Mike in the middle of the street, trying to take it all in.

It was so unbelievable - it all happened so fast. Less than one hour ago, Mike had asked Eddie to pick up a package containing 2nd anniversary gifts for the two of them - the package remained on the back seat of their car, now not being driven by Eddie. There was the opened car door, there were spatters of blood on the street, there were bullet holes in the tree trunk down the street, bullet holes in the outer walls of nearby buildings. Mike took the package out of the car and went to his other one, calling for a tow truck to take the other vehicle back to the house.

It was so unbelievable - it all happened so fast. Less than one hour ago, there was the promise of a new day. What would Mike and Eddie be doing together right now? Would they be interrupted by a knock on the door - a missing husband, stolen jewelry, embezzlement, a contract out on some dame.

Mike waited for the tow truck in his other car, one hand on the steering wheel, his head in his other hand. He makes another phone call. "Uh, hi - - it's me - Mike. Could you swing by my place? It's about Eddie - it's not good. I'm a total wreck - I need you."

It was so unbelievable - it all happened so fast.

Meanwhile back in the van, Eddie struggles to get loose and is once again beaten with a billy-club. "You murderous maniacs - who are you guys? What do you want from me?"

"To lure that stupid boss-man of yours to your rescue and really bring him to his knees."

"Mike never goes down on his knees except if he loses a contact lens! He'll get you guys for this for sure - we both will!"

"Jesus H. Fuck, could ya shut the kid up - he's gettin' on my nerves", growls the kingpin.

"Yeah, sure thing, boss", says the thug as he reaches for a chloroform rag. Eddie struggles against the rag until he's subdued.

"Finally - now I can hear myself think without that stupid Boy Wonder gibberish."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Several hours later, Eddie finally wakes up and slowly takes in his unfamiliar surroundings - he tries to get up but finds his movement is limited as his hands are tied behind his back with plasticuffs, and he looks down to see his feet are also bound in this fashion. He struggles in vain to pop them open, but realizes it's no use. Then he hears a voice over a loudspeaker.

"Forget it, kid. Those things are never coming off until we cut them open."

"What's this all about? What the heck are you DOING?!?!?"

"Going forward, all information will be on a need-to-know basis. You don't need to know just yet - because you're still alive." Maniacal laughter follows. "Feeling frightened yet?"

"NEVER! I've been in worse predicaments than this and I always overcome them."

"Oh, yes? We'll see about that, my sinewy sleuth."

At that moment, two henchmen break in and seize the boy, each of them grabbing one arm, and drag him to another room. Eddie struggles against their grip, and one of the goons asks, "should we knock him out again, boss?"

"No - better to have him just as he is. I love a challenge."

Eddie struggles and repeatedly screams "NO - PLEASE!" as a rope is looped around his neck. His face turns beet red and his veins are popping out as sweat pours down his face.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!?"

A goon backhands the boy right across the face. "Like the boss says, shit-face - need-to-know basis."

"Well, this much I'll tell you - you're going to die - the slow, painful way, of course, and Mike is going to witness every delicious minute of it."

A goon is setting up a video camera on a tri-pod.

"Where did you want this, boss?"

"Oh, right there should be good - just get his upper body - oh, wait - get a shot of his feet first."

The goon lowers the camera and photographs Eddie's bound feet.

"No, no, you misunderstand, doll", the boss sneers as he hands the goon a weapon. "I mean really get a SHOT of his feet first."

The grinning goon says, "ri-i-ight. How could I be so stupid?"

"No, you're not stupid - you just have some things to learn is all - but fret not - I will teach you."

Camera set on Eddie's feet, gun aimed there as well.

"Lights, camera - FIRE ONE!"

A shot is fired and Eddie screams in pain as a small dart is plunged into his ankle, giving him a nasty cut.

"A little higher please."

Another dart is shot right into the boy's arm. Both missles are removed after a few seconds.

"You did well, my fine flatfoot. Your mealy-mouthed mentor is going to lose his mind after he sees this. Oh, uh, give our darling detective a little slack on the noose so he can make himself to home. Come, gents, let's get this show on the road - or in the post."

Eddie's captors leave him alone - at least for now. His arm and foot bleeding, the rope still tied around his neck, his feet and hands remaining bound, Eddie resists at first, but finally gives in, moans, "oh, God, Mike..." and silently sobs.

Just as with Mike, Eddie also cries for the day which had started out so beautifully - little did he ever realize that only a couple of hours later, Eddie would be tormented and crying for his man.

A few steps down the hall, one of the goons opens his yap. "Gee, boss, do ya think we're goin' a little too far?"

He's instantly pistol-whipped across the face

"Never question my motives. Suffice it to say that Mike Batz never worried about going too far with me. It's true that neither you guys nor that kid were around in those days, this is really between himself and I, but that kid is the only way we can really get to him. Cute little guy, isn't he? It's a shame he chose to live on the wrong side of the law. Anyway, lecture over, time to put this operation into full gear."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

NOW BACK TO MIKE - I know what you're thinking - that Mike has another guy on the side when Eddie's either out shopping or being held prisoner by gun-toting sadists, but that's not it. No, the guy he called earlier is none other than an old friend - a fellow crimebuster goes by the name of Ace Justice. As you'll recall, Tim the mild-mannered mechanic went off to fight as Ace's sidekick after Mike and Eddie rescued him. Well, Mike's about to join forces with the tight-tee-shirted twosome. They are known as such in the papers as whenever they bust down a bad guy, they're usually described as wearing tight tee-shirts - and they are a twosome, so....

Anyhow, Ace and Tim, in his guise as Rick Righteous show up at Mike's and find him in very low spirits. Shortly thereafter, automatic gunfire blasts through Mike's windows and a package tied to a rock is sent crashing in.

Rick shouts, "holy molotov cocktail!"

Ace shouts, "get back! It could be a letter bomb!"

Mike says, "Right - lemme get the body shields!"

Rick wrings his hands and asks, "gosh, boss, these thugs really mean business."

Ace spots some writing on the package. It says "Eddie"

"I dunno about this, Rick. It says it has something to do with Eddie. But we can't go anywhere near it without Mike's shields. None of us needs to get hurt."

"I gotcha, Boss, but isn't that a chance we gotta take? I mean, Eddie's in trouble and all - it's up to us."

"Good point, but I'd like us all to stay healthy long enough to get these pigs and crush 'em."

Mike returns with the body shields and the threesome carefully examine the package marked "Eddie". The envelope is opened slowly and cautiously. It turns out to be a VHS tape.

"Darn thugs are so behind the times", Rick smirks.

"No time for humor just now, kid. Let's watch this and see what we're dealing with."

The tape features Eddie's neck wrapped in a noose while he's shot with darts, as well as a speech Eddie appears to have been forced to read.

"Mike - hi, it's Eddie - I just want you to know I'm doing okay and you're not to worry about me. I'll be released real soon - we just gotta do what these guys say."

Mike becomes incensed and starts to lunge toward the tv set. Ace stops him by putting an arm out. "Hold it, Mike - they're forcing him to say all of this. Look off to the side, that shadow."

"It's a shotgun", says Rick, "pointed right at him."

"You notice Eddie blinking a lot?", says Ace. "Not because he's dry-eyed. That's morse code."

Mike asks what he's saying.

Ace smiles as he rewinds the tape. "Mike, you got yourself a clever sidekick there. I think he's blinking out the location of the hideout."

Mike also beams with pride, "good BOY, kiddo. And you, too, for noticing. My boy doesn't miss a trick."

"Then it's settled", says Rick. "We just go over there and rip them all a new one - they won't know what hit 'em. We'll get there in no time."

"Good idea", says Mike, "but I think we gotta strategize. It's me those thugs want - and we gotta be careful that Eddie comes out okay in this. We gotta get him outta there alive and unharmed."

-------------------------------

Sounds like a plan, all right, but what our heart-throbbin' heroes don't know is that at that moment, henchmen burst into Eddie's cell and fire several rounds of ammunition in the air, beating Eddie, roping and tying him down and dragging him off.

"the boss wants to see ya - boy are you gonna get it now!"

WHAT HEINOUS FATE LIES IN STORE FOR OUR DOOMED DETECTIVE? RICK KNOWS THEY'LL GET THERE IN NO TIME - BUT IS NO TIME - - IN TIME?