Title: Knight Ride
Author: Jelsemium
Rating: K+/PG
Category: Gen
Numb3rs Characters: Liz Warner, mentions Colby Granger, Don Eppes and Charlie Eppes
Knight Rider 2008 Characters: Mike Traceur AKA Michael Knight, KITT, mentions of Sarah
Mike and KITT had arranged to meet Special Agent Colby Granger in front of Disney Music Hall at noon. The plan was for Colby to help the Foundation for Law and Government in their search for a missing cache of credit card blanks. FLAG had been working for Security Pacific Bank in order to retrieve the stolen credit cards before they could be activated and distributed. Security was also interested in keeping the theft out of the news, so they were reluctant to bring in the officials until the case was solved.
They got half their wish. Mike and KITT had rounded up the thieves and handed them over to the Feds. However, the thieves had not revealed where they had hidden the blanks. Sarah Graiman was fairly certain that they could get a conviction, but the odds were better if they had the merchandise.
Not to mention that recovering the blanks would prevent the thieves from continuing with their plan once they were released from prison.
"I do not see Agent Granger," KITT reported.
"Nice to know that I'm not going blind," Mike replied.
"However, sensors do register the approach of a woman," KITT continued.
"I'm registering the same approach," Mike smirked.
"Are you registering the presence of a concealed firearm?" KITT snarked.
"Really?" Mike asked. He would have pulled out binoculars, but the woman in question, a lovely lady of Asian descent, was close enough now that he could detect the slight bulge of her Glock. Plus he could see the glint of a badge on her belt.
"Could be a trap," Mike said mildly. "Or it could be one of Colby's associates. You did note the badge, I take it?"
"Of course I did," KITT said coolly. "And a quick scan of the FBI database confirms that Agent Warner fits the description of the registered owner of that badge."
"That's reassuring," Mike said. "Let her introduce herself, however. No need to let her know that we can access the FBI database on such short notice."
"I know how to be discreet," huffed KITT.
Mike ignored him and rolled down the window himself. "Hello," he said. "I take it that Agent Granger can't come out to play?"
"You must be Michael Knight," she said with a warm smile, appearing not at all surprised that he had spotted her for a Fed. "I'm Liz Warner. I'll be your FBI liaison for this assignment."
"A pleasure to meet you, Agent Warner," KITT responded.
"Hello, I take it you're the legendary Wilton that Colby told us about."
Mike blinked, "Why is KITT legendary and I'm not?" he demanded.
"You've been seen in person," Liz explained. "KITT has only been heard. As far as we know, he doesn't really exist."
"Then who am I?" KITT inquired.
"You could be a talking car," Liz pointed out gravely.
Mike laughed, letting Warner assume he was laughing at her joke rather than laughing at her unsuspecting correct assessment. Moving quickly, he was out of the car and opening the door for her.
"I'm sorry if you're disappointed," Warner said. "Colby couldn't make it."
"While we do enjoy Agent Granger's company," KITT said smoothly. "No one in his right mind would ever be disappointed in having YOU for a substitute."
Mike gave KITT an ironic look as he returned to his seat. He moved quickly lest KITT decided to take off without him.
"Why, how sweet!" Liz said as she settled into the butter soft leather.
"I have to admit, however, that I am I'm curious as to why Agent Granger isn't present as arranged. I trust nothing untoward has happened to him?" KITT asked worriedly.
Warner grinned. "Only if you define answering phones for a month as 'untoward'," she replied. "And, please, call me Liz," she said to both of them.
"Pleased to meet you, Liz," Mike said. "You can call me Mike." He gave her his most charming smile. "Let me guess, the unseen and therefore legendary Don Eppes was not pleased that Colby went behind his back on the gun retrieval assignment."
"You are correct, sir," Warner said with a smile. She pulled her Blackberry out of her purse. "So, your missing briefcase has a tracking device?"
Mike nodded. "So we've been told," he said.
"Unfortunately, the battery is running low," KITT interjected. "By my calculations, we'll need to get within 328 meters in order to pick up the signal."
Liz laughed throatily. "You sound like Charlie Eppes," she said.
"That would be Professor Eppes of Cal-Sci?"
Liz nodded. "He's our mathematician consultant."
"Who has played an instrumental role in many of your cases, and is at least partially responsible for your team's extraordinarily high solve rate."
"I take it you've heard of him," Liz said, beaming at KITT's console.
"Indeed," KITT sounded almost fan-boyish. "Knight Industries used several of his algorithms in my sensor arrays." He sounded very proud of that.
"Wow," Liz said. "Did he help design the seats as well?"
"I think we have the Ford Motor Company to thank for the seats," Mike said dryly.
Liz chuckled. "Well, he also came up with a search algorithm that he feels confident will bring us within range of your tracking device. Something to do with a 'Levy Flight', I think he said?" She looked at the console.
"I am familiar with Levy Flights," KITT assured her.
"Excellent," she said. "I was afraid I'd have to explain, and I'm not nearly as good as it has he is. Where shall I email this?" She held up her Blackberry to indicate the 'this.'
KITT could have easily pulled the data off her Blackberry, but elected to pretend he couldn't. "You can send it to my personal email box," KITT said. Knight Rider 3000 at KITT dot org.
She dutifully punched in the numbers as KITT recited them.
"You could have just sent the search pattern to us," Mike said.
"What?" Liz said. "And miss my chance to ride in this ultra cool car?" she said. "Are you kidding?"
"I am flattered, Liz," KITT was almost purring.
"Oy," Mike said.
"I take it you're a car buff?" KITT asked.
Mike rolled his eyes, and then yanked them back to the road while Liz and KITT discussed engines and long distance races. Normally, KITT could multitask, but Mike had never seem him flirt so much before. He decided not to take any risks.
Fortunately for Mike's peace of mind, Professor Eppes' search algorithm produced results in less than an hour.
"It's a cemetery?" Liz said.
"Rose Hills," Mike confirmed.
"Where would you hide a suitcase in a cemetery?" Liz wondered aloud.
"Perhaps in a coffin?" KITT suggested.
Mike shook his head. "No, that wouldn't work. They wouldn't be able to get at it quickly enough." He gave the grounds the once over, visually. "Trying to bury it outside a coffin wouldn't work. The ground is covered with grass, any digging... unofficial digging would attract attention."
"Putting in a trash can is right out," Liz said. "Up in a tree? Nope, not happening."
"There are several buildings nearby," KITT suggested.
Liz shook her head. "Those are locked at night and they have alarms." She looked across the peaceful lawns and serene lakes."
Mike looked at her, and then at Liz.
Liz nodded. "On three," she said.
"One, two, three..." they counted in unison. "The Lake!"
And so it proved. KITT directed them to the lake and they soon spotted the case, but only because they knew where to look.
"How do we get it out without attracting attention?" Liz asked.
Mike grinned.
"Oh, no you don't..." Liz said, just before Mike knocked them both into the lake.
They came up sputtering and laughing. If anybody noticed they now had a briefcase, nobody said anything to them.
Minutes later, they were wrapped in blankets and sitting in KITT's butter soft leather seats.
"Nice work," Liz said as Mike opened the case.
"I don't suppose that this math professor of yours has an algorithm to determine all the card blanks are here?" Mike asked.
Liz grinned and pushed her wet hair out of her eyes.
However, KITT answered before she could. "Michael, I have already determined that all the blanks are present."
Liz beamed at KITT's console.
"Great!" Mike said. "Now, shall we go somewhere and get dried off?"
"I have a better idea," Liz said. "Let's head to the beach. We can buy a change of clothes, get some lunch, and maybe..."
"Do a little swimming?" Mike suggested slyly.
"I know just the place," KITT said.
"Then let's roll!" Liz commanded.