Catch and Chase, chapter 1.

1.1

The cold clanging sound of metal clashing against metal was loud in the quiet hills of Hallahatcha; it sliced through the black silence of the night and sent animals running for cover into the deep surrounding forests. But the sound was all too familiar for the two people locked in combat.2

Mr. Tankenen’s house was an old and crumbling manor atop a winding path, untended and gloomy with foreboding iron gates. Mr Tankenen himself, the only resident, was an old and crumbling man, untended and gloomy with foreboding iron coloured eyes. He kept his place in disrepair and shrouded with a sense of angry abandonment because it suited him- and it kept the nosy, snooping people away. Mr Tankenen was a rich old man and always under the impression that people who came to him must be after his money. This also made him a wise old man because it was largely true.3

Luckily for him, the thief who had entered his house that late evening to make off with some of his most prized possessions was now being cornered by a member of the most prestigious law enforcement agencies in the world: The Rionase. 4

Catch Callahan parried the wide stroke of the offending thief and drove him back against the wall with his own sword. Pinning him there with unrelenting force, he looked around for Mr Tankenen to make sure he was okay. He was standing in his bedroom doorway in an old silk gown with his arms folded, giving the combatants a dubious look from under his bushy grey eyebrows.
“Get on with it,” he growled at Catch. 5

Catch turned back to the matter at hand; dispatching Jey Maelesio, a.k.a The Magpie; the craftiest jewel thief on the island. It was time to hand him over to the to the confinement he had eluded for so long. Catch had been after him for the three years- all the years he’d been in the Rionase - and his failure to put Jey away felt like an ugly blot on his otherwise impeccable record. Catch was good at his job – he was not captain of the island’s sector for nothing. 6

As usual, Jey was proving difficult. He was a skilled swordsman and was swift and fierce in hand-to-hand combat. He knew a number of martial arts and was excedingly crafty.
He took the opportunity of Catch’s wandering eyes to push back with his own formidable strength and send him staggering backwards.
“Thought you had me?” he asked with a cheerful grin. A diamond flashed ostentatiously in one of his canines.7

Catch said nothing; something about Jey’s ability to laugh and be merry even in the most life threatening situations tended to knock him off guard, for he was deadly serious about his life and job and found nothing funny in being humorous when danger threatened. There were times, in his past, when he had been happy-go-lucky with a smile for all. Those times were over.
He raised his sword should Jey rush him. Looking around the room and also keeping an eye on the theif, he composed a plan in his mind.
Jey swung his sword lazily, swirling the dust in the air that had been raised by their scuffling feet. “Think about it like this,” he said, cocking his pretty head on one side, “If you put me away we shan’t be able to have these fun little get togethers anymore.” 8

Catch ground his teeth and regarded Jey with his piercing, clear, blue eyes. “What a shame that would be.” He said flatly.9

“Wouldn’t it.” Agreed Jey pleasantly, flicking back his long ponytail of shiny black hair. Jey was always immaculately well groomed and glossy, like the gems he made a habit and lifestyle of filching. His glittering eyes were like two round stones of jade as they looked straight back at the unflinching Catch. 10

“If you and your boyfriend have finished your conversation,” snapped Mr Tankenen to Catch from his place in the doorway, “I’d like my diamonds back.” 11

Without another word Catch put his plan into action.
Using the flat side of his sword he aimed, not for Jey, but for the brace of candles burning away on the bedside table. They went flying in a whirl of flame and wax, right onto the startled Jey.
'Hey! Ow!' he squealed, instinctively brushing himself off and stepping away.
In the commotion, whilst the thief tried to put out the flames licking his expensive clothes and sooth the scorching burns he had just received, and Mr Tankenen complained about the state of his hardwood floors, Catch threw himself forward and swung his blade. It came to a halt under Jey’s chin, just pressing against his tender throat. 12

Jey laughed delightedly. “Marvellous!” he congratulated "I didn't expect you to try and set me alight. Thats a new trick. Something they taunt you in the academy?"
Catch pushed forwards on his sword so Jey was forced to reverse back to the wall to avoid the blade digging into his skin.
Catch followed, standing practically toe to toe with his enemy. 13

Jey and Catch didn’t actually look too dissimilar – they were both young, with high cheekbones, almond shaped eyes, slender physiques and fair skin. They were roughly the same height. But instead of the long black hair Jey sported, Catch had a ruffle of dirty blond hair. Jey wore a casual grim of satisfaction, Catch's countencance suggested deadly consequecnes for those who didn't take heed.14

He leaned this serious face right up to Jey’s own. “This time,” he said, barely above a whisper, “you are coming with me, and you are coming quietly.” 15

Jey giggled. “Ooh, how intimate.” 16

Catch pressed his sword harder and the metal began to bite into Jey's pale skin. Instead of cowering, Jey laughed.
“Got me cornered, eh?” he said, “and just what are you going to do now if I don’t just follow you out the door like a good little criminal?” 17

Catch grimaced. He knew he couldn't threaten Jey with death. He'd been told specifically to bring him in alive. Jey had hoarded gems for years all over the globe and no one would be able to rediscover them if their owner was dead in his grave. He could clap shackles on his foe, but that would mean letting go of his sword. He supposed he could also just march the man out, but Jey was fast and would probably find some way to escape. Catch didn't trust him anywhere but pushed up against the wall, with no way out, and a sword at his neck. 18

Jey noted all this with obvious glee. “So,” he said conversationally, “effectively we find ourselves once more in a stalemate. I cannot move while you have your sword against me, and if you move it away you know I’ll slip out of your hands like mist on a winter’s morning.” 19

Catch shook his head, but he knew that Jey was probably right. He probed his mind for another idea. If this had been anyone else Catch would have had him slung in chains in the maximum-security prison on Gino Island by now without difficulty. But Jey was and always had been a wild card.20

Whilst Catch contemplated this apparent conundrum he noticed Jey’s sword rising, millimetres at a time, up towards his side. The bastard was going to try and take a slice at him while he thought he wasn’t concentrating. He pretended to be none the wiser, never easing the pressure on his captive's throat, and waited for Jey to make his move so that he could counter attack and possibly knock him unconscious through the element of surprise. 21

Finally Jey struck. As he lifted his blade up Catch took his sword from his throat and brought it round in a swift expert swing to meet the weapon...but it was not there. Suddenly he was flying backwards with a tremendous pain below his chest. 22

Jey had meant for Catch to notice his sword all along and had counted on him going for it with his own when he made it obvious. At that moment he had abandoned that false attempt and caught Catch right below the diaphragm with his fist.23

In his surprise Catch had not dropped his sword – he was much better than that – but he had been winded. Trying to suck in enough breath to stand up properly he prepared another strategy. But Jey was not interested in sticking around. He ran for the window. Catch followed in hot (but panting) pursuit. He’d fly out the window with Jey if he had to, and land ontop of him and hold him till he could call for assistance.
But at the last moment Jey changed plans. He leapt up onto the sill, Catch leaping after him, but whilst Catch was still in the air flying towards the open window, Jey pivoted, using the sill to twist direction and sprint towards the door. Too late Catch noticed this, and fell head first out of the window.24

He'd close his eyes, held his arms out for impact, and said his prayers before he realised that he was not tumbling to broken wrists and shame.
He was dangling by his boots out over the windowledge. The gravel of three stories below looked up at him menacingly, but did not rush up to hit him in the face.
Behind him, Jey laughed his melodic laughter. "It seems," he chimed, "that I have caught you." He had hold of Catch by the ankles, his strong fingers gripping his leather boots.25

Catch struggled to get upright, but such was his position that it was impossible to do anything but scrabble at the wall. He could go down of course, but he might risk breaking something. The only way back inside was if Jey pulled him in.26

"How noble do you feel now?" asked Jey.
Catch glowered as the blood rushed to his head. "Let me drop,' he demanded, "Or pull me back in and fight me fairly."
"Oh please!" snorted Jey, "As if I'd let you fall to your death."
He dangled Catch for a few moments more. "If I bring you back in," he said thoughtfully, "will you let me walk out of here?"
"Absolutely not." said Catch, who was becoming increasingly woozy from head rush.
"I didn't think so," said Jey cheerily.27

Below him, Catch could see Mr Tankenen leaving from a side door.
"I have called your friends," he shouted up to Catch, "as you obviously cannot deal with this yourself."
He sulked off down the path, his velvet slippers crunching on the gravel.
"Oh dear," said Jey, "looks like he's got backup coming for you. Why'd you always try and take me on alone, eh? You might actually have some luck if you put more manpower into it."
"I can do it myself." said Catch, burning up in embarassment at the absurdity of this comment.
"Maybe one day," said Jey, "when you're older, wiser, more skilled...and when your head is healed from falling three stories!"
With that he let go of Catch's feet and Catch plummeted down, down, down...28


"Callahan? Callahan!" a voice, a dismembered, harsh voice was barking at him from somewhere in oblivion.
There was a prodding about his person, someone opened his eye and peered into it. Blearily, he opened both.
"Where am I?" he asked lamely.
"You're laid out on Mr. Tankenen's back yard." said the dismembered voice.
Catch put a face to it: Captain Harelett, one of his superiors who ran the local district precinct, a burly man with a flaming red moustache.
He focused his bleary eyes on this moutasche now. "Harlett," he moaned, "What happened? My arm..."
"Your arm is injured, my lad," said Harlett brusquely, "We don't think its broken but you will have to take some leave until it heals. You also bashed your head."
"You will feel disorientated for a little while, and have a headache and a sore bruise," said another, milder voice from somewhere next to Harlett. "There is no major swelling through, and Captain Harlett is right, your arm is not broken. But it will be virtually useless for a week or so. I would suggest rest in a health facillity."
Catch trained his eyes on this new voice, ascertaining it to come from a small blonde haired woman in a white overall. "Are you a doctor?" he asked.
"I am. Doctor Vallance," she said in her soft, mild tones.
Good for sick people, though Catch, closing his eyes.
"We're going to help you up now," said Harlett, gripping Catch under one of his arms, "and then you're going to come in the back of a medic cart with me. We'll soon set you to rights in Lemetra Hospital.
Lemetra hospital was a special health centre for people in the Rionase who'd suffered injury in attacks and arrest. He would be seen by everyone in his unit, everyone on the island. They would gawp at him in his stupid white linen bed with his arm bound up and a bruise on his head. They would laugh at the great Catch Callahan and his inability to put away a common jewel theif.
"Please..." he moaned, as he was lifted to his shaky feet.
"No talking, please," said the mild-voiced Dr. Vallance, "It'll be better if you just concentrate on getting to the cart, and then we can lie you down and have a better look at you."
So Catch allowed himself to be propelled towards the cart that would take him to Lemetra, where he would lie for a few days in a pain which was nothing to the agony of accepting failure.29