Andrew chapter 36: David’s revenge

[sl97aq]

Andrew and his dad were eating breakfast and watching the news on the morning of Saturday, December 3rd, 2005.

"In other news, the sudden reappearance of Alexander and Max Gerard has prompted police to wonder where these two men have been for the last 20 years," the news anchor said.

"I'm glad that Alexander has turned good," Chad said. "It looks like you have no more enemies left from your past."

"Well, David is still out there, and I can't imagine he's happy that we beat his team for the Provincial Championship," Andrew reminded him.

"The correct name for the championship is OFSAA: the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations," Chad corrected him. Andrew glared at him jokingly and Chad grinned at him and said, "But I see your point Andrew. Don't worry about it though: if David tries anything, you'll take care of him just like you did on the football field to win the championship."

"Yeah, if I hadn't knocked David down, he would have been able to block Ralph's bonus kick and the game would have gone into Overtime," Andrew agreed with a cocky smirk.

"Well, that's enough about you; let's talk about me for once," Chad teased him.

"Sure Dad; what did you want to tell me?" Andrew asked him, as they washed the breakfast dishes.

"I suppose you were wondering why I was just promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer of Derrick’s company two days ago," Chad said, turning off the TV.

"Not really Dad; I just assumed that it was because of your seniority and your position as Executive Vice-President of Athletic Enhancement," Andrew said.

"That's exactly right Andrew, and I am going along with you to your military strength tests during Christmas Break so that I can provide the Enhancement Serum to the soldiers. Once the military and the police are satisfied with the effects of the serum, we can begin to introduce it to the athletic community."

"Good idea Dad," Andrew agreed. "Is that why you haven't been at many of my football games: you've been getting the serum ready for the government agencies?"

"Yes, and I've also been busy with the transfer of power at Harrington's Sports Suppliers, which is now finished as of the close of business yesterday," Chad replied.

"Speaking of busy, I notice that Mom and Sarah aren't here; are they busy with something today?" Andrew asked him. "I would have thought they'd be home all weekend to congratulate you on becoming President and CEO of Harrington's Sports Suppliers."

"They're out shopping I think, so they should be home for supper," Chad realized, picking up the note from the kitchen counter. "I'm going over to Ron's house for the day to collect the strength test results from Steve and Darrel to add to the police and military strength test files." He noticed Andrew's face darkening with anger at the mention of his former best friends and he quickly changed the subject. "What are you going to do today?"

"Carrie and I are going over to Margaret's house to pick up the 2000 pound weight plates and barbells she made me," Andrew replied, the anger slowly fading from his face. "She told me in her voicemail to consider those new weights my present from her for winning the OFSAA Football Championship."

"How did I know Carrie would be going with you?" Chad laughed. "It's not only Mike who you go everywhere with; it's Carrie as well. When are you going to propose to her?"

"I'm not sure yet Dad," Andrew replied with a thoughtful expression. "Do you have any suggestions for the proposal date?"

"How about sometime before Christmas," Chad suggested. "Then you'll have given Carrie a great proposal gift: the engagement ring. I'll call the jewellery store while you're out with Carrie and you call me when you get back home so that I can tell you if the ring's ready."

"Good plan Dad: that way there will be no voicemails lying around for Carrie to hear, which would ruin the proposal surprise for her," Andrew commended him.

"Hey, you're not the only smart guy in this house Andrew!" Chad teased him with a laugh. "So, when is Carrie going to come by so that you can go to Margaret's house?"

"Are you trying to get rid of me for some reason Dad?" Andrew asked him. "You're not planning to throw me a surprise Championship party, are you?"

"No Andrew, but I'm a little surprised that no one has planned a surprise party for me since I'm now the President," Chad replied.

"You're not The President; you're just a President Dad!" Andrew teased him. "After all those talks we had about me being humble instead of cocky, you seem to have forgotten those lessons!"

"Very funny Andrew, but that does bring up something I'd like to discuss with you," Chad said seriously. Andrew nodded and they sat down in the Living Room. "I am very proud of you for not showing off your Championship status too much around town over the past two weeks."

"Thanks Dad," Andrew said. "As embarrassing as I find the attention from my fans, I'm trying to enjoy it without getting too cocky."

"From what Margaret tells me, you may just be slipping past humble into shy.”

"Yeah, you may be right Dad, but I find all the attention so embarrassing that I can't help being overwhelmed by my status as a Provincial Champion," Andrew informed him. “Then I just retreat into a shell of shyness, hoping that everyone will leave me alone.”

"Well, I seem to remember you telling me how that shyness was evident to the cashier at McDonalds eight days ago," Chad said.

"You mean when he said, 'that’s why everyone loves you man'?" Andrew asked him with a quiet smile. Chad nodded and Andrew said, "He also added that he was glad I haven't let the attention go to my head, but have instead acted really down-to-earth."

"That's true, you have been acting down-to-earth Andrew, but that's just your true quiet nature revealing itself now that football season is over," Chad realized. He looked at his watch and said, "Well, I have some work to do in the office before I head over to Ron's house after lunch. You go work out until Carrie arrives and then I'll see you here this evening for supper."

So Andrew went to his room to work out while Chad worked on his reports of the Enhancement Project that he was going to show Ron.

After about an hour, Carrie arrived to take Andrew out for the morning, even though it was almost 11 am. They went to the Orillia Square Mall first to do some shopping.

In the Harrington house right across from ODCVI, David Harrington was fuming to himself as he thought about how Andrew's team had beaten his team for the OFSAA Championship. He also remembered seeing all of Andrew's news stories: from the first time Andrew lifted his car to Andrew's rescue of Luke Rowe about five weeks before.

"I hate Andrew!" David screamed in fury, smashing the TV screen apart with his fist. Sparks flew all over David's bare chest, but he was too mad to feel them or the blood running down his hand from the broken glass. "He gets everything: scholarships, news stories, awards, and the Provincial Championship! I can't stand it anymore; I'll kill him!"

Insane with rage, he smashed the glass of the locked gun cabinet door with his other hand and grabbed his dad's moose hunting rifle. He checked to make sure it was fully loaded and then ran out of the empty house and into his truck. Then he took off down the street to Andrew's house.

He got there just as Andrew and Carrie were leaving and did a U-turn once they disappeared down Hillside Drive. David followed them down Laclie Street, waiting for the perfect opportunity to get Andrew alone so that he could take him out with the rifle.

Andrew and Carrie spent about an hour shopping in the Orillia Square Mall and then they had lunch in the food court. They never noticed David sitting near them, listening closely to every word they said as they discussed when they would go to Margaret's cottage and what route they would take.

"Isn't it strange that Margaret would be spending time at her cottage now that there's snow on the ground?" Carrie asked Andrew. “Shouldn’t she have closed it up for winter?”

"Not if she still has some work to do Carrie,” Andrew reminded her. “When you consider how much noise she would have made making the new denser metal weight plates for me, I think you can see why she picked an isolated location to do the work. She would have disturbed all the neighbours if she’d done all the work at her house in town, making a general nuisance of herself and maybe getting arrested for disturbing the peace."

"I didn't think of that Andrew; no wonder you have a 150 IQ!" Carrie shouted without thinking, not noticing David leaving the food court.

"Ssshhh: keep it down Carrie; there might still be a few people in this town who don't know that," Andrew ordered her.

"Sorry about that Andrew, but I think it would be smart for us to stop talking and continue eating before our food gets cold," Carrie suggested.

"Good idea Carrie," Andrew agreed. "Then we can go to Margaret's cottage and pick up my new weights."

Carrie smiled as she looked forward to seeing Margaret again, since it had been a few months since she had last seen her. Andrew smiled to himself as he imagined how much stronger he could become after a good workout with the new weights he would soon receive from Margaret.

Half an hour later, Andrew and Carrie were driving along the snowy country road near the big forest on their way to Margaret's cottage. Halfway there, they came across a car smashed into a tree, having gone through a fence first.

"You call a tow truck; I'll get the driver out of the car!" Andrew shouted to Carrie, stopping at the side of the road.

"Shouldn't I call an ambulance Andrew?" Carrie asked him in confusion.

"The driver's moving and fiddling with her cell phone, so she’s obviously not seriously injured," Andrew said, pointing to the car. He got out and added, "I'll be right back Carrie."

Carrie called the Memorial Avenue body shop, the only tow truck place she had in her contacts list, while Andrew ran over to the car and tried to pull the door open. It was too warped for him to get it open, so he simply ripped it off its hinges and tossed it into the field. Then he pulled the driver gently out of the car and stood her on her feet.

"Megan, what are you doing here?" Andrew asked her in surprise, once he got a good look at her face.

"I was coming here to get some final data from Margaret to add to Chad's reports," Megan replied. "I stayed on as his secretary after Derrick Harrington retired last night."

"Are you okay after that car crash?" Andrew asked her with concern.

"I am now!" Megan yelled in relief; the shock of the crash finally catching up to her.

Without thinking, she gave Andrew a big hug and a kiss on his cheek in gratitude, too quickly for him to stop her, just as Carrie turned around.

"What is this Andrew?" Carrie screamed in fury. "I turn my back for a few minutes and you make out with your father's new secretary?!"

"Wait Carrie: let me explain!" Andrew shouted in desperation as Carrie ran to his car.

He realized too late that he had left the keys in the ignition as Carrie jumped in and peeled away in a cloud of snow and gravel. Andrew watched helplessly as his car vanished quickly into the distance, realizing that his genetic enhancement had not made him a faster runner or he would have been able to catch the car before Carrie got too far away.

"Carrie sure took off quickly with your car Andrew; I hope she got through to the tow truck company or we'll have to walk back into town," Megan said from behind him.

"Don't you think I know that Megan?" Andrew yelled in fury, turning around quickly to face her. Megan jumped back in fear at the look of rage on his face, but Andrew didn't notice and stepped towards her menacingly. "What did you think you were doing: kissing and hugging me in front of my girlfriend? She'll probably never speak to me again thanks to you: she gets really jealous you know!"

"I didn't know that Andrew, and I'm really sorry that I got so carried away when I thanked you for saving me," Megan apologized. "I'm just in shock from this car accident, my first one, and I wasn't thinking clearly when I gave you that hug and kiss on the cheek. I hope you can understand that."

Andrew stopped walking towards her once he realized that her back was against the trunk of her wrecked car. He looked up at the sky and sighed with frustration, slowly unclenching his fists and taking deep breaths to calm down.

"Well, we might as well wait for the tow truck Megan," Andrew sighed once he had calmed down. "Even I don't have the strength to carry this car all the way into town."

So Megan and Andrew waited for the tow truck to arrive, and Andrew realized that his trip to Margaret's cottage would have to be postponed for the next day. He was so upset by Carrie's rapid departure that he never thought to be proud of how effortlessly he had ripped the dented car door off its hinges.

Andrew and Megan never bothered to look towards the big snow bank in the field a few hundred meters from the tree that Megan's car had crashed into. If they had looked in that direction, they would have seen the footprints in the snow that had been made by David Harrington. David was hiding behind the snow bank, chuckling at how upset Andrew was.

David had originally planned to shoot Andrew along the side of the road, once his car passed by. Then he would leave Carrie grieving over the loss of her boyfriend. But then he saw Megan's car approaching and he had a better idea. He would make Andrew and Carrie fight first, and then he’d be able to kill Andrew once he got him alone with no witnesses. So he shot out the tires of Megan's car once she crossed the black ice in the middle of the road. Her car crashed through the fence and into the tree at the edge of the field and David waited for Andrew and Carrie to come along, having overheard their planned route in the mall food court earlier.

David knew that Andrew's heroic instincts would kick in once he saw the wrecked car, and he knew how affectionate Megan was, since she had come on to him several times in his dad's office. David guessed that Megan would overreact with gratitude once Andrew rescued her and that Carrie would probably see it all and drive away in a fit of rage.

Now David chuckled with satisfaction as he saw how his plan had worked out, and he planned to follow Megan and Andrew back into town as soon as the tow truck arrived.

C. B.’S ADDITIONS TO THIS CHAPTER START NOW

With all the cold snow on the ground and the shock of the accident, it took Megan a few minutes to notice the swelling of her ankle. She suddenly collapsed to the ground as her ankle gave out and Andrew rushed over to see if she was okay.

"I must have twisted my ankle in the car crash Andrew; it's all swollen and it won't hold my weight," Megan said.

Andrew, being the gentleman that he was, picked her up in his arms as the tow truck arrived. He placed her gently in the cab of the truck first, and then helped the tow truck driver get Megan's car hooked up. Then he jumped in the cab with Megan and the driver drove them back into Orillia.

"Where do you want to be dropped off Andrew?" the tow truck driver asked him.

"Just drop us both off at my dad's house and then send the bill there once you get the car to the Memorial Avenue body shop," Andrew replied.

"Sure thing Andrew: your house is only slightly out of the way," the tow truck driver agreed. "It wouldn't be a good idea to make you guys walk from the corner of Fittons Avenue and West Street considering Megan's swollen ankle."

Andrew nodded in agreement and began wondering how Megan's car has crashed through the fence when Carrie had obviously driven away safely from that same area.

Once they got to Andrew's house, he carefully lifted Megan out of the cab and carried her to the front door. He turned around and waved with his free arm as the tow truck pulled away. Then he unlocked the door and carried Megan into the house, setting her carefully down on the couch and taking her boots off.

"Your ankle just feels bruised and swollen Megan," Andrew said, using his First Aid skills learned in Basic Training to assess the extent of her injury. "See if you can put any weight on it now."

Megan carefully stood up and hobbled slowly around the living room; still a little sore but also relieved that she could walk again.

"I think I can walk now Andrew," Megan said.

"That's good Megan; now I have to call my dad and find out where he is, since he doesn't seem to be home," Andrew said.

He was so stressed out by the events of the day that he forgot about Chad telling him earlier that he would be at Ron's house for the day. But once his dad answered the cell phone, Andrew was reminded by Chad of his location.

"The package we talked about this morning arrived at lunch Andrew," Chad said. "It is in the top drawer of the desk in my office."

Andrew thanked him for the information and then told him about Megan's accident and that the car had been towed to the Memorial Avenue body shop.

"Megan's in a lot better shape than her car Dad: she only has a swollen ankle and she's already walking around again," Andrew assured Chad.

"That’s good Andrew; now grab the package and come over here so that you can show it to Ron and ask him the important question," Chad ordered him. "Bring Megan along and I will get one of the company credit cards to pay for the tow truck and car repair bills."

"Okay Dad, we'll meet you over there and then we'll get the credit card for Megan," Andrew said before he hung up the phone.

Andrew went into his dad’s office, opened the left top drawer of the desk and took out the small black box that was there. He brought the box out to Megan, who was putting her boots on, and opened it to show her Carrie's resized engagement ring.

"That's a one carat diamond solitaire ring Andrew!" Megan shouted in surprise. "Is that Carrie's engagement ring?"

"Yes it is Megan and she has no idea that I plan to propose to her next weekend," Andrew replied. "If anything will stop the fight between us, this ring should do the trick, don't you think? What girl can say no to a diamond?"

"I think it would be better if you explained what happened on the road today and give her the ring next weekend Andrew," Megan advised him. "Otherwise, it would look to her as if you were trying to buy her forgiveness."

"Good point Megan, I hadn't thought of that," Andrew said, looking very embarrassed.

"I caused the fight between you and Carrie; the least I can do is help you two make up," Megan said. "Let's get over to Ron's house now and get that company credit card so that I can get my company car fixed and a rental car to use until then."

Andrew grabbed his leather jacket and put it on: his shyness about his Provincial Championship status keeping him from wearing his Championship Jacket. Then he opened the front door, after putting the ring into his pocket. He helped Megan down the front steps, since her ankle was still swollen, and led her down the street to Ron's house.

They made it all the way to the front door of Ron's house, when Megan suddenly slipped on the ice and Andrew caught her to keep her from falling.

"This just isn't my day," Megan sighed as Andrew scooped her up in his arms.

He opened the front door with his free arm and stepped inside; kicking the door closed behind him.

"Hello everyone: I'm here!" Andrew called out as he kicked off his boots.
He let Megan down and helped her take off her boots and then they both stepped into the living room to find Ron and Chad deep in conversation. "Sorry to interrupt Dad, but Megan and I could use something hot to drink after being out in the cold so long today," Andrew said.

"Sure thing Andrew," Ron said. "Your dad and I are done talking now."

He went into the kitchen and soon came back out with two mugs filled with fresh hot coffee. He put the mugs on coasters in the middle of the living room table. As the five of them sat down around the table, Chad and Ron asked Megan to tell them how her company car had ended up crashing into a tree.

"Well, I was driving down the road near the Zellars Mall on my way to Margaret's cottage to pick up those papers she had for your report Chad," Megan began. "Suddenly the car hit a patch of black ice near an open field and I lost control. The car went into the ditch on the right side of the road and then crashed through a fence before hitting the big tree at the edge of the field."

"Did you hear anything just before you hit the black ice?" Andrew asked her suddenly.

"Yes I heard a big bang," Megan replied. "It must have been one of the tires blowing out."

"All the tires were properly inflated Megan; I checked them out myself before I sent you on that errand to Margaret's cottage this morning," Chad said. He noticed Andrew's confused look and said, "That's part of what I was so busy with in the office Andrew: calling Megan to collect the final Enhancement reports from Margaret and Marge and take them to the OPP station for me. She came by with the company car after you and Carrie left, and I told her exactly what she needed to get from Margaret." He turned back to Megan and said, "Please continue your story Megan."

"Well, there's not much more to tell, except that if Andrew and Carrie had not come along when they did, I might still be there waiting for help," Megan said. "I tried to call a tow truck, but my cell phone battery died. Andrew ripped the dented car door off and got me out of the car. I couldn't get out the passenger side because it was against the tree. I was so grateful about Andrew rescuing me that I gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek just as Carrie turned around. She got really mad and tore off in Andrew's car before I could explain that it was just the shock of the accident getting to me. I'm not sure where she went; have you heard from here yet Ron or Chad?"

"No I haven't, but I'm sure she'll make an appearance after she's calmed down," Ron replied. "I am not worried yet: it's barely been a couple of hours since she took off."

"I am feeling much better now Chad," Megan said. "Do you have that company credit card? I want to get going: I have things to do and people to see."

Chad handed the card over and Megan used her cell phone, now that it was charged, to call the car rental place to come pick her up at Ron Peterson's house.

While Megan was making the call in the kitchen, Andrew grabbed another drink and sat down by the window so that he was facing Ron directly.

"Sir, I really came over here to talk to you about a future between Carrie and me. I have been doing a lot of soul searching lately and have found that no matter what happens: Carrie is and always will be the only lady for me." Andrew pulled the small black box out of his pocket, opened it to reveal the engagement ring, and placed it on the table. "This ring was my great-grandmother's engagement ring and I would like to ask your permission to make it your daughter's engagement ring as well."

Ron smiled and said, "Andrew, you have been in our lives for so long that I sometimes think that you are already part of this family. I would be very proud and honoured to let Carrie marry you." Andrew smiled with relief, and Ron continued by asking him, "So, when are you planning to give this engagement ring to Carrie?"

"Well, I want to make it a special night for her, so I was thinking of proposing next Friday night when Carrie is planning to have me over here for dinner," Andrew replied.

"That's the weekend of our anniversary," Ron said, referring to his wife and himself. "So you and Carrie will have the house to yourselves; just remember what we talked about almost two months ago when you first asked my permission to marry Carrie." Andrew nodded seriously and Ron smiled. "So, you have my permission to marry my daughter Andrew, and the proposal date is set. I'll try to get my wife alone when she and Carrie get home so that I can tell her the good news without spoiling the surprise for Carrie."

"Yes, but before I can propose to Carrie, I have to get her to forgive me for the hug and kiss that Megan gave me," Andrew realized. "Megan caught me completely by surprise with the speed of her grateful reaction and I couldn't stop her in time to keep Carrie from seeing everything. So I have to find Carrie and explain everything to her. It was all just a big misunderstanding."

"If you explain it to her exactly as you did just now, I see no reason why she won't forgive you like I have," Ron assured him. "But don't worry Andrew, I won't tell Carrie that you were even here today."

"Thank you sir," Andrew said gratefully. He turned to Chad and said, "Well Dad: I think it's time for me and Megan to head down to the car rental place. I'll be going to Margaret's cottage after that to get those new weights she has for me, and hopefully this time I'll be able to complete the trip without interference. Mom said something about making pot roast for dinner tonight, so be home by 6 pm."

"I think Chad and I will be done our work by then," Ron said, setting a stack of folders on the table. "See you later Andrew."

"Goodbye sir; goodbye Dad," Andrew said, putting his coat and boots on as Megan came out of the kitchen.

He helped her put her coat and boots on as the rental car pulled into the driveway. Andrew and Megan then headed outside, got into the rental car and went down to the Budget rental office so that Megan could sign all the forms.

C.B.’S PART ENDS

Once Megan was inside, Andrew decided to head over to Margaret's cottage to see if she had finished those new weights for him. But then he realized that without a car, he would have to either call a cab or take the bus. Andrew realized that since it was Saturday, buses were few and far between, so he searched his cell phone contact list for the name of an Orillia cab company he could call. As a result, he never saw David following him in his pick-up truck.

David roared up to Andrew in his truck, stuck the rifle out the darkened window one-handed and fired. Andrew dodged behind a barrel, having heard the squeal of tires and letting his soldier instincts take over. But the rifle bullets penetrated the barrel and hit Andrew in the chest and right side, though he didn't feel a thing.

David drove off in his truck before he could see the results of his attack, but Andrew stood up and took a picture of his license plate with his camera phone. Then he noticed the rifle shells on the ground and picked them up with his jacket sleeve.

"I guess David missed me," Andrew said to himself, not realizing that David had actually hit him. "He had better learn to shoot straighter next time."

"How do you know who that was Andrew?" Megan asked him, coming up to him with the Budget clerk as Andrew put the rifle shells in his pocket.

"I recognized the license plate," Andrew replied, holding up his camera phone with the picture of the back of David's truck.

"That was the same bang I heard when my car hit the black ice and the tire blew out," Megan said suddenly.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Andrew asked her.

"Yes, because I was fiddling with my cell phone while I was driving and I accidentally activated the audio recording function," Megan replied. "I used that feature deliberately just now in the rental office to record the clerk saying that the car rental would be covered by the company's insurance policy. That way, if there's any dispute later, I have the audio recording to back me up. So the second audio recording should have the second rifle shot."

"Would you mind playing those two audio recordings for me right now so that we can compare them?" Andrew asked her suddenly.

"Not at all Andrew," Megan said, as the clerk went into the office to call the police.

She played back the first recording from earlier in the day, and then the one from a few minutes before. She and Andrew both heard the exact same loud bang on both recordings, which they recognized as a rifle shot.

"Those two rifle shots are exactly identical Megan," Andrew realized. "Those recordings are now evidence for the police investigation. May I have this phone for a little while, just long enough for the police to record the rifle shots?"

"No problem Andrew; you go make the police report when they arrive and then I'll take my phone back," Megan said.

So the three of them waited in the Budget office for the police to arrive and then Andrew and Megan gave them a full report of what had happened. The police recorded the two rifle shots and Andrew gave them the two rifle shells that he had picked up from the street, as well as showing them the picture of David's license plate from his camera phone.

"We have enough testimony and evidence from both of you to obtain a search warrant for David's house for the rifle," Andrew's cop friend Sam said. "But we have to tread very carefully since David's father is such a prominent business figure in this community. We will check the serial numbers on the rifle shells to make sure they match the moose-hunting rifle that is registered to Derrick Harrington. Then we will look for any fingerprints on these shells, and if we find some, we will run them against David's birth records to see if we get a match. If all of that works out, we'll get the search warrant for Derrick's house and get the rifle. Then we can arrest David."

Andrew nodded in agreement, and Sam quietly told him the last part of the plan: which described how they would get David to confess to what he had done. Then Sam and his colleagues said goodbye and went back to the OPP station to put their plans into action.

Andrew said goodbye to Megan, gave her back her cell phone and then began walking to the nearest bus stop.

"Good thing that barrel stopped the rifle bullets or I would have been hit by them," Andrew said to himself. Then he felt something soaking his chest and side. Andrew opened his jacket and looked down to see blood soaking his t-shirt. "Rats; I just bought this shirt!" Andrew snapped, quickly closing his jacket before anyone saw his injuries.

He was too upset about his new shirt being ruined to be astonished at how he still felt no pain from the bullet wounds that he had only become aware of at that moment. He walked quickly to the nearby Soldiers Memorial Hospital, not wanting to jog in case he made the bleeding worse.

I would have thought that rifle bullets would have more effect on me than handgun bullets, he thought to himself. But I guess I'm too strong to be affected by any bullets in any way other than externally! So I have no need to get mad at David personally, since his attempt to kill me obviously failed. But he's still going to go away for a long time once he gets charged for attempted murder.

Once he got to the hospital, Andrew went up to the main reception desk and asked for his family doctor: Dr. Johnson.

"Is it an emergency?" the receptionist asked him. "He's really busy right now."

"I'd say it's an emergency," Andrew replied, holding open his jacket.

"I'll get him right away," the receptionist said, not surprised that Andrew was still standing because she had read Dr. Johnson's enhancement reports.

"Thank you," Andrew said, closing his jacket again.

He waited patiently at the desk until the receptionist returned with Dr. Johnson.

"Good to see you again Andrew," Dr. Johnson said, coming up to Andrew and shaking his hand. "Come into my office and we'll talk."

"Sure thing Doctor," Andrew said, relieved that Dr. Johnson and the receptionist were keeping his injuries quiet.

He followed Dr. Johnson down the hall to the Examining Room off his office and sat down on the bed. Dr. Johnson closed the door and then sat down across from Andrew.

"Take your jacket and shirt off Andrew; then we can both see what we're dealing with," Dr. Johnson ordered him. Andrew did that, though he had quite a lot of trouble taking his skintight t-shirt off. "How do you feel Andrew?" Dr. Johnson asked him.

"I feel surprisingly unaffected by the bullet wounds," Andrew replied, looking down to see one in his chest and one in his right side. He looked up at Dr. Johnson and added, "I didn't even realize I'd been shot until I felt the blood dripping."

"How could you not know you'd been shot Andrew?" Dr. Johnson asked him. "Weren't you face-to-face with the shooter?"

"No, the coward drove by in his truck and shot at me with his rifle, but I ducked behind a barrel so that he wouldn’t hit me," Andrew said angrily. "I thought the barrel would stop the bullets but I guess I made a mistake. But I can promise you that the guy who tried to take me out has just made the biggest mistake of his life!"

"Try to calm down Andrew," Dr. Johnson advised him, noticing Andrew's face turning red with rage. "Even rifle bullets weren't enough to incapacitate you; so you should be proud that the Enhancement Project has made you practically superhuman." Andrew smiled as Dr. Johnson sterilized a pair of tweezers and prepared to extract the bullets. "Do you want a local anesthetic or some numbing cream applied to your wounds before I extract the bullets Andrew?"

"No, I'd prefer to see if my pain tolerance is as high as my resistance to bullet wounds," Andrew replied with a cocky smirk.

"You're the patient Andrew; you get to decide the course of your treatment," Dr. Johnson informed him.

"Then go ahead Doctor, take the bullets out: carefully!" Andrew warned him. "If you cause me any pain, I'll be sure to let you know, by squeezing your wrist until you drop those tweezers!"

"Okay Andrew, here we go," Dr. Johnson said, realizing that Andrew was furious at being injured for the first time since July. He carefully inserted the tweezers into Andrew's chest wound and grabbed the rifle bullet, which he could see gleaming above the chest bone. He pulled the bullet out carefully; relieved that Andrew's dense muscles had kept it from penetrating the sternum. "Your superhuman pain tolerance continues to amaze me," he informed Andrew, shaking his head in amazement as Andrew sat there calmly. "Even after reading all of Chad's reports about the Enhancement Project, it's astounding to see the results in person; a little scary as well." He looked carefully at Andrew's right side, after putting the first bullet in a tray and sterilizing the tweezers again. "It looks like the second bullet lodged in and broke one of your ribs Andrew."

"I don't feel a thing Doctor," Andrew bragged with a cocky smirk on his face. "Go ahead: take the bullet out and set my rib so I can get out of here and go home."

"Sure thing Andrew," Dr. Johnson said, doing just that. He carefully set Andrew's rib and taped it up, after washing both bullet wounds and then gave Andrew the two bullets in a plastic bag. "A souvenir of your indestructible nature Andrew."

"Thanks Doctor," Andrew said, standing up and putting his jacket back on. He headed for the door and then noticed Dr. Johnson grabbing his arm. "You’d better take your hand off me right now Doctor," Andrew warned him with a glare.

"In a minute Andrew; aren't you forgetting something?" Dr. Johnson asked him.

"Did I forget to say please?" Andrew asked him with a confused look.

"Yes you did Andrew; but I actually want you to take these reports I compiled on the Enhancement Procedure and give them to your dad," Dr. Johnson replied, handing Andrew a few binders.

"Sure thing Doctor," Andrew said, tucking the binders under his left arm so that he wouldn't jar the recently set rib on his right side. "Can I go now?"

"Not yet Andrew; all patients need 24 hours of observation after this kind of surgery!" Dr. Johnson informed him. “You have to stay here overnight so that I can make sure that your rib is healing properly!”

"I'm not a normal patient Doctor, so that rule doesn't apply to me," Andrew reminded him with a frown. "Besides, I have too much to do today to hang around here all weekend." He motioned Dr. Johnson to lean closer and then bent down to whisper in his ear. Dr. Johnson nodded in understanding once he heard about Andrew's plans for the evening and Andrew smiled. "Do you understand now why I can't stay here overnight?"

"Yes I do Andrew; sorry about that," Dr. Johnson apologized. "Have a good time, and I won't tell anyone that you got shot today."

"That's a good idea Doctor; the fewer people who know I got shot, the better chance I have of getting a confession from the shooter himself," Andrew realized.

"Good point Andrew; see you later," Dr. Johnson said. "Don't be surprised if your rib feels stiff later and come back to see me right away if you feel any pain or weakness."

"The former is a bit more likely than the latter, but I'll keep that in mind," Andrew said, waving as he walked out into the hall. "Thanks for all your help today and see you later!"

"Goodbye Andrew!" Dr. Johnson said, as Andrew walked down the hall, showing no signs that he'd ever been shot.

Andrew was relieved that his jacket had no bullet holes in it, but then he realized that diving behind the barrel must have made the open jacket flip up so that the bullets only hit his t-shirt and his muscles.

Once Andrew got home, after calling a cab on his cell phone, he began making the party preparations. This party was to be held at Chad's house by his coworkers, to celebrate his appointment as President and CEO of Harrington's Sports Suppliers. Mr. Harrington had only semi-retired: he would stay on in an advisory capacity as the first Chairman of the Board. The rest of the first Board of Directors was made up of other semi-retired members of the Executive/Management Team.

Andrew quickly got changed into his dress clothes, relieved that Dr. Johnson had kept his blood-stained t-shirt at the hospital.

"Good thing I didn't wear that t-shirt home, or Dad would have found evidence of my injuries," Andrew said to himself. "I can't wait to see the look on David's face when he sees me looking uninjured!"

Andrew didn't have long to wait, because his dad got home right at 6 pm, and then the doorbell rang five minutes later. Chad opened the front door and was completely surprised to see all his friends from work standing outside.

"What are you guys doing here?" Chad asked Derrick and David in surprise.

"We're here for your Presidential Surprise Party Chad," Derrick replied.

"Well come on in Boss," Chad said, overwhelmed by his friends' gesture.

"Thanks Chad and you can still call me Derrick, even though I'm the Chairman of the Board now," Derrick reminded him as he stepped inside.

"Sure thing Derrick," Chad said, shaking his hand.

Derrick then stepped forward to shake Andrew's hand, congratulating him on getting the party together without spoiling the surprise for his dad. Then he stepped aside so that Andrew could greet his son David, whose eyes widened in shock when he saw that Andrew was apparently uninjured.

"Good to see you again David," Andrew said, shaking his hand harder than necessary to show off his great strength even while injured.

"Did you two see each other earlier today?" Derrick guessed as David rubbed his sore hand, which Andrew had almost crushed in his iron grip.

"That's right sir; it was a drive-by encounter actually," Andrew replied, referring to David's method of shooting him.

David looked like he was about to swallow his own tongue in shock, and Andrew grinned at him, thinking, This is just the beginning of your problems!

Chad really enjoyed the surprise party that had been thrown for him by his coworkers to celebrate him becoming President of Harrington's Sports Suppliers. Since the company had been so well known over the last 20 years, Chad had decided to keep the name out of respect for Derrick Harrington, who had hired him almost 20 years ago when he returned from his aborted third season playing for the Miami Dolphins.

Chad had graduated from the University of Miami in May of 1983, just one season ahead of their first National Championship win. That was disappointing enough, but the Miami Dolphins losing Super Bowl 19 to the San Francisco 49ers sent him over the edge. Chad started drinking and blowing some of his NFL money on fast cars to cope with his massive disappointment. That lifestyle led to his car accident in December of 1985, which almost led to Susan breaking up with him and ended his professional football career.

Once his injuries and relationship with Susan healed, Chad bought out the rest of his Dolphins contract and moved back to Orillia to distance himself from the mistakes he had made in the NFL. With his Business Degree in his back pocket and lots of experience from the gyms in Miami, Chad easily got a job as a Personal trainer at the first gym of the month-old sports company Harrington's Sports Suppliers. He used the savings he had left from his NFL career to buy the house at the east end of the woods southwest of the Orillia Square Mall, which had K-mart, not Zellars, as one of its anchor stores back then.

Susan was very impressed with how Chad had rebuilt his life and she therefore gladly accepted Chad's proposal in the living room of their new house, which had been paid in full at the time of purchase. They planned a Thanksgiving 1986 wedding, because as Chad put it, 'he was so thankful to have regained his financial prosperity and his relationship with Susan.' Some of Chad's teammates from the Miami Dolphins made it up for the wedding, and they gave Chad and Susan tickets to the Dolphins game the next day.

Chad and Susan had a great weeklong honeymoon in Miami, revisiting all the spots they had gone to while they were dating. Chad was finally able to put the bad memories of his final (aborted) NFL season behind him and move on with his life: which had been his friends' idea in giving him those football tickets. Chad made sure to thank his friends for the great wedding present.

Once Chad and Susan came down to Miami for Super Bowl 21 weekend in February 1987, they consummated their marriage and Susan gave birth to Andrew and Sarah less than nine months later: in mid October 1987. Chad finished his story by emphasizing how proud he was of Andrew and Sarah: who were following in their parents' footsteps by excelling in both sports and academics.

"Thanks Dad," Andrew said. "It's good to know that we're making something of our lives, isn't it?"

He punctuated his statement with a glance at David, no doubt reminding him of how Andrew's team from ODCVI had beaten David's team from Barrie to win the OFSAA Football Championship.

After all the food had been eaten, and Chad's coworkers had something to drink, they tried to get Andrew to military-press one of the minivans outside as a party trick. Andrew tried to decline the challenge, saying that he'd never lifted a vehicle in winter before and that he didn't want to slip on the ice and drop it.

"Oh come on Andrew; you can bench about 8000 pounds now, so lifting a minivan even in winter will be easy for you!" Chad encouraged him.

"Actually, it's closer to 9000 pounds Dad, but who's counting?" Andrew laughed, deciding to accept the challenge. He realized that only David knew about his injuries, so he decided to intimidate him with the sight of lifting a minivan even with injuries that would have taken out a normal football player. "Sure, I’ll lift the van for you Dad, since everyone wants me to do it so badly,” Andrew decided. “It should be pretty easy for me, even in winter!”

David almost choked on his beer and Andrew smirked at him, thinking, That's right punk: even rifle bullets can't stop me! You're going to be in big trouble when I get you alone!

Chad came up to him and asked him quietly, "How do you plan to get Carrie to make up with you son?"

"It's going to be a little difficult Dad, since she didn't come to the party," Andrew realized, looking around the Living Room. "I don't see her or any of my friends from school here."

"That’s right Andrew, because we just extended the invitation to present and former members of the Management Team," Derrick informed him. "I must say that I am very impressed with the path your life has taken since I met you more than seven years ago."

"I'm very proud of him as well Derrick," Chad said. "You guys wait for us outside; Andrew and I will be there in a few minutes." Derrick nodded and led the party guests outside as Chad led Andrew over to the big trophy case across from the fireplace. "That Provincial Championship trophy is the culmination of a successful high school football career Andrew! I'm very proud of you for making all your high school dreams come true son!"

"Thanks Dad!" Andrew shouted in gratitude. "I still remember that day more than three years ago when my first football jacket arrived and you helped me put it on!"

"That was the day you truly became a jock Andrew," Chad reminded him. "Though I prefer the term 'High School Football Star' myself, and that jacket certainly was a symbol of your status as a football star."

"Yeah, I wore the team jacket proudly for more than three years, but now I have a Provincial Championship jacket to wear!" Andrew reminded his dad.

"Speaking of that jacket, where is it Andrew?" Chad asked him with a frown. "Your shyness isn't becoming so overwhelming that you're deliberately ignoring the attention your championship status has brought you, are you Andrew?"

"No it hasn't Dad," Andrew replied, keeping quiet about the fact that a few scholarship offer letters had already arrived from Division 1-A schools in the States. Good thing I get home first so I can collect the mail and hide those letters until the right moment to show them to him, Andrew thought to himself. Aloud he said, "I think we've talked enough Dad; it's time for me to go outside and lift the minivan for everyone."

"Sorry about that son; I didn't mean to embarrass you," Chad apologized, following him outside.

"You didn't Dad," Andrew assured him. “Just as I won't mean to scare everyone with my upcoming strength demonstration!"

Andrew was pleased that he still felt no pain or stiffness from his recent gunshot wounds, and he knew that he wouldn't be hampered by his injuries while he lifted the minivan. But once he got outside, he realized that his task of lifting the minivan would be hampered by the icy driveway instead.

So Andrew rolled the minivan over to an ice-free patch of the driveway and then bent down, grabbing the right side of the minivan in his massive hands. As he slowly lifted the right side and stepped underneath the minivan, he was pleased that his injuries weren’t hampering his task.

Heck, I've played with broken ribs on the football field and they didn't bother me then! Andrew thought to himself. So lifting a minivan with gunshot wounds now that I'm genetically enhanced is going to be easy!

Andrew slowly stood up straight, lifting the minivan over his head and making sure that he had a firm grip on both sides. He felt a slight shifting, but no pain, along his right side. So he grinned and turned around to face everyone with the minivan resting on his massive shoulders. He stared right into David’s eyes with a cocky grin and began effortlessly shoulder-pressing the minivan.

David's eyes widened in terror and Andrew grinned mercilessly at him and pressed the minivan above his head a few more times, just to freak David out even further. Then he let the minivan down to the ground again and stepped back into the crowd of executives, who suddenly became his cheering fans.

"That was very good son; I can see that you're just as strong as ever," Chad said, once everyone began heading back into the house. "It's obvious that even though you've lost weight to get back down to 350 pounds, you've gained strength instead of losing it!"

"Yeah I have Dad," Andrew agreed. He grinned and added, "I can't believe that I just lifted the minivan above my shoulders effortlessly for ten reps!" He grinned as he saw David's face turn white with fear and then felt a slight dripping along his right side. "Now I'd better go and change so that I'm clean for the rest of the party Dad; that workout made me sweaty."

"Good idea son and we'll see you downstairs in your Championship jacket," Chad reminded him, leading Andrew back into the house.

Andrew went upstairs and went into the washroom attached to his bedroom. Once there, he took off his suit jacket and dress shirt to see blood soaking through the bandage that covered his right side. He changed the bandage, after washing off his wound carefully, and then noticed blood spots on his dress shirt.

"Rat’s I got blood on my dress shirt!" Andrew snapped without thinking.

"Why is there blood on-?" Chad began to ask as he suddenly stepped into the washroom behind Andrew. Then he noticed the bandage on Andrew's chest and right side and quickly closed the door behind him. "What's going on here son: when did you get hurt?"

"Promise me that you won’t repeat to anyone what I'm about to tell you Dad," Andrew warned him with an angry glare. Chad nodded and Andrew quickly told him the whole story about David’s' revenge shooting and the plan of the Orillia OPP to get him to confess. "So you can see why I don't want anyone else to know what David did to me today Dad.”

"Yes I can Andrew, and I'm sorry for barging in unannounced like I just did," Chad apologized.

"Why are you up here Dad?" Andrew asked him. "The party's downstairs you know!"

"I know that Andrew, but you left your Championship jacket hanging in the front hall closet, so I brought it up to you," Chad replied. "It's on your bed now, ready for you to put on. You might as well get out of those dress clothes, since you’re the only one who’s dressed up for this party."

"Yeah Dad, Carrie has been hounding me for weeks to wear the dress clothes she bought me for my birthday," Andrew explained. "And since I plan to propose to her dressed up next weekend, I thought I'd better wear the dress clothes for this party to make sure they still fit."

"Good plan Andrew, now get changed into something more causal, like your jeans and t-shirt," Chad said. "I'll meet you downstairs and don’t forget to wear your new jacket!"

"I won't forget that Dad, as long as you don't forget to keep quiet about this little chat!" Andrew reminded him as they walked into Andrew's bedroom.

Chad nodded as he stepped out of Andrew's bedroom and into the hall, closing the door behind him so that Andrew could get changed. Andrew got changed quickly, knowing that everyone was waiting for him downstairs, and put his dress clothes in the hamper. Then he walked out of his bedroom and went downstairs to enjoy the rest of the party.

The next day, Andrew decided to ride his motorbike over to Fitton's IGA, where Carrie worked, hoping to patch things up with her. He called the store first and let David know that he was coming by to see Carrie.

"I have the perfect plan in mind to get Andrew arrested,” David said to himself after he hung up the phone. “Then the police won't believe him when he tries to tell them what I did to him yesterday."

He quickly turned off the store camera and then took a screwdriver out of a drawer, carefully weakening the supports on the stepladder beside him. Then he waited for Andrew to arrive, after turning the store camera back on.

"Too bad the store's not open yet, or lots of people would be here to witness Andrew's downfall," David said. "But no plan is perfect, so his girlfriend witnessing his arrest will have to do."

David didn't have to wait long for Andrew to pull up by the front windows of the store on his motorbike. David had Carrie climb up the weakened step-ladder to get something off the top shelf, while he stepped away to unlock the front door to let Andrew in. He heard Carrie yell as he unlocked the door and turned back to see the ladder collapsing and Carrie falling towards the floor. David quickly ran and caught her in his arms just as Andrew walked into the store.

Having no idea that the ladder had just collapsed under her weight, Andrew’s mind became clouded with jealous rage when he saw Carrie in David's arms. David saw Andrew's angry expression and put Carrie down, but it was too late as Andrew walked towards him quickly.

Andrew lifted David effortlessly up in the air with one massive hand and growled, "I'm warning you right now: if you ever touch my girlfriend again, I'll rip your bloody hands off! You got that punk?"

"I've got it Andrew," David stammered in fear, knowing full well that the store camera had got it as well. "I was just trying to save her from the collapsing ladder; you can watch the video footage that backs me up if you want to."

"He's right Andrew!" Carrie yelled at her boyfriend. "David saved my life; you should be thanking him, not threatening to kill him!"

"It wouldn't kill him if I ripped his hands off Carrie, unless I stuffed them down his throat and he choked on them," Andrew reminded her with a frown. He saw the look of fear on her face and suddenly realized something. He looked up at the black camera dome on the ceiling and realized that his angry reaction had been caught on tape. He set David down gently and then turned to Carrie and said, "Let's see this footage Carrie and I'll apologize to David if it matches your story."

Carrie played back the camera footage for Andrew and he realized that David had indeed saved her from the collapsing ladder. Andrew also realized that the brief gap in the footage was where David had probably sabotaged the ladder to endanger Carrie's life in the first place. But even though he was still filled with rage, he knew that he had to play the part of the apologetic boyfriend.

"I guess I misunderstood the situation David; sorry about that," Andrew said, shaking David's hand gently. He turned to Carrie and added, "I hope you can understand how a misunderstanding like that can happen when you only see part of the situation Carrie."

"Are you referring to yesterday, when Megan gave you a big hug and kiss because you saved her life?" Carrie asked Andrew. He nodded and Carrie sighed and said, "I guess I can understand your point of view now Andrew." She reached into her pocket and took out Andrew's car keys. "Here are your car keys back Andrew; your car is behind the store."

"Thanks Carrie," Andrew said gratefully, stuffing the keys into the front
pocket of his jeans. He turned back to David, after pulling a zip lock bag out of the pocket of his leather jacket. "I have something for you Big Guy; you left these on the street yesterday."

He casually handed David the bag with the rifle shells that the police had given back to him that morning, having completed their fingerprint analysis on them.

"I was never on Memorial Avenue yesterday!" David shouted without thinking.

Andrew grinned at him in triumph while Carrie stared at him in confusion.

"Did I say what street they had been left on David?" Andrew asked him with a smug grin. "I've got you now! How could you know what street they had been left on unless you were the one who shot me?"

David realized that he had been tricked, so he shoved Carrie aside, pulled out a handgun and aimed it right at Andrew’s heart.

"Go ahead and shoot David," Andrew goaded him, lifting up his t-shirt to show the wire running down to the transmitter in his pocket. "The police have a full confession now; all they have to do is show up and arrest you for attempted murder!"

"You're dead Pearson!" David shouted in fury. "I'll finish what I started yesterday!"

He fired the handgun right at Andrew's heart, snapping the wire and leaving a small hole in Andrew's chest. Suddenly sirens sounded outside the window and David turned towards them before he could see if Andrew had been killed. Andrew's massive hand suddenly closed around David's wrist, causing him to release the handgun with a cry of pain. David recovered quickly though, punching Andrew in his right ribs with his free hand. Sheer force of will kept Andrew from flinching from the unexpected pain as he felt his recently set rib break again. He grinned at David, grabbed him by the back of his neck with one hand and escorted him outside to the waiting police officers.

"Nice try David, but you won't get to try it again," Andrew sneered at him. "You made another mistake: punching the ribs that only you and I know were broken yesterday. But that's just one of the many mistakes that will put you away for a very long time."

"Thanks for all your help Andrew," Sam said, putting David's hands behind his back and slapping cuffs on him. "If you don't mind coming with us to the Peter Street Station, after collecting the gun and the store tape of course, you and Carrie need to make a statement before we book David on two counts of attempted murder." He read David his rights and then added, "Let's go David; I'm sure your father is just going to love hearing about what you’ve done this weekend!"

Andrew and Carrie followed the police officers to the station, where they gave their reports to the officers and watched David be taken away to one of the cells until he could be formally charged with two counts of premeditated attempted murder.

Then the police let Andrew and Carrie go to the hospital, where Dr. Johnson carefully extracted the bullet from Andrew's chest and reset his broken rib. Andrew didn't even twitch during the painful procedure.

"You are an amazing example of the pain-deadening powers of adrenaline Andrew," Dr. Johnson said in astonishment.

"Thank you Doctor," Andrew said, standing up from the operating table. "Can I go see Margaret now?"

"As long as you let her heal your injuries properly," Dr. Johnson replied. "That's a good idea Andrew."

"It was your idea actually; I just wanted to try again to get those new weight plates she's been working on for me," Andrew said.

"Then you'll be even stronger than you are now!" Dr. Johnson shouted in amazement.

"Yeah I will Doctor!" Andrew realized with a broad grin. "See you later and thanks for healing me again!"

Dr. Johnson waved as Andrew and Carrie left the hospital. Andrew rode his motorbike to Margaret's cottage, after calling to make sure she was there. Carrie followed in his car.

"It's good to see you both," Margaret said, once they arrived at her cottage. "Dr. Johnson called me and told me everything that happened. He also visited the police station, once Mr. Harrington arrived and took a blood sample of David."

"Why'd he do that Margaret?" Andrew asked her.

"You voiced a suspicion during the Championship Game that David had stolen some of the Enhancement Serum from his father's lab and injected himself with it," Margaret replied. "The difficulty you had in winning that game seems to support your theory Andrew so Mr. Harrington is giving his son a blood test to confirm your suspicions."

"If David is genetically enhanced like me, then I doubt that the police handcuffs will be able to restrain him!" Andrew shouted in alarm. "He could break free and come after Carrie and me! And I gave him the idea to try headshots!"

"No, that's what you told Alexander, after his gun was empty," Margaret reminded him. "David has no idea that the vulnerable point on an enhanced human is the head: specifically the eyes!"

"Well I'm not going to tell him," Andrew reassured her. "But what do we do if he snaps his handcuffs, knocks out the guards and escapes?"

"We’ll give the police all the Enhanced Handcuffs I’ve made over the last month," Margaret replied, handing him a pair. "Try them on Andrew and see if you can break out of them. Then we’ll know if they can successfully restrain David."

Carrie put the handcuffs onto Andrew's wrists and Andrew then tried to force his wrists apart, hoping to snap the handcuffs. He had no luck and Margaret smiled with relief.

"It looks like the formula worked for handcuffs as well as for your new weight plates Andrew," Margaret said, handing Andrew the capsule case with the number 2000 on it. "The old 1000 pound weight plates and barbells are in this case," she added, handing Carrie a palm-sized case that had the number 1000 on it.

"Thank you Margaret, now how about using the key to those handcuffs to unlock them," Andrew suggested quietly, feeling somewhat uneasy at being restrained.

"There is no key Andrew, or David would be able to easily escape from the pair I made for him," Margaret replied. "The handcuffs can only be released by the fingerprints of a certain individual. In your case, only Carrie's fingerprints can release the handcuffs around your wrists. If you'd care to demonstrate Carrie."

Carrie touched the handcuffs with her index finger right on the spot where the key would normally have fit. The handcuffs fell to the ground and Andrew took Carrie in his massive arms, kissing her softly.

"It looks like you've found the perfect way to keep me under control Carrie," Andrew said, once he let her up for air.

"Good idea Andrew, thank you for suggesting it," Carrie said with a big smile. She picked the handcuffs up off the ground and asked Margaret, "Can I keep these Margaret?"

"Go ahead Carrie; I'm sure you and Andrew can have lots of fun with them," Margaret said without thinking. Carrie giggled and Margaret cleared her throat uneasily and said, "Anyway, we'd better get to the Police Station so I can deliver the handcuffs to them. Then they will be able to restrain David more effectively."

So Andrew and Carrie led the way to the Peter Street Station, where they found Mr. Harrington and Chad waiting for them, along with Sam and Chief Collins.

"Ah Margaret, glad you made it," Chief Collins said with relief. "Did you bring the items I requested?"

"Yes I did Chief; are we ready to demonstrate them for David?" Margaret asked him.

"Yes we are Margaret and David himself has given us the perfect opportunity to do so with his overconfidence," Chief Collins replied. He turned to Andrew and informed him, "David had been asking for you Andrew; having just been formally charged and given his sentence."

"So soon?" Andrew asked him in surprise.

"He waived his right to an attorney and his right to remain silent," Chief Collins said with a smug grin. "He gave us a full and unapologetic confession about what he did and why. And once we gave the search warrant results to the judge, she was just waiting for him to be arrested to sign off on his sentence. I'll tell you all about it in a few minutes, but in the meantime, David wants to talk to you."

"I guess there's no harm in that, even if Margaret hasn't healed me yet," Andrew agreed.

"Oh sorry Andrew, I forgot about that with everything else we talked about," Margaret said, stepping forward to heal him.

"Do it after I've talked to David," Andrew ordered her, catching her wrist gently. "This will be much more demoralizing for him, seeing me standing in front of him unimpeded by injuries that would have killed anyone else."

"It's your call Andrew, but take these with you," Margaret said, handing him the enhanced cuffs that were meant for David. "Mr. Harrington has just imprinted them with his fingerprints, making him the only one who can release David from them. Carrie imprinted the other handcuffs I showed you the same way, when I visited her before she went to work this morning."

Andrew took the handcuffs, waved away the guards and stepped into the cell section of the station. He entered the interrogation room where David was waiting with two guards.

"What do you want David?" Andrew asked him, checking his watch and pretending to be bored. "I have things to do today; unlike you, I don't have unlimited leisure time."

"You're a fool if you think that the police can keep me in here Pearson," David growled in fury. "I may have a 25 year sentence, but I can guarantee you that I won't be in here for even 25 hours! I'll get out of here and make you pay for getting in my way! And this time, I'll take out your girlfriend first!"

"If you even touch Carrie, you're a dead man!" Andrew roared, lifting David up and throwing him over the table. "I'll snap your neck like a twig if you even come near her!"

"It won't be my neck that snaps like a twig, it's going to be these handcuffs!" David yelled, forcing his wrists apart and breaking free of his handcuffs. He jumped to his feet and knocked the two guards behind him out with simultaneous elbows to the face. "I'm free now Andrew and you can't stop me!"

"Even though you've been enhanced like me, I'm still stronger than you are David!" Andrew warned him. "You couldn't even make me flinch by punching my broken rib, so how do you expect to get past me?" He noticed David ducking behind the table and mocked him by asking, "What's the matter David, did your shoelace come untied?"

"No, I was just grabbing the guards' guns so that I can use them on you!" David shouted, standing up from behind the table with one gun in each hand.

"Even a rifle can't hurt me David, as you found out yesterday," Andrew reminded him with a cocky smirk. "What makes you think that two puny handguns will do any better?"

"If I empty both clips right into your eyes, I think it will help," David reminded him with a smug grin. He aimed right for Andrew's eyes and added, "What's the matter Andrew: nothing to say? Come on: say something smug and cocky, I dare you!"

"I'll let my fists do the talking," Andrew warned him quietly, noticing two huge guards quietly opening the door behind David. "But this time I won't have to."

"What are you-?" David began, before the two guards grabbed his arms and twisted them behind his back, forcing him to drop the guns with a cry of pain. "Get off me!" David roared in fury, struggling to break free but getting nowhere. "What's going on here?"

"You didn't think that my security guards were the first people we enhanced, did you David?" Mr. Harrington asked him, stepping into the room behind Andrew. "The jail and prison guards were enhanced first, the same time we enhanced Darrel in September. Then we got the idea to enhance our security guards a week later, after we found one of them unconscious near the lab. You knocked him out and stole a sample of the serum for yourself, didn't you David?"

"I had to Dad!" David yelled in desperation. "Andrew was always your favourite, ever since you first met him seven years ago! I knew that I had to do something drastic to get your attention! Winning the Provincial Championship again and securing my scholarship to Ohio State was all I could think of! But since Andrew and his two friends had been genetically enhanced, I knew there was no way I could beat them in the big game unless I was enhanced as well!"

"And when you couldn't get the job done, you snapped and tried to kill Andrew with your dad’s moose-hunting rifle," Chief Collins said, stepping into the room behind Mr. Harrington. "You followed Andrew and Carrie around yesterday, learned what route they would take to Margaret's cottage and decided to ambush them. But then you got a better idea: shooting out Megan's tires, causing her car to crash through the fence and into the tree! You didn't care who you hurt, as long as you could break up Andrew and Carrie and then take him out once he was alone! That's three counts of attempted murder and that's why you've got a 25 year sentence, which you’d normally get for one successful murder!"

"I'm just confused about one thing Chief," Andrew said, turning towards him, since David was still immobilized by the guards' iron grip. "If David was trying to break Carrie and me up, then why did he save her from the collapsing ladder? Why didn't he just let her fall to the ground?"

"He sabotaged the ladder in the first place Andrew," Chief Collins informed him. "Once we noticed the gap in the video footage, he admitted that. And he knew how jealous you get, so he knew that instead of being grateful that Carrie was saved, you'd be filled with murderous rage towards the guy who had his hands on her. Fortunately, we were able to take that into account when we put the wire on you and told you to call the store before you showed up. We knew that David would try to get you to kill him in a jealous rage, so that no one would believe that he had tried to kill you yesterday!"

"And I'm still going to get the job done!" David roared, freeing his arms and elbowing both guards in the face.

He rushed forward, causing Chief Collins and Sam to draw their guns and fire. David wasn't stopped by the chest shots, but then the guards grabbed him again and dragged him back. David stomped on both guard's feet and when that didn't work, he turned around and kicked them both in the groin. The guards just grinned at him and one of them knocked him down to the ground with a swift punch. The other guard took the enhanced handcuffs from Andrew and locked them around David's wrists. Then the two guards hauled David to his feet effortlessly.

"I wasn't bluffing when I told you that the guards had been enhanced just like you David," Mr. Harrington said. "Now you know that I was serious and you're not going to get out of prison until you've served your time."

"You're a fool if you think that I won't run the prison!" David sneered at him. He pressed his fingers to his chest and lifted them to his face, smearing the blood down his cheeks. "Consider this war paint Dad and the war has just begun! You can't stop me, even with chest shots!"

"You're the fool David, if you think that these guards are the only ones we've enhanced!" Mr. Harrington roared in fury. "I knew that you would end up in prison one day, so I enhanced a whole group of guards from the Penetang SuperJail back in September! And they're a lot bigger than these guards here: they're as big as Andrew and every bit as strong as he is!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they finally saw a hint of defeat in David's eyes and the enhanced guards hauled him away without any further trouble. Everyone went out into the meeting room and waited for the guards to lock David up and return, so that Chief Collins could thank them personally for a job well done. Andrew expressed relief that the two guards hadn't been stopped by kicks to the groin and Chief Collins expressed relief that David hadn't been killed by the chest shots, because death was too merciful for him.

"It's a good thing David can't be killed by chest shots; he deserves to rot in jail for the rest of his life instead of dying quickly," Chief Collins said angrily.

"Yeah he does and I'm glad that you guys have taken such great precautions to prevent him from escaping," Andrew said with relief.

"Yes Andrew, defeating criminals isn't too difficult if you just outsmart them," Sam said. "You size up your opponent, figure out their tactics, use their natural tendencies against them, and most of the time they end up beating themselves."

"Sounds like the same strategy our football team used to beat David’s team and win the Provincial Championship," Andrew said, just as the two huge guards came into the room. He took a good look at them and then said, "Speaking of football, why are these guards’ uniforms just as tight as football uniforms?”

"It's the Intimidation Effect Andrew," the biggest guard said. "Only by wearing a skintight uniform that shows off our massive muscles can we scare the inmates into compliance without having to get rough. Though David just can't seem to learn that lesson. He pulled the bullets from his chest, laughed and then threw them right at Billy's eye. It actually hurt Billy and David went for his gun. But Billy recovered and kept him from getting his hands on the gun. So David forced Billy's hands towards the handcuffs, having figured out that they were released by fingerprints only. But it didn't work, because the cuffs are only released by your fingerprints Derrick, and Billy shoved him away. I kicked David right in the head and he cracked his head off the wall and was knocked out. Then we left him there, after telling the other prisoners that if we could take care of David so easily, they had no chance of taking us down!"

"Yeah, and then Henry flexed his massive biceps to emphasize his point, causing the prisoners to become even more scared of us!" Billy shouted in excitement. He grabbed Mr. Harrington's hand and shook it enthusiastically, almost ripping his arm out of its socket in the process. "I can't tell you how happy I am that you enhanced us Derrick: so that we can now do our jobs properly without fear of being overwhelmed by the prisoners!"

"I'm glad you're so happy Billy, now could you make my arm happy and drop it please?" Derrick begged him. Billy released his iron grip immediately and Derrick rubbed his sore arm with a relieved smile. "Thanks Billy; I can see that neither you nor Henry have managed to fully control your great strength yet!"

"No we haven't Mr. Harrington but we're very grateful for the opportunity you've given us to be so big and strong," Henry said. He turned to Andrew, shook his hand and said, "Thanks a lot for your part in capturing David; well done Andrew!"

"Thanks Henry and I look forward to having an arm-wrestling match with you sometime," Andrew said with a smile. "It will be an interesting challenge for me; I don’t get many challenges these days."

"Let Margaret heal your injuries first and then you’ll be at full strength for the match," Henry suggested. “I don’t want to hear any excuses from you when I win the match!”

So Margaret healed Andrew's injuries and then he had his arm-wrestling contest with Henry. They each won a match, and then Andrew broke the tie by winning the third match, but just barely.

"You're just about as strong as I am Henry; the lab techs at Derrick's company must have given you booster shots in October as well," Andrew realized.

"Yeah, and David didn't know about that," Henry said with a smug grin. "We'll always be one step ahead of him since we can use our brains as well as our brawn!"

"Yeah, David's not very bright, or he would have realized that he was throwing away his Ohio State football scholarship by trying to kill me in revenge for beating him in the big game," Andrew realized. He shook Henry's hand and said, "Thanks for the match man, but Carrie and I had better go home now."

Henry and Billy waved to him and then went back to the cells to guard David. Mr. Harrington and Chad said goodbye to Andrew, Carrie and Margaret and then headed home. Margaret gave Chief Collins the Enhancement Reports she had written for him, before she said goodbye to him and Sam. Andrew and Carrie said goodbye to their two police friends and then followed Margaret outside.

"Well, goodbye for now Andrew and Carrie; it certainly has been an eventful weekend," she said, letting out a tired sigh as she got into her car.

"Yes it has Margaret; thanks for the new weights and for helping us defeat David once and for all," Andrew said, shaking her hand in gratitude before she closed her car door.

"My pleasure Andrew," Margaret said, closing the door and starting the engine. "See you guys later: hopefully during your Christmas vacation."

Andrew and Carrie waved goodbye as Margaret backed onto the street and then drove home. Andrew got onto his motorbike, Carrie got into his car and then they headed home themselves. As they headed out of the downtown core, Andrew hoped that no one else he knew would try to kill him in a jealous rage like David had.