.

.

Trent made a point to say in Sons of Thunder episode two "Fighting Back" as he and Carlos were going over the accounting that their income should have covered last month's expenses. This clearly indicates that at least one if not more than one month passed in between the first and second episode's of the spin-off series and that they had most likely already handled several cases we never got to see. Taking advantage of this expansion in time, I quickly and without hesitation began to wonder just what could have taken place during this vacant period of time in our timeline. Therefore, this next story (and perhaps more after that) will take place in the time between "Moment of Truth" and "Fighting Back," this first chapter even hinting at the last scene of MOT as we transition into the storyline for my latest installment "Trapped."

As always, thank you for reading and reviewing! God Bless, 'Kath'


TRAPPED

Chapter One


Almost distinctively, Katheryn could hear Tommy jeering playfully with Tyler from the next room as she passed Mrs. Malloy a clean dish for drying, smiling over to the woman as they shared in the spirit of the moment.

Mrs. Malloy's voice was soft and tender as she sighed, refusing to cry as she wiped at a wayward tear, glancing out the window above the sink they currently stood at.

"What's the matter?" Katheryn inquired, noticing the shift of emotion on Katie's face. She set the dish she was washing back in the soapy water and reached for a towel to dry her hands with.

"I don't know," Mrs. Malloy shrugged, chuckling lightly. "I guess I'm just getting sentimental in my old age."

"Hey, you're not old. Not by a long shot."

"I know that." Katie finished drying the dish in her hand and slipped it inside the cabinet next to her. "I just remembered that this upcoming school year will be Tandy's last year in middle school."

"It is?" Katheryn asked reflectively and then nodded. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. I think she's grown a whole half a foot since I first met her," Kath ended with a laugh but instantly regretted it as she saw Mrs. Malloy with tears in her eyes. She touched the woman gently on the arm and smiled. "Hey, now. It'll be okay." The two women embraced.

Katie sniffed hard, wishing the emotions would stop. "I don't know why it's bothering me so much. I lived through it with Trent and Tommy. You'd think I'd be used to it all by now. Ty is starting junior high this year in fact."

Katheryn pulled away from the embrace, looking Katie in the eyes. "She's your little girl. It's bound to be different. I know I don't have the experience that you do. But I had a friend when I was little who said her mom cried for days when she left for law school. And she had five older brothers."

"I guess that's some consolation then," Mrs. Malloy concluded, resuming her task of dishwashing with Kath. "I just hope to the Almighty she'll choose a less dangerous career path than Trent did."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think I have the energy to worry about two of my kids. Trent's following his dream, and I support him fully. But that doesn't keep a mother from worrying. And then I had to adopt you," Katie chuckled. "And then when Carlos is around, he's like one of mine too. So I worry about the lot of you all the time."

Katheryn laughed, scrubbing a stubborn piece of cheese off of the plate she currently was cleaning. "Well, it wouldn't be the same without you."

"Oh, Katheryn. Thank you for saying that."

"No problem. After all, it's the truth."

The entrance into the kitchen was suddenly filled with Trent's presence, his steps swift as he set a final load of dishes by Katheryn on the countertop. Katheryn gave him a disdainful glare as she looked over the stack, the hope of almost being done with the burdening chore slipping away from her by the second.

"Sorry," Trent tried smoothing it over apologetically and shrunk out of the kitchen back into the dining room.

Katheryn reached for the first dish in the new stack, making a passing comment about her disdain for dishwashing when an object suddenly flew past the ladies right between them, having shattered the kitchen window and sent shards of glass raining onto the women and the sink of dishes in front of them.

Both Katheryn and Mrs. Malloy screamed, dodging the object and the flying glass to crouch down quickly below the counter by impulse.

Carlos and Trent had hurried into the room without hesitation by now, Carlos drawing his weapon while Trent squatted low with the women to check on them.

"Are you alright?" Trent asked, touching Katheryn on the shoulder as he looked up towards his mom.

Katheryn cringed immediately, a sharp pain seizing her arm. As she glanced towards the source of the pain, she could see a few minor cuts on her arm and a growing bruise where the unknown object had clearly found its target.

"I'll call 911," Mrs. Malloy announced, hurrying from Trent and Kath to the phone.

Carlos took one last look out the window with his handgun drawn before he returned it to its holster at the base of his back and quickly settled by Kath's side on the floor. He could see by the look in her eyes that she was in pain and suddenly felt helpless. Without saying a word, he wrapped an arm around her, drawing her close. "Don't worry. You're going to be just fine."


Trent, Carlos, and Mrs. Malloy paced the hospital waiting room for an eternity of thirty minutes before the doctor emerged from the emergency room bay and found them in eager anticipation.

"How is she, doc?" Carlos was the first to speak up.

"We had to remove some very small pieces of glass from her arm, and she suffered a severe bruising to the bones in her arm. Thankfully no bones were broken though. As soon as we get her fixed in a sling and bandage her arm, she'll be ready to go home."

Carlos smiled, shaking the doctor's hand. "Thank you, doc. Thanks a lot. Can we see her?"

"No problem," the kind man acknowledged as he turned to lead back towards the emergency room. "Sure. Right this way."

Katheryn was being fitted in a sling just as the trio strode in. "Hey, guys. Long time no see."

"Very funny," Trent grinned, giving Katheryn's arm a glance over.

"So," Katheryn posed. "Did you guys figure out what the object was?"

Carlos chuckled. "Kath, I don't care about the mystery object. You were hurt. We didn't have time to investigate it." He rolled his eyes towards Trent. "Do you hear this? She almost broke her arm and is more concerned about the object that hurt her."

Trent smiled. "Sounds about right. We let her go from the protection agency and what does she do? She dives right into an investigation."

"Hey," Kath defended herself. "It's not like I wanted the rock or whatever it was to hurt me. And you can't fault a girl's natural investigative instincts."

"Right," Carlos replied sarcastically and stepped closer to Kath. He smoothed back her hair and smiled again. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Yeah," Katheryn returned his smile softly. "Me too."

"All set," Kath's nurse replied, removing her gloves and helping Katheryn off the exam table. "From the looks of it, I have no doubt you'll be well taken care of at home."

"Well, thanks," Kath replied and gave her family a knowing smile. "I'm pretty lucky that's for sure."

"You ready to head home then, hon?" Katie asked, putting her arm around Kath.

"Absolutely!" Katheryn replied with no hesitation whatsoever.


Crowded lockers at the high school Tommy Malloy attended were filled with passing students. Some were going to class while others were simply passing the time either wisely or foolishly with friends or foes. Tommy, he was busy switching out his books at his locker, not minding anyone else but himself when Adam approached him.

"Hey, man, what's up?" Adam greeted his best friend with a smile.

"Nothing much. I'm good." Adam's smile faded. "Hey I heard what happened to Kath. Is she okay?"

"Yeah," Tommy nodded, shutting his locker firmly before walking with Adam down the hall. "Her arm got banged up pretty bad. But the doc says there were no broken bones."

"That's great, man. Did and Carlos ever figure out what happened?"

"No, not yet."

Adam chuckled. "It's been an entire weekend. They are PI's are they not?"

"Duh," Tommy scoffed. "But they don't have any leads. So that's that. I for one wish they did. I think Trent is tired of me asking. And Carlos is mad at whoever tried to hurt his girl."

"You mean there were no footprints?"

"Nope."

"Tire tracks on the street?"

"Nope. Nothing."

"Man, remind me never to become a PI. That stuff can get tiring when you can't solve a case."

Tommy chuckled. "You should see Trent. I'm not looking forward to sparring with him today. He's slightly aggravated more than usual. Speaking of," Tommy glanced at his watch, "I should get going. Class in thirty."

"Alright. See ya later," Adam called out as Tommy hurried out of the school to his vehicle to head across town in route for the dojo.


After fifteen minutes of arguing, Katheryn was finally glad to have the apartment to herself for a few minutes, relishing the quiet and calm, distant city noises from nearby Dallas while Molly went on a grocery errand. Molly was bound and determined to be there with Kath every second of her healing. But Katheryn wanted nothing more than to not be treated as an invalid. Besides, the injury could have been far worse. She was lucky. And she wanted to be treated as if she was lucky not like she had neared death. The mere thought was invalidating as it was. That said, Katheryn was somewhat aggravated when she heard a knock at their door not ten minutes after Molly had left.

Gathering herself off of the sofa with a sharp exhale on her lips, Kath crossed the apartment and opened the door to find no trace of anyone in sight. Katheryn almost wrote herself off as insane until she noticed a note at her feet. Picking it up, she read aloud, "'No pain, no gain.' Hm. I wonder what that could mean." She shut the door and returned to the sofa, not giving the item much thought until she heard a car leaving the parking area below. Rushing to the window, she could barely make out what kind of car it was as it disappeared around the corner and out of sight. Disappointed, Kath returned to and sunk into the sofa again, picking up the note again with her free hand to study it.


After three restless days of sitting around the apartment "resting," Katheryn had finally had enough. With or without her best friend's consent, she was leaving the house. As she brought her Stingray to a stop behind Trent's a few yards away from the Uppercuts entrance, she could see Butch walking out of the bar, smiling and looking upwards to the building behind him as he joined Ranger Walker, Trent, and Carlos on the other side of the street. Following whatever Butch had been looking at, Kath noticed several men at work, one particularly putting the final touches on what appeared to be a brand new sign in the window of the vacant building that had sat above Uppercuts for months if not years. Carefully squinting to get a look at the lettering, she read Thunder Investigations. Smiling, she concluded it was even better than how Carlos had described it. Glancing below the main logo, she read Trent and Carlos' names, a subtle twist of pride blooming within her as her smile grew. She couldn't deny whatsoever how much of an adjustment it had been seeing Carlos leave the force. But seeing him and Trent join forces like this obliterated any trace of doubt she had for the future. Sure, she would still worry about him. What girlfriend wouldn't? But she glad that Carlos had finally found his place again. And she would support them both all the way. In fact, she concluded she probably would be around here more times than not, a fact that Trent had already concluded long before today.

Stepping out of her car, Katheryn looked down the street quickly before carefully hurry to cross it, tracing a path to where the guys currently stood, gazing up at the new sign and laughing about something she had missed.

"What's so funny?" Kath couldn't stop smiling as she came to a stop by Carlos.

"Oh, nothing," Carlos shrugged, slipping one hand out of his pocket to put around Katheryn.

Katheryn glanced over at him, her eyes narrowing out of suspicion. "Yeah, right. Come on. Tell me!"

Trent cleared his throat. "Carlos seems to think I'll be handling all the paperwork."

"Yup," Carlos chimed in, grinning from ear to ear. "We got that all settled before you arrived."

Katheryn caught a glimpse of Trent smile and shook her head. "Well, if it's any consolation, Trent, I think you'll do a great job."

"Thanks, Kath."

"What you say we head inside and check the place out?" Butch asked, waving a hand toward the bar entrance. "We'll have to take the stairs from behind the bar until the guys get through with the work out here."

"Sure thing," Trent clapped, agreeing heartily as he walked with the others inside.

As the little group landed on the second floor, Trent moved passed them to give Katheryn, the only one who had not already been up there, the grand tour. He immediately turned around to face Kath, pointing towards a little room to his right. "This here will be the main office. Mine most likely." He walked backwards carefully as he moved into the main area. "We haven't quite decided what to do with this area. It's just a waiting room of sorts right now."

"We could set up a desk or something for me," Carlos grinned.

"And moving right along," Trent ignored his partner, "we have the main entrance of course…"

Katheryn seemed to be distracted as she crossed the large open space to the four windows that made up the corner of the foyer area. "The view is gorgeous!"

"I knew you'd like that," Carlos chimed in again, drawing her smiling gaze.

Trent climbed the nearby steps up to a loft area to their immediate right. "And here's the loft area."

"You guys should put in a sofa or chairs or something. Be a great area to interview your clients or such," Butch advised as he climbed the steps directly behind Carlos and Katheryn with Walker coming up behind him afterwards.

"Hey, that's not such a bad idea," Katheryn mentioned, feeling the warmth of the sun gently rest on her shoulder as it beamed down from a small window at the top of the wall. Take a moment to slowly turn around and take in every corner of the place from such a fantastic view, Katheryn's smile grew broader than ever. "I love it. This is so cozy. I don't think y'all will be able to get rid of me…ever."

"Who said anything about getting rid of you?" Trent teased. "After all, I warned you that you weren't getting off the hook that easily."

Katheryn chuckled. "You got me there, Trent."

"Well, if you guys need me, you know where to find me," Butch threw over his shoulder as he descended the loft steps in route for the exit.

"Sure thing, Butch," Carlos was quick to reply with a lift of his head before Butch was completely out of earshot.

"You know," Katheryn began with a cock of her head, raising her voice ever so slightly. "If you guys want, I could do some of the office work around here. Take your mind off of such a petty thing while you're working to get up to speed and find some clients."

"Kath," Carlos drew her gaze by taking her gently by the shoulders. "You know we appreciate the offer. But you really should rest."

"Rest?!" Katheryn's voice echoed authoritatively in the vast vacuum of space. "All I've been doing is resting for the past three days. I'm not an invalid. Besides, the injury wasn't even all that bad. It could have been much worse. It's just a bad bruise and a few cuts. Cut me some slack, guys. Please."

"Okay," Trent released the matter with a raise of his hands. "If you think you're fine…"

"I am," Katheryn insisted. But she couldn't stay mad for long as she let her gaze wander. "This place is really nice, you two. I mean besides the fact that it could use a good cleaning, it already feels like home."

"Careful," Carlos warned playfully. "If we find a cot in the corner, we'll know who to blame." Katheryn swatted Carlos on the arm, causing him to cringe.

But Carlos was right. Katheryn found it tempting to stay around for the rest of the week. But duty called. She had to meet with Alex that afternoon to discuss their plans for expanding the H.O.P.E. center's operations. So Katheryn reluctantly said her goodbyes and slipped out into the downtown Dallas street, turning around briefly to give the place one last look, a sense of contentment shining from her smile as she proceeded forward to settle into the driver's seat of her prized Corvette.